Chapter 30: Come Into My Arms

“Did something happen that made you so anxious?”

The empathetic Ling Jue showed even greater tenderness, her voice convincing. Ye Wenxin hesitated briefly, and eventually revealed a little of what happened when Hei Tong brought her to the backwoods to find the beautiful mute.

“Little Sister Wenxin is quite passionate, hm? First, it’s Fairy Fengya, and now you’ve become infatuated with another.” Ling Jue’s tone was slightly bitter. Even though she was no prettier than those beauties, in the end she was currently the closest person to Ye Wenxin.

Yet Ye Wenxin was thinking of another person instead, leaving Ling Jue very jealous.

“It’s not like that. I’m afraid the next time Little Hei brings me over, and it turns out she’s devolved to Qi Deviation again, I really would have no way to save her then.” Ye Wenxin was perplexed somewhat. What she was actually concerned about was not whether the beautiful mute would keep falling to Qi Deviation, but herself. The unfathomable vanishing of her cultivation, and its even more unfathomable restoration; maybe someday, she would unfathomably fall to Qi Deviation and die.

To prevent that day from coming to pass, Ye Wenxin must set up early protective measures.

“Little Sister Wenxin is so kind.” Ling Jue touched Ye Wenxin’s face, startling Ye Wenxin back a step, “Stop acting so questionable, we’re outside.”

Although others had already left the Alchemy Workshop, Ling Jue was dressed up as a man and speaking in a woman’s voice on top of that, which always made her feel very uncomfortable.

“I know. Let’s go back and discuss this matter then.” Ling Jue smiled and paid no mind to Ye Wenxin’s reaction. She packed up all the pills and used her flying magic item to deliver them over to the Steward Elder.

Her duty done for the day, Ling Jue immediately pulled Ye Wenxin along by the hand towards the small courtyard.

“Big Sister Ling, why do I feel like you’re being especially clingy with me today?” “Ye Wenxin was rather puzzled. She had seen what happened today, and she simply attributed Ling Jue and Long Qing’er’s clash to their incompatible personalities.

But now, with Long Qing’er gone, Ling Jue did not show excessive intimacy in public.

“Don’t like it?”

“It’s fine, but I’d be happier if you didn’t use this face.” Ye Wenxin averted her gaze. No matter how she looked at it, she could not get used to Ling Jue using the Yin-Yang Transformation Technique to adopt this face.

The main reason was that Ling Jue’s actions and demeanor in front of her were very feminine, reminding Ye Wenxin of something from some Thai country.

“Is that so? If one day, I can walk and appear as myself, would Little Sister Wenxin still be willing to hold hands with me?” Ling Jue continued to ask with a smile, her words carrying some deep meaning.

“Of course, I’d be willing. We’re friends after all, holding hands is perfectly normal.” Ye Wenxin’s response was vague, as she recalled the terrifying sensation of being controlled by that damn Saintess, Liu Churan.

“Mm, yeah.” Ling Jue showed no extra emotion, making Ye Wenxin realize that her fear of Liu Churan had caused her to hallucinate. With Ling Jue being herself, such a stunning beauty, how could there be a group of heroes in the world who did not like her, but instead liked a little girl like herself?

Ye Wenxin tried to reassure herself as they walked through the bamboo forest and quickly arrived at the small courtyard. Upon entering the room, Ling Jue immediately reverted to her original appearance.

The perimeter was protected by an array, capable of sensing anyone approaching the Alchemy Workshop. As for someone silently sneaking into Ling Jue’s room, it was simply impossible.

With Ling Jue fully embracing her feminine side, she even planned to personally cook a delicious meal for Ye Wenxin.

Ye Wenxin was flabbergasted as she listened, eventually could not hold back her curiosity for Ling Jue’s cooking skills, and nodded her head in assent. But she was afraid Ling Jue could not cook, so she also followed to the kitchen, watching Ling Jue start to skillfully chop the vegetables.

Ling Jue cooking was exceptionally beautiful as well, and due to her Golden Core stage cultivation, not a trace of smoke tainted the air, making the cooking process a sight to behold. Even though Ye Wenxin had reached the stage of fasting, the aroma still stirred her appetite.

Approximately half a quarter of an hour passed, and a dish was completed. The vibrant green color, subtly different from the vegetables Ye Wenxin was familiar with, coupled with the delightful aroma, made Ye Wenxin unable to resist taking a bite.

It was crisp, refreshing, with a slight hint of bitterness. Ye Wenxin found it peculiar. She noticed that besides the spirit vegetables she knew, Ling Jue seemed to have added several medicinal ingredients that Ye Wenxin would not have dared to imagine.

“You put herbs inside?”

“Yes, it’s called medicated diet.” Ling Jue smiled approvingly, explaining the difference in her cooking.

“That’s amazing,” Ye Wenxin praised sincerely.

Medicated diet, as the name would suggest, was like a nutritionist on Earth, adjusting daily diet and routine based on the recipient’s physical condition. In this world, medicated diet served a similar purpose, regulating cultivators’ bodies. If properly matched, it can accelerate the activation of a cultivator’s potential.

Looking at the composition of this medicated food, it was clearly tailored for newcomers like Ye Wenxin, who was at the Qi Refining stage.

“Big Sister Ling, you’re so kind to me.”

