Many Thanks

It was late at night at Magistrate Chen’s residence.

Madam Chen leaned against the couch, reading a book.

All at once, the curtain was lifted, and someone walked in from outside.

Madam Chen was startled. When she looked closely, she saw a fair, clean-cut man with a face like carved jade; there was even a mole on his left cheek. A gentle smile lingered at the corners of his mouth as he walked toward her.

He reached the couch, then suddenly grabbed Madam Chen by the shoulders and lunged at her.

Madam Chen cried out, “Who are you?! Help! Someone help!”

A vicious look flashed across the man’s face; he slapped her hard. Madam Chen’s pupils shrank. The handsome man from just a moment ago instantly turned into a face covered in dark yellow hair.

The servants keeping watch outside heard the commotion and rushed in. “Madam, Madam, are you all right?”

Madam Chen turned in horror toward the doorway, only to see that the two people who had rushed in were both covered in dark yellow hair as well. In the dim light, they bared long, narrow teeth and smiled with terrifying ferocity. “Madam, don’t be afraid; we’re here!”

The night was silent, save for the woman’s screams echoing through it: “Ahh!!”

-

After a full night of array-based treatment, Huang Niangzi was clearly much better the next day.

When Yan Jue went to see her, she was still lying in bed. Seeing Yan Jue, she gave a faint smile, though her face was still a little pale.

Duan Luxi deliberately took the credit for Yan Jue. “Last night, it was this Lady Yan who saved you.”

Huang Niangzi was stunned. She pushed herself up from the bed and bowed deeply to Yan Jue. “Many thanks for your help, Lady Immortal.”

Yan Jue exchanged a glance with Duan Luxi and said with a smile, “No need to thank me. It was everyone’s effort.”

Qi Xianqing lifted her brows slightly but said nothing.

According to Duan Luxi, Huang Niangzi’s current state was called “returning soul”; in other words, after the soul had been summoned back, the body remained extremely weak.

Huang Niangzi was in fairly good shape compared with most. She managed to chat with them for a few sentences before growing drowsy and wanting to sleep.

From beginning to end, she never looked at Chu Fu once; even when her eyes accidentally brushed over him, they were full of disgust.

Chu Fu stood at the back of the crowd, gazing at her indifferently, chin lifted with a lofty air, as if nothing had happened in yesterday’s illusion.

At any rate, he had already apologized to Senior Sister for this matter last night, and he had already received her guidance.

As long as Senior Sister could forgive him, that was enough.

Yan Jue looked at Huang Niangzi, her thoughts in a jumble.

If Huang Niangzi, while in a soul-lost state last night, had fallen for Chu Fu, then that would probably have decided the rest of her life.

Everyone’s life should be in their own hands; they couldn’t ignore Huang Niangzi just because they already knew how things ended.

It was all thanks to Qi Xianqing that she had realized this.

…

This morning, when Yan Jue got up, she found that the pain in her chest was faintly acting up again.

She knew that this was probably because, thanks to her interference, the romance line between the male and female leads had already completely veered off course.

There was some kind of rule in this world, hidden and intangible, that constrained her.

Thinking of this, Yan Jue took out the ointment she had bought yesterday for mosquito demon bites and, when Qi Xianqing wasn’t paying attention, quietly placed it beside her.

Chu Fu was standing behind.

She and Duan Luxi were standing behind too.

Qi Xianqing was entirely focused on Huang Niangzi right now; she should not have noticed her.

Which also meant the male lead still had a chance to leave the medicine there as well.

If Qi Xianqing didn’t know who had left it, she might assume it had been Chu Fu.

Wouldn’t that help move the romance line between the male and female leads along a little?

Yan Jue reasoned it out like that. After secretly placing the ointment beside Qi Xianqing, to her surprise, the pain in her chest eased considerably.

“…"

It actually worked. What kind of idiot rule was this?

Besides, Yan Jue had not been bitten badly by the mosquito demon yesterday; she had almost not felt it at all, so using this ointment was completely making a mountain out of a molehill.

Although this woman seemed gentle on the surface, she was in truth as venomous as a snake or scorpion. On purpose, too, she had frightened her last night.

But if she didn’t use it, it would be a terrible waste.

Yan Jue put the ointment away, then turned and followed Duan Luxi out.

Qi Xianqing knelt beside the bed, rolled up her sleeve, and took Huang Niangzi’s pulse.

Only after confirming that her pulse was steady and that the evil influence had been completely driven out did she straighten.

Just then, something fell to the floor.

Qi Xianqing was slightly taken aback.

A small green bottle rolled across the ground; it seemed to have been placed beside her just now, and she had accidentally knocked it over.

Perhaps afraid she wouldn’t know what it was for, there were even a few large characters written on it: “Repel Mosquito Demons.”

Since it had been placed next to her, it should have been for her.

Just now, all her attention had been on Huang Niangzi, and she hadn’t noticed who had put it there.

This mission team was made up mostly of newcomers, all of them rather thin-skinned.

Who else could be doing good deeds without leaving their name? There didn’t seem to be many such people in their team.

Qi Xianqing turned around and just happened to see Chu Fu standing behind her with his head held high, looking aloof and self-important.

A figure in a jade-green daoist robe vanished at the doorway.

Yan Jue moved with the wind at her feet; just as she was about to slip out of the corridor, she suddenly heard a voice from behind her say, “Junior Sister Yan.”

Yan Jue turned around. “Huh? Is something the matter?”

The injury on Qi Xianqing’s arm was still red and swollen; the sleeve was unbearably itchy, and the pain was severe.

