52: Chapter 52: News of Luo Ziyan

North District of the Medicine Garden.

Xiao Yuan stood in front of the familiar fence gate and took a deep breath.

Three years ago, it was right here that he and Luo Ziyan spent their last two days. That girl leaned in his arms, chattering away, telling him to take care of himself and not to push himself too hard...

Pushing open the half-closed wooden door, Xiao Yuan walked inside.

The courtyard was still the same courtyard, and the fields of Spirit Medicine were still the same fields.

But the busy figure beside the medicine fields was not the plain-looking girl in disguise from his memories.

It was a girl who looked to be only at Qi Condensation 5th Layer, with a round face and hair tied in double buns, crouching in the medicine field weeding.

Hearing footsteps, she looked up, saw Xiao Yuan, and froze for a moment.

"Who... are you?" She stood up and asked warily, "This is a restricted area of the Medicine Garden. Outsiders are not allowed!"

Xiao Yuan cupped his hands. "Junior Sister, please don't misunderstand. I'm the new guard of the Medicine Garden in the North District, just coming over to say hello."

The round-faced girl sized him up, a flicker of surprise flashing in her eyes—Qi Condensation 4th Layer? The new guard?

But what puzzled her even more was why this person looked a bit familiar?

"Do you need something?" she asked.

Xiao Yuan paused, then spoke, "I wanted to ask where Luo Ziyan, who used to guard this place, is now?"

The round-faced girl's eyes suddenly widened.

She stared at Xiao Yuan for a few seconds before tentatively asking, "Are... are you named Xiao Yuan?"

Xiao Yuan was taken aback. "How do you know?"

The round-faced girl didn't answer. Her expression simply grew complex—there was surprise, realization, and a hint of... resentment?

Feeling bewildered under her gaze, Xiao Yuan said, "Um... about Luo Ziyan..."

"Senior Sister Luo left three years ago," the round-faced girl interrupted him, her tone stiff. "Not long after you left the Sect for the mines, she left the Medicine Garden to take on Sect missions."

Xiao Yuan frowned. "Three years ago? Where did she go?"

"I don't know." The round-faced girl shook her head. "For the past three years, she's been away almost year-round, taking on dangerous missions—hunting Yao Beasts, gathering Spirit Medicine, escorting merchant caravans... Basically wherever it's dangerous, she goes. Although she occasionally returns to the Sect, she never stays for long."

The more Xiao Yuan listened, the more confused he became.

He had left Luo Ziyan so many perfect marrow cleansing pills and Spirit Stones, enough for her to Cultivate safely to Qi Condensation 9th Layer or even Half-step Foundation Establishment. Why would she risk her life doing missions?

"Why... did she do that?" Xiao Yuan couldn't help asking.

The round-faced girl looked at him, the resentment in her eyes deepening.

"Once I ran into her at the External Affairs Hall," she spoke slowly. "She had just returned from a mission, covered in wounds, her face as pale as paper. I helped her sit down and asked her why she was risking her life so desperately. Back then, she..."

She paused, seemingly lost in memory.

"She said she needed to save someone. Someone very important to her."

Xiao Yuan's heart skipped a beat.

"She said that person was dispatched to the mines. Even though it was only for three years, she knew that with that person's low cultivation, he couldn't complete the quota at all. Failing to complete the quota meant extending the mining time—one year, two years, ten years... or even dying of old age in the mines."

The round-faced girl stared at Xiao Yuan, emphasizing every word:

"So she wanted to earn enough Sect contribution points to redeem him."

Xiao Yuan froze on the spot.

Redeem him?

The Sect indeed had such a rule—one could use contribution points to "redeem" a Disciple dispatched to the mines.

But the required contribution points were an astronomical sum, something an ordinary low-level Disciple couldn't save up in a lifetime!

That girl...

"She didn't say who it was at the time," the round-faced girl's voice cracked slightly with a choke. "But I checked later. In the entire Sect, there was no one else who interacted with her besides Xiao Yuan from the Scrap Recycling Station."

