As Qi Miaohan struck out decisively, her whip lashed against the snowy ground of the forest, kicking up a mist of frost. The three opponents paused for a moment. Qi Miaohan’s fighting style and weapon were ill-suited for a brawl in a cramped thicket, so she took the opportunity to leap backward, dragging the alchemist along with her.
"Don't you dare die here!" Qi Miaohan shouted.
The alchemist was weeping internally; he didn't want to die either.
"You should worry about yourself first," Xu Yehua said coldly. "Last time you fled in pathetic defeat, and this time you rush in alone. You truly are a woman who never learns."
"Hmph, what's it to you!" Qi Miaohan retorted with disdain. Duan Mingyu was still hesitating in the back, and she could temporarily hold off the two in front. Although less than a year had passed, Qi Miaohan had gained significant combat experience and practiced diligently; she was not the same person she once was.
With a flick of her wrist, Qi Miaohan lashed out with her Lotus Leaf Whip while simultaneously activating an Ice Talisman. The talisman, hidden within the spiritual glow of her attack, bypassed Xu Yehua and Rong Lü, flying straight toward Duan Mingyu.
Rong Lü immediately halted his offensive, retreating to Duan Mingyu’s side to intercept the several ice spikes with a flurry of sword light.
"You did that on purpose," Rong Lü said, his eyes burning with rage.
Qi Miaohan feigned surprise. "Would you believe me if I said my hand slipped?"
"Why are you targeting me like this!" Duan Mingyu cried out, feeling wronged.
*Because you're the weakest,* Qi Miaohan thought.
However, she was too busy parrying the next wave of attacks to answer. Having narrowly escaped being hit, Duan Mingyu felt a lingering fear. He finally stopped dazing and raised his Clear Frost Sword to join the fray. Two opponents became three, and with Rong Lü growing increasingly agitated, Qi Miaohan suddenly felt the pressure mount.
"Help me out a bit, will you!" Qi Miaohan barked at the alchemist she had saved, frustrated by his incompetence as she was forced back repeatedly.
"I..." The cultivator pulled out a magic tool, attempting to join the battle.
However, he clearly couldn't keep up with Qi Miaohan’s speed. A reckless attack would only expose him to danger, forcing Qi Miaohan to waste effort saving him again.
"Forget it!" Qi Miaohan snapped. "Just don't help!"
She tried to maneuver toward the trade zone while fighting. If she could get closer to the more populated areas, someone might recognize her, and word would surely reach Nie Shiyun.
But Xu Yehua was not about to let her succeed so easily. The group’s position barely shifted despite the exchange of blows. Qi Miaohan could neither find the opening to pull out a communication crystal nor find a way to safely toss this Foundation Establishment cultivator out of the encirclement so he could go report back.
Gritting her teeth, Qi Miaohan refused to fall into the same predicament as last time. After a moment's thought, she took the initiative to probe, "What exactly are you trying to find out about Nie Shiyun? Heh, are you really that afraid of him?"
"Afraid of him?" Xu Yehua’s movements faltered as his eyes narrowed.
Qi Miaohan felt a surge of triumph; it was working.
"Is it not so? Otherwise, why would you fixate on an irrelevant person? I don't see anything special about him," Qi Miaohan said with an exaggerated, mocking tone.
"A dual-root cultivator about to reach the Nascent Soul stage before the age of fifty? Is that not special enough?" Rong Lü asked.
As the topic turned to Nie Shiyun, their offensive slowed slightly. Duan Mingyu and the others saw an opportunity to squeeze information out of the seemingly foolish Qi Miaohan. Meanwhile, Qi Miaohan kept her guard up while talking nonsense, secretly signaling the alchemist to find a chance to bolt back to the trade zone with everything he had.
***
Outside the shop, the wind and snow had gradually ceased. After his conversation with Zhai Bairong the previous day, Nie Shiyun had reopened his shop. However, following that farce, business had turned cold; not a single customer had stepped through the door. This happened occasionally, and since Nie Shiyun made enough from one order to match half a month of someone else's earnings, he didn't expect constant business. He sat idly in the shop, sketching new ideas for artifact forging on a piece of scrap paper.
"Senior Nie... hah... Senior... Senior Nie..."
Nie Shiyun looked up to see a familiar face. He couldn't recall the name, but he had seen the man several times in the trade zone.
"What happened?" Nie Shiyun stood up. Cultivators generally had excellent stamina; it was rare to see one so winded. Seeing the man look as if he might pass out, Nie Shiyun guessed he had exhausted his spiritual energy. The man leaned against the doorframe, swallowed a Spirit Recovery Pill, and spoke hurriedly before the medicine could even take full effect.
