Mistress, I Was Wrong

"Shush!" At her signal, Mu Sheng quickly closed all the doors and windows. The two of them huddled by the table and took out the cloth-wrapped ashes of the beastified person from the space ring. Dongfang Minghui glanced at Myron, who was lying on the ground with his eyes closed, seemingly still unconscious.

"I found something else mixed in with these ashes."

Mu Sheng saw that in addition to the ashes, there were many bright blue granules mixed in, set off by the dull grey ashes, making them particularly conspicuous. Mu Sheng reached out to touch them, but his hand was slapped away.

Dongfang Minghui had just wrapped it with cloth, and the cloth was nearly burned through. She tilted her head, wanting to explain, but then noticed the person on the ground move. She quickly wrapped the cloth again and whispered, "It's better to touch less of the dead's belongings, they bring bad luck."

She then desperately made faces at Mu Sheng.

Mu Sheng looked confused but then followed her gaze and had an epiphany, agreeing, "Indeed, it's bad luck." He stood up and continued, "It's already noon, how come Uncle Wood and Sister Wanyu have been gone for so long and still haven't returned? Maybe I should go to the inn's entrance to check."

"That's a good idea, just don't go too far."

After Mu Sheng left, Dongfang Minghui stood up and fed some water to Little Chubby and Toothless. Little Chubby drank like a cow, making loud gurgling noises. After drinking, it patted its belly contentedly, which looked like a water storage container, round and plump.

"Ah, Little Chubby, look at your round belly, you probably don't need to eat for a few days now. I had prepared some medicinal plants for you, but now it seems unnecessary—"

Before she could finish, Dongfang Minghui was sprayed with water…

And it was Little Chubby's saliva.

Little Chubby, who had just drunk like a cow, spat out as much as she had taken in, drenching Dongfang Minghui from head to toe. The sour and refreshing feeling was probably something no one else could understand.

"Heh." Myron, trying to hold back laughter, pulled at his wound and could no longer pretend to be asleep. He sat up carefully from the ground, avoiding his wounds, and leaned back in the chair. Seeing Dongfang Minghui dripping wet, he struggled to contain his laughter, "Cough, miss, are you alright? Do you want to change your clothes?"

Dongfang Minghui wiped the water off her face. Little Chubby's unexpected spit did cool her down quite a bit, but her clothes were soaked through, wasting so much water. She glared at Little Chubby, puffing with anger.

Little Chubby's eyes shone as she tugged at her hand, placing it on her belly. The once round belly had now deflated. Dongfang Minghui looked at the cheerful Little Chubby with a stern face, feeling the urge to shoot herself in the foot.

She circulated her spiritual power and quickly dried her clothes. After doing all this, Dongfang Minghui glanced at Little Chubby, who was eagerly staring at her, "Little devil, you can actually understand what I'm saying, can't you?"

Little Chubby blinked its eyes, which were like black grapes, looking completely harmless.

"Of course she understands, it's just you who foolishly thinks she doesn't understand anything." Little Colour had almost died laughing in the soul sea just now, and seeing this little friend regain consciousness, it couldn't help but mock again, "This Little Chubby is cunning, both you and I have been fooled by her."

"Little Colour, at the very least, Little Chubby saved our lives. Don't speak so ill of her." No, it should be said that Little Chubby saved her twice.

"Maybe she has other motives. Most likely, Little Chubby was targeting Toothless and got rejected by Toothless after being seen through. If you don't believe me, you can ask Toothless privately." Little Colour spoke as if it knew something.

"Miss, Miss, are you alright?" Seeing Dongfang Minghui's expression change unpredictably and becoming distracted, Myron couldn't help but call out to her several times.

Dongfang Minghui composed herself and calmly took out a sea medicinal plant for Little Chubby. Watching Little Chubby crunch away the medicinal plant in a few breaths and still looking at her eagerly, like a child who could never be satisfied, she then patted Little Chubby's round head, feeling the warmth upon touch, "Go play by yourself for a while."

"Myron, how are you feeling today?" She squatted down and checked his arm, thigh, chest, and waist injuries one by one. Perhaps the sleeping drug allowed him to rest well throughout the night, and the wounds were healing faster than she had expected.

"I feel more spirited than yesterday, and it's all thanks to the lady's meticulous care. I will remember this life-saving grace in my heart," Myron said formally, his politeness laced with a hint of distance, creating a sense of aloofness that made it hard for others to approach him. "By the way, Miss, I always feel like something happened yesterday."

