After Being Certified by the Immortal Lord on the Path of Ruthlessness - Chapter 28

The snake before them was already dead, its tail wrapped around her waist now slack and limp like a frayed rope.

 

Ling Lan used her wooden sword to flick the dead snake off her waist. Staring at its lifeless head with its half-extended tongue, she couldn’t help but a felt a faint a twinge of pity.

 

Meanwhile, Jiang Mianhao, who had been forced back into her original plant form, was protected by Ye Qingge’s spiritual barrier, floating in midair.

 

Looking at the dead snake on the ground, Jiang Mianhao couldn’t help but feel a pang of sorrow.

 

Even though this snake had just forced her back into her true form, seeing it die right before her eyes still stirred an instinctive sense of compassion within her.

 

Was this punishment too severe?

 

Ling Lan noticed her dazed and slightly stunned expression. Glancing down at the snake’s body and then at her sword hilt, she silently crouched down.

 

Ye Qingge felt a surge of intense pity welling up inside her.

 

She looked in surprise at the potted plant before her, analyzing this strange emotion in her heart.

 

Why did she feel such pity even for someone who had tried to harm her?

 

Ye Qingge couldn’t understand it. With a wave of her hand, she pulled the plant right in front of her.

 

Jiang Mianhao, who had been lost in her emotions, suddenly felt the world spin around her. Now face-to-face with the other, she stared blankly.

 

Ye Qingge frowned as she looked at the little plant before her, a faint trace of impatience in her eyes.

 

Jiang Mianhao, abruptly pulled out of her thoughts, seemed a bit dazed. Seeing the immortal’s displeased expression, she was momentarily stunned.

 

Belatedly, she realized she hadn’t shown much reaction to her sudden appearance.

 

Gazing at the stunningly beautiful immortal in white robes, she blinked and said somewhat ingratiatingly, “Lu Jiu, how did you appear so timely?”

 

The pity she had felt moments ago was quickly replaced by another emotion after the initial shock.

 

This plant’s emotions were far too changeable, and Ye Qingge found it hard to keep up.

 

Especially the overwhelming gratitude that surged within Jiang Mianhao made Ye Qingge pause, along with an indescribable feeling of… admiration?

 

Never having felt such emotions toward anyone before, Ye Qingge furrowed her brows, suppressing the feelings, and let out a noncommittal “Hmm” in response.

 

“Huh?” Jiang Mianhao was a bit confused. She swayed her leaves and asked, “So, Lu Jiu, did you hear my call from the inn?”

 

Jiang Mianhao looked at Ye Qingge with wide, earnest eyes, filled with admiration.

 

Although she was mostly trying to flatter her now, in that moment of danger earlier, her mind had been entirely filled with the hope that Lu Jiu would appear.

 

And the next moment, when Lu Jiu really did appear, Jiang Mianhao felt a brief sense of unreality.

 

The wish she had made in her heart had actually been heard.

 

It felt like a dream come true.

 

“Lu Jiu, you’re truly amazing! Like a deity descending from the heavens. Ah, but you are a deity, after all!” Jiang Mianhao chattered on, her leaves swaying gently inside the spiritual energy sphere. “I was just praying in my heart, hoping you would appear, and then you really did. Poof! Show up!”

 

Her praises went in one of Ye Qingge’s ears and out the other.

 

Ye Qingge struggled to suppress the emotions surging within her. Hearing such praise for herself, she also felt a wave of self-admiration.

 

It was… a truly strange and unsettling feeling.

 

“Enough,” Ye Qingge said through gritted teeth, her voice cold. “Stop the flattery.”

 

Jiang Mianhao completely ignored her attempts to stop her, swaying her leaves leisurely. “But this is what I truly think! I always speak the truth. Green Wine, in my heart, you are the absolute best! Ah, though… you’re just a tiny bit less amazing than Lily.”

 

Ye Qingge: “…”

 

Ye Qingge: “Of course, I know exactly what you’re thinking.”

 

“Ouch!” Lily cried out in pain, stumbling back a few steps.

 

Hearing the commotion, Jiang Mianhao quickly turned her head, asking anxiously, “What’s wrong, Lanlan?”

 

Lily shook her fingertips, hiding her hand behind her back. “It’s nothing.”

 

Jiang Mianhao tilted her head, her gaze fixed on Lily’s concealed hand. “Then why are you hiding your hand? Did you get hurt?!”

 

Caught off guard, Lily grew a bit flustered. She waved her hand dismissively. “No, it’s nothing.”

 

Under Jiang Mianhao’s unwavering stare, Lily grew increasingly uneasy. She lowered her head nervously and said, “Green Wine, thank you for coming to help me. Could you take Mian Mian back first? I’ll go to the temple to fetch the compass.”

