Chapter 97

'Really, you're all better now.'

Sammae Jinhwa is a realm that can only be achieved when one reaches the state of entering the divine, where one can ignite flames with bare hands.

It is impossible to even dream of it if one's inner energy or dantian is unstable.

Lian felt her heart warm and content as she lit the incense and clasped her hands together.

* Arrived at an old temple for the first time. *

* Can receive advice. *

Startled by the continuous tinkling sound, Lian suddenly opened her eyes to see the thin smoke from the incense spread out like a white sheet, with characters floating up on it.

'If you come to an old temple, you can receive advice?'

A list of ancient temples flashed through Lian's mind.

'Then, if I go to the Wu Dang Sect or the Hua Shan Sect headquarters...?'

Excitement filled her as she wondered what she might hear if she visited each one. Just then, more characters slowly floated up through the faint smoke.

* Advice obtained from Tianbi Palace: The shadow of blood cannot be avoided. The rainy days are long. *

Expecting more profound words, Lian clenched her hands and waited, but it remained silent.

The characters only became clearer, whether her eyes were open or closed.

'Is this... the end?'

The characters scattered hurriedly and reappeared.

* Advice obtained from Tianbi Palace: Always carry the light created by time. *

'Really, is this... the end?'

The characters scattered sorrowfully.

Everything was fine until Lian burned the incense at Tianbi Palace and left Hangzhou, but when she stopped the carriage for a short rest before reaching the canal, Duan Mu Tianji and Duan Mu Xianwu got out of the leading carriage and shook their heads as they headed toward the rear baggage carriage.

'What is it? What's in the back?'

Curious, Lian poked her head out of the carriage window. Huailun, who was inside the carriage, suddenly frowned.

"Didn't you leave Bia at the family estate?"

"Bia?"

Lian furrowed her brow at the sudden mention of her younger brother. She wanted to check the surroundings, but her ability to sense auras was beyond her reach due to her lack of inner energy.

'Ah! It's too much to expand my aura, but maybe I can try this?'

After a moment's thought, Lian slowly spread her spiritual energy around, very faintly, to a great distance.

As she counted her spiritual energy mingling with the breaths of people, she recognized a particularly familiar aura.

"Da... Duan Mu Bi!"

Before she even realized she had sensed his presence without inner energy, Lian cried out her brother's name in a scream and jumped out of the carriage.

At that moment, Duan Mu Tianji walked over to the baggage carriage and picked up one of the heavy boxes.

"Uwa, uwaah!"

From inside, a pale-faced child, Duan Mu Bi, rolled out with a scream.

Everyone stared at Duan Mu Bi and Duan Mu Tianji in shock. Duan Mu Bi tried to straighten up but stumbled, as if his legs had gone numb.

"Bia!"

"Heavens!"

It was no wonder his legs had gone numb after being curled up in the box for several hours.

People rushed over to help, laying Duan Mu Bi down and rubbing his limbs and giving him water to drink. Lian approached and kept brushing his forehead.

"Stupid! What were you thinking, following me secretly!"

"Ugh... Sister..."

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

Duan Mu Bi shook his head.

By infusing her spiritual energy into his breath, Duan Mu Bi's face gradually regained its color.

Just as everyone's expressions began to relax, Duan Mu Tianji, who had been watching the commotion, spoke.

"I wanted to see how long you could endure. Did you plan to ride in the box all the way to Nan Zhi Li City?"

His voice was a mix of amazement, anger, and a hint of pride.

Duan Mu Bi jumped up and grabbed Lian's sleeve, shouting.

"I want to go to Jinghang Yunlian with Sister too!"

"If you couldn't persuade the adults, you should have tried to convince them on the spot, not disobey orders and follow blindly."

'Oh dear.'

Lian wrapped her arm around Duan Mu Bi's shoulder. Though he shuddered at his grandfather's thunderous voice, his spirit remained unbroken.

"I... I'm still a baby! I can't express myself well with words!"

Lian's face turned red. Duan Mu Bi had just used the same excuse she often used.

