Chapter 477: The Adorable Nie Qianyu

After quite some time, the sun had already risen high in the sky. Zhang Xiaohua opened his eyes, a hint of puzzlement in his heart: “By this time on any other day, Nie Qianyu would’ve already come bouncing over. Why is it so quiet today?”

“Could something have happened?” As he was thinking this, he was just about to release his divine sense when he heard footsteps outside. Even without using his divine sense, just by ear alone, Zhang Xiaohua could tell—it was Nie Qianyu. But today, her steps were somewhat sluggish, as though extremely reluctant.

Zhang Xiaohua stepped down from his bed and went to greet her. As expected, in front of the pill room stood Nie Qianyu, her figure hesitating, her expression faintly troubled.

Seeing Zhang Xiaohua come out, Nie Qianyu forced a smile and said: “Brother Ren, you’re awake?”

Zhang Xiaohua was very curious and said: “Little Fishy, this is really strange today. Why are you speaking so formally all of a sudden? I’ve always been an early riser—you know that well. Did something happen?”

Nie Qianyu opened her mouth, but hesitated to speak. In the end, she pulled out the Four Treasures of the Study from behind her and handed them to Zhang Xiaohua, saying: “Brother Ren, my father asked me to bring these over. Yesterday, you already agreed to teach Uncle Si the Great Evolution Five Elements Formation. My father didn’t know how you planned to teach it, and was worried you might do it the same way you taught us alchemy, so he instructed me to bring these along.”

Zhang Xiaohua didn’t take them. He merely smiled and said: “That’s exactly how it will be. Just like last time: I’ll speak, and you’ll copy.”

Nie Qianyu’s expression changed drastically when she heard this. She said: “Brother Ren, I’m afraid that won’t do. This is a core formation technique of your Big Dipper Sect. It’s one thing for you to trade it with the Weapon Forging Sect—they gave you all kinds of benefits in return. But if you have me copy it down, isn’t that…”

Nie Qianyu was well aware in her heart—if she personally transcribed the Great Evolution Five Elements Formation, she would certainly retain a copy in her memory. That would be no different than gifting Spring Rebirth Valley a copy of the formation.

Zhang Xiaohua smiled and said, “It’s fine. I only studied the Three Character Classic for a few months. With my handwriting, who knows how many years it’d take to finish copying it? And if Sect Leader Si can’t make heads or tails of my scrawl, wouldn’t he end up blaming me for holding back?”

Nie Qianyu’s heart was filled with warmth, and she smiled: “Our Spring Rebirth Valley doesn’t have anything like an Azure Water Sword or Blood Jade Sword to give you. We don’t even have a Heaven-Written Scripture to offer.”

“Then just give me the most precious thing in your Spring Rebirth Valley! Zhang Xiaohua said casually.

“This…” Nie Qianyu’s face turned crimson, yet she herself had no idea what the most precious treasure of Spring Rebirth Valley might be!

Following Zhang Xiaohua into the pill room, after setting out the brush and ink, Nie Qianyu couldn’t hold back anymore. She said: “Brother Ren, you’ve treated my Spring Rebirth Valley with such generosity, I have something I want to say to you.”

Zhang Xiaohua asked in surprise: “Since when did my Little Fishy become so refined in speech? I just asked you earlier—if you have something to say, then say it. We’ve already shared life and death together, haven’t we?”

Upon hearing this, Nie Qianyu bit down lightly on her pearly teeth and said with firm resolve: “Actually, Brother Ren, obtaining the Jade Water Sword last night was already more than enough—why did you still have to take Uncle Si’s Wordless Heavenly Tome? By all rights, Uncle Si is an elder of my family, and I shouldn’t be speaking ill of him behind his back. But at the time, I couldn’t help feeling something was off. The situation didn’t allow me to speak out, and I couldn’t stop you. I mulled it over all night, and the more I thought about it, the more uneasy I felt.”

She then told Zhang Xiaohua everything she had thought the night before, laying it all out without hiding a single detail. Surprisingly, her thoughts were identical to those of the six sect masters of the Yuli Alliance.

