41: Chapter 41 To leave without a trace after the deed is done? No! To bury greed deep within!

Duan Gujin looked at Qin Youyou, who had just undergone a complete transformation.

Qin Youyou's pure eyes were gazing at him, filled with gratitude and trust.

A faint smile appeared on the corner of his lips as he said to Qin Youyou,

“Miss Qin, now that your Physique has undergone its Awakening, the path forward is open. Meetings and partings are all determined by fate.”

His gaze swept over Qin Youyou's flushed cheeks and the ecstatic Venerable Qin.

Finally, it rested very briefly on Murong Si's hand, which was tightly clutching the Fuyao Moon-Grabbing Hairpin.

“Today we part ways; the mountains are high and the rivers are long, and I know not when we shall meet again. When we meet in the Jianghu another day, I hope you will have soared to great heights, living up to this heaven-sent Spiritual Root.”

“Miss Murong, I shall take my leave!”

Having said that, he gave his sleeves a light flick.

“Young Master Duan!” Qin Youyou hurriedly took a step forward, her eyes full of reluctance.

“Benefactor, please stay!” Venerable Qin also hurriedly spoke up, wanting to detain this great benefactor.

But Duan Gujin's figure had already begun to blur.

Without any earth-shattering fluctuations, his figure naturally shifted from solid to void under the sunlight, slowly fading away.

In just a single breath, only a few wisps of plant fragrance and a sense of tranquility remained in the spot.

Duan Gujin had completely disappeared.

Peace returned to the valley.

Qin Youyou stared at the empty space, her eyes dazed, but they soon turned into admiration.

“Father, Young Master Duan is truly a celestial being. He seeks no reward, enlightened your daughter, gifted me a precious treasure, and then drifted away!”

“Yes, Youyou, my child. Such great kindness is something our Baicao Valley will never forget for generations!”

Venerable Qin excitedly patted the back of his daughter's hand, feeling very relieved.

But deep in his heart, besides gratitude, a trace of solemnity and vigilance also quietly rose.

Duan Gujin's final words about meeting again in the Jianghu, combined with his transcendent attitude, made an old hand like Venerable Qin feel that things were not simple.

A man like that surely has a purpose in his actions.

Could it really be just an act of kindness?

A seed of doubt was planted in Venerable Qin's heart.

Murong Si stood frozen in place.

Duan Gujin's final gaze, which seemed to see through everything yet remained indifferent, was deeply etched in her mind, repeatedly stinging her previous dark suspicions.

“Luring her for sex? Having ill intentions? Coveting Baicao Valley?”

She thought about her previous notions, and every word made her feel ashamed and embarrassed.

But immediately after, a massive doubt flashed through her mind.

Just what was that Duan Gujin after?

Could he really have just been helping out in passing?

Murong Si suddenly felt that this man, Duan Gujin, was utterly unfathomable.

Could there really be such a transcendent person in this world?

One who places no importance on treasures, beauty, or power?

However, only Duan Gujin knew that this seemingly elegant departure was actually a choice made by judging the situation and seeking benefit while avoiding harm.

When he saw Qin Youyou's flushed face and trusting eyes, alarm bells rang in his heart.

After her Awakening, this girl's aura was even more enticing, and her gratitude and admiration were very much to his taste.

But he immediately suppressed the thought.

Because Venerable Qin was right there!

That Mahayana old monster, who loved his daughter like his own life, must have his Divine Thought locked tightly on Qin Youyou.

The moment he showed a hint of improper thoughts, or even looked at her a couple of times too many, he would likely be slapped to death instantly!

Making a move on his daughter right under a Mahayana's nose?

That was seeking death!

He had also swept his gaze over Murong Si's hand, which was tightly clutching the Fuyao Moon-Grabbing Hairpin.

The hairpin was almost being squeezed out of shape by her.

This woman had deep thoughts and a heavy suspicion; she was much harder to fool than Qin Youyou.

His words and actions just now had temporarily shattered her suspicions, but they also left her more confused and scrutinizing.

Targeting her?

The difficulty was greater, and the risk was higher!

