In the days that followed, Ning Yuzhou continued refining pills and making talismans, while Wen Qiao and Wen Tutu wreaked havoc in the training room.
Whenever Ning Yuzhou rested midway and released his perception, he would hear all kinds of house-demolishing noises coming from next door.
Because of this, he went over and reinforced the formations in the training room, lest the room really collapse and bury that person and rabbit underneath. With the formations in place, the training room still stood firmly. From the outside, it looked normal, but inside, it was full of pits and dents, without a single intact spot in sight.
Fortunately, Ning Yuzhou had ordered that no one was allowed inside. Otherwise, anyone who saw the state of the training room would surely wonder what exactly Ning Yuzhou had done.
Only when Wen Qiao could finally control her strength freely and use the Stone-Gold Python Vine smoothly, even managing several times to cut off Wen Tutu’s escape route, did the time for their departure finally arrive.
When Emperor Chenghao learned that his son was going out to train, he rushed over at once.
“Little Seven, are you really leaving Dongling?” Emperor Chenghao asked worriedly, thinking his son was going to search for his daughter-in-law, whose whereabouts were unknown.
Ning Yuzhou gave a sound of agreement. “Father, don’t worry. I am already at the Yuan Feather Realm now. Besides, the Shadow Scaled Guards will be with me. Nothing will happen.”
Emperor Chenghao thought to himself, What does a mere Yuan Feather Realm count for? In the eyes of those old monsters who had lived for hundreds or thousands of years, Yuan Feather Realm cultivators were like ants, easily crushed with a casual hand. Moreover, who knew what faction the cultivators who had taken his daughter-in-law belonged to? If they confronted them head-on, they would be the ones to suffer.
“The Shadow Scaled Guards were trained by me personally. Does Father not trust their strength?” Ning Yuzhou asked.
Seeing that his son had already made up his mind, Emperor Chenghao could only sigh. “Then where do you plan to go?”
“I don’t know. I’ll just wander around.”
Ning Yuzhou was not being perfunctory. He only knew some general information about the world outside Dongling. He needed to see it personally before he could decide.
Emperor Chenghao grew even more worried. His son’s cultivation was only at the Yuan Feather Realm. Even with the Shadow Scaled Guards, it was still completely insufficient before the long-established powers outside.
“Father, don’t worry. We will travel quietly and won’t take the initiative to cause trouble. We’re not going out to stir up trouble, so you don’t need to imagine the outside world as too terrifying… Mm, even if I go to find Ah Rao, I will act carefully and won’t rush recklessly.”
Ning Yuzhou persuaded him for quite a while before Emperor Chenghao finally accepted that his son was leaving. He took out a storage bag and handed it to him.
“These are my savings from over the years. There are some yuan crystals inside. There will be many places where you’ll need yuan crystals while travelling, so take them and use them.” Emperor Chenghao’s love for his son was sincere; he wished he could stuff all his wealth into Ning Yuzhou’s hands.
He knew that the group of Shadow Scaled Guards led by Qian Shou were supported by his son’s own yuan crystals and did not come out of the Ning clan’s public accounts. Raising so many Shadow Scaled Guards was not easy. Naturally, he worried that his son would be short on money and wrong himself.
Ning Yuzhou refused. “Does Father not trust my ability? I can already refine supreme-grade yellow-rank pills now. Earning yuan crystals will be very easy.”
As he spoke, Ning Yuzhou flipped his hand and took out half of the spirit pills and talismans he had refined and drawn during this period, handing them to Emperor Chenghao. Some were for Emperor Chenghao’s own use, and some were resources for the Ning clan.
During this time, he had worked hard refining pills and making talismans not only because they needed them, but also because he wanted to leave some for Emperor Chenghao and the Ning clan.
Over the years, Emperor Chenghao had not had it easy as a father, and his care for him had been utterly sincere. His mother had died in the demon beast riot that year, and within the Ning clan, only this father remained someone he cared about.
Emperor Chenghao looked at him in surprise. “You can refine supreme-grade yellow-rank pills now?”