In the end, she added: “But still, Brother Ren, that twenty-year time limit you mentioned at the end—that was truly a masterstroke. First, it shows the generosity of your sect. Second, it gives the Weapon Forging Sect peace of mind.”

Hearing this, Zhang Xiaohua could only let out a wry smile. Where had he thought things through so thoroughly? He had simply felt that he’d already received quite a lot, and taking another Wordless Heavenly Tome from them seemed a bit too much. But seeing that Si Yakong was genuinely intent on giving it, he casually proposed a twenty-year time limit. In truth, from his own perspective, if things went smoothly, it might take just a few years to break the restriction and uncover the tome’s contents. That so-called “twenty years” had merely been something he said in the moment.

Still, Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly: “This Si Yakong of the Weapon Forging Sect really has racked his brains for the sake of his sect’s interests. Never mind the countless preparations just to acquire the Great Evolution Five Elements Formation—he even went to such lengths for that Wordless Heavenly Tome. Truly not easy for him. But it’s a pity… this so-called Big Dipper Sect of mine is a complete fabrication. If he wants to find someone to take responsibility later, well… there’s simply no way! If this young master gets annoyed and slips away somewhere to lay low, you’ll be left crying with nowhere to turn!”

When Zhang Xiaohua didn’t respond, Nie Qianyu thought she’d touched a nerve and upset him. She quickly tried to comfort him, saying: “But, Brother Ren, you really don’t have to take it to heart. Ideally, yes, it would’ve been best not to accept the Wordless Heavenly Tome. But since you’ve already taken it, then it’s best to find some time soon to send it back to your sect. Let the elders there unravel its secrets as early as possible. Who knows? It might truly contain martial techniques that could aid your sect’s development. And even if it turns out to be incomprehensible, it’s better to return it to the Weapon Forging Sect sooner rather than later. From what I’ve seen, Uncle Si doesn’t seem the type to smile to your face and stab you in the back. He probably just ran out of options and made a hasty decision in desperation.”

After a moment’s thought, she lowered her voice and added: “Besides, considering the long-standing friendship between our Spring Rebirth Valley and the Weapon Forging Sect, I don’t think Uncle Si would harbor any malicious intentions toward you.”

Seeing Nie Qianyu’s shy and adorable demeanor, Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t help but laugh and said: “Little Fishy, if you hadn’t explained all this so clearly, I truly wouldn’t have thought of any of it. I really don’t know how to thank you. Ah, as the ancients said: ‘One must not harbor the intent to harm others, but must always guard against being harmed.’ I was still too trusting of others.”

Nie Qianyu pursed her lips and smiled: “Brother Ren, you’re kind-hearted and upright in how you treat people. Heaven will surely watch over someone like you. Just be a little more cautious in the future—that’ll be enough. As for thanks, don’t bring it up again.”

Zhang Xiaohua burst into laughter and said: “Alright, I won’t mention it. Then you can forget about giving me the most precious treasure from your Spring Rebirth Valley—consider that my way of saying thank you.”

“Pah!” Nie Qianyu couldn’t help but spit in mock annoyance.

Having finally spoken her mind to Zhang Xiaohua, Nie Qianyu felt a great sense of relief. She then began transcribing the Great Evolution Five Elements Formation under Zhang Xiaohua’s guidance.

Copying this formation was nothing like copying an existing alchemy technique from a written manual—those could be transcribed directly from the page. But this formation existed only in Zhang Xiaohua’s memory, and its variations and intricacies were vast. It couldn’t be explained in just a few words. He could only explain it bit by bit, and she could only copy it down one piece at a time.

For the next twenty or so days, Zhang Xiaohua and Nie Qianyu spent their mornings in the pill room copying the formation. By noon, the pages that had been copied were taken out of the inner valley. Whether Nie Qianyu made an additional copy for Spring Rebirth Valley or passed it directly to Si Yakong—this was no longer something Zhang Xiaohua cared to know. In the afternoons, he continued having the valley provide pill formulas and medicinal herbs, and focused on familiarizing himself further with alchemy.

