Chapter 482: Chapter 126: Loving You Is an Incurable Disease

In Sangzhi City, the small courtyard with a tranquil environment had its gate tightly closed, seemingly deserted.

However, under the tree in the courtyard, a figure clad in a luscious red robe lazily lay on a rocking chair, pretending to sleep with eyes closed. Behind her, a delicate-looking girl was gently massaging her shoulders, her rhythm slow and relaxing.

Suddenly, a sudden gust swept through the courtyard.

When the wind stopped, a young girl clad in a dark green cloak suddenly appeared, kneeling on one knee. “Little Lord, I’m back.”

Mu Qingge slowly opened her eyes, her clear gaze falling upon the kneeling You He, and asked, “Speak.”

“Yes, Little Lord.” You He organized her thoughts briefly in her mind before relaying the information she had gathered: “The ambushers outside the city are bandits from the nearby mountains. Sangzhi City is close to Sunset Wilderness and Ba Country. It is said that many deserters from the battlefield and refugees fall into banditry, claiming the mountain as their domain. Not only that, due to the unique location of Sangzhi City, there are also many loose cultivators nearby.”

“Bandits, loose cultivators?” Mu Qingge whispered these two words. Suddenly, she chuckled mockingly, “I suppose many people have both identities.”

“Little Lord is wise.” You He fawned, then continued, “These people usually create chaos, yet rarely disturb the Medicine Tower. The Medicine Tower seems to uphold its stature, unwilling to manage these scattered forces. However, there are rumors that some Medicine Tower disciples secretly engage with these forces, exchanging elixirs for their martial power support. For example, killing a person and seizing a rare medicinal treasure. The group dealt with by the Little Lord today was likely secretly involved with Diao Yuan.”

Mu Qingge nodded imperceptibly and asked, “Have you found out how many people remain in this force, and what other forces are related to Diao Yuan?”

You He pursed her lips, somewhat self-reproachful: “Forgive me, Master, You He has not yet uncovered that information. Please allow me another day, and I will certainly investigate thoroughly.”

“Rise, probing these details in such a short time is already impressive,” Mu Qingge responded indifferently.

Following Mu Qingge’s words, You He stood up and handed over intelligence over the past few days from the Mu Mansion in Qin Country and the Dragon Tooth Guards. Naturally, these reports were organized with Hua Yue, filtering out duplicates and unimportant information.

“Little Lord, this is news from the Mu Mansion. This is news from the Dragon Tooth Guards.” You He handed over the two stacks of papers to Mu Qingge.

Mu Qingge took them, her gaze lightly sweeping over the contents.

The news from the Mu Mansion mostly concerned the current state in Qin Country. Overall, the little Emperor is still obedient, not causing any trouble, and most state affairs are managed by Regent King Qin Jinchen. Meanwhile, the Mu Family often puts on airs, remaining aloof.

Besides national affairs, there is naturally family matters.

The letter mentioned that Old Master Mu was in good health, and her aunt continued to be spirited. Both missed her greatly, questioning when she would return to Qin Country to visit them, asking where she was now, whether life outside suited her, and if she had enough silver tael, reminding her not to suffer any grievances.

Upon finishing, Mu Qingge instructed You He: “Find time to send a reply to Grandpa and Aunt, not meddling in Qin Country’s political affairs is wise. Old Master sacrificed his life for Qin Country, and it’s time he enjoys his retirement. If he’s bored, perhaps help Aunt find a good husband. As for me, I am doing well at the Medicine Tower, they should not worry. When I finish my current tasks, I will certainly return.”

“Yes, Little Lord.” You He took note of each order.

Having finished reading the national and family letters, Mu Qingge shifted her gaze to the intelligence from the Dragon Tooth Guards.

There, it essentially covered two matters.

The first matter involved the Dragon Tooth Guards’ cultivation status. The second matter was Mo Yang’s investigation concerning Fengniang’s connection with Li Country’s Eldest Princess.

Mo Yang’s letter noted that, if circumstances don’t change, Fengniang hidden in Sunset Town within Qin Country is Li Country’s Eldest Princess who left for love. The treasure taken by the Eldest Princess at that time is now in Mu Qingge’s hands as the demigod artifact dagger.

