Chapter 502 – An Explanation

Not to mention the looks of shock on Valley Master Nie and Elder Zhang, even Steward Yang and the rest of the Incense Spreading Sect members all revealed expressions of envy on their faces.

Zhang Xiaohua was also startled inwardly. He had seen the name Jade Restoration Pill recorded in the jade slips before, though he had never paid much attention to its effects. But any pill that could be recorded in the jade slips—how could it be anything ordinary?

Zhang Xiaohua reached out and caught it, then bowed and said: “Thank you, Lady Kong, for granting this medicine. This subordinate is not seriously injured.”

Seeing Zhang Xiaohua neither servile nor overbearing, Lady Kong felt much more at ease in her heart. She then said again: “We depart early tomorrow morning. Take good care of yourself and do not delay tomorrow’s itinerary.”

After saying this, she paid no further attention to anyone, turned around, and strode away.

Steward Yang hurriedly followed after her in surprise. Along the way, he could not help turning his head back to look at Zhang Xiaohua, secretly grumbling to himself: “This fellow doesn’t look like some pretty-faced boy type either. How is it that the moment Lady Kong saw him, she took a liking to him? Could it be that the two of them met before? But Lady Kong is an outstanding disciple of the inner sect and has never once left the Incense Spreading Sect. How could she possibly know this mountain wild lad? Ai yo, Little Yu—if my guess is right, your unmarried husband-to-be is about to fly away.”

After the people of the Incense Spreading Sect had left, Valley Master Nie and Elder Zhang finally turned back around. Valley Master Nie in particular asked with concern: “Nephew Ren, how are your injuries?”

Elder Zhang was also indignant. “That Lady Kong really is something. It was only a test of martial strength—was there any need to strike so ruthlessly?”

Valley Master Nie shook his head and said, “Who knows? The envoys sent by the Incense Spreading Sect over the years have all been inner sect members. Every one of them possesses profound martial cultivation and acts eccentrically. This Lady Kong is already considered one of the better ones. Sigh… perhaps yesterday, Steward Yang took it upon himself to decide certain matters, which made Lady Kong displeased.”

Elder Zhang nodded. “That’s true. Matters such as letting Nephew Ren enter the Incense Spreading Sect, although nominally under the jurisdiction of Pill Expansion Hall, still—Lady Kong is the envoy this time. Steward Yang reporting it afterward was indeed a bit late.”

“Sigh, forget it. Let’s not talk about it anymore. As long as Nephew Ren can go, it counts as our Spring Rebirth Valley fulfilling its promise to you.” Valley Master Nie said with a smile to Zhang Xiaohua.

How could Zhang Xiaohua possibly know the intricacies behind all this? Thinking it over, it did make sense—he did not know Lady Kong at all, so there was no reason for her to make things difficult for him deliberately. It must have been because of the matter of entering the Incense Spreading Sect.

Still, Lady Kong had even less reason to be so shocked upon seeing him. No matter how Zhang Xiaohua thought about it, this was something he simply could not understand.

Valley Master Nie glanced at the trace of blood at the corner of Zhang Xiaohua’s mouth and asked again: “Nephew Ren, how are the internal injuries in your body? Should you hurry to the pill chamber and regulate your breathing for a bit?”

Then, with eager eyes, he looked at the jade bottle in Zhang Xiaohua’s hand. “Hurry and take a Jade Restoration Pill. This is a legendary sacred medicine for treating internal injuries. It’s said that no matter how severe the wounds are, with just one—only a single pill—they can be completely healed. Nephew, why don’t you take one now and try it?”

“Really?” Zhang Xiaohua was extremely surprised. He had noticed everyone’s looks just now and knew that the Jade Restoration Pill was anything but ordinary, but he had not expected it to be so miraculous.

“Of course. This is a healing pill reserved for inner sect disciples of the Incense Spreading Sect. In the past, I only ever heard Steward Yang mention it to me. Even he, as a steward of Pill Expansion Hall, has merely heard of it and never obtained one.”

“Heh heh.” Zhang Xiaohua laughed, opened the jade bottle, poured out two pills from inside, and tossed them toward Valley Master Nie. “Then please accept these, Valley Master Nie, as this junior’s small token of filial respect.”

