Jiang Ke’er was a woman of action—if she thought of something, she did it immediately.
She grabbed Mushuang’s hand and, while the Senior Sisters hadn’t yet arrived at the classroom, peeked inside.
After confirming there were no precious items—just some desks and stools—and seeing that the surroundings were open enough to avoid any chain reaction fire, Jiang Ke’er finally relaxed.
“Junior Sister, we’re not really going to…” Mushuang shivered slightly.
“Although Shifu has a good temper… if we get caught…”
“Don’t worry, we won’t get caught,” Jiang Ke’er grinned and pulled out the two Array Stones for the Heavenly Thunder Annihilation Array, placing them on the floor and aiming them at the desks before suddenly releasing a surge of electricity!
The lightning quickly ignited the wooden desks and chairs. Once satisfied with the result, Jiang Ke’er sprinted away!
Mushuang hurriedly followed Jiang Ke’er’s lead and ran as well.
The two of them kept running all the way back to Jiang Ke’er’s Small Bamboo Hut, pretending to be hard at work memorizing Pharmacology.
Soon, faint flickering flames appeared on the other side of the mountain.
One of the Senior Sisters knocked on doors and announced, “Shifu told me to inform you all—the classroom for the Yongxin Class was burned down! No need to attend the Yongxin Class for the next few days, haha…”
This Senior Sister laughed wildly as she went door to door spreading the news.
Before long, the entire Disciples’ Residence Area in Lingyin Valley was filled with a joyful atmosphere.
“There are traces of arson at the scene. I really wonder which Hero Senior Sister pulled this off!”
“It’s New Year’s! Long live!”
It seemed that Mushuang wasn’t the only one who disliked attending the Yongxin Class.
Hiding by the corner and eavesdropping, Mushuang’s face flushed red with excitement and she felt a secret thrill.
“Junior Sister! Did you hear that? We’re heroes!”
“No, you’re the hero,” Jiang Ke’er said with a meaningful tone.
Mushuang didn’t catch the hidden meaning behind Jiang Ke’er’s words and was still lost in the joy of causing trouble.
“Since we don’t have Yongxin Class, I’m going to the Hot Spring at the Mountain Top to play with the Senior Sisters! Junior Sister, are you coming?” Mushuang asked excitedly.
“No, I still have things to do. I need to organize what I learned today,” Jiang Ke’er shook her head and declined politely.
“That’s too bad, then I’ll go alone~ Come join us when you have time! The Hot Spring is really lively! See you~”
Watching Mushuang leave, Jiang Ke’er returned to her desk and continued taking notes on Pharmacology.
Cultivators had memories far beyond ordinary people, and Jiang Ke’er felt her learning ability was many times greater than the average cultivator’s.
Her thinking was agile, and with her strong soul, she rarely felt fatigue.
Sometimes, she even entered a monster-like study mode…
As a result, she memorized an entire year’s worth of Pharmacology in just one day and even deduced many insights not found in the textbooks.
Closing the books on Pharmacology and Alchemy, Jiang Ke’er stretched and looked out the window.
Her Small Bamboo Hut had a perfect view of the sunset.
It had been a long time since she had enjoyed such peaceful days.
Resting her chin in her hands, she gazed dreamily as the golden dusk slowly dimmed until the sun fully sank behind the mountains.
A few Cranes flew in a line under the afterglow. They circled a few times and then flew toward Lingyin Valley, going door to door in search of food.
“These little rascals,” Jiang Ke’er chuckled.
Obviously, these Cranes had long regarded Lingyin Valley as a snack depot.
The girls there loved feeding them, and the Cranes remembered this, so they came daily to ask for treats.
Jiang Ke’er had prepared some snacks—fried fish strips leftover from lunch, but cooked by herself.
“Don’t worry, there’s enough for everyone.”
Watching the Cranes stretch their slender necks and open their beaks wide like hungry fledglings, Jiang Ke’er couldn’t help but laugh as she fed them fish strips one by one.
After swallowing the fish, the Cranes froze.
At first, just as Jiang Ke’er expected, they showed expressions of enjoyment and happiness.
But after savoring the snack, they exchanged glances, then decisively turned and flew off at high speed toward halfway up the mountain in Lingyin Valley, disappearing into the mist.
Jiang Ke’er was puzzled, but soon the Cranes returned!
They landed just outside her window. One of the larger ones turned its back to Jiang Ke’er and let out an anxious cry.
“You want me… to ride on your back?” Jiang Ke’er asked tentatively.
The Crane nodded repeatedly.
She hesitated for a moment but still climbed on.
Her figure was petite and light, so she could sit steadily without putting much pressure on the Crane.
The Crane let out a call, spread its wide wings, and plunged headlong off the cliff.
Jiang Ke’er quickly grabbed the base of the Crane’s neck.
Carried by the Crane, she plunged into the clouds.
The Cranes seemed to have a way to navigate within the clouds. They skillfully dodged branches and jagged rocks sticking out halfway up the mountain, flying hidden within the mist for quite some time.
Jiang Ke’er didn’t know where they were taking her. This strange layer of clouds actually blocked her spiritual senses… but judging by the flight time, she should still be somewhere within Lingyin Valley’s territory.
Finally, the clouds cleared before her eyes.
The Crane flapped a few times, folded its wings, and stopped at the entrance of a mountain cave.
Vines and wildflowers covered the cave entrance on both sides. Jiang Ke’er jumped down from the Crane’s back and nervously surveyed the surroundings.
Although it was a cave, it was not dilapidated but decorated in a way that looked like a girl’s room.
Instead of the expected damp darkness, a faint, delicate fragrance lingered inside.
The Crane nudged her back with its head, signaling her to enter.
The Cranes belonging to Taiming Mountain wouldn’t harm her, right…? Jiang Ke’er felt uneasy inside.
Still, she stepped into the cave.
Not far from the entrance was a clean vine hammock, implying someone lived here.
Jiang Ke’er walked further and saw a campfire flickering nearby, illuminating a figure sitting by it.
The person had their back to Jiang Ke’er, carving something on the ground.
They muttered softly as they worked.
“…Seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, I’m still hiding in this cave, too afraid to go out. It’s all those endless annoying pests’ fault; I’ve marked this grudge down.”
“But it’s okay. As long as they can’t find me, sooner or later I’ll wear them down.”
“My stomach’s so hungry, I’m tired of eating mountain food, but thankfully these Crane buddies help me out, going out to beg and catch fish.”
“…But I’m tired of this too. I miss the meals outside so much, ahhh!”
Jiang Ke’er stood quietly beside the figure, too afraid to make a sound.
This senior who had secluded herself in a cave seemed not very bright.
“You’re here,” the figure sighed softly, then turned around.
Upon seeing Jiang Ke’er, she was momentarily stunned. “Huh?! It’s you!”
The dim light made it hard for Jiang Ke’er to see clearly at first, but squinting into the firelight, she finally recognized the face.
Jiang Ke’er was shocked and stammered while pointing, “The… Gambling Den Boss Lady?! What are you doing here! Uh—”
Before Jiang Ke’er could see what she was doing, the woman suddenly lunged at her like lightning!