Additionally, more crucial information was revealed: In Li Country, both Princess and Prince have inheritance rights!

This means if Fengniang hadn’t left, given her prestige in Li Country, she likely would have been the potential heir to the throne. Feng Yugui, that scoundrel, has no real claim at all.

As for Mu Yi’s affairs, Mo Yang found little. Similar to earlier investigations, this person emerged out of thin air and disappeared abruptly in Sunset Forest.

Mu Qingge closed the dossier, murmuring to herself: “If Mu Yi really isn’t a person from Linchuan, does his disappearance in Sunset Forest suggest there’s a forbidden technique somewhere there leading out of Linchuan? Yet, if he really left Linchuan, why not take Fengniang with him?”

Pondering a while, Mu Qingge’s tightly pursed lips slowly relaxed, “It seems it’s necessary to meet Fengniang again.” Whether for Mu Yi’s matter or Feng Yugui’s trouble, she felt a need to meet Fengniang personally once.

Regarding the trade between them, she thought it might be possible to change the approach.

Mu Qingge’s gaze flickered with determination, instructing: “Inform Mo Yang to bring Fengniang here. I want to see her here on the next rest day.”

“Yes, Little Lord.” You He and Hua Yue answered.

After nearly handling the affairs, Mu Qingge asked the two women: “Have you been well in Sangzhi City these days? Has anyone caused you trouble?”

You He and Hua Yue exchanged a glance and both shook their heads.

You He responded: “We abide by Little Lord’s orders, keeping a low profile and not stirring trouble, thus living quietly.”

Mu Qingge nodded almost imperceptibly, suddenly her expression turned awkward for a moment, she hesitated before speaking: “Um, that… Has Lord Mo been back recently?”

Hua Yue spoke quickly: “No. After Lord went to the Medicine Tower, we haven’t seen Lord Mo again.”

A subtle trace of disappointment flashed in Mu Qingge’s eyes. “Oh, maybe he’s left for some matters.” An uncomfortable emotion arose in her heart, which Mu Qingge ignored.

She consoled herself with resignation: ’That guy always comes and goes without a trace, how could he bother to explain anything?’

Mu Qingge’s oddness might not be apparent to herself, but her personal maids, You He and Hua Yue, exchanged a glance discreetly…

Ultimately, both wisely maintained silence, they didn’t want to suffer after their mistress ’angrily embarrassed’ herself!

“Young Lord, what would you like to eat? This servant will prepare it.” You He changed the topic.

Mu Qingge pondered earnestly for a moment, then named her favorite dishes.

You He took note of them one by one and then retreated to prepare the ingredients.

Hua Yue stayed by Mu Qingge’s side to attend to her.

After a sumptuous dinner, Mu Qingge bathed and changed her clothes, then lay on the comfortable soft bed, sprawling her limbs and completely relaxing.

“So comfortable.” Mu Qingge closed her eyes, a face of bliss.

Suddenly, she abruptly opened her eyes, and saw a white shadow rushing toward her.

Her eyes widened sharply, but the opponent was so fast she couldn’t react, instantly controlling her arms and legs.

Feeling her legs restrained and her wrists firmly gripped, her voice turned colder: “Let me go!”

“Miss Qingge, are you missing me?” The leaning face of stunning beauty carried a faint smile, in its amber eyes, were specks of doting affection.

“Scram!” Mu Qingge’s voice sank further.

Yet to Si Mo it sounded more like she was embarrassed and angry from having her mind read.

Mu Qingge’s warning was completely disregarded by Si Mo. He continued smilingly gazing down at her, his ink-black hair draped naturally, entwining with Mu Qingge’s hair.

“Do you know you’re really heavy?” Mu Qingge gritted her teeth, squeezing the words out from between them.

As soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly felt the world spin.

When that spinning sensation vanished, she had swapped places with Si Mo, now lying atop him. The pose was so ambiguous, even with her thick skin, she still felt her cheeks burning like fire.

The overly intimate posture filled Mu Qingge’s heart with the urge to escape.

