Chapter 217: Ordinary and Unordinary Times
One week later, Yu Nianzhen finally recovered.
His ribs were reconnected, the meridians were no longer scorched, and other internal injuries were healed.
However, his Jiang Yue was still giving him the stinky eye!
With a sigh, Yu Nianzhen reached for the angry husband and held him in his arms.
"XiaoYue, it’s been a week." He said.
His voice was full of grievances. Someone who didn’t know would think he had suffered a disaster.
When Jiang Yue heard him, he snorted and forced himself not to smile.
In fact, he was no longer angry at Yu Nianzhen.
However, he felt that he needed to teach the swordsman a lesson. If he forgave too easily, it would only be a matter of time before the other acted recklessly again.
"XiaoYue..." Yu Nianzhen rubbed his face against Jiang Yue’s.
He had really had enough of being ignored.
"This will be the last time. I promise I won’t be reckless in the future."
"I seem to have heard this before." Jiang Yue sneered.
As he said that, his mind was spinning frantically.
He wanted to find a way to punish Yu Nianzhen, but he couldn’t think of any.
In novels and dramas, lovers punished each other by withholding sex and bedroom rights.
However, Jiang Yue couldn’t do it.
He didn’t want to consider their sex life as a reward or punishment.
’He is my nemesis.’ Jiang Yue thought and sighed.
"I will forgive you this time." He said.
Yu Nianzhen was overjoyed when he heard that.
He was sure he would be hurt in the future, but he reminded himself not to be reckless.
If he had to endure another week of talking to himself and receiving the stinky eye in return, he didn’t know if he could do it.
’As I thought, the world is big, but my XiaoYue is the biggest. I can’t anger him again.’
After Yu Nianzhen received a pardon, he didn’t waste any time.
He pulled Jiang Yue onto the bed, and the two rolled together.
When they finally came out of the room, another week had passed.
"I can’t believe we ended up here." Jiang Yue said and sighed.
Since they escaped using the golden teleportation talisman, they ended up in the remote village.
The village was called East River village.
It was the kind of place where nothing ever happened, and the villagers lived honestly.
They grew their food and fished in the East River for a change.
Once in a while, they held a celebration for a birth, marriage, or festival. Otherwise, the village was relatively quiet.
"Has senior Niu arrived?" Yu Nianzhen asked.
Before they went to the Lu family, they made a contingency plan.
If they didn’t return to the courtyard in Black Wind city, senior Niu would also leave, and meet them in East River village.
Since Yu Nianzhen was recovering, he didn’t know if the senior had made it to the village.
"He is already here." Jiang Yue informed.
"That’s good." Yu Nianzhen said and frowned.
The closest big city to East River village was Black Wind city.
However, the two did not want to return to Black Wind city, so they had to go to other places to buy things.
"Should we go to Sea Cloud city?" Yu Nianzhen asked.
Although he didn’t want to go there, Sea Cloud city was the biggest city in the Sea Cloud region.
Since they wanted to start preparing for the Nine Treasures secret realm, Sea Cloud city was the best place to go.
"There are more than two years until the opening of the secret realm. We can stock up as we head to the Ice Palace region. What remains can be collected in the Ice Palace region." Jiang Yue suggested.
"You are right. We don’t have to be anxious."
"We need talismans, weapons, formations, food, clothes, and refining materials. We should make a list and prepare slowly."
"We also need spirit stones." Yu Nianzhen added.
One hundred years was not a short time.
If they ran out of spirit stones when in the secret realm, the herbs in the jade box would suffer.
Not only would the herbs suffer, their cultivation would also be affected.
This was because they would need spirit stones to cultivate after breaking through to the origin tempering realm.
"How many spirit stones do we have?" Yu Nianzhen asked.
"We got one billion from the Lu family and another three hundred million from the alchemist."
"It’s not enough."
"I know." Jiang Yue said and went silent for a moment.
