294: Chapter 294 A flower in full bloom should be plucked while it's still in bloom

In the courtyard, Yue Qianqian and Gu Qingyao set up a Restriction and sat opposite each other in the stone pavilion. Their gazes drifted toward the tightly closed doors of the side room from time to time.

Outside the pavilion, peach blossoms were in full bloom. As the wind blew, a shower of petals rustled down. Yue Qianqian absentmindedly caught a falling pink blossom, her fingertips unconsciously playing with the delicate bud.

She poked the tender pink bud curiously, forcing open the fuzzy stamens as sticky nectar stained her fingertips.

"Hiss..."

A faint gasp drifted from the closed side room, barely audible.

Yue Qianqian's fingers froze. She looked up toward the side room and asked Gu Qingyao in confusion, "Senior Sister, did you hear that? It sounded like Revered Master's voice?"

Gu Qingyao also looked toward the side room. After listening intently for a moment, she nodded.

"Yes. It's likely that the Supreme is being a bit... too forceful with his power while neutralizing that overbearing Heavenly Secret Poison for Revered Master."

She withdrew her gaze, her eyes falling on the mangled peach blossom in Yue Qianqian's hand. The petals had been forced open, exposing the soft core and oozing nectar that dampened Yue Qianqian's fingers.

Gu Qingyao sighed helplessly. "It is already hard enough for the fallen red blossoms; why must you destroy them further?"

"Oh..."

Yue Qianqian gave a half-understanding response. Looking at the wet marks on her fingertips, she placed the ruined flower on the stone table.

The wait felt exceptionally long. Seeing no movement for a while, Gu Qingyao stood up and said to Yue Qianqian:

"I'm going to handle the situation in Fengqi Palace. Stay here and keep watch. If anything unusual happens, message me immediately."

With the Four Great Families in rebellion, Fengqi Palace was in decline. Other ministers and officials were being controlled, and she needed to rescue some of them so the Wutong Divine Dynasty could barely function again.

"Okay."

Yue Qianqian obediently agreed and watched her Senior Sister leave.

She was left alone in the courtyard. There was no more sound from the side room; perhaps a Formation had been set up?

Yue Qianqian leaned listlessly against the railing, her gaze wandering aimlessly to the small pond in the corner of the courtyard.

The pond water was clear, with several koi swimming leisurely. Soon, her attention was drawn to two of the fish.

A dainty and lively small silver-white carp seemed particularly naughty, constantly headbutting and tail-slapping a large, pitch-black carp, repeatedly trying to pin the other down from above.

Yue Qianqian found it amusing and couldn't help but whisper encouragement to the small silver carp: "Go for it! Little silver carp! Pin it down!"

The small silver carp seemed to hear the encouragement and lunged forward, actually managing to pin the large black carp beneath it for a moment.

Just as Yue Qianqian was about to cheer, the large black carp suddenly flipped over with a powerful flick of its tail. Its massive body instantly reversed the situation, and it even gently bit the small silver carp's beautiful silver tail, holding it firmly in place.

The small silver carp twisted its petite body in vain, unable to break free.

The sun gradually rose to its zenith. Gu Qingyao returned in a hurry, holding a parchment scroll. Yue Qianqian was immediately drawn to the scroll and asked curiously:

"Senior Sister, what is this?"

"This is the most recently surveyed map of Songhua County's territory."

Gu Qingyao carefully spread the map on the stone table. "Every year, Cultivators' battles damage the landscape, and Sect powers rise and fall, so the charts need to be recalibrated."

Yue Qianqian leaned in curiously to look. Her fingertips accidentally brushed against the edge of the parchment, and with a soft rip, a corner of the map was torn.

Gu Qingyao shot her an annoyed look. The two had to carefully piece the map back together. Looking at the winding river that traversed the entire Songhua County and occupied nearly a third of its width, Yue Qianqian couldn't help but mutter:

"Songhua County is so small, yet it has to accommodate a massive northern river like the Songhua River. Every time it floods in a rage, the whole county must be unable to withstand it, right?"

