Chapter 1956: Shadowmoon Lake

On the way, Zu An touched his chest, where he kept several thank-you gifts from various Daoist sects.

Just after meeting Guan Chouhai in the Sky Prison, he had also visited the chief disciples of other sects. After the battle of Mount Zi, almost everyone from these sects, except for Bai Yujing and Biluo Palace, who had close ties with Zu An, had been arrested.

He reassured them not to panic, telling them that the situation had been resolved.

Those individuals looked at Zu An with endless emotion. On Mount Zi, they had been so full of youthful spirit, each a heaven-blessed talent of their respective sects. Initially, upon seeing Zu An, who was their peer, they had secretly looked down on him, thinking he must have relied on flattery to reach his high position.

However, after various events unfolded, they finally realized that they were not on the same level at all. Recent news even suggested that their own sect leaders were clearly inferior compared to him.

Now that they had fallen to such a state, it was Zu An who, putting aside past grievances, had gone to great lengths to save them. They felt both grateful and ashamed, remembering how some of them had even tried to compete with him for Fairy Chu.

Furthermore, people from the Empress and Crown Prince's factions had been constantly spreading rumors about how cruelly they would be dealt with. Therefore, upon learning that Zu An had saved them, their gratitude grew even stronger, and they each took out their hidden personal savings to thank him.

Zu An, thinking about his high demand for alchemy ingredients recently, accepted the gifts without hesitation.

"After returning this time, I should be able to refine a few more pills," Zu An mused, lamenting how incredibly low Xiao Zhao's innate talent was; she needed to take several Marrow Cleansing Pills just to improve her aptitude.

Fortunately, the other women had good aptitudes, and one pill was usually enough for them. Otherwise, he would go bankrupt trying to support them.

Before he knew it, he had arrived outside Jiang Luofu's courtyard. Just as he was about to knock, the door opened from within.

Zu An's eyes lit up. Every time he saw Jiang Luofu, she evoked a feeling from before his transmigration. Her demeanor was particularly reminiscent of the office ladies or female teachers in movies from his previous life. Her well-proportioned, straight legs, paired with black stockings, were an absolute perfect match, like instant noodles and ham, cumin and lamb, or Liu Yifei and him.

"Sister Jiang, are you going out?" Zu An asked, a little surprised.

"Yes," Jiang Luofu nodded, a hint of worry on her beautiful face. "Are you looking for me for something?"

Zu An took out a ring-box-sized object from his embrace and handed it to her. "Here's a Marrow Cleansing Pill. This pill can improve a person's cultivation aptitude."

A hint of surprise flashed across Jiang Luofu's face. "No wonder you've been tinkering in the alchemy room recently. So, you were refining this! Is it truly that miraculous?"

"Sister Jiang, weren't you always curious why my aptitude was so good?" Zu An explained with a smile. "Truth be told, it was also thanks to a similar pill."

Jiang Luofu's expression shifted. She never expected him to share such an important secret with her, feeling both touched and embarrassed. "This item is far too valuable. Although I don't know how it's refined, I imagine the ingredients must be incredibly rare heaven and earth treasures. You should save it for Chu Yan and the others."

"I'll refine them for them, but this one is for you first," Zu An insisted, tucking the box into her hand without question.

Jiang Luofu's face flushed slightly. "I haven't earned it, and I'm not... I feel a bit awkward accepting something like this from you."

"Who said you haven't earned it?" Zu An said solemnly. "If not for your care in Brightmoon City back then, I wouldn't be where I am today."

Hearing him say this, Jiang Luofu bit her lip. "If that's the case, then I'll accept it. However, this item is extremely precious. If news of it accidentally leaks out, it could easily make you an enemy of the entire world."

For ordinary people, cultivation was incredibly difficult, typically requiring years of training from childhood to temper their bodies and bones. If they knew a single pill could defy fate and change their destiny, the entire cultivation world would likely go mad. Who wouldn't want to possess such an item?

Especially with Zu An as a successful example, people would immediately think: he reached such a level at a young age because of this pill!

Whoever controlled this pill could effortlessly cultivate a group of top experts.

Although Zu An was powerful now, becoming an enemy of all cultivators in the world was ultimately a dangerous prospect.

Zu An smiled. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Refining this pill is extremely difficult, and the required ingredients are rare in this world. Mass production is impossible."

Jiang Luofu's heart stirred. He had specifically prepared such a precious item for her...

"Eat it quickly. I'm worried its medicinal properties might dissipate if left for too long," Zu An reminded her. After all, he had only recently refined this pill himself and wasn't entirely clear on all the subtle details. To be safe, it was best to consume it as soon as possible after refinement.

Jiang Luofu hummed in acknowledgment, opened the brocade box, and saw a crystal-clear, shimmering pill inside—clearly extraordinary. She picked it up and put it into her mouth. It instantly melted, dissolving into an unprecedented sensation that spread through her throat. At that moment, she felt as if her body had connected with the heavens and earth, and the primordial energy of the world was cleansing her entire being.

Seeing her consume it without hesitation, Zu An couldn't help but tease, "You didn't even test it. Aren't you afraid I might have poisoned it?"

A faint blush appeared on Jiang Luofu's usually aloof face. She glared at him playfully. "Naturally, I wouldn't casually consume pills given by others. You are different."

Zu An's heart stirred. He was about to ask how he was different, but then he felt it might sound a bit ambiguous.

