novelraw Chapter 16 : Post-Festival Invitation（1 / 3）
Chapter 16 : Post-Festival Invitation（1 / 3）
Chapter 16: Post-Festival Invitation
A small courtyard in the Inner City.
“Jiang Yu, you’ve been staying here for two days already. Today is the Reunion Festival, aren’t you going back?”
Under the shade of a tree in the courtyard, a man about the same age as Jiang Yu spoke helplessly, “All my good wine has been wasted by you.”
Not far away, Jiang Yu, dressed in fine clothes, sat blankly on the ground, with more than a dozen overturned wine jars at his feet.
The rich aroma of wine spread in all directions.
Hearing this, Jiang Yu’s dazed expression slightly recovered.
He looked at his friend Lin Ya and asked, “Was I wrong? Shouldn’t I have forced her like that?”
Thinking of Li Yunqing’s words—‘for the sake of the family’—his heart felt extremely heavy.
He had not known that his actions had brought such great trouble to Li Yunqing.
If he had known earlier, he should have stopped his father and not proposed the marriage.
Lin Ya shook his head helplessly upon hearing this and said, “Whether you were wrong or not, I don’t know.”
“But as a woman, if she doesn’t marry you, Jiang Yu, today, there will still be Zhang Yu, Zhao Yu, Wang Yu in the future…”
“She is destined to marry, destined to form an alliance for the Li Family. That is her fate.”
“If she marries you, would you mistreat her?”
Hearing Lin Ya’s words, Jiang Yu immediately retorted, “I wouldn’t even have enough time to cherish her, how could I possibly mistreat her?”
“That settles it!” Lin Ya comforted him, “Since there may be Zhang Yu, Zhao Yu, Wang Yu in the future, why can’t it be you, Jiang Yu?”
“As for women, you just need to coax them. She doesn’t like you now—do you really not have a way to make her like you in the future?”
Jiang Yu paused upon hearing this, pondering for a moment. The guilt and dejection on his body instantly dissipated.
He suddenly stood up, his spirit rising once more, returning to his gentle demeanor, his posture straight and upright.
“You’re right. Since there will be Zhang Yu, Zhao Yu, Wang Yu in the future, why can’t it be me, Jiang Yu?”
“If she doesn’t like me now, I will definitely make her like me in the future!”
“Thanks, brother!”
As he spoke, Jiang Yu tidied his clothes and quickly walked out of the courtyard.
“Wait… you haven’t paid for my wine yet!”
Watching Jiang Yu leave just like that, Lin Ya hurriedly shouted, “Lodging plus good wine—if it’s not ten thousand taels of silver, this isn’t over!”
“Put it on my tab, we’ll settle it next time.” Jiang Yu’s voice came from afar.
Lin Ya’s mouth twitched, then he sighed inexplicably, “Who would’ve thought that the dignified direct heir of the Jiang Family, Jiang Yu, would become like this because of a woman?”
“I wonder what Li Yunqing looks like, to have bewitched Jiang Yu like this!”
“I must find a chance to meet her.”
Watching her master leave, Li Yunqing’s gaze shifted slightly, and the panel instantly manifested before her eyes.
Name: Li Yunqing
Lifespan: 15 / ∞
Skills: Zither, Chess, Calligraphy, and Painting (Perfection)
Traits: Single-minded Focus, Vigorous Spirit, Photographic Memory, Natural Spiritual Grace, Eight Tones Enter the Soul, Unparalleled Comprehension
Mingyu Fist (Minor Mastery 79 / 200.)
Traits: None
Frost Sword Art (Minor Mastery 686 / 1000)
Traits: None
Medical and Poison Alchemy (Major Mastery 833 / 1000)
Traits: Identify Medicine by Scent
Ghost Gate Needles (Beginner 88 / 100)
Traits: None
“After giving birth to the Yin Spirit, the cultivation of the Frost Sword Art has accelerated. Perhaps tonight it can reach full mastery.”
“Medical and poison alchemy couldn’t possibly reach Major Mastery in just two days. Being close to perfection is entirely thanks to Master’s guidance.”
