Zhou Man returned home in the rain, but did not open the wooden door, fearing the noise would disturb the neighbors nearby. Instead, she climbed over the bamboo fence with practiced ease, entered the yard, and opened the door from within. Her cloak and robe were soaked through, clinging to her skin.
She peeled off her wet clothes, bandaged the wound on her left arm first, and sprinkled the gold medicine she'd brought back from the clinic on the injury. The bleeding from the broken flesh stopped immediately, and even the pain was calmed, bringing considerable relief.
It was truly a rare good medicine.
Zhou Man then thought of the clay Buddha she'd encountered on Nipan Street tonight, and turned to look at the piece of paper on the table—the previous prescription, now crumpled into a ball.
She reached out and picked it up, unfolding it again with deliberate care.
The rough paper was soaked in water on the way back, and the sparse handwriting had blurred somewhat, but one could still roughly make out which medicines were prescribed.
If Zhou Man were as cautious as she was now, she would have burned the prescription before the oil lamp. However, she thought wryly, "I haven't even dealt with the person yet, so what's the point of dealing with the prescription?" She laughed at herself and decided not to burn it, instead placing it at the bottom of her box.
If there were a next time, it would be convenient to follow the prescription directly.
—Of course, it would be best if there wasn't a next time.
After treating her wound, Zhou Man changed into clean clothes, lit a fire in the kitchen, and boiled the herbs she'd brought back according to the doctor's instructions.
Now she had time to take stock of her "harvest" from the battle in Jiajin Valley.
Only one of the broken silver arrows she'd brought remained, but she'd also gained a fine bow and nineteen golden arrows looted from Chen Si.
And...
She finally picked up the palm-sized celadon bottle. When she held it up to the flame, the base of the porcelain bottle seemed transparent. With a gentle shake, she could see the dark jasper swaying inside.
"What a wonderful thing!" Zhou Man gazed at it with near-admiration, her mind racing with possibilities. "With jasper, I can soak any ordinary arrow into one capable of shooting the 'Crossing Rainbow' arrow. As for Chen Si's golden arrow, it's more than enough for the third arrow, the 'Meteor Drop.' If it's soaked in jasper, it'll naturally be unparalleled in power. All that's left is to find a piece of bitter bamboo for the bow..."
The requirements for the third arrow, the Meteor Drop, in "Yi Shen Jue" weren't high, but the requirements for the bow were exceptionally demanding. The bow must be made of the highest-grade bitter bamboo grown in the Qingshen of Shuzhou, the string from the slough of the black-headed snake, and even the thread wrapped around the bow tip must be cloud line.
After a trip to Jiajin Valley, Zhou Man's arrows were no longer a problem.
But what about the bow...
She calculated the approximate cost and couldn't help but sigh with regret, "What a mistake! How much does Chen Si cost? I should have stolen that gold!"
From the third arrow onward, every bow in "Yi Shen Jue" required exceptionally demanding materials.
Even though this trip was fruitful, it was still a drop in the bucket for Zhou Man. But at least she'd gotten rid of her previous state of "absolute poverty," and she was in good spirits. Because she was injured, she only sat cross-legged in meditation for a while that night to recuperate, then went straight to bed.
She got up early the next morning and did not practice.
After all, Zhou Man was practicing the "Yi Shen Jue," which was more powerful than the "Shen Zhao Jing" given by Wei Xuan, so she had to suppress it. She was now openly practicing the "Shen Zhao Jing." If her progress was too fast, it would inevitably arouse suspicion.
But she did not plan to be idle.
In the next two days, in addition to recuperating from her injuries, she had time to dismantle Chen Si's extravagant bow and turn it all into materials for her future bow making. She could also soak the twenty arrows to improve their quality.
But things were not so easy for Jin Buhuan.
Ever since returning from Jiajin Valley, he'd been in a gloomy mood.
The Jianmen Academy was built beneath the Jianbi Wall, but the chosen children from various states, sects, and families did not live within the academy. Instead, they lived in dormitories on or near the mountains, or simply built caves and courtyards in the nearby peaks.
Jin Buhuan was currently heading to a courtyard in the back mountain.
He was traveling with Chen Si, but the man no longer had the same exuberant spirit as before. Although he still wore the same purple robe, his face was as pale as paper, and his wounds twitched with each step, causing him to frown in pain.
Just imagine how horrific the wound Yinhong's arrow had left him.
By the time Jin Buhuan reported the situation and had him carried back, most of his blood had drained out, and he was in critical condition. Fortunately, Sun Mao, the great doctor from Chunfeng Hall, intervened and saved his life.
