“The moon is really bright tonight!” Elder Mo stroked his beard and looked up at the sky.
“Yes, yes.” Luo Yan and Chang He looked up at the sky. A moment later, a gust of wind blew, and dark clouds covered half of the moon, instantly dimming the moonlight by more than half.
The atmosphere became a little awkward.carpreads.pages.dev
“Greetings, Immortals!” The patrol team, oblivious to the awkward atmosphere between the trio, saluted the three figures hiding on the rooftop, pushing the already-embarrassing situation to its peak.
“Greetings, greetings.” Elder Mo flew down from the roof, glanced at the yellow dog hiding behind the child, and finally his gaze fell on the dog tag hanging from its neck. He chuckled amiably.
“Thank you, Immortal, for saving our lives. We don’t know your honorable name, and we have nothing to repay you with. We would like to pray for you and burn incense for you.” The patrol captain was extremely respectful towards Jiu Hui.
After witnessing Jiu Hui swatting three bat yaos as if they were mosquitoes, he was extremely grateful that he hadn’t offended this immortal earlier.
“We, as cultivators, should take it as our duty to eliminate demons and protect the Dao. There is no need to leave our names behind.” Jiu Hui walked up to the child, intending to pat his face, but seeing his face covered in tears and snot, she turned to pat the puppy at his feet instead. “Go back and supervise your little master in practicing his writing and reading. Be a good puppy.”
She lowered her head and said in a voice that only a puppy could hear, “There’s a prohibition on the dog tag. If you dare to do evil, your soul will be scattered. Don’t bring children out to bask in the moonlight next time. It’s not easy to open up spiritual intelligence. You must be obedient, you lucky little dog yao.”
The puppy froze, then prostrated itself on the ground, obediently letting Jiu Hui rub its head.
“It’s getting late. Good children should go home and sleep.” Jiu Hui held the dog in her left hand and the child in her right hand, and handed them over to the patrol team: “I’ll have to trouble you all to send these two little things home.”
“Rest assured, Immortal, we will definitely send them home safely.” The patrol captain held the child and got on his horse, and put the yellow dog in the child’s arms: “Immortals, please take care, we will take our leave.”
“Farewell.”
As soon as the people from the City Lord’s Mansion left, Elder Mo and the other two gathered around.
“Junior Sister Jiu Hui, can I touch your scarf?” Luo Yan looked enviously at the seemingly ordinary scarf. There were no runes or spiritual energy on it, and no one could tell that it was a magic weapon.
“Alright.” Jiu Hui took off her silk scarf and generously stuffed it into Luo Yan’s arms.
Luo Yan carefully touched it, boldly touched it, and then touched it with force. No matter how she touched it, it was just ordinary cloth, and she couldn’t see anything special about it.
“Did the village elders give you this before you left?” Luo Yan couldn’t see anything special about the silk scarf, so she returned it to Jiu Hui and looked at the jade hairpin in her hand.
“This isn’t it.” Jiu Hui shook her head as she took the silk scarf. “When I was little and didn’t know any better, I liked to go play in the river at the edge of the village. The village chief was afraid I’d drown, so he tied this around my waist. The village chief said that his great-grandfather’s grandfather had left it to him, and since he didn’t have any children, he gave it to me.”
“Then this hairpin…”
“This was a gift from Grandpa Bu when I turned fifteen. It’s a family heirloom that they give to their daughters-in-law. He said that his hair had turned white, but he still hadn’t married a wife, so he just gave it to me.”
Chang He: “Junior Sister Jiu Hui, why don’t you write a letter back home and ask the elders in the village if they’re interested in taking in a foster grandson?”
Luo Yan glared at him.
“And a foster granddaughter.”
Jiu Hui silently put the jade hairpin into her storage ring: “Elder, why did you come with Senior Brother and Senior Sister?”