At this moment, Jiang Luofu's delicate brows furrowed. She subtly shifted her body, feeling a sticky discomfort. She wondered if this fellow had actually put something else in the pill.

Zu An suddenly remembered. "Oh, right, this pill cleanses the meridians and purifies the marrow, expelling all impurities from the body. So, you'll need to bathe and clean yourself."

He recalled his own experience after taking the pill. Back then, his aptitude was low, and he had many impurities. Jiang Luofu's cultivation and aptitude were both high, so her impurities would certainly be much fewer, but there would still be some.

"Why didn't you say so sooner!" Jiang Luofu immediately flushed with embarrassment, losing her usual aloof composure. She hastily turned and rushed back into the house. Given her status at the academy, her courtyard naturally had a natural bathing pool.

Zu An lightly coughed. "Sister Jiang, take your time with your bath. I'll be leaving now."

Since she was bathing, it was naturally inappropriate for him to remain there.

"Don't go, come in," Jiang Luofu's voice came from inside.

Zu An: "???"

His mind involuntarily conjured an image of Jiang Luofu taking off her stockings by the bathing pool.

He shivered, quickly composing himself. "Wouldn't that be inappropriate?"

"What are you thinking?!" Jiang Luofu's voice carried a hint of playful reproach. "I need your help with something!"

Zu An sighed in relief and then entered the private courtyard.

"Further inside, over here," Jiang Luofu's voice was accompanied by the faint sound of splashing water.

Zu An arrived in the backyard and saw, amidst a lush grove of trees, a steaming bathing pool. Jiang Luofu was soaking in it, her fair, rounded shoulders exposed.

A faint mist enveloped the water's surface, obscuring most of what lay beneath, but some contours were still visible, appearing and disappearing, making it incredibly enticing.

He was astonished at how quickly she had undressed.

"Don't look into the water," Jiang Luofu said, placing one hand across her chest. Despite her seemingly shy words, her expression was quite natural. "With your current cultivation, I doubt the bath's concealing formation can block your sight."

"But you're the one who called me in," Zu An said, turning around with a hint of exasperation. In his previous life, wouldn't this be considered a "honey trap"?

Jiang Luofu pursed her lips. "The main thing is, I had an urgent matter to attend to outside, but after taking your pill, I need to bathe. Also, I feel a bit weak and tired right now; it seems I won't be able to fight anyone for a while. So, I can only ask for your help. I'm sure you'd be happy to assist with this."

"What is it?" Zu An was taken aback.

Jiang Luofu's expression became serious. "Xiao Xi might be in trouble."

"What?!" Zu An was greatly alarmed.

"Earlier, my senior brother brought her to Tongluo Mountain near the capital. Xiao Xi suddenly mentioned that a certain medicinal herb she needed for her alchemy could be found there. My senior brother thought she needed more practical experience, and since Tongluo Mountain is close to the capital and had been thoroughly cleared by the army many times, there weren't any high-level dangerous beasts. So, he agreed to let her go, while he proceeded to the academy in the capital," Jiang Luofu explained, her face full of worry. "But three days have passed since the agreed-upon time, and Xiao Xi hasn't returned."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Zu An immediately grew anxious.

"My senior brother, despite being a bit carefree normally, values Xiao Xi above all else and guards against any young man who might take an interest in her. And since you have quite a reputation, he naturally would be wary of you," Jiang Luofu said with a strange expression. "He also said he needed to be particularly cautious around you compared to others, often muttering things about 'Teacher Bai,' 'Headmaster Gao,' and you. Is that some kind of secret code between you?"

Zu An: "..."

*Oh, you, Ji Dengtu! I kindly shared the crystallization of my predecessors' wisdom with you, and this is how you view me in return?*

Jiang Luofu continued, "It's quite normal for herb gathering in the mountains to take an extra day or two. At first, my senior brother didn't think much of it, but he waited at the city gate every day. When Xiao Xi still didn't show up, he finally started to panic and went straight out of the city to Tongluo Mountain to look for her. He also asked me to wait at the city gate, in case Xiao Xi returned and missed him."

"But I've waited for several days, and not only has Xiao Xi not returned, but I can't even contact my senior brother," Jiang Luofu said gravely. "Earlier, I specifically gave him messenger pigeons trained by the academy for communication. These pigeons are rigorously trained and even have our senior-most brother's protective formations on them, to defend against arrows and even hawks. Logically, there shouldn't be any issues, but they haven't been seen for days. I'm worried something has happened, and I was planning to go check myself."

Zu An said in a deep voice, "Taking the Marrow Cleansing Pill does leave one a bit weak for a while. You should focus on fully refining its medicinal power. Leave this matter to me. Do you know their approximate location?"

Tongluo Mountain wasn't particularly large or small, but finding Xiao Xi in its vast expanse would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.

"I only know that Xiao Xi went to collect Shadow Moon Grass. I asked Fourth Senior Brother, and he said this herb grows near Shadow Moon Lake in Tongluo Mountain," Jiang Luofu said, raising a finger and sketching a few lines in the air. A wisp of water vapor moved with her gesture, and a simple map quickly materialized in the air.

"Leave it to me," Zu An nodded. He then shot directly into the sky, swiftly disappearing into the horizon.

Watching his swift figure, Jiang Luofu was somewhat lost in thought. With his help, no matter how big the problem, he should be able to handle it, right?

Yet, for some reason, she felt a restless premonition in her heart. She mused about finding her junior sister to perform a divination.