Her hands were released, but Si Mo instead tightly encircled her waist with his arms, pressing their bodies closely and impenetrably together.

Mu Qingge’s hands rested against Si Mo’s chest, wanting to distance themselves.

Yet she found this man’s strength was infuriatingly great!

Her bright eyes cooled, deep blue with a faint purple glow burst from Mu Qingge’s body, as if she wanted to rely on spiritual power to ’liberate herself’!

The deep blue light spread from Mu Qingge, gradually extending to Si Mo.

But he seemed completely unaware, instead holding her tighter.

His slender fingers mischievously roamed across her back. A tingling sensation arose from her spine, driving Mu Qingge to madness.

“The more Miss Qingge resists, the more I feel moved.” A whisper by her ear suddenly froze her whole body.

As if, in the next moment, Si Mo would transform into a wolf, forcing her into something inappropriate for children.

The stiffness of Mu Qingge’s muscles made a slight smile curve at Si Mo’s lips. He asked again: “Clearly, Miss Qingge misses me, why does she show such intense resentment upon seeing me?”

“Miss you to death!” Mu Qingge finally exploded!

At this moment, even if this man intended to crush her to death with a single slap, she would fight back.

Without thinking, Mu Qingge’s right fist gathered spiritual power and fiercely struck the pit of Si Mo’s chest.

However, the expected roaring sound didn’t appear, nor did the imagined scene of blood scattering like vibrant flower petals across the sky.

Mu Qingge only felt that the spiritual power she unleashed seemed to be absorbed by some force.

Si Mo’s chest seemed to have transformed into a vortex capable of swallowing everything, devouring her unleashed spiritual power entirely.

She had always known that there was a significant gap between herself and this monster. However, when faced with reality, she felt utterly crushed!

Outside, perhaps she could still be considered a master.

But in front of this man, she didn’t even have the strength to fight back.

’Fine! If I can’t beat you, I’ll poison you!’ Mu Qingge thought through gritted teeth.

Yet, some ancient monster seemed to sense something, as he spoke with a hint of laughter in his voice, “Even if it’s poison, as long as it’s fed to me by little Ge’er, I’ll take it gladly.”

Damn! Does he have to say such ambiguous things? Hey, feed you my sister!

This baby is pissed!

Mu Qingge seemed to hear the grinding sound of her own teeth.

’This man is too difficult to handle!’ Mu Qingge thought disheartenedly.

Suddenly, a bright idea flashed through her mind, ’Perhaps, there’s a way to make him embarrassed.’

Mu Qingge’s exquisite face suddenly blossomed into an enchanting smile.

She took the initiative to remove her ear studs, and without the concealment of the illusionary artifact, she appeared like an ethereal beauty emerging from the mist, clearly nestled in Si Mo’s arms.

Si Mo’s eyes shimmered, waiting with keen interest for what would happen next.

Mu Qingge stopped struggling, her hands overlapping on Si Mo’s chest, her chin resting on the back of her hands, her refined features exuding a lazy elegance.

“If Your Majesty the Holy King wishes to dedicate himself to me, then I can only accept with a smile. In this world, the person able to make Your Majesty condescend to serve others could only be me.” As she spoke, Mu Qingge’s fingertips languidly traced Si Mo’s chest.

“How does little Ge’er plan to accept it?” Si Mo displayed a look of ’this honor indeed belongs only to you,’ but his voice was noticeably husky.

Mu Qingge furrowed her brows slightly, as if seriously contemplating this question.

After a while, she innocently said, “Hmm, isn’t figuring out how to serve not supposed to be Your Majesty’s concern?” Want to play, huh? Fine! This lord will play along!

“Then I’ll first help little Ge’er disrobe.” Si Mo said, flipping his body to lie on his side beside Mu Qingge, one arm wrapping around her, the other already reaching out to grab the tie on Mu Qingge’s clothes.

Just a pull of his hand and the tie would come undone, revealing endless charm.

Mu Qingge’s gaze fell on his hand, faintly nervous yet pretending to be calm, her smile exceedingly seductive.

