Chapter 634: Chapter 69: Mu Qingge, You Heartless Scoundrel!

Bang!

Bang bang!

In the space, explosions continuously came from Qingge’s Artifact Refining Room.

Mengmeng and Yuanyuan stood side by side, looking at the Artifact Refining Room emitting black smoke, both having an expression of helplessness on their beautiful faces.

"How many times has it been, and Master Silver hasn’t given up yet?" Mengmeng shook her head, her big eyes blinking.

Beside her, Yuanyuan lowered his head, carefully counting his fingers. After using all ten fingers, he found it wasn’t enough. He raised his face, a fiery vermillion between his brows looking particularly enchanting, and said to Mengmeng, "Was it twelve times, or fifteen times?"

Just after they finished speaking, the door of the Artifact Refining Room opened, and a puff of dense smoke floated out, permeating the space.

"Cough, cough..."

"Cough, cough!"

Mengmeng and Yuanyuan were choked and quickly took a few steps back.

When the smoke cleared, they saw a figure, looking disheveled yet with a charming grace, walking out. She paced with her hands behind her back, her eyes lowered as if pondering something deeply, completely unaware of the two standing outside.

When she passed by Mengmeng and Yuanyuan, they noticed her exquisitely beautiful face was smeared with black and red dirt, and her red robe looked as if it had been pulled from ash.

The two watched her leave, their little faces showing a trace of horror.

"What’s up with Mommy Boss? Is she possessed?" Yuanyuan tugged on Mengmeng’s clothes, asking in a daze.

Mengmeng blinked and nodded, saying, "She’s possessed."

"It’s just artifact refining, is it really that troublesome?" Yuanyuan muttered incomprehensibly.

Suddenly, a pain shot through his forehead, and his pretty face twisted.

"Mengmeng, what are you doing!" Yuanyuan covered his forehead, shouting at the culprit.

Mengmeng widened her big eyes, placed her hands on her hips, and said, "Are you an Artifact Refiner? Do you know what artifact refining means? Master Silver is striving for perfection, wanting to break through and forge a Divine Artifact-level weapon."

"But she can’t just drive herself mad without eating or sleeping!" Yuanyuan said, aggrieved.

He was only concerned about his Mommy Boss’s health.

Mengmeng sighed dramatically like a mature person, saying helplessly, "You know Master Silver’s temperament; once she decides to do something, she throws herself into it wholeheartedly. This time, she’s been in seclusion for half a month and still knows to come out; that’s already a good thing. Before you few guys came, she was like this when pondering alchemy too."

When Qingge appeared before them again, she had already changed into clean clothes, looking much more refreshed.

Seeing the two standing there, she paused in surprise and asked, "What are you two doing here?"

Yuanyuan immediately ran to her side, acting spoiled with grievance, "Mommy Boss, you just noticed us!"

Qingge blinked.

"Of course, otherwise why would Master Silver look so surprised?" Mengmeng also came over, pouting at Qingge.

"Hehe." Qingge chuckled, curiously asking, "Have you two been here the whole time?"

Seeing Yuanyuan and Mengmeng nodding vigorously, her mouth twitched, explaining, "I was thinking about some issues just now, so I didn’t notice."

As a result, they both gave her a look of ’I figured.’"

Qingge rubbed her nose and said to the two, "I’ll go out first, Yuanyuan can stay in the space for now." Before leaving, she turned back to remind them, "By the way, if you have nothing to do, don’t provoke Huo. That guy, constrained by the Mother and Child Rings’ power, has to be suppressed by me, but he might not tolerate you two troublemakers."

"Got it."

"Don’t worry, Mommy Boss."

Mengmeng and Yuanyuan promised.

Qingge raised an eyebrow. Don’t worry? With these two together, she was anything but relieved.

"Anyway, if you provoke him yourselves and he bullies you, don’t come crying to me." Qingge said, then turned and left the space, disappearing before them.

...

In a certain inn, in a quiet and elegant courtyard, Bai Xi blocked the doorway outside.

Standing in the corridor in front of her were Xie Ya and Xuan Ya.

"Sister Bai Xi, please step aside; we need to go in to serve the Young Master," Xuan Ya said, holding washing tools.

Xie Ya held a tray with some exquisite foods Qingge liked.

