Chen Ye had a mind for the Great Dao, and naturally would not drink poison to quench his thirst, so he took out Zhiwei’s Jade Pendant.
This Jade Pendant was a gift from Mao Qingzhu, and it had the effect of clearing the mind and calming the spirit, which was just suitable for Chen Ye at this moment.
Once he stepped out of the bath, Xiaohe was already waiting outside with a clean green robe in her arms.
Her expression was a bit complicated: "You... well, wear these clothes, the lady will be waiting for you in the elegant room."
Xiaohe was Mao Qingzhu’s close confidant, and she had already been notified by Mao Qingzhu about Chen Ye’s identity.
But... until now, Xiaohe still hadn’t recovered from the shock.
There was actually a man who entered the lady’s bath!
What shocked Xiaohe the most was that the dimwitted Xiaotao turned out to be a spy from Listening Wind Pavilion!
Seeing Xiaohe sneaking glances at him, Chen Ye felt a bit awkward after changing his clothes.
Xiaohe added: "Taoist Friend Chen, although Xiaoli and the other maids are loyal to the lady, they lack depth and cultivation, making it easy for them to accidentally slip up. I hope Daoist Friend won’t reveal this, to avoid affecting the lady’s reputation."
Chen Ye nodded.
This was probably Mao Qingzhu’s intention. No wonder all the maids in Mind-calming Garden had disappeared; it seemed Mao Qingzhu didn’t want others to know his identity.
Soon, Mao Qingzhu was neatly dressed, and she had recovered her gentle and dignified demeanor.
Only those beautiful phoenix eyes still instinctively drifted elsewhere when they saw Chen Ye, with a trace of blush still on her cheeks.
Um...
Why is Mao Qingzhu’s face thinner than a maiden’s?
He clearly hadn’t seen anything...
Chen Ye complained internally but maintained a composed face as he cupped his hands: "Regarding Qing Jun, I hope the lady will give it more thought. The Xu Family intends to bring Qing Jun back to the Xu Family. But... to Qing Jun, the Xu Family is nothing less than a dragon’s pond and tiger’s den."
Mao Qingzhu nodded slightly: "Yes. I’ve already decided on this matter. You don’t need to worry; Qing Jun is part of the Mao Family, not the Xu Family! As for Qing Jun’s hidden ailment, I had initially planned to wait a few more years until she was older before taking her to the cold pool... But, since Brother Ye is concerned, I will personally take Qing Jun to the cold pool another day."
Hearing Mao Qingzhu’s assurance, Chen Ye breathed a sigh of relief.
Indeed, seeking Mao Qingzhu was the right decision on this trip.
If he wanted to take Qing Jun to the Xu Family’s cold pool, it would be no simple task.
But for Mao Qingzhu, it was a piece of cake.
But... does the Mao Family truly recognize Qing Jun?
Chen Ye had doubts in his heart, but Mao Qingzhu was Qing Jun’s mother, and considered one of his own, so he directly and frankly asked:
"If the Mao Family recognizes Qing Jun, why would they confine Sister Qingzhu, forbidding you to bring Qing Jun back?"
"This..."
There was a slight movement in Mao Qingzhu’s eyes, a bit of shame,
"Actually... it’s because I have always refused to reveal who Qing Jun’s father is. Father believes Qing Jun is the offspring of some shady man, so... I’d rather not acknowledge Qing Jun than bring risk to the Mao Family."
Chen Ye seemed to suddenly realize, letting out a wry smile.
Indeed, in Mao Gaoyuan’s eyes, his daughter steadfastly refused to reveal the child’s father, making it too easy for him to think the worst.
The daughter refuses to disclose, doesn’t this imply the father’s identity is risky?
"Well... where would Qing Jun have a father anyway."
"Sigh..."
...
Divine Mist Valley is hard to enter but easy to leave.
Under Mao Qingzhu’s arrangement, he successfully took a Mao Family carriage out of the valley.
Moreover, in the future, he could freely enter the valley with Xiaotao’s identity.
Upon returning to the Herb Pavilion’s medicine garden, night had already fallen.
The Herb Pavilion was also closed for business, and he skillfully entered the medicine garden’s small cottage through the side door.
The two disciples hadn’t gone to bed yet.
Especially Qing Jun, who was still engaged in alchemy!
The little white-haired girl had a serious expression on her face as she mimicked Chen Ye’s usual demeanor, clasping her small hands while cautiously controlling the furnace fire.