Logically, with such a serious injury, he should have taken medicine as his daily meal and rested in bed.
But after Chen Si regained consciousness, he stared blankly into space for several hours, as if his soul had been extinguished by that arrow. It wasn't until Song Lanzhen sent someone to inquire about his injuries that he finally stirred, determined to get out of bed and personally report the battle to Song Lanzhen and apologize.
He gritted his teeth and persevered all the way from his residence.
Jin Buhuan glanced at him and couldn't help but recall Sun Mao's words: "Young Master Chen's injuries are indeed serious, but with the best medicine, he will recover, and his cultivation foundation will be largely unaffected. However, from his appearance, he seems to have lost his soul due to the battle, and I'm afraid he's developed some obsessive thoughts..."
A cultivator fears the consequences of a single thought, leading to obsession. If he were Chen Si, facing such an arrow, he wouldn't have fared much better.
The Song siblings' courtyard, nestled deep in the forest behind the mountain, was named "Bifangchen."
Everyone knows Song Lanzhen's love of flowers. At the age of fourteen, she compiled the "Flower Classic," a catalog of seventy-one renowned flowers. Modeled after the ancient mortal official system, she ranked them according to the "Nine Ranks and Nine Lives." She then selected the twelve most outstanding and named them the "Twelve Flower Gods."
The cultivation technique she practiced was called the "Twelve Flower Gods Chart."
However, upon entering the fragrant courtyard, not a single flower was visible. Only flowerless plants grew on the rocks and along the pond.
It wasn't until they reached the lakeside pavilion that they saw a clump of peonies planted beside it.
The peonies of the Divine Capital are renowned throughout the land, but by late spring they should have withered. Yet this clump of peonies still bloomed before the steps.
A bamboo curtain hung in front of the pavilion, revealing a man and woman brewing tea and chatting quietly.
Jin Buhuan and Chen Si arrived and stopped at the steps to pay their respects.
Jin Buhuan simply bowed, fanning himself, but Chen Si lifted his robe and knelt, unable to rise. "My subordinate's incompetence has led to the loss of Jasper Marrow. Young Master, Young Lady, please punish me!"
The man inside, without pause, lifted his teacup and said, "I've heard about this long ago. This time, the matter was certainly not handled well."
The woman smiled softly and said, "As long as there's nothing wrong."
Although her figure couldn't be seen clearly through the bamboo curtain, the mere sound of her delicate and elegant voice was like encountering a dew-laden orchid in a valley, bringing a sense of peace and tranquility.
Chen Si lowered his head in even greater shame.
Jin Buhuan, however, was a common man.
At this moment, what emerged in his mind were the words of the woman in Jiajin Valley, whether sarcastically or regretfully spoken: "Song Lan is such a good person..."
The man in the waterside pavilion was Song Yuanye, the young master of the Shendu Song family. Hearing this, he said, "Sister, you're right. After all, it's best for a person to be at peace. Get up quickly. However, you have been practicing archery since childhood, and you have an outstanding talent in this art. You have no rivals among your peers. How could someone in Shu be able to defeat you?"
Chen Si said, "It's my fault that I'm not good at it."
Song Yuanye asked, "Since we've fought, do you know who the other person is?"
Chen Si shook his head: "The other person is masked and has not revealed any traces. She looks like a young woman. But the archery skills she uses are unique to me, and I can't tell where they came from."
Someone behind the bamboo curtain couldn't help but exclaim, as if quite surprised.
Song Lanzhen remained calm after hearing this. "The Shu Mountains are filled with hidden dragons and crouching tigers. It's only natural that there are a few outstanding individuals unknown to you and me. How can I, like in the Divine Capital, demand that you know every detail?"
Song Yuanye thought about it and agreed.
He considered it for a moment, then turned to Chen Si and said, "But this matter can't be left alone. Jasper is nothing but a speck of dust to our Song family; losing it wouldn't matter. But you publicized it, making it known to everyone. Everyone said it was my sister who wanted the jasper to plant flowers. Now, not only have you returned empty-handed, you've nearly been wiped out. It's our Song family that's being ridiculed."
These words suddenly took on a heavier tone.
Chen Si knelt again. "I have brought disgrace to the Song family. I deserve death!"
Jin Buhuan felt a headache and wanted to roll his eyes, but he suppressed it, maintaining a polite smile.
Song Yuanye said, "You are a servant of my Song family, and you grew up with my brother and I. Naturally, we will not punish you. But you know what to do, right?"
Chen Si said resolutely, "Chen Si must find out the identity of this person, make amends for his mistakes, and restore the reputation of the Song family!"