 

With that, Lily picked up her peachwood sword and dashed off toward the temple in a flash.

 

Ye Qingge’s eyes fell upon a freshly raised mound of earth; the snake’s corpse had vanished.

 

She had witnessed Lily’s every move. The fleeing girl’s sword hilt still bore traces of fresh soil.

 

These two plants.

Not only had they pitied that snake demon, but now they had even buried the very creature that nearly killed them and one of them got bitten in the process.

 

Utterly foolish spirits.

 

Ye Qingge snorted coldly and waved her hand, retracting the sphere of spiritual energy.

 

“Green Wine, I want to go with Lanlan.” Jiang Mianhao’s voice trailed off as she noticed the impatience in Ye Qingge’s eyes.

and a hint of menace.

 

Sensing the plant spirit before her shrinking back in fear, Ye Qingge waved her hand again, withdrawing the spiritual energy sphere enveloping Jiang Mianhao into her sleeve.

 

Lily didn’t stop running until she reached the temple entrance.

 

She revealed the fingertips she had hidden under her sleeve. The spot where the snake had bitten her was already swollen and inflamed.

 

Earlier, as she dug with her wooden sword, she had accidentally disturbed the snake’s head and got bitten.

 

The bite was not only swollen but the surrounding flesh had already turned black.

Lily applied some pressure, squeezing out a bit of the dark, poisoned blood.

 

The temple entrance was bustling with people coming and going. Clutching her injured finger, Lily stepped back to avoid the crowd.

 

The poisoned blood seemed more extensive than she had anticipated. Gritting her teeth, Lily squeezed with all her might.

 

Just as she was wrestling with her own finger, someone tapped her lightly on the shoulder.

 

Startled, Lily instinctively hid her hand behind her back. When she turned around, the person she saw was not who she had expected.

 

Before her stood a woman as gentle as water, her eyebrows like distant mountains and her eyes like autumn ripples.

 

Dressed in a soft pink-apricot gown, her skin looked exceptionally fair.

 

“Hmm?” Lily paused, her wooden sword in hand, her fingers still hidden behind her. “May I help you?”

 

The woman was amused by her question, covering her mouth with a handkerchief as her eyes crinkled into a smile. “Shouldn’t I be the one asking that?”

 

As soon as she finished speaking, a young maid who had been standing behind her stepped forward and said boldly, “My lady has been watching you from over there for a while. Are you injured? Our carriage is nearby and perhaps we can help you tend to it.”

 

The maid wore her hair in a large bun, and as she spoke, she swayed her head from side to side, making it seem as though she had two heads.

 

Ling Lan struggled to keep her focus from wandering and shifted her gaze to the lady in front of her.

 

“Thank you for your concern, miss,” Ling Lan said, cupping her hands respectfully. “It’s just a minor injury. There’s no need to trouble you.”

 

Before Ling Lan could finish, the maid interrupted her.

 

“Miss, look at her fingertips!” the maid exclaimed, pointing. “It’s a snake venom. It’s already spreading. If it isn’t treated soon, it could be dangerous.”

 

The lady shook her head gently and said, “Huanxi, you shouldn’t be telling me this. You should be speaking to this young lady here.”

 

Huanxi boldly stepped forward, grabbed Ling Lan’s wrist, and pulled her along, saying, “I can see you’re a swordswoman. Surely you value your hands, don’t you?”

 

Ling Lan stumbled from the pull, struggling to keep her balance. She warily withdrew her hand and stared at the two strangers.

The sudden appearance of this mistress and servant was far too suspicious especially their inexplicable concern.

 

“I forgot to introduce myself,” the lady said, bowing slightly. “My surname is Fu, and my given name is Wanyin.”

 

Ling Lan hastily cupped her hands in return and said, “I-I’m Ling Lan.”

 

Seeing her flustered and uneasy expression, Fu Wanyin smiled faintly, covering her lips with a handkerchief, though the mirth still shone in her eyes.

 

“Ling Lan?” Fu Wanyin repeated the name softly, nodding in approval. “It sounds like a very free-spirited name.”

 

Ling Lan felt a bit embarrassed under her gaze, nervously twisting her hands together. When she accidentally brushed against her wound, she couldn’t help but gasp in pain.

 

Seeing this, Huanxi urged again, “Miss Ling Lan, why don’t you come to our carriage to tend to your wound? To be honest, my lady is simply kind-hearted and means no harm.”

 

Already tense, Ling Lan grew even more nervous at her words. She opened her mouth but didn’t know how to respond.

 

Without hesitation, Huanxi grabbed her hand again and pulled her toward the carriage.

The Fu family carriage was parked outside the temple, its grand canopy almost as large as the temple courtyard itself.

 

Ling Lan stared in astonishment at the male servant kneeling on the ground.