Zhang Xiaohua lived freely and with ease. His alchemy skills steadily improved day by day. But as for Nie Qianyu, she was utterly exhausted. On one hand, she had to transcribe and comprehend the formation. On the other, she still had to prepare pill formulas for Zhang Xiaohua. At first, she had been overjoyed—she could learn a formation that might protect Spring Rebirth Valley, and she could see Zhang Xiaohua every day. But after a few days, she began to feel overwhelmed.

What kind of formation was the Great Evolution Five Elements Formation? Though it was only a foundational formation of the Immortal Dao, for someone like Nie Qianyu, who had no understanding of cultivation, it was bewildering to the extreme. Were it not for her extraordinary intelligence and innate talent, and Zhang Xiaohua’s painstaking explanations, she wouldn’t have understood even a fraction of it—let alone memorized it entirely.

So after a few more days, the task of preparing the pill formulas for Zhang Xiaohua was taken over by the Valley Master of Spring Rebirth Valley himself.

After all, when someone was handing over a complete Great Evolution Five Elements Formation to your Spring Rebirth Valley for nothing, how could you not offer some convenience in return? If it weren’t for concerns over appearances, Valley Master Nie would’ve personally gone to the pill room to study the formation and transcribe it himself!

As for the other sect masters of the Yuli Alliance, apart from Si Yakong who remained in Spring Rebirth Valley, the rest had already returned to their respective sects. Si Yakong, meanwhile, received a page—or sometimes several pages—of the Great Evolution Five Elements Formation manuscript each day. Staring at the familiar handwriting, all he could do was smile bitterly. He had schemed and plotted, handed over all sorts of precious treasures, yet in the end, he couldn’t compare to someone else’s daughter. If he had known earlier, he would have raised a daughter of his own.

Whether it was due to a guilty conscience or fear of disturbing Zhang Xiaohua’s cultivation, Si Yakong never once came to the pill room to formally pay his respects. Zhang Xiaohua didn’t mind in the least—he simply continued transcribing the formation from memory onto paper each day, matching Nie Qianyu’s pace.

Although Si Yakong had vaguely harbored intentions to scheme against Zhang Xiaohua, Zhang Xiaohua had not held anything back. He conveyed the Great Evolution Five Elements Formation of the Immortal Dao in its entirety and, moreover, integrated it with his own martial cultivation, transforming it into a formation suitable for martial use. This version was far more intricate than what those four had displayed on the arena stage that day. The transcription went on for over twenty days before finally nearing completion.

That day, Nie Qianyu put down her brush and let out a long sigh. “Brother Ren, let’s stop here for today. I’m really too tired. I’ve been copying this one formation for more than twenty days, and still it’s not done. I can only manage this much each day—any more and I get splitting headaches.”

Zhang Xiaohua chuckled. “It was the same when I learned it back then—I was even worse off than you. You’ve done wonderfully. While the basics of this formation are simple, the transformations within it are truly complex. If we slack off, it’s your Uncle Si who’ll suffer for it. After this time studying it, I’m sure you understand by now: if the formation isn’t thoroughly mastered, once someone finds a flaw, the whole thing will collapse. In that case, it’d be better not to use it at all.”

Nie Qianyu nodded slightly. She understood well that not only the Weapon Forging Sect but also her own Spring Rebirth Valley had begun studying this Five Elements Formation. There was no room for her to hold back now.

Zhang Xiaohua continued: “In any case, we’re nearly done copying it. Just a few more transformations left. A day or two at most.”

“That’s right,” Nie Qianyu said. “Brother Ren, the date is drawing near. If it were a few years ago, the Incense-Spreading Sect would have already sent people to Spring Rebirth Valley around this time.”

Zhang Xiaohua’s heart stirred. He furrowed his brow and asked: “The Incense-Spreading Sect’s visits to Spring Rebirth Valley happen on a fixed schedule, right? They wouldn’t skip this year, would they?”