"Qingge is in seclusion, she can’t be disturbed." Bai Xi crossed her arms lazily leaning against the door, her upward-slanting eyes half-closed.

Xuan Ya frowned, wanting to speak, but was stopped by Xie Ya.

Xie Ya said, "Sister Bai Xi, you say the Young Master is in seclusion. It has been half a month. He still needs to eat, drink, and freshen up. We just want to put the things down and leave; we won’t disturb the Young Master."

Qingge’s seclusion had not been notified to the two of them.

Just half a month ago, when they came to serve, they were stopped outside by Bai Xi and told Qingge was in seclusion.

Time passed, and half a month later, they had stayed in Liuhuo City for half a month as well. Those families and Floating Guests who had come for the big hunt had already dispersed, and bustling Liuhuo City had become much quieter.

"Are you suspecting I’m lying? Or worried I’ll eat Qingge?" Bai Xi said with a playful look in her eyes.

Xie Ya pursed her lips.

Xuan Ya hesitantly said, "Sister Bai Xi, don’t misunderstand, we just want to ensure the Young Master is safe."

"She is fine," Bai Xi said.

"Sister Bai Xi, our duty is to take care of the Young Master, to protect him. If the Young Master is going into danger, we must stay by his side," Xie Ya said, biting her lip.

What they were worried about was that Qingge had sneaked off somewhere dangerous again. What if something happened, what then?

"If Qingge were really in danger, what could you do with your skills?" Bai Xi mocked mercilessly.

This comment rendered Xuan Ya and Xie Ya speechless.

They were still only at the Gray Realm Fifth and Sixth Layers, neither had broken through to the Silver Realm. If even Qingge at the Silver Realm Third Layer couldn’t handle it, what could they do?

"Worrying about Qingge is fine, but the first thing you should remember and must do is to follow her arrangements." Bai Xi’s voice turned cold, her sweet childlike tone carrying an implicit cold authority.

"Sister Bai Xi is right." Xie Ya lowered her eyes, her long lashes hiding her emotions.

Xuan Ya didn’t argue further either.

"Let them in." Suddenly, Qingge’s voice came from the quiet room.

A ghostly gleam flickered in Bai Xi’s eyes as she stepped aside from blocking the way.

She pushed open the door to see Qingge seated gracefully in a chair. Twisting her snake-like waist, she entered the room and clung her arms affectionately around Qingge’s arm. "Qingge."

Qingge turned her eyes to her, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly, not stopping her from drawing closer.

Then, she turned her gaze towards Xuan Ya and Xie Ya stepping into the room.

The two women were relieved to see Qingge sitting well in the room. After putting down what they held, they knelt before Qingge to plead for forgiveness.

"Alright, get up," Qingge casually said.

Xuan Ya and Xie Ya thanked her and stood up.

Xie Ya said, "Young Master, I received a message from the clan the day before yesterday that the High Priest has set out to the Middle Ancient Realm to meet with you."

"Oh?" Qingge’s eyes brightened, and she withdrew her arm from Bai Xi’s embrace and stood up.

Finally, the old man he’s been waiting for is coming! Are the questions in his heart about to be answered?

"When is the High Priest arriving?" Qingge asked.

Xie Ya said, "The High Priest is still on the way; please set a place for meeting that will be convenient for both sides."

Qingge lowered her head in thought, then took out a map of the West Continent, spreading it out on the table before her. She had to visit Fusha City to meet Sang Lanruo and Mu Liancheng personally. Currently, she was still in Liuhuo City...

Mu Qingge’s finger lightly traced the map, finally stopping on a city between Liuhuo City and Fusha City. "This one then, Chaohan City."

Xie Ya noted the location, estimated in her heart, and said to Mu Qingge, "When we received the message, the High Priest had already entered the Southern Continent. If he uses the teleportation array to come over, the time will be greatly shortened. As we set off for Chaohan City, it will probably take about ten days on the road. I guess, we won’t have to wait long in Chaohan City before the High Priest arrives."

Mu Qingge nodded.

This is best, no need to delay too much time.

Why not choose to meet directly in Fusha City? Because the Sang Family is there, she has private matters to attend to and doesn’t want other forces or issues mixed in at that time.

