Chapter 39
Ma Huaizhen carried Qiao Wan all the way back to Kunshan.
Ma Huaizhen, the death god of Wenshi Hall, was someone few dared to approach within a meter. Yet, he didn't mind having Qiao Wan, with all her broken limbs, press against him. He reluctantly made space for her on his wheelchair and brought her back to Kunshan.
Once he placed Qiao Wan on the bed, Gao Lanzhi arrived hastily after receiving the news.
On the other side, Fairy Sumi was investigating Qiao Wan's spiritual awareness.
As soon as she entered Qiao Wan's sea of consciousness, Fairy Sumi was slightly taken aback.
The amount of demonic energy in Qiao Wan's sea of consciousness was astounding, but even more shocking was the shabby state of her spiritual awareness.
"How is she?" Ma Huaizhen, with a grim face, asked in a low voice, "Can she be saved?"
"There is a chance to save her," Fairy Sumi replied, "but her spiritual awareness will be difficult to deal with."
"Save Qiao Wan," Ma Huaizhen said firmly, "she is a perfectly fine person. We can't let her become a fool."
A fool, where would he find such a suitable sword for her again?
Fairy Sumi looked at Ma Huaizhen in surprise, "Since the hall master has spoken, I will do my best."
When Qiao Wan was still lying in bed, there was a big commotion in Kunshan, especially among the outer disciples.
It's not a big deal to come out alive from the secret realm.
The problem is that Qiao Wan has just reached the foundational stage of cultivation, and she is the only one who managed to kill her way out of the Mudstone Secret Realm.
This time, more than twenty people entered the cave, and seven of them were injured. Even a cultivator at the Golden Core stage can't guarantee that they can survive with their arms disabled and their spiritual consciousness damaged, and still be able to walk out of the Mudstone Secret Realm alive.
Not to mention that she is just a foundational cultivator.
Before this, whenever Qiao Wan was mentioned, people would say that she had mediocre talent and only managed to become a disciple of Yuqing Spiritual Master Zhou Yan because of her appearance.
But now you're telling me that Qiao Wan relied on her appearance and managed to kill her way out of the secret realm all by herself.
Isn't that funny?
This time, Qiao Wan has truly become famous.
The news of Qiao Wan breaking her arm and escaping from the secret realm has caused a great sensation among the outer disciples.
The outer disciples have poor talent and are not qualified to enter the inner sect.
Talent is determined by birth, and with poor talent, no matter how hard they work, they won't make any progress even after hundreds of years of cultivation. They can only experience bitterness and despair. Who can they complain to?
The path to cultivation is uncertain, with some dying along the way, becoming stepping stones for geniuses, and others quietly leaving Kunshan and returning to the mortal world.
But there are still many who hold onto the dream of becoming immortals and persistently kneel in front of the jade steps of Kunshan, biting their teeth and persevering.
With her ordinary talent and only having reached the foundational stage, Qiao Wan has made a name for herself in Kunshan, greatly inspiring the outer disciples. In their monotonous and hopeless days of cultivation, they have finally regained some motivation to move forward.
If Qiao Wan can do it, why can't they?
And now, Qiao Wan, who has become a role model for the outer disciples, is lying in bed unconscious.
This time, the most eye-catching person who entered the cave is Yuqing Spiritual Master Zhou Yan from Yuqing Peak.
Both of his disciples entered the Mudstone Secret Realm, but one of them still hasn't woken up, while the other woke up but has forgotten everything and everyone.
Yes, Mu Xiaoxiao doesn't remember anyone.
After waking up, she even forgot her own name, Kunshan, Yuqing Peak, Zhou Yan, Feng Wangyan, and everything else.
Putting away her sword, Gao Lanzhi gracefully landed on the ground with her robe floating. As soon as she landed, she hurriedly headed towards Yuqing Palace.
On the jade bed in Yuqing Palace, there were layers of curtains.
Mu Xiaoxiao was counting the silk threads hanging down from the curtain, her almond-shaped eyes filled with confusion and helplessness.
Gao Lanzhi approached with a slight smile on her face, "How do you feel today? Are you feeling better?"
Originally, Gao Lanzhi had already written a letter to Taoist Qingya and calculated the time so she could bring Mu Xiaoxiao to get the antidote. But she didn't expect this to happen.
Feng Wangyan was furious when he heard the news, almost setting Yuqing Peak on fire. But Lu Pihan, with his cunning nature, managed to control the situation and strictly limited Feng Wangyan's visits to Yuqing Peak under the guise of helping Mu Xiaoxiao recover from her injuries.
Mu Xiaoxiao turned her head to see Qiao Wan. She held her head in pain, her innocent eyes filled with confusion. "Head, sister, my head hurts."
Mu Xiaoxiao pouted and placed her hand on her chest. "Chest, it hurts."
Gao Lanzhi helped her sit up on the bed and used her spiritual power to examine her.
