158: Return to Huangfeng Valley Market! Xin Ruyin's attitude!

Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Eight: Returning to Yellow Maple Valley Market! Xin Ruyin's Attitude!

After leaving Golden Drum Plain for several hundred miles, Lu Qiu found a secluded valley, had the hundred-zhang Bloodline Flood Dragon shrink, and took it back into the gray spatial bead.

The aura of this behemoth was too conspicuous; even in the middle of nowhere, it could easily attract unnecessary attention.

He changed into the most ordinary gray magical robes, put on a wide-brimmed bamboo hat that could hide his face, and circulated the Myriad Transformations Hidden Origin Art, perfectly suppressing his aura to the Early Foundation Establishment Stage.

It was neither overly eye-catching nor would it allow Qi Refining Cultivators to casually bully him.

Relying on his powerful Divine Sense, which was comparable to the Middle Core Formation Stage, he was like a ghost walking on the edge of a spiderweb, always able to sense the presence of Cultivators or patrol teams from a great distance and calmly choosing the most hidden paths to bypass them.

Forests, canyons, abandoned Mortal villages... He avoided all major official roads and known gathering points for Cultivators, quietly traversing the increasingly chaotic lands of Yue Country like a cautious lone wolf.

News of the crushing defeat at Golden Drum Plain spread like a plague. Along the way, whether they were Loose Cultivators or those from small Families, everyone was in a hurry, their faces filled with confusion and fear as rumors spread about the brutality of the Demonic Path and the collapse of the Seven Sects.

Occasional ripples of combat and the scent of blood wafted from afar, adding to the desolation of these troubled times.

Lu Qiu turned a blind eye to this, simply accelerating his pace silently.

Three days later, the familiar outline of rolling green mountains finally appeared on the horizon.

Taiyue Mountain Range... He had arrived at the Yellow Maple Valley Market.

The prosperity and order of the past were long gone.

Pedestrians on the streets were few, and most were panicked, walking with hurried steps.

Many shops were tightly closed, with signs posted saying "Owner busy, temporarily closed" or simply "For Sale."

In front of the few shops still open, Cultivators crowded together to snap up Medicinal Pills, Talismans, and Magical Artifacts. Prices had skyrocketed several times over from just a few days ago, and the sounds of arguing and cursing were constant.

The air was thick with anxiety, panic, and despair.

At the entrance of the market, the checkpoints originally guarded by Yellow Maple Valley Disciples in shifts now only had a few people left. Each appeared exhausted and bewildered, and the inspections had become much more lax.

Horrific news like "The Seven Sects alliance suffered a crushing defeat at Golden Drum Plain with heavy losses and is in full retreat," "The demonic army will arrive any day now," and "Spirit Beast Mountain turned traitor at the last moment" loomed over everyone's hearts like dark clouds.

Everyone felt endangered, not knowing what tomorrow would bring.

In the western district of the market, there was a relatively secluded independent courtyard with a small protective Formation.

The courtyard gate was tightly shut, and the spiritual light of the Restriction on the door flickered slightly, isolating the inside from the outside.

Inside the Quiet Room, Xin Ruyin sat at a desk in a simple and elegant long dress. She held a volume of an ancient Formation book in her hand, but her gaze didn't fall on the pages. Instead, she stared blankly at the gray sky outside the window, deep worry etched between her brows.

Footsteps sounded as Xiao Mei hurried back from outside, her face showing clear anxiety.

“Young Miss, I'm back.”

“How is the situation outside?” Xin Ruyin immediately put down the book and stood up to ask, her voice carrying a trace of imperceptible tension.

Xiao Mei sighed, her tone heavy. “Chaos, it's absolute chaos. I went to a few familiar shops to ask, and the news is all the same—the Seven Sects of Yue Country indeed suffered a massive defeat at Golden Drum Plain with heavy casualties. I heard that even several Core Formation Ancestral Masters have fallen! Now the defeated troops are retreating, and the Demonic Path... I'm afraid they'll be attacking here before long.”