Actually, being bitten by a mosquito demon alone would rarely cause such swelling. It was just that her constitution was special.

Qi Xianqing had long since gotten used to it; in her eyes, it was nothing at all, and she usually didn’t even bother buying mosquito-repelling ointment.

Qi Xianqing : “Thank you.”

Yan Jue blinked. “Huh? What are you talking about? Thanking me for what? That seems like... it was Chu Fu who put this by your side just now.”

Qi Xianqing narrowed her eyes slightly at her, then turned and went back into the room.

-

Thus, this mission came to a perfect end.

Overall, Qi Xianqing had not interfered much.

They had handled it themselves, and the completion had been quite high.

Huang Laoye repeatedly thanked them as he escorted them out of the residence. “It’s a pity my wife has been sick this whole time and can’t see you off. Since my daughter’s evil influence has been successfully removed, my wife will be glad to know as well. These are from my wife for all of you, Immortal Lords.”

As he spoke, Huang Laoye handed over a bag.

Yan Jue took one look and saw that it was filled with glittering gold.

But she was completely unmoved by that. To prevent all sorts of improper embezzlement, the Administrative Hall of Five Dragons Sect had decreed that disciples going down the mountain for training had to turn over all money received from the common people.

Even gold gifted by the client had nothing to do with them.

Yan Jue turned and saw Qi Xianqing frowning slightly, deep in thought and silent.

At times like this, Yan Jue really felt she couldn’t see through Qi Xianqing.

Qi Xianqing disliked speaking. Aside from necessary conversation, or when others asked her questions, it was usually hard to hear her talk.

Oh, except when she was messing with Yan Jue.

The few of them walked out of the city gate.

Duan Luxi : “Yan Jue, if anything happens to you in Five Dragons Sect later, remember to come find me. I’m from Muyin Sect, and it’s not far from Watercloud Sect.”

“And also, I do sword work on the side. It’s a pity I don’t have enough experience to go to the Refining Hall yet; if you have any magical implements, you can bring them to me and I’ll forge them for you. I guarantee you’ll be satisfied.”

Yan Jue smiled. “Thanks. Then I’ll come find you if I have any magical implements in the future.”

“Deal!”

Duan Luxi was chatting idly with Yan Jue when, all of a sudden, they heard a burst of rapid hoofbeats from afar.

A daoist rode atop a tall black horse. The horse galloped madly, and as it passed them it kicked up a fierce wind that howled by.

A daoist riding a horse at full speed was really quite unusual.

The group kept walking, when suddenly they heard crisp hoofbeats from the direction of the city gate. Another old daoist, dressed in daoist robes and with white hair but a childlike face, was racing over at a gallop.

Duan Luxi nearly got knocked over and frowned. “What’s going on? Does he not watch where he’s going?”

The daoist yanked hard on the reins; the black horse neighed and reared, its forelegs leaving the ground before it came to a stop.

Qi Xianqing asked, “May I ask, Daozhang, has something happened?”

The daoist turned around. When he saw Qi Xianqing’s face, he froze slightly, and the hurried expression on his own face took on a hint of fawning politeness. “There’s been a major case at the Chen residence. Their young lady suddenly went mad, and they sent a letter asking our Qianqing Temple to come and help!”

The world of cultivation was full of sects; there were not only the six great immortal sects, but also all sorts of strange little sects.

Qianqing Temple was one of them. It was located not far northwest of Five Dragons Mountain and was rather well known in the cultivation world.

Duan Luxi blinked. “Went mad?”

Yesterday, when they went to the Huang residence, they had also been treating Huang Niangzi’s “madness.”

The daoist said a few more words, then whipped his horse away.

Not long after, they saw another daoist dressed exactly the same rushing past.

Qi Xianqing raised a hand to stop him. “Daozhang, are you here to drive out evil from Nanxing Town?”

The daoist was startled. “Indeed. The Madam of the Jiang residence in the north of the city has recently been afflicted by evil. This junior was asked to go take a look.”

More evil influence? Duan Luxi asked, “You’re not talking about Huang Niangzi, are you? We just went to drive out the evil at her house yesterday.”

The daoist : “No! It’s the Madam of the Jiang residence who was possessed and went mad! Forget it, I don’t have time to waste words with you here. There are still so many mad ladies in the city waiting for me to look at; I’ll take my leave first!”

With that, he lashed his horse hard and quickly rode off.

Yan Jue frowned. Madam Chen, Madam Jiang... so many women in the city?

Had so many ladies all gone mad within a single day?

If it were an ordinary time, that might still be understandable. But this was happening just after they had finished exorcising the evil from the Huang residence.

Yan Jue : “Go take a look.”

“Go take a look.”

The two of them spoke almost at the same time.

Yan Jue stopped short and slowly turned to look at Qi Xianqing beside her. Qi Xianqing seemed to have already anticipated this; her brows were tightly furrowed, and with the immortal sword Zhuying in hand, she walked that way without looking back.

The Chen residence.

The old Master Chen felt that Qianqing Temple was much closer and more convenient than Five Dragons Sect, so he had asked the daoists of Qianqing Temple for help.

But upon hearing that the immortals of Five Dragons Sect were also coming to assist, he naturally invited them in with utmost respect.

The moment Yan Jue stepped into the room, she saw a young lady as lovely as a flower lying on the bed. Her eyes were half-open, misty and dazed, yet the corners of her mouth wore the same infatuated smile as Huang Niangzi.

Madam Chen extended one hand from under the quilt, waving aimlessly in the air. Her pale lips parted slightly.

“..."

It was exactly the same as Huang Niangzi’s movements.