She looked at Xiao Yuan, her eyes reddening:

"And then you just happened to be dispatched to the mines as well."

"So it was you, wasn't it?"

Xiao Yuan opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

Three years ago, when he left, that girl leaned in his arms chattering away, telling him to take care of himself and not to push himself too hard.

He thought it was just parting concern.

He thought that by leaving behind Medicinal Pills and Spirit Stones, she could Cultivate peacefully and wait for his return.

He never expected—

That girl had been risking her life for him all along.

Risking her life to complete missions, risking her life to hoard contribution points.

Just to redeem him, this "trash," from the mines.

Xiao Yuan lowered his head and clenched his fists.

Somewhere in his heart, a sour and swelling ache bloomed, as if hit hard by something.

"Where is she now?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

The round-faced girl shook her head. "I don't know. The last time she returned to the Sect was a month ago. She handed in a mission, exchanged her contribution points, and left again. At that time, she told me it was almost enough..."

Hearing this, Xiao Yuan remained silent for a long time.

Then he raised his head and smiled.

As he smiled, his eyes grew slightly red.

"This silly girl..."

He turned and walked away.

The round-faced girl shouted behind him, "Where are you going?"

Xiao Yuan didn't look back. "To find someone."

"Do you even know where she is?!"

"I don't know," Xiao Yuan said without slowing down. "But I will find her eventually."

He walked out of the Medicine Garden, stood at the crossroads, and took a deep breath.

Luo Ziyan, you silly girl.

Wait for me.

This time, it's my turn to find you.

...

External Affairs Hall.

Deacon Liu had just brewed a pot of tea. Before he could take a sip, he saw a familiar figure sauntering in again.

"Xiao Yuan?" He set down his teacup, looking surprised. "Didn't you just accept the Medicine Garden mission? Why are you back again?"

Xiao Yuan leaned over to the desk with a grin. "Deacon Liu, I'd like to ask you about someone."

He pulled out three Low-Grade Spirit Stones from his sleeve and quietly slid them over to Deacon Liu's hand.

Deacon Liu glanced at them, his lips twitching slightly—this kid sure knew how to play the game.

"Ask about who?" He stashed the Spirit Stones, his tone becoming considerably friendlier.

"Luo Ziyan," Xiao Yuan asked. "Did she accept a mission recently? Where did she go?"

Deacon Liu flipped open a register, sliding his finger down the list.

"Luo Ziyan... Ah, here it is." He looked up. "A little over a month ago, she took a mission—to go to the Imperial Capital of Jing to investigate the disappearance of our Jade Maiden Palace stronghold deacon there."

Xiao Yuan frowned. "A deacon disappeared?"

"Yes, vanished out of nowhere." Deacon Liu waved his hand. "Don't worry, it's not a big mission. There are six people with her, all skilled hands at Qi Condensation 7th and 8th Layer. She herself is at the Peak of Qi Refining Level 9, her cultivation speaks for itself."

He paused and added, "This kind of mission takes three months at most to finish. It's just an investigation, no heavy fighting needed. I reckon she'll be back before long."

Xiao Yuan listened, but his brow remained furrowed.

Three months? She accepted it over a month ago, so she should still be in Jing Country right now.

Although Deacon Liu said it wasn't very dangerous, he still felt uneasy.

That girl Luo Ziyan was taking on dangerous missions for his sake. If anything happened to her...

"Thank you, Deacon Liu." Xiao Yuan cupped his hands and turned to leave.

Deacon Liu shouted from behind, "What are you asking about this for, kid?"

Xiao Yuan didn't look back. "To find someone!"

Deacon Liu froze, shook his head, and muttered, "A Qi Condensation 4th Layer going to look for a Qi Condensation 9th Layer? Nowadays, there are all kinds of strange things..."

---

Medicine Garden North District, C-3.

In Medicine Garden C-3 of the North District, the round-faced girl, Liu Yan, was busy in the medicine field. Looking up, she saw Xiao Yuan standing outside the fence again.

"Why are you back again?" She set down her hoe, looking alert. "Senior Sister Luo isn't here, and I don't know where she is."