Compared to Qiao Wan and Yuan Liu, who had been protecting Mu Xiaoxiao all the way, her injuries were not too severe. After being fed with magical medicine for a few days, she was already feeling much better.
At this moment, another figure entered the hall.
Zhou Yan walked in slowly.
"How is Xiaoxiao?" Zhou Yan asked.
Gao Lanzhi glanced back and whispered, "Her injuries are mostly healed, except for the one on her head... we still haven't found a way to cure it."
Zhou Yan sat down by the bed, furrowing his brows upon hearing this.
When Mu Xiaoxiao saw Zhou Yan, her eyes lit up, and she showed deep attachment and admiration. "Master."
Zhou Yan paused for a moment, then lifted his hand. His wide sleeve fell on her head as he gently stroked her hair to comfort her.
Mu Xiaoxiao had lost her memory after waking up.
Zhou Yan felt a sharp pain in his heart as he realized that the girl who used to cling to him was no longer there.
He spent a long time patiently explaining everything to Mu Xiaoxiao again.
Only then did Mu Xiaoxiao tilt her head and timidly ask, "So... you are my master now?"
"Master, you're really handsome."
A faint smile appeared on Zhou Yan's face, but his heart felt heavy.
He never expected that Qiao Wan's jealousy would target Mu Xiaoxiao.
He couldn't understand how Qiao Wan, who was usually composed and respectful, could hate her elder martial sister to such an extent.
Zhou Yan closed his eyes.
It would be a lie to say he wasn't disappointed.
Especially when he looked into the innocent and confused eyes of the girl in front of him, Zhou Yan couldn't find the right words to say and could only avert his gaze with guilt.
In the end, it was his fault for letting her suffer.
Zhou Yan touched Mu Xiaoxiao's head, feeling a sense of loneliness and confusion.
He had thought that Qiao Wan would have some resentment towards Mu Xiaoxiao after her return, but he never expected her to want to kill her, to kill her own fellow disciple.
He only hoped that his disciple would act with integrity and not get involved in these secretive contests and competitions. He didn't despise the open pursuit of interests, but he despised the hidden schemes.
Thinking of Qiao Wan, Zhou Yan shivered with fear, mixed with disbelief, but most importantly, disappointment.
Perhaps it would be better to keep the two of them apart for now.
Fairy Sumi was specialized in spiritual awareness and had a gentle nature. Upon hearing from Gao Lanzhi that Qiao Wan's spiritual awareness was seriously injured, Zhou Yan sighed in his heart. He knew that Qiao Wan's heart was filled with deep resentment and her Dao heart was unstable. He hoped that Fairy Sumi could help her resolve the anger in her heart.
Realizing that the master and disciple might have some things to discuss, Gao Lanzhi didn't stay long. She considerately gave them some space and went to see Qiao Wan instead.
When Gao Lanzhi arrived, there were several disciples from Precept Hall guarding the entrance of Qiao Wan's cave. These disciples came because they witnessed Qiao Wan falling into demonic cultivation. While falling into demonic cultivation wasn't the main issue, Kunshan, where they lived, was a place that embraced tolerance and did not judge so harshly. The main concern was that after falling into demonic cultivation, Qiao Wan wanted to kill Mu Xiaoxiao.
Kunshan strongly disapproved of infighting between fellow disciples, especially since Qiao Wan was Zhou Yan's disciple. As one of the twelve peak masters, this was an issue that could not be easily overlooked.
For the past few days, Precept Hall had sent people to guard the entrance of the cave. They wouldn't let anyone suspicious enter until Qiao Wan woke up and reported back to Precept Hall.
The disciples of precepts guarding the entrance recognized Gao Lanzhi and did not stop her from entering. When Gao Lanzhi entered, she saw Lu Pihan sitting by the bedside. He had a straight nose, deep eyes, and a gloomy expression. Looking at Qiao Wan, it was unclear what he was thinking.
Upon seeing Gao Lanzhi enter, Lu Pihan stood up and bowed, saying in a low voice, "Elder."
Gao Lanzhi nodded and went to check on Qiao Wan's condition. Qiao Wan still hadn't woken up.
Gao Lanzhi examined her injuries and sighed. Qiao Wan's injuries were much more severe than Mu Xiaoxiao's. She had a chunk of flesh missing from her arm, and it was unclear what had caused it. Her body was covered in wounds from spells and magical tools.
Gao Lanzhi reached out and touched Qiao Wan's side, where a blood hole had recently been bandaged. Her spiritual awareness was severely damaged, and her organs suffered varying degrees of injury. Many of her meridians were damaged due to the surge of spiritual power.
It looked especially miserable.
Meanwhile, Zhou Yan had been by Mu Xiaoxiao's side the whole time and hadn't come to visit his own disciple.
Gao Lanzhi said, "Her external injuries are relatively easy to handle, but her spiritual awareness and demonic energy..."
As soon as her spiritual power entered Qiao Wan's body to investigate, she found a dark cloud of demonic energy lingering in her dantian, refusing to disperse. It was a complete joke that a disciple of the Yuqing Spiritual Master in the Nascent Soul stage had fallen into demonic cultivation.
