Translation: Aerial Rain Translation (aerialrain.com) by koffeam

Xue Chengxuan pondered for a moment before glancing slightly at Xue Clan’s First Elder. Elder Xue opened his half-squinted eyes and raised his gaze at Pei Mufeng: “Then we will bother Pavilion Master Pei to summon all Foundation Establishment medical cultivators from Xingluo City and Xingluo Pavilion.” His voice is calm, “Before the clan head arrives, I better solve this by myself.”

Pei Mufeng glanced at Meng Qi in silence and nodded slowly.

Elder Xue flicked his sleeves and got up. Although his hair and beard were completely white, his skin was still smooth and ruddy, and his appearance was no different from a middle-aged man in his thirties. The elder was also tall. When he was sitting, it wasn’t prominent, but after he stood up, he was slightly taller than Xue Chengxuan.

“Although this incident happens in Xingluo City, it is clearly aimed at Medical Cultivator Conference, humph.” He snorted coldly. “Since the other party has this intention, we cannot let them go with their way. I also ask Pavilion Master Pei to temporarily blockade Xingluo City’s eastern district. Except for the conference’s attendees, others are forbidden from entering and leaving.”

When these words came out, even Xue Chengxuan was stunned.

Meng Qi’s eyebrow raised slightly. She looked at Elder Xue, wondering why the person made this demand. Xingluo City wasn’t a small town like Qingfeng. This city was even bigger than Fentian City. The Ruyi Inn branch where Meng Qi’s group resided—two streets away from here—was already in the eastern district’s scope. Needless to say, there were many inns, restaurants, and various shops in this populous district; many were owned and ran by ordinary people.

What does First Elder Xue mean?

Pei Mufeng’s eyes narrowed slightly. He asked slowly: “Forbids unrelated people from entering and leaving?”

“Yes.” Elder Xue’s eyes glinted. “Except for people from the Medical Cultivator Conference, other unrelated people are not allowed to appear in the eastern district.”

Pei Mufeng’s eyes were cold, “Including the residents of this city?”

“Including the residents of Xingluo City.”

“No.” Pei Mufeng said, “I can let people clear a courtyard owned by Xingluo Pavilion plus four surrounding guest houses for Miss Xue and other Xue Clan’s people.”

“Not enough!” Elder Xue rebutted coldly, “The enemy is hidden and cunning, and obviously coming prepared. We must prevent a similar incident from happening again.”

“There are no less than several hundreds thousands of ordinary residents in Xingluo City’s eastern district.”

“So what?” Elder Xue’s eyes flashed with a cold light. “Pavilion Master Pei took the initiative to request the Medical Cultivator Conference to be held here, but you cannot even grant this small request?”

“Or, is Pavilion Master just wants to hold the conference in Xingluo City, but doesn’t care about the life and death of us medical cultivators?!”

Seeing the elder became more and more aggressive, Meng Qi felt strange. She glanced at Xue Chengxuan, and found the young man smiled wryly at himself.

Su Junmo stood beside Meng Qi. He held her sleeve and shook it gently.

Pei Mufeng seemed to be unable to refute Elder Xue’s accusation.

The atmosphere in the room became a little awkward.

At this moment, a soft groan came from the bed: “Uh…”

“Lingfeng?” Xue Chengxuan hurried to the bed and opened the curtain. “Are you awake?”

“Eldest Brother…” A soft voice replied. “What happens…I…ah! It hurts!” Xue Lingfeng suddenly screamed, and her originally soft voice turned into a shriek. Her body arched, and even the bed curtains were shaking: “E-eldest brother…it hurts…it hurts!!”

“It’s okay, brother is here.” Xue Chengxuan quickly put a pill into Xue Lingfeng’s mouth, then poured some powder into the incense burner next to the bed. The medicinal scent inside the room instantly intensified, and a bitter and slightly cool smell permeated the room.

Meng Qi took a deep breath. As one of the four major clans of Feng Alliance, Xue Clan’s medicine was naturally of high quality.

Not long after, Xue Lingfeng seemed to calm down. Her voice was muffled, with a slight tremor: “Eldest brother, am I poisoned?”

“Yes.” Xue Chengxuan answered. “How do you feel now? Do you remember what happened before?”

“Before…I…” Xue Lingfeng tried hard to remember.

“Don’t worry.” Xue Chengxuan comforted his sister. “Take it slowly.”

Meng Qi couldn’t help but be curious, and quietly moved two steps toward the bed. She slightly tilted her head and peeked inside from the gap between Xue Chengxuan. Meng Qi saw a girl with a delicate and beautiful but pale face. A few strands of sweat-soaked hair stuck to her cheek. Her lips were slightly dry, and a few drops of sweat were hanging on the slightly raised jaw.

It seemed that this girl was truly in great pain just now.

Meng Qi’s heart slightly stirred. Her eyes moved to Xue Lingfeng’s shoulders and towards her hands. Unfortunately, Xue Chengxuan’s body blocked her sight, and she couldn’t see Xue Lingfeng’s hands. From Meng Qi’s line of sight, she could only see the girl’s body trembled slightly, seemingly remembering something.

