The General's Genius Daughter

Chapter 208 Xuanji’s Divination

Xuanji strode over to her, giving Hua Qiyue the bag with the bottles of divine fluids. “Qiyue, don’t you want these fluids? Take them.”

Hua Qiyue took the bag in a daze. She could still remember Yun Shimo stuffing the refined fluid into her hand. Since it had been specially refined by Yun Shimo, it would be much better than these purchased by Xuanji. But Xuanji was also quite concerned about her.

However, Hua Qiyue could not accept the fact that someone once so loving and gentle to her had turned into a completely different person.

Seeing Qiyue’s dazed look, Huangfu Xuan called out to her softly, pulled her over to his side, and stared coldly at Xuanji. He was fuming. “Xuanji, what do you mean by this? You know that she will miss Yun Shimo when she sees this!”

Xuanji’s countenance was cold as he glanced at Huangfu Xuan. “If a person cannot face her weakness and her past, what’s the point of being alive?”

“You’re rubbing salt in her wounds!” Huangfu Xuan said angrily. His handsome face had flushed crimson, his eyes revealing his scorn of Xuanji. “You’re a Taoist priest. Why are you staying by her side?”

“You’re not qualified to know my intentions,” Xuanji said and turned around. He walked with an upright gait to the back gate of the city.

Hua Qiyue sighed quietly as she hurriedly kept up with Xuanji’s pace. “Enough. It’s not a big deal… besides, all of you know the person I miss the most is Tianci…”

Regardless of whether she trusted in Xuanji, she must first cultivate well. Even if she managed to locate Tianci, she would still need the ability to protect him from danger.

“Let’s go, Brother Huangfu. Don’t be too persistent!” Ji Feng said meaningfully. Then, he and Ji Jing went after Hua Qiyue.

Huangfu Xuan remained still, a hurt look on his face.

He did this all for Hua Qiyue, and yet… she had snubbed him completely. Although he was once young and wildly arrogant, calling off their engagement, he was now head-over-heels in love with her.

Damn!

Huangfu Xuan cursed inwardly. He had to quicken his pace to catch up with Hua Qiyue.

After one hour, the company finally reached Ten Thousand Spirit Cave in Spirit Heaven Mountain.

It was indeed a perfect valley, full of spirit herbs, rare flowers, and small, friendly animals.

“Wow, look at that spring. It’s so beautiful!” Ji Jing caught a glimpse of a spring in the near distance, just visible through the faint mist permeating the entire valley. It was quiet and peaceful, making everyone feel at ease.

This place was as beautiful as a fairyland. Hua Qiyue and her company stood before the valley, marveling all the time.

“Such a beautiful place!”

“Such abundant anima energy. Cultivating here will be dozens of times more efficient than cultivating outside!”

Hua Qiyue gave a small smile. This was more like it!

There was a log cabin in front of the spring, along with three storeys in the cabin. It was built out of rudimentary wood and gave off an aura of primitive simplicity.

Xuanji casually opened the door, as if it was his own home. The inside was spotlessly clean.

Hua Qiyue followed behind him. She could not help but ask, “Master Xuanji, have you stayed here before?”

“Yes,” Xuanji answered quietly. He seemed suddenly to have cooled toward Hua Qiyue. She turned her head back to look at Huangfu Xuan and the rest. Was he resenting her over Huangfu Xuan’s offense? Would Master Xuanji be so petty?

Xuanji ignored Hua Qiyue’s perplexed expression and said, “The men will stay on the first floor. You and Miss Ji will stay on the second or third floor.”

Hua Qiyue nodded in agreement as Ji Feng and Huangfu Xuan stored the purchased rations in the small kitchen.

Hua Qiyue and Ji Jing headed upstairs. As they walked, they noticed the faint scent of flowers lingering over the entire area. On the second story, they discovered three small rooms, each with plain décor and a balcony.

“This place is very suitable for cultivation.” Ji Jing could not help but sigh. “Why is Master Xuanji treating us so well? Or, rather… why is he treating you so well?”

The question caught Hua Qiyue off-guard. She thought for a while but could not recall her past dealings with Xuanji.

But… that green jade gourd was given to her by Xuanji. He should know its secrets, shouldn’t he? She decided to ask him about it that evening.

Hua Qiyue told a casual lie. “We haven’t had many dealings with each other. The friendship of a gentleman may appear indifferent but is pure like water… He’s probably good to me because of Yun Shimo.”

Ji Jing response was so loud that her lungs seemed to explode. “What? He’s actually a friend of Yun Shimo? Sister Qiyue, you still believe him?”

She had seen with her own eyes what Hua Qiyue had suffered these months.

Hua Qiyue shook her head, her tone indifferent. “Let bygones be bygones. Let’s practice first.”

With that, she took her bundle and walked over to one of the rooms. Ji Jing stayed in the room opposite to hers.

Hua Qiyue put her bundle down. The hare on her shoulder had woken after a long nap. It discovered the anima energy here was very abundant and gasped in surprise.