Removing this demonic energy was still a challenge.
Gao Lanzhi fell silent, while Lu Pihan lowered his eyelashes and coughed a couple of times. His gaze on Qiao Wan was chilling.
Leaving a bottle of elixir, Gao Lanzhi hurriedly went to find a way to remove the demonic energy and didn't stay long.
Two days later, Qiao Wan finally woke up.
Qiao Wan woke up and saw a skinny figure in front of the table.
"Elder Martial Brother?" she asked.
Lu Pihan's gaze was heavy as he walked to the bedside and asked softly, "Awake?"
Qiao Wan tried to move her fingers and noticed that her arms were wrapped up like a dumpling, leaving her unable to move. Lu Pihan looked down at her from above.
Remembering everything that happened in the Mudstone Secret Realm, Qiao Wan avoided Lu Pihan's gaze and whispered, "Elder Martial Brother, I was possessed by a demon."
"Mm," Lu Pihan simply responded without saying much else.
"Rest and recover," the man's bony fingers touched her head gently, his cold tone surprisingly gentle. "Don't worry about anything else."
Qiao Wan knew that Lu Pihan didn't like demons, but he didn't say anything else.
Considering her serious injuries, Lu Pihan instructed her to rest well and left without lingering.
Qiao Wan lay in bed, her only moving eyes looking up at the ceiling.
Resting and recovering in bed was boring, especially since she couldn't move. Luckily, cultivators could go without eating, drinking, or even going to the bathroom for over ten days.
While lying in bed, Qiao Wan tried to reach out with her spiritual consciousness to contact the Venerable One again. However, as soon as she did, her head started throbbing like being pricked by needles, forcing her to give up.
Outside her cave, several disciples of precepts from the Precept Hall were guarding. She would have to explain the demonic possession incident to them later, but for now, she lay still on the bed and the disciples couldn't carry her back to the Precept Hall. They could only wait for her injuries to heal.
As a result, Qiao Wan's daily routine became chatting with these disciples of precepts.
After a few days, she became familiar with them.
During her recovery, quite a few people visited her.
Yuan Liu and some covert disciples came once, and Xiao Boyang came once as well. Seeing her lying motionless on the bed, they all wore a heavy and unclear expression.
Especially Xiao Boyang, who seemed more mature since the last time he came into the cave. He no longer had that arrogant air of superiority. When he sat by Qiao Wan's bed, his gaze was deep, complex, and hard to decipher.
It made Qiao Wan question life.
Ciji and Gan Nan also came once. Ciji was from Great Compassion Cliff while Gan Nan was from Qingyang Academy. Neither of them were disciples of Kunshan, so convincing the disciples of precepts to let them through was quite troublesome.
In the end, Gan Nan politely and shyly knocked out one disciple with a spirit stone, allowing them to pass.
The young scholar and the reckless monk hadn't changed much.
Martial Sister Qiao, also known as Qiao Wan, had left with a beautiful and lively appearance. But when she returned, she was carried back motionless on a bed, with her head wrapped and even her hair clip unable to be taken off. It was a pity because it would have looked beautiful with a butterfly clip on the head of a mummy.
This news was truly heartbreaking, bringing tears to everyone who heard or saw it.
Gan Nan, looking at her, fell silent just like Yuan Liu for a moment. He seemed to have made a decision, mustering up the courage to look at Qiao Wan. A glimmer of light flickered in his crystal-like eyes as he stammered, "Little sister, I will work hard on my cultivation in the future."
Qiao Wan was stunned.
Gan Nan lowered his head. His soft white hair fell gently on his cheek, and he bit his lip in shame. His ears flushed red as he said, "At least, when you are in danger, this Dragon Scale Contract can truly be of some help."
Even though Qiao Wan and Gan Nan had known each other for a short time, the night they spent fleeing for their lives had already forged a deep bond of friendship between the two "useless" individuals.
In the few days they had spent together, Gan Nan had truly treated Qiao Wan as a friend and little sister. He only had two older brothers and no younger sister. He cherished this accidental sworn sisterhood with Qiao Wan.
Qiao Wan and he were very similar, or rather, he saw himself in Qiao Wan.
As for Ciji, he had specially brought some healing medicine from Great Compassion Cliff for Qiao Wan, specifically for treating injuries from falls and accidents.
After lying in bed for a few days, Qiao Wan finally managed to stand up. However, as soon as her feet touched the ground, she was swiftly carried away by a disciple of precepts to Precept Hall.
If she remembered correctly.
When she was brought to the entrance of Precept Hall, Qiao Wan seemed deep in thought.
This trial was the direct reason why the original Qiao Wan was expelled from the mountain. It was because of what she did to Mu Xiaoxiao in the Mudstone Secret Realm. In this trial, "Qiao Wan" was ordered by Precept Hall to be expelled from Yuqing Peak and banished from Kunshan.
