High Mountains and Flowing Water

"That's how it is..." In front of the small cabin, at the square table, Qin Ran said to Bai Ruoxi, "As you know, with my strength, I definitely cannot threaten your senior martial brother, let alone ask him to cast spells to stop the Devouring Extremity Demonic Willow. It was because your senior martial brother couldn't bear to see all things wither away that he forcibly stopped those swaths of willow catkins. I also set off the Tribulation Thunder Pill under his instructions.

"Just think about it a little and you'll know that someone as nefarious as me would not have that kind of merciful and compassionate heart to save the suffering; only your senior martial brother and other proud sons of heaven would have that."

"I see," Bai Ruoxi nodded.

She knew that what Qin Ran said was true, because she understood what kind of person her senior martial brother was, knew what he was capable of, and knew what he could do to stop the Devouring Extremity Demonic Willow's catkins. Especially to stop the Devouring Extremity Demonic Willow's catkins, apart from her senior martial brother's Creation Scripture, she couldn't think of any other way that could stop them. Even Elder Ning, who could defeat the combined Devouring Extremity Demonic Willow, couldn't stop the already spreading catkins.

"It's good that you can believe me," Qin Ran breathed a sigh of relief.

While he was dead, he had heard Shiyin say that Elder Ning was already dead and Lingnan Immortal Sect would send people to investigate the whole matter.

So Bai Ruoxi, who was still here, was an extremely critical figure. As long as he got Bai Ruoxi on his side, when Lingnan Immortal Sect came to investigate, with Bai Ruoxi's testimony, he believed Lingnan Immortal Sect wouldn't do anything to him.

It was a square table. Qin Ran and Bai Ruoxi sat across from each other, with Li Shiyin and Chasing the Wind sitting on Qin Ran's side.

On the other two sides of the square table sat the lolified Long Qiqi on one side and the fox-formed Tushan Youyou on the other.

Qin Ran glanced around and found that this table had a tiger, a fox, and a snake... He hadn't noticed it, but Dan Peak had turned into a zoo.

He looked at the beautiful five-tailed white fox and asked, "What was the final outcome of the Primordial Infant brawl?"

Tushan Youyou yipped twice before realizing she was in fox form.

She was about to transform into human form to speak, but Bai Ruoxi spoke up, "The Blood Dragon Bones swooped in at the last moment to reap the battlefield, killing eleven people including Elder Ning, and taking away most of the fruits of enlightenment."

Qin Ran was somewhat surprised. "Harvested by the Blood Dragon Bones?" He then felt puzzled. "How dare he? He was once defeated by the Devouring Extremity Demonic Willow's subordinates... I didn't expect him to become the biggest winner."

"He didn't do it for himself though," Bai Ruoxi said. "He did it for that colorful butterfly."

"And who is that colorful butterfly?"

"The butterfly is the soul of the immortal corpse transformed. The Devouring Extremity Demonic Willow devoured the immortal corpse, and the Blood Dragon Bones protected its soul... He wants to use the Devouring Extremity Demonic Willow's fruits of enlightenment to commemorate the immortal corpse devoured by the Devouring Extremity Demonic Willow."

"The Blood Dragon Bones also has this layer of relationship with that immortal corpse?" Qin Ran laughed. Still a love triangle. "I don't know the specific details. It was something my senior martial brother told me before." Bai Ruoxi said.

"But who the final winner is remains to be seen..." She seemed to be implying something.

"The immortal corpse belonged to Lingnan Immortal Sect, and the fruits of enlightenment obtained by the Blood Dragon Bones were also used to commemorate the corpse. Besides, he didn't kill any disciples of the Immortal Sect either, and even split some of the fruits of enlightenment obtained with the sect disciples and escorted them away.

"So in the end, Lingnan Immortal Sect still got most of the fruits of enlightenment."

"Fruits of enlightenment..." Qin Ran murmured for a moment, then asked, "Were fruits of enlightenment used to treat my injuries?"

"Yes."

Qin Ran glanced at the five-tailed white fox and asked again, "Exactly how many fruits of enlightenment were there this time?"

"I'm not sure," Bai Ruoxi shook her head. "But compared to my senior martial brother's death, the number of fruits of enlightenment is a trivial matter. As for what to do about my senior martial brother... I'll have to wait until I return to discuss it."

"When are you going back?"

"Leaving tonight."

"That urgent?"

Bai Ruoxi looked at Qin Ran and said, "I don't have to rush, but the Immortal Sect will be in a hurry. When the Immortal Sect is anxious, I don't know what will happen."

