She swallowed her anger and stood up, her expression turning darker.

’Relying on men is completely useless!’

’I should hurry back and master the Medicine King Sect’s inheritance. Then I’ll use my strength to slap Song Wanning right in the face!’

’I’ll never need her charity for Elixir Pills again!’

.......

Song Wanning returned to the Sect quietly, without drawing any attention.

After returning to her seclusion chamber, she washed up and rested for a full night. Only then, on the morning of the second day, did she begin preparing to comprehend the inheritance in her mind.

The Heartless Path was not what she wanted, but the inheritance from such a powerful expert was an invaluable reference.

’This could be my chance to increase my strength!’

Song Wanning’s brow furrowed. She let out a long breath and then closed her eyes.

Within her Sea of Consciousness, the nameless tome opened gracefully. Like a black hole, it instantly sucked in Song Wanning’s Divine Soul.

An instant later, she found herself in a strange place.

She was surrounded by pitch-black fields, where she could vaguely make out what seemed to be many rice paddies.

Looking past the fields, she saw rows of houses in the distance. A few blurry lamps were lit, casting a dim, yellowish glow.

She had expected to see the astonishing sword strike from the Inheritance Hall. The reality was a far cry from her expectations. Song Wanning frowned slightly and began to walk forward.

As she reached the village entrance, a small child spotted her, their eyes lighting up.

"Pretty lady, are you looking for someone?"

The little girl had a blade of foxtail grass dangling from her mouth. Her hair was a choppy mess, as if a dog had chewed on it, and her patched-up clothes had two fresh holes, looking as if they’d just been torn by something.

"Just passing through."

Song Wanning impassively surveyed the village, trying to discern what secrets it held.

"Miss, are you looking for a place to stay for the night? Come on, follow me! I’ll go tell the village chief!"

The girl looked at Song Wanning with wide-eyed innocence, taking her by the hand and leading her into the village.

Puzzled, Song Wanning followed her into the village.

Inside the village, most families had already settled down for the night. Only a few homes still had smoke rising from their chimneys, filling the air with the scent of hearth and home.

For someone like her, who had spent her entire life in the Cultivation World, such a scene felt foreign, yet not unwelcoming.

At the village chief’s arrangement, Song Wanning found lodging with a local family for the night.

The woman of the house was a widow. She cared for a seriously ill mother in her fifties and two half-grown children, and their life was one of poverty.

The family was dressed in rags, yet their expressions were relaxed, showing no signs of hardship.

They welcomed Song Wanning inside with great warmth.

"Young lady, I apologize. Our home is quite simple, so you’ll have to make do."

"This is the best room we have."

The woman wrung her hands nervously, giving Song Wanning an apologetic smile.

Song Wanning surveyed the room. The walls, made of mud mixed with straw, were unsightly and offered little protection from the elements. It was fortunate the weather was warm; otherwise, the cold wind would have poured right in.

The furnishings were as simple as could be. Besides a bed, there was only an old, weathered-looking vanity.

They were so poor there wasn’t even a single table in the house.

"Are you hungry? I can go cook you some noodles."

"Noodles... Mama, I want noodles too."

The seven-year-old sniffled, his eyes shining with anticipation.

"Be a good boy, Gou’er. Once the wheat is harvested in a few days, Mama will make noodles for you!"

The woman gently stroked the child’s head.

"Yay! We get to eat noodles in a few days!"

The child hopped with joy, as if the mere mention of noodles was a promise of the rarest delicacy in the world.

Song Wanning’s brow furrowed slightly. She couldn’t fathom the deeper meaning behind this scene.

"There’s no need. I’m not hungry. Please, don’t worry about me. I’ll just rest on my own."

’All I can do is remain constant and see how things unfold.’

’If I can’t even grasp the meaning of this, then I’m not worthy of this expert’s inheritance.’

The woman left with her child.

Song Wanning took a meditation cushion from her Storage Ring and sat down in the middle of the room.

It was silent outside the window as her thoughts began to drift.

*

"Junior Sister Ye, you don’t have to see us out."

The corners of Lu Nanfeng’s lips curved up as he spoke with Ye Chuxue while they walked.

Their group had just returned from the ruins of the Medicine King Sect.

Ye Chuxue, carrying a bag of pastries, smiled at his words. "Ever since Junior Sister Li Rao joined Yunxiao Peak, I haven’t had a chance to visit her. It’s my failing as her senior sister."

"And now that Aunt Song is in seclusion, I feel I should be looking out for her even more."

She maintained her usual gentle demeanor, and even the strands of her hair, stirred by the breeze, seemed to carry a sweet fragrance.

Lu Nanfeng was mesmerized. He felt he could never get enough of looking at her.

"She’s just some girl with Three Spirit Roots. What’s there to see?"

An Ze scoffed and continued with disdain, "Master only took her in to spite us martial brothers. You don’t need to pay her any mind!"

Among the True Disciples, everyone had a Single Spirit Root, or Dual Spirit Roots at the very least. Li Rao, with her useless Three Spirit Roots, was someone he naturally disdained.

The moment he said this, however, Ye Chuxue’s expression changed.

She forced a smile. "Junior Brother An, I used to have Five Spirit Roots, you know..."

"Senior Sister Ye, how could you be the same as her?"

An Ze, realizing his gaffe, quickly tried to backtrack.

’He’d forgotten that Junior Sister Ye had started out as a mere servant disciple with Five Spirit Roots.’

"Junior Brother An, everyone under the heavens is equal. You must never look down on someone because of their Spirit Root."

Ye Chuxue immediately corrected An Ze’s way of thinking, lecturing him with a string of platitudes.

An Ze and Lu Nanfeng listened with expressions of deep admiration, feeling more than ever that Ye Chuxue was saintly, elegant, and truly one of a kind.

Meanwhile, Gu Qingyuan and Bai Yang, standing to the side, seemed somewhat distracted.

’Ye Chuxue hadn’t come here for Li Rao. It was obvious she was here to confirm whether Song Wanning was truly in seclusion.’

’In the past, they might not have thought anything of it.’

’But now, they couldn’t help but feel that Ye Chuxue was being overly suspicious.’

The group soon arrived at the entrance to the main hall.

Li Rao had just returned from the back mountain, her clothes still stained with blood, when she saw the group of people standing stiffly like wooden posts.

"First Senior Brother, you’re all back?"

She quickly trotted forward, her face beaming with delight.

"Yes."

Bai Yang nodded, his expression cold. "Where is Master?"

"Master has been in seclusion the whole time."

Having received a response, Li Rao’s eyes grew even brighter.

"Junior Sister Li Rao, has Aunt Song truly been in seclusion this entire time? She hasn’t left at all?" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

She hadn’t even offered the pastries she was holding.

"Not once."

Li Rao shook her head and answered earnestly, "Master said this seclusion will last for at least half a year."

"As long as half a year?"

Bai Yang’s brow furrowed, a flicker of worry crossing his face.

He’d been dwelling on the matter ever since his Master started giving him the cold shoulder.

’And now she’s going into seclusion for half a year.’

He pressed his lips into a thin line, a thoughtful glint in his eyes.

’Her being in seclusion is good, too. It gives me time to think about how to mend our relationship.’