Towering mountains stood among white clouds, their peaks capped with snow, while their slopes were covered in pine forests. A clear stream flowed slowly down from the mountain. Being deep autumn, it was but a shallow, slender ribbon that formed only a small pool when it gathered at the stone ravine at the mountain’s foot.

The clear stone pool rippled with waves, with dark stones laid flat beneath the water.

Around the stone pool were massive white rocks.

At this moment, a small marten with gray-oiled fur lay lazily on the white stone.

Though it was deep autumn, this place was blessed with brilliant sunshine that warmed the stones pleasantly. Little Marten covered its mouth with its paws, yawned, and finally turned its eyes to look at Jian Chou by the stone pool.

Today, Jian Chou wore deep blue robes as usual, with silver-gray embroidered patterns along the right lapel’s crossing collar, said to be stitched with yang silk spun by underground yin-yang spiders. The rest of the robe was woven from the yin silk of yin-yang spiders.

“I’m telling you, this outfit is warm in winter and cool in summer, and looks particularly good when worn. You’re our Yashan’s senior sister after all, a living signboard – when you go out, you absolutely must dress well…”

As Jian Chou reached for a cup of water from the stone pool, seeing the silver embroidered patterns at the collar and sleeves instantly brought Fudao Shanren’s pained expression to mind, as if giving away a set of clothes was killing him.

“Sigh…”

This petty appearance was truly speechless.

Thinking this, Jian Chou sighed deeply and cupped the clear spring water from the stone pool, taking a small sip.

The sweet spring water, flowing down from the mountain peak in deep autumn and early winter, carried a bone-piercing coolness. Just one sip made Jian Chou’s mind incredibly clear.

Splash, splash.

The remaining spring water slipped through Jian Chou’s fingers, splashing ripples across the surface.

After merely moistening her dry lips, Jian Chou casually looked around.

To the east lay the place she came from – at the end of vast plains, countless mountain ranges could be seen, with Yashan being the tallest among them. To the west lay her destination – mountains rising from low to towering heights, the terrain beginning to undulate, growing higher toward the northwest, with distant shadows of snow-capped peaks faintly visible on the horizon.

Even the mountain range she currently occupied was frighteningly tall.

Last night at midnight, she had already emerged from seclusion.

Having learned about Gathering Medicine Peak’s Black Wind Cave, after a brief rest, Jian Chou went to bid farewell to Fudao Shanren. He stingily gave her a set of clothes and stuffed some dao seals suitable for her cultivation, then waved her away as if fearing she might take more of his possessions.

Thus, Jian Chou departed for Gathering Medicine Peak with such disdain.

After leaving Yashan, she traveled west all the way, watching the surrounding scenery constantly change until she finally glimpsed the grandeur of the Left Three Thousand in Shijiu Zhou’s Central Domain.

Along the road, she often saw other cultivators flying past in midair. Occasionally, someone would glance at Jian Chou, but upon discovering she was merely an ordinary Foundation Establishment female cultivator, most would simply pass by.

In the Central Domain’s Left Three Thousand, Foundation Establishment cultivators were as common as dogs, and Golden Core cultivators walked everywhere.

Jian Chou suddenly felt motivated to make others take notice – at least she should cultivate to the Golden Core, right?

“Sigh.”

Another long sigh.

Jian Chou stood up, preparing to continue westward.

Before departure, she had studied relevant maps. The mountain she currently occupied was called “White Stone Mountain.” Sixty li further west lay a famous sect in the Central Domain – Baiyue Valley, which only accepted female cultivators and specialized in producing great beauties, ranking among the “Upper Five” of the Central Domain’s three thousand sects.

What a pity. Under normal circumstances, Jian Chou would likely take this opportunity to “pass by” Baiyue Valley to see what their female cultivators looked like. However, time was pressing now.

Having rested here briefly, she should hurry to Flying Heaven Town fifty li ahead before stopping again.

She beckoned to Little Marten, wanting it to drink some water too: “Little Marten, come here.”

“Whoosh—”

The layered clouds in the sky were suddenly torn by approaching light.

Jian Chou instinctively frowned. Her sleeve lit up with glazed golden light as she prepared the Liwai Mirror.

Little Marten alertly sprang up from the white stone and “whoosh” – leaped directly onto Jian Chou’s shoulder.

One person and one marten looked toward those rays of light together.

Seven people approached, all wearing similar moon-white skirts with an ethereal, gentle beauty. They landed nearby. The leader, who looked more composed, wore a blue pearl hairpin and glanced around before spotting the stone pool. “Senior Sister Lu, let’s rest over there for a bit.”

