Volume 9, Chapter 630 – Clues About the Jiang Clan Descendants (Part 2)

Everyone more or less understood what Qi Huang meant, and they followed her excitedly.

Qi Huang reached out and gently knocked on the door. Although she possessed great strength, her humble background made her naturally unwilling to act arrogantly like those high-ranking individuals who barged in without respect.

Before long, a middle-aged man opened the door. The moment he saw her, he froze in place, stunned. For an instant, he thought he must be dreaming, a beautiful dream without the weight of reality. Otherwise, how could a girl so dazzlingly beautiful exist in this world, to the point where everything else seemed to lose its light?

“Uncle, greetings! I am Chen Yuzhu. May I ask how I should address you?”

Qi Huang greeted him politely. Since she wasn’t truly a young girl, she didn’t care about the foolish, dazed look on his face.

“Uh…”

The middle-aged man snapped out of his stupor and stammered nervously: “Th-this… this young… l-lady… g-greetings… I… my name is Liu Gui… May I ask what brings you here?”

“It’s like this. My family deals in walnuts, but over the past two years, we haven’t been able to secure enough supplies. Passing through this area today, I noticed that the walnut tree in your courtyard looks exceptionally sturdy, so I came to have a look.”

Qi Huang lied smoothly, without a hint of hesitation.

Beside her, Cheng Hongling furrowed her willow-like brows slightly, clearly displeased. After all, this doppelgänger was far too cunning, and she worried she might lose control over her.

“Uh…”

An awkward expression flashed across Liu Gui’s face, and he said, “I… I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you distinguished guests. As you can see, it’s already the third or fourth month of the year, yet this walnut tree still hasn’t sprouted. The bark is cracked and dry… It’s… it’s clearly dead…”

“Nonsense!”

Before his words had even fully fallen, an angry voice barked from within the courtyard.

“Forgive us for making the distinguished guests laugh,” Liu Gui said, smiling awkwardly. “Ever since our Liu family took over this courtyard, this walnut tree has been here. So, my father is rather attached to it.”

“That’s perfectly understandable,” Qi Huang replied sensibly, then sighed with a look of regret. “It’s rare for a fruit tree to grow this large in these troubled times. It would be such a pity if it were truly dead.”

“Exactly. That’s why we’ve been trying everything we can to save it. Unfortunately, even if an Immortal Master came, there’d be nothing they could do. The tree is simply too old; its time has come.”

Reaԁ οn КαtRеαԁіոɡСafе

Liu Gui sighed heavily.

“How about letting us take a look? Since we’ve been in the walnut business for so long, we know a thing or two about the habits of fruit trees.”

Qi Huang seized the opportunity to make her request.

“Uh… How much would you charge?” Liu Gui asked hesitantly.

“No charge at all,” Qi Huang said generously. “If we manage to save it, just consider it forming a good karmic bond. In the future, when you harvest walnuts, remember to sell them to us.”

“Ah? Then we’re truly grateful! Please, come in.”

Overjoyed, Liu Gui stepped aside and welcomed them into the courtyard.

“Father, these benefactors are offering to examine the walnut tree free of charge!” Liu Gui said happily to the elder standing beneath the tree.

“Really?”

The old man, Liu Laotou, was overjoyed. He stepped forward, bowing repeatedly to Qi Huang and the others. “Thank you, thank you! If you can save this walnut tree, I’m willing to repay you even if it costs me everything I have.”

“Elder, we don’t need payment. Consider this a chance to form goodwill,” Qi Huang reassured him once more. Finding clues about the surviving descendant of the Jiang clan was far more valuable than silver.

“Thank you! Thank you!”

Liu Laotou bowed deeply, then turned to his son: “Don’t just stand there. Go brew tea for our guests.”

“Yes, Father.”

Liu Gui snapped out of his daze and hurried into the house.

Qi Huang took out a talisman and crushed it between her fingers. Instantly, a formation rose around the courtyard, blocking the sight of ordinary people.

“Sister Ruoyi, it’s up to you now,” Qi Huang said, turning to Mu Ruoyi.

Reαⅾ оո KatRеαdіոɡCαfе

“Leave it to me.”

Mu Ruoyi nodded and stepped forward, extending her delicate, jade-like hand to rest upon the tree’s main trunk. Her smooth, pale skin contrasted starkly with the rough bark. Especially those pink-tinted nails, they were so alluring that Qi Huang found herself staring blankly for a moment.

Mu Ruoyi then activated the Wooden Exquisite Art, probing the ancient tree’s life force.

Everyone around her waited anxiously. The most restless were, of course, Jiang Feng and his servant, as well as the Liu father and son.