"We’ll set off tomorrow," Mu Qingge set the time.

"Young Master," Xuan Ya spoke up at this moment, "You once asked me to keep an eye on any news about Mu Luofeng. Lately, I found someone with a similar figure to Mu Luofeng appearing in the West Continent."

"Mu Luofeng appeared?" Mu Qingge narrowed her eyes, a hint of coldness flashing through them. "Continue investigating and confirm the identity." Can she let someone who dared to frame her continue to live freely?

Xuan Ya nodded. She continued, "Young Master, there’s another matter..." she hesitated, glancing in Bai Xi’s direction.

Mu Qingge followed her gaze and said nonchalantly, "Bai Xi is not an outsider."

This made Bai Xi smile happily.

Xuan Ya, no longer worried, spoke, "About the map on my sister Xie Ya and me, perhaps I have found another way to detach it."

"Speak," Mu Qingge raised an eyebrow, the clear eyes becoming hot.

"I carefully recalled the ancient texts I had seen in the clan, which recorded a method of transference, allowing the map on us to be transferred to another person," Xuan Ya explained.

"Transference?" Mu Qingge frowned.

What’s the point of just transferring it? It’s merely changing from one person to another.

Xuan Ya continued, "I understand that Young Master is a righteous person and has no other intentions toward the two of us. But eventually, Young Master will get married. If Young Master has someone in mind, we can transfer the map to her. As long as Young Master consummates the marriage with her, she can easily obtain the map, wouldn’t that be perfect?"

After speaking, she looked at Mu Qingge anxiously because she couldn’t figure out the relationship between that suddenly appearing and disappearing person and their Young Master.

Those intimate gestures seemed beyond the friendship between the same gender.

However, their Mu Clan’s Young Master must have bloodline continuity. Thus, the method is genuine, and so is the probing.

"What if it were transferred directly to me?" Mu Qingge suddenly asked.

Xuan Ya was stunned, but she shook her head, "Firstly, this method can only be transferred to a woman. Secondly, as a carrier, the person being transferred still cannot see the map’s content, just like Xie Ya and me."

Mu Qingge’s eyes flickered and said to the two, "You two, leave first."

Her reaction and answer exceeded Xuan Ya’s expectations.

"Yes, Young Master."

Without defying Mu Qingge’s order, Xie Ya and Xuan Ya left the room.

After the others left, Mu Qingge saw Bai Xi’s mischievous gaze.

"Funny, isn’t it?" Mu Qingge said, annoyed.

Xuan Ya’s method is entirely impractical!

"I’m looking forward to how you’ll handle it in the future: marry a wife or a husband?" Bai Xi teased.

Mu Qingge’s face darkened, showing defiance between her brows and assertively said, "Of course, marry a husband!"

"Pff!" Bai Xi chuckled, casting a look of admiration at Mu Qingge.

Bai Xi leaned toward Mu Qingge, saying ambiguously, "You and that adult, have you already... mmhm?"

Mu Qingge cast a playful gaze at her, "You’re just a snake, why are you so gossipy?"

Bai Xi’s eyebrows shot up in mock anger, "What’s wrong with a snake? Can’t a snake be curious about romance?"

Mu Qingge looked at her dumbfounded, blurting out, "Don’t tell me you’ve never loved anyone in any of your lifetimes?" So, the eternal bachelor isn’t just Si Mo!

Bai Xi’s expression turned awkward, muttering, "My memory hasn’t entirely returned, how would I remember love and such? But I don’t think I’ve ever loved anyone." Curiously, she asked, "What is love like? Is it tasty?"

Mu Qingge’s mouth twitched as she coldly laughed and answered, "It’s something you can only understand, not convey. If you’re truly curious, you could always fall in love yourself."

Uh!

"With whom?" Bai Xi froze.

Mu Qingge blinked, responding seriously, "I think Yin Chen is not bad."

Bai Xi’s eyes widened in surprise and immediately rejected, "That stinky fox? Forget it. Just smelling his scent makes me uncomfortable!"

"He finds your appetite off-putting too. See, don’t you think you two are well-matched?" Mu Qingge teased while trying to suppress her laughter.

"..." Bai Xi looked at Mu Qingge with her mouth slightly agape, unable to tell if her words were a joke or a serious suggestion.

