Several hours later, Lu Tiandu, guided by Xin Ruyin, landed on an unassuming, nameless hill.
Shrouded in mist, the hill was covered in a variety of trees and bamboo, though all common species. The winding, rugged path, covered in a variety of green grasses, resembled many other nameless hills in the world—a perfectly ordinary sight.
Led by the two women, Lu Tiandu arrived at a location that looked like any other mountain.
Xin Ruyin then cast several spells in the air, and the scenery suddenly transformed. A swirling mist revealed a passage roughly ten feet wide.
"Brother Lu, please come in!"
Xin Ruyin had recovered considerably by this point, a faint smile on her face at her avenged vengeance.
"What a brilliant illusionary formation!" Lu Tiandu exclaimed in admiration.
Although he had previously sent out his spiritual sense to investigate, he hadn't detected a cave dwelling there. This formation likely required the spiritual sense of a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage to detect it.
"This is the Illusionary Sky Net Formation. If Brother Lu is interested, I can make one for him!"Xin Ruyin's pretty face lit up with pride upon hearing Lu Tiandu's praise for the formation.
Her words seemed filled with joy at having helped Lu Tiandu.
"Indeed, my young lady is quite talented in formations!"
Xiaomei, the eleven-year-old girl, tugged on Lu Tiandu's sleeve, her face filled with excitement.
Because of her young age, the emotion of separation and death came and went quickly for the little girl. Seeing her mistress's great revenge avenged, she chattered nonstop with questions on the way to Lu Tiandu, growing even more reliant on this older brother.
After all, on the way back, Lu Tiandu had refused the formation inheritance and jade plate Xin Ruyin's mother had inherited from an unknown formation master as a reward. He simply expressed his hope that Xin Ruyin could help him develop a few advanced formations, and he would pay the market price for them, with no expectation of repayment.
This made Xin Ruyin and the maid Xiaomei feel that Lu Tiandu was of noble character and upright, and they wanted to make close friends with him.
Soon, the three of them passed the winding path and appeared in front of a group of bamboo houses. This group of bamboo houses was surrounded by a bamboo forest, which looked quiet and profound, and very meaningful.
Xin Ruyin looked at the small home in front of her where she had lived for more than ten years, and her heart ached.
It was only a few days later, the old house was still there, but the people were gone.
Xiaomei was also a little sad at this time. Without the mistress here, it would only be her and the young lady in the future.
Lu Tiandu seemed to feel the sadness of the two. He patted Xin Ruyin's shoulder gently, touched the little girl's head, and said, "It's okay, Brother Lu will come to see you often in the future..."
These words made Xin Ruyin's emotions lose control for a while, and she could no longer hold back her tears, which dripped down.
Lu Tiandu gently embraced the girl in his arms: "Cry, cry and everything will be fine..."
Her heart-wrenching sobs echoed throughout the courtyard. Lu Tiandu's chest was already soaked, and his waist was also wet with the little girl's snot and tears. He said nothing, simply patting their backs gently...
Lu Tiandu had never experienced the pain of losing a loved one in his previous life. In his previous life, when he was twelve years old, his parents died in an accident. He had sought the details of their death, but Uncle Yongqing told him that he would only be able to seek revenge after he had established his foundation, so he had to give up.
The two people's emotions now infected him, and his heart, which had gradually hardened, became even more sad.
After an unknown amount of time, the beautiful woman in his arms had long since stopped crying. A few blushes rose on her slightly haggard face, and she lay motionless in Lu Tiandu's arms.
"Ruyin, Brother Lu has been standing here for so long, why don't you let me in for a cup of tea?"
A teasing voice startled Xin Ruyin, who was now bewildered. She quickly pulled away from Lu Tiandu's embrace and gently said, "Brother Lu, please come in."
Free from that broad, warm embrace, Xin Ruyin felt a sense of loss...
"Xiaomei, go get me that can of tea I always drink..."
The little girl, Xiaomei, had also wiped her tears, replied sweetly, and dashed off to a bamboo hut.
After Lu Tiandu was welcomed into the guest hut, Xin Ruyin made him tea. Then, after a moment's excuse, the two girls left Lu Tiandu alone before washing up in other rooms.
Their clothes were already quite dirty from the hassle of fleeing and the grief of their loved ones' deaths.
