Li Yan walked over slowly. It wasn't until he sat down on the other side of the platform's edge, as he had in the past, still about ten feet away from the young woman, that she finally moved. She had maintained her posture the entire time, not turning her head to look at Li Yan. Only her suspended legs swung gently over the cliff, her gaze somewhat distant as she looked into the distance.
After sitting down at the edge of the platform, Li Yan lay back, crossing his legs at the edge and placing his hands behind his head as a pillow. He looked up at the deep blue sky, a slender bamboo leaf held in his mouth. He didn't speak either. It was a leaf he had casually plucked on the way here when his thoughts were in turmoil.
The two of them sat there in silence. One looked at the distant mountains, the other at the white clouds in the sky and the occasional gliding bird. The only sound here was the rustling of bamboo leaves in the gentle breeze, punctuated by the occasional echo of a bird's cry from the distant sky.
A long, long time passed. The sun sank lower in the west, and the evening wind grew cooler.
"You've gained a lot this time. You should have reached the tenth layer of the Qi Condensation stage. Just be careful that your comprehension and mental state are not sufficient, and your foundation is unstable," the young woman said lightly, still looking ahead, her long legs continuing to swing.
"Yes. You should be about to advance too, right?" Li Yan said, looking at a patch of white cloud on the horizon that looked like a rugged, protruding rock, much like a steep mountain peak standing in the distant sky. But these strange rocks and mountain peaks were all a pale yellow, with a three-dimensional, intersecting feel. The afterglow of the setting sun reflected off them, plating the white with a layer of yellow light.
On the surface, Li Yan's realm only appeared to be at the eighth layer of Qi Condensation. But because his advancement had been too fast recently, his comprehension was indeed lacking, creating a sense of disharmony. To a Foundation Establishment cultivator, it was still possible to see that the aura his body emitted was somewhat at odds with his realm.
In truth, after the life-and-death struggles in the secret realm, Zhao Min's cultivation had already reached the peak of the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, just half a step away from the late stage. But now, Zhao Min's aura was faint and indistinct. Li Yan could only vaguely sense a difference. If he were to reach the Great Perfection stage of Qi Condensation, with the power of the True Scripture of Gui Water, he should be able to sense Zhao Min's true realm.
"Yes. After you establish your foundation, you'll be going home for a trip as you said before," Zhao Min hummed in agreement, then continued to ask softly.
"I do need to go back for a trip. My parents don't even know if I'm alive or dead... And I haven't tasted that osmanthus cake in a long time..."
"How many years must the ingredients for osmanthus cake be aged to make it?"
"Osmanthus cake is just a food, not alchemy. Every year when autumn comes..."
The two of them sat there quietly, talking about seemingly random things. It wasn't until the huge, round moon appeared above the platform and the low chirping of insects came from the bamboo forest that they fell silent. Neither of them had mentioned Gong Chenying. It was just like before. They just chatted quietly, quietly looking at their own distant horizons. But tonight, the round moon above their heads could not encircle their two figures in the same circle. They each occupied half of the moon's edge...
The moon was like a halo, the starlight sparse. The empty valley seemed to be asleep. Only the occasional soft whispers on the platform would break the chirping of insects in the tranquil night.
As night fell, a bamboo shoot that had just broken through the earth at the edge of the platform, having grown in the wrong place, fell with its roots and loose soil, down, down, into the endless abyss. All that was left in that place was a small pit and a few strands of roots...
...
In Li Yan's small bamboo courtyard, all seven members of Little Bamboo Peak had gathered. Even Yun Chunqu had come after resting for half a day. At the same time, two young women from Never-Parting Peak had also joined them.
When Li Yan returned, several people had already arrived at his courtyard gate. The moment Lin Daqiao saw Li Yan, he jumped over and gave him a bear hug. Li Yan also showed a knowing smile. Behind Lin Daqiao was the fifth senior brother, Wen Xinliang, with a wicked smile on his face, as well as Gong Chenying, who was leaning against a black bamboo, and not far away, Yun Chunqu, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground.
Li Yan had come back alone. When he saw the bright moon rising in the east, Li Yan stood up from the platform and patted the dust off his clothes. He glanced at Zhao Min, who showed no intention of getting up, and said, "I'm heading back now."