This expression made Si Mo’s amber eyes darken, and his hand trembled, unraveling the tie.

The smooth silk robe slipped off, revealing Mu Qingge’s delicate collarbone and a large expanse of snowy skin on her chest. Fortunately, the critical area was wrapped in cloth, preventing exposure.

But even this grace was enough to make Si Mo’s heart skip a beat.

The snowy scene before his eyes made his vision blur, his mind momentarily disoriented.

The coolness on her collarbone and the man’s captivated gaze sparked murderous intent in Mu Qingge’s heart repeatedly. She hadn’t expected Si Mo to dare to do it!

Suddenly, she curved her lips into a smile, enchanting and alluring. She reached out, grasped Si Mo’s belt, and with a highly enticing voice said, “Then I’ll help Your Majesty disrobe as well.”

Having said that, she was about to tug Si Mo’s belt down with force.

But before she could pull, her hand was firmly pressed by Si Mo, allowing her to feel the taut waist muscles beneath the fabric and the slightly heated skin.

Mu Qingge paused, raising her eyes to look at Si Mo, and in that instant, collided with those deep amber eyes.

Such depth, such focus, was something she’d never seen before.

“Little Ge’er, from now on, will you be my wife?” Si Mo suddenly said seriously.

His tone carried not a hint of teasing, as if it were the most solemn query he had ever posed.

Yet, when those words reached Mu Qingge’s ears, it felt like a bolt out of the blue! It truly came without any preparation, and as her mind processed it, her mouth instinctively blurted out, “Are you crazy?”

This answer made Si Mo’s gaze darken further. He wasn’t angry or disappointed; instead, he looked at her even more earnestly, speaking each word slowly, “Yes, I am sick with love for you, and no medicine can cure it. Only you, you are my remedy.”

Hiss—!

Mu Qingge got goosebumps all over and couldn’t help but exclaim, “Oh great master, where did you learn such cheesy words from?”

“Don’t beat around the bush, seriously consider my words. I won’t pressure you.” Si Mo sighed helplessly, his voice a deep timbre.

Mu Qingge’s mouth twitched, obediently clamping her mouth shut.

Si Mo fixed his gaze on Mu Qingge’s tightly pressed lips, seeing her originally rosy lips pale from the pressure, his heart aching immensely.

He slowly lowered his head, intending to rescue those pitiful lips.

Their breaths drew closer, intertwined. Mu Qingge’s eyes widened, staring intently at Si Mo’s increasingly clear visage, and when their noses lightly brushed, she turned her head away.

Si Mo’s cool lips, carrying a peculiar scent, skimmed past her cheek, sending a shiver across her skin.

It was as if Mu Qingge heard a heavy sigh near her ear, and then she fell into a deep sleep.

That night, she slept exceptionally well, sweet and sound.

In her dreams, Si Mo’s words echoed endlessly, lingering relentlessly.

When she awoke from sleep, she remained in a daze, unsure if she was awake or still dreaming.

Beside her, Si Mo had long disappeared without a trace, not even a hint of presence left behind, as if Mu Qingge’s memory of last night was truly just a dream.

Lying on the soft bed, Mu Qingge stared blankly at the ceiling, layers of silk drapes resembling mist, obscuring the reality of the events.

This ancient monster of a man actually said he liked her? Wanted her to become his wife? Did she have auditory hallucinations?

Mu Qingge’s clear eyes were filled with confusion.

This wasn’t what scared her the most. What frightened her was, upon hearing those words, she didn’t feel disgusted, nor did she reject them!

What on earth is happening!

What happened to her resolution not to marry? Her determination to make adventuring the top priority? Her resolve to roam the world dressed as a man?

Getting married and having children?!

This topic is like an outright horror film, isn’t it!

Mu Qingge imagined herself in the future with a child in one arm and fighting monsters with the other, and suddenly her ’tiger body’ trembled, almost sweating from fright.

“Damn! I must’ve been poisoned by that old monster! It’s definitely some strong but mind-confusing poison!” Mu Qingge cursed vehemently.

Suddenly, the spot on her cheek where Si Mo kissed last night started to heat up.