Seeing the two leave, Lu Tiandu also took out his coat and changed into clean clothes. The yellow sand and the tears of the two women before, his clothes also needed to be changed.
An hour later, the two women finally arrived. It seems that no matter which world, women always take a lot of time to wash.
At this time, two beauties appeared in front of Lu Tiandu, one big and one small.
Xin Ruyin was still dressed in plain white, with well-trimmed eyebrows and a sharp nose, a delicate face like jade, and a pair of bright eyes that had no swelling and were bright and bright, making people forget worldly things at first sight.
The girl had red lips and white teeth, a slight dimple on her cheeks, and a waist as slender as a willow, which could be held in one hand. She stood gracefully at the door of the bamboo house, looking at Lu Tiandu with a smile on her face. The
little girl Xiaomei was also dressed in plain white. Her pretty face had a bit of baby fat, and the corners of her eyes could not hide the joy that could not be concealed. She was a beauty at first glance.
"Brother Lu, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting!"
Xin Ruyin's voice, though still a little hoarse, still had a certain mellowness to it, a comforting quality.
Xiaomei also came bounding over, saying, "Brother Lu, let me get you a cup of tea." LuTiandu was also delighted to see these two beauties, one large and one small.
Time flies, and three days have passed in a flash.
After handling Xin's mother's funeral, the two women were visibly relieved. After all, the dead are gone, but the living must move on.
Inside the bamboo hut, Lu Tiandu frowned slightly as he withdrew the spiritual energy he had transferred into Xin Ruyin's body.
Xin Ruyin's face still showed a hint of discomfort caused by the burst of yang energy during her cultivation.
"Brother Lu, don't worry. My constitution is the Dragon Roar Body, a male body mistakenly born a woman. Unless I give up my cultivation, I'm afraid..."
A hint of bitterness crossed Xin Ruyin's lips, and her bright eyes dimmed.
How could she not be aware of her physical condition? Forced cultivation had disrupted her yin and yang energy, causing her meridians to gradually shift and atrophy. Yet, she was unwilling to give up the benefits of cultivation, such as heightened senses, abundant energy, photographic memory, the ability to fly, and an increased lifespan.
Although she had a good memory, she still longed for the photographic memory attained at the fifth level of Qi Refining.
Furthermore, for the sake of her beloved art of formations, she couldn't give up cultivation. After all, the study of advanced formations increasingly demanded her cultivation.
The fact that her mother had died because of her own intractable illness was a deep pain in her heart.
"Since we've found an ancient remedy, and your aunt has painstakingly acquired the elixir, you should prepare some pills and try them. I'll help you research the classics to see if there's a cure when we return to the Lu family..."
Xin Ruyin hadn't been practicing for long, and the damage to her meridians was still minor. However, in the years ahead, as her cultivation level increased, it would likely worsen.
Lu Tiandu surely didn't know the solution, but for now, he could only offer comfort.
After all, whether it was the periodic infusion of Yin Qi from the Nascent Soul seniors to alleviate their injuries, or the cold essence of the Level 10 Ice Phoenix to balance the excess Yang, these were currently unsolvable problems.
Lu Tiandu turned to the carefree Xiaomei beside him and said,
"I didn't expect Xiaomei to possess dual spiritual roots of Wood and Earth. Given sufficient cultivation resources, building a foundation wouldn't be a problem. She could be a great help to you in the future..."
"Yes, Xiaomei's aptitude is no less than that of a sect disciple. I've delayed her..." Xin Ruyin chuckled bitterly.
"Miss, what are you talking about?" Xiaomei shook her head like a rattle, pouting. "I don't want to leave you! If it weren't for the mistress saving me, I would have died long ago... I promised the mistress that I would stay with you forever..."
The girl clung to Xin Ruyin with a sweet, innocent look. "I will always be by your side, young lady. I don't want to join a sect!"
Xin Ruyin said nothing more, but kissed Xiaomei's forehead affectionately. After years of being together, their bond was perhaps closer than that of ordinary sisters.
If there really is no way to solve her physical condition, perhaps it would be a good idea to entrust Xiaomei to Brother Lu in the future. Thinking of this, she felt a little heartbroken.
[Seeking recommendation votes, and follow-up reading and sorry for the late]
(End of this chapter)