The wheel of time spins and one month goes by. Jiu Xian and Yao Qing utilised this time reading and memorising the content of the books Granny had given them.
They brute-forced their way through the basics of cultivation and the five auxiliary arts of the cultivation world. Pill making, Spirit forging, Array formations, Divination and Puppetry. While they did not have any practical experience in any of the above mentioned topics they had gained a lot of practical knowledge about them.
Jiu Xian compared his situation to one of his friend in the Crouching Fish village. This friend of his had never been in a relationship but he always acted as if he had been in countless romantic relationships and knew it all.
He also had Granny look after 'Golden Sun Method' and shared it with Yao Qing after Granny said that it is a solid Method. Unfortunately both he and Yao Qing failed to gain initiation in the method.
"So where are we going?" Yao Qing asked with excitement evident on her face.
"Where's the fun in it if I tell you. It's a surprise for you both." Granny teased.
"You are not going to murder us somewhere in the forest right?" Jiu Xian joked.
"..." Granny stood in silence before continuing.
"huh?How did you find out? I thought my plan was perfect." she said exaggeratedly.
"Guys stop joking around and let's get going."
Early morning after having their breakfast Jiu Xian and Yao Qing followed Granny as she said that she would properly start teaching them from today and that they needed to relocate.
Walking down the hill Granny led them somewhere deep in the forest. Despite sounding very old Granny's speed shocked them, it was as if her body was the same age as theirs.
As sun set they set up their base at a clearing they had found during their trek.
Smoke rose from the campfire as the crackling noises of wood burning entered their ears.
Yao Qing cooked some freshly caught game as Jiu Xian and Granny joked around as usual.
She smiled as she looked at them. Her once bleak world was starting to be filled with colours once more. Drinking together with Jiu Xian, getting teased by Granny, eating their meals together.
These small things had warmed her once cold heart again. While she still missed her parents and still wished to meet Tian'er one more time, she still found herself smiling often. She wished this time could last forever.
"Jiu Xian, take Yao Qing with you and head straight till you find a large tree with pink then hold this pendant against its trunk and recite this chant." Granny said in panic.
Yao Qing and Jiu Xian noticed how she didn't call them Boy/Girl like she usually does. Noticing the gravity of the situation they quickly stood up with serious expressions.
"Granny, what's happening?" Yao Qing asked.
"No time to explain. GO! JUST GO! AND DON'T COME BACK" Granny shrieked, her voice breaking.
"No we can overcome whatever this is together." Jiu Xian tried to convince her. A voice in his mind was telling him to run but he couldn't abandon Granny. He had grown attached to her. He considered her a friend and Jiu Xian did not abandon his friends.
"NO! WE ARE NOT ABANDONING YOU!" Yao Qing claimed.
"GO! PLEASE GO!" She waved her hand and a gentle breeze of wind appeared out of nowhere carrying them toward the direction she had told them to head to.
Finally alone, she sat down on a log near the dying campfire and waited.
I knew it was too good to be true. I knew this time would come. I just wish I could have spent a little more time with them, she thought.
After an indeterminate amount of time, five cultivators in hooded robes emerged silently from between the trees, their auras no longer bothering to hide.
"HAHA! Who would've thought you were still alive?" the one at the front sneered. "Hand over the key to the secret realm, and I'll leave your corpse intact."
Her gaze swept over them calmly. The leader—Won Wushen—radiated the unstable pressure of the Nascent Soul Realm, clearly early-stage. The remaining four stood at the peak of Foundation Establishment, their killing intent crude and unrefined.
Hmph. How far have I fallen… to be threatened by a half-baked Nascent Soul and a few Foundation ants.
"Fuck you, Wushen," she said coldly.
With a flick of her wrist, spiritual light gathered, condensing instantly into a slender sword. Without another word, she slashed toward the four behind him.
The sword light howled.
Before they could react, the blade intent tore through the night like a silver crescent. Two cultivators barely had time to raise defensive talismans before they were cleaved in half, their shields shattering like glass. A third screamed as his arm was severed, blood spraying across the forest floor.