Bai Xi shook her head vigorously, tossing the topic aside. "How did your efforts turn out over these past two weeks?"

Mu Qingge sighed and shook her head slowly, "Divine Artifact refining isn’t that easy to accomplish. Over these two weeks, I’ve been unable to break through."

"Don’t worry; you might achieve it effortlessly one day," Bai Xi consoled.

Mu Qingge nodded.

This truth she naturally understood, which is why she left the Artifact Refining Room. Previously, she wanted to quickly upgrade the Dragon Tooth Guards’ equipment and hoped to forge divine armor and weapons, which made her somewhat impatient.

A little rest might bring unexpected insights.

"This artifact refining, you’ve been relying solely on yourself to explore. Perhaps this visit to Fusha City, encountering the Sang Family’s artifact refining technique, might offer inspiration," Bai Xi suggested.

"That’s true, but how can the Sang Family’s artifact refining technique be so easily witnessed?" Mu Qingge pondered.

Sang Xuewu took away the Qilin Armor Earth Dragon Beast, claiming to forge armor. When she sees the finished product, she might glean some insights from it. But it will likely be just the tip of the iceberg.

Si Mo also mentioned that the Sang Family’s artifact refining technique, inherited from ancient methods, is worth referencing.

Thus, if she wishes to break through further in artifact refining, a trip to the Sang Family might be inevitable. However, how can she witness the Sang Family’s technique at their place?

If she reveals her identity and tells the Sang Family about her artifact refiner bloodline, she would surely see it easily.

But she doesn’t want to do that. She doesn’t want any entanglements with the Sang Family, nor does she wish to seek them out or owe them favors.

Approach Sang Xuewu or Sang Lanruo and have them inform her?

Mu Qingge shook her head. ’Forget it, she doesn’t want to involve them in her matters. Passing down family secret techniques privately could risk their punishment; should she save them or not?’

To date, Mu Qingge doesn’t wish to complicate her relationships with Sang Lanruo, or even Sang Xuewu and Sang Yichen.

Even if they are kin!

"If worst comes to worst, we can always steal it!" Bai Xi suggested with a glint in her eyes.

Steal?

Mu Qingge glanced at her but said, "Generally, these artifact refining techniques are orally passed down, taught directly; how could there be any manuals or the like to steal?" The Sang Family’s refining methods aren’t secret within their family. Yet, they are not easily shared.

"This won’t work, that also won’t, what do we do?" Bai Xi also knitted her brows in a headache.

"Let’s wait until we reach Fusha City," Mu Qingge finally decided.

Sitting here and daydreaming isn’t solving anything. Once she reaches Fusha City, she can take it step by step.

...

The next day, early in the morning, Mu Qingge boarded the spiritual beast car heading towards Chaohan City.

The driver was a hired coachman.

She, along with Bai Xi, Xie Ya, and Xuan Ya sat inside the spacious carriage.

The coachman was a local, frequently traveling between Liuhuo City and Chaohan City, familiar with the route. This was why Mu Qingge hired him.

On the wide post road, the spiritual beast car ran swiftly.

The coachman swung his long whip, repeatedly hitting the spirit beast, urging it to run fast.

The coachman had a face full of envy.

The object of his envy was naturally Mu Qingge inside the carriage.

"Truly the wastrel of a noble family! Going on a trip accompanied by three stunningly beautiful women of different charms!" he smacked his lips and exclaimed.

He was just an ordinary person from Liuhuo City and didn’t know who the most famous person on the Sunset Grassland was recently.

When renting the carriage, Xuan Ya told him they were traveling with the Young Master, and he believed it.

After expressing his admiration, the coachman couldn’t help but salaciously guess, "I wonder what the three women and one man are doing in the carriage on such a long journey. Hehe~!"

What are they doing?

Uh...

Inside the carriage, just a door away from him, Mu Qingge lay lazily while Xie Ya was now the one massaging her shoulders, and Xuan Ya had taken over brewing tea and burning incense.

As for Bai Xi, she kept stuffing pastries into her mouth.

The pastries prepared by Xuan Ya and Xie Ya had almost all ended up in her mouth along the way.

Yin Chen calling her a ’gluttonous snake’ was indeed fitting!