“Mm. The yield rate for supreme-grade mystic-rank pills is not high yet. I’ll need to wait until my cultivation improves,” Ning Yuzhou said honestly.
It could be said that the reason Ning Yuzhou had raised his cultivation to the Yuan Feather Realm during this month was also because pill refining and talisman making required it.
If his cultivation was too low, the reserves of primordial spiritual energy in his spiritual apertures would be insufficient. Refining supreme-grade mystic-rank pills would be very difficult, and drawing mystic-rank talismans was the same. He could only helplessly spend some time raising his cultivation to the Yuan Feather Realm.
Emperor Chenghao felt very complicated hearing his explanation.
His son’s aptitude was still very high. In order to refine mystic-rank pills, he had decided to raise his cultivation, and he had truly managed it. It gave Emperor Chenghao the feeling that his son’s cultivation could actually be controlled by himself, as though cultivation was very easy for him.
The Emperor Xi bloodline was indeed powerful.
Emperor Chenghao felt somewhat pleased, and his worries eased a little.
Ning Yuzhou chatted with Emperor Chenghao a while longer, telling him that in the future, every once in a while, he would send Shadow Scaled Guards back to Dongling to report that he was safe. At the same time, they would bring back some of the spirit pills and talismans he refined, so that the Ning clan would not be stingy and could properly train its other disciples.
“And the Wen family…” Ning Yuzhou’s expression was gentle. “The Wen family is Ah Rao’s maternal family. I’ll have to trouble Father to privately look after them a little.”
Emperor Chenghao’s expression grew slightly solemn, and he silently nodded.
Over the years, Emperor Chenghao had secretly taken care of the Wen family quite a bit. This was partly to repay Wen Boqing’s kindness in saving his son’s life back then, and partly because he wanted to investigate who exactly had killed Wen Boqing and his wife back then, and whether that person was still secretly watching the Wen family, in case they brought disaster to Dongling.
—
After returning to the imperial palace, Emperor Chenghao took the spirit pills and talismans his son had given him to the elder responsible for managing the Ning clan’s resources.
After checking them, the elder was extremely surprised. “They are all supreme-grade yellow-rank pills and supreme-grade talismans. Which alchemist and talisman master made these?”
Emperor Chenghao felt proud inside and smiled faintly. “You don’t need to concern yourself with that. Just accept them. Elder Yuan has his own judgement, so there is no need to know too clearly. Arrange for some to be distributed to the disciples training outside, so their safety will be better guaranteed.”
The elder happily agreed. Knowing that Elder Ning Huayuan had his own judgement, he did not ask further.
After giving his instructions, Emperor Chenghao was about to leave when he happened to see Ning Pingzhou coming to receive this month’s cultivation resources.
Ning Pingzhou saluted. “Imperial Father.”
Emperor Chenghao gave a sound of acknowledgement and glanced at him. He saw that after more than two months of recovering from his injuries, Ning Pingzhou looked much thinner, and had also become more silent. The youthful sharpness he once had when competing with Ning Zhezou was gone, and he seemed much steadier, as if reborn.
Emperor Chenghao sighed inwardly and said gently, “Have Pingzhou’s injuries healed?”
Ning Pingzhou said respectfully, “Thank you for your concern, Imperial Father. They have healed.”
Emperor Chenghao comforted him with a few more words, then turned and left.
Ning Pingzhou watched him leave, thinking of his younger sister who was still locked in the water prison. His eyes dimmed slightly.
Ning Yaozhu had failed to judge people clearly and had indirectly harmed Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou. The elders of the Punishment Hall had punished her by abolishing her cultivation so she could cultivate again from the beginning, and by imprisoning her in the water prison for five years to reflect.
This punishment could be said to be extremely severe. By the time Ning Yaozhu came out of the water prison, she would practically be ruined.
This also served as a warning to the other Ning clan disciples: Ning clan disciples were not allowed to harm one another.
—
When cultivators travelled, there was no need for a grand procession. They simply stuffed everything they needed into storage bags and could set off lightly.
