When Lu Qian awoke again, he felt the soft bedding beneath him.
His consciousness restored, the last memory in his mind startled him, and he suddenly sat up, only to see that clean gauze had been replaced on his chest, and the pain had significantly lessened. Reaching out to touch, the Sect Leader's Ring was still firmly tied at his waist, not having fallen off.
The series of movements awakened the little girl leaning at the bedside. Jiang Baitao rubbed her eyes, mumbling indistinctly, her eyes slowly focusing on Lu Qian, suddenly exclaiming with joy, "Sect Leader Senior Brother is awake! Sect Leader Senior Brother is awake!"
The little girl jumped up, shouting as she ran outside the door.
Lu Qian felt relieved. Seeing her demeanor, he reckoned they must have reached a safe place by now. He surveyed the surroundings, noticing a carved bed, wooden desk, and clothes rack; the room's furnishings were simple and tidy, seemingly inside an inn. He tried moving his body a little, feeling that his injuries had largely healed, at least the terrifying wound on his chest was no longer bleeding.
At this moment, Jiang Baitao pulled in a graceful figure through the door. Their eyes met, and Jiang Qingfeng was both delighted and embarrassed. The arrogance and incompetence while escaping and the calm sharpness in front of the wooden house suddenly aligned, forming a smiling young woman before him, leaving her momentarily speechless.
"Senior Sister Qingfeng." Lu Qian broke the silence first. "Thank you for saving me."
Jiang Qingfeng was momentarily stunned and was about to speak when Jiang Baitao giggled happily, clinging by Lu Qian's bed, "Sect Leader Senior Brother, why don't you thank me? I did everything you said, didn't I, Taotao was a big help, right?"
Lu Qian rubbed her little head, "Indeed, Taotao is amazing. The straw dummy you made really fooled those two bad guys, saving Senior Brother and Sister."
Jiang Baitao proudly puffed up her chest, boasting, "Of course, I'm great at making mud figures and straw men. Zhang Gou'Er at the village entrance competed with me in making mud figures, and I made three all at once! But later, we ran out of water, and Zhang Gou'Er cheated, using his pee to make one more than me."
As she spoke, the little girl drooped dejectedly, "Too bad I couldn't pee, otherwise—"
"Taotao!" Jiang Qingfeng's face turned crimson with shame and anger, hastily pulling Jiang Baitao over, attempting to cover her mouth. Jiang Baitao yelled for help, laughing and shouting as she burrowed into Lu Qian's arms, everyone descending into a chaotic jumble, dissolving the earlier tensions considerably.
With great effort, Jiang Qingfeng finally pulled Baitao in front of her. After a brief silence, Lu Qian asked, "Senior Sister, what happened afterward? Where are we now?"
Jiang Qingfeng, with Baitao in her embrace, began to recount slowly.
It turned out that after Lu Qian fell unconscious, Jiang Qingfeng searched the bodies of the two men, found some healing elixirs, and administered them to stabilize Lu Qian's condition.
She then buried the bodies, camouflaging the traces as best as she could. With Lu Qian and Baitao, she hid and dodged within the woods, narrowly and safely escaping the borders of Quyang County, entering Nujiang County's Black Stone Marketplace, where they found an inn for temporary shelter.
In recent days Qingfeng kept a low profile, purchasing numerous elixirs for Lu Qian, tending to him carefully until his injuries gradually healed, and he awoke from his coma.
Lu Qian nodded, memories of Black Stone Marketplace turning like cards in his mind, quickly organizing into segments of intelligence: "This Black Stone Square is a mid-sized marketplace on the border of Nujiang County, co-managed by several nearby sects, where a Foundation Establishment Feather Scholar resides year-round. Private fights are prohibited within the marketplace, fully ensuring the safety of passing cultivators."