"Your wounds are healing very well. In at most one day, you should be able to move around on your own." Dongfang Minghui handed him a jar of water, "Drink this. I'll have the innkeeper send up some light meals later."

Myron, feeling a bit embarrassed, covered his stomach, his face flushing with a hint of red.

Dongfang Minghui thought about how hysterical Myron was when Seventh Sister dragged him in yesterday and said with a bit of mischief, "Indeed, the group of people we encountered at the teahouse the day before yesterday broke into the inn again last night. You were still feverish at the time, so it's normal if you don't remember."

"Ah, that's true."

For a moment, the room was quiet, and the atmosphere was a bit strange.

Bang—

"Minghui, Sister Wanyu and Uncle Wood are back." Mu Sheng rushed in with a look of joy to report the good news.

"Um, where are Seventh Sister and Uncle Wood? Why don't I see them coming up?" Dongfang Minghui even went to the door to look again and again, but indeed, she didn't see anyone following Mu Sheng, "Could they still be downstairs?"

"No." Mu Sheng grabbed her wrist, "Sister Wanyu said the weather is hot and dry, making her feel uncomfortable all over. She needs to bathe and change clothes before coming over."

Dongfang Minghui blinked, thought for a moment, and understood Mu Sheng's hint. She said softly, "Indeed, the weather is quite unpleasant. Mu Sheng, please take care of Myron for a while. I'll go down and have the innkeeper send up some food."

"Shall I go for you?" Mu Sheng offered deliberately.

"No need, I am an alchemist, and I know exactly what ingredients to instruct the innkeeper to prepare." After saying that, Dongfang Minghui left the room and headed straight for the bathhouse they had reserved the day before. Upon entering, she found no one there. Then she went to Mu Sheng's room, not expecting to find both of them there.

Qian Wanyu and Uncle Wood both had an unusual color on them, looking greenish, but as soon as she got close, an unpleasant smell hit her.

Dongfang Minghui covered her nose, frowning deeply, "Seventh Sister, Uncle Wood, what have you gotten into? It smells terrible."

"Stinky?" Qian Wanyu looked at Dongfang Minghui in surprise, immediately recalling the incident in Return Town where they hadn't smelled anything, yet Ninth Sister had a troubled expression and kept saying the odor was unbearable.

Qian Wanyu quickly stripped off her outer garments and, without regard for the situation, said to Qian Ziyan, "Uncle, take off your clothes."

The two of them piled their robes and outerwear together, and with a single fire, the clothes were burned to a crisp. The smell lingered in the room and became even fouler after being scorched by the fire. Dongfang Minghui hurriedly opened the window to air out the room, "Seventh sister, you were out all night, did you discover anything new?"

"The mastermind is very cunning. We followed the beastified people for about thirty miles to a desolate area that seemed to have no village in front nor a store behind. We were surrounded," Qian Wanyu said with a grim expression, clearly having fought all night, with dark circles still visible under her eyes.

"Ah, wait a minute." Dongfang Minghui had a lot of questions to ask them, but inadvertently noticed that the clothes that had just been burned to ashes still left some remnants. She took out a white cloth from her space and wrapped up the ashes on the ground, nervously closing the window to prevent the wind from blowing the ashes away.

Seeing her act so mysteriously, Qian Wanyu leaned in and asked, "What's the matter, are these ashes problematic?"

"No, Seventh sister, look at this." She spread two pieces of cloth on the table; one white cloth had gray particles on it, while the other wrapped the black ashes of the clothes, with a clear black and white contrast and a few greenish particles among them. Both pieces of cloth contained the same substance.

"Seventh sister, guess where I got these from." Dongfang Minghui deliberately teased, taking out two silver needles and carefully picking out the granular substances, totaling about twenty or so, which looked quite pleasing to the eye when put together.

Seeing her busy, Qian Wanyu seriously pondered, "Did you get these from the beastified people?"

Although the answer was far from the correct one, it meant the same thing.

Dongfang Minghui felt helpless, her lover was too clever, the feeling of being intellectually overwhelmed was indeed bittersweet. She simply confessed, "Seventh sister, didn't we discuss yesterday why the beastified people don't appear during the day? Today, Mu Sheng and I hung a beastified person outside the window to see if there would be any changes. Unexpectedly, he suddenly combusted, leaving only these behind."

"Combusted?"