She gave the coachman enough silver taels to allow him to rush towards Chaohan City day and night.

Because they traveled tirelessly through day and night, by the evening of the eighth day after leaving Liuhuo City, the Spiritual Beast Car finally entered the gates of Chaohan City. The coachman, familiar with Chaohan City, drove the car directly to an inn.

After parking the car, the coachman spoke to those in the carriage: "Young master, we’ve arrived."

The tightly closed carriage door opened, and Xuan Ya was the first to climb out. She got off the Spiritual Beast Car, surveyed the inn’s decorations, then nodded and turned to Mu Qingge inside the carriage, saying, "Young master, we’ve arrived."

Following that, Mu Qingge stepped out of the carriage, with Xie Ya and Bai Xi behind her.

As the four appeared, the coachman’s eyes once again filled with envy. The inn attendant, who came out to greet them, was stunned by their looks.

Once he regained his senses, the same envious thought emerged in his mind as it did for the coachman.

Meanwhile, he also muttered to himself, "Strange, seeing such beauties these days more than I have in my entire life."

No one paid attention to his muttering.

After regaining his composure, he immediately went over to welcome Mu Qingge and the others.

Having completed his task, the coachman drove away. The four of them walked up the steps into the inn’s entrance. As it was already evening, the city was no longer lively as it was during the day, so the inn’s lobby was relatively empty, giving a sense of desolation.

Such an environment pleased Mu Qingge.

If the inside were chaotic and noisy, she would leave without a second thought.

"Young master, how many rooms would you like?" The attendant led them to the counter, asking with a suggestive look and tone. "Our rooms have great soundproofing and large beds, rest assured."

Mu Qingge had grown numb to such misunderstandings along the way.

In response to the attendant’s ’kindness,’ she simply asked, "Is there a secluded courtyard where we won’t be disturbed?"

The attendant was taken aback, then chuckled slyly. "Hehe, I understand, young master. Coincidentally, we do have a secluded courtyard at our inn, but it’s a bit pricier."

Before he finished speaking, Xuan Ya took out a gold ingot and tossed it on the counter.

The sound of the gold ingot hitting the counter startled the attendant, his eyes brightened. He quickly picked up the gold ingot, bit it lightly, and touched it with fondness, then he plastered a more radiant smile on his face, bent over, and said, "Thank you, young master, thank you, miss. Let me show you the way?"

"Lead the way," said Xuan Ya.

"Right away!" The attendant beamed as he led the way.

Mu Qingge followed him with the three women behind.

When they were about to turn from the main hall to the backyard, a voice suddenly intervened, nearly causing Mu Qingge to lose her balance and fall.

"Mu Qingge! You heartless man, I’ve finally found you!"

The sharp words immediately caught the attention of the five people.

The attendant, who was leading the way, involuntarily shivered upon hearing this voice, as if he greatly feared the voice’s owner.

Xuan Ya and Xie Ya, and even Bai Xi were immensely curious about who this aggrieved woman was and what her relationship with Mu Qingge was.

The most shocked, however, was Mu Qingge!

She turned her gaze to the enchanting woman standing on the staircase in the backyard, arms akimbo, with raised brows, and was utterly astonished.

’Why is she here?’

Most importantly, how did they meet in such a cliché way?

If it wasn’t fate, no one would believe it!

Her tall and seductive figure, her exotic and devilishly beautiful appearance. And that distinctive hair color, eye color, truly like a fairy fallen to the mortal world!

She wasn’t wearing a veil this time, revealing her entire exquisite beauty.

"Jiang Li! You..." Mu Qingge called out her name in a daze.

But before she could finish, Jiang Li interrupted her unceremoniously: "I just saw a figure that looked like you and guessed it must be you. Coming out to check, it really is you! You bastard, you left for so long without a word, yet now you’re surrounded by beauties! Do you even have me in your heart?"

Her domineering and fierce words stunned not only the inn’s attendant but also Xuan Ya and Xie Ya.

They were guessing the relationship between this suddenly appearing beauty and their Young Master. The inn’s attendant, however, cast a look of admiration and envy at Mu Qingge.

To be able to tame such a fierce tigress, this red-clad young master was truly admirable!

Only Bai Xi knew something about Jiang Li and was aware of Mu Qingge’s identity, so besides being surprised by Jiang Li’s appearance, she held an attitude of watching a good show.