"The Quyang Wang Family and Ziluo Mountain each have a Foundation Establishment Feather Scholar, but they are just small sects, only managing to occupy corners within Quyang County, unable to extend their influence here, thus incapable of conducting a massive search. Within this marketplace, there are nearly a thousand cultivators, and over ten thousand mortals dependent on them, with people of all kinds, mingling like fish and dragons. As long as the three of us remain cautious, avoid revealing our names, and disguise ourselves a bit, we can ensure our safety without issue."
Listening to Lu Qian's articulate talk, Jiang Qingfeng clenched her slender hands. She was hesitating, having pondered for a long time during their journey. Lu Qian's earlier incompetence had left her utterly disappointed, yet now he was instilling in her a sense of reliability.
Should she leave? Take Taotao and become a loose cultivator?
She opened her mouth, yet nothing came out.
Seeing Jiang Qingfeng's expression, Lu Qian understood her thoughts. He threw off the quilt, got out of bed, composed himself, and made a deep bow towards Jiang Qingfeng.
"Senior Sister, on this journey, I have committed numerous foolish acts, failing the Sect Leader Master's high expectations, disappointing many senior brothers, knowing deeply my serious transgressions. The others leaving me was my own doing, and I can blame no one else."
"Fortunately, Senior Sister, being magnanimous, did not hold grudges, supporting and saving me all along the way. Without Senior Sister and Taotao, even with ten lives, I'd find it hard to escape alive. I am deeply grateful for Senior Sister's kindness and will surely repay such generosity with all my might in the future."
Lu Qian's words were sincere, warming Jiang Qingfeng's heart. She hurriedly reached out to help him up but heard him continue, "I still remember when I first entered the sect, it was Senior Sister who took me throughout the mountain gate, teaching me the many rules of the sect."
"Back then, Senior Sister's robes fluttered, her stockings dusted, as if an immortal descended among mortals, and hearing Master praise Senior Sister's loyalty and intelligence, I couldn't help but admire her deeply."
The words seemed somewhat ambiguous, making Jiang Qingfeng's face slightly flushed, but seeing Lu Qian's solemn demeanor and clear gaze, without any impure intent, she was more delighted than embarrassed. Despite her attempts to suppress it, a smile finally surfaced on her face.
"Junior Brother, since when did you become so smooth-talking?"
"Not a single word was false." Lu Qian stood straight, looking directly into Jiang Qingfeng's eyes. "Senior Sister, now the sect has declined to just the three of us supporting each other. I hope Senior Sister can overlook past grievances, and we can help each other, surely seeing a day where the seas and skies are wide open."
In an instant, Jiang Qingfeng seemed to return to the forest, seeing that young man leaning against the wooden door nodding towards her, saying firmly, "Senior Sister, I'm here to save you."
With a sigh in her heart, the thought of leaving ultimately dissipated.
Jiang Qingfeng took Baitao's hand seriously and asked, "What should we do next?"
Lu Qian sat at the bedside, aware of his rapid thoughts but having no time to delve deeper: "Now, there are three paths. One is to abandon our Yunshan Sect identity, live anonymously as loose cultivators. The second is to forsake our identities, change our appearances, and join another sect. The third option is to recover completely, continue wandering for survival amongst various sects, and seek a Spirit Vein to rise again."
"What is Junior Brother's thought?"
My thoughts, huh…
The memories of the modern workplace had never been so clear as now, those pains, grievances, uncertainties, and struggles, all stemming from a cry not to be outdone and a fiercely burning ambition, etched deep within his soul.
Lu Qian raised his head, his sword-like brows high, eyes sharp as lightning, "I was thrust into leadership during a crisis and inherited the position as Sect Leader. I must not let the 300-year legacy of Yunshan die in my hands. Henceforth, I will dedicate my wisdom and efforts, going all-out to glorify the sect and avenge the blood debt. On the day my soul returns underground, I can face my masters and say a clear conscience!"
"I beseech Senior Sister's assistance!"
Jiang Qingfeng took a deep breath, stood straight, and bowed in salutation, "I shall obey, Junior Brother—no, Sect Leader."