"Senior Nie, three strange people took the alchemist who works with me!"
Hearing "three strange people," Nie Shiyun’s expression sharpened. He pulled the man inside and closed the door behind them. "Catch your breath first. What exactly happened? Tell me in detail."
The man nodded, looking frantic. At first, his words were jumbled, but he gradually calmed down under Nie Shiyun’s steady presence.
"Three people... they asked you about refining pills, didn't they?"
"Yes, those three! Have you seen them too, Senior? They heard someone was refining pills specifically for you and they made their move! But they didn't even look at me..." the cultivator said urgently.
"I understand. Thank you for telling me. Act as if you know nothing and go back for now," Nie Shiyun said with a nod.
"Oh, right... okay..." the man replied, knowing he shouldn't pry further for his own safety.
He left with a racing heart, unsure if Nie Shiyun would go to the rescue. Humans are inherently selfish; as he had fled in a panic, he felt only immense relief that he wasn't the one targeted. Then, a thought crossed his mind: if that other alchemist never returned, would Nie Shiyun’s alchemy work fall to him instead?
However, once he returned to the trade zone, those petty thoughts vanished. He knew he wasn't cut out for it, and he knew his colleague had done nothing wrong but was merely caught in the crossfire. That was why he had rushed to report to Nie Shiyun immediately.
As soon as the man left, Nie Shiyun sighed. He had been careless. He had only wanted to find an alchemist to act as a cover, but the opportunistic Xu Yehua had found a loophole, inadvertently putting someone in danger.
Nie Shiyun hurried into the jade pendant and informed Zhai Bairong of the situation.
Zhai Bairong looked troubled. "They've grown suspicious of the alchemist, and since I appeared before them yesterday, I might have been figured out."
"I didn't have any written agreement with that alchemist. But this is for the best; it's better than him facing a dead end whether he talks or not." Nie Shiyun sighed and stood up.
Zhai Bairong looked at him. "Actually, the best way to handle this is to stay here."
Nie Shiyun nodded. "Indeed."
Then, Zhai Bairong also stood up and smiled. "But I know you're going anyway."
"You're coming too?" Nie Shiyun asked, surprised.
"Even though your cultivation has surpassed theirs, you cannot fight three at once. Xu Yehua was already like that when he faced you last time; he surely views you as a thorn in his side now. How could I let you go alone?"
Since things had come to this, there was no other choice. Nie Shiyun agreed, "Then let us go together."
Meiqiu had been sleeping. Since entering the secret realm, he had become increasingly fond of napping—likely because it was too cold, triggering his animal instincts. Nie Shiyun shook him awake and asked Zhai Bairong to stay in the jade pendant for a moment to explain the situation to Meiqiu. If things turned dire, Meiqiu was to transform into his original form to assist. However, for now, he absolutely could not expose his true cultivation in this child-like form, or he would certainly be targeted.
Because the snow had stopped, many people in the trade zone were out and about. Seeing Nie Shiyun leaving in such a hurry, the crowd found it curious. He rarely went out; unlike other cultivators who had to gather their own herbs and materials, he had plenty delivered to his door. Many were envious, though they couldn't replicate his success.
It was rare to see him give such perfunctory responses to greetings on the road. Realizing he was likely on urgent business, the bystanders stopped bothering him and didn't dare follow. However, many eyes watched his retreating back as he left the trade zone, filled with curiosity.
***
"You're asking me how Nie Shiyun disposes of his herbs? I'm not his housekeeper, how should I know!" Qi Miaohan squawked. "But if it were at the Pinyin Pavilion, we would have..."
"Enough. This woman knows nothing at all. Stop listening to her nonsense." Xu Yehua lost his patience, leveling his Crimson Yin Twin-Blade Halberd at Qi Miaohan. While they were fighting, they had tried to question her. She was willing enough to talk, but whether it was about Nie Shiyun or the mysterious alchemist by his side, she was utterly clueless. It was a waste of time.
"I'm tired of wasting my breath on you lot anyway!" Qi Miaohan suddenly erupted. Stepping onto her Lotus Pedestal Leaf, her body was instantly enveloped in blue light as the surrounding spiritual energy surged toward her. The three immediately went on the defensive, assuming she was activating a small Spirit Gathering Array to unleash a finishing move.
Qi Miaohan raised her whip, and with a sharp *crack* through the air, she used the lash to wrap around the cultivator who had been trying to hide behind her and flung him straight out of the circle.