She couldn’t help but lift her hand to cover her cheek, immediately feeling her face burn red.

This heat quickly spread throughout her body, making her feel like a scorching hot branding iron.

Feeling unbearably hot, Mu Qingge abruptly sat up from the bed, shouting towards the outside, “You He, Hua Yue, prepare cold water, my lord wants a cold bath!”

Despite her unwillingness to admit it, she had to confront a reality… she had indeed been charmed by a thousand-year-old monster!

Taking a cold bath first thing in the morning?

What kind of drama is little lord playing now?

You He and Hua Yue walked into Mu Qingge’s room with a bewildered look, carrying buckets of water and poured cold water into the bath tub.

Soon, the bath tub was filled with water.

As You He and Hua Yue retreated, the former asked, “Little Lord, what would you like for breakfast today?”

Mu Qingge replied in a somewhat impatient tone, “I’ve been a bit irritable lately, just prepare some food to cool me down. Oh, and change my tea to chrysanthemum tea!”

’The Little Lord is so peculiar today!’

’Yeah, yeah! Why the sudden irritability?’

The two maids exchanged everything silently through their eyes and left.

After they left, Mu Qingge submerged herself into the cold water, finally feeling the heat in her body relieved.

The cold bath lasted for a full hour, only then did Mu Qingge emerge refreshed.

In the hall, on the round table, You He had long prepared Mu Qingge’s cooling feast. However, only Hua Yue was busy, while You He was nowhere to be seen.

Mu Qingge sat down, took a sip of congee, and asked, “Where’s You He?”

While serving dishes to Mu Qingge, Hua Yue answered, “She’s out completing the task the Little Lord assigned yesterday.”

Recalling she instructed You He yesterday to investigate the forces related to Diao Yuan, Mu Qingge nodded and didn’t ask further.

Not until the afternoon, when Mu Qingge woke up from her nap, did You He return, dusty from travel.

Entering the small courtyard, You He immediately reported the gathered information to Mu Qingge. “Little Lord, the investigation is complete. The force that ambushed you is already annihilated. Presumably, the people killed by the Little Lord that day were their top elites. Besides interacting with this force, Diao Yuan was also closely associated with three other forces. These three forces are among the stronger ones, and reportedly their leaders are beyond the Green Realm, with one force’s leader even at the Blue Realm Initial Rank.”

Mu Qingge listened intently, surprised at the intelligence You He gathered.

She hadn’t expected to find Blue Realm experts among such bandits.

Such experts, placed in any third-class country, could establish a family or work for powerful forces, yet becoming bandits was a pity.

Especially as close associates with Diao Yuan.

Mu Qingge’s gaze turned cold, a murderous intent in her eyes.

“Combined, these three groups have over a thousand men, about three hundred of whom are above Green Realm, whereas most others are in Orange Realm and Red Realm,” You He added.

Mu Qingge’s lips curved into a teasing smile; she fiddled with the ring on her finger, instructing Hua Yue and You He: “Write to Mo Yang, have him send the nearest Dragon Tooth Guards from Lisangzhi City over. I want none of these thousand spared.” So Diao Yuan thinks he can cover the sky with one hand? Then she’ll break that hand first!

You He raised her eyes, responding, “Yes.” However, she hesitantly said, “But the opponent has a Blue Realm Initial Rank. We…” The strongest of the Dragon Tooth Guards now is Mo Yang, who is only at the Green Realm.

“If we can’t win, use this,” Mu Qingge pointed to her head. “There’s no point bullying those weaker than us; overcoming higher ranks is the fastest way to grow.”

Remembering when she was in the Yellow Realm, she traded her life to kill the Pseudo-Purple Realm Bei Ming old man. In the Green Realm, she similarly caught outsiders off guard. Now the Dragon Tooth Guards are just facing one Blue Realm Initial Rank, no reason to back down.

You He fell silent.

Mu Qingge continued, “Until the Dragon Tooth Guards arrive, you two will be responsible for gathering intelligence. The success rate of a mission often relies heavily on the accuracy of intelligence.”

“Yes! Little Lord.”