“And the inheritance of the Ghost Gate Needles.”
The Ghost Gate Needles used medicine to refine needles, possessing special needle techniques. Like hidden weapons, they could pierce acupoints and meridians—killing or saving lives.
Now that she possessed the Ghost Gate Needles, she had initially gained the ability to protect herself.
“And the flying sword!”
Li Yunqing turned and walked into the medical hall, looking at the flying sword resting on the medicine shelf.
With her master gone, everything here had been left to her.
She formed hand seals, and an invisible spiritual force flowed from between her brows, directly entering the flying sword.
“Buzz!”
The flying sword trembled slightly. The complex and mysterious patterns on its body faintly glowed, then fell silent again.
“As expected, it doesn’t work!”
Li Yunqing was not surprised at all.
This flying sword was an object of immortals and gods. It likely had array formations and runic inscriptions engraved upon it, requiring refinement and recognition of a master before it could be controlled.
Otherwise, anyone could wield it, and in battle, if the flying sword suddenly turned against its user and stabbed them, it would be absurd.
She had tried to bind it—even dripping blood on it—but it was useless. It likely required magical power for refinement.
She put away the flying sword and hid it inside her needle pouch.
The flying sword was extremely sharp, only about the length of a palm, easy to conceal. It could be hidden on her body as a means of protection.
“Although I can’t control the flying sword, I can control the Ghost Gate Needles.”
After putting away the flying sword, her fingers danced rapidly. Invisible spiritual force, like threads, all sank into the Ghost Gate Needles inside the pouch.
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”
The eighteen Ghost Gate Needles she had just refined flew out of the pouch and landed before her, faintly humming.
With a slight change in her hand seals, the eighteen needles flew up and down inside the room at incredible speed, like flashes of cold light.
They could even change direction rapidly in midair, like a flying sword dancing.
Li Yunqing clearly felt her spirit like fine threads, controlling the Ghost Gate Needles as if held in her hands, capable of performing all kinds of movements.
They were even as nimble as sewing clothes.
Combined with their minute size, once they flew, they were almost invisible—truly capable of killing without a trace.
“Within a radius of one zhang around me, even a ranked martial artist approaching will die!”
A satisfied expression appeared on Li Yunqing’s face.
The speed of controlling the Ghost Gate Needles with spiritual force was too fast to defend against, especially since she could control eighteen at once.
If one was careless, even martial artists at the Upper Tier of the Initial Realm—or even those at peak Initial Realm—would fall to the Ghost Gate Needles.
Especially since the needles were coated with medicinal toxins. Even if one strike did not kill, merely breaking the skin would allow the poison to kill.
“In that case, I should refine more Ghost Gate Needles!”
“More—ones with poison!”
Li Yunqing’s eyes sparkled. Without hesitation, she began refining poisonous needles again.
With such means, she was no longer someone to be slaughtered at will. Moreover, spiritual force was formless and invisible, impossible to guard against.
“If my Yin Spirit becomes strong enough, I could travel farther out of the body and control the Ghost Gate Needles…”
Just imagining that scene made her feel even more at ease.
“However, martial arts must still be cultivated—that is the foundation!”
Over the entire afternoon, Li Yunqing refined another thirty-six highly toxic Ghost Gate Needles, storing them in her pouch.
Only after consuming more than half of the medical hall’s herbs did she stop.
She walked to a corner of the courtyard and saw Xiaolan seriously practicing her fist techniques, quite decent in form.
Although not yet initiated, Xiaolan’s strength had greatly increased.
It had been eight days since entering the Martial Hall, and Xiaolan had officially begun practicing the Mingyu Fist.
As for Blood Qi Pills, as long as there were medicinal ingredients, Li Yunqing could already make them herself.
“Unfortunately, I don’t have the immortal methods of pill condensation, fire control, and extraction. Otherwise, the effectiveness of the Blood Qi Pills would be even stronger.”
Li Yunqing felt a bit regretful.
Her spirit was powerful, and she had birthed a Yin Spirit. If she obtained the immortal hand seals for pill condensation, fire control, and extracting medicinal essence—
she might truly become a master alchemist.