“Strange… I sense an ancient formation in here. No wonder all the anima energy around here has been drawn in.”

Hua Qiyue sat down. The little hare was very displeased that it seemed to be talking to itself, but Hua Qiyue continued to ignore it, unpacking her bundle.

“If only I had a Space Ring…”

She had too much stuff to unpack it all here. Besides, the little hare was a thief!

The hare saw Hua Qiyue’s expression and felt that it had been insulted. “Hey! Why are you giving me that look? I won’t steal your things!”

Hua Qiyue’s mouth twitched, but she was too lazy to argue.

At that moment, she could hear someone approaching. After a brief knock, the door opened, and Huangfu Xuan entered the room. His inky hair flapped in the slight breeze blowing in from the window, his scarlet robe as bright as blood.

“Qiyue… I’d… like you to have this Space Ring.”

Huangfu Xuan’s face turned red as he took out an ancient, primitive-looking silver ring from his pocket, bearing dragon and phoenix carvings. It glistened with a warm, white glow. One look, and anyone could tell that it was of superior quality.

On the Tianyuan Continent, there were still very few Space Rings. They could hardly be found at auctions. Only a seventh-level alchemist could refine one, and there were pitifully few of those around.

“Such a precious gift…” Hua Qiyue stared at the ring, too embarrassed to accept it.

Huangfu Xuan’s eyes sparkled. He took Hua Qiyue’s hand and placed the ring squarely on her palm. “For you!”

With that, Huangfu Xuan turned and left. Hua Qiyue was left standing there, mouthing her gratitude.

Hua Qiyue unlocked the Space Ring with her Divine Sense. There were some banknotes and dry rations in there—everything which she liked to eat.

Hua Qiyue silently placed her crystal cores and other miscellaneous items into the ring—including the 10 bottles of Spirit Replenishing Fluids from Xuanji.

Ji Jing entered. When she saw the Space Ring, she started to jabber non-stop.

But when she saw Hua Qiyue lost in a quiet trance, she patted her shoulder meaningfully. “Sister Qiyue, we believe Yun Shimo has his reasons. It won’t be long before he reappears again!”

Hua Qiyue pursed her lips. “I’m not holding out any hope for him.” Her heart was like a bitter lake full of grievances and pain. No one else could understand how she felt.

If Yun Shimo wanted to leave, he could do so. If he wished to elope with Princess Qianyang—well, he could do that too.

But he shouldn’t have taken Tianci with him!

This move of his was most cruel. He knew that Hua Qiyue feared losing Tianci the most. She hadn’t slept in three months; if it weren’t for the alcohol, she would have been driven mad.

Ji Jing saw Hua Qiyue’s grim face and thought better of speaking. She left quietly to let her calm down.

After putting her things in place, Hua Qiyue began to quietly cultivate her Spirit Summoning Art. The anima energy here was plentiful. Hua Qiyue sensed that she was about to break to the next level. In a few days’ time, she believed, her Spirit Summoning Art would reach Lvl 5.

Eventually, she heard a voice from downstairs cry, “Sister Qiyue, time for supper!”

Supper? How long had she been practicing?

After thinking for a moment, Hua Qiyue realized she hadn’t eaten anything for quite some time. It was this place – with such abundant anima energy, the pang of hunger would not be felt so easily.

Hua Qiyue felt it quite strange. She went downstairs and found Xuanji and the rest already seated in the dining room. On the table was a steaming pot of white rice, with a few hot dishes also emitting steam.

“Where did all this come from?” Hua Qiyue asked in some astonishment.

“Delivered here by a boy. Thanks to the Supreme Token, everyone in this cabin can enjoy the benefit of a hot meal,” Ji Jing answered with a smile. Although she did not quite like Xuanji, she was still grateful to him.

Hua Qiyue could not help but be surprised. She had not expected Xuanji to be so important a personage. How could dry rations compare with fresh food?

The atmosphere at the dining table was not too pleasant. Luckily, Ji Jing was a lively girl. Hua Qiyue didn’t have much of an appetite and ate only half a bowl of rice hurriedly. Then, she recalled Ji Feng’s words and had a bowl of soup and a mutton leg as well, before putting down her chopsticks.

Xuanji had long since finished his meal. He seemed to have eaten very little, less than half of what Hua Qiyue or the others had taken.

Hua Qiyue walked out of the log cabin. She found Xuanji sitting by the nearby spring, shutting his eyes, seemingly trying to comprehend something.

Taking advantage of the fact that Ji Feng and the others were still in the cabin, Hua Qiyue walked toward Xuanji.

The air under the pavilion by the spring was cool and breezy, far more temperate than outside the pavilion.

The wind fluttered Xuanji’s teal robe. His eyes suddenly sprang open, staring intently like stars at Hua Qiyue.

Startled, Hua Qiyue stopped in her tracks. She whispered, “Master Xuanji, could you… divine my future for me?”