309: Chapter 309 Medical Valley

No one answered her.

Several subordinates with solemn expressions stood in place, their gazes unmoving.

The wind swept across the river surface, lifting and letting fall the robes of the few people on the deck.

Liu Qing was about to speak again when a soft footstep suddenly came from behind her.

"Senior Sister..."

That voice was somewhat cautious, carrying a clear sense of guilt.

Bai Nianci walked out from the cabin door in the corner of the deck. Her attire was fairly neat, with only two or three strands of fine hair scattered at her temples. She looked at Liu Qing with a subtle expression, her mouth twitching into an awkward arc.

"I... I'm fine."

Liu Qing looked at her for a moment, scanning her body quickly without finding any abnormalities, and only then let out a slight sigh of relief.

Immediately, her brows furrowed again.

"Where did you go? Why have you been missing these past few days?"

Bai Nianci was startled for a moment, her gaze subconsciously drifting to the side.

"Just... keeping him company and talking."

"..."

Liu Qing fell silent for a moment, slowly shifting her gaze to the figure standing quietly on the deck.

"You two, what is going on here?"

Bai Nianci straightened her expression and shook her head slightly at Liu Qing, meaning "We'll talk later."

Just at that moment,

Chen Ran raised one hand and flicked a single finger slightly.

A strand of True Qi, almost invisible to the naked eye, snapped silently.

Liu Qing suddenly felt the invisible confinement bound between her Meridians abruptly dissipate. Her limbs relaxed entirely, and the True Qi coagulating around her body began to circulate again accordingly.

She stood in place, furrowing her brows without moving.

Chen Ran withdrew his hand and spoke calmly:

"If you have any questions, let her tell you."

A few quarters of an hour later.

Liu Qing stood at the edge of the deck, looked at Bai Nianci, and asked with doubt:

"So, his going to the Medical Valley is to find someone."

Bai Nianci lowered her head and nodded gently.

"Mhm."

Liu Qing looked at her for a moment, her expression complex.

Bai Nianci recounted roughly everything that had happened over the past few days, from Chen Ran interrogating about the location of the Medical Valley to making finding someone a condition.

After speaking for quite a while, Liu Qing finally got a rough idea of the whole sequence of events.

This person hijacking the ship was not to make a move against the Medical Valley.

He just wanted to use the place of the Medical Valley to find someone.

The breath Liu Qing had originally been holding dropped down a bit.

But then, she frowned slightly and spoke:

"Who is the person he wants to find?"

Bai Nianci paused for a moment and whispered:

"Shen Wanying."

Liu Qing was startled for a moment.

A moment later, her expression changed slightly, and she muttered to herself:

"How could it be Shen Wanying?"

The early shadows of bamboo were already rippling in the water.

This stretch of water was serene, and both banks were lined with towering emerald bamboos. The bamboo leaves swayed gently in the wind, making a rustling sound like whispers and flowing water, endless.

The boat moved slowly forward in the waterway, the bamboo sea growing deeper and the waterway gradually narrowing.

At first it was extremely narrow, barely allowing a person to pass.

Two female cultivators in green robes sat in the small pavilion at the end of the waterway, chatting idly.

"I wonder when that team that went to the capital will be able to return."

The female cultivator who spoke had rounded cheeks and a crisp voice. Leaning against the stone railing, her tone carried a hint of exclamation,

"They've set out for more than two months."

The slightly leaner female cultivator beside her propped up her chin and answered listlessly:

"Soon, I suppose. The schedule for the Martial Arts Tournament should be coming to an end as well."

"That's true."

The round-faced female cultivator picked up her teacup, took a gentle sip, and sighed,

"I wonder if we can get a good ranking this time... I really envy our Senior Sisters for being able to go to a place like the capital to experience the world."

"What is there to envy?"

The lean female cultivator glanced sideways at her,

"We guard the Medical Valley, how quiet and comfortable it is."

"How can that be the same?"

The two of them bantered back and forth, talking with great zest.

The sound of bamboo waves echoed, and the stream murmured.

Suddenly, the commotion in the bamboo forest that was originally swaying gently suddenly grew much louder.

The bamboo stalks vibrated, and the rustling sounds merged together, becoming increasingly urgent.

The two female cultivators raised their heads simultaneously.

The teacup in the round-faced female cultivator's hand paused for a moment, her expression turning alert.

"This commotion..."

