116: Gu Yuxinyin

The morning light in Luoxia Valley carried the bitter scent of grass and trees. As it swept over the bamboo couch in the courtyard, Liu Shan just woke from a light sleep. The burn on his left arm was still throbbing faintly, and the bandage was stained with a light medicinal yellow, from the Spiritual Plant juice Lin Qingxue had repeatedly applied last night.

Mo Chu curled up by his pillow, his golden horn resting on his wrist, breathing evenly. The little fellow was badly injured last night, losing several scales, revealing the tender pink flesh underneath. Yet, at this moment, he stubbornly warmed Liu Shan's wound with his body temperature, like a dutiful little guard.

“Awake?” Lin Qingxue walked in, carrying a Medicinal Pill bowl, a bit of grass clinging to her temples, clearly just back from the Medicinal Plant field. “Uncle Wang made some Calming Soup, adding some Calming Grass. Drink some to restore your spirit.”

Only when the Medicinal Pill bowl was handed to him did Liu Shan notice the faint dark circles under her eyes and a small scratch on the back of her hand, as if pricked by a Medicinal Plant’s thorn. “You didn't sleep all night?”

“I slept for a little while.” Lin Qingxue avoided his gaze and picked up the ointment nearby. “It’s time to change the dressing. Shi Yan said he added his blood to this ointment, which will help it close faster.”

When the ointment was applied to the wound, a cool, stinging sensation spread, yet it was much more comfortable than last night. Liu Shan looked at her focused profile, then suddenly reached out and gently brushed away the grass from her temple: “Don’t overwork yourself, I’m fine.”

Lin Qingxue’s cheeks flushed slightly. She lowered her head and continued bandaging, her voice as soft as a feather: “Understood.”

Footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate. Liu Zhi ran in, carrying a Medicinal Plant basket filled with freshly picked Ninglu Grass. The dew on the leaves had dampened his clothes. “Dad! Qingxue Aunt! Shi Yan Ge said if this grass is mashed into juice and applied to the wound, it can remove scars!” He offered the grass like a treasure, but his eyes darted to Liu Shan’s arm, with a hint of worry. “Does it still hurt?”

“It doesn’t hurt anymore.” Liu Shan smiled and ruffled his hair. “Did you keep a close eye on the Formation Plate in the Pill Chamber? Don’t let the Devilish Qi seep in again.”

“Don’t worry!” Liu Zhi patted his chest. “Dan Chen Ge and I are taking turns guarding it. Shi Yan Ge even drew new talismans and pasted them all over the Pill Chamber walls; they’re sturdier than reinforced concrete!”

Just as he spoke, Dan Chen and Shi Yan also arrived. Dan Chen held a Medicinal Pill bottle containing gleaming white Medicinal Pills: “These are ‘Muscle Regeneration Pills,’ newly refined by Danwang Valley. Try them; they’re faster acting than ordinary healing Medicinal Pills.” Shi Yan handed over a small jade bottle containing a clear liquid: “This is ‘Spiritual Marrow Water.’ A cloth soaked in it and applied to the wound can promote the circulation of Spiritual Qi.”

Liu Shan thanked them one by one, feeling a warmth in his heart. Mo Chu lifted his head from the pillow, his golden horn swaying towards Dan Chen’s Medicinal Pill bottle, as if he also wanted a treat. Dan Chen smiled, poured out a Medicinal Pill, and offered it to his mouth: “This is for you too, you look as wilted as a sun-dried blade of grass.”

Mo Chu swallowed it in one gulp, the tip of his tail gently brushing Dan Chen’s hand, as if in thanks.

The group sat by the stone table in the courtyard. The morning light filtered through the peach tree leaves, casting fragmented light spots on the jade bottle containing Spiritual Marrow Water. Dan Chen, sipping the Yunwu Tea brewed by Lin Qingxue, suddenly remembered something: “Oh right, yesterday I sent a message to Danwang Valley, saying that an Et Ling DemonDragon was discovered. The Dan Wang Valley Master replied that he has already set off with the Elders and should arrive in about three days.”

“Three days later?” Liu Shan frowned slightly. “If that DemonDragon breaks in again, can we hold out?”

Shi Yan put down his teacup, his fingertips tracing the outline of the DemonDragon on the table: “It took a beating yesterday, so it should be quiet for a few days. Besides, that dark stone is still in the cave; it won’t want to leave it.” He paused, then added, “I studied it last night. The runes on that stone seem to be reinforcing the Devilish Qi barrier at the cave entrance, preventing outsiders from entering.”

“What is it protecting?” Liu Zhi couldn’t help but ask, unconsciously rubbing the newly carved Medicinal Pill seal in his hand.

No one could answer that question. The secret within the cave weighed heavily on everyone's hearts, like a heavy stone.

In the morning, the villagers all came to visit Liu Shan. A He brought a few children, holding a bouquet of wild roses, saying they could calm the mind; Uncle Wang carried a basket of Spiritual Rice cakes, saying his wife had specially added honey, which would give strength; even the usually quiet old man who tended the fields brought a handful of freshly picked mint, saying it could reduce internal heat when steeped in water.

Liu Shan sat on the bamboo couch, listening to everyone chattering, and suddenly felt that this injury was nothing. The people of Luoxia Valley had always been like this: usually busy with their own affairs, like stars scattered throughout the valley, but once someone encountered trouble, they would immediately gather like a ball of fire, warming one’s heart until the eyes welled up.

“Thank you, everyone.” He smiled and cupped his hands. “I’m fine. In a couple of days, I’ll be able to work in the Spiritual Field with you all.”

“Dan Wang Valley Master, don’t push yourself!” Uncle Wang waved his hand, his voice booming. “Heal well! We’ve got the Spiritual Field covered! We’ll make sure the biye flowers are well taken care of!”

