Chapter 55: Forbidden Technique

At the entrance of Xianmen No. 1 High School, Chen Mobai found a bubble tea shop. He ordered a fresh lychee juice, slowly sipping it while playing on his phone and watching the school gate.

Just moments ago, Qing Nü finally replied to his text message. As he had guessed, she had been in a cultivation room with her phone in 'assisted cultivation' mode, muting all notifications. Now that her session was over, she replied immediately after seeing his message.

‘Don't look for me again!’ Chen Mobai's expression faltered as he read the text. After a moment of hesitation, he typed and sent a reply: ‘I'm right outside your school.’

‘What do you want?’ Qing Nü's instant reply puzzled Chen Mobai. He simply wanted to apologize for her expulsion from the sect, yet it felt like she was harboring strange or negative thoughts.

‘What would you like to drink? I'll order it for you; it would be perfect if you came out to get it.’ After a long pause, perhaps two or three minutes, Qing Nü finally replied: ‘Wait!’

Inside the school, Qing Nü slung on her small backpack, preparing to leave. A boy in a school uniform, with a bright, sunny smile, approached her. ‘Let me walk you home.’ ‘No thanks, I'm meeting a friend,’ Qing Nü replied, shaking her head before turning to leave. The boy didn't seem to mind; it wasn't the first or second time he'd been turned down.

Qing Nü emerged from the school gate wearing a mask and a small round hat. Had Chen Mobai not been so familiar with her appearance in a mask, and had she not walked so close, he might not have recognized her. ‘I'm very sorry about your expulsion from the sect,’ Chen Mobai said, handing her the juice. His apology was heartfelt, as not everyone had the privilege of becoming a disciple of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Her expulsion would be a permanent blemish on her life's record.

‘Let's talk somewhere else.’ Qing Nü took the juice, glanced left and right to ensure no one recognized her, then gestured to Chen Mobai. The two of them boarded a bus and departed.

‘What's wrong?’ Chen Mobai asked. It was dismissal time, and the bus was packed, forcing him and Qing Nü to stand close together. He was puzzled by her silence, but she merely shook her head, seemingly in low spirits.

Finally, they arrived at Qing Nü's favorite grilled fish restaurant.

‘Too many people at school know me. If my classmates saw me with someone from outside the school, there would definitely be rumors,’ Qing Nü finally explained. Her words struck Chen Mobai as odd. ‘Are you very famous at school?’ he asked. ‘More or less, I suppose I'm one of the most well-known students,’ she replied. ‘Oh,’ Chen Mobai said, gently nodding as he gazed at her strikingly beautiful face, now that she had removed her hat and mask. He assumed that, as the campus belle of Xianmen No. 1 High School and a disciple of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, her fame likely stemmed from her beauty and perhaps a high level of Qi cultivation.

‘I went to Changqing Pharmacy to find you today,’ Chen Mobai began, now calmer from his initial emotional agitation. ‘Senior Gu said you privately used his medicine pool, which violated an alchemist's taboo, and that he has therefore expelled you from the sect. Is this true?’ He wondered if Gu Changfeng was joking, recalling their previous conversation which suggested a deep master-disciple bond.

‘Yes, such a taboo does exist among alchemists. Generally, one does not use another's alchemy furnace or medicine pool, with one exception: between master and disciple,’ Qing Nü explained. ‘Typically, a master gifts their used equipment to a disciple upon their graduation, signifying their mastery. My master had always promised to give me this entire set of alchemy equipment from the pharmacy when I completed my training. The day before yesterday, he even knew I was using his medicine pool to prepare elixirs and said nothing. But today, he suddenly erupted in fury, expelling me without any explanation...’ Her eyes grew slightly red at this point, and her lips trembled as she pursed them.

‘I'm sorry, it might be because of me,’ Chen Mobai said, apologizing once more after hearing her story.

‘It's not your fault,’ Qing Nü said, shaking her head and instead blaming herself. ‘It's probably because I wasn't diligent enough. Master's accumulated dissatisfaction with me just exploded today. After we eat, I'll go back to the pharmacy, admit my mistake to him properly, and hope he can forgive me.’

‘Um...’ Chen Mobai hesitated. In the end, he decided not to tell her that Gu Changfeng had already revoked her master-disciple status at the Ministry of Education's Inheritance Hall.

‘What's wrong?’ she asked. ‘Nothing,’ he replied. ‘Let's just eat first.’

The owner clearly recognized them but simply offered a polite smile. After they finished their meal, they took another bus to the stop near Changqing Pharmacy.

However, as soon as they alighted, they sensed an unusual atmosphere. The street leading to Changqing Pharmacy had been sealed off, with law enforcement cultivators in black and blue uniforms moving in and out. As they drew closer, one immediately stepped forward to block their path, declaring: ‘Police business. Unauthorized personnel are not permitted.’

‘This is my master's pharmacy. What exactly happened?’ Qing Nü asked, her face filled with anxiety. She gazed at the pharmacy, now cordoned off by caution tape, wanting to rush forward, but a flicker of reason held her back.

‘Oh, in that case, please come with me. I'll consult my superior,’ the law enforcement cultivator said, nodding and lowering the caution tape. Chen Mobai hesitated for a moment but followed. The cultivator, assuming he was also Gu Changfeng's disciple, did not stop him.

As soon as they stepped inside, they saw Gu Changfeng being escorted out, his hands cuffed. ‘Master!’ Qing Nü cried. ‘What are you shouting? You're no longer my disciple,’ Gu Changfeng retorted, glaring impatiently at Qing Nü, who had tried to rush to him but was held back.

‘Are you Gu Changfeng's disciples?’ asked the leading law enforcement cultivator, a solemn-faced middle-aged man who approached them. Just as he was speaking, a female cultivator with ear-length short hair came over and handed him a document. ‘According to the Ministry of Education's Inheritance Hall,’ she stated, ‘her master-disciple status has indeed been revoked by Gu Changfeng.’ The middle-aged man frowned after reading the document, then looked up at Qing Nü, whose eyes had widened in disbelief at the news.

‘Take them both away,’ he ordered, ‘as they were once master and disciple and might have been taught forbidden techniques.’ After giving the instruction, he glanced at Chen Mobai. Upon confirming with a colleague that Chen Mobai was merely a local resident, his expression softened considerably. ‘Please leave your phone number,’ he added. ‘We may need your assistance with the investigation later.’