Healing

“Uh, huh?”

The two of them suddenly looked up to see Jiang Lu standing before them, their expressions instantly freezing.

Shock flared in their eyes at the unexpected sight, followed quickly by flustered glances as they hastily looked away. Their ears burned hot, and their fingers nervously gripped the hems of their clothes. They shrank back slightly, their minds gradually clearing.

“Senior, we didn't mean to be here, it's just... it's just...”

At this point, the speaker's face flushed red. He sneaked a glance at Jiang Lu, then lowered his head guiltily.

The other cultivator gritted his teeth. Hanging his head in guilt, he hesitated for a moment before finally mumbling, his voice stuttering and filled with embarrassment.

“Senior, you must have followed us here. Since we acted as your guides, we hope... we hope you could give us some guide fees.”

He immediately lowered his head after speaking, not daring to look at Jiang Lu's expression.

Although it was rather abrupt, if they had encountered a hot-tempered cultivator, they might not have lived to see tomorrow's sun the moment they uttered those words.

But...

The clan's resources were completely depleted. If their Ancestor remained injured, they would no longer be able to maintain their status as a Qi Condensation clan. If that happened, the other clans in the town would undoubtedly divide everything they currently owned among themselves.

“We share a thread of karma. If what you need is within my ability to provide, I will grant you an opportunity,” Jiang Lu said, placing her hands behind her back as she observed that the two were not greedy people.

Hearing this, the two were overjoyed.

They immediately scrambled to their feet and bowed deeply to Jiang Lu.

“We are from the Chen Clan of Xiajiang Village. Our Chen Clan is a Qi Condensation clan, but currently, an elder of our family is heavily injured. We beg our benefactor to grant us an opportunity to preserve our status as a Qi Condensation clan,” the older cultivator spoke to Jiang Lu, his tone filled with heavy sorrow.

“Preserve your status as a Qi Condensation clan? Has something happened to your clan's late-stage Qi Condensation cultivator?”

Though Jiang Lu's tone was questioning, it carried a note of certainty.

The two closed their eyes, let out a sigh, and nodded.

Jiang Lu pondered for a moment. No wonder this karma was so unusual. If it wasn't resolved properly, the endless cycle of cause and effect would bring endless trouble in the future.

However, preserving the status of a Qi Condensation clan was no easy task.

She either had to give them a certain opportunity so they could handle everything themselves, or resolve the issue of the injured late-stage Qi Condensation cultivator.

She leaned toward the latter.

“I'll go with you and see for myself.”

Currently, she was at the seventh layer of Qi Condensation, but she masked her cultivation to display the strength of early-stage Foundation Establishment. In a place like this, as long as she didn't actively provoke others, no one would dare question her.

“You'll... go with us?”

The two looked at her in disbelief, which quickly turned into sheer excitement.

“Thank you! Thank you, Senior!”

They immediately led the way, guiding Jiang Lu toward their clan's estate.

“Senior... what about this place?” they asked, turning to look back at the stone steps that disappeared into the distance.

“The danger here has been cleared, but a significant amount of yin and cold energy still lingers. If you don't have spiritual energy to protect yourselves, try not to enter.”

“You only have the strength of early-stage Qi Condensation, so I don't recommend risking your lives. If you want to investigate, it's best to have the mid-stage or late-stage Qi Condensation cultivators of your clan come instead.”

Hearing this, the two suppressed their restless curiosity, replaced by a wave of lingering fear. Fortunately, they hadn't forced their way in, or they would have been corpses by now.

“Yes, Senior! We definitely won't go in by ourselves,” the two promised immediately.

Jiang Lu was merely giving them a warning. As for what they chose to do, she would not pry further.

Only later, when other disciples of their clan came to this place, did they discover many familiar figures lying lifeless on the stone steps. Only then did they realize that Jiang Lu's warning had not been an exaggeration.

They felt even more grateful that they hadn't stubbornly ignored her advice that day.

“Chen Hao, Chen Ming, you're finally back!”

A disciple at the entrance spotted the two and hurried forward, a look of deep worry on his face.

The two nodded and introduced Jiang Lu to him.

“This Senior is someone we've invited back to help us through our crisis. We won't say more for now; we need to hurry back and check on Ancestor's condition,” they said, before leading Jiang Lu toward the right side of the estate.

Seeing the heavy expressions on everyone's faces, Jiang Lu was secretly surprised. A late-stage Qi Condensation cultivator was equivalent to the spiritual pillar of a clan. Before a new late-stage Qi Condensation cultivator could emerge, any mishap befalling the pillar was undoubtedly a devastating blow to everyone.

Following behind them, Jiang Lu soon saw two people inside a room.

When she caught sight of one of the faces in the room, she froze.

It was actually the Auntie who had introduced her to the cultivation world on that very first day.

The woman looked haggard, gazing worriedly at the elderly man lying on the bed.

“This is...” Jiang Lu turned an inquiring gaze toward the two.

“Aunt, please step outside for a moment. We'll find a way to help Ancestor,” Chen Hao said, before turning to explain the situation to Jiang Lu.

The injured man was their clan's Ancestor, a cultivator at the ninth layer of Qi Condensation. He had been severely wounded while competing for resources.

He had managed to flee back with his last breath, but the news had somehow leaked, and the other clans were now eyeing them like hawks.

Married-out daughters like his aunt had rushed back to the clan upon hearing the news to join the discussions.

After all, having a Qi Condensation clan as backing made a world of difference compared to having none.

It was precisely because of her clan's support that his aunt held significant sway in her husband's household. After all, children she gave birth to would have a higher chance of possessing spiritual roots.

Whenever her husband's family had matters to discuss, they would always consult her opinion first.

Jiang Lu nodded, learning about these intricate dynamics for the first time.

She let out a soft sigh and walked over to the elderly man. Now that she knew the connection between him and the Auntie, she could not just stand by and watch.

She had promised that day to repay the Auntie if she ever had the chance. No matter what, she would do her absolute best now.

She reached out and placed her hand on the elderly man's pulse.

“Senior...”

Just as Chen Hao spoke, Chen Ming stopped him with a shake of his head.

Since they had invited the Senior here, they needed to show her absolute trust.

Seeing this, Chen Hao pursed his lips and stepped aside, falling silent.

However, his tightly clenched fists and bloodshot eyes betrayed his inner turmoil.

“He is heavily injured and wasn't treated in time. If we were any later, he would have lost all life force,” Jiang Lu said, withdrawing her hand.

If it had been before, she would have been utterly helpless. But now that she possessed a leaf of the Jianmu, she could save his life and even heal his injuries.

“I can save him, but are you certain you want to use this opportunity here?”

Jiang Lu looked at them, searching for any hint of reluctance on their faces.

Hearing Jiang Lu say she could save him, excitement instantly washed over their faces.

They nodded without the slightest hesitation. “We beg Senior to save Ancestor's life!”

They had only held onto a glimmer of hope when they brought her here, never expecting that the Senior would truly have a way!

Seeing this, Jiang Lu nodded.

In that case, she would save him.

With a flick of her wrist, a leaf appeared in her hand, radiating a dense aura of vitality.

Using her spiritual energy, Jiang Lu guided the leaf to the elderly man's lips. The leaf then transformed into a streak of light and flowed into his mouth.

In just an instant—

The elderly man's life force began to recover at a speed visible to the naked eye.

“He will wake up tomorrow,” Jiang Lu said to the shocked pair before turning and walking out of the room.