"Alright."
Chen Li’s brow furrowed slightly as he gazed at the Snow Fairy.
Her identity was special, making how to deal with her a thorny issue.
After a moment of silence, he walked up to her and pointed a finger.
The move seemed casual, yet it was as fast as lightning, aimed directly at the vital acupoint of her Dantian in her lower abdomen.
"You!"
The Snow Fairy’s pupils contracted. She instinctively tried to dodge, but she was severely injured and bound by the White Silk, leaving her completely unable to evade.
The instant his fingertip made contact, a tyrannical and unrivaled surge of Inner Strength flooded into her body like a bursting dam, instantly overwhelming her Dantian Qi Sea.
SPIT!
The Snow Fairy coughed up another mouthful of fresh blood as the Origin Internal Qi she had painstakingly cultivated for years dissipated.
Her meridians withered inch by inch, and her Qi Sea completely collapsed.
In the blink of an eye, she was reduced to an ordinary person, utterly powerless.
The immense disparity and despair instantly overwhelmed her. For the first time, fear appeared in her once cold and arrogant eyes.
She stared fixedly at Chen Li, her lips trembling, unable to utter a single complete sentence.
Chen Li withdrew his finger and looked at Linglong. "Take her away now. Once you’re back in Mirror Mountain, find a secluded courtyard to place her under strict guard. Remember, no outsiders can ever know of her existence."
"Rest assured, Master!"
Linglong replied with a beaming smile, reaching out with a slender finger to frivolously stroke the Snow Fairy’s bloodless cheek. "Such a peerless beauty. This servant will certainly take good care of her. I guarantee I’ll have her tamed and obedient."
The Snow Fairy was overcome with shame and fury. She wanted to curse them, but with her severe injuries and the complete loss of her Cultivation, a surge of emotion overwhelmed her. Her vision went black, and she fainted.
"You, kill them."
Chen Li turned to Gossip, his voice calm and rippleless, yet carrying a tone that permitted no refusal.
Gossip’s body trembled violently, his face ashen. He looked at Chen Li in terror and stammered, "S-Senior... this... isn’t this a bit much?"
"Do it!"
Chen Li’s gaze was calm, but his tone grew a fraction heavier.
Gossip looked at the unconscious, captured Snow Fairy, then at Chen Li’s icy gaze. He knew that if he didn’t make this pledge of allegiance, his own life would be forfeit.
The desire to survive trumped all else.
He gritted his teeth. A flicker of madness born from extreme fear flashed in his eyes. He scrambled up from the ground, picked up a Longsword dropped by a Celestial Sword Sect disciple, squeezed his eyes shut, and lunged toward the five bound and helpless disciples...
Screams erupted briefly before quickly falling silent.
After finding a deserted spot to bury the five bodies,
Back at the inn, Chen Li had Linglong take Gossip and the Snow Fairy and leave first.
He then woke Chen Shouye and the others, saying in a low voice, "There’s been a change of plans. We leave immediately. We’ll ride through the night back to Mirror Mountain."
Hearing this, the group was confused, but seeing Chen Li’s grave expression, they asked no further questions and immediately packed their belongings with the utmost speed.
The urgent clatter of hooves rang out in the silent night sky, and the group soon vanished into the wilderness.
...
「Lingxi Village.」
As the autumn harvest approached, Chen Shouheng made his daily rounds, inspecting the fields as usual.
On his way back, long before he reached his home, a familiar aura, like a pebble dropped into a calm lake, gently entered his extended Spiritual Sense.
Chen Shouheng paused, then quickened his pace toward home.
In the courtyard, the sunlight was perfect.
A beautiful figure in fiery red stood there gracefully. She looked travel-worn, but it couldn’t conceal her heroic spirit and radiant charm.
It was none other than Mu Yuanying, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time.
She seemed to have been waiting for a while, her head tilted slightly up as she watched the spots of light filtering through the leaves. Hearing the approaching footsteps, she finally turned her head.
"Miss Mu?"