From time to time, she would also look down at the Hundred Herbs Pill Scripture on her knees, muttering something to herself.
"Master!"
Seeing Chen Ye return, the two little girls’ eyes brightened simultaneously.
They hadn’t expected their master would return after just one day!
Qing Jun thought their master would take a few more days to return, and this unexpected result brought an inexplicable sense of happiness to the little girl.
Doesn’t this mean master has more days to spend with them?
Qing Jun immediately set down the herbs in her hand and, like presenting a treasure, held up a jade bottle to Chen Ye: "Master, look! These are the Vein-Protecting Pills Qing Jun made today; there are five of them! They’re all Middle Grade!"
Chen Ye took the jade bottle, the fragrance of the pills was rich, and the quality was decent.
He was shocked inside; this little girl truly had an amazing talent for alchemy.
Moreover, alchemy, body refining, and various immortal cultivation arts usually occupy cultivation time, hindering one’s cultivation.
But this was not an issue for Qing Jun.
Due to Qing Jun needing to wait until she grew older to display her extraordinary talent, her cultivation was still slow, so it was better to spend time learning other skills.
Chen Ye patted Qing Jun’s small head and smiled: "Our Qing Jun is really amazing. From now on, master’s pills will depend entirely on you."
"Hmph, of course!" Qing Jun proudly puffed out her little chest, "But, master must exchange them with tasty food!"
Saying this, the little girl eyed her master’s Storage Bag, and seeing her master not responding, her eyes squinted into a slit.
How could Chen Ye not understand Qing Jun’s thoughts?
Every time he went out, he would bring Qing Jun different treats when he returned; this was his little surprise for Qing Jun.
"Hehe... this is the specialty of Moon Rhinoceros Lake, Lotus Seed Fruits! Qing Jun hasn’t tasted these before, right?"
Chen Ye changed it up, taking out a wooden box from his pocket and handing it to Qing Jun.
"! You were hiding it here!"
The little girl thought it was in the Storage Bag, and she quickly jumped up to snatch the wooden box from her master’s hand.
Seeing the joy on her younger sister’s face, Zhiwei’s lips slightly curved, but her eyes showed some desolation.
Yet in the next moment, her small hand was also handed a bag by her master:
"I bought these clothes for Zhiwei, thank you for all the hard work, Zhiwei."
Naturally, Chen Ye hadn’t forgotten his eldest disciple.
Taking care of one child was easy to say, granting stars for stars and moon for moon.
But with two children, attention must be balanced and considerate.
Receiving a gift from her master, the eldest girl had a faint blush on her pale face, and she quietly accepted the clothes, speaking calmly: "Thank you, master."
Chen Ye stroked his chin, examining Zhiwei: "It’s master who should thank Zhiwei instead. Wearing beautiful clothes gives master something to admire, doesn’t it?"
"!"
The eldest disciple suddenly lowered her head, her voice soft,
"No... it’s not..."
The little girl squinted her eyes, examining the clothes in her sister’s hands and then the Lotus Seed Fruits in her own, and poutily murmured: "Hmph!"
Whether she directed the "hmph" at her sister or master was unclear.
Thankfully, she was still in a good mood and began to cheerfully shake the bells.
As she shook, the little girl noticed something amiss: "Master! Why are you wearing sister’s Jade Pendant around your neck?"
The eldest girl couldn’t help but raise her head, was that not the Jade Pendant?
Ever since Mao Qingzhu had gifted it to her, she had worn it around her neck, intimately, until master said he needed it as a token, and she reluctantly handed it over.
Now, why was it hanging around master’s neck, together with the gold medal?
"Master..." the eldest girl couldn’t help but ask.
Chen Ye nodded: "This Jade Pendant is of great use to master... Let’s do this, I’ll give this gold medal to Zhiwei as an exchange, how about it?"
His fingers stroked the gold medal on his neck; this medal held deep significance to him, but giving it to Zhiwei would ensure it was well-kept.
She was his eldest disciple, handing this legacy item to her seemed fitting.
"The gold medal?" Qing Jun paused her bell-shaking motion.
Chen Ye assumed she didn’t understand the importance of the gold medal and promptly explained:
"This gold medal was made for master by master’s mother, worn closely since childhood, and it’s considered master’s legacy item."
Hmm?
Apparently, there’s only one gold medal... what to do now?