Song Yuanye nodded, "Then after you recover from your injuries, you can do this matter yourself. As for the task originally assigned to you..."
He finally looked at Jin Buhuan, "Jin Buhuan, can you take care of the affairs of the medicine store by yourself?"
Jin Buhuan had been waiting for this moment since returning from Jiajingu. Naturally, he said, "I will do my best."
Song Yuanye said, "Then I will not send Chen Si to assist you. This time, it was Chen Si who was rash and arrogant and did not listen to your advice. It can be seen that you are excellent in both knowledge and ability. I can rest assured to leave the affairs of the medicine store to you."
Jin Buhuan thought to himself: if this had not happened, I'm afraid you would not be able to let it go either?
But his face remained impassive, his expression tight and unwavering. "Thank you, young master, for your high regard. I will do my best to fulfill your mission."
Song Yuanye explained everything he needed to and let the two men leave.
Standing in the pavilion, watching Jin Buhuan from afar holding the gold-sprinkled Sichuan fan, he felt a certain degree of apprehension. "This man has the habits of a commoner, frivolous and dissolute. If we leave the pharmacy to him, his hands will surely be unclean. If we, the Song family, use him..."
Song Lanzhen said calmly, "Clear water holds no fish. Lotuses grow from mud, and if they have no weaknesses, they're hard to control. A commoner has their own uses. Since you're using him, brother, you shouldn't be too suspicious. Otherwise, things won't change, and you'll lose people's support, which is a serious taboo."
Song Yuanye sighed, "My sister, you're right. Besides, these are just minor matters right now. The most puzzling issue right now is the Wang family..."
Song Lanzhen didn't respond.
Song Yuanye frowned, gazing at the blossoming peonies below, and recalled the news from the Divine Capital today. "Originally, Wang Gao said he'd come to Shuzhong soon, and would definitely travel with me to Jianmen and then personally go to Sanhua Tower to copy the 'Shangyangtai Tie'. Now it seems he can't come. The letter from the Divine Capital says Wei Xuan is determined to recommend someone else for the Imperial Academy. The Wang Clan is in chaos. A mere elder can be so arbitrary—it's truly unique to the Wang Clan."
Song Lanzhen shook her head. "Although Wei Xuan is a Wang Clan elder and follows that person, he's often elusive, but he's not so overbearing. Wang Gao is the eldest son of the Wang Clan. The originally agreed-upon place at the Jianmen Academy could be taken away from him. It doesn't seem like Wei Xuan would do that."
Song Yuanye asked, "Do you suspect that person's intention?"
Song Lanzhen simply replied, "It's hard to be sure. But if not, it's even more interesting..."
Who could have imagined that the Divine Capital Wang Clan would actually recommend a non-Chinese person for the Imperial Academy this year?
Song Yuanye said, "I'm beginning to wonder, besides that one, who is the person the Wang family is recommending this year?"
"We'll know in three days," Song Lanzhen seemed unconcerned, only smiling faintly. "In three days, the academy's deadline for admission will be here. By then, whether human or ghost, everyone must enter Jianmen, so that everyone can see and distinguish them."
Zhou Man took care of the trivial matters of bows and arrows at home. After two days of applying the medicine prescribed by the doctor, the wound on her left arm was almost healed.
Now, with only one day left until her appointment with Wei Xuan, she found it difficult to sleep.
Not having learned swordsmanship in her previous life had been a lifelong regret.
Now, having found a glimmer of hope and about to enter Jianmen Academy, she felt a sense of strangeness—an unfamiliar excitement mixed with trepidation.
After all, it was a path she'd never taken before.
On this path, she would no longer have any advantage of foresight, and everything she encountered would be new and unknown.
But she had to make the journey, didn't she?
Zhou Man lay on the bed with her eyes open, looking at the moonlight streaming in from the window, and finally smiled slowly.
Since she couldn't sleep, she simply decided to get up and meditate.
She turned over and sat up, then dropped her hands on her knees, ready to clear all distracting thoughts.
Unexpectedly, there was a knock on the door outside, knocking on the wooden door again and again, seeming flustered and anxious.
Zhou Man was stunned.
Who would come to see her in the middle of the night?
She put on her clothes and went out, walking toward the yard while asking: "Who is it?"
The person outside the door called out in a crying voice: "Sister Man."
Zhou Man's eyelids jumped immediately, and when she opened the door, she saw Cheng Fangzhai standing outside with blood all over his body and hands!
His thin body was trembling, and his face was full of panic.
She forgot to speak for a moment.
Cheng Fangzhai saw her come out, holding out his bloody hands, terrified, and trembling, he said: "I, I killed someone..."
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