The children surrounded Mo Chu, asking him in a flurry of voices if he was in pain, feeding him Spiritual Fruits, and gently wiping the places where his scales had fallen off with a soft cloth. Mo Chu was encircled, his golden horn glowing faintly, the tip of his tail occasionally brushing the children’s palms, eliciting soft laughter.

After everyone had left, Lin Qingxue was tidying up the pastries on the table when she suddenly said, “A He told me she wants to learn swordsmanship from you.”

“Oh?” Liu Shan was a bit surprised. “Didn’t she say before that she preferred learning to identify Medicinal Plants with you?”

“She said she feels that if she learns swordsmanship, she can protect everyone in the future.” Lin Qingxue’s voice was very soft. “Yesterday, when she saw you fighting the DemonDragon, she cried terribly, but she kept clutching the wooden sword you gave her, saying she wanted to be as strong as you someday.”

Liu Shan thought of A He’s bright, sparkling eyes, and his heart suddenly stirred. He took out a short sword from his Storage Pouch. It was forged from spiritual iron, and the blade was very light, suitable for a girl: “Once my injury heals, I’ll teach her.”

Lin Qingxue smiled and nodded, the sunlight falling on her hair, gilding it with a soft golden edge.

In the afternoon, Liu Zhi and Dan Chen went to reinforce the Formation at the valley entrance, while Shi Yan was studying the black silk brought back from the cave entrance. Only Liu Shan and Lin Qingxue remained in the courtyard. Mo Chu lay by the bamboo couch, basking in the sun, the jade plaque on his golden horn sparkling.

“Do you think the Dan Wang Valley Master and the others will be able to deal with that DemonDragon when they arrive?” Lin Qingxue sat by the bamboo couch, embroidering a handkerchief with a biye flower, her stitches fine and close.

“They should be able to.” Liu Shan looked towards the back of the valley. “The Dan Wang Valley Master is a Soul Transformation Stage Cultivator, much more powerful than the Black Wind Valley’s Altar Master.” He paused, then added, “Actually, I’m more worried about what’s inside the cave. That dark stone is just a trigger; there must be a more important secret hidden within.”

Lin Qingxue put down her handkerchief and took his hand: “No matter what it is, we’ll face it together. Just like last time in Black Wind Valley.”

Liu Shan turned to look at her. Her gaze was firm, like the old locust tree in Luoxia Valley, seemingly delicate, yet possessing the resilience of roots embedded in the earth. He suddenly felt that with her by his side, no matter how great the storm, it was nothing.

Mo Chu suddenly lifted his head, his golden horn glowing towards the valley entrance. The two followed his gaze and saw A He running in with a food box containing freshly made mung bean soup, still steaming.

“Dan Wang Valley Master! Qingxue Aunt! Time for mung bean soup!” The little girl was running, covered in sweat, her bangs plastered to her face. “I learned it from Grandma Wang. I added rock sugar, it’s super sweet!”

Liu Shan took the food box, opened the lid, and the fresh scent of mung bean soup mixed with the sweetness of rock sugar diffused into the air. He scooped a bowl and handed it to Lin Qingxue, then poured a small dish for Mo Chu, watching him lap it up with his tongue, like a greedy child.

A He squatted by the bamboo couch, watching Mo Chu drink the soup, and suddenly said, “Dan Wang Valley Master, when you’re better, will you also teach me how to draw talismans? Shi Yan Ge said my hands are nimble, suitable for drawing talismans.”

“Of course.” Liu Shan smiled and nodded. “Not only will I teach you how to draw talismans, but also swordsmanship, to make you the most formidable little guard in Luoxia Valley.”

A He cheered, her eyes as bright as the stars in the sky.

As the sun set, the brass bell at the valley entrance suddenly chimed softly. It wasn't the explosive sound of an alarm, but the gentle ring of a talisman naturally detaching, with a crisp afterglow.

Shi Yan ran over to say that the talismans for the warning Formation had expired, and the Devilish Qi hadn't returned, so they could breathe a sigh of relief for now.

Liu Zhi and Dan Chen also returned, their faces weary but unable to hide their excitement—they had boosted the Juling Array’s spiritual power by another thirty percent, so even if the DemonDragon returned, they could hold out for a while longer.

During dinner, everyone sat under the locust tree, eating steamed spiritual rice and drinking mung bean soup, chatting and laughing, as if they had forgotten the danger of last night. Liu Zhi vividly described his newly carved Formation Plate, while Dan Chen said that when the Dan Wang Valley Master arrived, he wanted to ask him for guidance on refining the “Nine Revolutions Soul Restoration Pill.” Shi Yan listened quietly, occasionally interjecting a word or two, always hitting the mark.

Liu Shan looked at everything before him and suddenly felt that the strength of Luoxia Valley had never been about how powerful one person was, but rather how these seemingly ordinary people, with one mind and one effort, like the biye flowers in the spiritual field—a single stalk might be inconspicuous, but gathered together, they could support a whole canopy of green shade.

As night deepened, the children all went to bed. Liu Shan lay on the bamboo couch, listening to Mo Chu’s even breathing, and watching Lin Qingxue’s profile as she mended clothes by the lamp, feeling a sense of profound peace in his heart.

The distant Duan Yun Mountains were silent, the black Qi at the cave entrance hidden by the night, as if it had never existed.

But Liu Shan knew that the calm was only temporary. In three days, when the Dan Wang Valley Master arrived, it might be time to uncover the secret.

He closed his eyes, feeling the faint stinging pain from the wound on his left arm, and the warmth brought by the people beside him, a slight smile involuntarily curving his lips.

No matter how many storms the future held, as long as they were by his side, it would be alright.