The two walked down the steps. The sky was gradually darkening. Meng Qiuran was in front, occasionally looking back as if he wanted to say something but was too embarrassed to speak.
After walking for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, Meng Qiuran finally couldn’t hold it in anymore.
“Senior,” he slowed down to walk alongside Lai Li’an, “Fellow Daoist Su… why didn’t she come to compete?”
Lai Li’an’s footsteps paused. He had long expected Meng Qiuran to ask this.
This kid had been paying attention to Su Wan’er since the first day they met. He hadn’t seen her all day at the venue today. Holding it in until now was already giving him quite a bit of face.
“She went on a training journey.”
“Training journey?”
Meng Qiuran was startled for a moment, then suddenly enlightened.
“I see! I was just thinking, with Senior’s alchemy path attainments, Fellow Daoist Su’s strength must not be weak. This competition might indeed not be enough for her. Going on a training journey will instead bring more progress.”
Lai Li’an didn’t respond, only nodding slightly.
Meng Qiuran was silent for a while, then sighed with obvious regret.
“To be honest, I was really looking forward to sparring with Fellow Daoist Su. That day when I saw Senior’s alchemy and heard that Fellow Daoist Su would also participate, I went back and worked hard to prepare for a long time. I didn’t expect she wouldn’t come. It feels like… like something is missing.”
After speaking, he scratched his head and smiled sheepishly.
Lai Li’an glanced at him sideways.
“You seem to care a lot about my disciple.”
Meng Qiuran was choked by this remark, his smile freezing for a moment. Then he hurriedly waved his hands.
“No, no! Senior, don’t misunderstand! I just… I just think that since Fellow Daoist Su is Senior’s outstanding disciple, her alchemy path attainments must be extraordinary. Missing the chance to duel with her is indeed a pity.”
Lai Li’an looked at him like this and suddenly found it a bit amusing. But he didn’t continue teasing, only shaking his head slightly.
“Alright, I was just asking casually.”
Lai Li’an didn’t press further and instead changed the subject.
“You said earlier that you went back and worked hard to prepare. Wasn’t it like this before?”
“Before?”
Meng Qiuran gave a bitter laugh.
“To be honest with Senior, before this, I was just coasting along in this Dan Sect Branch.”
“Oh?”
“I was originally a disciple of the Main Sect of the Alchemy Sect. My father serves as an elder there. He thought I was too undisciplined in the main sect and wouldn’t obey instructions, so he shoved me into the branch sect to train.”
Meng Qiuran’s eyes flickered with a complex emotion as he said this.
“The branch sect is small. There really isn’t anyone among my peers who is stronger than me. No one to compete with, no one to vie for anything. Naturally, I was comfortable slacking off. My father probably wanted me to suffer a bit and temper my character. But he probably didn’t expect that changing places actually suited me even more.”
He paused, and his voice suddenly turned serious.
“Until that day in that cave, when I saw the heavenly thunder attracted by Senior’s alchemy…”
Meng Qiuran’s footsteps stopped for a moment. He looked up at Lai Li’an, a solemn expression in his eyes.
“I realized that my previous skill wasn’t even worthy of being called a frog at the bottom of a well.”
Lai Li’an looked at him without speaking. He hadn’t expected this matter to have such a big impact on him.
“So you participated in this competition to prove yourself?”
“Not entirely.”
Meng Qiuran scratched his head and returned to that slightly mischievous smile.
“First, I wanted to perform well in front of Senior. If Senior is happy and gives me a few pointers, I’d be getting a huge bargain. Second… I really wanted to spar with Fellow Daoist Su. With Senior’s attainments, Fellow Daoist Su’s alchemy path level must be far above mine. I know I can’t win, but at least I want to see how big the gap really is.”
He smiled, his voice dropping a bit.
“It’s a pity she didn’t come.”
Lai Li’an was silent for a while. This kid had been going on about Su Wan’er the whole way. He really had taken her as his imaginary rival.
If he were to find out that Su Wan’er was actually a sword cultivator who had never even touched an elixir furnace, what expression would he make?
But of course, he wouldn’t say that.
“Su Wan’er’s training journey has an indefinite return date.”
Lai Li’an withdrew his gaze.
“But your opponent isn’t just her.”
“Senior means…”
Meng Qiuran suddenly turned his head, eyes wide.
“Who else?”
“Ruan Se.”
“Ruan, Ruan Se? Is she, your…”
“Half-disciple.”
Lai Li’an took over the conversation, his tone calm.
“I taught her some things, but I never formally accepted her as a disciple. Her talent is not inferior to Su Wan’er’s, and her foundation is solid. In tomorrow’s final competition, if you let your guard down, I’m afraid you won’t even pass her round.”
