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“Young master, aren’t we leaving?”
After taking a moment to rest, Jian Yue looked at Qingyu and asked.
She thought her stamina was quite good, but she was now feeling completely exhausted.
Qingyu, panting, replied, “We’ve arrived; let’s rest a bit before heading out.”
Jian Yue was surprised!
“What? We’re already here? And you want to rest again? I don’t understand what you’re saying!”
She looked around, but couldn’t see any signs of habitation.
Seeing Jian Yue’s chattiness, Qingyu felt helpless. With her non-stop talking, it seemed the valley would not be quiet anymore.
Too tired to explain, Qingyu said, “Just wait a moment; you’ll understand soon.”
Seeing that he didn’t want to talk, Jian Yue fell silent.
After resting for a while, Qingyu stood up, brushed aside the vines, and opened the large door in the stone.
Jian Yue’s eyes widened in astonishment. “There’s a switch here?!”
Qingyu, shouldering his belongings, instructed her, “Keep up.”
Jian Yue hurriedly followed, her curiosity piqued as she looked around the narrow passage. Just as she was about to ask something, she spotted a light ahead and dashed out, her eyes sparkling at the refreshing scenery before her.
“Wow! Young master, I believe you now! You’re not a scammer. This beautiful and secluded place must be the Seven Mystic Sect!”
Qingyu ignored her excitement and continued up the mountain.
At the courtyard atop the mountain, Qingli was still busy working with her Master on the wooden pieces.
She had already ruined two wave drums, but the current one was finally taking shape, much better than the previous two.
Meanwhile, Qingming was still assembling the small bed, having completed the individual components but not yet put them together, so its shape was still unformed.
Hearing footsteps, Qingli looked up and saw her Eldest Brother carrying a heavy load, beads of sweat dotting his forehead as he panted for breath.
Behind him was a young girl with her hair tied up in a bun, a round face, and large eyes that made her appear quite adorable. She was carrying several chickens and a large goose.
Upon seeing Qingming, Jian Yue excitedly ran over and knelt down, exclaiming, “Master, I finally see you again!”
Startled by her sudden approach, Qingming, covered in wood shavings, jumped slightly.
“What are you doing kneeling? Get up quickly! We don’t do this here!”
Qingming felt helpless and hurriedly urged her to stand.
Seeing her Master behaving so down-to-earth, Jian Yue felt he was quite different from the mysterious figure he had been ten years ago.
She hadn’t expected that he would engage in woodworking.
As she observed the wooden pieces and the pile of shavings before him, she thought to herself.
“Master, who is my savior? I must repay her properly! You said that when I see you again, I would know who my benefactor is.”
Jian Yue quickly inquired.
Qingming pointed to his little disciple and said lightly, “This is your savior, my most valued disciple, and the future head of the Seven Mystic Sect, Qingli.”
Jian Yue turned her head and, upon seeing Qingli, felt as if she were gazing at a fairy.
What a beautiful face! What a refreshing and ethereal presence!
Qingli wore a light green dress, her hair simply tied up, the rest cascading down her back. Her face was pure and clean, with alluring eyes; this enchanting combination was mesmerizing.
Jian Yue stared in awe, lost for words.
Seeing the little girl gazing at her in a daze, Qingli was the first to speak. “Hello, I’m Qingli. What’s your name?”
Jian Yue quickly snapped back to reality, her ears turning red with embarrassment. She softened her voice and replied, “I’m Jian Yue. Benefactor, that’s the name you gave me. Have you forgotten?”
Qingming coughed lightly and said, “Your benefactor has a poor memory. It’s normal for her to forget after so many years.”
“Ah, when I saved Jian Yue that night, the moon was full, and you named her Jian Yue. How could you forget that?”
Qingli shot her Master a confused glance, puzzled by his insistence on this story. It was clear that it was her Master who had saved Jian Yue, yet he insisted on saying it was her doing.
Jian Yue nodded eagerly, “Yes, yes! I love this name!”
Qingli smiled at her and then asked, “How old are you?”
“Eighteen,” Jian Yue quickly replied.
Qingli nodded, realizing they were the same age.
“What month were you born in?”
“In the winter,” Jian Yue answered promptly.
Qingli nodded again. “I’m also eighteen, born in July. So you can just call me ‘sister’ from now on.”
Jian Yue looked at Qingming, unsure if it was appropriate to use such a familiar title.
She hesitated to ask, “Is that okay?”
Qingli paused briefly and then said, “There’s no rule against it. If you want, you’ll be one of us in the Seven Mystic Sect. Master doesn’t take in disciples anymore, but we’re not limited to just disciples. When I become the Sect Leader, I can have you as my right-hand protector.”
Jian Yue’s eyes lit up with excitement! “Really?!”
Qingli nodded. This girl had a very good disposition and was innocent. Qingli naturally wanted to keep her close, especially since she had considered her Master’s intentions. It was indeed more convenient to have someone with her, especially after having a child.
At first, when her Master mentioned it, it had taken her by surprise, and she hadn’t thought much about it, which made her resistant. But now, after giving it more thought, she realized her Master’s good intentions.
“Yes, really.”
Jian Yue beamed with delight, her eyes sparkling. “That’s wonderful! Thank you, sister.”
Jian Yue was quite fond of Qingli, and although she felt a bit shy saying “sister,” she was primarily filled with joy.
Qingli led Jian Yue to the empty room and helped her tidy it up. Jian Yue was quite chatty, asking a myriad of questions out of pure curiosity.
Qingli patiently answered each one without showing any signs of annoyance.
As they cleaned the room together, Jian Yue grew even fonder of Qingli, repeatedly calling her “sister” in a voice that rang out joyfully.
Seeing this, Qingming felt reassured.
…
Life in the valley continued to be peaceful and warm. Six months passed in the blink of an eye, and Qingli’s belly grew larger.
In the past few days, Qingming had been unable to sleep well, filled with worry. The death tribulation he had predicted was approaching.
He didn’t know what kind of death tribulation it would be, one that could threaten her life. Since her pregnancy began, he had kept Qingli in the valley, never allowing her to descend the mountain to prevent the tribulation from harming her.
As the days grew closer, his anxiety increased; he felt a sense of unease.
After several days of careful observation, nothing had occurred, and Qingming finally felt a bit of relief.
That night, when everyone was fast asleep, a sudden bolt of lightning struck, hitting the house where Qingli was sleeping and causing it to shatter into pieces. The sudden noise jolted Qingli awake, and she looked in disbelief at the darkened sky.
Had she just been struck by lightning?
Everyone was startled awake. Qingming rushed out without even putting on his shoes, while Qingyu and Jian Yue hurriedly followed.
Seeing Qingli’s house reduced to rubble, the three of them were instantly alarmed!
“Qingli?”
“Qingli?”
“Sister?”
They called out as they rushed toward the ruins.
Qingli wanted to respond, but just then, her eyelids grew heavy, and she fainted.
When Qingyu and Jian Yue found her among the debris, tears filled their eyes.
Qingli was now heavily pregnant; three months prior, Qingyu had confirmed that she was expecting twins. Her belly had grown day by day, and it now resembled that of a woman about to give birth.
They had always treated her with extreme care, and now seeing her buried under the rubble made their hearts ache. The three of them quickly worked together to pull her out and carried her to Qingming’s room.
Qingyu hurriedly checked her pulse and instructed Jian Yue to gather medicinal herbs to brew medicine, while Qingming once again consulted the divination. However, to his surprise, he found he could not divine anything concerning Qingli.
Even the simplest queries seemed beyond his reach; all he could see was a blank expanse of white, which only heightened his anxiety.