Volume 5: River Breath, Ancient Life - Chapter 145

Those masters of strange arts had silently formed an impenetrable formation, leaving Bai Wanting and You Suwen’s group utterly defenseless.

Seeing that complete defeat was imminent, someone suddenly snatched the brocade box containing the Soul-Sustaining Grass right out of You Suwen’s hands. Enraged, she snapped, "Give it back to me!"

Jinli, realizing that these people were merely after the Soul-Sustaining Grass and had no intention of killing the innocent, hid in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to seize the herb.

Just then, the perfect opportunity arose.

With a flash, her figure—too swift to be discerned—moved into the crowd without the slightest warning. A brisk gust of wind swept past, and someone muttered in muffled anger, "The brocade box is gone!"

Looking down at the box in her hands, Jinli immediately opened it, safely stowed the Soul-Sustaining Grass away, discarded the box, and sped away.

Those individuals were no pushovers either. Someone shouted from behind, "It’s someone from the Holy Realm of Heaven! After them!"

The mysterious figures materialized abruptly and gave chase with equal speed. Within a mere fraction of a second, the scene fell silent once more. You Suwen rose from the ground in a towering rage, burning with fury. "Who on earth was that?! Go after them! Retrieve the Soul-Sustaining Grass at any cost!"

Bai Wanting’s emotional fluctuations were far less dramatic; she was merely in a foul mood from being defeated and injured. Her face dark, she glanced at the similarly wounded guards of the Baize clan, frowned as she stood up, and asked, "Whose orders are you taking?"

You Suwen no longer bothered to put up any pretense. Staring straight at Bai Wanting, she retorted, "You are just as culpable for the loss of the Soul-Sustaining Grass!"

Bai Wanting looked entirely indifferent. "It was snatched right out of your hands. No matter how much responsibility there is, it falls on you. Let’s go."

With those words, she led her guards away, leaving You Suwen stamping her feet in vexation.

*Just you wait,* You Suwen thought. *One day, I will rule the Baize clan, and then I shall see how much longer you can afford to be so arrogant!*

Jinli rode the clouds across the firmament, glancing back to see that those people were still pursuing her.

They were truly persistent.

Descending into a mountain forest beneath a starlit night sky, she stood upon the branch of a tree, calculating that continuing to flee would not only exhaust her magical energy, but also wear her out physically. It would be much simpler to settle the matter once and for all.

Sure enough, she was immediately surrounded. The pursuers stood beneath her tree, and one of them spoke up, "We ask Your Excellency to return the item to us."

Jinli gently twirled a bamboo twig in her hand, her robes fluttering in the breeze. "I stopped and waited for you all simply because I wish to make a deal and discuss terms."

No one answered.

Left with no choice, Jinli continued, "I have a great need for this treasure. I must ask you to part with it, and in return, I am willing to offer something of equal value."

They exchanged glances among themselves before one of them replied, "If Your Excellency wishes to trade, come to the Thirty-Three Heavens of the Mountain Beyond the Mountain. For now, please return the item immediately."

Hearing that there was still room for negotiation, Jinli said, "Then we must draw up an agreement."

Without missing a beat, she raised her hand and flicked her delicate fingers, tossing down a piece of silk fabric inscribed with all the terms they had just agreed upon.

It specified the exact time as well: noon, ten days from now, at the Thirty-Three Heavens of the Mountain Beyond the Mountain, where the treasure would be exchanged.

Jinli watched through narrowed eyes as one of them retrieved an object from his bosom and pressed it onto the fabric—presumably a seal of some sort.

The silk was handed back to Jinli, who gave it a quick inspection before the man spoke again, "The agreement is signed. Please return the treasure now."

"Naturally."

Jinli tossed the Soul-Sustaining Grass back to them.

The moment they caught it, they vanished into thin air, melting away without a sound. Beneath the moonlight, across the vast expanse of the bamboo grove, she caught only a fleeting glimpse of several dark shadows leaping and disappearing into the depths of the mountains.

The moment they left, Jinli could no longer sustain herself and tumbled straight down from the tree. She lay flat on her back in the grass, staring blankly at the stars twinkling through the canopy, and let out a bitter, self-deprecating smile.

Her cultivation level was truly dropping lower by the day. Was she really going to have to undergo her heavenly tribulation at a time like this?

After lying there for a while and feeling a chill creep over her, she got up, carefully put away the silk agreement, and walked back to Lianchuan on foot.

She needed a good night's rest and would return to the Holy Realm of Heaven tomorrow.

The pear blossoms in Pear Blossom Valley remained as breathtaking as ever. Amidst the starlit canopy and the dancing shadows of the lanterns, she sat beneath a pear tree, utterly exhausted, staring at the faint blue barrier that remained stubbornly out of reach no matter how she tried to touch it.

Soon, a wave of deep drowsiness washed over her, and she drifted off to sleep right there.

When she woke up, she was roused by warmth.

The heavy quilt over her body and the sunlight streaming down upon her radiated a comforting heat. She shifted slightly and sat up. A single night of rest had indeed worked wonders. Gazing around the familiar room, she wondered how she had managed to get back.

Finding a fresh set of robes, she washed, groomed herself, and opened the door. The North Courtyard was as quiet as ever, perhaps even carrying a hint of desolate solitude. She called out for Qisui a few times, but received no response. That was when she remembered Qisui had gone on a distant journey, leaving her all alone in Lianchuan.

Vast and spacious Lianchuan was now inhabited by her alone.

Having eaten nothing the previous evening, Jinli decided to cook herself some peach blossom soup. However, when all the ingredients were laid out before her, she had no idea where to even begin.

After lingering in the kitchen for half a day, she ended up simply boiling a pot of hot water.

Sitting beneath the pear tree, she pondered who on earth could have brought her back last night.

Could it have been... herself?

Try as she might, she could remember nothing.

She had hoped to snatch a moment of leisure here, but alas, good times never lasted long. Barely had she finished a cup of tea when a cloud-message materialized before her eyes.

*A crisis has arisen in the Holy Realm. Return immediately.*

Before Jinli could even finish reading it, the message silently dissolved into mist and vanished.