The other female cultivators turned toward the woman standing in their center.

Though distant, Jian Chou could hear their conversation and notice everyone’s movements.

Following their gazes, Jian Chou also looked at this “Senior Sister Lu.”

What a stunning beauty.

Her eyebrows were like distant mountains wreathed in mist, slightly furrowed at the tips with a hint of melancholy and sickly pallor. Her skin was like ice and jade, snow-white, though her cheeks gave an impression of paleness. Her nose was elegant, cherry lips tightly pressed as if enduring some pain.

Both her hands were supported by others, as if she lacked the strength to stand on her own.

Her wide moon-white robes concealed her figure, like the palest part of the sky with an otherworldly quality. Yet golden embroidered threads covered her garment’s edges, bringing worldly nobility that made this beauty seem somewhat more real.

Upon hearing the female cultivator’s words, she looked up toward the distance where Jian Chou stood.

Her clear gaze held a kind of enlightened wisdom.

She looked at Jian Chou, and Jian Chou looked back.

In just that moment of eye contact, Jian Chou sensed the wisdom hidden beneath weakness and tranquility.

Unlike at Yashan, Little Marten seemed uneasy seeing this group of strangers, quietly pressing its tail against Jian Chou’s neck.

Jian Chou smiled slightly.

That female cultivator’s gaze moved from Jian Chou to Little Marten, suddenly showing some confusion.

“Cough, cough…”

Two suppressed coughs.

She finally turned back to the blue-hairpin female cultivator: “Let’s go rest there.”

Hearing her cough, the blue-hairpin cultivator seemed worried: “Senior Sister Lu, are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

Her pale face showed not a trace of color, revealing complete frailty.

Supported by those beside her, she slowly walked from the winding mountain path. Though just a short distance, it took her a long time.

Jian Chou stood there for a long while, too. The glazed golden light in her sleeve remained constant, not dissipating despite her staying put.

Watching this group approach, Jian Chou discerned some clues from their uniform dress.

“Baiyue Valley’s Lu Xiangleng greets fellow Daoist. My sect sisters and I are passing through and wish to rest here briefly. We hope you won’t take offense.”

Her delicate, weak voice carried insufficient breath, yet was completely courteous.

After speaking, Lu Xiangleng naturally raised her head to observe.

This female cultivator standing on the white stone possessed a temperament completely different from every other female cultivator she had ever seen.

Though her features and contours were gentle, beneath her eyes lay an unfathomable depth and stability, as if she had experienced certain things and become tranquil.

She had once seen such eyes in her master, carrying a sense of seeing through worldly dust.

These should be eyes that could endure solitude.

The deep blue robes gave an impression as vast and profound as the deep sea; ordinary female cultivators couldn’t wear such a pure feeling. Moreover, the silver patterns spiraling upon them gave Lu Xiangleng a different impression.

If her eyes hadn’t been damaged too severely by Earth scorpion poison, and she wasn’t mistaken, these robes were likely woven from yin-yang spider silk after refinement. Besides being temperature-regulating, they served no great purpose beyond beauty.

Such extravagance in a single garment, even though this female cultivator only had Foundation Establishment cultivation, Lu Xiangleng couldn’t underestimate her.

Moreover, she was naturally not discourteous and preferred being kind to others.

After briefly introducing herself and glancing at Jian Chou, Lu Xiangleng politely lowered her eyes.

Jian Chou naturally sensed such observation, but without hostility, rather full of goodwill.

She patted the still-uneasy Little Marten and smiled slightly: “Fellow Daoist Lu is too kind. Baiyue Valley’s great name has long been thunderous to my ears. This place isn’t mine originally, so there’s no question of offense. Please make yourselves comfortable.”

After speaking, Jian Chou also glanced at the others behind Lu Xiangleng.

Compared to Lu Xiangleng’s unique temperament, the other Baiyue Valley female cultivators were somewhat inferior, though their appearance and bearing were all first-rate without any malice or contempt.

One female cultivator took thick meditation cushions from her qiankun bag and placed them on the white stones, while two others helped Lu Xiangleng sit down.

The blue-hairpin cultivator took several jade bowls from her qiankun bag, filled one with water, and brought it to Lu Xiangleng.

“White Stone Mountain’s water is heavenly spring water. Senior Sister, drink first. I’ll collect some to store before we continue our journey.”

Lu Xiangleng accepted the jade bowl and nodded slightly: “Thank you for your trouble, Junior Sister Feng.”