“I…I saw third elder sister!” Xue Lingfeng said suddenly, her voice was trembling.

“Jinwen?” Xue Chengxuan frowned. “Where?”

“I saw third sister just half a day away from Xingluo City.” Xue Lingfeng grasped her brother’s clothes. “I thought I saw it wrong. Eldest sister said that father didn’t let third sister come to the Medical Cultivator Conference this year and told her to practice well at home. I tried to chase and wanted to confirm if it was really third sister. T-then…”

Xue Lingfeng’s large eyes blinked, and her long eyelashes were trembling slightly. She looked very pitiful and distressing. “Then I passed out, and when I woke up, I saw you, eldest brother! I don’t know what happened in between. I don’t know at all!”

Meng Qi tilted her head even more, her whole body almost tilted to the side. She finally managed to catch a glimpse of Xue Lingfeng’s hand on Xue Chengxuan’s clothes. The girl’s fingers were white and slender. Her shiny fingernails were trimmed neatly and polished with a dye made from balsam flower’s juice. The pale pink color was very cute and suited her.

Move a bit—Meng Qi murmured inwardly. She couldn’t detect anything just by seeing the nails. At least, the hands had to move a bit so she could see whether there were also thin green lines on Xue Lingfeng’s palms.

This poison should be nothing for Xue Clan. What was troublesome was the array Xue Chengxuan had just said, which planted a special prohibition on Xue Lingfeng’s body.

“Lingfeng.” Elder Xue called with a heavy tone. “You should have a good rest. Don’t think too much.”

“Yes.” Xue Lingfeng replied softly. She let go of her brother’s clothes and tried to sit up properly before saying respectfully: “Many thanks for First Elder’s concern.”

“Mm.” Elder Xue nodded in satisfaction and turned his eyes back to Pei Mufeng. “Pavilion Master, can you do as this old man just asked?”

Xue Lingfeng’s eyes widened. She looked at her eldest brother, who slowly shook his head at her. Xue Lingfeng lowered her head and didn’t dare to say anything.

Meng Qi moved closer to the bed. She came here because she was curious about what happened to Xue Clan’s young miss that troubled even their talented heir. Meng Qi right now was no different from a sword fanatic who had just encountered a new sword technique and kept practicing tirelessly until he mastered the new technique. In Meng Qi’s case, she always felt itchy anytime she encountered poison, injury, or disease that she had never seen before.

After entering the room, Meng Qi stood next to Su Junmo, the farthest from the bed. But when everyone’s attention was focused on Elder Xue and Pei Mufeng, Meng Qi began to move slowly. She was silently getting closer to the bed, and now she was only two steps away from Xue siblings.

She could even see the makeup on on Xue Lingfeng’s face, her long eyelashes, and even the damp sweat stain on her white dress.

Elder Xue’s tone became more and more aggressive. Pei Mufeng was reticent by nature and only occasionally replied back. But everyone at the scene could see that he would never agree to involve so many ordinary residents.

Meng Qi gritted her teeth. Covered by Eldest Xue’s accusing words, she slowly moved forward with small steps towards the bed. Finally, Meng Qi couldn’t stand it anymore and directly looked at Xue Lingfeng behind the curtain.

“Huh?” Meng Qi’s eyes flashed. She no longer cared about her surroundings and took another step forward to open the curtain.

“Fellow Daoist…Meng Qi?” Xue Chengxuan was pushed aside by her. As soon as Su Junmo arrived, he had noticed Meng Qi’s coming together. But there were too many people here, plus the touch of displeasure that hadn’t been dissipated since their previous separation, so Xue Chengxuan didn’t know how to talk to Meng Qi.

“Fellow Daoist Xue.” Meng Qi nodded casually without turning at Xue Chengxuan. “Miss Xue’s prohibition is caused by an array drawn directly on her body.”

Xue Lingfeng’s face suddenly flushed. She looked at Meng Qi, but found that the person’s eyes were staring straight at the back of her neck. Xue Lingfeng quickly tightened her dress: “What nonsense you are saying?!”

“What a brilliant mind…” Meng Qi murmured. She hadn’t actually seen the injuries on Xue Lingfeng’s body. But when the girl lowered her head, she saw a faint trace on the back of Xue Lingfeng’s neck.

“Fellow Daoist Meng, what do you discover?” Xue Chengxuan asked with a solemn face.

Even Elder Xue stopped speaking and turned to look at them.

Pei Mufeng finally sighed in relief. He stared at Meng Qi, eyes flashed slightly, and the corners of his lips rose inconspicuously.

Su Junmo “…”

He was a bit at a loss. Just now when Meng Qi moved towards the bed, he simply watched. After getting along all this time, he also understood Meng Qi’s character. On their way from Qingfeng Valley to Fentian City, Meng Qi often encountered people seeking medical advice, and she would save them all regardless of whether they were Qi Condensation small cultivators or normal people.

If she saw a bit peculiar symptoms, her eyes would glow.

