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  Ancient Fragment #9

  Red.

  Deep red.

  A tidal wave of killing intent engulfed the entire sect.

  Every disciple shuddered.

  Every elder trembled.

  “KILL HIM!” The Sect Master roared.

  -

  Hua Qingqing waited patiently outside. She understood what Long Tianyu was going through. Just like him, she had soared in cultivation and gained knowledge far beyond what she had known before. From now on, she would also cultivate The Divine Tempering of the Three Origins, along with a scripture perfectly suited for her bloodline. The Celestial Heaven’s Sound Scripture focused on releasing soul attacks through music.

  As she stood there, her thoughts drifted back to her childhood. She remembered sitting beside her mother, fingers resting awkwardly on the strings of a zither. Her mother’s voice had been gentle, patient, guiding her through endless melodies. Those songs had never been simple. Even back then, they carried emotions that stirred the heart and echoes that lingered in the soul. At the time, Hua Qingqing had not understood why some notes made her chest ache or why others brought her calm. Now, she finally knew. Those melodies had always been more than music.

  Her thoughts were interrupted when the door creaked open.

  Hua Qingqing turned and saw Long Tianyu stepping outside. He looked calm now, the strain from earlier gone. He had changed into fresh clothes, and somehow, he looked different. More refined and handsome. Reaching the Elementary Qi Realm had clearly changed him, smoothing away the rough edges and giving him an air of quiet confidence. She found herself staring for a moment longer than necessary.

  “Tianyu, how do you feel? Are you sure you do not need more time?” she asked, unsure of how he truly felt.

  “No, I feel fine,” Long Tianyu replied with a smile, his voice steady as he reassured her.

  He glanced around, taking in their surroundings. They were in a small building built beside a larger house. The structure was simple, sturdy, and clearly well cared for. The house was made of red pine wood and reminded him of his own home in Xincheng Village. That was built by Shadowjade Bamboo that grew on the mountain of the tallest peak of the region, The Shadowjade Mountain.

  Long Tianyu turned his attention back to Hua Qingqing, and only now did he truly notice the change in her. She looked more beautiful than before. Her hair shimmered softly in the sunlight, and her skin looked smooth and radiant. The memory of their kiss before falling into The Godslaying Abyss surfaced in his mind, and he smiled without realizing it.

  “What are you thinking about?” Hua Qingqing asked, noticing his expression.

  “Nothing,” he said lightly. “Just our kiss. I was thinking about asking for another.”

  Hua Qingqing raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk forming on her lips. She was about to respond when a loud snort echoed nearby.

  “Humph!”

  Jin Xue’er had arrived. She looked at the two of them standing close together and immediately felt irritated. Seeing them flirt out in the open made her uncomfortable. Her feelings were conflicted. On one hand, they were friends of her big brother and Hua Qingqing had been kind to her family and helped them. On the other, Hua Qingqing had once terrified her by threatening her father with a sword, and Long Tianyu had just left a deep impression of fear in her mind. She had no idea how she was supposed to treat them now.

  Damned kid, you ruined our moment.

  Long Tianyu had an evil smile, ''Hey, Tiny Tornado, I'm sorry for scaring you before, but Brother Lian told us all about you.''

  ''You! Who is Tiny Tornado!'' Jin Xue'er screeched in embarrassment as her whole face turned red like a tomato. That was a nickname her older brother used to call her because she would run in and out of the house all the time, and this freak that had almost scared her to death used that embarrassing nickname for her.

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  Wait.. what more has Big Brother told them?! He wouldn't have told them that, would he?!

  Long Tianyu and Jin Xue'er continued bickering until Hua Qingqing slapped him at the back of his head and gave him a side eyed glance that said; do you really need to bully a child?

  Not long after, Jin Haotian arrived with his wife, Jin Ruyan, following close behind.

  “How do you feel now?” Jin Haotian asked cautiously, breaking the awkward atmosphere. He had been especially worried about Long Tianyu, who had taken much longer to recover than Hua Qingqing.

  “Uncle, thank you so much for helping us,” Long Tianyu said sincerely, bowing slightly. “We truly owe your family.”

  ''Haha! It is fine, we'll do anything for Lian's friends, come, we have prepared food.''