She paused, seeing Xin Ruyin's increasingly pale face. Gritting her teeth, she lowered her voice. “Young Miss, many people in the market have already started packing their things to flee. Should we... should we also make plans early? If we stay here and the Demonic Path attacks...”

Xin Ruyin slowly shook her head, her gaze becoming firm again. “No, I will wait for Husband Lu to return.”

Xiao Mei said anxiously, “But Young Master... the frontline is so dangerous, and the collapse was so sudden. We don't even know if he's alive or—”

“Xiao Mei!”

Xin Ruyin suddenly raised her voice and sharply interrupted. A rare trace of severity appeared on her usually gentle face. “I don't want to hear those words a second time!”

Xiao Mei was startled and lowered her head, muttering, “This servant knows her mistake.”

“Husband Lu promised me he would definitely return.”

Xin Ruyin's voice softened, but it carried an unquestionable conviction. “He is meticulous and has many methods; he won't fall easily. I believe in him.”

Xiao Mei didn't dare to argue further, but her worry didn't diminish. She couldn't help but ask again, “Then Young Miss, what should we do now? We can't just wait like this, can we? What if... what if Young Master returns and can't find us, or encounters danger on the way...”

Xin Ruyin took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down and think.

In times like these, one must not panic.

“What about Zhao Wen? Has any news come from him?” She remembered the subordinate Lu Qiu had placed in the market.

Xiao Mei shook her head. “No. Since Zhao Wen delivered a batch of supplies the day before yesterday, he hasn't been in contact. The market is so chaotic; he might have gone into hiding or... is doing things as Young Master previously instructed.”

Xin Ruyin's brows furrowed slightly.

Zhao Wen was Lu Qiu's man and had always acted discreetly. The lack of news now might not be a bad thing.

“By the way, Young Miss,”

Xiao Mei suddenly remembered something. “I just bumped into that Young Master Han outside again. He seems to be wandering around the market. When he saw me, he came over to ask if Young Master had returned.”

“Han Li?”

Xin Ruyin's delicate brows rose slightly, showing a hint of confusion. “Regarding the diagram for the ancient teleportation array, didn't I clearly tell him before that Husband Lu would keep it with him once the repairs were finished? Why is he still looking for Husband Lu?”

When Han Li visited last time and proposed repairing the ancient teleportation array, Xin Ruyin was puzzled as to how he knew about it, but she only said the diagram had long since been repaired and given to Lu Qiu.

She had thought the matter was settled.

Xiao Mei shook her head. “Young Master Han didn't say what it was specifically. He just repeatedly asked about Young Master's return date. It seems like there's an urgent matter; from his appearance, he also looks quite anxious.”

Xin Ruyin rubbed her temples, her heart in turmoil.

The news of the crushing defeat at the front had her worried to the extreme about Lu Qiu's safety; she really didn't have the spare energy to speculate on Han Li's intentions.

She only hoped Lu Qiu would return safely; everything else was irrelevant.

Just as the room was filled with worry and the atmosphere was stagnant,

The protective Restriction outside the small courtyard suddenly felt a rhythmic, slight touch.

It was not a forced entry, nor was it a Sound Transmission Talisman, but rather a specific rhythm of spiritual power fluctuations.

Xin Ruyin and Xiao Mei's expressions both tightened simultaneously. They exchanged a glance, both alert.

Xiao Mei walked silently to the door, clutching a Talisman in her hand, and peered through the crack in the door.

She saw a figure standing outside the courtyard gate wearing a wide-brimmed bamboo hat and ordinary gray magical robes. His face couldn't be seen, and his aura was only at the Early Foundation Establishment Stage.

“Who is it?” Xiao Mei shouted in a low voice through the door.

The person outside didn't answer but simply raised his hand and lightly tapped the Restriction three times in that specific rhythm.

Xin Ruyin's heart skipped a beat. This rhythm... it was one of the secret signals Lu Qiu had agreed upon with her before leaving!

She stepped quickly to the door, signaling Xiao Mei to stay calm, and personally controlled the Formation to slowly open the courtyard gate's Restriction.

The person outside stepped in and immediately reactivated the Restriction with a backhand motion.

