Xiaomeng was in too much pain. It had been nearly two months since she had come here and been taking care of Tian Yao. Opening the door to her small residence, she went directly to the bed and threw herself on it, not even changing her clothes.
The disciples who used to come in droves to the First Peak and flood the roads had been reduced to just a trickle by now. It was not because the effects of Tian Yao's therapy were reduced, but due to the opposite. Tian Yao had gotten just too good at what she was doing. Now the disciples rarely got any help by coming here and getting beaten up. So, they were focusing more on their own cultivation, their blood and meridians cleared and free from any hidden dangers.
For Tian Yao, it was okay, as she had already achieved her objective of learning to control her power. But every now and then she had to try a few new things, so she needed someone's help. And that duty fell on the shoulders of the person who was always hovering around her.
Now, along with taking care of Tian Yao, Xiaomeng had also acquired a secondary profession: acting as a training dummy. Her days were filled with either getting beaten up, brewing concoctions, or reading alchemy manuals. Yet she still preferred this. At least the unruly spiritual root would quiet down for a few days after getting beaten up by Tian Yao and let Xiaomeng cultivate in peace for nearly a week.
Tian Yao entered the small room beside her. Going to Xiaomeng's face-down figure, she turned the small body. Taking out a small green pill, she put it in Xiaomeng's slightly open mouth and closed it. She couldn't afford to get this good maid injured and had to take proper care. The pill dissolved in Xiaomeng's mouth, and its medicinal efficacy spread throughout her body, healing all injuries and rejuvenating her. Nodding in satisfaction, Tian Yao exited the room, leaving Xiaomeng in her peaceful slumber.
After a restful sleep, Xiaomeng woke up while stretching her hands, her fists clenched, and a small yawn involuntarily creating the first noise in the room. She felt very well rested, and Tian Yao still had not woken her up like always. When she came out of her room, the large courtyard had already changed. Did someone come to have a fight yesterday? Weren't the disciples focusing on their own cultivation?
Putting those random thoughts at the back of her mind, Xiaomeng washed up and went to have breakfast. But this morning there was an even larger crowd in the dining hall. Several new faces had appeared in the already familiar space. Xiaomeng lightly pulled at a familiar Foundation Establishment female disciple and asked about them.
"Ah," the female disciple gave her a dumbfounded look and, remembering something, suddenly asked, "Xiaomeng, what were you doing yesterday?"
Xiaomeng tilted her head. "Of course, I was training with Tian Yao until afternoon and then went to rest. Did something happen?"
The female disciple gave her a puzzled look. She got an idea of what was happening and pressed, "What day is it today? Can you tell me?"
Easily remembering the date, Xiaomeng said, "The fourth day of the seventh month."
"No." The female disciple shook her head. "It's the fifth day of the seventh month. Maybe you spent the whole day sleeping yesterday."
This confused Xiaomeng even more. Even when she was tired, she never slept for more than half a day at worst, so how could she have slept for so long? Moreover, with her special physique, her body and mind recovered quite quickly compared to others, if nothing else. "But what does that have to do with the extra crowd?"
"Do you know that every five years our sect sends its disciples to explore a secret realm along with the other major forces in the world?"
Xiaomeng nodded her head in answer. Her Senior Sister Lan always complained about how her personal assistant had gone to the secret realm, which made her pill refining more tiring, and several tasks that could be easily delegated fell on her, making her workload even heavier. "So, they came back yesterday?" she asked the female disciple, but the answer had already formed in her mind, which was confirmed by the female disciple.
Saying her goodbyes, Xiaomeng had a peaceful breakfast like always and went back to the courtyard. The familiar figure of Tian Yao was cultivating under the shade of a new willow tree. Just how much money was spent on the repair of the courtyard every single day? This question eluded Xiaomeng.
Tian Yao opened her eyes and with a quick glance noticed that 'her maid' had already broken through to the Fourth Layer of Qi Refinement. With the pill she had fed Xiaomeng two days prior, the result was obvious, but she was still amazed at how quickly and naturally the small girl was able to control the increase in energy. She knew for a fact that she herself was immensely talented, but even for her, nearly half a day was needed at the least to adapt to an increase in cultivation.
Xiaomeng went ahead and lightly stretched her body for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, and after relaxing every bone and muscle, she turned to her Dantian and noticed the increase in Qi. But it didn't surprise her, as she had been using all her allowance and earnings to manufacture and consume cultivation-increasing pills and was on the verge of a breakthrough. Maybe it was because she had broken through that she had slept for a whole day.
Noticing the little maid's readiness, Tian Yao also got up and faced her. Xiaomeng moved first. As soon as her feet left the ground, a fist was already in front of Tian Yao. Already accustomed to this attack, Tian Yao lightly raised her hand and deflected the incoming attack, disturbing Xiaomeng's balance.
Steadying her body, Xiaomeng continued to attack, and Tian Yao continued to defend. Whenever they clashed, a small ripple of energy washed outward, raising the fallen leaves. The fight continued with neither party gaining a lead, but any observer could easily tell that Xiaomeng was getting exhausted, her breathing ragged and small drops of sweat clinging to her temples. But Tian Yao was still steady, her body reacting the same as at the beginning, with no sign of fatigue.
