What Did You Call Her?

Several Wangyun Peak disciples were blocking Ming Ran, their expressions anxious and conflicted as they chimed in to persuade her. “Junior Sister, don't panic just yet!”

“Going back to the Ming family alone won't do any good, it's too dangerous! It's better to ask Master what he thinks!”

“Calm down first, and we'll think of a way!”

Surrounded in the middle, Ming Ran's bright yellow dress was disheveled by the wind. Her face was pale, and her eyes were frighteningly red. “The Ming family is in trouble, how can I stay calm? Move aside, this is none of your business!”

Chen He was stunned for a moment. He quickly stepped forward, grabbed one of the disciples, and asked in a low voice, “What happened?”

The disciple sighed and lowered his voice. “Junior Sister Ming just received a transmission. Several young children in her family vanished overnight. Not only that, but strange things have been happening all over Wuzhou City. Her father, Daoist Ming, and her mother, Daoist Huachao, were both severely injured. A sudden plague has also broken out, throwing Wuzhou City into absolute chaos.”

Chen He said in shock, “How could so many things happen all at once?”

With a solemn expression, he immediately turned around. “Keep her here for now. I'll go find Master and see how he wants to handle this.”

Just as he finished speaking, a streak of green light cut through the air.

The Second Elder stood on his flying sword, coming to a halt amidst the shadows of the pines. His robes billowed, and the spiritual pressure radiating from him instantly quieted the noisy crowd.

His gaze fell directly on Ming Ran in the center. In a calm, steady voice, he said, “Alright, disperse, everyone. Ranran, Chen He, follow me.”

...

Inside the hall, sandalwood incense curled upward, its smoke scattered by Ming Ran's hurried footsteps.

Forcing herself to stand steady before the desk, she bowed deeply to the Second Elder. Her voice carried an irrepressible urgency. “Master, please allow me to return to Wuzhou City immediately! My younger siblings are missing, and my parents are severely injured. They desperately need help. The longer we delay, the more unpredictable things will become!”

Standing at the head of the hall, the Second Elder waited until she finished speaking before slowly opening his mouth, his voice carrying a reassuring power. “I am already aware of most of what has transpired in Wuzhou City. The Nine Saints Hall will absolutely not stand by and watch.”

“The Sixth Elder and Seventh Elder are already in the elixir room compounding medicine to treat the plague. Once the pills are ready, medical cultivators will accompany you.”

He paused, then added, “Furthermore, the situation in Wuzhou City is currently unclear. With so many incidents occurring consecutively, it may not be the work of ordinary demons. I will issue a summons in the hall to find a few reliable disciples to go with you, so you can look out for one another.”

Chen He immediately took a step forward. “Master, I am willing to go with Junior Sister.”

Song Yao silently raised a hand from the corner. “I want to go too.”

Since her Fourth Junior Brother had refused to take her out, she had been worrying about how to find an excuse to sneak away and avoid the Teaching Elder's exam.

This was such a perfect opportunity; she had to seize it!

Hearing this, the others turned their heads to look at her.

The Second Elder pondered for a moment. “You are a pill cultivator, so it is good for you to go along. However, you must be extremely careful.”

A tear rolled down Ming Ran's cheek, deeply moved. “First Master, I knew you were the best to me.”

The Second Elder: “...What did you call her?”

...

While waiting for the Sixth Elder and Seventh Elder to refine the medicine, Song Yao also went along to refine two batches of Qi-Replenishing Pills.

Although Wuzhou City wasn't a large place, it still had a significant population.

In case their pills ran out, hers might come in handy.

With so many people to test her pills, she couldn't even imagine how rich her sample size would be.

The two elders stayed up all night to refine the medicine, and by the time they finished, it was already the next morning.

As he handed the porcelain bottles to the accompanying medical cultivators, the Seventh Elder spotted Song Yao in the lineup. He was worried sick. “Little Wood, you... you're a pill cultivator. Why are you tagging along too?”