"Mm," Zhao Min still didn't turn her head. She was just carefully looking at the rising round moon, as if trying to see everything within that bright yellow light. Hearing Li Yan's words, she just hummed softly and said no more.
Li Yan glanced at the young woman under the moonlight and walked away. But as his footsteps gradually faded on the bamboo forest path, the young woman's body trembled slightly, and she whispered, "Senior Sister Six, why do I feel a trace of loss?"
The round moon, the platform, the young woman, and the endless green mountains under the hazy night.
Zhao Min was the last to arrive. She had changed into a white dress, as white as snow, and she arrived like a fleeting cloud. She still had that cold and detached look. The moonlight sprinkled through the mottled gaps in the bamboo leaves onto her jade-like cheeks, giving her an extra touch of tranquility and fairness. With her arrival, it was as if a gust of cool autumn night air had entered Li Yan's bamboo courtyard. Even the chatty Lin Daqiao and the others couldn't help but fall silent. The entire bamboo courtyard instantly became quiet. Zhao Min was just as she had always been—calm, cool, and taciturn—as she slowly walked over.
But to Li Changting and Li Wuyi, who were familiar with her, this was somewhat different. For a moment, they couldn't quite put their finger on what was different.
Amidst the silence, Zhao Min, like a white cloud with a halo under the moonlight, floated over to Gong Chenying's side, sat down next to her on the stone stool, and then looked at Li Changting, her red lips parting slightly. "Where's the wine?"
With Zhao Min's question, the small courtyard immediately became lively. Li Changting, with a broad smile, produced six celadon jars as if by magic. Then, with another wave of her jade-like hand, small wine bowls appeared one by one on the stone table. Miao Wangqing, her large eyes blinking, gave a light laugh and actually took out plates of delicacies from her storage pouch, instantly piling the stone table full. Among them were several rare demonic beast meats that were seldom seen in the Hundred Thousand Mountains. In an instant, the bamboo courtyard was filled with a fragrant aroma and dazzling colors, making one's mouth water. Wei Chituo and Lin Daqiao's eyes even lit up.
Miao Wangqing, on the other hand, gave Li Changting a triumphant look, then glanced at Li Wuyi beside her. At this moment, Li Wuyi's gaze was somewhat dazed. He had been staring at the row of celadon jars. Suddenly, Li Wuyi gave a dry cough. "Oh, I still have two jars of Pear Blossom Brew that Master gave me. I've always enjoyed drinking it. I'll drink this with you all. Junior Sister Li's wine is too strong; your foolish senior brother can't hold his liquor. All you junior brothers and sisters should drink more. Ah, haha..."
As Li Wuyi spoke, a black wine jar had already appeared in his hand. Without waiting for anyone to speak, he waved his hand and broke the mud seal on it. Under everyone's astonished gazes, he poured a bowl for himself, then placed the jar under his stone stool, even seeming to intentionally clamp it with his feet, as if afraid someone would snatch it away.
Seeing this, Wei Chituo couldn't help but curl his lip. He had already picked up a celadon jar. "Then let's drink!" He too impatiently broke the mud seal and poured it directly into his bowl.
Beside them, Li Changting looked at Li Wuyi with a ghost of a smile. Li Wuyi felt his hair stand on end from her gaze. Just as he was about to speak, he felt a blur before his eyes, and the pear blossom wine he had just poured had been snatched away. He couldn't help but be furious. Someone had actually snatched food from him, the number one Foundation Establishment expert of Little Bamboo Peak. Just as he was about to shout, he looked up and was stunned.
Li Yan held the pear blossom wine and said with a grin, "This little brother is young and not good at drinking, especially not strong liquor. First of all, thank you, Eldest Senior Sister and Fourth Senior Sister, for your generous hospitality. And thank you, all senior brothers and sisters, for taking care of this little brother over the years. I'll drink first as a sign of respect!" He said these words extremely smoothly. Under Li Wuyi's dumbfounded gaze, he had already drained it in one gulp, even showing the bottom of the bowl, not a single drop left, full of sincerity.