  Soon after, everyone gathered to eat. The meal was simple yet warm. Freshly caught fish, mushrooms from The Red Pine Forest, eggs, and vegetables grown in the family’s small garden were laid out on a plate before them.

  Long Tianyu and Hua Qingqing both understood how precious this meal was. Despite the humble house and meager land, the Jin family had given them the best they could offer. It reminded them of their own upbringing.

  During the meal, the family spoke often about Jin Lian. They asked if the two had heard any news or seen him during their travels. Unfortunately, neither Long Tianyu nor Hua Qingqing had any information to give. It had been years since they last saw him, right before he left with their brother Xiao Chi to The Scarlet Battlefield.

  While eating, Jin Ruyan suddenly violently coughed. Long Tianyu and Hua Qingqing also noticed a lot of blood on her handkerchief. Worriedly, they asked if anything was wrong with her, and the two adults explained that she had been hurt a long time ago when a demonic beast attacked the village. It killed Jin Lian and Jin Xue'er's grandparents and destroyed Jin Ruyan's vitality, leaving her weaker and weaker.

  "That's why Xue'er and I were out in the forest looking for mushrooms when we stumbled upon you two. We are looking for anything that can help Ruyan heal. We have tried nearby towns, but it is too expensive. It has been tough on her, but she is the strongest woman I know." Jin Haotian slightly touched Jin Ruyan's shoulder. Meanwhile, Jin Xue'er sat with her head lowered, obviously sad and worried for her mother.

  "Once a wandering cultivator went through our village, and through him we learned that there is something called Crimson Gold Flower that grows deep within the Red Pine Forest. That place is called the Crimson Heart, but it is extremely dangerous for us to visit."

  Once the words "Crimson Gold Flower" were said, both Long Tianyu and Hua Qingqing understood what it was. A flower that needs to rest for three days in cold water and then be boiled in hot water. The residue should be thrown away, but the remaining water can be drunk to heal and restore a person's vitality.

  "Uncle, we can go look for it if you want," Long Tianyu suggested. Jin Haotian faltered. He had secretly hoped that his son's friends could help, and that was why he had mentioned it. He was terrified that Jin Ruyan would soon become so weak that she would be bedridden and eventually die.

  Jin Xue'er's eyes lit up with happiness. She knew that the two of them were strong and might be able to save her mother.

  "It is really fine, you don't have to trouble yourselves," Jin Ruyan protested slightly. She knew that the Crimson Heart was extremely dangerous, even for cultivators.

  "We will do it. Anything for a friend of ours, right, Qingqing?" Long Tianyu nudged Hua Qingqing slightly.

  "Of course," she smiled and agreed steadily.

  Jin Haotian and Jin Ruyan looked at each other with love, it felt like they could finally feel less stressed about her impending death and instead it filled them with hope. The family continued explaining more about the Crimson Heart.

  Later that day, Long Tianyu and Hua Qingqing walked through the forest together. The air was fresh, carrying the scent of pine and earth. Moss covered the forest floor, soft beneath their feet. They had decided to stay with the Jin family for a while longer until they could at least help Jin Ruyan and now they were walking to the Crimson Heart.

  “Qingqing, does this not feel like the old days?” Long Tianyu said. “Practicing up on Shadowjade Mountain with the others and Teacher Song Ming?”

  Hua Qingqing smiled, nostalgia flickering in her eyes. “Yes, it does. It would be nice to see them all again.”

  “I wonder where everyone is now,” he continued. “Hopefully they are alive. Out of all of us, Wang Mei was the smartest and she knew so many things. What was the sect she went to again?”

  “The Star Seeking Sect,” Hua Qingqing answered, thoughtful.

  “Maybe we should try to visit her,” Hua Qingqing continued. “With our new strength, it would be much safer now, and maybe she knows something about Nine Tribulations.”

  “Do you know where the sect is?” Long Tianyu asked her.

  “I think if we follow the Dragon River from Moondragon City we should be able to find it, after all that's from where all the sects arrived from” she replied.

  ''Good, let's go there once we have help Jin Lian's mother'' Long Tianyu said while walking in front of Hua Qingqing and crossing over a large root that dug into the ground.

  He turned around and smiled, ''Now, about that kiss of ours...''

  Hua Qingqing rushed ahead of him leaving him standing alone, his mouth wide in surprise.

  ''Qingqing!!''

  -

  End of chapter 9 - Future plans