Chang He, Luo Yan：“……”
The junior sister changed the topic very smoothly…
“I sensed yao energy in the city, so I came to take a look.” Elder Mo’s gaze was extremely gentle. What an adorable child! The light bathing her wasn’t moonlight, but the colorful spiritual light of a magic weapon, a glorious golden light!
“Fortunately, you have cultivation and restrained these three evil-doing yaos.” Elder Mo waved his sleeve, turning the three bat corpses into ashes. “My rotten cultivation is not good enough, so I didn’t see your cultivation.”
“My cultivation is not refined. Before I left, Uncle Long was afraid that I would attract the attention of evil spirits, so he gave me a bracelet that hides my cultivation.” Jiu Hui pulled up her sleeve, revealing an inconspicuous bracelet on her fair wrist: “This is it.”
Elder Mo, Chang He, Luo Yan：“……”
No, what kind of wealthy village was this, daring to raise a child like this?
“Let’s go back and talk about it,” Elder Mo said with a smile. “The moonlight is so beautiful, let’s walk back slowly.”
The night was quiet, with only the occasional sound of a dog barking or a baby crying. The people who were still sleeping didn’t know that if Jiu Hui and the others hadn’t been in the city that day, their city would have been plunged into a bloody nightmare.
“Fortunately, we stayed in the city today. You stopped the evil yao in time. Otherwise, who knows how many people in this city would have lost their lives.” Elder Mo looked at Jiu Hui with relief. “Our sect emphasizes non-interference in most matters. It’s commendable to lend a helping hand in times of crisis. However, when you can’t win, you should run.”
“Mm.” Jiu Hui nodded. “I understand. As long as the green hills remain, there’s no need to worry about running out of firewood.”
“It’s good that you understand this principle.” Elder Mo said with a smile, “Our Wangshu Pavilion has been established for two thousand years. Although we have not been able to stand proudly in the entire cultivation world, our inheritance has never been broken. Once you enter the sect and become a disciple, you will understand why the sect has been able to pass on for so many years.”
“Junior Sister, are the elders in your village all casual cultivators who understand cultivation?”
“Not entirely.”
“Who taught you your cultivation technique?”
“Each of them taught me a little, and I learned a little every day.” Jiu Hui frowned. “But I didn’t learn very well. My cultivation hasn’t improved much in the past two years, so my elders asked me to come out and seek a teacher to learn from.”
The village chief had said that it wasn’t her fault that her cultivation wasn’t improving, it was because they weren’t teaching her well. There were many powerful cultivators outside the village, there must a master who could make her stronger.
“Ah, this…” Luo Yan turned her head and secretly glanced at Elder Mo. Was it a bit presumptuous to bring Jiu Hui back to their sect?
“Don’t worry, all the masters of our Wangshu Pavilion love their disciples like their own children. The sect is your home.” Elder Mo said righteously, “Whatever you want to learn, every elder is willing to teach you.”
“Yes!” Jiu Hui nodded. “Thank you, Elder.”
“You’re welcome, you’re welcome.” Elder Mo rubbed his hands and smiled ingratiatingly. “Can you lend me that butcher’s knife of yours to have a look?”
“A butcher’s knife?” Chang He widened his eyes in surprise. “The one who stabbed the Demon Cult’s Dharma Protector in the kidney was Junior Sister Jiu Hui?!”
“You really didn’t recognize it?” Elder Mo reached out and gave Chang He a hard knock on the head. “You can’t even recognize your own sect members. What use are you?”
“Then why did you ask where Junior Sister went at that time……” Chang He covered his head and muttered softly.
“What? Are you eager for everyone to know that your little Junior Sister was the one who can injure the Demon Cult’s Dharma Protector?” Elder Mo said confidently, “Don’t be fooled by the nonchalance of those disciples from the major sects when they left. I can guarantee that they will definitely send someone to secretly go back and find Jiu Hui’s whereabouts.”
“They want to poach people?” Chang He didn’t doubt his master’s words. “These big sects are really shameless.”