'So that's why they say you can't even drink cold water in front of a child...'

While Lian silently shed tears, Duan Mu Tianji let out a snort.

"That's why I said I wouldn't take you, since you're still a baby."

"My body is a baby, but my heart... my heart is fully grown!"

Intermittent coughs and snickers could be heard from the crowd, the sound of people failing to suppress their laughter.

Perhaps thinking it inappropriate to scold his grandson in public, Duan Mu Tianji took Duan Mu Bi into the carriage with a stern face and came out a short while later.

During that brief time, no sound was heard, but Duan Mu Bi's eyes were red as if he had been crying, though he tried to act mature as he got out of the carriage.

Of course, this only lasted a moment. As soon as he met Lian's eyes, he sniffled and hugged her.

"Did Grandfather scold you a lot?"

Duan Mu Bi nodded and sniffled, trying to stop his tears as he buried his face in Lian's embrace.

"He said I must always ask for permission... If I come without telling anyone, Mother will worry. She might even cry and not be able to sleep."

Duan Mu Bi's face turned pale at the thought. Lian rubbed his cheek and took out her writing materials.

"Let's write a letter to Mother right away. Tell her you came secretly and apologize, and promise to be careful and return safely."

"Yes, yes!"

But after being curled up in a corner for half a day, Duan Mu Bi's hands were trembling, so Lian wrote the letter for him.

Meanwhile, Duan Mu Xianyao was adjusting his clothes.

"What am I supposed to do with these... these clothes..."

Duan Mu Bi's neatly dressed martial attire, which he had secretly followed from the family estate, was now crumpled and disheveled, and he lacked a proper coat. Lian wrapped him in her own clothes, but the extra fabric had to be tied with a rope.

* * *

First, deep-fry the pork belly with a thick layer of skin and fat, then simmer it for a long time with ginger, spices, dark soy sauce, soy sauce, and clear liquor.

Serve it with lightly cooked vegetables and a glass of white wine, and there is nothing to envy in this world.

After long cooking, the meat is glossy, the skin is chewy, the fat melts in your mouth, and the meat is tender, making it a heavenly delicacy.

"Chef! Chef!"

As the white-haired old man, Baedam, called out to the kitchen while eating, a person with a white cap ran out.

"What, what is it? Is there a problem...?"

"You! Why aren't you heading to Beijing right now!"

"Me?"

"In all my life, I've never tasted Dongpo Pork as good as this. How can you be stuck in this quiet village!"

"Me... me?"

"Pack your bags! Pack your bags and go to Beijing...!"

"Oh, sir, sir. If you chase away our best chef in Hangzhou, what will we eat?"

The innkeeper quickly came out.

Although the commotion was about praising the chef's skills, the innkeeper's face lit up with a big smile as more people ordered Dongpo Pork, but unfortunately, the ingredients were running out.

The innkeeper's face beamed when he heard that the customer would come again and asked him to prepare it.

The two old men paid for their abundant meal of meat and wine.

Then, they called the chef again, urging him to consider Beijing or even Tianshan, but the chef, grateful for the praise, offered to bring out more dishes and fled back to the kitchen.

"Wow... The food is really delicious. Should we just take him with us?"

Heukdam mumbled, savoring the remaining meat flavor in his mouth, while Baedam looked at him with a reproachful eye.

"Do you want to hear what the Sect Leader will say if you take someone away at this time? We haven't even found a candidate for the next Sect Leader yet."

"Ah..."

They were happy while eating Dongpo Pork, but their faces darkened when the conversation turned to business.

However, their expressions soon twisted mischievously due to the cheers coming from outside.

"What on earth is going on out there, making such a racket?"

"It seems the Nangong family is visiting the Duanmu family here."

"The Duanmu family here? How fortunate. Some people can't even find one child and are worried to death..."

Heukdam muttered, slumped in his seat.

"By the way, is this Duanmu family some kind of Duanmu Sect in this area? Why is there such a commotion for a visit?"