The rain continued for a long time in the past few days, and it finally stopped last night.
Zong Ci has been staying in the cave these days and has not gone out. He occasionally appreciates the flowers in the courtyard, but rarely goes out.
Qingxuzi came over for a while every day these days. Because of this, Zongci stopped his daily sword practice for fear that the other party would notice something.
Yesterday, the master of Yaowang Valley came to the main peak, and his expression was still full of obvious impatience.
The title of the leader of the Taoist sect is good everywhere, except in Medicine King Valley. Even though a thousand years have passed and even the valley master has changed, his bad temper has not changed at all.
Zong Ci knew the tempers of the doctors in Yaowang Valley, so he examined the patient honestly and was very well behaved.
Unexpectedly, after the valley master examined his pulse, his originally uninterested expression suddenly changed and he became very interested.
"How long have you lived? No, how old are you?"
Zongci: "... "
Before he could answer, the person in front of him pinched the boy's pale arm, and used his slightly cold spiritual power to directly measure his bone age. Then, without any regard for the patient's feelings, he muttered to himself: "He can actually live for more than ten years... Incredible."
Zong Ci felt that the smile on his face could no longer be maintained.
However, the medical skills of this younger generation from Medicine King Valley were quite good. Perhaps because he found a challenging and difficult disease in him, his attitude suddenly changed. Not only did he leave a prescription, he even told him to go to Medicine Peak for a follow-up visit after each course of treatment.
The Valley Master was clearly in low spirits about the upcoming war. "When we attack the Ghost Realm, Medicine King Valley will probably stay in your sect for a long time. Just go to Medicine Peak and look for me."
But unfortunately, their Yaowang Valley is full of doctors. If a war really breaks out, doctors will be the hardest to come by. Tai Yanzong will never let them go back easily no matter what.
"Okay, thank you, senior."
It’s not that Zong Ci doesn’t want to live. Although his plan to go to the demon tribe for a blood sacrifice has been put on hold, he is naturally willing to do it if he can take care of his body.
After the master of Medicine King Valley left, he looked back at the prescription left by the master. The herbs on it all matched the prescription left by the master of Tianji Sect. From the perspective of medicinal properties, the latter was obviously better.
The medical skills of the leader of Tianji Sect are truly superb.
Zong Ci turned around to put away the prescription, looked at the sky which was gradually getting darker outside, and thought about going down the mountain tomorrow to collect all the medicines and start grinding them.
Coincidentally, the next day was the Lantern Festival.
The Lantern Festival is a festival unique to the world of cultivation. It is usually held on the 27th day of the ninth lunar month every year. It is also the festival that cultivators attach the most importance to besides the Lantern Festival.
Legend has it that on this day, monks wear colorful clothes, tie a red string around their wrists, and walk out of their caves. In the evening, they go to a nearby water source to place a lantern, write their names on red paper, and burn them in the lantern, praying for good fortune in the coming year and longevity.
Later, the custom continued year after year, and many interesting rules were added. For example, if you have good friends, you can arrange to light an extra lamp; if you are a couple who like each other, you can exchange red paper; if the elders want to take care of the younger ones, they will allow the younger ones to light one more lamp in their own lamp, which means to get good luck.
Zong Ci rarely changed out of the black clothes he wore all year round and picked out a robe with a white background and red edges to wear.
Before going out, he hesitated for a moment, sent a sound transmission note to Qingxuzi, and reported that he was going to the town at the foot of the mountain to buy daily necessities, and then left along the path down the mountain.
He has now been suspected by Qingxuzi, so he naturally becomes more cautious in every step.
As soon as Zong Ci opened the door of the herbal medicine shop, the waiter came up to him and said, "Hello, sir. Welcome, welcome."
Ever since he did several big deals with this store last time, he has become a frequent guest of the herbal medicine store, and now he can get discounts when buying medicinal materials.
"Help me prepare these medicines. The more the better."
The boy handed over the paper, glanced back, and saw a familiar figure at the counter.
Obviously, the latter was also secretly glancing at him, and when he saw Zong Ci suddenly turn around, he was so scared that he immediately retracted his neck.
The other party was the disciple from Jianfeng of Taiyan Sect who had provoked Zong Ci on the road when he walked out of the store after buying medicine last time.
Speaking of Jianfeng, Zong Ci actually remembered something.
He put down the medicine box in his hand, turned around and walked over, "My fellow Taoist..."
"You, you, what are you doing!?"
When the Jianfeng disciple saw him, his face turned red again and he was speechless for a long time.
Today, the young man took off his usual dull black clothes. The red on the corners of his robe seemed to match the red at the corners of his eyes, dispelling the gloomy colors of the past and becoming eye-catching all of a sudden. It was a pity that Zong Ci himself didn't pay much attention to these, nor did he pay much attention to the eyes that frequently cast towards him on the road.
Zong Ci was somewhat helpless with the other party's intense reaction, so he lowered his voice and asked in a friendly manner: "Excuse me, how is the injury of your peak master now?"
The last time, Qingxuzi was furious on the main peak and attacked Xuanji Sword Immortal, severely injuring him.
The Crossing Tribulation Stage was furious, and he crushed the Sword Peak Master to the ground with overwhelming force. His pressure covered an area of 100 miles. Later, the Sect Master Qingyun threw a magic weapon to rescue him, and hurriedly asked the masters of Medicine Peak and Dan Peak for help. With such a big battle, it seems that this matter cannot be concealed. Recently, there have been endless discussions inside and outside the sect. Everyone is very confused about what the Sword Immortal did to make the unfathomable ancestor so angry.
Zong Ci felt guilty after he returned, but he couldn't go to Jianfeng to visit him as a disciple of the main peak. After all, Qingxuzi was determined, and he couldn't really join Jianfeng. So he had to delay.
