With great effort, we finally sent off the bottomless pit that was Lu Daozhang. By then, four or five people had already gathered in the parlor used for official business, all having come from the Temple to seek instructions on important matters. Honglu and the two captains had already handled the routine affairs, but these required the Lord Envoy’s personal decision. Though it pained me, I had no choice but to let her go. Still, unable to set my mind at ease, I took a seat in a corner of the hall to watch over her.
It was then that Muyu found me, leaning in to whisper, "A letter from the Fifth Young Lady, addressed specifically to you, Miss." As she spoke, she discreetly pressed a letter into my palm.
This had to be news regarding Qiansuiyou. Both Muyu and I understood that by bypassing Wei-daren and sending it directly to me, the news was likely something she would find difficult to accept at first glance...
These thoughts flashed through my mind, and my breathing quickened. Clutching the letter, I didn't dare open it immediately, first glancing over at Wei-daren’s side. Fortunately, the visitors were discussing weighty matters; she was currently scanning documents with rapid efficiency while listening to their reports, far too occupied to notice me. Only then did I break the unique seal of our sect and pull out the letter.
Muyu watched me with unblinking concern, her own tension matching mine as she unconsciously crumpled the handkerchief in her hands. Seeing me finish and tuck the letter away, she hurriedly asked, "How is it?"
"He’s been found," I sighed. "Only... Fifth Sister says his physical condition is worrying."
Only then did Muyu press a hand to her heart, letting out a soft breath of relief. She offered comfort, saying, "The Young Master can surely afford to summon famous physicians. You needn't worry too much, Miss."
I nodded. "Yes, it’s enough that he’s been found. We just have to wait for A-yun to go and see him herself." As I spoke, I gave Muyu a playful poke. "Sister, your heart has been quite unsettled these past two days. You’re easily startled, aren't you?"
"Is it any wonder, given that my masters just walked through the gates of peril?" She realized her state then, looking embarrassed as her cheeks flushed slightly. She lowered her head and murmured softly, then gave a small, huffy snort. "Is it a crime to worry about you?"
"No crime at all. You're the most caring of all," I said, stifling a laugh.
Once the joking was over, my heart grew heavy again. I watched Wei Qingming’s profile as she sat with lowered eyes, her brush moving across the paper as she planned and organized, calmly giving orders to the group. I fell into a daze for a while.
I don't know how long I sat there, but I only snapped out of it when a faint shadow fell over me, blocking the light. The people in the hall were gone. Honglu was making a final sweep for any forgotten items, destroying documents and extinguishing the bright lanterns hanging from the eaves one by one.
Wei Qingming stood before me. She leaned down to gently brush a stray hair from my cheek and said warmly, "You didn't have to wait for me."
I gave a cheeky grin and pointed to the lantern above that hadn't been put out yet. "It’s a good thing we live in the west of the city, otherwise we wouldn't even have a light to see by."
She gave a soft "mm" and instinctively pressed her fingers to the space between her brows. "It’s a difficult situation," she said. "Because of that final strike from the Tenfold Pavilion’s formation, the area of spiritual exhaustion stretches from the Jin River in the south to Jia and Xing in the north. Even several facilities in the Eastern Palace have ceased functioning. The masters have exerted all their strength, but they’ve only managed to repair the spiritual veins by ten or twenty percent. It will barely be enough to supply some regions before New Year’s Eve."
Before I could reach up to soothe her forehead, she caught my hand with a smile and shook her head. "Let’s not talk about that. Let’s go back to the room."
It hadn't snowed for several days. As the hour approached midnight, long icicles hung from the eaves, reflecting a faint, ethereal blue light. Honglu locked the parlor doors and carried a lantern ahead to light our way. The wind swirled fallen leaves across the ground with a dry, rustling sound. These were the coldest days of the year, and one could feel the chill seeping from the soles of the feet straight to the heart.
I asked about Ye Jun’s injuries and was told they weren't serious. After all, demonic cultivators spend their lives pursuing power beyond their limits; they naturally have means to lessen the price of a temporary surge in combat strength. I then casually mentioned my encounter with Grandpa Feng and Brother Hou that day.
Honglu saw us into the courtyard before heading off to rest, leaving just the two of us in the room. Wei-daren, after all, had no true essence to support her. After an hour of official business, her exhaustion was evident, yet she still tried to act nonchalant in front of me, insisting on peeling a newly bought orange for me to eat.
Aching for her, I swatted her hand away. I peeled the fruit myself in a few quick motions and stuffed more than half of it into her mouth, giving her a fierce glare all the while.
I sat there with the other half of the orange in my own mouth, glaring at her for a while until my gaze softened. She asked with a smile, "Why have you stopped glaring?"
"My brother..." I said softly. "Qiansuiyou has been found. He’s in a small village south of Puyi City in Yuzhou."
