I'm Feng Aotian—And I’m Running Away from My Wedding - Chapter 14

Suddenly, a mangled corpse appeared in the clearing.

“What’s this?!” Li Baiying instinctively heightened all her senses, her sharp gaze sweeping over the rustling leaves.

At the slightest sign of movement, she was ready to draw her weapon and fight.

However, after about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the surroundings remained silent, with only her increasingly rapid breathing audible.

“Chirp.” The spirit fox leaped forward, its front paws digging a hole in the ground as if urging something.

Li Baiying looked again at the gruesome corpse and noticed an intact pouch at its waist.

Was it a trap? She hesitated briefly. Just then, the fox darted out, impatiently biting through the rope and tossing its neck, sending the heavy bundle tumbling to her feet.

“Are you saying there’s treasure inside?” Li Baiying bent down to pick it up but didn’t open it immediately, instead slowly stepping backward.

She paid no further attention to the corpse, as the wounds were too chaotic and varied for her to determine whether they were caused by a powerful spirit beast, a group assault, or both.

Regardless, it was unwise to linger in such a scene.

She quickly ran back to the carriage and saw Qin Yixiao staring in her direction from afar, a flicker of emotion in her eyes. Just as she was about to speak, a fiery red figure leaped out and threw itself straight into the beauty’s embrace.

“Let’s hurry and go,” the young woman called out, soothingly stroking the spirit fox’s small head peeking out from her arms.

“Alright.” Li Baiying felt an inexplicable sense of subtle disappointment but, knowing the urgency of the situation, suppressed her unease. With a crack of the whip, the carriage continued along the forest path.

After traveling three li and confirming no pursuers were behind them, Li Baiying finally opened the heavy bundle.

“Huh? An invitation?”

She shook the fine-quality rice paper and examined it closely. “With this invitation, one may visit Four Mountain Cave to enjoy fine wine and receive two medicinal fields and one cauldron.”

After reading, she set the paper down with a puzzled expression. “Four Mountain Cave? What kind of place is that?”

“It’s a reclusive family of herbalists,” Qin Yixiao said, pulling open the carriage curtain to explain. “Rumor has it they reside in a valley blessed with spiritual veins, nurturing many rare herbs. They recruit alchemists every year by distributing invitations widely.”

“Oh? Then perhaps I should give it a try?” Li Baiying was quite tempted by the generous offer. “I know a thing or two about pill refining.”

“I’ve heard that alchemists who enter Four Mountain Cave never leave, they die there,” Qin Yixiao added expressionlessly, instantly deflating Li Baiying’s enthusiasm like frost-bitten eggplants. She sulkily stuffed the rice paper back into the pouch.

After barely two seconds of silence, Li Baiying muttered again, “But the injuries on that corpse were truly unusual. Normally, even if attacked, one wouldn’t have their dantian dug out, rendering them completely useless.”

“Dug out their dantian?”

“Yes, I saw it with my own eyes. The abdomen was completely sliced open, and the meridians were severed.” Recalling the horrific scene, Li Baiying frowned, her tone indignant. “Whoever did this showed no regard for martial ethics.”

“Did the person have any tokens to identify themselves?”

“Let me look.” She quickly reached into her bag to search, this time pulling out a small vial and a dull bronze token. “Here they are.”

“This person was a disciple of the Heavenly Path Sect.” Qin Yixiao glanced at them, her tone carrying a subtle nuance.

“What? The Heavenly Path Sect?!”

The Heavenly Path Sect was one of the largest sects in the present era. At its peak, someone had cultivated to the pinnacle of martial arts and successfully ascended to immortality. This sect had endured for over a thousand years, its legacy unbroken throughout. Its profound connotation was no less than guarding hundreds of continuously productive gold mines, making it renowned across the continent. When others encountered its disciples, they often instinctively gave them a wide berth.

“If there’s a chance later, I’d like to enroll in the Heavenly Path Sect to study.”

Li Baiying sighed, her expression turning grave. “Since this person was a disciple of such a major sect, their strength must have been considerable. How did they end up in such a miserable state? Could it be that they were ambushed by an enemy?”