Qin Ran felt a chill down his spine and laughed. "Then it's better to hurry."

He changed the subject and asked, "Which factions did the eleven dead belong to? How many were from the Daofeng Gate?"

"Mostly some loose cultivators. One was from Daofeng Gate, three from Zhizhang Valley, one from Vast Sword Sect, one was Elder Ning, and the rest were loose cultivators." Bai Ruoxi said.

"Why did Zhizhang Valley lose three?" Qin Ran wondered.

"That's what happens when you pile up resources and elixirs to push out Primordial Infant stage cultivators."

It was afternoon then. Qin Ran lay back against the chair and glanced up at the sky, laughing, "Then you can have dinner before leaving."

"Dinner?" Bai Ruoxi murmured, glancing at Li Shiyin, and said nonchalantly, "Cultivators do not indulge in desires of the flesh."

Seeing her expression, Qin Ran immediately understood. He looked to Li Shiyin and asked, "Didn't you say you can make delicious food now?"

"Huh?" Li Shiyin was startled. "Master, you can hear me speak?"

Her face immediately turned red, because she thought Qin Ran couldn't hear her and had said quite a lot of girly private words.

"Cough!" Qin Ran was a little embarrassed and forced a laugh. "It's okay, I'll cook tonight."

In the afternoon, Qin Ran was punching in front of the cabin, playing with Chasing the Wind, to get a feel for his own strength.

Li Shiyin was taken to the bottom of the lake pit by Bai Ruoxi to practice combat drills and learn footwork.

In the evening, Qin Ran brought out his barbecue grill and spices and had an outdoor barbecue.

Li Shiyin got Bai Ruoxi to drink soda. Spicy barbecue with soda was a novel experience for Bai Ruoxi, because there was no chili or soda in this world. She may have eaten all kinds of delicacies, but she had definitely never eaten chili or drank soda before.

That silly Chasing the Wind wasn't obsessed with his own roundness either.

He just squatted next to Qin Ran, and Qin Ran would grill a piece for him to eat piece by piece, grilling as much as he ate, until the others had nothing left, only to find out about his malicious behavior. They chased him away.

He was spicy hot from the chilies and ran all over the mountains, before jumping into the river to take a bath.

Dan Peak was happily drinking soda and eating barbecue, when Huang Feiyu and Tian Wenjin suddenly came over.

Tian Wenjin had tasted Qin Ran's cooking skills before, and was quite happy to arrive just in time for dinner at Dan Peak. He hurried to join them.

Only Huang Feiyu felt awkward. He was currently in fire elemental form. To put it simply, he was a fire elemental spirit. Everything about the fleshly body was far removed from him.

He came to Qin Ran's side to help him barbecue... Which was a professional match for him.

"I heard that one reason Lingnan Immortal Sect came to the Hengduan Mountains this time..." Huang Feiyu tossed a fireball into the barbecue grill and said casually, "Was to take in disciples and issue Immortal Spirit Scrolls. Uncle Master, do you know about it?"

"The fire's too big!" Qin Ran warned him, then replied, "I know about it. Lingnan Immortal Sect goes around harvesting leeks everywhere. They frantically issue Immortal Spirit Scrolls at every faction they arrive at."

Huang Feiyu adjusted the temperature of the fire and said, "Immortal Spirit Scrolls aren't issued to just anyone."

"Do you want an Immortal Spirit Scroll?" Qin Ran asked.

"Yes."

Qin Ran glanced at Tian Wenjin, lowered his voice and asked, "How many do you want?"

Huang Feiyu didn't answer.

"No matter Wenjin's aptitude or strength, he doesn't meet the criteria to become a disciple of Lingnan Immortal Sect." Qin Ran said.

Huang Feiyu was silent for a long time before finally saying, "One is enough..."

That night, the stars filled the sky. Qin Ran sat on the roof, took out his jade flute, and played the tune of "High Mountains and Flowing Water" from his memory. Li Shiyin sat beside him, hugging her knees and swaying her little head listening.

Bai Ruoxi tidied herself by the riverbank, summoned her sword and rose into the night sky. She turned back and cupped her fists at Qin Ran, "Farewell, Brother Qin!" Then she disappeared into the starry sky.

When the tune ended, Li Shiyin asked Qin Ran, "Master, what song is this? How come I've never heard it before?"

This was the first decent-sounding tune Qin Ran managed to play after months of fumbling with the notes.

"It's called 'High Mountains and Flowing Water'..." Qin Ran laughed and said, "Let me tell you the story of Zhong Ziqi and Boya."