After nearly two incense sticks' worth of time had passed, Xiaomeng separated from Tian Yao. Her clothes were dusty and wet in some places. Her hands and legs were heavy, her mind starting to go blank. When fighting, the body is under immense exertion, especially against Tian Yao, who always brought out the opponent's best.
Xiaomeng closed her eyes and started to take deep breaths. The Qi in her body started to gather at the tips of her hands and feet. A faint outline of mysterious patterns formed around them. She extended her Qi outward and sensed Tian Yao standing ready to accept her attack. The next moment, Xiaomeng shot her hand forward, and the phantom of a tiger shot from her palm. The white phantom jumped on Tian Yao, attempting to swallow her whole.
Tian Yao took the attack head-on, her body covered in crackling purple lightning. And she was flung back, crashing directly into the repaired wall of the courtyard. The wall was broken, and dust floated around the debris. The white phantom of the tiger disappeared just as the attack hit. The next moment, Tian Yao stood up. Except for a few tears in her clothes, there was no other change in her. Xiaomeng couldn't help but cry in her heart. Even after using a Core Formation martial technique, that was all the damage she did to Tian Yao.
Dusting her clothes, Tian Yao took an attacking position with her hands in front. Knowing what was coming next, Xiaomeng did the best thing she could. Closing her eyes, she fell back. Her body collided with the ground, and she felt a sharp pain in her back. But it was still several times better than fighting that maniac after rousing her fighting spirit. And her exhausted Dantian just gave more credibility to her act. The exhaustion washed over her, and she was once again unconscious.
Tian Yao lowered her hand and approached Xiaomeng. She checked the sprawled-out girl by injecting her own Qi into her body. Only after confirming that the girl was truly unconscious did she get up while picking up the deadweight. She carried Xiaomeng back to her room and, helping her into bed, began thinking.
After she started practicing with Xiaomeng, one day the girl had suddenly used a very strong martial technique that she had seen for the first time. She had a lot of fun that day while sparring until it lasted. But for some reason, whenever Xiaomeng used similar techniques, she would fall unconscious. Even when she broke through another Foundation Establishment layer, this was still the same. She needed to find another method to increase the girl's strength and help her fight longer. Clenching her fists, Tian Yao stood up and, with a determined gaze, exited the room. Xiaomeng, who was peacefully asleep, didn't know that her little trick had brought enormous trouble for the future.
At that time, at the Central Peak, two figures sat opposite each other in the spaciously beautiful pavilion. A small tea set was placed between them, and the woman was leisurely drinking small sips from the steam-evoking porcelain cup held in her fingers.
Lu Wancheng gazed at Ning Yichen, the Vice Sect Master, from the corner of his eyes. "If you want, you can look directly. That is what you are good at—looking and poking at places where you're not needed."
Lu Wancheng coughed lightly, not knowing if the graceful woman in the green robes was teasing or mocking him. Moving his eyes to the beautiful scenery on his right, he said, "So, how was the training this time? I heard that there were some problems in the middle, delaying your return."
"Everything was written and sent to you to review," Ning Yichen slowly placed the now-empty cup on the wooden table without making any sound. She narrowed her eyes and trained them on Lu Wancheng. "So. Tell me. How was she? Did you have enough fun while I was gone?"
Lu Wancheng hurriedly turned toward her and tried to explain, "I didn't even get to talk to her. She just came and went after attacking the sect. You can ask her if you want." He would never shy away from any mishaps he caused, but this time he was seriously taking the blame for nothing.
Ning Yichen contemplated for some time, and when Lu Wancheng thought everything was over, she brought out her transmission talisman and, engraving it with her thoughts, burned it.
The message traversed half the world in an instant and reached Li Wanruo, who was helping her disciples and practicing her own zither music. She suddenly paused. The disciples surrounding her looked at her.
"Get out," she ordered. The disciples got up and rushed out, leaving the training hall empty.
After thinking for some time, Li Wanruo had a sharp glint in her eyes. Taking a transmission talisman, she engraved another message into it and burned it. She was just sad that she would not be able to watch the show about to happen at the other end.
Back at the pavilion, a talisman appeared beside Ning Yichen's ear and started to say something. She snapped her fingers, and the voice transmission grew louder, and even Lu Wancheng was able to hear it.
"... and then we went to the night market. There we enjoyed several mortal sweets. They were just as sweet as always. And then he took me to the Northern Ravines to watch the sunset ..."
Lu Wancheng's face grew pale. What was that woman even saying? Why was she narrating the events of a decade ago right now? Is she angry because I didn't talk to her last time when she came? Several similar thoughts engulfed his mind.
Ning Yichen carefully listened to the details of the rendezvous of the two parties with rapt attention. After it was complete, she asked in a calm voice, "Do you have anything to say?"
Lu Wancheng opened his mouth and closed it again without uttering a single word.
"Good." Ning Yichen nodded several times and, before anyone could suspect anything, drew her sword and slashed toward Lu Wancheng. Although unprepared, Lu Wancheng easily deflected the sword. But then he suddenly realized his mistake. If he had taken the first hit, he could have gotten away with just a small wound. Now, gazing at the angry face of Ning Yichen, he felt that he would have to bear a lot more.
That day, even the Central Peak's leisure pavilion had to be repaired, along with Tian Yao's courtyard.
And the next day, Xiaomeng found herself boarded on the sect ship, going out on a sect mission.