Wei-daren was truly herself; her reaction was far steadier than I had anticipated. She nodded. "We knew he was in Yuzhou before. Fourth Brother and Fifth Sister took the teleportation array that goes directly from the capital to Yidu, the provincial capital." As she spoke, she picked up another golden, plump orange, rolling it in her palm. She smiled. "A-zhi has been looking gloomy and brooding all the way here before telling me. Is Qiansuiyou in some kind of trouble?"
"Indeed, what can be hidden from the keen-eyed Lord Envoy?" I had no choice but to admit it. "He seems to have some long-standing ailments. I fear they won't be easy to treat."
"We will find a way," she said, gently pulling me into her arms. Then, she changed the subject. "A-zhi, have you ever been to Langgan Marsh?"
"I haven't," I replied. "I haven't set foot in any of the four provinces west of the capital."
Langgan Marsh lay to the west of the capital region. Despite its delicate-sounding name, it spanned over a thousand miles; it was even known as the "West Sea," held in equal regard with the Southern and Northern Seas. The region was dominated by the vast Qionghai Lake, with countless small ponds scattered around it like a circle of stray pearls adorning the edge of a giant jade mirror. One would pass Langgan Marsh on the way south to Yuzhou, but wouldn't taking a teleportation array be more direct?
"I happen to have business to attend to there." Seeing my thoughtful expression, she narrowed her eyes and smiled. "And we can take in the snowy scenery of the West Sea while we're at it."
I sighed inwardly. Wei-daren truly never took a day off; she had even managed to arrange official business on the way to find a long-lost relative...
Muyu had anticipated that we would depart the next day and had prepared everything, packing our luggage early. I had slept for less than six hours, and when I woke, the person beside me was still deep in slumber. She was truly exhausted, and being both injured and ill, she looked haggard and fragile. Feeling a pang of distress, I went to make preparations for the journey first, letting her sleep as long as possible.
Wei-daren could not wield weapons or magic for now, so Honglu and Xuesu naturally had to accompany us as guards. Luo Cheng drove the carriage and coordinated the secret guards and outposts along the way. However, neither Captain Zhou nor Captain Yuan came along; none of the Temple's public personnel were brought. I had been somewhat worried she was planning something dangerous again, but this actually put me at ease—it meant the mission didn't involve fighting.
This person, however, took full advantage of her illness to act spoiled and lazy. To every question, she simply answered "Very good," refusing to lift a finger for anything. She just sat by the table with her chin in her hand, watching me with a lazy smile. In the carriage leaving the capital for the teleportation array, she curled up comfortably inside a warm white fox-fur quilt, squinting her eyes. She even insisted it wasn't warm enough and demanded I crawl in to sleep with her.
I was both amused and shy. I puffed out my cheeks and pinched her restless hand, but in the end, I couldn't resist the temptation of the fragrant, warm, fluffy quilt and burrowed into her arms.
After bickering for a while, I fell asleep too, only waking when she softly called my name. This trip counted as an official mission, so we used a higher-level teleportation array that could easily transport the carriage and horses.
We traversed nearly two thousand miles in about fifteen minutes. When we saw the world again, it wore a completely new face. This was the southeastern part of the Langgan Marsh region. The teleportation array’s terminus was located on the outskirts of Anlan City. To the north lay a vista of wild grasses stretching to the horizon, a true frontier scene.
It was already noon. The brilliant, ethereal sunlight was slightly pale, and the sky was cloudless. Only in the far distance could one vaguely see a mist-like band of white silk floating between the remote mountains—that was the southern view of Mount Heluo in Yanzhou, three thousand miles away. The sheer flatness of the Langgan Qionghai was evident from this.
It was the height of a desolate midwinter. The carriage wheels crunched over sandy soil, and the land was barren. The knee-high summer grasses of the plains were now reduced to inch-high withered yellow stalks, which, upon closer inspection, were coated in frost like clusters of velvet flowers. The snow couldn't settle over such a vast area; instead, ice huddled in the hollows of dark, rugged stones, having melted in the sun only to refreeze.
The path we were currently on was a main road with many merchants and travelers. However, following Wei Qingming’s instructions, Luo Cheng steered the carriage onto a natural trail worn into the grass by horse thieves and bandits, heading straight for the north. We soon left all signs of human life behind.
I had long since pinned the carriage curtains high, poking my head out to look around with curiosity and excitement. Finally, the carriage came to a halt. As soon as Luo Cheng opened the main door, I jumped out impatiently, taking a deep breath of the crisp, biting air. I stretched my arms and ran, shouting, "How refreshing!"
Honglu helped Wei Qingming down and tucked her cloak around her. Wei leaned against the carriage, watching me with a smile.
After running a few paces, I remembered I had a "sickly beauty" behind me. Feeling quite embarrassed, I dashed back. Wei Qingming laughed and said, "Qionghai is just ahead. When you see the ice later, don't walk out onto it. In some places, the ice isn't thick enough to hold weight."
Blushing, I hugged her arm and acted spoiled. "You come with me to see it."
"Alright," she smiled. "Then we must be even