And from Fentian City to Xingluo City, it was the same.

Su Junmo knew that this girl just liked medical cultivation too much, and had no other motive. So, when Meng Qi asked to tag along, he wasn’t surprised at all.

Seeing Elder Xue turn his gaze sharply at Meng Qi, Su Junmo coughed lightly and quickly stepped forward, blocking her from Elder Xue.

After being startled, Sikong Xing also hurriedly stepped forward, guarding Meng Qi next to Su Junmo.

The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Pei Mufeng also sensed the tension. Although he didn’t make any movements, sword aura flowed from his body, rippling the bottom of his robe.

It was a warning, but also a threat.

“Miss Xue.” Only Meng Qi’s tone was as calm as usual. “On your neck.”

Meng Qi stretched her finger to touch the back of Xue Lingfeng’s neck. The girl’s hair was very long, draped over her shoulders and covered most of her neck. But when she lowered her head when she sat up just now, Meng Qi happened to see the trace on the exposed neck.

At this time, Xue Chengxuan also overlooked the difference between male and female and directly reached out to move aside Xue Lingfeng’s hair, exposing the slender and white neck. Xue Lingfeng lowered her head slightly, and thin green lines could be seen on the back of her neck—two or three unidentifiable lines.

“What is this?” Xue Chengxuan asked.

Xue Lingfeng raised her eyes and saw Su Junmo standing next to Meng Qi. Her pretty face immediately flushed red. She lowered her eyes quickly, but the rim of her eyes reddened, as if being wronged.

“Miss Xue.” Meng Qi’s voice was cool and calm, “Can you show me your back?”

Xue Lingfeng lowered her head and said nothing.

Xue Chengxuan hesitated for a moment, and took the initiative to concede: “Then, we will trouble fellow Daoist Meng.” He said politely to Meng Qi, then let go of the curtain and took two steps back.

The curtain fell, covering Xue Lingfeng again.

“Excuse me.” Meng Qi reached out to slightly open Xue Lingfeng’s upper dress. The green lines on the back of Xue Lingfeng’s neck were being revealed more and more. From the neck down to the back, the lines gradually formed a pattern—a branch of green plum blossom.

These green plum blossoms were a bit weird. Only the top part of the pattern was exposed on Xue Lingfeng’s neck, the rest was hidden by her dress, and Meng Qi couldn’t see it clearly.

Meng Qi gritted her teeth and stretched out her hand to lower Xue Lingfeng’s dress even more.

The girl trembled slightly, but did not struggle. Her white and slender back was exposed, and as expected, apart from the plum blossoms, an intricate array was drawn between her shoulder ribs.

Meng Qi leaned closer and took a deep breath. A faint plum blossom’s smell penetrated her nostrils. It was calming and slightly cold, very pleasant.

“How is it?” Across the curtain, Xue Chengxuan asked in a low voice.

Meng Qi stared at the array that was so intricate that it could be said to be beautiful. The array was small, about the size of her palm, but the structure was so complex and intriguing.

—The person who drew this array must be very smart.

Four branches protruded from the array and stretched in four directions along Xue Lingfeng’s back. Several plum blossoms bloomed on each branch, so beautiful that it was creepy. Each of their petals exuded a gleaming light—was it actually spiritual aura they sucked from the host’s body to support the array? Meng Qi didn’t dare to touch the plum blossoms rashly.

Meng Qi’s Master taught her about a lot of arrays, but she had never seen this kind of array before.

“Sorry.” Meng Qi took a deep breath and properly put on Xue Lingfeng’s dress again.

The girl lowered her eyes, her long and thick eyelashes trembled slightly, didn’t dare to look up at Meng Qi.

Meng Qi walked out of the curtain. Seeing Xue Chengxuan’s hopeful eyes, she said flatly: “Miss Xue has an array drawn on her back, which should be the prohibition array Fellow Daoist Xue said before.”

“What kind of array is it?” Xue Chengxuan asked.

“I don’t know either. However, whoever drew this array must have a very sophisticated mind. The array’s structure is very intricate, and it seems to be drawn using the juice of afterimage grass mixed with green plum blossom.” Meng Qi seemed to ponder for a while. “That array is absorbing Miss Xue’s spiritual aura to sustain itself endlessly.”

“Are you a refinery cultivator?” Before Xue Chengxuan could reply, Elder Xue suddenly asked.

“Oh?” Elder Xue stared at her sternly with a trace of suspicion. “A medical cultivator, but you are so knowledgeable in array?” As soon as his voice fell, the elder flicked his sleeve. Before everyone could react, he was already in front of Meng Qi.

“Meng Qiqi!” Su Junmo and Sikong Xing, who were the nearest, could not react in time.

“Who are you?” Elder Xue’s sleeves already brushed Meng Qi’s shoulder. A tremendous pressure enveloped her body from top to bottom, making her unable to move at all.

Staring into Meng Qi’s eyes coldly, Elder Xue asked sternly, “What is your purpose of coming here? Say!!” As he spoke, his sleeve brushed Meng Qi’s robe once again and threw her to the side.