"Mhm, at first we didn't notice, but then a big fire completely consumed him." Dongfang Minghui found the event quite eerie; the flames emitted a faint glow, which was terrifying in broad daylight. Another strange thing was that the beastified person didn't scream at all while burning, as if he had no sensation. "Then Seventh sister, where did the substance on your clothes come from? From the beastified people?"

"No." Qian Ziyan denied it first, even taking the opportunity to touch the particles while Dongfang Minghui and Qian Wanyu were talking. The particles were somewhat hard, no wonder they remained after being burned, "We stumbled upon their base nearby and got contaminated during their experiments on people, not sure if it's blood or something else."

"It must be something added to the blood." Qian Wanyu added, "I saw with my own eyes that they fed this substance to the beastified people."

"I see." Dongfang Minghui stared blankly at the items on the table for a while before reacting, "Seventh sister, did you and Uncle Wood find their base yesterday?"

"By luck."

After being surrounded, Qian Wanyu and Qian Ziyan had intended to return first, but thinking that since the enemy had set up an ambush, it would be a pity not to fight back. They searched the desolate area and stumbled upon a small base. Fortunately, it was dawn, and the beastified people's combat effectiveness was indeed not as good during the day as at night, which allowed them to take advantage of the situation.

"Yulong Town will be relatively peaceful for a while, we should pack up and continue on our way," Qian Wanyu quickly concluded.

"Alright." Dongfang Minghui was still trying to figure out what chemical substances would leave some crystals behind when burned. Unfortunately, while she was clear on human anatomy, she had long returned her knowledge of such experiments to her teachers. The more she thought about it, the more she entangled herself.

Thinking all the way, by the time Dongfang Minghui came back to her senses, their group had already left Yulong Town.

"I asked the merchants in Yulong Town, they said hiring a crawling beast would take about two days, but if we walk, it could take as little as five or six days, or as much as eight to ten days," Mu Sheng was much more active than before, and seeing the cold atmosphere, he initiated some conversation.

"That far?" Dongfang Minghui remembered the person she asked was vague, saying it would only take five days. She calculated her and Seventh sister's walking speed and thought they could arrive in one day, so she didn't dwell on this issue. But hearing Mu Sheng mention it, she couldn't help but roll her eyes, "If I had known, I would have hired a crawling beast."

"Is Minghui afraid of getting tired?" Mu Sheng teased with a smile, "If you feel tired, we can all take a short break. It's not too late to continue our journey after we've rested enough."

"Not at all," Dongfang Minghui pouted.

"Ninth Sister is worried we won't make it to the auction in time." Qian Wanyu stretched out her hand and poked the other's puffed-up cheek, poking the left side then the right. She found Ninth Sister's sulky appearance very amusing, somewhat like a squirrel stuffed with a piece of pastry.

Myron walked at the very end, head hung low, lost in thought.

"Myron, when exactly is the auction?" Dongfang Minghui slapped away Seventh sister's teasing hand, drawing everyone's attention to Myron.

Myron was slightly startled, seeing everyone looking at him, he explained, "According to the agreed date, we should have arrived in Darray City a month early, but we got lost in the sandstorm for a few days, and then meeting you all took a few more days."

The rest went without saying.

"Minghui, you're so looking forward to the auction, is there something you want to bid on?" Mu Sheng, who had always been training with Qian Ziyan, couldn't stand the latter's coldness. He was glad to have met Qian Wanyu and Dongfang Minghui, and he kept trying to engage them in conversation along the way, just to talk a bit more.

He had been stifled for days.

Qian Wanyu and Qian Ziyan had similar temperaments, both not prone to idle talk, speaking only about serious matters. Qian Wanyu was slightly better when with Dongfang Minghui, but Qian Ziyan, besides being a cultivation fanatic, was also inconsiderate.

"Don't you know that this Entangled Love was something Seventh sister got from an auction, and it's very useful?" As soon as she mentioned Entangled Love, Dongfang Minghui's cheeks reddened, and she pulled Mu Sheng aside to whisper, "I also want to choose something Seventh sister likes. Plus, during our time in Sleeping Dragon Valley, my silk umbrella was completely ruined, so this time I want to find a suitable weapon for myself."

"No wonder you're so eager," Mu Sheng realized, then started to worry himself, "The auction will definitely require a lot of spirit stones." He had spent most of his years either at the Royal Academy or with the Qian Family, with limited real-world experience, and naturally, his earnings in spirit stones were limited. At an auction, it wasn't uncommon for bids to jump by hundreds of thousands of spirit stones in an instant.

