Chapter 296: Come, Follow Me Inside
Chen An did not stay with Mu Sanniang for long.
Because Su Ping quickly returned.
The girl stood in the field, silently watching their departing figures.
Despite all the reluctance, separation was inevitable.
Chen An acted breezily, waving his hand and calling out cheerfully, “I’ll be back soon!”
…
Chen An did not go back on his word.
In the following days, he frequently made time to visit Mu Sanniang.
He would ask about her cultivation progress, providing clarification and answers for the girl’s practice.
He would also inquire if she was bullied during his absence or if anything interesting happened.
Mu Sanniang would often respond with a soft “mm” or a nod, merely acknowledging him.
The girl had not changed much during this time; the only noticeable difference was that she spoke even less.
However, she was never very talkative, so Chen An did not notice anything unusual.
He was not a mind reader, after all; he could not always accurately capture the thoughts in her heart.
Only she truly understood how she felt.
For Mu Sanniang, each day spent outside the Tai Xuan Sect felt fulfilling.
Her life followed a monotonous routine, a straight line.
Cultivation, tending to the spirit field, and waiting for her brother.
That was all there was to Mu Sanniang’s life.
As for socializing with other disciples, the girl remained as indifferent as ever.
The painful experiences of the past had made her completely distrustful of anyone besides her brother.
At first, some would come to talk to her, but under her self-isolation, they could only leave awkwardly.
Over time, no one cared to come near her.
Mu Sanniang was unconcerned about the distance from the crowd; she found it peaceful.
Yet, as the days passed, it felt as if an invisible gap was intensifying.
Mu Sanniang knew it was due to her lack of cultivation.
…
…
In the late night, at the outer gate of the Tai Xuan Sect.
In Mu Sanniang’s little dwelling.
The girl did not undress before sleeping; she simply sat on the edge of her bed, staring blankly at the bright moon hanging outside the window.
It had been a whole year since she first entered the Tai Xuan Sect.
Not to mention Chen An, all the disciples who entered the outer gate with her had successfully refined Qi, taking their first step away from the mundane.
Yet only Mu Sanniang remained.
Still a mortal.
She had practiced the sect’s Qi refining method countless times without knowing how many.
But no matter how hard she tried, day and night, she remained stuck at that final hurdle.
Unable to make a single step forward.
No one was deceiving her.
She truly had no talent for cultivation.
Even for something as basic as entry-level, she had to exert several times more effort than usual.
Momentarily, the girl’s eyes moved, and then she got up from the bed and walked out the door.
The night was tranquil, the moonlight bright.
All around was pitch black, with only a slight rustle of insects.
Her solitary figure stood still, as if waiting for someone’s arrival.
After about ten minutes, a small figure appeared at the edge of her vision.
As it moved, it was quick and agile, its posture light like a butterfly dancing in the air, likely using some lightness technique.
The identity of the visitor was not hard to guess.
Only her brother, Chen An, would come to meet her at night and make her wait proactively.
Initially, Chen An would come during the day, but as he frequented the outer gate, more and more eyes lingered on Mu Sanniang.
The rumors about the two of them spread widely.
Thus, to avoid disrupting Mu Sanniang’s normal life, Chen An gradually switched to visiting at night.
Though sneaking around at night always gave the impression of being sneaky.
After a few breaths, the boy arrived in front of her.
By the dim moonlight, Mu Sanniang could see his features clearly.
A year had passed, and the boy had grown another year older.
His features were becoming more defined; while he displayed more charm, the childishness between his brows faded a little more.
However, his body had not changed much; he had only grown slightly taller.
Seeing her waiting outside, the boy frowned, walked over, and took her hand without saying a word.
He complained, “Sister, haven’t I told you? Just wait for me inside the house from now on.”
It was early spring, and the weather was particularly cool.
But at night, especially in the mountains, the temperature quickly dropped, and the chill was palpable, so Chen An couldn’t help but worry.
Hearing this, Mu Sanniang turned to him, thinking about how last year’s heavy snow didn’t take their lives, so why should this be a problem?
But she made no comment, simply nodded obediently and allowed her brother to lead her back inside.
As the boy pulled her along, he mumbled.
“Come on, let’s go inside!”
…
Entering the room, the layout was very simple, just like Mu Sanniang herself.
Chen An led her to sit by the bed and reached for a quilt to cover her lower half.
His movements were very familiar, as if he had returned home.
Mu Sanniang sat quietly, watching the boy’s every action, her light blue eyes wandering over his youthful face.
Suddenly, she thought about how her brother was still just a child, yet he always acted as if he were the elder, whether in actions or speech.
As if he were the older brother and she were the younger sister…
Mu Sanniang thought that all of this was ultimately because she was too weak and caused her brother so much worry.
This was not good.
She did not like this feeling.
Lost in thought, she heard the boy’s inquiry.
“Sister, have you encountered any confusion in your cultivation recently?”
Chen An’s voice was soft; his question routine.
This was his standard opening line for every visit.
There was no choice; for Mu Sanniang to step into Qi Refining, Chen An had put in a lot of effort.
Some of it was known to the girl, while more remained hidden in the shadows.
Chen An did not want to bring it up, fearing he would put too much pressure on her.
But when it came to actual cultivation, he had to ask personally before he could feel at ease.
He understood Mu Sanniang’s nature; if he didn’t actively ask, even if she faced real problems in her cultivation, she wouldn’t voice them.
Facing her brother’s probe, Mu Sanniang moved her lips and recounted the problem she had encountered a couple of days ago.
The first step for a mortal entering Qi Refining was to absorb spiritual energy into the body and construct the Spirit Platform.
But for someone like Mu Sanniang, with meridians that were almost completely blocked and a near-zero affinity for spiritual energy, attempting to complete this first step alone was almost as difficult as reaching the heavens.
This was not something she could make up for with hard work; it was an innate gap.
Mu Sanniang was currently stuck at this hurdle.
Thus, Chen An’s response was simple.
That was to take medicine!
(End of Chapter 296)