 

“Shoo! What filthy creature are you?” Huanxi waved her hand dismissively. “Didn’t the lady say no one needs to kneel? Where’s the wooden step stool I had made?”

 

The kneeling servant shifted slightly and said reluctantly, “Does the lady think we haven’t done well enough?”

 

Huanxi kicked him lightly and scolded, “You’re just taking advantage of my lady’s kindness, aren’t you? Don’t think that just because you serve the lady, you’ll get a reward. Pah—how shameless!”

 

Fu Wanyin, who had approached slowly, said softly, “Huanxi, don’t be so harsh. They’re just trying to make a living. Give them some silver and send them on their way.”

 

Completely out of her depth, Ling Lan watched blankly as Huanxi tossed some coins at the servant’s feet. The man, who had been kneeling, quickly picked them up, patted the dust off his trousers, and almost like performing a magic trick produced a wooden step stool.

 

After handing over the stool, the man pocketed the coins and scurried away in a flash.

 

Staring at the wooden step stool now before her, Ling Lan blinked and asked, “So, was that man selling this?”

 

Huanxi stepped forward and pressed the wooden ladder against the carriage, spitting out, “I made this for the young lady. That wretched thing keeps hiding the ladder and kneeling here, taking advantage of my young lady’s kindness to act so boldly.”

 

Fu Wanyin said softly, “Alright, Huanxi. They’re only doing this because life is hard for them.”

 

“Young lady, you—” Huanxi dragged out her tone, sighed deeply, and then helped Fu Wanyin into the carriage.

 

Ling Lan hesitated, standing by the wooden ladder, unsure of what to do.

 

The carriage curtain was lifted, and Fu Wanyin leaned out, saying, “Miss Lin, please come aboard. Let me tend to your wounds. Otherwise, if you return like this, your family will surely worry.”

 

The words of refusal were swallowed back. Ling Lan’s mind filled with Jiang Mianhao’s concerned eyes.

 

She nodded woodenly and said, “Then I’ll trouble you, Miss Fu.”

 

“Why hasn’t Lanlan come back for so long?” Jiang Mianhao asked softly. “I’m a little worried about her.”

The response was a cold laugh.

 

Jiang Mianhao, who had been brought back to the inn, felt a pang of guilt. She lifted her eyes to look at the person before her, then quickly lowered her head again.

 

The human form she had regained the night before, after basking in the moonlight, had reverted to a small blade of grass once more after being struck by the snake demon.

 

Ye Qingge sat at the desk, writing, and responded only with a cold laugh without even looking up.

 

Jiang Mianhao felt uneasy and restless, but more than that, she was filled with remorse.

 

It seemed that ever since Lu Jiu had come into her life, this was already the umpteenth time she had been taken care of in such a state.

 

Even though she had only been struck once, Lu Jiu had to constantly look after her like this.

 

The more Jiang Mianhao thought about it, the more she blamed herself, and her leaves drooped.

 

Ye Qingge’s hand paused mid-stroke. The ink from the brush tip, spread across the unfinished character and blurring it into a dark stain.

Waves of guilt, unease, and deep self-reproach surged within her.

 

Worse still, her eyes were already growing moist, and the feeling only intensified almost impossible to suppress.

 

Ye Qingge looked down at the unfinished words she had written, “Emotionally volatile, unpredictable in mood.”

 

Was this blade of grass merely emotionally volatile?

 

She seemed to cycle through emotions every minute. In just one day, her emotional shifts far surpassed what Ye Qingge had experienced in a thousand years of life.

 

The moisture in her eyes intensified. Ye Qingge simply closed them and asked in a deep voice, “What’s wrong with you now?”

 

Jiang Mianhao hadn’t expected to be questioned. She sniffled and said, “N-nothing.”

 

Tears were about to fall from her eyes. Feeling the turmoil of emotions in her heart, Ye Qingge regretted asking.

 

Then, in her usual blunt tone, Ye Qingge said, “I don’t find you troublesome.”

 

Jiang Mianhao, who had been holding back her sobs, was stunned. Her tone was full of disbelief as she said, “Lu Jiu, how did you know what I was thinking?”

 

Ye Qingge had only meant to make her stop crying, to shut her tears off.

 

Little did she know that her words would open the floodgates for Jiang Mianhao. The tears she had been suppressing now streamed down from the corners of her eyes.

 

“Lu Jiu, I—I really feel so sorry for you,” Jiang Mianhao cried, unable to hold back any longer. “I’m always causing you trouble. Every time, it’s your spiritual shield that saves my life. I don’t even know how to repay you. Lu Jiu, why… why are you so good to me?”

 

Her sobs came in broken gasps, her words trembling and disjointed.

 

Ye Qingge fought to suppress the emotions surging in her chest and the tears threatening to spill from her own eyes.

