C887 The Vegetation Is Abnormal

In another compartment of the train, the elderly woman who had previously scolded Wu Dong now watched over a young girl with a pained expression, her eyebrows tightly knit even in sleep.

The girl, clad in a flowing green dress, was strikingly beautiful. As she slumbered, bizarre visions swirled around her.

A massive green dragon, drooling profusely, pursued her with eyes alight with both excitement and ferocity.

The scene shifted. While preparing a meal, she nicked her finger, and dark green blood oozed out. She stared at the blood and let out a terrified scream.

In another vision, she walked through a forest, and wherever she passed, the flora sprouted up at an astonishing rate.

These scenes appeared to be tangible reflections of her current dreams.

Before long, beads of sweat glistened on her forehead and along her graceful neck. She shivered in her sleep, looking utterly forlorn.

The old woman sighed without a sound and deftly wiped away the sweat with a handkerchief, her touch so tender as though she feared disturbing the girl's rest.

"Poor child," she murmured, her face devoid of the harshness she had shown Wu Dong, replaced instead by an ineffable mix of worry and sorrow.

...

Deep into the night, the traveling merchants made camp in the woods, settling down for rest.

Qi Yunhong was fast asleep, snoring loudly with a trickle of drool at the corner of his mouth.

Qin Yun sat in deep meditation, seemingly engrossed in the mysteries of the "Cyan Sun Arts."

Yu Yuan reflected on recent events, pondering the emotional state he might find himself in upon meeting his mother in the Jade Peaks.

Under the influence of the Star Concealing Fruit, he refrained from deliberate cultivation or using his soul power to further refine the Astral Shield.

After several days in hiding, the news of his slaying Chu Jing had spread across the Boundless Land. He was confident that Yan Qiling, and the power backing her, would soon take action.

By then, the attempts by the Spirit Void Sect to eliminate him within the Rainier Empire would likely come to naught.

"Hmm?"

As he gathered his thoughts, he noticed a subtle disturbance at the Life Altar within his Blood Qi Small World.

"Could it be that Taoist Chongxiao and Taoist Tianjing from the Spirit Void Sect have managed to penetrate the Star Concealing Fruit's veil with some secret arts and detect my Qi and blood?"

Shaken momentarily, he stilled his breath and concentrated, intent on discerning the truth.

Before long, Yu Yuan recognized that his initial concern was unwarranted.

The slight stir within his Life Altar wasn't triggered by any external probing, but rather by a carriage nearby...

Pulling back the curtain, he stepped outside to face a black carriage.

Around it, the grass and trees on the ground seemed to thrive under a mysterious force, radiating with a vigorous life essence.

The vegetation was growing at a rate visible to the naked eye.

"This is a different kind of life force, not that of flesh and blood beings, but of the myriad herbs and plants," Yu Yuan mused, stroking his chin as he observed. He concluded that the source of the unusual growth was either someone inside the black carriage or some peculiar artifact.

Concerned that any careless use of his soul power might negate the effects of the Star Concealing Fruit, he refrained from any hasty actions.

Instead, he simply watched from a distance.

After a moment, he noticed an elderly woman with a Dragon Head Staff emerging from another black carriage, her gaze upon him cold and guarded.

Yu Yuan responded with an unconcerned smile and a nod to the old woman.

Her expression chilled, she huffed and abruptly called out, "Wu Dong!"

Wu Dong, preferring the shadows to the spotlight, reluctantly dismounted the carriage upon hearing her summon. "What would you have me do, elder sister?" he asked, bowing subserviently.

"Bring that young man over to my carriage," commanded the old woman, lifting her Dragon Head Staff and pointing it towards Yu Yuan through the air.

Wu Dong, taken aback, hurriedly protested, "He's not involved in this matter!"

"Do as I tell you and spare me the excuses!"

With those icy words, the old woman retreated into her carriage, gesturing for Wu Dong to carry out her orders.

Yu Yuan, overhearing their exchange, sensed something amiss.

"Young Master?"

Inside the carriage, Qin Yun had caught wind of the disturbance and called out in a hushed tone.