“Yes, Little Lord.”

You He and Hua Yue both agreed.

“Alright, you both go busy with your tasks. Don’t mind me,” Mu Qingge waved, her tone holding a hint of fatigue.

She seemed intent on taking another nap after eating.

In the end, Mu Qingge didn’t manage to take her nap.

She entered the space, continuing to study her grenade gun.

The gun’s structure was fine; the main issue was the bullets. She wanted to use beast cores as bullets but felt it might be wasteful to use one core per bullet.

“If only the energy in the beast core could be stored and used in increments, like the laser guns from that world, which rely on energy that lasts long after a single recharge. Also, maximizing the destructive power of the released energy is crucial,” Mu Qingge muttered, holding a beast core.

She had the concept but needed to refine it and practically implement it.

Additionally, using beast cores for energy required better materials for the grenade gun. Otherwise, after few uses, the barrel might explode, harming their own side.

“As for materials, the Dragon Tooth Guards and Thousand Fierce Army could gather some, and additional can be sought from Wanxiang Building.” Mu Qingge pondered for a while, then suddenly called, “Mengmeng.”

“Master, master, what does the cutest Meng Baby have to do?” Mengmeng appeared instantly before Mu Qingge.

Mu Qingge asked, “Mengmeng, are there good refining materials here?”

Mengmeng nodded without hesitation, “Of course there are!”

Mu Qingge’s eyes lit up instantly, feeling a sudden euphoria. Yet Mengmeng’s next words brought her crashing down from bliss.

“But, Mengmeng can’t retrieve them.” Mengmeng awkwardly spread her chubby hands, shaking her head.

Mu Qingge furrowed her brows lightly, “Why can’t you retrieve them? Aren’t you able to fetch medicinal materials easily?”

“That’s because medicinal materials grow outside, something Mengmeng can fetch. But the refining materials are locked inside the hall, I can’t enter, so naturally, I can’t fetch them.” Mengmeng said, pouting at her short chubby fingers.

“Aren’t you an Artifact Spirit? Is there any place you can’t go in here?” Mu Qingge still couldn’t understand.

Surprisingly, Mengmeng seemed even more aggrieved.

She pursed her lips, “I’m an Artifact Spirit, but my abilities are tied to master’s power!”

Uh!

Mu Qingge’s expression turned awkward, coughing lightly, “You mean, as long as I breakthrough, you’ll be stronger and able to access more places?”

“Correct! Master’s so silly! Hurry and breakthrough to Purple Realm. Once you do, many hall doors will open, including the refining materials and martial arts you desire!” Mengmeng said arrogantly.

Intense! It’s tempting her, practically taunting her!

Mu Qingge took a deep breath, earnestly promised Mengmeng, “Don’t worry, I’ll work hard on my cultivation!”

…

When she came out from the space, it was already nighttime.

Mu Qingge scanned the room briefly, feeling a bit lonely.

After removing her outer robe, Mu Qingge lay on the soft bed with a sudden thought: ’Will he come again tonight?’ Yet the thought was quickly banished.

“What am I thinking! It’s better if he doesn’t come!” Mu Qingge scolded herself, turning toward the wall, closing her eyes in an effort to sleep.

However, this night, she lay awake.

Consequently, she emerged the next day with dark circles, startling You He and Hua Yue.

“Little Lord, are you okay?” Hua Yue asked with concern.

You He also said, “Little Lord, did you not sleep well last night?”

Unexpectedly, these words seemed to touch a nerve, as Mu Qingge snapped at them, baring her teeth, “Who says I didn’t sleep well? I slept better than you can imagine!”

“…” You He stood frozen.

“…” Hua Yue was equally stunned.

Realizing her excessive reaction, Mu Qingge awkwardly touched her nose tip, telling them, “Uh, hurry and prepare breakfast, I need to head back to the Medicine Tower as soon as I finish eating.”

After a hasty breakfast, Mu Qingge left the small courtyard, returning to the Medicine Tower.

As she left, You He and Hua Yue insisted on seeing her off, but were firmly refused by Mu Qingge.