Valley Master Nie was caught completely off guard. He hurriedly caught them, feeling both delighted and uneasy. “Nephew Ren, these were given to you by Lady Kong. Besides, your injuries—”

Zhang Xiaohua smiled, reached up to wipe away the trace of blood at the corner of his mouth, and said calmly: “It’s nothing. I merely bit my lip by accident just now.”

With two crisp clang sounds, Valley Master Nie and Elder Zhang both toppled to the ground!

After the two of them rubbed their heads and climbed back up, Zhang Xiaohua suddenly remembered. “Uncle Nie, didn’t you say just now that you had something to explain?”

Valley Master Nie thought for a moment, then said: “Nephew, come—let’s talk in your pill chamber.”

The two bade farewell to Elder Zhang, leaving him behind to gaze resentfully at the Scarlet Flame Pill tucked into Valley Master Nie’s robes—hm, and also the Jade Restoration Pill—as they headed toward the pill chamber where Zhang Xiaohua was temporarily staying.

After carefully listening and confirming that there was no one outside, Valley Master Nie finally spoke. “Nephew Ren, Little Yu must have already come to inform you yesterday. This trip to the Incense Spreading Sect has been settled. Today, Lady Kong also gave her approval. You should pack up today. Tomorrow, together with the nine medicine apprentices from my Spring Rebirth Valley, you will set out for the Incense Spreading Sect.”

Zhang Xiaohua nodded and said, “Many thanks to Uncle Nie for seeing this through.”

Valley Master Nie waved his hand. “There’s no need for that. It’s just that although the medicine apprentices of my Spring Rebirth Valley technically have nothing further to do with us once they leave the valley, they are, after all, people who went out from Spring Rebirth Valley. Their reliability and their conduct later on in the Incense Spreading Sect will all affect Spring Rebirth Valley’s reputation. Moreover, to speak frankly, Nephew Ren, this old man previously thought about things too simply. I never expected that even something like going to the Incense Spreading Sect as a medicine apprentice…”

Hearing this, Zhang Xiaohua once again bowed. “Uncle Nie, rest assured. The kindness you’ve shown me, I will certainly keep in my heart. And I know my own limits—once I arrive at the Incense Spreading Sect, I will not stir up trouble, nor will I drag Spring Rebirth Valley into any mess.”

Valley Master Nie smiled. “It’s best that Nephew Ren thinks this way. In truth, what I’m worried about isn’t you. Although Nephew Ren has only stayed in Spring Rebirth Valley for half a year, these six months have had an impact on our valley that can be said to be…”

Valley Master Nie seemed unable to find the right words. “Let’s say far-reaching. I can’t say it’s already a completely new Spring Rebirth Valley, but it’s close enough. Besides, Nephew Ren has a kind heart and a steady temperament—you would never bring disaster upon Spring Rebirth Valley. On that, I’m quite at ease. However, among the ten medicine apprentices heading to the Incense Spreading Sect this time, aside from Nephew Ren being a fish mixed among pearls, there is also another person merely making up the numbers…”

Zhang Xiaohua was startled. “Uncle Nie, what do you mean by that?”

So Valley Master Nie explained the matter of the coercion in detail, recounting everything from beginning to end.

After Valley Master Nie finished speaking, Zhang Xiaohua frowned. In his heart, he suddenly felt that this seemingly normal case of favoritism and connections was extremely abnormal.

After pondering for a moment, Zhang Xiaohua probed cautiously: “Uncle Nie means…?”

A trace of cold light flashed through Valley Master Nie’s eyes. “Nephew Ren, this old man now entrusts you with a matter. If you discover that this Qiang Shi has any other intentions, then, for the sake of this old man recommending you to the Incense Spreading Sect, I ask that you do not allow this fellow to do anything that would harm Spring Rebirth Valley.”

Zhang Xiaohua frowned and fell into thought. On the surface, this matter did not seem difficult, but once he thought it through carefully, it became troublesome. He himself was merely going to inquire about his second brother’s whereabouts. Although he carried the title of Spring Rebirth Valley’s future son-in-law, that was only a “prospective son-in-law” at best. Everything about his time in the Incense Spreading Sect was still unknown. If he agreed to Valley Master Nie, he would inevitably have to devote part of his attention to this Qiang Shi, someone who had not even half a copper coin’s worth of relation to him.