The man did not disappoint her. The moment he was airborne, he didn't lose his head in terror. Perhaps it was the instinct for survival that allowed him to achieve a speed he had never reached in his life. He summoned his flying sword mid-air, stabilized himself, and bolted into the distance.
"You woman—!" Xu Yehua roared in fury, realizing Qi Miaohan had likely just been distracting them. He lunged forward with a fierce assault, leaving Qi Miaohan no room to worry about what was behind her.
Rong Lü struck at that moment. A sword light so fast it made Qi Miaohan question her life's choices whistled past her ear—and it wasn't just one. Qi Miaohan wanted to turn and shout "Watch out for the sword qi!" to the retreating back of the alchemist, but she knew it was too late. Under the crushing pressure of Xu Yehua’s presence, she had perhaps underestimated Rong Lü for a moment.
Brushes with death were not uncommon in the cultivation world, but at this moment, the alchemist felt he was a prime example of the phenomenon. As he pushed his flying sword to its limit, he could feel the murderous sword qi behind him about to pierce his body. But just as he resigned himself to fate, a shadow loomed over him, followed by the sharp clang of clashing weapons. The sensation of imminent death vanished instantly.
"Senior... Senior Nie...! You've come!"
Saved! The alchemist, who had tumbled clumsily off his flying sword onto the ground, sounded as if he had been granted a second life. He was moved beyond words; he hadn't expected his companion who fled to actually bring help.
He still didn't know who the three opponents were, but he felt that with Qi Miaohan and Nie Shiyun together, nothing could go wrong.
Nie Shiyun caught sight of Qi Miaohan’s back and was momentarily stunned. Although Qi Miaohan didn't have the leeway to turn around, her ears were sharp. Her tension vanished, replaced by a smile of certain victory.
However, Nie Shiyun did not lower his guard. Without looking back, he said to the alchemist, "I've dragged you into this. We'll talk later. For now, get back quickly."
The alchemist saw the junior from the Yunqing Pavilion behind Nie Shiyun nod at him. He made a split-second decision, hopped back onto his flying sword, and ran like the wind.
The moment Nie Shiyun appeared, Xu Yehua’s attention shifted away from Qi Miaohan. His gaze fixed on Nie Shiyun like a venomous snake. He hadn't expected that for a mere decoy of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, Nie Shiyun would actually rush here upon hearing the news.
"..."
Duan Mingyu’s eyes fell upon the person behind Nie Shiyun, of whom he could only see a profile. He had never seen that face before, but having heard Xu Yehua’s suspicions earlier, though he had claimed it was impossible, he couldn't help but look with doubt. The more he looked, the more he felt that although the man didn't speak, his every movement and gesture truly resembled his Senior Brother.
But how could that be possible?
"Still have the heart to look at men at a time like this?" Qi Miaohan sneered. Xu Yehua had already shifted his target to Nie Shiyun. Though she felt relieved, she also felt a lingering sense of indignation. She switched her opponent as well, rushing in front of the dazed Duan Mingyu.
She hadn't expected Zhai Bairong to follow, and the Duan Mingyu before her had clearly noticed something. Qi Miaohan didn't know about the farce at Nie Shiyun’s shop the day before; she instinctively wanted to help the two keep their secret, so she spoke up to steer the topic away.
Normally, Rong Lü should have been the one to face Zhai Bairong. But with Duan Mingyu at a disadvantage against Qi Miaohan, Rong Lü didn't dare leave him to face the assault alone. Seeing that Qi Miaohan could handle the two of them for the time being, Zhai Bairong decisively chose to go help Nie Shiyun.
Seeing that no one was coming to reinforce her, Qi Miaohan caught a glimpse of the situation out of the corner of her eye and cursed in her heart—her painstaking worry for those two was simply not worth it!
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 荷叶鞭 | Lotus Leaf Whip | Qi Miaohan's weapon. |
| 寒冰符 | Ice Talisman | A consumable magical item that releases ice attacks. |
| 清霜剑 | Clear Frost Sword | Duan Mingyu's sword. |
| 赤阴两刃刀 | Crimson Yin Twin-Blade Halberd | Xu Yehua's weapon; a polearm with blades on both ends. |
| 莲台叶 | Lotus Pedestal Leaf | A movement-related magical artifact or technique used by Qi Miaohan. |
| 结婴 | Forming the Nascent Soul | The process of reaching the Nascent Soul stage (Yuan Ying). |
| 回灵丹 | Spirit Recovery Pill | A pill used to restore spiritual energy (Qi). |