 

Her patience, her composure, her centuries of restraint all were being tested at this moment.

 

“Enough,” Ye Qingge’s voice turned hoarse as she roughly wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes. “I already said I don’t find you troublesome.”

 

Hearing this, Jiang Mianhao broke down completely. “But I don’t want to keep causing you trouble. You don’t owe me anything. You’re just too good to me  so good that I feel I don’t deserve it.”

Ye Qingge wished she could just shut her up. She knew she was a burden, yet she still insisted on following that foolish grass spirit around.

 

“Enough,” Ye Qingge said, unable to bear it any longer. “If you keep crying, I’ll pull you out and toss you upside down under the sun to wither.”

 

The turbulent emotions in her chest came to an abrupt halt. Ye Qingge raised a hand and wiped away her tears once more.

 

Fear instantly filled the air — the gratitude from moments ago vanished without a trace.

 

Ye Qingge opened her eyes. The little grass, which had been crying just moments before, had now fallen silent drooping its leaves and muttering softly to itself.

 

So, it actually knew how to be afraid.

 

Ye Qingge clicked her tongue in annoyance, lowered her head, crumpled the ruined paper, and started fresh with a new sheet.

 

After a month of observation, her notebook was already full from early entries like “Prefers shade and noise” to the most recent, “Emotions in chaos.”

 

All that in just one month.

 

Lifting her gaze toward the potted plant before her, Ye Qingge couldn’t help but doubt whether this little pot of grass was truly meant to be her trial of love.

 

Jiang Mianhao, with her head lowered, had no idea what Ye Qingge was thinking.

 

She tugged at her own leaves, feeling inexplicably nostalgic for Lily of the Valley.

 

Just moments ago, she had made plans with Lily of the Valley to stroll through the nearby streets after leaving the prayer temple.

 

The hustle and bustle of the human world held an irresistible allure for Jiang Mianhao.

 

But now, she was stuck as a lonely little plant, playing with her own leaves all by herself.

 

Ye Qingge’s thoughts churned once more, and the emotions she had just managed to calm flared up again.

 

Unable to bear it any longer, Ye Qingge raised her hand and enveloped the flowerpot in a sphere of spiritual energy.

 

Startled as she was suddenly lifted into the air, Jiang Mianhao cried out, “W-what’s wrong, Lu Jiu?”

 

“Taking you out,” Ye Qingge replied coldly.

 

Before Jiang Mianhao could react, she was already being carried out the door. Waving her leaves in protest, she cried, “Wait, wait! We can’t go out like this!”

 

Ye Qingge paused mid-step, suppressing the urge to toss the grass pot aside.

 

“The spiritual barrier will scare the humans,” Jiang Mianhao said softly. “A little grass floating in the air is terrifying. Maybe we should use a more human method?”

 

Below the inn, a narrow alley led out to the main street.

 

The alley was sparsely populated; a few passersby hurried along with their bags clutched tightly to their chests.

 

Ye Qingge carried a small bundle tied from a tablecloth at her waist. The dark, patterned fabric clashed starkly with her pristine white robes.

 

Inside the bundle, a little good-sleep grass was peeking out curiously.

 

“Why does this path feel so eerie?” Jiang Mianhao muttered under her breath.

 

Ye Qingge didn’t respond. The moment she stepped into the alley, she had already caught the scent of demons.

But they were merely low-level, wandering spirits, drifting aimlessly with the occasional gust of wind.

 

Just as one such gust swept through, the bundle at Ye Qingge’s waist came loose and the little grass inside plummeted downward.

 

“Lu Jiu, save me!” Jiang Mianhao’s cry was cut short.

 

Because she—no, the entire flowerpot was suddenly caught midair by a firm hand.

 

Ye Qingge held Jiang Mianhao in one hand; the tablecloth that had secured her at the waist had already been torn away by the wind.

 

With her other hand, Ye Qingge lifted her fingertips. A cold gleam flashed and an ice blade shot out, slicing through the air.

 

In the next instant, the very gust that had just swept past was pinned against the wall.

 

Everything happened too fast for anyone to react.

 

The wind, trapped by the ice blade, began to take shape. Bit by bit, it solidified into a human form.

 

Jiang Mianhao cautiously poked her head out, curious to see who or what had just touched her.

 

She was dressed in purple robes, the hem of her clothes and the ornaments on her forehead adorned with tiny bells that jingled softly as she moved.

 

It seemed she had been injured by the ice blade; her head hung low, motionless for a long while.

 

Just as Ye Qingge raised her hand to unleash a second strike, the sound of silver bells rang out. The woman slowly lifted her head.

 

When Jiang Mianhao finally saw her face clearly, she froze in disbelief and cried out, “Mi Xiu?”