"Formation!" the fourth shouted in panic.
Too late.
She stepped forward, her figure blurring. The sword pierced through his throat, pinning him to a tree before his words could finish forming.
Wushen's laughter vanished as he witnessed three of his men die and the remaining one faint from shock.
"You bitch!" he roared, finally releasing his Nascent Soul aura fully. The pressure slammed outward, cracking the ground beneath their feet. "You think killing trash makes you impressive?"
"HAHAHAHA! What gives you the right to call others thrash after what you did! You back stabbing maggot." She unleashed her own Nascent Soul aura, forcing Wusheng a couple of steps back.
They both dashed towards each other and clashed their swords. Each strike faster than the last one.
Wusheng felt his body getting lethargic as time went on. What surprised him even further was the fact that no matter how hard he struck at Cai Xi her body did not bleed a single drop of blood.
As they fought Cai Xi's hood dropped. The sight of her face brought fear in Wusheng's mind.
"YOU!YOU! Monster! What did you to yourself." Wusheng stuttered.
Cai Xi ignored him and took the chance to attack him while he was still in shock. Aiming her strike to his neck she swung her sword channelling all of her remaining qi.
Wushen bit his tongue and quickly decided to sacrifice his left arm to save his life.
"UGH!" He shouted as the pain of having his arm severed hit him.
Cai Xi's expression turned ugly. She bet all her qi reserves on this single strike, but she failed. Her thoughts started taking a dark turn as she laid limp at the ground, but it was not her time to go yet as something miraculous happened.
She found her Qi reserves filling themselves. The environment's Qi wildly rushed into her body.
"HAHAHA!" She looked towards Wusheng and laughed maniacally.
As Wusheng caught on to what was happening his expression turned desperate.
"HOW! Why is there an array formation here? I divined that I will find the key her..."
*Clatter*
Before he could even finish his sentence a silver chain materialized before him, quickly wrapping around him before he could do anything.
Wusheng looked resigned and he sat on the ground, chains binding him.
""Granny"" Jiu Xian and Yao Qing appeared from behind her and rushed towards her tightly hugging her.
"You idiots!" She hugged them back.
"We used the array formations flags in the storage of the pendant. Good thing we memorised the basics." Yao Qing said, tears bawling out of her eyes.
"Right! Using the spirit stones we powered the flags to slow down that man and help you refill your Qi." Jiu Xian said.
"So what do we do with him now" Yao Qing drew their attention towards Wusheng.
"JAJAJAJAJA
"You think too little of me Cai Xi" Wusheng forced his nascent soul to self detonate. All this time while these dumb bunch were distracted he sacrificed his life force to lift some of the restrictions of the chains, allowing him to make one final move.
*BOOOM*
"NOOO!" Cai Xi quickly realised what was happening and shielded Jiu Xian and Yao Qing, hugging them in her arms and using every bit of her Qi to protect them.
Cai Xi bore the full brunt of the explosion. Jiu Xian and Yao Qing felt their ears buzz. As they regained their bearing they looked at granny. Her body laid on the ground, unmoving. Wooden pieces falling out of it, the array circuit on her body burnt at many different places, the bead at her forehead had many cracks.
"Noooo! Granny please don't leave us." Yao Qing cried out.
"Pill! There must be some pill in the pendant. We can still save her." Jiu Xian frantically searched the storage space of the pendant, pulling out every bottle of pill he could find in it.
"*cough*Cough*Boy, Promise me to take good care of Qing'er and Qing'er promise me to take care of Jiu Xian.
"Cough* Don't cry. I want you both to see me off with a smile. *Cough* If the heavens wills may we meet again in next life."
Jiu Xian and Yao Qing forced a smile as promised her.
"Please bury my body at the secret realm. It's a safe space and you should hide there for a couple of months while you guys absorb the inheritance located there." Cai Xi continued.
"Master, finally I will be able to meet you again... I killed the traitor... Mom and Dad... Cai Xi is coming to meet you"
The woman carved out of wood finally closed her eyes