If things went wrong, he wouldn't even know how he died.

Rather than taking risks in front of two big shots, it was better to leave early!

Leaving behind a mysterious, powerful, generous, and selfless impression was better than any fawning or solicitation.

This could eliminate Venerable Qin's vigilance (at least on the surface) and plant a deeper seed in Qin Youyou's heart.

What one cannot obtain is always the best.

As for Murong Si, her confusion and shame were themselves a kind of mark.

“Today we part ways; the mountains are high and the rivers are long, and I know not when we shall meet again. When we meet in the Jianghu another day, I hope you will have soared to great heights, living up to this heaven-sent Spiritual Root.” Duan Gujin sneered in his heart.

Of course they would meet again!

By then, the situation would be different.

The kindness and transcendence of today would surely be collected back with interest in the future.

Qin Youyou, Murong Si...

He couldn't touch them yet.

But today's retreat was for the sake of a future advance.

So he left cleanly and decisively.

His figure vanished without leaving a single trace.

He left reluctance to Qin Youyou, shock and confusion to Murong Si, and suspicion to Venerable Qin.

It was not “leaving after the deed is done, hiding one's presence and name,” but “leaving after the deed is done, deeply burying a greedy heart.”

——————————

Duan Gujin appeared outside the Hehuan Sect camp and quickly straightened his robes.

The smile on his face disappeared, replaced by shrewdness and a hint of fatigue.

The performance just now had seemed effortless, but it was actually quite strenuous.

Soon, he boarded a cloud ship of the Hehuan Sect to return to the sect.

When the cloud ship landed at the Hehuan Sect's Spirit Boat Landing, the sky was pitch black.

As soon as Duan Gujin stepped off the ship, a female Disciple in goose-yellow light gauze came forward and bowed.

“Greetings, Senior Brother Duan. Hall Master Shang heard of your return and specifically ordered me to wait here.”

“Please move to Danxia Garden; she says there are a few newly acquired Spiritual Plants that urgently need your help to examine and discuss a Pill Formula.”

Duan Gujin understood perfectly and followed the guiding Disciple to Shang Ruoni's room with a sense of helplessness.

The door closed.

That night, the furnace fire in Danxia Garden burned very brightly until dawn was approaching.

It was only at dawn the next day that Duan Gujin came out.

His body was weak and his face was pale.

Two early-rising Disciples were startled by the way he was walking and rushed forward to support him.

A round-faced Disciple asked with concern, “Senior Brother Duan! What's wrong? Are you unwell? Your face looks so terrible!”

Duan Gujin gave a weak smile, his voice hoarse and airy.

“It's nothing! *Cough, cough.* Last night in Aunt Shang's Danxia Garden, we were testing a new Pill Formula, and it consumed too much of my mental energy.”

“Also, *cough, cough,* it seems my Qi went wrong during the refinement, my Spiritual Power is somewhat stagnant, and I've damaged my Origin Qi a bit.”

He took a breath. “It's no matter, I'll be fine after a short rest.”

The two Disciples realized what had happened, their faces showing admiration and sympathy.

“So that's it! Senior Brother truly puts his heart and soul into the Dao of Alchemy! Please, you must take care of your health!”

They carefully supported Duan Gujin on both sides and escorted him back to his residence.

Duan Gujin closed his eyes and let them support him, a bitter smile in his heart.

Back in his quiet bamboo hut, he almost collapsed onto his meditation cushion.

In Danxia Garden last night, rather than discussing a Pill Formula, it would be more accurate to say he was drained of his last bit of energy and Spiritual Power by that Revered Master of his, whose cultivation was profound and whose needs were equally staggering.

Shang Ruoni's furnace fire was incomparably overbearing and her demands were insatiable. She called it Yin and Yang harmony and jointly practicing the profound law, but in reality, it was mostly one-sided Plucking and Supplementing.

If not for his fairly solid Foundation and his knack for pleasing people, he might have truly been refined into a dried human husk.

He swallowed a Medicinal Pill and circulated his Cultivation Technique to adjust his breathing for half an hour before he finally fully recovered.