This time, Ning Yuzhou still brought the Shadow Scaled Guards, but only twenty of them, with Qian Shou accompanying him.
“Ah Rao, do you want to enter the space?” Ning Yuzhou asked.
Wen Qiao thought for a moment and said, “I’ll stay outside.”
Although cultivating in the space was quite good, if they encountered danger, she would not be able to react in time or help.
But when Wen Qiao said she would stay outside, she naturally did not mean in human form. She changed back into a little seedling and took root in a white jade pot.
This month, she had not only been making trouble with Wen Tutu; she had also deliberately trained herself to switch between human form and demon form. Now, she could finally transform freely between the two. If she did not want anyone to know of her existence, she could turn into her demon form, plant herself in a flowerpot, and become an inconspicuous weed.
Apart from Ning Yuzhou, who had a drop of her essence blood in his heart, no one could sense that the little seedling was her.
Seeing the little seedling appear, Wen Tutu, who was gnawing on a spirit pill, happily pounced over. Just as it was about to lick her, Ning Yuzhou blocked it.
Ning Yuzhou picked up the white jade pot, ignored the demon rabbit, and walked out of the room.
The Shadow Scaled Guards were already waiting outside the door, ready to set off at any time.
Ning Yuzhou left very quietly. Apart from Emperor Chenghao, no one knew he had gone.
Emperor Chenghao stood on the city wall, watching an unmarked demon beast carriage leave the imperial city. Around it, twenty Shadow Scaled Guards rode Swift Wind Beasts as escorts.
After the demon beast carriage left the imperial city, it sped toward Lin Tai Mountain.
Inside the carriage, Ning Yuzhou set up several formations in succession, cutting off outside prying eyes. Then he said to the little seedling in the white jade pot, “Ah Rao, you can transform into human form.”
Wen Qiao looked around and did not move.
Ning Yuzhou thought of something and immediately understood. He smiled and asked, “You still can’t transform clothes?”
The little seedling’s tender green branches and leaves turned red at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Amused, Ning Yuzhou turned around. At the same time, he grabbed the demon rabbit that kept trying to rub against the little seedling, pressed it under his hand, and stuffed a supreme-grade spirit pill into its mouth.
With a supreme-grade spirit pill, Wen Tutu became very obedient. It let him press it down, remained unmoving, licked the supreme-grade spirit pill first, then cherished it as it tucked it into its mouth.
Sounds came from behind him. A moment later, the young girl’s sweet voice rang out. “I’m done.”
Ning Yuzhou turned around and saw the neatly dressed little girl sitting across the small table in the carriage. Her cloud-like long hair fell loose behind her. She held a hair ribbon in her hand, slightly frowning, preparing to casually tie up that black, smooth hair.
Ning Yuzhou could not help thinking of the first time she had transformed in the space. Back then, her long hair had also been loose like this.
The little girl clearly did not know how to manage her hair. She simply tied it into a bunch with the ribbon. Later, when she sparred with Wen Tutu in the training room, she also tied it casually, always leaving some strands to fall loose.
“Ah Rao, come here. I’ll comb your hair for you,” Ning Yuzhou said.
Wen Qiao, who was grabbing her own hair, looked at him in surprise. “Can you?”
A man could not say he could not!
Ning Yuzhou narrowed his eyes slightly, still wearing that warm and gentle expression, and said with a smile, “I can.”
Seeing his insistence, Wen Qiao obediently sat in front of him, handed him the hair ribbon, and turned her back to him. Then she felt a pair of long, slender hands gather up her hair. A white jade comb gently brushed over her scalp. The gentle, just-right pressure made her comfortably narrow her eyes.
A while later, Wen Qiao heard the man behind her say, “Done. See what you think.”
A mirror was handed in front of her. Wen Qiao saw herself in the mirror: her hair had been neatly arranged into twin buns, tied with pink ribbons. The ribbons fell along both sides of her ears, looking especially playful.
It was a hairstyle very suitable for a fourteen- or fifteen-year-old girl and matched her face well.
Wen Qiao looked at the beautiful and adorable little girl in the mirror, then turned to stare at him in amazement, sincerely impressed. “You’re amazing. Have you combed someone’s hair before?”