While Xin Ruyin and Xiao Mei were still observing the newcomer with doubt and caution, he raised his hand and gently took off the bamboo hat.

A handsome face, showing a bit of weariness from travel but one that Xin Ruyin had dreamed of day and night, came into view.

“Ruyin, Xiao Mei,”

Lu Qiu had a gentle and slightly tired smile on his face, his voice as steady as ever. “I'm back.”

In an instant, Xin Ruyin felt the heavy stone in her heart crash to the ground. The worry, fear, and anxiety of the past few days all transformed into a surge of emotion, breaking through all her restraint.

Her eyes reddened, and she was unable to speak. She simply stepped forward quickly and tightly grasped Lu Qiu's arm, as if afraid the person before her was an illusion.

“Young Master! You're really back!” Xiao Mei also cried tears of joy, shouting excitedly.

“It's me, I'm really back.”

Lu Qiu took Xin Ruyin's slightly cold hand in his. Feeling her trembling, a sense of apology and pity welled up in his heart. “I've made you worry.”

After a good while, Xin Ruyin finally calmed her turbulent emotions and led Lu Qiu into the house. Xiao Mei hurriedly went to brew tea and prepare snacks.

Inside, Lu Qiu briefly washed away the dust of travel and changed into everyday clothes.

Xin Ruyin and Xiao Mei sat around him, eagerly waiting for him to tell them about the events at the front.

Lu Qiu didn't hide anything. He summarized the sudden change in the Golden Drum Plain battle, Spirit Beast Mountain's betrayal, the Seven Sects' defeat, and how he had used the Bloodline Flood Dragon to force his way out.

Hearing this, the two women were terrified and filled with lingering fear.

“The situation is now clear. The defeat of the Seven Sects of Yue Country is certain, and it's only a matter of time before the Six Demonic Sects occupy Yue Country. This place will soon become a land of conflict, perhaps even a battlefield between the Demonic Path and the remnants of the Seven Sects. There will be no more peace here.” Lu Qiu looked at Xin Ruyin, his tone solemn.

Xin Ruyin had already shifted from worry to contemplating the future. Being exceptionally intelligent, she naturally understood the meaning behind Lu Qiu's words.

Meeting Lu Qiu's gaze, Xin Ruyin asked softly, “Husband Lu, you already have a plan, don't you?”

Lu Qiu nodded, his eyes shining. “Ruyin, do you remember that ancient teleportation array diagram?”

Xin Ruyin's eyes lit up slightly. “You mean... that ancient teleportation array that might lead to a distant place?”

“Correct.”

Lu Qiu said in a deep voice, “You have already repaired the diagram, and I...”

He paused. “...have obtained the essential key to activating that teleportation array—the ‘great teleportation token’.”

Xin Ruyin showed a look of surprise.

She also knew of the preciousness and rarity of the great teleportation token.

“Now that Yue Country is about to fall into chaos, although Heavenly South is vast, it is hard to find an absolutely stable place to settle. Moreover, the Demonic Path is powerful. Rather than living in constant fear here...”

Lu Qiu looked at Xin Ruyin with burning eyes and reached out his hand. “How about going with me, using that ancient teleportation array to head to a brand new, unknown world? There might be new opportunities there, but it could also be full of unknown dangers. Are you willing to come with me?”

His words were direct and honest, giving the choice to Xin Ruyin.

Crossing boundaries into the unknown meant he needed a partner whose heart was in sync with his, not just a passive follower.

Xin Ruyin looked at Lu Qiu's outstretched hand and then looked up into his firm and expectant eyes.

With almost no hesitation, she gently placed her hand in Lu Qiu's palm and smiled gently but firmly:

“Wherever Husband Lu goes, I will go. Even through fire and water, I will never fail you.”

“Wherever Young Miss goes, I will go!” Xiao Mei also immediately declared her stance, her tone resolute.

A heartfelt smile immediately spread across Lu Qiu's face as he squeezed Xin Ruyin's hand firmly.

With a wife like this, what more could a husband ask for?

With their approval and support, this journey across the unknown would no longer be a lonely flight, but a departure to jointly create a future.

“Good! Then we shall go together to see the sights of that new world!”