Mu Sheng shook his head with a sigh, "Forget it, I don't really need anything for the time being."

Reminded by Mu Sheng, Dongfang Minghui suddenly realized that there were hardly any spirit stones left in her space, and she let out a wail.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Seventh sister," Dongfang Minghui's expression was almost tearful. She had spent a lot to hunt down that madwoman Xian, and most of her spirit stones had ended up in Wei Junlan's pocket. Now, even if she went to the auction, she probably couldn't afford even the cheapest item.

All the way, Dongfang Minghui had a mournful expression, looking as if someone owed her three million spirit stones and hadn't paid her back.

"Let's rest for a while," Mu Sheng suggested, noticing that Myron was having difficulty walking and that the distance between them was increasing.

"Alright."

Dongfang Minghui felt disheartened, but she still approached Myron to check his wounds, asking, "Myron, do you know anyone in Darray City? Where are your relatives?"

Myron fell into a rare silence until she had reapplied his medicine. "Are you trying to send me away, miss?"

Dongfang Minghui was taken aback, wondering if she had been too obvious.

"Of course not. I was just thinking that since you've been missing for so long, your friends or family must be worried about you. Besides, once we reach the auction in Darray City, you'll need to report back, right?"

"Mhm."

After a while, Myron said, "The leader of the caravan knows me, but I'm not sure if the caravan has arrived safely in Darray City. Those materials are very important; if they don't arrive on time, we'll be punished."

"Don't worry. If there really was a problem, the auction wouldn't be able to proceed as normal."

After saying this, Dongfang Minghui stepped aside and spoke to Little Colour in her soul sea, "It's strange. I know of Nangong Yuntian. Although he enjoys his pleasures, he's always been reliable in serious matters. What Myron just said doesn't fit Nangong Yuntian's style of doing things."

"He must have approached you with some ulterior motives." Little Colour couldn't figure it out either. Ever since the other party appeared, he had been sickly, and for a beastman to be unconscious all day was indeed peculiar. "But his purpose hasn't been revealed yet. You should still be careful on the road."

"Mhm."

Dongfang Minghui absentmindedly responded, then turned to see Qian Ziyan lying on his back against a tree trunk, one hand holding a wood carving, the other moving swiftly. The tree branch was heavily pressed by the qin on his back, causing the tree to groan in distress.

"Sorry about that." Dongfang Minghui casually poured some spiritual liquid onto the tree.

"Why are you pouring spiritual liquid on this tree?"

Qian Ziyan leaped down, quickly stowing the wood carving into his wide sleeves, and looked at her curiously. From his first glance at Dongfang Minghui, he felt a strong sense of familiarity, even stronger than when facing Qian Wanyu.

Dongfang Minghui, who had only dealt with the stubborn Uncle Wood who had lost his spiritual intelligence, was now somewhat at a loss facing Qian Ziyan, who seemed to have reverted to his state from twenty years ago. She looked up and pointed to where Qian Ziyan had been, "The tree trunk was crushed by you; it's hurt. The spiritual liquid is to compensate it."

"Hurt?" Qian Ziyan raised an eyebrow, his serious expression rivaling that of Seventh Sister, but there was still a hint of confusion on his face, "How would you know?"

"Uncle, I am a Wood Spiritual Master, and I have a higher affinity with plants. I can slightly sense their emotions," Dongfang Minghui patiently explained in a lowered voice, "Actually, plants have feelings too."

A flash of crimson flickered in Qian Ziyan's eyes, too quick to catch, "Someone once said something similar, and it's utterly ridiculous."

"Who?" Dongfang Minghui quickly followed up with a question, but regretted it immediately after asking. Uncle Wood's memories were nothing more than his experiences from his early years with the Qian Family, and the only person associated with plant affinity was, "Meng Ruoyu!"

Now it was Qian Ziyan's turn to be surprised, "You know him?"

Dongfang Minghui scratched her head, feeling that it was a long story. She remembered Meng Ruoyu solely because of the Three Lives Mirror, which inexplicably gave her a set of memories that didn't belong to her, "Not exactly acquainted, I've only heard that the Meng Family's prophecy techniques in the empire are very remarkable, and I visited the Meng Family once."