The two girls were worried she might be ambushed again, but she didn’t think Diao Yuan would do such a thing. Since the first assassination attempt failed, Diao Yuan wouldn’t act again without learning more about her.

Therefore, after ordering You He and Hua Yue to stay in the small courtyard, Mu Qingge left alone.

When she arrived at the place to board the Medicine Tower’s flying beast, Mu Qingge didn’t encounter Diao Yuan’s people but unexpectedly met Zhu Ling, who had previously sought her help to refine the Guiyuan Beauty Pill.

“Sister Zhu?” Mu Qingge saw the lady approaching gracefully and couldn’t pretend not to see her.

“Junior Brother Mu, you finally appeared.” Zhu Ling said with a smile as she reached Mu Qingge’s side.

Mu Qingge raised a faint smile: “It’s quite a coincidence to meet Sister Zhu here.”

“Not coincidental at all, I’ve been waiting for you here on purpose.” Zhu Ling’s enchanting eyes revealed a hint of resentment.

Mu Qingge’s smile deepened, and she asked, “Oh? I wonder what brings Sister Zhu here to wait for me?”

“Do you remember what you promised me?” Zhu Ling softly asked while looking at Mu Qingge.

Mu Qingge nodded.

Seeing this, Zhu Ling smiled even more charmingly, ignoring the ambiguous gazes from the surrounding Medicine Tower disciples, she said to Mu Qingge, “Since that’s the case, accompany Sister Zhu on a trip then.”

“Where does Sister want me to go?” Mu Qingge’s eyes flashed as she asked.

Zhu Ling giggled softly, playfully saying, “Don’t worry, Sister Zhu won’t eat you. Although Junior Brother Mu is exceptionally handsome, the person living in my heart isn’t you. Today is exchange day, I’m still missing one ingredient for refining the Guiyuan Beauty Pill. Accompany me to see if we can find the best one, and if you fancy something, Sister will buy it for you; consider it the payment for refining the pill.”

“Exchange day?” Mu Qingge questioned back.

It was the first time she had heard of it.

Zhu Ling replied with a smile, “Let’s go, I’ll explain as we walk.”

With that, she led the way in another direction.

Mu Qingge pondered for a moment and followed her.

As they walked side by side, Mu Qingge noticed several Medicine Tower disciples heading in the same direction. Moreover, most of them held tightly wrapped parcels in their hands.

Mu Qingge’s eyes swept over these people.

It was then Zhu Ling explained, “Exchange day is a regulation of the Medicine Tower. Monthly, at a fixed location, a temporary market is set up for Medicine Tower disciples to exchange medicinal materials, elixir recipes, or elixirs. Of course, outsiders can also participate as long as they have things of equivalent value to exchange.”

Mu Qingge understood now, exchange day must be a primitive bartering place.

However, she didn’t understand why Zhu Ling wanted to come here for medicinal materials. “Sister Zhu, the Medicine Tower has the ingredients for refining the Guiyuan Beauty Pill, why go through the trouble?”

“Junior Brother, you might not know, the Medicine Tower can provide materials in certain quantities to disciples, but you can’t just take whatever you want. Only during Dan Fighting is an exception, where you can take materials according to the elixir you’ll be fighting with. Sister Zhu can’t refine advanced elixirs, so how could I get the materials? Buying them in the Medicine Tower costs a lot, I’m more willing to try my luck on exchange day.” Zhu Ling sighed.

Mu Qingge calmly asked, “Is there no special exception for Sister Zhu, being favored by the headmaster?”

Zhu Ling chuckled, “Are you asking if I’m on the same side as Diao Yuan?”

Seeing her thoughts laid bare, Mu Qingge wasn’t embarrassed, instead, she admired Zhu Ling’s cleverness.

Initially, when she saw Zhu Ling getting close to Shang Zisu, she was puzzled. Two people who should have been at odds, why could they become friends? Moreover, their interactions didn’t seem fake.

Zhu Ling stopped laughing and sighed, “Senior Brother Diao is extremely gifted, highly favored by the master. I, on the other hand, am mediocre and only rely on some cunning to protect myself.”

Her words made Mu Qingge sense something.