Chen Shouheng was slightly taken aback. He hurried forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "What brings you here so suddenly?"
"What, am I not welcome?"
Mu Yuanying’s eyes were still as bright as stars as she looked at him with a hint of a smile. "I made a special trip to congratulate you. I heard you not only broke through to the Spirit Realm, but also took first place in the County Examination. As the saying goes, a scholar absent for three days must be seen in a new light. You’ve really made a name for yourself, Chen the Great Scholar!"
Her words made Chen Shouheng a little embarrassed. He replied modestly, "You flatter me, Miss Mu. It was just a stroke of luck."
Mu Yuanying didn’t respond directly, a half-smile playing on her lips. Her tone was teasing. "Tsk tsk, you’re now one of the most prominent young talents in all of Jingshan County, and even Liyang County. First place among the Spirit Realm Martial Scholars...
The great Noble Families of Jiangzhou looking to recruit a worthy son-in-law must be rubbing their hands in glee, just waiting to send their marriageable daughters your way, right?
Surrounded by so many beauties of every shape and size, I bet Eldest Young Master Chen is having a hard time choosing, isn’t he? How could you possibly have time for old acquaintances like us?"
Her words were half-truth and half-jest, and the hint of sourness and teasing in her tone left Chen Shouheng unsure how to respond. He could only give an awkward laugh. "You’re joking, Miss Mu..."
Seeing his discomfort, Mu Yuanying seemed to find it amusing. She chuckled softly and didn’t press the topic further.
Instead, she took a flat object wrapped in bright yellow silk from her robes and handed it to him. "Here. Down to business. I brought you something good."
Chen Shouheng took it, puzzled, and opened the box.
Inside was an exquisitely crafted, gleaming bronze medal. It was embossed with a design of a flood dragon emerging from the sea, and below it was an eight-word inscription: "Quelling the Flood, a Service to the State." Beside it lay a document stamped with the Red Seal of the Ministry of War.
"This is..."
Chen Shouheng looked up, his eyes full of questions.
"A Second-Class Military Merit Medal from the Court."
Mu Yuanying’s tone turned serious. "During the last operation to wipe out the Water Bandits, the ledgers and secret letters you and your father provided were crucial. They helped us pinpoint several core strongholds of the Sect. My father has already reported your contribution truthfully. This is the Court’s reward."
She paused, her expression growing more solemn. "Don’t look down on this medal. In the future, if you pass the examination to become a Martial Scholar, this military honor will allow you to bypass the long wait for an official appointment and give you priority selection. Your starting point will be much higher than others. These are real, tangible benefits."
Chen Shouheng put the medal away carefully and gave Mu Yuanying a deep bow. "Thank you, Miss Mu! And please thank Mu Tisi for me! Shouheng will never forget this kindness for as long as I live!"
However, it was precisely this overly solemn and polite expression of gratitude that made the smile on Mu Yuanying’s face freeze slightly.
She could clearly feel that even though he was speaking words of thanks, Chen Shouheng’s tone and demeanor carried an unprecedented sense of distance.
It was no longer tinged with the boyish awkwardness and sincerity of before, nor did it hold the tacit understanding they shared when facing enemies together.
Right now, he was perfectly polite, yet as distant as if he were treating her like a completely unrelated official envoy who was simply there to deliver a message.
This change made Mu Yuanying, who had come with certain special feelings in her heart, feel extremely unsettled, and even a little inexplicably wronged and vexed.
Her willow-like brows knitted together. She snorted deliberately, breaking the awkward politeness with a hint of playful anger. "Hmph! What’s the use of just saying thank you? I came all this way to bring you something, and a certain someone just stands at the door making polite chatter, not even willing to invite me in for a cup of water? Are you trying to make me die of exhaustion and thirst out here?"
Hearing this, a wry, embarrassed smile appeared on Chen Shouheng’s face. He quickly stepped aside to let her pass. "It is I who was neglectful! Please, Miss Mu, come in! Forgive my momentary lapse in hospitality. Please, don’t take offense. Come in, come in! My apologies, my apologies!"