Seeing Zhang Xiaohua’s hesitation, Valley Master Nie clenched his teeth and said: “Nephew Ren, this old man knows this matter puts you in a difficult position. The Incense Spreading Sect is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers—no one knows how many experts are there. But think about it: if this Qiang Shi were to do something inconceivable, wouldn’t that implicate the hundreds, even thousands, of innocent people throughout my Spring Rebirth Valley? Even Little Yu would not be able to escape.”

“Moreover, Nephew Ren, since you were not injured under a single palm strike from Lady Kong, your martial cultivation presumably is not inferior to Steward Yang’s. I have already instructed Steward Yang about this matter and asked him to keep watch as well. If there are times when it is inconvenient for him, I ask that you step in on his behalf. What do you think?”

Zhang Xiaohua let out a sigh. “Since that is the case, Uncle Nie, then this junior will agree. However, let me make this clear first—if I do take action, then this Qiang Shi…”

Valley Master Nie understood and nodded. “This old man understands. If you are made to act, then it is to cut the weeds and uproot the roots. There is no need to leave any leeway.”

Zhang Xiaohua also nodded. “If that is so, then what objection could this junior possibly have?”

Valley Master Nie cupped his hands. “If Nephew Ren takes action, this old man will have no more worries.”

Afterward, Valley Master Nie once again recounted to Zhang Xiaohua the situation Steward Yang had told him yesterday. Upon hearing it, Zhang Xiaohua could not help but frown again. “Being a medicine apprentice would at least be quiet and peaceful. But becoming an outer sect disciple requires passing some kind of trial before one can travel the martial world—that really is troublesome. Leaving aside how difficult this so-called traveling the martial world might be, once I become an outer sect disciple, that means formally throwing myself into the Incense Spreading Sect. If I later end up at odds with the Incense Spreading Sect, wouldn’t I then lack any proper justification? This seems to stray somewhat from my original plan.”

Seeing Zhang Xiaohua like this, Valley Master Nie felt somewhat embarrassed. “Nephew Ren, earlier this old man didn’t understand these matters either. I only thought it would be nothing more than serving as a medicine apprentice. I never expected…”

Zhang Xiaohua smiled and said: “Uncle Nie, what are you thinking? This junior is merely a bit surprised that the Incense Spreading Sect has rather too many rules. I hold no resentment otherwise. Being able to enter the Incense Spreading Sect at all is entirely due to Uncle Nie’s earnest efforts. This junior’s gratitude is beyond words.”

At this point, Zhang Xiaohua had already thought things through clearly. Following the orthodox path was naturally not so easy—but aren’t we cultivators of the Immortal Dao? We have endless methods to bewilder martial practitioners. Since the proper road won’t work, we’ll take an improper one. Fake a death, burrow underground—oh, if that really won’t do, then escape through fire. Could it be that he still wouldn’t be able to slip away in secret? In any case, there was no way he was going to first be a medicine apprentice, then become an outer sect disciple, and then undergo some kind of trial—how exhausting that would be.

Valley Master Nie then asked: “I wonder what Nephew Ren plans to do?”

Zhang Xiaohua stroked his chin. “Circumstances force one’s hand, Uncle Nie. Once I’m on someone else’s turf, what is there left for this junior to argue about? I’ll simply follow their arrangements. After all, this junior is only going to inquire about my brother’s whereabouts. If along the way I can also learn some of the Incense Spreading Sect’s martial arts—tsk tsk—then naturally this junior would welcome that.”

Valley Master Nie nodded, then relayed Steward Yang’s further instructions. Zhang Xiaohua naturally expressed his thanks once again.

After chatting idly for a while longer, and after Valley Master Nie explained some of the Incense Spreading Sect’s rules and taboos, he finally left unhurriedly.

By now, the sun was already slanting westward. Zhang Xiaohua stood at the entrance of the pill chamber, gazing at Spring Rebirth Valley, where he had lived for half a year, and in his heart arose feelings too complex to put into words.