Gu Qingyao focused on gluing the tear, her expression helpless.

"That's right. The Songhua River has flooded several times recently. Moreover, reports say Songhua County hasn't been peaceful lately; several small Sects have been ransacked. The culprit's features are unclear, but survivors vaguely mentioned a female Cultivator with silver hair and purple eyes."

She paused.

"This matter is quite strange."

"Silver hair and purple eyes?"

Yue Qianqian murmured to herself but soon lost interest.

The setting sun sank, dyeing the courtyard in warm gold. The door to the side room remained tightly shut, with no movement.

In the pond, the large black carp and the small silver carp patrolled tirelessly between the bottom and the surface, sometimes diving deep and sometimes floating to the shallows, creating ripples.

Yue Qianqian was restless and finally couldn't help but whisper to Gu Qingyao:

"Senior Sister, does neutralizing the poison... really take this long? Revered Master will be okay, right?"

Gu Qingyao withdrew her gaze from the closed door and pondered for a moment before analyzing calmly:

"Since even a Void Refinement Stage Cultivator couldn't detect it, the Heavenly Secret Extinction Powder must be extraordinary. Neutralizing the poison must be a slow, painstaking process."

"Since Revered Master said she only needed the Supreme's power to assist her, that vast power likely needs to be controlled with extreme precision to thoroughly permeate Revered Master's limbs, bones, Dantian, and Qi Sea, in order to completely uproot the deep-seated poison."

Yue Qianqian listened half-comprehendingly, her gaze drifting back to the pond unconsciously.

Just then, the scene in the pond changed abruptly.

The large black carp, which had been swimming steadily, suddenly became exceptionally wild. Its massive body surged up and down violently, engaging in a frenzied overlapping swim.

The small silver carp, tightly pursued and entangled, was caught off guard. With a powerful shove from that massive force, its small body was slammed hard against a protruding green stone at the edge of the pond with a thwack!

"Crash—!"

The force of the impact was so great that the green stone's Foundation was loosened! Then, a corner of the rockery collapsed with a roar. Large stones and soil tumbled into the pond, sending a spray of water into the air! The pond water instantly overflowed, splashing onto the stone slabs by the edge.

"Oh no! The stones hit the fish!"

Yue Qianqian cried out, looking worriedly at the churning water.

Gu Qingyao's expression also changed slightly. Looking at the collapsed rockery, she said in surprise, "Was the force that great? That was high-quality Dark Azure Stone... I wonder if the small silver carp is okay."

The bright moon quietly climbed over the eastern eaves, bathing the courtyard in clear light. The door to the side room creaked open from within. Ling Hao's figure appeared at the doorway, his black robes neat, though a trace of fatigue lingered between his brows.

Yue Qianqian and Gu Qingyao immediately rushed forward, their faces full of anxiety as they asked:

"Supreme! How is Revered Master?"

Ling Hao waved his hand and smiled:

"She's fine. The poison has been neutralized. She's just exhausted her spirit; she just needs a good sleep."

Hearing this, the two finally felt a weight lift from their hearts. Yue Qianqian's eyes sparkled with gratitude:

"That's wonderful! Thank you, kind Supreme! You are truly amazing!"

Gu Qingyao also bowed deeply and said sincerely, "The Supreme's great kindness is something Qianyao and my Junior Sister will remember with deep gratitude!"

Ling Hao looked at the two women who were sincerely thanking him and gave a light cough, cough, accepting the bow.

"Mmh, it was my duty."

He stepped aside slightly, and Yue Qianqian and Gu Qingyao hurriedly peered into the side room.

On the bed, Ye Xinglan was wrapped in a soft silk quilt, her silver-white hair spread across the pillow. Her porcelain-doll-like face was peaceful and serene, her breathing steady and long as she fell into a deep sleep.

Her sleeping face was peaceful... and charming.