Feng Li was Lu Xiangleng’s junior sister. Even before joining the sect, she had heard of “Medicine Woman Lu Xiangleng’s” great name – though not highly talented in cultivation, she was exceptionally skilled in pill and medicine theory.

Usually at the sect, the pills they used were mostly prepared by Senior Sister, who also frequently guided junior disciples’ cultivation.

Who would have thought that accompanying Lu Xiangleng to Gathering Medicine Peak this time would encounter such a disaster?

Feng Li’s gaze carried some self-reproach.

From afar, Jian Chou had already noticed the difference.

She began considering the possibility of bringing out a jade bowl to drink water, but after careful thought, found it quite troublesome.

She had done exactly what these Baiyue Valley female cultivators were doing now.

When the Xie family hadn’t yet fallen and hadn’t encountered that overwhelming disaster, during an outing for spring viewing, Mother Xie’s jade bowl was also exquisite, and Jian Chou’s white porcelain vial for drawing water was crystal-clear like jade.

Such refined, almost cautious days – she didn’t seem to like them that much.

Traveling on the road, with wind and frost on one’s face, without water pouches or much preparation needed.

Heaven is a blanket, and Earth is a bed.

Where couldn’t one go?

Where could one rest?

When thirsty, cup some mountain stream water; when hungry, pick some forest fruits…

Life should originally be lived more leisurely.

However, there was nothing wrong with Baiyue Valley’s way either.

Looking at that jade bowl, thinking of today’s differences from the past, Jian Chou wondered whether she had fallen, become enlightened, or finally transcended worldly dust like those unconventional immortals.

The hand holding the jade bowl was Lu Xiangleng’s hand, pale without a trace of snow-color, with deep blue blood vessels seemingly just beneath the lustrous skin.

However, faint wisps of black qi flowed through these blood vessels.

Perhaps Jian Chou’s gaze was too direct and unguarded. After slowly drinking the water in her bowl, Lu Xiangleng looked toward Jian Chou.

She also followed Jian Chou’s gaze to her hand.

Then, suddenly smiling, she spoke: “Earth scorpion poison flows in my blood vessels, so the color isn’t like ordinary blood vessels.”

She indeed knew what Jian Chou was thinking.

Standing there without approaching, Jian Chou nodded: “I know of earth scorpion poison. I’ve heard it grows three thousand feet underground, is rarely seen, extremely vicious. Once contaminated with this poison, the light consequence is severed meridians; the severe consequence is complete bodily decay. Yet you…”

At least it appeared completely fine.

Lu Xiangleng’s gaze suddenly became somewhat strange.

She was silent for a moment before speaking: “I understand medicine principles somewhat, so the earth scorpion poison hasn’t spread.”

Hearing this, Jian Chou understood somewhat and nodded without thinking much.

However, the female cultivators standing beside Lu Xiangleng were already somewhat dumbfounded.

Why…

Even after speaking so clearly, this distinguished-looking female cultivator had absolutely no reaction?

Senior Sister Lu had already introduced herself – Baiyue Valley’s Medicine Woman Lu Xiangleng. Had she never heard of her?

Everyone’s gaze also became strange.

Seeing them all drinking water with jade bowls, Jian Chou couldn’t very well let Little Marten drink water. While struggling with this, she suddenly felt everyone’s gaze and looked up, thinking: Why were they all looking at her like this? Had she overlooked something?

As if seeing Jian Chou’s confusion, Lu Xiangleng smiled slightly: “I presume boldly – this fellow daoist has either cultivated for not long, or been in seclusion for many years?”

“…Correct.”

Jian Chou immediately knew where the problem lay: she didn’t recognize this Lu Xiangleng.

Lu Xiangleng waved slightly, signaling to the blue-hairpin cultivator Feng Li.

Feng Li understood, took out a jade bowl, stepped forward, and offered it to Jian Chou.

Jian Chou was startled and looked toward Lu Xiangleng.

Lu Xiangleng coughed once and smiled weakly: “I observe a fellow daoist looking at water, bowl, and a little marten – presumably the marten wishes to drink water. We happen to have extra jade bowls. If fellow daoist doesn’t mind…”

“Then many thanks.”

Jian Chou couldn’t help smiling, reaching out to accept the jade bowl Feng Li offered, saying, “Much obliged.”

This perfectly solved her trouble.

Observing words and expressions, attentive to detail, courteous and proper, yet not annoying.

This Lu Xiangleng was quite a character.