The poor little thing made Su Yanke feel extremely heart - ache.
"It's okay, it's okay. Don't be afraid, Xiaobao! Sister is here!"
Xiaobao still tightly held Su Yanke's hand and refused to let go.
"Xiaobao, were you calling me just now?"
Xiaobao nodded.
Su Yanke looked around. With Xiaobao's loud voice just now, Uncle Lao Ji and Aunt Li couldn't have failed to hear it, could they?
And the suffocating feeling in her dream, as well as the purple qi in her dantian...
Su Yanke got out of bed, walked to the table beside, and took out the small black stone that Doctor Liu had given her from a small bag.
Su Yanke's gaze sharpened. Something was wrong. Why had the color of this stone become so pale?
It had also become heavier.
Suddenly, Su Yanke realized something and quickly rushed to open the door.
As soon as the door opened, a thick cloud of purple smoke billowed towards her. Su Yanke was quickly pulled aside with a deft force, avoiding the "direct attack" of the purple qi.
Su Yanke immediately reacted and quickly closed the door.
"This is...!"
"Sister, do you know what that smoke is? When I came to find you before, I felt that the smoke made me feel really uncomfortable, as if it was hard to breathe."
Hearing Xiaobao's words, Su Yanke was shocked. What? Xiaobao had even been in the purple qi?
Su Yanke immediately gave Xiaobao a full - body check. Strangely enough, there was nothing wrong with him. Maybe it was because Xiaobao had only been exposed to it for a short time?
Or maybe the functions of this stone and the purple copper coin were different?
Now, there was no time for Su Yanke to think about the reason, because the purple qi had already started to seep in through the crack of the door.
Su Yanke immediately protected Xiaobao behind her and mobilized her spiritual energy. Fortunately, because she had been diligently accumulating spiritual energy in the past few days, this time, her spiritual energy was barely enough for her to purify the purple qi completely.
Just as the last wisp of purple qi disappeared, Su Yanke's room lit up. It was already dawn.
Su Yanke pushed open the door. Although the morning sun was not warm, it was enough to warm Su Yanke's heart after a tiring night.
Su Yanke took a deep breath, spread her arms, and fully felt the gifts of nature.
The healing power of nature was extremely powerful. In the past, whenever Su Yanke felt too tired from practicing and was on the verge of giving up, she would get up early alone and climb onto the roof to watch the sunrise. Just watching the sun slowly rise from the horizon would make her feel an unprecedented sense of tranquility and comfort.
It was in this way that Su Yanke had persisted in the ancient and boring inheritance of praying that had faded into the annals of history.
It was not until she had learned the ability to handle the evil qi independently that she was allowed to leave and enter the mortal world.
Xiaobao stared blankly at Su Yanke's back illuminated by the sun. He really felt a strong sense of uneasiness, but he didn't know how to hold on to her.
"Xiaobao!"
Su Yanke suddenly called his name. Xiaobao immediately looked up at her, waiting for her words.
"I won't have breakfast. Remember to tell Aunt Li. I'll go out to handle some things this morning and probably come back at noon. I'll take you to the school this afternoon!"
Xiaobao really wanted to ask Su Yanke what things she was going to handle and if he could go with her. But his reason stopped him. He couldn't be so ignorant and cause trouble for Su Yanke. Sister must have very important things to do, and it would be troublesome to take him along. So he couldn't do anything that would make his sister embarrassed. He couldn't!
Xiaobao tightly clenched his fists. His fingernails had left deep marks on his palms. It took a long time for Xiaobao to loosen his hands. Almost the moment he let go, a few drops of bright red blood dripped from his palms and seeped into his off - white clothes. From a distance, they looked like blooming plum blossoms, bright and eye - catching.
There was still a lot of dew on the roadside. The hem of Su Yanke's skirt was already a bit wet. Although Su Yanke had walked very carefully, she still got a lot of it on her.
The last time Qiu Xu came, Su Yanke had agreed to go and get the chili peppers in the next few days, and Qiu Xu had readily agreed.
The place Su Yanke was going to today was still the same place where they had first met, the restaurant. Qiu Xu had originally proposed to go to his house to get them, but Su Yanke thought it was too troublesome and refused.
"Boss Qiu, good morning!"
There were not many people in the restaurant in the morning. The upper - floor room where Qiu Xu was located didn't have its windows closed, so Su Yanke saw him as soon as she walked in.
Hearing Su Yanke's clear and soft voice, the corner of Qiu Xu's mouth twitched slightly.
The restaurant was in a very good location. Whether the sun rose from the east or set in the west, the restaurant would be "bathed" in sunlight.
Qiu Xu looked up and just saw Su Yanke illuminated by the sun. The golden sunlight gave Su Yanke a soft aura. Her figure was graceful and charming. Even though Su Yanke was still wearing a veil, the people in the restaurant stared at her in a daze.
Qiu Xu's eyes also darkened a bit. He gently turned the rim of the wine cup in his hand.
"You're here. Have you eaten?"