"We will sell the things we took from the Lu family and buy what we need along the way. We can also find some treasures from different towns."
"I heard from the Qi siblings that the BlueStar Treasure pavilion may hold an auction before the opening of the Nine Treasures secret realm. We can take the chance to earn more spirit stones."
"Let’s do that." Yu Nianzhen said and kissed Jiang Yue.
While he was training in the Black Wind Abyss, the burden of planning for their future fell on Jiang Yue.
Yu Nianzhen felt guilty but also grateful.
He was guilty because too much was left for Jiang Yue to handle, and grateful because his husband supported him fully.
Jiang Yue didn’t complain and took everything upon himself.
However, Yu Nianzhen wasn’t hung up on the matter.
After all, they were a married couple.
This time, he needed more because he had to prepare for the Ice Palace meeting.
When Jiang Yue needed something, Yu Nianzhen would also shoulder whatever burden was placed on him.
In his mind, marriage was supposed to be this way.
They didn’t need to keep scores or draw clear lines. They just needed to be there when the other needed them.
Still, Yu Nianzhen was thankful and didn’t take Jiang Yue for granted.
"Thank you." He whispered.
"I know."
Without another word, the two left the hut, found senior Niu and left East River village.
As before, they didn’t hitch the cart and rode on the bullock’s back.
While they travelled, Jiang Yue played the pipa, and Yu Nianzhen listened.
Once in a while, singing birds would accompany Jiang Yue’s music, and life seemed endlessly peaceful.
However, this was just an illusion.
Although the two were enjoying themselves, their two sworn brothers were not having an ordinary time.
.....
"Junior brother Ke." Someone called.
Xuan Ke opened his eyes and looked at the person who had called his name.
The person was bald, and his appearance was that of a young boy.
He wore an orange cassock and sat cross-legged on a stool beside the bed.
"Senior brother Li..." Xuan Ke called and looked at the person in confusion.
He remembered being in the Thousand Herbs Garden.
After grabbing a few stalks of scarlet rock herbs, he fled to a cave hidden on a hill.
In that cave, he discovered glowing mould. Xuan Ke didn’t know why, but he couldn’t resist the urge to eat the mould.
After that, he remembered sleeping at the top of the hill and nothing more.
"Senior brother Li, why are you here?" He asked.
"I came to help you refine a bigu pill." Kong Li said.
"Help me refine a bigu pill? How did you enter the Thousand Herbs Garden?"
From what Xuan Ke remembered, Kong Li did not enter the Thousand Herbs Garden.
In that case, how could he appear on top of the hill to help him refine a bigu pill?
"Junior brother Ke, you returned to the temple when the secret realm closed. You have been asleep for more than eight years."
When Xuan Ke heard that, his eyes flew wide, and he carefully looked at his surrounding.
Now that he was paying attention, he realised he was in his room at the temple.
"Junior brother Ke, your cultivation..." Kong Li paused before he continued.
.....
In his cave, Li Futian opened his eyes and sighed.
"What should come will always come." He muttered, and his eyes filled with melancholy.
"Master..." A voice called, and Li Futian looked at a corner.
"Hongzhu." He called and smiled at the owner of the voice.
The owner was a girl who looked about ten years old.
She had green hair and flame-like red eyes. At a glance, she wasn’t ordinary.
"Hongzhu, I want you to do something for me."
"Hongzhu is willing to do anything for master." The girl said without hesitation.
Li Futian smiled, and the smile was filled with yearning.
"Come to me."
The girl walked towards him and stood in front of him.
Li Futian removed his storage ring and placed it on her finger. He then took out a jade pendant and tied it around her neck.
"Master..." The girl protested, but Li Futian did not pause his movements.
"Do you remember the names of my sworn brothers?"
"Hongzhu remembers everything said by her master."
"Good." Li Futian smiled again.
"I want you to go to the Ice Palace region to find my brothers." He said.
Just when he finished speaking, a loud bang echoed around the sect, and Li Futian smiled sadly.
