Chapter 77: Chapter 77
Those words sent a rush of warmth through Shen Xiuhan’s chest. He bowed deeply and with all sincerity.
“Thank you, Master!”
Mei Shuangfeng gave a small nod and a soft laugh, then steered the conversation elsewhere.
“That day, when I told you to come back to the hall once you’d reached Full Mastery of Blood Tempering, I’d intended to pass along the Bone Tempering breakthrough journals kept by your senior brothers and sisters, and to prepare one of our hall’s secret medicinal baths — to give you a better chance of breaking through.”
She looked at her disciple and shook her head in mild exasperation.
“I certainly didn’t expect your cultivation to outpace my predictions. You went and broke into Bone Tempering without a word… Well, so be it!”
With that, Mei Shuangfeng flipped her wrist, and a slender-necked white porcelain vial appeared in her palm.
“Every inner-court disciple receives the medicinal bath — it’s a standard benefit of the hall. I can’t play favorites. Since you no longer need the bath, I’ll compensate you with pills instead.”
Here she pushed the vial gently across to Shen Xiuhan.
“Some days ago, your Master came into a length of Yin-Bone Blight Mushroom. This is an exceedingly rare medicine — it grows only on ancient battlefields where tens of thousands of living creatures have perished, nourished by decades of accumulated yin energy before it can break through the soil.”
“Using it as the primary ingredient, I refined a batch of Dark Blight Sinew-Bone Pills for your Senior Sister. These pills greatly benefit both the Bone Tempering and Sinew Tempering stages. I have two left over — consider them your compensation.”
Shen Xiuhan took the vial. The moment his fingertips touched the porcelain, he felt a current of dark, baleful energy seeping through.
But his attention was elsewhere.
Something in Mei Shuangfeng’s words had caught his mind. His gaze shifted.
“Senior Sister, she’s…”
Mei Shuangfeng’s lips curved faintly. She gave a small nod.
“Qinghong has formally entered seclusion. She’s making her full assault on the Hidden Strength barrier. Given her foundation and reserves… her chances of breaking through this time are very good.”
Just as he’d thought!
Shen Xiuhan couldn’t help but feel a swell of admiration.
Even before he’d enrolled, he had heard from Xu Chuan that Eldest Senior Sister Jiang Qinghong was not only formidable in strength but possessed truly first-rate talent.
Now, barely in her early twenties, she was already making her bid for Hidden Strength…
That caliber of gift would place her among the elite even within Zhaixing Sect itself.
Shen Xiuhan spoke with genuine feeling.
“Congratulations to Master, and to Senior Sister!”
Then he unslung the bundle from his back and set it on the table with a grin.
“Your disciple had some luck on Yunyi Island — picked up a few rare things. One of them happens to be perfect for Master.”
“Oh?”
Mei Shuangfeng raised an eyebrow, amusement surfacing in her gaze.
At her level and with her discernment, ordinary objects held little interest.
But a disciple’s filial gesture was something she’d never turn away.
Wasn’t that half the joy of having a student?
Besides…
This boy had a sweet tooth, loved fish dishes, and carried a passionate drive to grow stronger.
Every last detail reminded her of a certain shadow from long ago, deep in her heart.
For a moment, Mei Shuangfeng’s gaze grew distant.
Shen Xiuhan, head lowered, didn’t notice the fleeting change in his master’s expression.
He unwrapped the bundle and carefully withdrew a peculiar length of “antler.”
It was crystalline and translucent, its coloring vivid as coral. Slick to the touch, its surface was covered in a layer of fine, downy fuzz. The cross-section revealed a honeycomb of tiny pores, and a faint briny smell wafted from it.
Shen Xiuhan held it out.
“Master, have a look at this.”
Mei Shuangfeng snapped back to the present. Her gaze fell on the antler.
In the next moment, her composure broke. The words spilled out, laced with surprise.
“An Antlered Bighead!”
“Master has a sharp eye.”
Shen Xiuhan offered a word of praise and smiled.
“This is indeed from the second-tier treasure fish, the Antlered Bighead. Your disciple once consulted A Chronicle of Wonders Wrought by Creation in the library and recognized it as highly useful for alchemy, so I made sure to bring it back for Master.”