It was indeed strange. The current Meng Prophet seemed to have a strong affinity with plants as well. The vast greenery of the Meng Family estate and the grass hut where the Meng Prophet resided were all quite curious. Could it be that the Meng Family naturally had an affinity with plants? "Uncle, did you know Meng Ruoyu back then? Was he the prophet at that time?"

Qian Ziyan's face darkened as if it was about to drip water. If someone else had asked him about Meng Ruoyu, he probably would have lashed out long ago.

Dongfang Minghui only realized the gravity of the situation when she saw his bloodshot eyes and took two steps back in fright, "Uncle Wood, if you don't want to talk about it, I won't force you. I just wanted to verify something."

Qian Wanyu sensed that the atmosphere was off and decisively came over, pulling Dongfang Minghui behind her, "Uncle, are you alright?"

Qian Ziyan was not alright. Every time he thought of that bastard Meng Ruoyu, he would fall into a state of rage.

"Everyone, step back a bit, don't crowd around him." Mu Sheng, seeing Qian Ziyan's bloodshot eyes, hurriedly pulled Qian Wanyu and Dongfang Minghui aside, retreating more than just a few steps, leaving Qian Ziyan standing there alone, "He hasn't been like this for a while, why would he suddenly have an outburst now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Although Uncle Wood has recovered, he occasionally loses his sanity." Mu Sheng had seen Uncle Wood lose control at the Qian Family before, which was no different from before he regained his senses. Fortunately, his condition had been improving, and such outbursts had become less frequent. At least, Mu Sheng had been anxious about following Uncle Wood out for training, and this was the first time he had encountered such a situation.

Dongfang Minghui said with a bitter face, "It's my fault, I shouldn't have asked."

Knowing that Uncle Wood couldn't handle being provoked, she would never have mentioned that person's name.

"What did you ask?"

"I just carelessly asked about Meng Ruoyu's situation." Dongfang Minghui admitted her mistake, speaking in a particularly soft voice, especially when mentioning that name, "I was curious why the Meng Family is so close to plants, and wanted to ask Uncle, but then—"

Qian Wanyu touched Ninth Sister's head, which was lowered like a quail, with some helplessness, and glanced at Qian Ziyan, "It's okay, Uncle knows you didn't mean it, but why did you suddenly bring up Meng Ruoyu and the Meng Family?"

Dongfang Minghui didn't know why, but thinking of Meng Ruoyu reminded her of the special abilities he displayed in the Qian Family's back mountain, almost indistinguishable from her own, "I've been looking for the traitor who betrayed the Wanshou clan, and when I heard Uncle mention that, I suddenly wondered… could the Meng Family be the clan that betrayed the Wanshou clan back then?"

"What Wanshou clan?" Qian Ziyan's cold voice suddenly interjected.

Mu Sheng and Dongfang Minghui both jumped in fright, instinctively moving closer to Qian Wanyu.

"What's so special about the Meng Family?" Qian Wanyu frowned, knowing that as long as the traitor of the Wanshou clan remained at large, Ninth Sister would always be preoccupied with this matter.

"When I visited the Meng family before, I discovered that the Prophet Meng also had a particular fondness for greenery. His medicinal garden was filled with numerous medicinal plants, and even the thatched cottage he lived in alone was entwined with climbing vines and branches. Outside the house was a large expanse of lawn, which looked exceptionally comforting."

"Minghui… these aren't really that strange. In the Empire, it's normal for those who like greenery to have a medicinal garden at home." Mu Sheng felt this was a bit far-fetched. Not to mention the Meng family, the Qian Family also had a special back mountain beside the combat arena and the armory, and even nine peaks, within which many medicinal plants were hidden.

In comparison, the Qian Family seemed to be somewhat more unique.

"Of course, I know that these alone aren't enough to prove that the Meng family were the traitors of that year, but, in the Three Lives Mirror, I clearly saw Meng Ruoyu leave a path to the fourth peak through the plants. I'm certain he knows how to communicate with plants."

"But—what's seen in the Three Lives Mirror might not necessarily be true, Minghui. Could you be too anxious?" Mu Sheng expressed his doubts.

"How could that be?" Dongfang Minghui's face flushed with argument, and her voice momentarily uncontrollable. She had always believed that what she saw was Uncle Wood and Qian Mama from twenty years ago, and naturally couldn't accept it being denied suddenly, "Whether it's true or not, we'll know once we ask uncle."

Qian Ziyan glanced at her indifferently, "What do you mean by leaving a path to the fourth peak before?"