"Don't worry, continue resting," Yu Yuan replied nonchalantly.

"Understood," Qin Yun acknowledged, without any inclination to come out for a look.

His sentiment echoed Qi Yunhong's; he believed that even if the Wen family of Beacon City exhausted all their resources, they would still fall short against Yu Yuan, much less an elderly lady in the late Penetrating Stage.

Seconds later, a visibly distressed Wu Dong approached with a grimace.

Before he could speak, Yu Yuan waved him off with a smile, "I'll come with you."

"You caught that?" Wu Dong asked, surprised.

"Mm-hmm."

"Kid, her last name is Wen, from Beacon City!" Wu Dong whispered urgently, "She's got a short fuse, but she's not bad at heart. Just give her straight answers later, don't argue, and don't cross her, okay?"

"Got it."

Shortly thereafter, Wu Dong escorted Yu Yuan into the elderly lady's carriage.

"Leave us," Wen Xin commanded Wu Dong coldly, then gestured for Yu Yuan to sit across from her. Once Wu Dong had exited, she scrutinized Yu Yuan with a haughty gaze and demanded, "What did you see just now?"

The carriage's interior bore simple rune inscriptions capable of silencing sound.

But they couldn't prevent the seepage and detection of soul thoughts.

Yu Yuan took a quick look and grasped the runes' basic function. Considering Wu Dong's presence outside and his Penetrating Stage cultivation, he figured Wu Dong could eavesdrop on their conversation using his spiritual sense.

"I noticed the vegetation growing unnaturally fast and detected an unusual scent," Yu Yuan confessed, opting against lying. "I suspect something inside this carriage is influencing the plants."

Wen Xin's face twitched, and she barked, "Wu Dong, back off! And if you're listening in, forget our past and expect no mercy!"

"Big sis, I'll keep my distance, but please, don't harm him," Wu Dong called out.

Then, Yu Yuan heard the fading shuffle of Wu Dong's footsteps.

"Now, no one outside can hear us," the old woman said, straightening up and radiating a menacing vibe. "I'm Wen Xin of the Wen family from Beacon City. Who are you, and how did you detect those anomalies?"

"I'm Lee Qi, hailing from the Silvermoon Empire. I'm studying at the Medicine Sect in Jade Peak under Bai Shenshen, learning about medicinal herbs," Yu Yuan fabricated smoothly. "As a student of the Medicine Sect, I'm naturally attuned to and familiar with even the slightest changes in plant life."

"Subjects of the Silvermoon Empire, Medicine Sect!" Wen Xin's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Hmm."

It was then that Wen Xin heard a faint moaning from the adjacent carriage—a sign of someone on the verge of awakening.

Caught off guard, her surprise quickly turned to elation. "After such a long slumber, why is he waking up now?" She wondered, feeling a bit perplexed. Focusing a strand of her spiritual consciousness, she sent it gliding from her carriage to the one next door.

She overheard a voice saying, "Grandma, is there someone with you? When he's near, my nightmares stop. There's something about him that brings me peace, a sense of tranquility and security..."

Wen Xin was thunderstruck. Her gaze shifted back to Yu Yuan, now filled with complexity.

"You don't appear to have embarked on the path of cultivation?" she ventured after a pause.

Yu Yuan, with a plan in mind, huffed, feigning annoyance, "One doesn't have to be a cultivator to study the medicinal properties of flora! There are those in the Medicine God Sect who have never practiced cultivation and yet have risen to become esteemed Medicine Gods!"

Such a young one...

Wen Xin silently acknowledged, realizing he wasn't a cultivator as she detected no unusual soul presence or vital energy. She let her guard down and said, "Follow me. I'll show you what's causing the anomalies in those plants and herbs."

"Fine, let's go. It's not like you can eat me up!" Yu Yuan retorted with a defiant snort.

"Hehe," Wen Xin's smile was more of a grimace as she pulled at the corners of her mouth, her face creasing into a mass of wrinkles that gave her an eerie, menacing look. "I've got a soft spot for bold youngsters like you!"

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