After binding with a genius, I became an immortal by exploiting loopholes.

Chapter 119 The Wounded

"That's more like it!" Qian Wanliang chuckled.

The group went to the small restaurant next to the cafeteria with practiced ease, in the same old spot, and ordered the same few dishes.

As they were eating, the light at the doorway dimmed, and Shen Yao, carrying a bowl of spiritual tea, passed by outside. She glanced inside, saw them, and paused.

Lu Qingchen nodded to her.

Shen Yao walked in carrying tea, smiling as she glanced around at the people at the table: "Are you celebrating?"

"Senior Sister Shen!" Wang Ming's eyes lit up. "Come, come, sit down with me!"

Shen Yao waved her hand: "I have other matters to attend to at the Spirit Plant Hall, so I won't sit down."

She looked at Lu Qingchen, her tone teasing, "Junior Brother Lu is now someone even Palace Master Su remembers by name. You guys better cling to this big shot."

Wang Ming's chopsticks stopped in mid-air, Qian Wanliang's mouth dropped open, and Li Si's hand holding the cup froze slightly.

Shen Yao smiled, turned around and left.

Once she was out of sight, Qian Wanliang came to his senses and asked Lu Qingchen in a low voice, "Who is she? Which peak is she from?"

"Senior Sister Shen Yao from the Spirit Plant Hall."

Lu Qingchen said.

Wang Meng stared at Lu Qingchen with a strange expression, then suddenly said, "Wait a minute, when did you get to know so many senior sisters in the sect? Last time it was Gu Qingyi, this time it's Shen Yao, who will it be next?"

"They're all senior sisters from the Spirit Plant Hall; we met while farming." Lu Qingchen picked up a piece of food.

Wang Ming wanted to ask more questions, but Li Si stopped him.

Li Si glanced at Lu Qingchen and changed the subject: "Let's drink, let's drink."

The meal lasted until evening.

Wang Ming's face was flushed from drinking, and he was walking unsteadily. He patted Lu Qingchen on the shoulder and said, "Don't forget your brothers if there are any good things in the future."

It was rare for Zhao Ming to speak, but he said that once he had established himself in the Spirit Plant Hall, he would also send some good seeds to Lu Qingchen.

Li Si walked last, patted Lu Qingchen on the shoulder before parting, and nodded without saying anything.

Lu Qingchen stood at the entrance of the small restaurant, watching the group walk away arm in arm. After standing there for a while, he turned around and walked back.

He spent the night at the sect and returned to Qingmu Manor early the next morning by spirit horse carriage.

He was the only one in the carriage, and the wheels creaked and groaned as they rolled over the mountain road.

Lu Qingchen leaned against the corner, mentally reviewing the commendation ceremony.

Zhou Yuandao is right—the commendation meeting is like opening a door; whether you can walk in depends on yourself.

Right now, the most important things are cultivation and farming; everything else is secondary.

It was already afternoon when we returned to Aoki Village.

Everything in Zhuangwei was as usual, with the pale blue light covering the protective field appearing and disappearing in the sunlight.

Sun Han came out of the house leaning on a wooden stick. When he saw Qingchen return, he smiled and said, "Qingchen, you're back."

"Um.

"6

Lu Qingchen looked him up and down. "How have you been these past few days? Any unusual activity at the Spirit Protection Field?"

"no."

Sun Han shook his head. "I've been staying by the fields these past few days, and I haven't seen any unfamiliar faces approaching. Everyone in the village is busy with their own things, so there's nothing much going on."

.

Lu Qingchen nodded, took out a small cloth bag from his pocket and handed it to him: "These are cultivation pills issued by the sect. I don't need them, so you can take them."

Sun Han paused for a moment, then took the cloth bag and opened a corner—inside were several Qi Gathering Pills of good quality, much better than those sold in the market outside.

His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but Lu Qingchen had already turned and walked towards the Spirit Protection Field.

Sun Han clutched the cloth bag, looked down at his still somewhat clumsy right leg, and pursed his lips tightly.

He carefully tucked the cloth bag into his body, then, leaning on his wooden stick, walked towards the protective field. The weeds along the edge of the protective field needed to be pulled.

Life returned to its usual rhythm.

In the protective field, the emerald light of the earth vein spirit embryo remained stable, and the seeds of the Vermilion Fruit finally sprouted a little bit, raising a small mound on the soil surface.

The new season's premium rice has sprouted in the fields, a vibrant green.

On the third day, Lu Qingchen was loosening the soil around the spiritual herbs in the field when he suddenly heard a commotion coming from the village. He could vaguely hear people shouting something like "over there in the valley," as well as words like "blood" and "female cultivator."

Lu Qingchen straightened up and glanced in the direction of the manor.

Seeing Sun Han walking over from that direction with a wooden stick, he waved to him.

"Go and see what's going on."

Sun Han responded and went into the village, leaning on his wooden stick.

Lu Qingchen squatted down and continued loosening the soil, not really paying attention to it.

Although the valley was close to the direction where he discovered the stone chamber, the entrance to the chamber was concealed by an illusion array, and the cave entrance was also blocked tightly with rocks. Unless someone knew the exact location, it would be impossible to find it.

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Sun Han returned, leaning on a wooden stick.

"Qingchen," he gasped for breath, "said they found an injured and unconscious female cultivator in the valley, covered in blood, and the tenant farmers are talking about it."

Lu Qingchen paused for a moment.

"Where was it found?" he asked.

"I don't know the specifics, but I heard it was on the edge of a valley, not far from the end of our village. Old Zhang and his son took a shortcut back from chopping wood and found her near a pile of rocks. They said the female cultivator's face was frighteningly pale and she was covered in injuries."

Lu Qingchen remained silent for a moment, a very subtle sense of unease flashing through his mind.

"A female cultivator?" He tossed the weeds he was holding onto the edge of the field and asked again, "Does anyone know her?"

"I don't recognize him. He's a complete stranger. The tenant farmers all say they've never seen him on the estate before. He's probably in his early twenties. He looks like a wandering monk. His robes are all worn out."

Lu Qingchen hummed in agreement and didn't ask any more questions.

What does an injured, unfamiliar female cultivator have to do with him?

The stone chamber was hidden behind the illusion array; unless she knew the exact location of the entrance, she wouldn't be able to find it even if she got right up to it.

He suppressed his doubts and continued to loosen the soil.

More news came in the evening.

The manor lord, Zhao Demao, went to see her in person and had the female cultivator carried to an empty room in the manor. He also took out the manor's spare healing medicine to treat her wounds.

Several spiritual plant practitioners also went to see it.

These messages were spread by Li Laosi along the field ridges.

He held his pipe in his mouth and told the tenant farmers who had gathered around that the female cultivator was lucky; she hadn't died despite losing so much blood, and the manor lord had gone to great lengths to stop the bleeding.

Lu Qingchen overheard these conversations while having dinner in the canteen. The tenant farmers were discussing it animatedly. Some said they had encountered a monster, others said they were being chased by enemies, and still others wondered if it was a mountain spirit in disguise.

He ate his meal silently, not paying much attention.

After dinner, he went to the protective spirit field again to check the condition of the earth vein spirit embryo. After confirming that everything was fine, he went back to his room to cultivate.

The next day, Lu Qingchen heard about new developments while having breakfast in the cafeteria.

Li Laosi sat at the next table, holding a bowl of porridge, and said to the tenant farmer next to him, "That female cultivator woke up. She woke up in the middle of the night last night. Wang Fu said that she was quite alert when she woke up. When she saw several big men standing in the room, she almost jumped out of bed, but she aggravated her wound and her face turned white from the pain."