"Our peak master is in seclusion to recover from his injuries." The disciple of Jianfeng answered this question subconsciously, and then suddenly took a step back and looked at him warily: "What do you want to do?"
Zong Ci ignored him and nodded thoughtfully, took out a medicine box from his storage bag and handed it to him.
"Although it is not a precious herb, it is a token of my appreciation. If possible, please pass it on to His Excellency the Sword Immortal."
The box contained several red ginsengs of good quality and age that Zong Ci secretly took away when Qingxuzi was planning to heal him. Although it was just a gift from a borrowed flower, it was also a token of his appreciation.
After all... Xuanji was attacked by Qingxuzi for no reason because he spoke for Lingyun. If he really did nothing, Zongci would feel guilty.
Moreover, after a thousand years, he learned that there was a person in the cultivation world who, although he had never seen him being possessed by a demon, stubbornly believed that he had his own reasons. Zong Ci felt that no matter what, he could not let Xuan Ji down.
But it was obvious that this Jianfeng disciple had misunderstood his meaning.
The disciple stared blankly at the jade box in his hand, and shouted at the boy's back: "Although, although you have good talent, if you want to become the eldest brother of our Jianfeng, you must at least build a foundation...! For someone like you who is at the third level of Qi Refining, even if the peak master accepts you as a disciple, our Jianfeng will not recognize you!"
Zong Ci curled the corners of his mouth, without turning back, waved his hand behind him, and walked away without looking back.
Oh, it’s great to be young.
####
After leaving the herbal medicine shop, Zong Ci found a pharmacy in the town's market, gave the herbs to the shop assistants, and told them to grind them into medicinal powder.
In fact, if the elixir could be refined, perhaps the prescription could have a few more effects. But Zong Ci was obsessed with swordsmanship in his previous life, and he didn't learn any of the unorthodox ways like elixir and talismans. After all, Lingyun Sword Master never lacked these things, so there was no need to waste more time.
Just by looking at the medicinal properties of the herbs in this prescription, one could tell that the elixir must be extremely valuable. Zong Ci was too embarrassed to go to that wise and generous sect leader to ask for a copy, so he simply crushed them into powder and mixed them together. They were all the same anyway, so he just made do with it.
The guys in the Alchemy Pavilion were busy inside, and people were coming and going outside.
After several incidents, Zong Ci's unforgettable face became well-known in Taiyan Sect. In order to avoid dealing with those who wanted to make friends and talk to him, he specially picked a seat further inside, with his back to the door, and waited quietly for the powder to be ground.
However, when Zong Ci was waiting alone with his head propped up, a disciple of Tai Yan Sect suddenly lifted the door curtain and walked towards this side.
This person came quickly and was not noticeable at all. He hurried over, placed a spiritual stone directly in front of the table where Zong Ci was, turned around and left quickly. When Zong Ci noticed and looked back, the piece of clothing had disappeared behind the door curtain and disappeared into the busy street.
The young man frowned, put down the jade slip in his hand, and his eyes suddenly stopped when he swept across the spirit stone on the table.
This stone looks familiar.
"Sir, your herbs have been ground."
At this moment, a waiter from the Medicine Pavilion came out from the side room carrying a medicine bottle. Thinking that the spirit stones on the table were the money paid by Zong Ci, he was about to reach out for them.
"etc."
Zong Ci was startled, and quickly swept the spirit stone into his arms, took out another ordinary spirit stone from the storage bag, and handed it to the waiter, "Change it."
The guy glanced at the spirit stone he had taken away, and without thinking too much about it, he turned around to get the change.
After he left, Zong Ci lowered his head, turned over the spirit stone that the mysterious man had put down, pressed the bulge, and a small roll of paper fell out of the spirit stone.
September 28th, see you in Suzaku City
There was only a short line of words on it, the font was vigorous and sharp, and the force penetrated through the paper. Although there was no signature, Zong Ci knew clearly who it was.
Because this was the only connection he once had with another person.
Before leaving, Ling Chou said that Tai Yan Sect still had spies in the ghost realm, so the disciple just now must have been an informant.
He hesitated for a moment, silently took the note and spirit stone back, turned around and walked out of the Medicine Pavilion.
Zhuque City is also in the northern border, not very far from Taiyan Sect. Rent a flying paper crane outside the town, rush over overnight, and arrive in the morning.
However, Zong Ci was still hesitating whether or not to go to this ambiguous appointment.
It started to get dark.
From afar you can see the sky covered with golden red clouds, and the sunset glow illuminates the view, a bright red patch.
People on the street had already bought lanterns and were walking towards the river in groups, laughing. Zong Ci was lost in his own thoughts, and when he came to his senses, he realized that he had gone out to do his business but had forgotten to buy lanterns.
Today is the Lantern Festival. Although my fortune is no longer as good as it was in my previous life, I still decided to buy one. At least it has some meaning.
Zong Ci touched his nose and was about to turn around to buy a lamp when the whole street became quiet.
"It seems to be someone from Tianji Sect..."
The monks lowered their voices and whispered.
"What? People from Tianji Sect? Then let's make way for them first."
Zong Ci looked up, only to see the crowds retreating to both sides, making way for each other in an orderly manner.
For some reason, he has been particularly concerned about the three words "Tianjimen" recently, but he has not thought deeply about whether he is paying attention to this sect or a specific person.
A group of children carrying glass lanterns and wearing moon-white robes walked slowly towards them. The one leading them was Tianyi.
It's strange that today the Tianji Sect didn't send down from the sky using a crane holding a red ribbon. It's rare for them to be so close to the people.
Zong Ci sighed in his heart, and also took two steps back, his eyes uncontrollably drifting towards the team.
Then, he watched this grand team walking towards him and stopping in front of him.