Song Yao patted his shoulder. “I'm not just a pill cultivator, I'm also a medical cultivator. I'm meant to save lives and aid the world.”

The Seventh Elder's vision went black.

A medical cultivator...?

This child probably hasn't even finished reading a single page of a medical manual...

Having stayed at Baicao Peak for so long and taught so many students and disciples, he had never seen a pill cultivator who ran toward danger all day long.

His heart couldn't take much, but he couldn't very well stop the child from going down the mountain for trial. He only let her go after showering her with countless warnings and instructions.

In the end, the group heading to Wuzhou City was largely the same as the one that had entered the Myriad Bones Forest secret realm.

Jiang Jin and Ming Ran, both being disciples of the Second Elder, naturally came along to help.

Cheng Yue, on the other hand, silently followed them after they set off.

Additionally, Ning Zhou and two medical cultivators joined them.

Without even asking, Song Yao knew this kid Ning Zhou had the exact same idea as her.

Avoiding the exam was more important than anything else.

Like two kindred spirits sharing a deep understanding, the two of them flew on their swords at the very back of the group.

Ning Zhou said, feeling refreshed, “When the Teaching Elder heard we were requesting leave to go down the mountain and save lives, he praised us highly! He even said that if we do well, he'll let us pass the exam directly!”

Song Yao said with regret, “If I had known, I would have gone to request leave myself.”

It wasn't easy to hear the Teaching Elder praise someone.

Ning Zhou replied, “Don't bother. Before I left, he pulled me aside and lectured me for half an hour, telling me to discipline myself, and while I'm at it, to keep a strict eye on you too.”

Song Yao was puzzled. “Why is he only targeting the two of us? I can understand you, but am I not well-behaved enough? I act pretty much the same as Cheng Yue.”

Ning Zhou protested, “What do you mean 'understand me'? I'm very well-behaved too, alright? Honestly, I feel like Jiang Jin is noisier than both of us. He's always standing up to speak at the drop of a hat.”

Jiang Jin: “...I was asking questions.”

Song Yao: “How come I never knew he stood up to ask questions?”

Ning Zhou: “Have you ever actually opened your eyes during lectures?”

Song Yao: “Hard to say.”

With the wind howling in her ears, she pulled out a few pears to share with everyone.

Noticing Ming Ran up ahead, looking tense and anxious, she casually put away her sword and leaped onto Ming Ran's sword, standing steadily behind her.

She held a pear to Ming Ran's mouth and smiled. “Alright, relax a bit. Our little Ming Ran is no longer the kid who just joined the sect. Haven't you already broken through the third tier of the Seven Continents Twelve Swords? When you get back, your parents will definitely be happy for you.”

Ming Ran instinctively opened her mouth, and her mouth filled with sweet juice.

Yet she couldn't taste any of it. She merely lowered her gaze and murmured, “It's only the third tier. I don't know if I can be of any help.”

Because the news from the Ming family did not mention demons, and the incidents seemed highly targeted.

She wondered if it involved conflicts between smaller sects. It wasn't convenient for the Nine Saints Hall to send elders or senior figures, so sending two personal disciples was already as much as they could reasonably do.

But if even her father and mother couldn't handle it with their strength, her going back would likely be useless.

As Ming Ran grew more and more despondent, the person behind her suddenly sat down. With a flick of her fingers, Song Yao instantly seized control of the sword beneath their feet and shot off in another direction, leaving behind only a single sentence: “You guys go ahead, we'll catch up in a bit.”

The sword flew incredibly fast, the fierce wind stinging Ming Ran's cheeks.

Startled, she almost lost her balance. In a flurry, she squatted down on the sword and cried out in panic, “Master, what are you doing?!”

Song Yao lazily munched on her pear, one leg propped on the spine of the sword while the other dangled in the air. “It's still a long journey. Since you called me Master, I might as well teach you a few things.”