She wanted to see how Mu Qingge would react to the sudden appearance of this Empress from the Ancient Witch Country.

Jiang Li stepped down the stairs and immediately appeared in front of Mu Qingge. "You heartless man, tell me, do you have me in your heart? I came to find you from far away, leaving behind my riches and luxury... um..."

Jiang Li’s words were cut off by Mu Qingge’s action.

Mu Qingge reached out to pinch her cheeks and pulled them hard while she was speaking.

"Ouch! That hurts!" Jiang Li slapped away Mu Qingge’s hand and complained, covering her cheek.

"I just wanted to confirm if you were real or an illusion," Mu Qingge said calmly.

Mu Qingge’s reaction left Xuan Ya and Xie Ya dumbfounded.

They had followed Mu Qingge for a long time and had never seen Mu Qingge treat any woman like this. Could it be that this woman who suddenly appeared was the true love of the Young Master?

Had they misunderstood the relationship between the Young Master and the previous gentleman?

Suddenly, the expressions of the two women became complicated.

"To see if it’s real, you should pinch yourself, not me!" Jiang Li angrily lowered her hand from her cheek and reached for Mu Qingge.

However, her hand had only gotten halfway when it was grabbed by Mu Qingge, frozen in mid-air.

As Jiang Li was surprised, she was pulled suddenly, and before she could react, she was embraced by her. "It’s great to see you again!"

Before Jiang Li could struggle, Mu Qingge’s emotional words reached her ears.

This sentence stopped her struggle, allowing Mu Qingge to hold her.

The sudden embrace between the two stirred the people around them.

This made Xuan Ya and Xie Ya more certain that this woman was the true love of the Young Master. And in Xie Ya’s eyes, there was a touch of melancholy.

The inn’s attendant smacked his lips in envy, glancing over the beautiful women, lamenting in his heart: ’Truly, comparisons are odious!’

After a while, when Mu Qingge’s emotions had calmed, Jiang Li moved out of her embrace, raised her hand to touch Mu Qingge’s forehead, and curiously asked, "What’s wrong? Have you suffered during this period?"

Mu Qingge pulled down her hand, shaking her head slowly. She smiled, a genuine smile from the heart.

To her, Jiang Li could be considered a true friend.

In front of Jiang Li, she didn’t need to hide her emotions and could speak freely.

Suddenly, Mu Qingge’s expression shifted slightly, her gaze moving away from Jiang Li and looking upward, fixing on the staircase where Jiang Li had stood before.

There stood a tall and ethereal figure, dressed in pure white robes, with an elegant demeanor and features as picturesque as a celestial being.

"Brother Mei." Staring at the person, Mu Qingge nodded slightly, a smile in her eyes.

...

In the secluded courtyard of the inn, candlelight flickered.

Bai Xi and the others had already left, leaving the space for the reunion of the three who hadn’t seen each other in a long time.

In the hall, the three sat around a round table, with candles burning on the candlestick, their light flickering. Tea and snacks were all neatly arranged.

Mu Qingge stood up and personally poured a cup of tea for Jiang Li and Mei Zizhong before filling her own cup, putting down the teapot and sitting down.

"Meeting Qingge here is truly wonderful." Mei Zizhong spoke calmly. His voice was still that kind of clear-hearted indifference, as if free from desires and untouched by the mundane.

Mu Qingge laughed and said, "I was surprised too. I received a letter from Grandpa earlier, saying an old friend had visited him, and mentioned coming to the Middle Ancient Realm to find me. I guessed it was senior brothers and sisters, but I didn’t expect to meet so soon." She then turned her gaze to Jiang Li, "What surprised me the most is, why did you leave your position as the Empress of the Ancient Witch Country and come here?"

Jiang Li flicked her hair over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow at her, "I, the Empress, think that kingdoms can’t compare to a great beauty like you, so I came!"

Her words made Mu Qingge’s lips curve slightly.

Meeting old friends in a foreign land is truly delightful.

"How did you come here? Why are you here? And where are Brother Zhao, Sister Shang, and Sister Zhu?" Mu Qingge couldn’t help but ask.

