Luo Jinxiu didn’t understand what was happening when she saw Qu Weiying coughing miserably. She rushed forward to pat her back, but was blocked by Qu Weiying’s hand.
“What did you say?” Qu Weiying covered her face, leaving only her eyes visible as she coughed up water droplets.
Luo Jinxiu was at a loss for words. She awkwardly gestured towards the side room and said, “They’re too loud. I can’t sleep.”
She held the bedclothes, her eyes full of sincerity.
Qu Weiying realized for a moment that she had misunderstood and felt increasingly embarrassed. She did not feel like refusing at the moment, so she let go of her hand, feigned indifference, and picked up the book that had been thrown aside, nodding in response.
Luo Jinxiu didn’t expect Qu Weiying to agree so quickly. Overjoyed, she rushed into the room, spread out the bedding, and lay down in one fluid motion.
“The junior master’s room is indeed much larger, and the furnishings are exquisite, unlike ours. It’s been a long time since I slept with someone in the same bed. I’m really not used to it,” Luo Jinxiu rearranged the bedding and tucked it tightly around her stomach.
“I don’t remember the Luo family treating you well,” Qu Weiying casually turned a page in the book, seemingly disinterested.
Luo Jinxiu’s hands that were tidying her clothes paused for a moment, then she continued with a nervous laugh, “Even if they don’t treat me well, I still have a bed.”
Qu Weiying did not react. Luo Jinxiu glanced at her, and when he saw that she didn’t pursue the matter further, he breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that Qu Weiying didn’t ask any more questions; otherwise, he wouldn’t have known how to dodge the issue.
Both of them fell silent, the light of the oil lamp flickering on and off, only the rustling of the pages breaking the silence. It lulled them to sleep, and soon, Luo Jinxiu’s consciousness became hazy.
The room was filled with a faint floral fragrance that was strangely soothing.
After a while, Qu Weiying finally finished the book. When she looked up, Luo Jinxiu was already asleep, and the blanket that had been covering her had been thrown aside.
Qu Weiying put down the book, and with a slight movement of her finger, the blanket automatically covered Luo Jinxiu.
Luo Jinxiu was a very restless sleeper. In no time, she had kicked off the blanket again. Qu Weiying sighed heavily and used spiritual energy to cover her once again.
Once again, Luo Jinxiu kicked off the blanket.
Unable to stand it any longer, Qu Weiying raised her wrist and the blanket instantly stretched, wrapping Luo Jinxiu in a round bundle. Finally, all was quiet.
Qu Weiying approached Luo Jinxiu, hesitated for a while, and then turned around. The hem of her crimson dress swayed gracefully around her ankles, forming a semicircle on the ground and emitting a soft golden glow. She lay down on it, feeling as comfortable as if she were on a soft bed, but suspended in mid-air.
She turned her head and looked at Luo Jinxiu’s sleeping face. Luo Jinxiu was deep in slumber, her eyes closed, with long eyelashes, soft skin, and luscious rosy lips. Even though her eyes were closed, she still looked beautiful.
Qu Weiying couldn’t help but wonder what this child would look like when she grew up to be a woman. Unintentionally, she began to feel grateful that she was alive this time, despite what had happened.
Qu Weiying closed her eyes and fell asleep. The lamp was extinguished, and a puff of smoke wafted into the air.
Luo Jinxiu slept soundly through the night, although her breathing seemed to be slightly restricted. When she awoke the next morning, the faint light of dawn shone through the window, rousing her from her slumber.
She tried to stretch, but found her arm tied. After struggling for a while, she managed to free herself from the tangled blankets and mumbled, “I didn’t sleep very well.
Luo Jinxiu stood up and looked around, but Qu Weiying was nowhere to be found. She found a pen and paper in her room and wrote a note of thanks. Then she tidied up and left the room. When she returned to her own room, she found Lu Fanzhi waking up and rubbing his eyes.
“Jinxiu, why are you up so early again?” Lu Fanzhi yawned and struggled to put on her outer robe.
“Yes, sister, I didn’t see you when I woke up. Where did you go?” Luo Ning entered the room carrying a tray of breakfast and placed it neatly on the table. She picked up a bowl of congee to give to Luo Jinxiu, but before she could reach for it, Yan Ying swooped in and elegantly took it. Despite Luo Ning’s attempts to get it back, she couldn’t. “Careful, you’re going to burn yourself,” Luo Ning muttered with a pout.
Yan Ying raised an eyebrow in amusement, causing Luo Ning to get angry, and the two of them almost started fighting again. Fortunately, Luo Jinxiu stepped in and pulled them apart. “Can you two be quiet for a moment?”
“Let go of me!” Yan Ying swatted away her hand, adding an eye roll for good measure.
Luo Jinxiu deliberately loosened her grip on Yan Ying’s hand, causing her to lose her balance and spill the scalding congee on her sleeves. Yan Ying jumped to her feet in pain, but Luo Jinxiu pretended not to notice as she leisurely began to eat her breakfast.
“Sister, today is the Ten Directions Gathering, where injuries and even deaths are common. You should eat more to have the energy you’ll need later,” Luo Ning said worriedly.