Mei Shuangfeng took the antler almost reflexively. An extraordinary light kindled in her eyes.
“This has the effect of harmonizing medicinal properties and raising pill yield. Add a small piece of antler to a single batch, and you can refine two or three extra pills — and the potency doesn’t diminish. It actually increases. It’s a rarely-seen alchemical treasure… You were thoughtful indeed!”
Shen Xiuhan smiled quietly, then fished a long wooden box from the bundle.
He lifted the lid. Inside lay three joints of lotus root, translucent as jade, giving off a delicate fragrance.
“This is… jade luster, the texture of mutton-fat… This is Jade-Hearted Lotus Root!?”
Mei Shuangfeng’s brows rose. The surprise in her voice deepened.
Shen Xiuhan set the treasure medicine on the table and explained with a grin.
“Master, I discovered this Jade-Hearted Lotus Root on the lakebed while patrolling the waters. I was about to harvest it when I noticed an Antlered Bighead lurking beside it — so I caught the fish and the root together.”
“Good.”
Mei Shuangfeng held the Jade-Hearted Lotus Root in her hands, studying it for a moment. She gave a slight nod.
“Where rare treasure medicines grow, treasure fish and treasure beasts often stand guard. You’ve had fine luck indeed. This Jade-Hearted Lotus Root is mild and exceptionally pure. As the primary ingredient, it can be refined into a superb sinew-nourishing, bone-quenching pill.”
Shen Xiuhan immediately clasped his fists.
“I’ll trouble Master to do the honors.”
“Very well.”
Mei Shuangfeng placed the Jade-Hearted Lotus Root back in its box.
“Leave these with me. Come to the rear courtyard tomorrow for your pills.”
“Thank you, Master.”
Shen Xiuhan felt a weight lift from his mind.
With this, the pills he needed to push all the way to peak Bone Tempering were no longer a concern.
“Ah — one more thing. I haven’t told you yet: that length of Yin-Bone Blight Mushroom was sent back by a senior brother of yours who left the hall years ago. He’s stationed at the frontier.”
Mei Shuangfeng was in good spirits today, and her words came more freely.
“He’s serving in the Longxiang Army now. In his letter, he mentioned he’ll be bringing men back to Changyun County in a little over two months to recruit promising local talent.”
Her gaze settled on Shen Xiuhan.
“Xu Chuan, Xiang Yunting, and Shen Huai are all planning to join the Longxiang Army and make something of themselves. You’ve broken into Bone Tempering now, and you’re the right age. Any interest in seeking your fortune in the Longxiang Army? If you’re willing, your Master can put in a word for you.”
The Longxiang Army!
And they’d be back in just over two months…
Shen Xiuhan’s pulse quickened.
That meant Tian Ping’an would most likely be returning around the same time.
Shen Xiuhan kept his composure and replied evenly.
“Master’s insight is keen. I’m a free spirit by nature — I could never endure the iron discipline of a military camp. I truly have no inclination to enlist.”
Mei Shuangfeng didn’t press the matter. She gave a small nod.
“To each his own. The military is harsh and dangerous. Follow your nature — that’s fine. But when they arrive, the hall will put on a welcome banquet. You should meet them and get acquainted. Fellow disciples mean extra connections — it never hurts when you’re out making your way in the world.”
“Whatever Master decides.”
Mei Shuangfeng nodded with satisfaction.
She then asked about difficulties Shen Xiuhan had encountered in his cultivation and addressed them one by one.
At the end, she wrapped a small packet of freshly sun-dried candies in oiled paper and handed it to him.
Shen Xiuhan accepted it, warmth stirring in his chest.
It was nearly noon when he rose to take his leave.
From the outer court, a sudden eruption of commotion broke the stillness.
“I’ll go see what’s happening.”
He had barely pulled the door open when Fifth Senior Sister Ding Qing came running up, a faint sheen of sweat on her brow. She gave Shen Xiuhan a quick nod, then called urgently toward the room.
“Master — there’s been trouble!”