She remembered setting out from the Bitter Sea, and it took her almost a year to reach the Middle Ancient Realm. She had been there for a year now and had only made it this far.

Of course, Jiang Li and the others didn’t have to deal with things along the way as she did, neither did they take detours that consumed a lot of time. But appearing here was still hard to comprehend.

Mei Zizhong chuckled, glanced at Jiang Li, and explained to Mu Qingge, "After you left, the four of us stayed in the Ancient Witch Country for a few days and met the Empress. She told us there was a secret realm that could quickly improve our cultivation. As long as we could pass through, we would meet the standard to leave Linchuan, so we went."

He spoke casually, but Mu Qingge could guess that a secret realm with such effects must not be simple, probably filled with dangers.

If these people followed the traditional cultivation path, leaving Linchuan would only be a matter of time. However, to reunite with her sooner, they willingly took risks, which touched her deeply.

"Hey, don’t flatter yourself! We were also curious about what the Middle Ancient Realm is like, and finding you was just incidental." Jiang Li interjected.

Clever as Mu Qingge was, how could she not understand the underlying meaning of her words?

Jiang Li didn’t want her to feel guilty because of this.

"And then what happened?" Mu Qingge was in no hurry; the night was long, and she could listen carefully and ask slowly.

"Then, we safely made our way out and coincidentally discovered an ancient teleportation array." Mei Zizhong continued with a smile.

"Teleportation array!" Mu Qingge’s eyes lit up.

"That teleportation array was in the Ancient Witch Country, yet I never knew. It makes me so angry. If I had known about it earlier, you wouldn’t have had to come from the Bitter Sea." Jiang Li still felt infuriated recalling it now. It seemed that she felt ashamed as the Empress of the Ancient Witch Country. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Coming from the Bitter Sea has its own advantages." Mu Qingge laughed.

If she hadn’t crossed the Bitter Sea, but used the teleportation array directly, how would she have found clues about the Divine Strategy Middle Volume?

"We found the teleportation array, and after studying it with the elders of the Ancient Witch Country and confirming it could be used, we went to see Old Marquis Mu. Then we returned to the Ancient Witch Country and came through the teleportation array. However, during the process, some accident occurred, causing us to lose contact with Brother Zhao and the others." Mei Zizhong explained calmly. Mentioning Zhao Nanxing and the others’ disappearance, he showed no concern.

This made Mu Qingge curiously ask, "Do you have news of Brother Zhao?"

Mei Zizhong nodded with a smile, "Brother Zhao is quick-witted. He quickly figured out some ways of the Middle Ancient Realm and released a message through the Floating Guest clan, informing us that they are safe and in the East Continent. After contacting Brother Zhao, we also released messages through the Floating Guest clan as they did. After discussions, they would look for you in the East Continent, while we looked for you in the West Continent, and use the Floating Guest clan for communication. If no news of you was found after a year, we would meet in the Central Continent or Northern Continent to discuss the next steps. Luckily, we encountered you first."

That’s how it was!

Mu Qingge suddenly understood.

She truly had to admire Zhao Nanxing’s agility; this Prince of Yu Country was indeed someone not to be underestimated.

Releasing messages through the Floating Guest clan was definitely the most convenient method in the Middle Ancient Realm!

Because no matter where everyone got separated, as long as there was a city, they would learn about the Floating Guest clan, and see the released information.

Zhao Nanxing took advantage of this convenience to build a bridge for communication.

"How long have you been in the Middle Ancient Realm?" Mu Qingge asked.

"More than a month now," Mei Zizhong replied.

After a moment of silence, he added, "The Empress and I landed near the teleportation array, which is in the West Continent. Later, we heard about Dragon Teeth in the Flowing Guest tribe and guessed it might be you. Knowing the grand hunt of the Flowing Guest Realm was being held at the Sunset Grassland, we thought of trying our luck to see if we could find you."

"But now we don’t have to go anymore," Jiang Li raised her eyebrows.

Mu Qingge smiled, "Indeed, there’s no need to go anymore, the grand hunt has already ended. If we missed each other today, it might be hard to meet next time."

Mu Qingge had roughly understood the situation.

She asked Jiang Li, "Where is the teleportation array, is it possible to teleport to Linchuan?"

If the teleportation array was usable, wouldn’t she be able to frequently travel between the Middle Ancient Realm and the Linchuan Realm? Sang Xuewu and Sang Yichen could also return to the Mu Family in Linchuan without wasting time, directly using the teleportation array, easing the wait for the old man sooner.

"It should be possible. The Elder mentioned it’s a two-way teleportation array, and it’s relatively well-preserved. As long as there are enough spirit stones to support it, it can go back and forth to the Linchuan Realm. However, the teleportation array really consumes spirit stones. This time we split up because we didn’t have enough spirit stones," Jiang Li sighed.

"Even with the wealth of the Ancient Witch Country, the Yu Country, and the Medicine Tower Branch, it’s not enough?" Mu Qingge said, surprised.

How many spirit stones would that require?

Jiang Li pouted, "Spirit stones are scarce in the Linchuan Realm. Zhao Nanxing went through a lot of trouble and only managed to move a thousand low-level spirit stones. Your senior brother from the Medicine Tower managed to get over five hundred, and my Ancient Witch Country contributed two thousand, barely enough altogether. If there were five hundred more, Zhao Nanxing and his team wouldn’t have ended up in the East Continent."

"How did they end up in the East Continent?" Mu Qingge frowned, puzzled.

"Who knows?" Jiang Li shrugged.

Mu Qingge pursed her lips and calculated silently, then said seriously, "So, to use it once, it requires roughly three thousand low-level spirit stones?"

Jiang Li frowned and said, "You can’t calculate this way. The Elder mentioned that the spiritual pressure between the Middle Ancient Realm and the Linchuan Realm is different; from the Linchuan Realm to the Middle Ancient Realm is easy, but from the Middle Ancient Realm to the Linchuan Realm is difficult. For five people, three thousand low-level spirit stones are enough to safely reach the Middle Ancient Realm. If the same number of people were to travel from the Middle Ancient Realm to the Linchuan Realm, the required spirit stones would probably double, maybe even triple."

"So, the number of spirit stones consumed is related to the difference in the spiritual pressure and the number of people?" Mu Qingge understood.

"Yes, that’s exactly the principle," Jiang Li nodded.

Then, she asked, "Are you thinking of returning to the Linchuan Realm?"

"I’m considering it, but not right now," Mu Qingge didn’t hide it. If there was a teleportation array, she indeed wanted to go back to see her grandfather, her aunt, the cousin she hadn’t met yet, and Shao Fatty and others.

"Then I’ll take you there when the time comes," Jiang Li said.

"Okay," Mu Qingge nodded.

The three chatted for half the night, finally, Mu Qingge said to Mei Zizhong and Jiang Li, "Tomorrow I will send a message to Senior Brother Zhao, telling them we’ve met. If they have good opportunities in the East Continent, they should not waste them and should cultivate in peace. There will be many opportunities to meet in the future. As for Senior Brother Mei, do you have any plans?"

She didn’t ask Jiang Li because she knew that Jiang Li would definitely follow her here.

As expected, upon not hearing her name in the inquiry, Jiang Li smiled brightly.

Mei Zizhong pondered for a moment, then slowly replied, "I am not familiar with the Middle Ancient Realm either. If it doesn’t bother you, I will travel with Qingge."

Mu Qingge thought for a moment and said, "There is an Alchemy Institute in the East Continent, which is a place where alchemists gather. Senior Brother Zhao and his team can just learn there for a while. I will eventually go there too. If Senior Brother Mei doesn’t mind waiting for me, after I finish my business, we can go to the East Continent Alchemy Academy together."

"Alright!" Mei Zizhong nodded.

Outside the window, the sky was gradually brightening.

Mei Zizhong had gone back to rest, while Jiang Li stayed behind.

She lay on the same bed as Mu Qingge, just like in the Linchuan Realm.

"Qingge, do you have worries?" Jiang Li lay on the bed, turning her head to look at Mu Qingge beside her.

Mu Qingge nodded, "Quite a few worries, but the most pressing matter I want to resolve now is about two maps."

"What maps?" Jiang Li turned around, lying beside her, curious.

Mu Qingge’s eyes moved, looking at her as she asked, "Does your Ancient Witch Country have any secret methods to transpose a map imprinted on human skin?"

Jiang Li blinked, without much thought, she said, "Yes!"