Fallen leaves drifted down one by one, landing softly on the man's azure brocade robe.
Yue Qingsu led the sect disciples to Qingshui County and retrieved jade bottles from his storage ring.
"Distribute these. You must personally see them swallow the pills. Do not tell them why. This is an order."
"Yes!"
The disciples of Wuxiang Sect accepted the bottles and quickly split into groups, knocking on the wooden doors of the households.
Ancient Forest, Stone House.
Several deep green vines drilled out from the ground, then retracted back into Xiao Rong's body.
Meng Xiangxiang looked at him with admiration. "Xiao-yé, you are amazing. A single tree can replace a thousand people!"
Xiao Rong puffed out his chest and grinned broadly. "Of course. I'm a banyan tree, and banyans have countless aerial roots. Delivering the antidote one by one is too slow. I just stuffed it directly into their mouths. That way, no need to search for each of them."
Meng Xiangxiang nodded. "That is clever, Xiao-yé. The people of Qingshui County do not have high cultivation, they could not resist you anyway."
Xiao Rong bared his teeth in a triumphant smile. "Exactly. When we return, don't forget to tell Boss about this. She earned plenty of spirit stones in the Eastern Wilderness. If she is happy, maybe she'll reward me with a million!"
Meng Xiangxiang's jaw dropped. "A m-million spirit stones?"
Was Fairy really so generous? Would she casually give away a million?
In the corner of the stone house, the phoenix lazily closed its eyes and swept a glance at Meng Xiangxiang's shocked face. Inwardly, it thought: does that banyan even know how much a million spirit stones is? Judging by its master's usual habits, prying a single stone from her fingers was already an achievement.
But Xiao Rong was still basking in Meng Xiangxiang's admiration, grinning ear to ear. "That's right. Boss is rich. Xiao Jiang said the people of the Eastern Wilderness had no money, but if you gather the entire wilderness together, the spirit stones Boss carries alone are more than the Wuxiang Sect treasury."
Meng Xiangxiang murmured, "Even without controlling the Eastern Wilderness, just the supreme spirit vein she holds is already comparable to the entire Wuxiang Sect."
"Oh right, I forgot Boss still has a supreme spirit vein!" Xiao Rong slapped his forehead and muttered, "Boss is so wealthy, maybe when we go back she'll forget about the debt I owe her…"
"Stop dreaming. Master told me to deliver a message to you all—what belongs to me, not a single piece less."
The phoenix lazily opened its phoenix eyes, gazing at Xiao Rong's stiff expression with a satisfied smile.
Meng Xiangxiang stuck out her tongue. "Fairy must keep an account book in her heart."
Qingshui County, Inn.
Yue Qingsu stood tall on the rooftop, overlooking the flow of disciples below.
One disciple hurried through the streets and alleys, rushing to Yue Qingsu.
"Reporting to Elder, the pills are working! The miasma on their bodies has been purged!"
Yue Qingsu was stunned. "So soon?"
The disciple, excited, said, "Yes. The moment they swallowed, the miasma dispersed. They can once more absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth!"
Yue Qingsu froze for a moment. "I thought results would show tomorrow at the earliest. Pei Xianqiao's antidote is truly remarkable."
"Congratulations Elder! With this antidote, the Central Domain is saved!"
The lights of ten thousand households flared, disciples knelt and cheered, crowding around Yue Qingsu.
He stared in a daze for a moment, then suddenly laughed aloud.
"Hahaha, the one you should thank is not me, but my little disciple, Pei Xianqiao!"
"Pei Xianqiao? So it really was her!"
In the depths of the darkness beyond the reach of lamplight, a disciple wearing Miaoyun Sect robes slipped quietly away.
Stone House.
"What do you think the people of Qingshui County will do to thank us tomorrow? They are cultivators, they must have spirit stones, right?"
Xiao Rong munched on the fruit Meng Xiangxiang brought, legs swinging beneath the table as he dreamed about tomorrow's hero treatment.
Meng Xiangxiang hesitated. "They used to have spirit stones, but after being controlled by the black-robed man, all those stones were taken."
"That black-robed man is vile. Didn't Boss catch him?" Xiao Rong chewed furiously.
"She did, and killed him. Which means all those spirit stones are now in Fairy's hands."
Xiao Rong: "…"
"But Xiao-yé, don't worry. Even if they don't have spirit stones, the people of Qingshui are diligent. The spirit fruits I picked were grown by them. Once they know it was you and Fairy who detoxified them, they will surely bring large baskets of fruit to thank you!"
Meng Xiangxiang pursed her lips in a pure smile.
The phoenix's eyes lit up, flying to Meng Xiangxiang's side. "I want some too! I want to eat the fruits they pick!"
Xiao Rong clapped his hands. "Da Huang, delivering letters is hard work. When they send fruit tomorrow, I'll give you a basket!"
"Yay, yay!" The phoenix flapped joyfully around the stone house.
Meng Xiangxiang gazed out the window at the peaceful scene, resting her face in her hands with a relieved smile.
"Qingshui County is finally back to how it was. Mother, I have cleared my name, just as you wished…"
Western Sea. Demon Cavern.
"I have a feeling. Tonight, under this full moon, Pei Xianqiao will bring Li Luo qi into the Demon Abyss."
Yao Ranran looked up at the cold radiance of the full moon, cupping strands of moonlight in her hands.
"Then this disciple will accompany Master into the Abyss tonight!" Lu Ziqian also raised his gaze to the moon.
Yao Ranran asked curiously, "Why are you not questioning why I would have such a feeling?"
Lu Ziqian turned solemnly. "Why does Master have such a feeling?"
Yao Ranran: "…Because I once read a book. It said that when the cold full moon hangs high in the heavens, a pitiful white lotus will perish."
"A white lotus… it must dislike such an environment. We should move it indoors, away from the full moon, then it will not die."
Lu Ziqian spoke with utter sincerity.
Yao Ranran crushed the moonlight in her palms. "The white lotus dies not because the moon is too bright, but because it is too fragile, too dependent on external things."
"Disciple understands! Master is not afraid of the full moon. Master lives toward the light, able to overcome all tribulations and walk her own path!"
Lu Ziqian gazed at her with pure devotion.
Yao Ranran was taken aback, and after a long moment she said, "Disciple, your conclusion is excellent."
Lu Ziqian gave a restrained smile. The brilliance in his eyes outshone the stars.
He would work hard to become someone like his master. Master could help him become a Demon General of the Western Sea, but she could not always protect him.
If he wished to truly grow, he had to solve problems on his own. One day, he would have enough strength to stand at her side.
"Let us go. The moon is high enough."
Yao Ranran withdrew her gaze and left the Demon Cavern.
Lu Ziqian looked one last time at the full moon overhead, then followed her steps toward the forbidden Demon Abyss.