Dongfang Minghui had no choice but to recount the scene she witnessed in the Three Lives Mirror. The three of them had left from the third peak together. As soon as she finished speaking and looked towards Qian Ziyan, his expression was indifferent, casually glancing at her.

"There indeed was such an incident." After Qian Ziyan finished speaking, the crimson in his eyes that had just faded reappeared, "Had I known this, I should have let him die under the claws of the magical beasts that day…"

"Uncle, please don't get agitated, control yourself." Mu Sheng was experienced, quickly trying to soothe him, but his steps were retreating, ready to withdraw at a moment's notice if the situation turned sour.

Dongfang Minghui was so frightened she didn't dare to ask further, but Qian Ziyan's expression gradually confirmed her guess—the Meng family was very likely the traitors she had been searching for, "Seventh sister."

Qian Wanyu took her hand and pulled her behind herself.

"The Meng family's people as prophets, are born without a trace of spiritual power; they have always been ordinary people." Qian Ziyan slowly started to talk about some matters concerning the Meng family, "Meng Ruoyu was a man of courage and determination. He once saved Lingling, and since then our Qian Family has had dealings with the Meng family. Lingling even treated him as a friend, often looking after him. Who would have thought he would turn into that—"

Turn into the kind of person they despised the most… a Death Spiritual Master.

Those memories sealed in the past were brought up again, and Dongfang Minghui stared at Qian Ziyan's eyes, watching them change like magic, alternating between black and red.

"If it's really as uncle said, that he was an ordinary person, then transforming into a Death Spiritual Master is very likely." Qian Wanyu had also heard from Qing Mo that there indeed exists a technique in this world that could allow an ordinary person to become a Death Spiritual Master, but the sacrifices required were much greater than those of a Dark Spiritual Master, "Corpse Refining Technique."

"Why would Meng Ruoyu, who could have been a good prophet, choose to become a Death Spiritual Master?" Dongfang Minghui was utterly confused, giving up a bright future to turn himself into something neither human nor ghost.

"It probably has to do with their family's strange illness," said Qian Ziyan, "It was precisely because there were rumors that there was a Spiritual Saint's relic at the border of the beast clans, and a medicinal plant that could bring the dead back to life. Lingling was moved and wanted to find this medicinal plant to extend father's life. Who would have thought that before we could find the medicinal plant, Meng Ruoyu would make his move on us first…"

It was precisely because of the hereditary illness in Meng Ruoyu's family that Qian Yiling believed in the existence of this medicinal plant, not expecting so many things to happen along the way.

"I think I know why he chose the path of a Death Spiritual Master." Qian Ziyan said with a strange cold smile on his lips, "Their Meng family, every thirty years, has to replace their prophet because none of their generations live past thirty."

"Is that so?"

"The reason they gave to the public was that they received a warning from the heavens for revealing too much foresight."

Qian Wanyu nodded in understanding, "No wonder an ordinary person would choose such a difficult path." It turns out it was because his life was running short. It seems everything makes sense now. "But, uncle, I think the reason he reached out his evil claws towards you and mother wasn't because of the medicinal plants."

She speculated that Meng Ruoyu himself wasn't aware of the medicinal plants in Sleeping Dragon Valley; they had all been deceived by the person spreading rumors. However in reality, Sleeping Dragon Valley did have sacred medicine. The rumors were a mix of truth and lies, making it hard to distinguish the real from the fake.

Qian Ziyan said indifferently, "Regardless, I will find him even if I have to dig three feet into the ground."

Dongfang Minghui nodded repeatedly. She also wanted to find Meng Ruoyu and ask questions, but how could someone who disappeared for twenty years be found so easily? Perhaps, this matter would only be resolved after they returned to the empire and met with the Meng family.

"It's getting late, should we start our journey early?" Seeing that their discussion was almost over, Myron walked over slowly and asked.

"Mhm."

Everyone set off again. Toothless, annoyed by Little Chubby, completely ignored her and took the lead.

Little Chubby looked innocent and eventually climbed onto Dongfang Minghui's shoulder, looking down at Toothless walking in front of her.

The sky gradually darkened, accompanied by the wind that blew hot and cold. Dongfang Minghui glanced up, "Seventh sister, it looks like it's going to rain."

They were still on the main road, with no village ahead and no shop behind. The group wanted to quicken their pace, but there was one who was lagging behind.

"Roar—"

Little White suddenly appeared in front of everyone. Qian Wanyu commanded, "Myron and Mu Sheng, get on."