Meng Qiuran’s mouth opened and closed, then opened and closed again.
In today’s third round, he had personally seen Ruan Se stabilize a furnace of Cold Dew Pills that was on the verge of collapse, despite having depleted her spiritual power.
“You don’t need to be too surprised.”
Lai Li’an found his dumbfounded expression secretly amusing.
“Ruan Se’s elder sister, Ruan Qin, you should know her.”
“Of course I know her!”
Meng Qiuran’s reaction was even bigger than before.
“Senior Ruan Qin back in the Alchemy Sect was a true heavenly chosen maiden! She entered the Golden Core stage before she was 30. Even the Grand Supreme Elder praised her alchemy path attainments endlessly. It’s just that her temperament was too cold. She hardly interacted with anyone in the sect. When I was still in the main sect, I saw her a few times from afar, and I never dared to go up and talk to her…”
Usually, Ruan Se didn’t have much to show for herself. She must have been hiding her strength. Since she was Ruan Qin’s little sister, her talent definitely wouldn’t be too bad.
“Don’t lose tomorrow,” Lai Li’an said flatly. “Otherwise, before Su Wan’er, whom you’ve been going on about, returns, you’ll be outdone by my half-disciple.”
Meng Qiuran felt as if a fire had been lit inside him.
“I understand.”
Meng Qiuran took a deep breath, a fighting spirit igniting in his eyes.
“Tomorrow is the final competition. Since I’ve come, I don’t plan on losing.”
Lai Li’an nodded slightly and didn’t say anything more. Up ahead, a quiet residence was faintly visible.
“Senior, we’ve arrived.”
Meng Qiuran quickly stepped forward and pushed open the courtyard gate, stepping aside.
“This is Elder Pei’s private residence. He rarely stays here, but it’s kept fairly clean. Senior will rest here tonight. Tomorrow morning, I’ll send someone to escort you to the competition venue.”
Lai Li’an stepped into the courtyard. His gaze swept across the grounds. It was more spacious than he had imagined.
Meng Qiuran led Lai Li’an through the courtyard and pushed open the main room door. The room was simply and elegantly furnished. Beneath the window was a low couch with neatly folded bedding.
“Senior, if you need anything else, just tell me.”
Lai Li’an nodded and was about to say “no need,” when Meng Qiuran suddenly remembered something and quickly added,
“Oh, right, there are a few rows of medicine cabinets in the study room. They’re used by Elder Pei to store spiritual herbs when he’s alchemy. Elder Pei said that if Senior needs anything, feel free to use them. No need to be polite.”
Lai Li’an’s eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.
“Mm.”
Seeing that he had no further instructions, Meng Qiuran respectfully bowed and retreated from the room.
The sound of the courtyard gate closing came from outside, followed by Meng Qiuran’s footsteps gradually fading away.
Lai Li’an stood in the room, waiting until the footsteps completely disappeared before slowly turning around.
His gaze fell on the entire wall of medicine cabinets in the study room opposite.
Neat rows of drawers, from top to bottom, left to right—at least a hundred of them. Each drawer had a label on the outside, written in cinnabar with the name and grade of the spiritual herb.
He stood at the doorway and took a deep breath.
Then, he smiled.
***
In the judges’ lounge, Pei Changjing suddenly sneezed.
“Ah-choo—!”
He rubbed his nose and wrapped his brocade robe tighter.
Yin Zheng beside him glanced over.
“Elder Pei, caught a cold?”
“Not at all.”
Pei Changjing picked up his teacup and took a sip, frowning slightly.
“It’s just that my back suddenly felt a bit chilly.”
He put down the teacup and suddenly seemed to remember something. He turned to look at Meng Qiuran standing nearby.
“Xiao Meng, you said earlier that you wanted to borrow my residence to receive a guest. Who was it?”
Meng Qiuran bowed respectfully, a somewhat mysterious smile on his face.
“Uncle Pei, rest assured. It’s a distinguished guest of mine. They’re just staying for one night. It won’t cause any trouble.”
Pei Changjing stared at him for a moment. He felt that the smile on this kid’s face was a bit off. Meng Qiuran was a bit of a slacker, but he was still reliable—he probably wouldn’t set him up.
He waved his hand.
“Fine, fine. Just don’t let anyone mess up my medicine cabinets.”
Then Meng Qiuran bowed and withdrew.
Pei Changjing watched his figure disappear through the doorway. He felt something was off but couldn’t put his finger on it.
He picked up his teacup and took another sip, suppressing that vague unease.
Whatever. It’s just one night. What could happen?