Ning Yuzhou said calmly, “No. I’ve only combed yours.”
Wen Qiao felt a little secretly delighted, though she said, “Then how can you do it so well? It’s just like when Lian Yue does it.”
Just like she was not good at delicate work like mixing talisman ink, Wen Qiao was also not good at delicate work like doing hair. In the past, Lian Yue had always helped her comb her hair, so she had never known before that she was actually this useless.
“It’s very simple. I learned it after one look,” Ning Yuzhou said as he picked up a pearl hair ornament and inserted it into her hair.
Wen Qiao was certain now. Her husband really was clever; many things he could learn after only one look. Few people in the world could compare. Fortunately, Wen Qiao was not naturally the type to fuss over such things, nor did she feel fear at being crushed by his absolute ability. She soon let it go.
It would take five days to travel from the imperial city to Lin Tai Mountain.
During this time, neither Ning Yuzhou nor Wen Qiao was idle. Ning Yuzhou continued refining pills and making talismans, while Wen Qiao held a section of Stone-Gold Python Vine and trained her proficiency in controlling plants and her ability to react.
Wen Tutu lay on her head, calmly gnawing on a spirit pill. It watched the vine swaying back and forth in front of it and finally could not resist pouncing over to take a bite.
As a vegetarian rabbit, it could not tolerate other plants swaying in front of its bright front teeth.
Wen Qiao withdrew the Stone-Gold Python Vine in time, but Wen Tutu still managed to bite it, leaving a deep rabbit-tooth mark.
The demon beast carriage was spacious. Ning Yuzhou refined pills on one side, while Wen Qiao and Wen Tutu played their plant-versus-demon-rabbit game on the other. Neither disturbed the other.
When Ning Yuzhou rested, he watched Wen Qiao and Wen Tutu chasing and intercepting each other. His gaze fell on the section of Stone-Gold Python Vine Wen Qiao used as a weapon.
After looking at it for a while, he said to Wen Qiao, “Ah Rao, bring me that section of Stone-Gold Python Vine.”
Wen Qiao handed it to him as told.
Wen Tutu jumped onto Wen Qiao’s head, and the girl and rabbit both stared at Ning Yuzhou.
Ning Yuzhou inspected the Stone-Gold Python Vine in his hand, then took another section from the space. Comparing the two, he found that the Stone-Gold Python Vine that Wen Qiao had stimulated many times was even harder, as if it had absorbed too much nutrition and stored it all in this section of vine.
And indeed it had. Wen Qiao could stimulate the growth of spiritual plants. All spiritual plants that received her primordial spiritual energy grew rapidly and suffered no side effects, so it could be regarded as a kind of nourishment. This vine had been stimulated by her many times. Although it had only been used as a weapon, its grade had become one rank higher than the Stone-Gold Python Vine in the space, turning into seventh-rank.
The Stone-Gold Python Vine was originally a refining material. There was nothing strange about Wen Qiao accidentally stimulating it into seventh-rank.
Ning Yuzhou said, “I’ll use the Stone-Gold Python Vine to refine a weapon for you. What kind do you like?”
Wen Qiao looked at him with sparkling eyes. “You know how to refine artefacts too?”
“I only know some theory. I haven’t refined anything before, but it should be possible,” Ning Yuzhou said modestly.
He was not wrong. Since he had been unable to cultivate before, he naturally could not personally refine pills, talismans, artefacts, or formations. But he could read and learn the theory. Now, he only lacked practice.
However, over these days, Wen Qiao had already been conquered by his aura as a god of learning. Hearing this, she felt that Ning Yuzhou would definitely be able to do it, and immediately said, “I like whips. Can you refine a whip for me?”
Naturally, Ning Yuzhou would not refuse.
He pulled over Wen Qiao’s hand and pinched her soft, fair palm, wanting to test her arm strength. Seeing her fingers instinctively curl back, he could not help smiling. When he raised his eyes, he saw his little wife’s slightly red face, and his heart stirred faintly.
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