Rather than her current state, where pills could only be made with tools, merely slightly faster than shaping them by hand.
“Xiaolan, let’s go back!”
Looking at the sky, Li Yunqing suddenly spoke.
“Miss! I feel like I’m really strong now—I’ll definitely be able to protect you in the future!”
Seeing her mistress, Xiaolan ran over excitedly.
Although practicing martial arts was exhausting, the thought of protecting her mistress in the future filled her with joy.
She was an orphan, not knowing where her parents were.
Having grown up with her mistress all these years, thanks to her mistress’s gentle nature, she lived more comfortably than the maids of ordinary small families.
Because of this, she felt immense gratitude toward her mistress.
That was also why, when her mistress told her to practice martial arts, she never slacked off.
“Then I’ll be waiting for Xiaolan to protect me!”
Li Yunqing chuckled softly.
Although she had awakened memories of her past life, everything in this life had also been personally experienced—there was no distinction between them.
Naturally, she was fond of Xiaolan, who had grown up with her.
Outside the Martial Hall, twenty guards escorted the carriage as it grandly headed toward the Li Residence.
Seated inside the carriage, Li Yunqing’s brows suddenly furrowed slightly as she looked out the window.
“What’s wrong, Miss?”
Seeing her reaction, Xiaolan quickly asked.
“Nothing.”
Li Yunqing shook her head slightly. With her powerful spirit and the birth of her Yin Spirit, her perception had become sharper.
She could even sense the gaze of others.
Just now, she had felt a prying gaze, but at this time, the long street was crowded with pedestrians—it was impossible to find the source.
They returned to the residence without incident, and she stopped paying attention to it.
Li Residence, dining table.
“Little sister, I’ve got a gift for you!”
Just after putting down his bowl and chopsticks, Li Shuo mysteriously took out a jade bottle and placed it in front of Li Yunqing.
Li Yunqing’s nose twitched slightly as she looked at Li Shuo in surprise, “Is it Water Condensation Pill?”
“Hm?” Li Shuo paused, equally surprised. “You actually know?”
With the trait Identify Medicine by Scent, even a faint medicinal fragrance allowed Li Yunqing to clearly identify the contents of the jade bottle.
“This is indeed the Water Condensation Pill,” Li Shuo said with a smile. “You like practicing martial arts—this pill can stabilize your foundation, nourish your body and bones, and improve your physique.”
“Consider it a gift for today’s Reunion Festival!”
Li Yunqing paused slightly, suddenly recalling that today was the fifteenth day of the eighth month—the Reunion Festival, very similar to the Mid-Autumn Festival of her previous life.
Only, there were no mooncakes—just a family reunion meal.
“Thank you, elder brother!”
Li Yunqing did not refuse and accepted it with a smile.
At this moment, the somewhat silent Li Yansong also took out two jade bottles from his sleeve and placed them in front of Li Yunqing.
“Blood Condensation Pills—they help quickly condense blood qi,” Li Yansong said.
Looking at these gifts, Li Yunqing felt a moment of realization—this was likely her father and elder brother’s way of compensating her.
“Thank you, Father,” Li Yunqing replied with a smile.
Living in this family, she naturally bore responsibility to contribute to it. She held no resentment.
She clearly understood the value of these medicines.
Blood Condensation Pills and Water Condensation Pills, though not true immortal pills capable of rebirth, were each worth a thousand taels.
The value of these bottles combined was likely close to twenty to thirty thousand taels of silver.
For the entire family, this was no small sum.
“Right, Blood Qi Pills cost five hundred taels per bottle—I still owe Jiang Yu four hundred and fifty taels!”
She suddenly remembered the Blood Qi Pills she had bought from Jiang Yu a few days ago.
Just as she accepted the pills, Li Yansong took out another invitation and placed it before her.
“This is an invitation from Jiang Yu.”
Seeing the concern in her father’s eyes, Li Yunqing smiled slightly and did not resist.
“Father, rest assured—I will attend the appointment.”