Seeing this, the others had all broken the mud seals and poured the wine. In an instant, a thick aroma of wine filled the entire small courtyard, making people involuntarily take a few deep breaths, their craving for wine already stirred. But under the shadow of the bamboo, none of them had really noticed the color of the wine. Wei Chituo, Lin Daqiao, and Wen Xinliang had long since impatiently picked up their bowls and drained them in one gulp, not a single drop left.
Ever since Zhao Min sat down beside her, Gong Chenying's body had seemed to tense up a bit. At this moment, she picked up the wine bowl. After glancing at it, she frowned. But she saw that Zhao Min, like Wei Chituo and the others, hadn't even looked at the bowl and had already drained it in one gulp.
Gong Chenying only paused for a moment, then also drained it without hesitation. The moment the wine entered her stomach, it was like a line of fire suddenly rose from her lower abdomen. In an instant, her entire body felt as if it was on fire. The medicinal power she had been suppressing seemed to be ignited, and it rushed through her entire body like a tidal wave. This startled Gong Chenying. She quickly mobilized all the spirit power in her body and fiercely pressed down on her dantian, finally blocking the torrent that seemed about to burst its banks. Her face flushed red. She couldn't help but think to herself, 'What domineering wine! I've long heard that Senior Sister Li's Gu wine is one of a kind. If I were to circulate my power now, the effect would surely be doubled with half the effort.' But at this moment, it was just a thought. This wine's power was suppressed in her body, and after being catalyzed later, it would also complement the remaining medicinal power.
After Yun Chunqu also drained it in one gulp, his eyes lit up. He exclaimed, "Good wine!" Then he actually poured another bowl without waiting for the others, drained it in one gulp again, threw the bowl aside, and without eating a single bite of food, sat down cross-legged on the ground to meditate. In an instant, wisps of white mist rose from his body. He was actually using this wine to heal his injuries.
Li Wuyi looked at the few of them, a look of admiration in his eyes. After glaring at Li Yan, he reached for the pear blossom wine under the stone stool. Unexpectedly, he felt a clear fragrance assail his nostrils, and a jade-like hand had already reached over and snatched the jar of Pear Blossom Brew. With Li Wuyi's power, he was about to exert force to shake off that hand, but he heard a charming laugh in his ear. "Senior Brother Wuyi, try and take it back. Believe it or not, starting tomorrow, I'll come to Little Bamboo Peak every day."
Li Wuyi's hand instantly trembled, a sheepish smile on his face. How could he dare to exert any force?
Then, a few inches from his face appeared Li Changting's beautiful, flower-like face, holding that jar of Pear Blossom Brew with a grin.
"Junior Sister Li, your foolish senior brother really can't hold his strong liquor," Li Wuyi said, forcing a smile onto his handsome face.
"Hmph, you have no choice today," Li Changting snorted lightly.
Just then, with a cry of alarm, a trembling voice sounded from the side. "Ah! What... what... what is this in the wine?" Everyone looked toward the sound. It was Miao Wangqing. She was holding the wine bowl, a look of fear in her eyes as she stared at its contents.
Hearing this, besides Li Wuyi, Li Yan, Zhao Min, and Gong Chenying, the others were all stunned. They all looked into the second bowl of wine they had just poured. With a cultivator's eyesight, as long as they wanted to see, they could see it very clearly. But this one look made Lin Daqiao jump up from the stone table.
"My god! It's Gu-insects!" Lin Daqiao cried out.
Wei Chituo and Wen Xinliang were also shocked. The hands holding their wine bowls trembled, and they almost dropped them. The few of them couldn't help but look at Li Changting.
Fortunately, Yun Chunqu had already entered a meditative state to heal, so he was the calmest of them all.
When it came to Gu-insects, they were not unfamiliar to the cultivators of the Malevolent Spirit Sect, and they even felt a certain fondness for them. But this was for the cultivators of Never-Parting Peak. For the cultivators of the other peaks, they were still somewhat wary of them in their hearts. Especially swallowing them raw like this, it was already beyond their psychological tolerance. But fortunately, they were all cultivators of the Malevolent Spirit Sect and were not unfamiliar with Gu. In their fear, they did not lose their composure. Even with Miao Wangqing's weak personality, after seeing it, she was still holding the bowl without throwing it away, which was already remarkable.