“There’s one more important thing,” Jiu Hui explained. “I’m afraid that the Demon Cult will seek revenge on me, so I ask that my Senior Brother and Senior Sister keep this a secret.”
“Junior Sister, rest assured, one of the advantages of our Wangshu Pavilion is unity.” Luo Yan took Jiu Hui’s sleeve: “No matter what happens, as long as you disagree, it will never be spread outside the sect.”
“Thank you, Senior Sister Luo Yan.” Jiu Hui took out the butcher’s knife from her storage ring and handed it to Elder Mo. “This is the butcher’s knife that Uncle Liu used for decades. He said that the knife has a heavy murderous aura from killing countless pigs, and it can be kept on the body to ward off evil spirits and suppress evil.”
“It’s not a magic treasure?” Elder Mo looked at the rusty, curled butcher’s knife. No matter how he looked at it, it was ordinary.
“No.” Jiu Hui shook her head. “Uncle Liu usually just moves bricks, or he takes this knife out to help people slaughter pigs. Our village is a poor one, so we don’t have much money to buy magic treasures.”
No, no, no, you may have a misconception about poverty.
Elder Mo looked at Jiu-Golden-Treasure-Hui earnestly explained the poverty of the village, and he began to question his life.
“Our business here is done for the night. You helped Tianhe City kill the bat yaos, and tomorrow the City Lord will definitely come to pay us a visit. If you don’t want any unnecessary trouble, we can choose to leave now.” Elder Mo was very afraid that someone would come to them to steal the person.
“Elder.” Jiu Hui was about to nod when she suddenly paused and looked at the master and his two disciples. “Do you guys feel like something’s missing?”
“What’s missing?” Elder Mo returned the butcher knife to Jiu Hui. “Did you forget to put away a magic treasure?”
“It seems like…” Jiu Hui frowned in thought, and after a while, she said, “Is there one person missing?”
Across the street, Zhi You, dressed in a light-colored robe and holding a glazed lantern, stood under the eaves. Hearing their conversation, he turned his head calmly and looked at them. “You’re back?”
The wind blew the red tassels beneath the glass lantern, but the candle flame inside the glass lantern did not waver in the slightest.
Elder Mo and the other two were speechless…
Their conscience ached, they had really forgotten someone.
“Are you leaving now?” Zhi You walked up to the four of them, his gaze sweeping over them before finally landing on Jiu Hui.
Jiu Hui didn’t avoid his gaze. They looked at each other for a moment before Zhi You looked away and handed her the glass lamp. “Next time you go out alone, remember to bring a lamp.”
“This lamp is so beautiful.” Jiu Hui lifted the lamp to examine it closely. “What is inside? It doesn’t seem to be candlelight.”
“I don’t remember the name.” Zhi You frowned slightly and thought for a moment, but to no avail. “But it’s perfect for lighting up the night.”
“I know what it’s called.” Chang He swallowed. “It’s called Nightglow stone.”
“The name sounds nice too.” Jiu Hui shook the lamp, and the Nightglow stone rolled around inside, making a gurgling sound.
“Don’t shake it, don’t shake it.” Luo Yan held Jiu Hui’s hand with trembling hands. “Be gentle, be gentle, don’t break it!”
It was expensive!
“Do you guys really like these stones?” Zhi You didn’t seem to understand why they were interested in these stones that did nothing but glow, so he took out a large handful from his storage ring and handed them to Luo Yan: “Here for you.”
Luo Yan: “…”
Chang He: “…”
Elder Mo：“……”
How could they have forgotten about Zhi You just now?!
They were guilty, they were very guilty, they really deserved to “die”!
Were these their junior brothers and sisters? No, these were their Gods of Wealth!
Elder Mo silently spread thick blankets on the gourd, layer after layer. It was cold at night, and he couldn’t let his sect’s two precious treasures freeze.
The hope of the sect’s poverty alleviation and prosperity lies in today!
Author’s Note:
Zhi You: Doesn’t everyone have this broken stone? Don’t tell me you don’t have it?!