The lean female cultivator had already stood up, her gaze locked on the depths of the waterway, her hand quietly pressing towards the warning bell rope at her side.

Deep in the bamboo forest, something was moving.

The water surface gently rippled, coming from afar and approaching closer.

The two held their breath.

A moment later, the massive silhouette of a ship slowly pushed away the bamboo sea from the depths of the bamboo shadows and sailed out.

The cabin was spacious and adorned with carved beams and painted pillars. The paint on the exterior of the hull was smooth and clean, faint traces of prestige emanating amidst the halo of afternoon bamboo shadows.

The round-faced female cultivator stared at the ship, her vigilance not yet receding. With her hand pressing the bell rope, she was about to pull it.

The next moment, her gaze froze.

On the deck of the ship stood a line of people.

Wearing green robes and styling cloud buns—it was the attire of Ciyin Medical Valley Disciples.

The person leading them was tall and upright, none other than Elder Liu Qing.

"It's Elder Liu Qing?"

The round-faced female cultivator instantly let go of the bell rope, her eyes widening in surprise,

"Is this... returning?"

The lean female cultivator was startled for a moment, then let out a sigh of relief, and said casually:

"No wonder the commotion was so great. It turns out Elder Liu Qing is returning to the Medical Valley... But where did this ship come from? It's too grandiose. Why haven't we ever seen such a ship when going out from the valley before..."

Muttering to herself, she had already taken steps towards the water's edge.

The ship slowly docked.

The two greeted them. The round-faced female cultivator tilted her head up, looked at the tall hull, and clicked her tongue:

"Elder Liu, where did you get this ship? There wasn't even a notice, and the valley didn't even have time to welcome you..."

As she spoke, she stood on tiptoe and looked onto the deck.

The sound of her words abruptly halted.

She froze in place.

The lean female cultivator sensed the abnormality, and following her gaze, she raised her head to look at the deck.

On the deck, the group of Ciyin Medical Valley Disciples stood neatly to one side, their postures carrying a bit of fatigue.

And in the middle of them stood a young man with his hands behind his back.

That young man wore an ink-wash-colored robe, his hem fluttered by the river wind. His figure was tall and upright, with shoulders and a back like cut wood, resembling a green bamboo sprouting in the forest.

His expression was cold and detached, his brows and eyes indifferent.

Handsome he was indeed extremely, but that chilliness made people look upon him with timidity.

Ciyin Medical Valley had doctors like clouds, almost entirely consisting of female cultivators.

The two gate-guarding female cultivators had guarded this bamboo sea for years; the male cultivators they had seen could be counted on two hands.

The round-faced female cultivator stared at the young man, her throat swallowing as she subconsciously exchanged a glance with the lean female cultivator beside her.

The lean female cultivator's eyes were opened very wide.

Neither of them said a single word.

Chen Ran stood at the edge of the deck, looking forward.

Bamboo shadows flanked the banks, the waterway narrowed, and the bamboo stalks on both sides grew densely, blocking out the sky and sun.

Further ahead, the view suddenly opened up.

The waterway took a turn here, and the front suddenly widened. A small island lay quietly in the water, surrounded by lush green bamboos. Above the bamboo tips, birds chirped clearly, and floating clouds moved slowly, leisurely and boundlessly.

Houses were scattered across the island, with red railings and white walls. Small paths crisscrossed among them, covered with moss and stones. A few female cultivators in green robes could be vaguely seen walking through the corridors, their steps composed and their robes fluttering.

Chen Ran looked for a moment, couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

It's truly hidden deeply.

Such a paradise away from the world happened to be tucked deep within this sea of bamboo. If not for someone guiding the way, it would truly be hard to find.

No wonder those people outside spent so much effort and still failed to find the exact location of Ciyin Medical Valley.

The ship slowly docked and came to a steady stop.

Liu Qing walked to the front edge of the deck, looked at the two gate-guarding Disciples on the shore whose expressions were somewhat petrified, and said in a deep voice:

"Go inform the Sect Master that an honored guest has arrived."

The round-faced female cultivator recovered her wits, looked at Liu Qing, then looked at Chen Ran, and hesitated:

"An... honored guest?"

"An honored guest."

Liu Qing's tone was steady and her expression calm, revealing nothing.

The round-faced female cultivator and the lean female cultivator exchanged glances once more, coincidentally letting their gazes linger on the young man for a split second.

Afterwards, the two of them gathered their garments simultaneously and hurried towards the center of the island together.