“Ha, what’s the point of eating more? The Ten Directions Assembly isn’t for everyone. I doubt she even qualifies to enter,” Yan Ying remarked as she wiped her hands and watched coldly from the side.
“Neither do you, right?” interjected Lu Fanzhi as he picked up a bun. “I heard that the prize for this year’s Ten Directions Gathering is very valuable. It’s a pill containing the essence of Heaven and Earth, which was supposedly refined by the former master of the Regretless Gate Sect. Taking it can greatly improve one’s cultivation. I bet everyone will be competing for it this time.”
“A pill?” Luo Jinxiu immediately perked up upon hearing this. Alchemy was a rare skill, and good pills were also hard to come by. With a good pill and dedicated practice, their cultivation would undoubtedly progress.
“I wonder how hard it will be this year. I heard that several people were seriously injured in the last gathering,” Lu Fanzhi shook his head.
Soon, the sun rose high above the sky, warming the air. Luo Jinxiu, along with Luo Ning and Lu Fanzhi, followed the crowd into the depths of the mansion. Other disciples from various sects were also moving in groups, all looking excited.
“Did any Regretless Gate disciples attend the last Ten Directions Gathering?” asked Luo Jinxiu.
“Of course, there were some who attended and even achieved good results. However, they went out to practice, so I didn’t see them,” Luo Ning replied.
“Did Junior Master attend?”
“Never. Although Junior Master Qu has a high level of cultivation, he never attends such events and lives in seclusion. Both Sister and Junior Master Qu arrived late this year, so neither of them submitted their names. I submitted yours, but I didn’t submit Junior Master Qu’s,” Luo Ning shook his head.
After hearing this, Luo Jinxiu didn’t ask any more questions. Perhaps she felt uncomfortable without Qu Weiying’s presence on this occasion.
She quickly suppressed this uneasiness. She was used to going her own way, and these recent ventures had been accompanied by Qu Weiying’s protection, so she had become somewhat accustomed to it. This attitude was dangerous because it would hinder her ability to protect others in the future.
The crowd suddenly stopped, creating a bottleneck. Standing on her tiptoes, Luo Jinxiu looked ahead and saw several elderly men with gray beards standing in a circle, muttering something under their breath.
With a few gasps, the previously flat ground seemed to melt, revealing a large hole with sparkling starlight that resembled a galaxy.
“The entrance is here. We’ll soon find out who will claim the first place,” Lu Fanzhi exclaimed, shaking Luo Jinxiu’s arm vigorously.
“From Tianji Tower, Lin Anyu.”
“Tianji Tower, Bai Liuer.”
“Green Fire Palace, Chi Yi.”
The masked woman from Pingxi Town emerged from the crowd. This time, she wasn’t wearing a mask, and her face was remarkably beautiful, outshining the women from Tianji Tower.
Perhaps noticing Luo Jinxiu’s gaze, she also glanced over, her face filled with surprise, then smiled and nodded at her.
Luo Jinxiu was just about to reply when she heard another announcement, “From Regretless Gate, Luo Jinxiu.
Luo Jinxiu’s ears perked up. Although she wanted the pill, she never really thought that her name would be called. She wondered how the selection was made. If it was based on her cultivation level, she was only at the foundation stage.
Before she could fully comprehend the situation, Lu Fanzhi pushed her from behind and urged her to step forward.
“Nice to see you again,” Chi Yi said, standing beside her and winking at her.
“Good to see you again. Do you know how the names are chosen?” Luo Jinxiu whispered.
Chi Yi had the straightforward air of an experienced martial artist and approached the topic openly. “We put the birth dates and names into a formation to select the destined ones. We were late earlier, so a junior brother rushed to submit our names in advance.”
Luo Jinxiu nodded when she heard this, but found herself accidentally looking into the crowd. Qu Weiying was nowhere to be seen all morning.
Could something have happened? Luo Jinxiu couldn’t shake the feeling of uneasiness, as if her heart was hanging in the balance.
Unwittingly, the names were announced and the contestants lined up. After being inspected by several white-bearded elders, they took turns jumping down.
“What do you have in your pouch?” an old man asked, looking at her pouch with sharp eyes.
Luo Jinxiu looked down and carefully removed the pouch. She reached inside and pulled out her poor creature, then handed the pouch to the old man and said, “My spirit animal and some miscellaneous items.
The old man, whose eyesight was poor, leaned closer to look at the poor creature’s face and said, “Big bug.
Luo Jinxiu coughed and didn’t refute the old man’s comment. While the old man inspected her bag, she took the poor creature into her arms and gently rubbed its nose.
The poor creature seemed unusually hostile that day, resisting her touch, constantly avoiding her and staring at her with a fierce look.
“Why are you being so aggressive today?” Luo Jinxiu pretended to kiss her on the head and whispered, “It’s okay. It’s good for you to look fierce.”
Strangely enough, the poor creature that had been resisting just moments before suddenly went limp in her arms.
“Okay, you can go in now,” the old man said, handing the bag back to her and adding, “Spiritual cultivators rarely use bags. This bag seems to be from someone important.”
Luo Jinxiu bit her lip lightly, shook her head, and then slowly nodded. “Um… I guess.”
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