Toothless voluntarily walked back to Dongfang Minghui's side, rubbed against her, and lay down.

"Toothless, thank you."

"Come on up, mother."

As soon as Dongfang Minghui sat down, Toothless stood up and started walking slowly. Little White was frustrated because it couldn't release its anger, as besides the slightly familiar Mu Sheng, it particularly disliked the scent of the other person but had to carry him.

"Uncle, are you interested in a race?"

"How shall we compete?"

Qian Wanyu glanced ahead, "Let's see who finds a place to shelter from the wind and rain first, a cave would be ideal."

"Seventh sister, do you want to come up?" Dongfang Minghui turned around and saw Qian Wanyu and Qian Ziyan still standing there, seemingly discussing something. She patted Toothless's back, only to find that Toothless quickened its pace.

Qian Wanyu naturally knew how temperamental spirit beasts could be; it was indeed a bit much to ask Little White to carry two strangers.

"Okay."

The wind was getting stronger. Dongfang Minghui's vision blurred for a moment, and she saw two figures swiftly passing by Toothless, one on each side. She immediately said to Toothless, "Toothless, hurry and follow, don't fall behind."

Toothless sped up, moving as fast as the wind, and Little White, seeing this, also started to chase wildly. Mu Sheng and Myron nearly tumbled off Little White.

Outside, the wind howled and the rain poured down fiercely and abruptly.

Dongfang Minghui stood at the entrance of the cave and noticed that the rain showed no signs of stopping. Usually, the evenings were unbearably hot, but now with the rain, it felt quite cool.

"It's probably going to be even hotter after the rain stops."

"Ninth Sister, what are you muttering about? Come over here, don't get wet in the rain."

Qian Wanyu casually pulled her over, and Dongfang Minghui lazily leaned into her embrace. They were so accustomed to each other that when Qian Wanyu wrapped her arm around her waist, the other didn't feel anything amiss.

However, Mu Sheng, who had just started a fire, stared blankly at the two, who seemed like conjoined twins. He hadn't thought much of their affectionate behavior before, but perhaps because they had been apart for a while and were now reunited, Mu Sheng felt that something was off about the picture of the two standing at the cave entrance, despite its beauty.

Qian Ziyan was originally looking at the gloomy sky outside the cave, but his gaze involuntarily fell on Dongfang Minghui and Qian Wanyu.

Qian Wanyu's chin rested on Dongfang Minghui's shoulder, her arm encircling the other's waist. This intimate gesture surprised Qian Ziyan, yet the parties involved seemed completely unaware.

"Seventh sister, tell me what an auction is like, I'm curious." Dongfang Minghui was still worried that her purse wasn't full enough, and it would be embarrassing if she couldn't afford something she wanted to buy with spirit stones.

"An auction?" Qian Wanyu's low and vibrant voice pierced through her eardrums and into her heart, like a gemstone causing ripples in a pond, irresistibly tantalizing, "First tell me why you want to go to an auction?"

"Of course, I want to auction something," Dongfang Minghui said confidently, "Even if you don't auction anything, it's good to broaden your horizons. Seventh sister, I've never been to an auction before, tell me about it."

Actually, Qian Wanyu felt that auctions were just so-so, especially since she hadn't paid much attention to how the Yuntian Pavilion's auction was set up at the time; she was only interested in the auction items. But since Ninth Sister was rarely so coquettish, she naturally wanted to satisfy her.

"Well, the Yuntian Pavilion's auction is quite luxurious, with many Spiritual Masters guarding both upstairs and downstairs. I remember sitting on the first floor."

"The first layer? Seventh sister, don't you need a ticket to enter the auction? How did you get in at that time?"

"Do you still remember our time in the Demon Beast Forest?"

"…"

Mu Sheng was actually curious to hear more, as he was equally intrigued by the auction. However, observing the two of them speaking softly with smiles and lowered brows, they created a special atmosphere that was impenetrable to outsiders. Scratching his head, he turned to Qian Ziyan to complain, "Uncle, don't you think Sister Wanyu and Minghui have an unusually close relationship?"

So close that it feels a bit off.

Qian Ziyan remained silent, giving him a faint glance before turning his attention to Toothless. The two spirit beasts, one black and one white, lay side by side in a rare moment of harmony. Moreover, the black spirit beast exuded a particularly dominant aura that seemed ready to burst forth.

"This is…"

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