"Not yet. Isn't this just a chance for you to treat me?" Su Yanke said as she sat down opposite Qiu Xu.
"Yeah! The breakfast here is really good!"
Su Yanke picked up a piece of potato cake with her chopsticks. It was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, very fragrant.
There was also a bowl of something that looked like milk. But when Su Yanke smelled it, it didn't have the sweetness of milk. Instead, it had a faint fragrance.
"This is the juice of the eternal fruit. It can beautify the skin and condition the body. I heard it tastes really good. You might as well have a try." Qiu Xu put down his cup, picked up a piece of vegetable with his chopsticks, and said to Su Yanke.
Su Yanke took a sip. The taste was really good. It was very delicate and smooth, with a faint sweetness. Although the sweetness was very light, one could still feel it, and it wouldn't make one feel腻.
Among these meaty dishes, taking a sip of the faint eternal - fruit juice was really a great enjoyment.
This meal once again made Su Yanke very satisfied.
Su Yanke found that almost every time she ate with Qiu Xu, she could taste new and delicious things.
With delicious food and a beautiful person, it was truly a feast for the senses!
After seeing that Su Yanke had finished eating, Qiu Xu handed a small box in front of Su Yanke.
The box was a bit like a woman's jewelry box. Su Yanke almost misread it. When she opened it, a bunch of bright red chili peppers came into view.
Su Yanke picked up a chili pepper, gently pressed its top, and then smelled it under her nose. It was the familiar smell.
"It's this one. That's right! How many more are there? These are just samples, right?"
Qiu Xu nodded.
"I can't bring them all to you at once. I'll deliver the rest to your shop after it's set up, okay?"
This was exactly what Su Yanke wanted to say, so of course she had no objections.
"Then it's settled. I'll leave now!" Su Yanke picked up the small box containing the chili peppers and got up to leave.
"Wait a minute. There's one more thing." Qiu Xu stopped Su Yanke.
Su Yanke turned around and looked at Qiu Xu in confusion. "What is it?"
Qiu Xu took out a small wooden plaque from the side and handed it to Su Yanke. "This is the token of Yunmo School. With it, you can freely enter and exit the school, and the dean of the school will take care of you a bit. I know you've been looking for a school recently. This plaque is useless to me, so you can take it since you need it."
Qiu Xu actually didn't tell the whole truth. This wooden plaque had more functions than that. It was a royal plaque bestowed by the emperor. Those who owned this plaque would be respected by the high - ranking officials and nobles all over the country. How could a mere school in a small city not show respect?
Su Yanke took it and had a look. Although the wooden plaque was not big, it was quite heavy. Su Yanke could also smell a faint woody fragrance. It actually smelled quite nice!
"Then I'll take it. Thank you! Well, I'll also give you something, but it'll take a few days. I haven't made it yet. If there's nothing else, I won't bother you anymore. Bye!"
When Su Yanke got home, the hot - pot had already been prepared and was placed in the yard to air out.
"Aunt Li, the last ingredient for the hot - pot is here. Let's start for lunch today!"
After Su Yanke handed the small box to Aunt Li, she saw Xiaobao practicing kung fu beside and shouted excitedly.
"Xiaobao, we're having hot - pot for lunch!"
Although Xiaobao didn't know what hot - pot was, seeing Su Yanke so happy, he also happily nodded.
Aunt Li really lived up to her ancestral cooking skills. Su Yanke hardly gave any instructions beside, but Aunt Li was as professional as a hot - pot chef. Her movements were smooth and flowing, which really amazed Su Yanke.
Almost as soon as the chili peppers were put into the pot, the pungent smell immediately filled the air. Su Yanke liked to eat hot - pot, but it didn't mean she liked the smell. Su Yanke quickly walked to the door to get some fresh air. She wanted to look back to see how Aunt Li was doing, but there was a cloud of smoke and she couldn't see anything. Because Su Yanke had consumed too much spiritual energy in the morning and hadn't fully recovered yet, she couldn't use her spiritual energy to check.
She could only cover her nose and mouth and ask about Aunt Li's situation inside. Soon, Aunt Li's energetic voice came.
"A Yan, go out first. It's too pungent here. I'm okay. I can handle this little bit of smoke. Wait a bit. It'll be ready soon!"
Uncle Lao Ji and Xiaobao were also attracted by the strange smell. Everyone gathered around the kitchen. They even sneezed several times outside but still didn't want to leave.
The smell was really too fragrant. Aunt Li had already started to simmer the soup. The smell was very stimulating to the taste buds, making people's appetites whet immediately. Su Yanke had already eaten quite a lot before, but as soon as she smelled this smell, she couldn't help but start to drool.
Not to mention Uncle Lao Ji and Xiaobao. They were almost drooling with anticipation!
About fifteen minutes later, Aunt Li walked out. Seeing everyone gathered outside, she was startled.
"Dear, when will the hot - pot be ready? It smells so good!"
Aunt Li glared at Uncle Lao Ji and said, "It's still early. I've just started to simmer it on a low heat!"