Hearing Qing Mu’s words, Qin Feng was momentarily stunned, then smiled and said, “An innocent man is suspected because he carries a jade?“
“But I am a bit curious—why did You Jian Xian’s father transplant the spiritual vein to his younger sister?”
Qing Mu wasn’t intentionally being nosy; he just felt steering the conversation away from the Six Flavors Hall was safer.
But that was just a subconscious move. If he truly thought it was that dangerous, he probably wouldn’t be drinking with Qin Feng right now.
“It’s said that You Jian Xian holds a grudge against her father because of the person she loves.”
“A cultivation family, huh.”
Qing Mu shook his head and asked again, “But Brother Qin Feng seems to know a lot of the inside story?”
“Heh, like I said earlier, my mother is an acquaintance of You Jian Xian.”
Qin Feng waved his hand, signaling not to discuss this matter further, and Qing Mu didn’t press.
It was just the complaint of an ambitious young man.
The meal didn’t last long. Qin Feng barely ate a few bites and, after two cups of wine, bid Qing Mu farewell, naturally leaving the dishes behind.
Qing Mu ate a little longer before taking the leftovers back to the courtyard.
When Nong Li, who had been waiting for him, saw the dishes, her fox tail wagged happily. For a moment, Qing Mu felt like Nong Li’s father, returning from a social engagement with some homemade food she couldn’t get at home.
“Thanks so much, brother!”
Nong Li’s polite, almost human-like manner was evident as she munched on half a pork knuckle, mumbling her thanks.
Qing Mu laughed at Nong Li’s demeanor. Sometimes he really forgot about her bloodthirsty nature. Thanks to that book, he could now keep Nong Li from slipping into a state of dementia.
Moreover, Nong Li’s learning ability wasn’t just limited to language.
She had watched him make pills only once and had already learned to prepare fragrant roasted chicken with medicinal herbs on her own.
Even the tea on the table was brewed by her.
It seemed she took the initiative to learn some of his habits and behaviors.
“When a fox girl is happy, try to get closer to her. Place your palm on the back of her neck and gently massage it—it will remind her of when her mother was alive.”
Suddenly recalling this from the book, Qing Mu hesitated, then quietly placed his hand on the back of Nong Li’s neck.
At first, Nong Li was startled—her fox ears and tail stiffened—but as Qing Mu gently massaged, her ears folded back, and her tail swayed from side to side.
“Mm…”
After a while of being massaged, Nong Li made a contented hum. The feeling of actually playing fox and fox spirit made Qing Mu somewhat pleased, but he still had more important matters to attend to.
“Huh?!”
The moment Qing Mu withdrew his hand, Nong Li’s face became alert again, her ears and tail stiffened once more. With a mouthful of grease and holding a chunk of pork knuckle, she sidled up to Qing Mu, exposing her neck.
“Mm!”
She signaled him to continue.
At least, the book was right.
Being massaged there was indeed very comforting for Nong Li.
“Alright, alright.”
Qing Mu placed his hand back on the flesh at the back of Nong Li’s neck and gently rubbed.
“Ugh…”
Nong Li’s eyes grew hazy; she bit into the pork knuckle, chewing lightly, then forgot to continue chewing because she was too comfortable.
Qing Mu lifted her chin slightly, reminding Nong Li to chew.
She was slowly eating the whole pork knuckle this way, alternating between being massaged and eating. Qing Mu felt he couldn’t keep going like this.
He withdrew his hand, warned Nong Li not to run off, and quickly left to avoid being overcome by her pleading eyes.
After Qing Mu left, Nong Li’s small, delicate brows furrowed, and her mouth twisted into a snarl, revealing sharp teeth.
Something strange, very strange.
Nong Li felt controlled by this familiar man.
Why were his hands so comfortable?
It seemed everything this man did was just to her liking.
She didn’t understand, felt confused, and even a little scared.
Did I write this? What did I write?
I can’t write characters, can I?
Recalling Qing Mu’s earlier words, “It can’t be that you really wrote it, right?” she was even more puzzled.
If this continued, Nong Li felt she might be tamed by Qing Mu into a dumb fox with no sense of caution.
Caution?
Nong Li looked at the table full of food, suddenly getting angry, her lips puffed high.
Then she kept eating.
…
…..
In the Six Flavors Hall’s study, having obtained the elder’s approval, Qing Mu finally fulfilled his wish and entered.
This place was nothing like what he had seen in his last simulation of the sect’s library.
No vast volumes of scriptures, no hidden mysteries.
It was just a two-story small building, mostly filled with the most ordinary pill formulas imaginable, some even mixed with juvenile storybooks.
So the moment Qing Mu entered, he already felt there was no chance of finding any mind-control pill formulas.
After searching for two hours, he gave up.
Though he hadn’t examined everything, he was certain that this shabby study had no useful pill recipes.
“No sleeping in the study.”
An old man passing by saw Qing Mu sitting on the floor, scratching his head in frustration.
“Elder? I can’t find a certain pill formula.”
Qing Mu didn’t know the old man but figured calling him elder was polite, then explained what he wanted.
The old man looked like he was looking at a fool and asked, “Stop dreaming. You still want that kind of stuff? This is the Six Flavors Hall, not an immortal sect. Aside from spiritual power pills and common pills, there’s nothing here.
Trying to do something bad? Over there are all diarrhea medicines and sleeping pills.”
After saying that, the old man shot Qing Mu a sideways glance and left.
Qing Mu stood there dumbfounded, then got an idea.
Right!
Why did he let his imagination run wild, thinking the Six Flavors Hall would have that kind of pill?
The others must be just as ordinary!
With this thought, he headed toward the cabinet the elder had just pointed to.
…
……
“Good news!”
Soon after, Qing Mu suddenly sat upright on the jade bed in the real world, startling Cui Hua.
“You scared me to death.”
“Good news! I’ve found a way to counter Moon Lan!”
Qing Mu had found a suitable pill formula in the Six Flavors Hall’s study. Now he only needed to—
“Is the alchemy furnace ready?”
“The furnace? Ah, that’ll be ready in a day or two.”
“Perfect. Paper and pen—I want to write down the materials I need. The timing is just right.”
Upon hearing this, Cui Hua handed Qing Mu the paper and pen.
“There’s a new rumor about Saintess Moon Lan.”
“What rumor?”
“Remember the border monster attack I told you about last time?
A Bai Yi Jian Shi stood against the attack and single-handedly killed a Yulong.
She got a pass to Rose King City. Saintess Moon Lan wants to meet her.”
“Ah?”
Qing Mu paused his writing and looked at Cui Hua, shaking his head, “Then we need to hurry. Maybe Moon Lan plans to target her.
But in the end, it’s someone irrelevant to me—the Bai Yi Jian Shi.”
Qin Feng shrugged.