“Well, you’re my little sister after all. However, I do have some selfish intentions.” Ling Jue’s gaze drifted, pondering over something else.

“Selfish intentions?”

“Mm, it’s already quite tough for you to refine second-tier pills with your Qi Refining stage cultivation. So naturally, I want to add more dishes for you to help you break through sooner.” Ling Jue candidly expressed her thoughts, then lowered her head abruptly. “Moreover, I can’t always protect you. If you don’t want to encounter any unpleasant situations, you also need to become stronger.”

Ye Wenxin nodded earnestly. With her cultivation suppressed at the Qi Refining stage, she naturally lacked the control over elixirs. But if she were to break through to the next stage now, it would seem too abrupt.

The path of cultivation was long. Although the difference between the first and second stages was only one level, the time it took to break through varied depending on individual comprehension. Ye Wenxin could not afford to appear too ostentatious. She planned to stick to the Qi Refining stage until the Azure Wings Sect’s recruitment event, then casually find an excuse to claim a breakthrough.

However, even though Ye Wenxin had many plans in mind, she could not tell Ling Jue. She could only silently enjoy the delicious dishes Ling Jue prepared and feel Ling Jue’s unrestrained affection.

Ling Jue did not eat. She sat at the side drinking tea, and then brought up the question Ye Wenxin asked earlier.

“About that elixir you mentioned, one that could completely contain Qi Deviation, although the legend does exist, no one has ever seen it.”

Ye Wenxin was a little disappointed, but also figured it was normal.

If Qi Deviation could be solved so easily, then there would be less people dropping dead. However, Medicine King Valley always had unusual drugs. Ye Wenxin patiently waited for Ling Jue to continue.

“But, there’s something similar, and it’s called the Heart-Cleansing Pill, capable of activating the meridians and removing hostile energy.” Ye Wenxin’s eyes lit up as she listened, leaning even closer towards Ling Jue.

“Let me finish first. This pill is one of Medicine King Valley’s esoteric elixirs.” Hearing this last sentence, Ye Wenxin was back to being listless. She returned to her seat and obediently ate her meal.

Ling Jue looked at the various expressions on Ye Wenxin’s face, and was somewhat unsure whether to be amused or perplexed, “You brat, can’t you just listen until I’m done?”

Ye Wenxin behaved this time and simply did nothing but listening intently as Ling Jue went on.

“Although this is one of the esoteric elixirs, I’m willing to teach it to you, but before I do so, you must make a Blood Oath and never tell the Heart-Cleansing Pill’s secret recipe to anyone.”

The so-called Blood Oath was a kind of contract, and upon violation of the agreement, one would suffer heavenly punishment.  Cultivators often did this to restrict the other party, and while Ling Jue had faith in Ye Wenxin, she was not blind.

Ye Wenxin understood this rule of the Martial World well. She knelt compliantly on the ground and began to swear, “I, Ye Wenxin, solemnly swear never to disclose the recipe of the Heart-Cleansing Pill to anyone. If I break my oath, may the heavens strike me down with thunder and lightning.”

After the words were spoken, two red and blue marks appeared on the backs of their hands, and once Ye Wenxin finished swearing, the red mark on her hand disappeared, confirming the establishment of the oath between them.

Seeing this, Ling Jue took out a manual from her storage ring.

The manual looked very old, seemingly having many years of age. Ling Jue flipped through the ancient book, then stopped on the page with [Heart-Cleansing Pill] written on it, before placing the book in front of Ye Wenxin.

The only words on it were [Heart-Cleansing Pill], and nothing else.

“Put your hand on the page.” Ye Wenxin did as told, and then sensed a power passing through her palm. At once, she felt the contents of the Heart-Cleansing Pill formula entering her mind.

With the contents of the recipe engraved in her mind, she could never forget it.

Ye Wenxin never expected Medicine King Valley to have a god-tier ancient book, and was even more amazed. This type of god-tier book was unlike any ordinary book, and as it was inherited through the mind, it was impossible to forget as long as you learned it once.

However, because it was a god-tier book, naturally there would only be a handful in number.

“This is a god-tier manual, so…” Ling Jue naturally introduced briefly about the manual type, but Ye Wenxin had no interest in hearing more. She was more curious to know what other interesting things this book contained besides the Heart-Cleansing Pill recipe.

“Big Sister Ling.” Ye Wenxin began to act coquettishly, and Ling Jue happened to have absolutely no resistance to such coquettishness.

“I can’t tell you the other recipes.” Only, Ling Jue persisted this time. After all, this manual was an inheritance of Medicine King Valley, no matter how close she was to Ye Wenxin, Ye Wenxin was ultimately just an outsider.

“I don’t need the other secret recipes, I’m just curious about what else is inside. Could you hold it in your hands and let me have a look at the other contents?” Ye Wenxin continued to beg.

“I could, yes, but you must understand, you’ll have to swear another Blood Oath.” Ling Jue’s resistance towards Ye Wenxin was too weak, however, and she actually agreed.

Ye Wenxin was even happier at this, and saw Ling Jue beckoning to her, “Come on, sit in my arms.”

“Huh?”

“How else are you supposed to look?” Ling Jue said placidly, making Ye Wenxin suspect she might have been a little too coquettish, and as a result Ling Jue truly regarded her as a child.