Qin Yixiao didn’t answer her question. Instead, she reached out and took the small vial. “Crimson Spirit Pills. It seems that disciple shared the same Crimson Flame talent as you.”

“Crimson Spirit Pills? It’s actually these pills!” Li Baiying hurriedly looked at the round, reddish pills, recalling how the treasure-seeking spirit fox had eagerly bitten off the package. “So, the real treasure was this.”

Even though she had seen many rare treasures within her family, she still felt her emotions stir uncontrollably, her steps becoming somewhat unsteady.

Crimson Spirit Pills were truly worthy of being called immortal-grade elixirs, but the conditions for using them were extremely stringent. The talent requirement alone could stump countless people. Only those possessing the Crimson Flame talent or exceptionally pure fire-attribute internal energy could make these pills effective. Once taken, they could break through any bottleneck without side effects, leaving no troublesome pill toxins accumulating in the body.

“There are still four inside, enough for you to break through to the Innate realm and advance to the Golden Core stage.”

As she spoke, Qin Yixiao gently placed the vial into Li Baiying’s palm. Compared to the other’s rapid breathing, she remained unnervingly calm.

“Truly, it came without any effort.” Li Baiying clutched the vial as if it were a priceless treasure, her eyes brimming with desire.

“If you want to cultivate, we can stay nearby for a while. We can set off again after you break through.”

Qin Yixiao noticed her hesitation and softly offered a way out.

“But, in that case, ” Li Baiying, her thoughts laid bare, looked somewhat hesitant. After a moment, she shook her head. “We agreed earlier to first find the herbs to unblock your meridians. I can’t go back on my word. My current Innate seventh-layer internal energy is sufficient for now. How about we go to the secret realm first and return here afterward?”

“I’m doing this for myself as well.”

Qin Yixiao, rarely seeing her so hesitant, couldn’t help but let a faint smile flicker in her eyes. “If you break through to the Golden Core stage, our chances of success on this journey will be higher. What, do you lack confidence in your own talent?”

“Alright, then I’ll break through my realm first.”

Spurred by the challenge and her own thirst for strength, Li Baiying agreed without hesitation. To be safe, she deliberately drove the carriage deep into a remote, dense forest before finding a cave to rest temporarily.

After that, she began cultivating without delay.

Trusting Qin Yixiao and having some knowledge of elixirs herself, she simply examined the fiery red pill briefly before swallowing it.

In an instant, a warm current surged from her dantian, swiftly spreading throughout her entire body.

She closed her eyes, allowing her consciousness to sink inward, deliberately guiding her inner energy to devour the invading force. If one could peer inside her body, they would see two spheres of light, nearly equal in size, locked in a fierce struggle.

A pale red flame enveloped her form, coalescing into a vivid crimson cloud of auspicious energy, while the temperature within the cave abruptly soared.

Nearby spirit beasts, sensing the overwhelming aura, crouched low and burrowed into the undergrowth, not daring to confront it.

…

Days passed one after another.

The forest before the cave had turned to charcoal, and the withering effect continued to spread for miles in every direction, draining the vitality from nearly all spirit plants and spirit beasts.

Only the carriage remained untouched in the clearing.

Qin Yixiao gently stroked the beautiful fur of the spirit fox in her arms while adding fresh fodder for the horses, fattening them until they were sturdy and strong.

Her gaze occasionally drifted toward the cave, but more often, it lingered on the distant, unknown horizon.

Suddenly, a dark figure landed silently beside her, joining her in observing the ever-expanding crimson energy.

“Tsk, as expected of a natural-born Dao Body. Even a breakthrough gives rise to an auspicious phenomenon. Truly an eye-opener.”

“Unfortunately, with the deadly poison coursing through her veins, no matter how grand the breakthrough, it will soon be a thing of the past,” Qin Yixiao finished the sentence for her. With a slight movement of her fingers, she stored the fox away in her spirit beast pouch. “I’ve done what you asked of me. Now it’s your turn to fulfill your promise, where is my mother?”