The change in the Xi Rang fell into Song Wanníng's eyes, yet she showed no surprise. The Xi Rang's plans might be beautiful in theory, but reality was cruel. Her gaze lowered, hiding whatever passed through her mind. She turned to Bai Yang."Come. Let's find the herb fields."
Bai Yang nodded obediently and trailed behind her, already plotting how to prove himself later. If he performed well, surely once they returned, Master would value him again.
The search went more smoothly than expected. With Bai Yang leading the way, it took less than half a day to locate the fields.
Before them stretched an expanse of spirit herbs, ancient beyond reckoning.
Song Wanníng's brows shifted slightly. The variety was staggering—enough for her to refine many pills even more precious than the Tianyuan Heart-Nurturing Pill.
But her attention soon fixed on several plants whose properties made her eyes glint. More than pills… she wanted to make poison.
"Be careful. Do not damage the herbs."
At her command, Bai Yang followed her in, carefully harvesting. Every motion was precise. One slip could ruin the plants entirely. Each herb they gathered was stored in its own box, the air growing thick with a heady medicinal fragrance.
The more she harvested, the more exhilarated Song Wanníng became. These rare treasures were beyond the reach of coin. The Xi Rang truly was a marvelous thing, "helping" her cultivate such bounty. When they had taken nearly everything of value, she and Bai Yang finally straightened.
Just gathering them had taken two full days. She looked with satisfaction at the jade boxes spread across the ground, joy flickering in her eyes. "Bai Yang, these herbs…"
Before she could finish, Bai Yang quickly stepped in."Master, it would be a waste for me to keep these. You take them all."
His calm smile carried no hint of reluctance. He could not refine pills. At best he could sell them, and he knew that when Master finished her alchemy, she would share. She always had before.
He trusted her.
His tact pleased Song Wanníng. She had never intended to give him any in the first place.
"Good." Her tone softened, not quite to what it once had been, but enough for Bai Yang to feel a sliver of hope.
She, meanwhile, recognized his usefulness. In critical moments he could still be of value. If she could bring him into the Secluded Land…
He might prove even more useful.
But there was much to consider. Plans to make.
They returned with both the Xi Rang and the spirit herbs. Though danger crossed their path on the way back, they made it through unharmed.
"Master, should we return to Wentian Sect now?"
So much had changed that Bai Yang still felt unmoored. His Second Senior Brother was dead, Third Senior Brother had vanished, Ye Chuxue and Gu Qingyuan had been expelled. The sect he knew felt like a memory from another life.
Song Wanníng shook her head. "I will return to the Song Clan first. You go back. If I need you, I will call."
Her improved mood eased him. He nodded, then hesitated, his voice tentative."Master… may I ask… do you still have An Ze's soul lamp? This past year I've sent him many message talismans, but none have returned. I'm afraid something has happened to him."
Surely her anger toward An Ze had cooled by now? She had cared for him once—she should still worry for his safety.
An Ze?
For a moment, Song Wanníng's mind wavered. She had nearly forgotten his name. He had been dead so long.
"When An Ze was expelled, I destroyed his soul lamp. Whether he lives or dies, I do not care. Do not speak of him to me again."
With her face set in cold lines, she stepped onto her flying carpet and departed.
"Master!"
Bai Yang had not expected to anger her again. He could only watch as she vanished into the distance. His lips tightened in frustration. He regretted bringing up An Ze at all. After so long, she was still furious—truly wounded by him.
And if she still resented An Ze, she would resent Bai Yang's theft of medicine even more.
"Ah…"
He sighed. Ye Chuxue had ruined him. Now that Master and the Song Clan held power, he had to cling tighter than ever, both to protect himself and to atone. He missed the easy days of the past. But if Master would not handle An Ze's matter, he still would.
—
Song Wanníng returned once more to the Song Clan. This time, she had far more to do.
First, refine her clone. Then, produce enough pills to weather coming dangers. And she would bring Bai Yang into the Secluded Land—use him when needed, then discard him, letting him taste the scorn of the masses.
The next tear in the barrier would appear soon. Every moment counted.
In the refining chamber, she laid out the necessary materials, then took out the most crucial item: the Xi Rang.
If she used only common materials, the clone would wield no more than half her own strength. In the dangerous Secluded Land, the odds of finding a way to awaken the land's secrets were slim.
But with the Xi Rang, the clone could unleash her full power. It would be another her in all but soul—slightly weaker in Primordial Soul, but complete in strength.
An innate spiritual treasure like the Xi Rang could make up for many flaws. No wonder she had gone to such lengths to seize it. She produced a bottle, opening the stopper. Inside, the Xi Rang remained trapped by the bottle's sealing formation.
From the start, she had considered every unpleasant possibility. She had paid a high price for a vessel that could imprison a spiritual treasure and given it to Bai Yang. Just as she expected, it had worked flawlessly.
Now the Xi Rang sat inside, cursing."Well? Let me out already! What do you plan to do to me?"
The Xi Rang had no offensive abilities, only the unmatched talent to make any plant grow. Its sole defense was extraordinary speed, making it nearly impossible to catch. Had it not willingly chosen to contract with Bai Yang rather than be trapped again, they could never have captured it.
Song Wanníng had no fear. She simply listened to its tantrum, perfectly at ease.
Only when the Xi Rang tired of shouting did she speak, her tone meaningful. "You remind me of a divine beast egg I once encountered."
"A divine beast egg?"
The Xi Rang froze. Divine beasts still existed? Its gaze turned skeptical. This woman carried an aura that spiritual beings like itself despised. How could a divine beast egg ever choose her? "A divine beast egg… interested in you?"