She smiled slightly and told Zhu Ling, “Why underestimate yourself, Sister Zhu? Being chosen by Master Hua shows you have talent. Just persevere a while longer, achieving advanced Alchemist status isn’t mere wishful thinking.”

Mu Qingge’s words delighted Zhu Ling, who laughed heartily, “Then I’ll take Junior Brother Mu’s auspicious words! If Sister Zhu becomes an advanced alchemist one day, I’ll surely remember your encouragement today.”

Laughing and chatting along the way, they didn’t find the time passing hard.

Soon, Zhu Ling brought Mu Qingge to the entrance of a temporary market.

Calling it a temporary market really wasn’t an exaggeration.

Outside the market stood a gate arch, without any plaque. It seemed merely to signal to arrivals that the market starts here.

Inside the gate, there were numerous straw huts, with wind-blown flags hanging from the beams. On the flags, either the word ’tea’ was written, or a ’teapot’ was drawn.

Besides these ’structures,’ the ground was covered with various colored burlap, on which many items for exchange were placed.

As Zhu Ling mentioned, looking around, there were mainly medicinal materials, followed by elixir recipes, and finally some successfully refined elixirs.

The market was already crowded with people.

Judging by their attire, most were Medicine Tower disciples.

And some dressed differently, likely outsiders hoping to trade with Medicine Tower’s disciples.

“Junior Brother Mu, let’s go inside and have a look. If you fancy any material, feel free to say so, don’t hesitate with Sister Zhu.” Zhu Ling told Mu Qingge.

Mu Qingge nodded with a smile and walked into the market with Zhu Ling.

Once inside, Zhu Ling began searching for the missing ingredient she needed, while Mu Qingge, having no specific purpose, started observing her surroundings with interest.

“Sister Zhu, when does this exchange day usually start and when does it end?” Mu Qingge suddenly asked.

Zhu Ling replied, “Typically it begins at the ’Yin’ time and ends at the ’Zi’ time. However, us disciples of the Medicine Tower usually return to the tower by dusk.”

Mu Qingge nodded slightly, acknowledging what she heard, and continued observing.

Unless the medicinal material was extremely rare, Mu Qingge wasn’t interested. Ordinary materials, even some prized ones, could be supplied in unlimited quantities by Mengmeng, thus she showed little interest.

As for elixir recipes, having inherited from the Dan God and reviewed the collections in the Pill Recipe Hall, how could she be curious about these recipes?

And elixirs…

They intrigued her even less.

Although they walked together, they didn’t interfere with each other.

After wandering for a while, Zhu Ling finally found the ingredient she needed at one stall. After some bargaining, Zhu Ling exchanged a bottle of her refined elixir for the ingredient.

Having succeeded, Zhu Ling relaxed and turned to see Mu Qingge standing with hands behind his back, teasingly saying, “Looks like nothing here has caught Junior Brother Mu’s eye.”

Mu Qingge simply smiled and said nothing more.

Suddenly, a voice of dispute came from not far away, somewhat familiar too.

Mu Qingge looked up but could only see the crowd.

Zhu Ling glanced at her and asked, “Does Junior Brother Mu want to go have a look?”

Mu Qingge glanced back at her, smiling, “Seems like I heard a familiar voice.”

“Then let’s go take a look. But perhaps the reward promised to Junior Brother Mu may be delayed.” Zhu Ling laughed.

Mu Qingge shook her head and said, “That’s alright.”

With that, the two walked toward the gathering crowd.

As they got closer, the voices of dispute became clearer.

Upon hearing the voice clearly, Mu Qingge frowned and quickened her pace.

“Hey! How dare you harass a young lady in public? Do you think our Medicine Tower’s here for show!” Wei Guanguan shouted furiously.

As Mu Qingge entered the crowd, she saw the people at the center.

Once she recognized them, she was momentarily stunned. They were all familiar faces. Just how did they end up together?

Before she could figure it out, Zhu Ling, who followed, also recognized those in the center. She exclaimed, “Zisu!” and squeezed in to stand by Shang Zisu, whose face was cold and brows filled with anger.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep