[Recently, the sect took in a new junior sister, and she... is a bit strange.]
[She seems even smarter than Shen Ye, and far more talented.]
[……]
Xiao Hongyu wrote just two strokes before stopping.
She was usually quite deft at compiling cultivation techniques, but when it came to writing log entries, she kept deleting and revising until only two lines remained.
As for how to teach her...
Xiao Hongyu wrote a few sparse words in the booklet.
[Body tempering, medicinal bath.]
This was the most steady and reliable method, and also the hardest and most exhausting one.
Xiao Hongyu's mind was in a slight tangle for a moment. Glancing into the distance at Lu Qingning climbing the steps, she suddenly remembered that the girl apparently hadn't eaten breakfast yet, which explained why she had been eating wild berries just now.
Xiao Hongyu frowned slightly and decided to appear after Lu Qingning finished her first climb of the steps.
Lu Qingning climbed for nearly an hour before finally reaching the very top.
"Reached the highest peak of Qingzhu Peak!"
Lu Qingning sat at the highest level to rest, looking down at the flight after flight of steps below her, and a swell of accomplishment welled up inside her.
Yet before she could revel in it for long, a flash of white light crossed her eyes, and Lu Qingning was instantly teleported back to the side of the first step.
Lu Qingning: "......"
Couldn't you let me stay a little longer?!
At that moment, a figure approached her.
Lu Qingning looked up and saw Xiao Hongyu standing against the light, resembling a fairy.
"Junior sister, this is a Bigu Pill. Once you eat it, you won't feel hungry anymore. I forgot about it the other day, and this is what I just went and asked the elder of Danding Peak for. It's still warm, hurry up and eat it."
Xiao Hongyu produced a yellowish elixir and handed it to her.
The elixir was round and smooth. Lu Qingning took it and popped it into her mouth. The pill had a slight sweetness with a hint of fragrance upon entry, and it was not at all as unpalatable as she had imagined.
Her eyes glowing, Lu Qingning finished it and felt strength surge through her entire body.
"Senior sister, are there any more of these?"
This was so much better than eating fish every single day.
Xiao Hongyu was slightly stunned, then said, "There are some... but you can only take one a day for now, otherwise your body won't be able to absorb it properly."
Lu Qingning nodded in response and said, "Got it, senior sister!"
With that, Lu Qingning took the steps two at a time as she ran upward.
Having eaten the Bigu Pill, she actually had the energy to climb the steps.
Xiao Hongyu had long since achieved Bigu and no longer needed to eat, while Shen Ye only ate when he had a craving, so not a single person on the entire Qingzhu Peak knew how to cook.
The only thing Xiao Hongyu knew how to make was fish. Back then, she had eaten fish continuously for a month until she made herself sick of it, yet she kept right on eating because she simply didn't know how to cook anything else—until she eventually learned of the existence of Bigu Pills and had subsisted on them ever since.
That was why Lu Qingning had been forced to eat fish for several days in a row.
As for Ye Zuilan, she was even more hopeless at cooking. Having roamed the outside world for years, she had long since mastered the skill of freeloading meals everywhere she went.
By the time Lu Qingning finished climbing the steps ten times, the sky had already grown dark.
Lu Qingning lay limply on the bed, her muscles trembling all over as if crying out in agony, though she long since lacked the energy to cry out herself; she couldn't even manage a complete sentence now.
"Junior sister, I've heated some water for you. Come take your medicinal bath."
Xiao Hongyu pushed the door open, followed by a massive wooden barrel floating in behind her, the water inside sloshing back and forth on the verge of splashing out.
Lying prone on the bed, Lu Qingning said weakly, "Okay~"
Xiao Hongyu set the wooden barrel down steadily, then stared at the prone figure on the bed.
She watched Lu Qingning for a moment, and seeing that the girl made no further movement after replying, she figured she must be utterly exhausted and intended to help her change and bathe.
Xiao Hongyu bent down and reached out to untie Lu Qingning's clothes. The instant she touched her, Lu Qingning jolted awake.
"Huh?! Senior sister, what are you doing?!"
Lu Qingning barely managed to raise her head and ask Xiao Hongyu, who was right in front of her.
Xiao Hongyu said calmly, "To help you change and bathe."
Lu Qingning: "!!"
"Senior sister, I can do this myself!"
Lu Qingning rolled over and sat up, propping herself on the bed to barely maintain her posture so she wouldn't collapse back down.
She currently had zero strength left; forget about changing clothes, she didn't even have the strength to walk.
She felt like she couldn't even make it over to the wooden barrel in the room.
Seeing Lu Qingning's stubborn look, Xiao Hongyu stood up, took a few steps back, and said, "Then I'll just watch you get in to bathe before I go outside."
Lu Qingning was shocked: "Ah? No, senior sister, even though we're both women... this still isn't very appropriate..."
Her voice grew softer as she spoke; Xiao Hongyu's intense gaze made her somewhat uncomfortable, and saying things like that almost made it sound like she had other thoughts on her mind.
Hearing this, Xiao Hongyu frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and said, "Then junior sister, make sure not to take a fall inside the room. I'll be right outside the door, so just call me if you need my help."
Lu Qingning nodded like a pestle pounding garlic and said, "Alright, alright! Senior sister, hurry up and go!"
As if shooing someone away, Lu Qingning finally "shooed" Xiao Hongyu out.
Xiao Hongyu walked out of the house, but her spiritual sense kept watch over Lu Qingning inside the room to ensure nothing went wrong.
She had barely been outside for long when she heard an "ouch," as Lu Qingning had an intimate collision with the floor.
Xiao Hongyu was just about to open the door and help Lu Qingning up.
Seeing the figure outside the door, Lu Qingning shouted, "Wait! Senior sister, don't come in, I'm fine!"
Hearing this, the figure outside the door froze in place.
"Then what was that sound just now?" Xiao Hongyu asked solemnly.
"Just now—just now I accidentally stubbed my toe, there's no problem at all."
"Oh, I see. Well, if junior sister needs help with anything, you can call me."
"Okay, okay, okay."
Having brushed off Xiao Hongyu, Lu Qingning supported herself with both hands and managed to crawl to the steps by the wooden barrel, stripped off her outer garments, tossed all her dirty clothes into another small tub nearby, and then plopped straight into the wooden barrel with a splash.
"Phew~"
Lu Qingning leaned against the rim of the medicinal bath, enjoying the comfort brought by the hot water.
Hmm... there's a special fragrance.
Lu Qingning stared at the flower petals and various herbs floating back and forth on the water.
Staring and staring, Lu Qingning fell asleep.
Xiao Hongyu had withdrawn her spiritual sense the moment she saw Lu Qingning successfully climb into the wooden barrel.
Consequently, by the time Lu Qingning was discovered asleep, the water in the barrel had already gone cold.
Fortunately, Xiao Hongyu discovered it in time, preventing Lu Qingning from soaking in cold water all night.
Xiao Hongyu quietly gazed at Lu Qingning, who was leaning against the edge of the wooden barrel with a serene look on her face.
She looked quite well-behaved when she was asleep.
Xiao Hongyu waved her hand, and Lu Qingning floated up out of the wooden barrel. The water streamed down from her body in patters, and Xiao Hongyu meticulously used magic to dry her off and dress her in pajamas.
Yet Xiao Hongyu completed this entire sequence of actions without making a single sound, so much so that Lu Qingning remained completely unaware that anything was amiss. Right up until Xiao Hongyu finished tidying up all the mess, Lu Qingning still hadn't woken up.
The next day
Lu Qingning woke up in bed as usual.
"Ha~ time to start climbing the mountain again..."
Lu Qingning rubbed her eyes.
"Huh?"
She looked down in a daze at the somewhat oversized clothes she was wearing.
Huh??
What on earth happened?
Hiss, why can't I remember anything?
Lu Qingning widened her eyes, trying to recall something, but she had zero recollection of what happened after she entered the bath last night.
Right at that moment, Xiao Hongyu pushed the door open upon hearing movement.
The creaking sound of the door opening caught Lu Qingning's attention.
"Junior sister, come, here is a fresh Bigu Pill."
Xiao Hongyu said with a faint smile.
In a daze, Lu Qingning took the Bigu Pill and popped it into her mouth.
Mm, matcha flavor, delicious.
Puffing out her cheeks as she chewed and savored the delicious Bigu Pill, Lu Qingning stared at Xiao Hongyu.
Xiao Hongyu quietly stared back at Lu Qingning.
As the two locked gazes, Lu Qingning felt a trace of awkwardness creeping in as she chewed.
So she spoke up and asked, "Senior sister, did something happen last night? How come I don't remember how I got back into bed?"
With her expression entirely unchanged, Xiao Hongyu said, "I suppose junior sister was simply too exhausted, to the point that you even forgot about returning to bed after finishing your medicinal bath last night."
Lu Qingning raised her head, pondered for a moment, and hesitated, "Maybe so."