Time passed slowly. Beads of sweat began forming on Mu Ruoyi’s smooth forehead, trickling down toward her beautiful eyes.

Qi Huang stepped forward with a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her face. Most of the others were men; it wouldn’t be appropriate for them to help.

After about a quarter of an hour, Mu Ruoyi finally opened her beautiful eyes.

“How is it?”

Jiang Feng and Liu Laotou asked in unison.

“There’s still a faint, barely perceptible thread of vitality,” Mu Ruoyi said, taking a deep breath.

“Vitality?”

The Liu father and son exchanged confused glances, clearly not understanding.

“Can it be saved?” Jiang Feng pressed eagerly.

“If it were before, it would have been hopeless. But now, since Hongling’s cultivation has reached the Divine Realm, we might be able to try… It’s just…”

Mu Ruoyi hesitated.

“Just what?” Cheng Hongling asked, frowning.

Mu Ruoyi stepped closer and lowered her voice: “If we want to save this tree and also help Jiang Feng trace his clues, you’ll have to expend a lot of energy. I suggest saving the tree today, then resting for a while before investigating the Jiang clan survivor.”

Rеaⅾ oո KαtRеαⅾіոɡCаfе

The Liu father and son looked at each other blankly, not understanding what was going on.

Jiang Feng, strong as he was, heard everything clearly but knew he couldn’t push them since he was the one seeking their help.

“Stop wasting time and get on with it,” Cheng Hongling said indifferently. She despised procrastination.

Mu Ruoyi had no choice but to relent.

Qi Huang didn’t stop her either; she understood her main body’s personality too well.

“However, this process involves blood absorption. If the Liu father and son remain here, it may cause misunderstandings… They might mistake me for some sort of corpse creature,” Mu Ruoyi warned.

Qi Huang thought for a moment, then turned to the father and son: “The good news is, there’s a chance we can save your walnut tree.”

“Really? That’s wonderful!”

The two were ecstatic.

“But this treatment involves a secret technique passed down through our family. I must ask the two of you to wait inside until we’re done. Of course, if you’re uncomfortable, we can leave the tree be.”

“Save it, save it! We’ll go inside immediately!”

Liu Laotou dragged his son toward the house without hesitation. A dying horse should still be treated like a living one, he couldn’t pass up the only hope they had.

“You may begin,” Qi Huang instructed once the two were inside.

Mu Ruoyi nodded and returned to the tree, placing her jade hand back on the trunk.

Cheng Hongling, having done this before, walked forward and lightly sliced her slender wrist with a fingertip. Blood began to flow freely.

Mu Ruoyi immediately leaned down, pressing her soft, cherry-red lips against the wound. She activated the Wooden Exquisite Art, transforming Cheng Hongling’s Divine Realm blood into a potent form of special Wood True Qi, which she then channeled into the walnut tree.

Everyone watched intently. Soon, they noticed the rough, withered bark beneath Mu Ruoyi’s palm beginning to swell and moisten, as if soaking up water, and a soft green glow, the light of life itself, spread across the trunk.

Rеαԁ оո KаtReaⅾіnɡСαfе

With time, the tree’s branches grew thicker and sturdier. Tiny buds began sprouting at a speed visible to the naked eye.

“It’s alive! The tree’s alive!”

Liu Laotou exclaimed in delight.

“Yes, if I hadn’t seen it myself, I’d never have believed such a miracle of resurrection possible,” Jiang Feng said, awestruck.

Qi Huang’s eyes burned brightly too, secretly thinking that if she could combine these two techniques for growing vegetables, the results would be extraordinary, crops ripening within days.

Of course, it was only a fantasy; such methods consumed far too much blood, and her small body simply couldn’t withstand it.

The walnut tree’s buds continued to grow rapidly, becoming lush and vibrant. Countless walnut flowers soon adorned the branches, shading the entire courtyard.

Mu Ruoyi finally lifted her lips from Cheng Hongling’s wrist and said, “There, the tree has been completely revived.”

“Why are you stopping?” Cheng Hongling frowned, displeased. Her face was slightly pale, but there was no sign of fatigue.

“I wanted you to rest a little,” Mu Ruoyi replied softly, aggrieved.

“She’s right. Since it’s alive now, take a break,” Jiang Feng said reluctantly. “We’re not in such a rush.”

“No need. Continue. Finding the clues is what matters,” Cheng Hongling urged impatiently.

“Then at least take this Blood-Replenishing Pill first,” Qi Huang said, knowing persuasion was useless. She handed over a pill, she always carried a few since she often used blood to grow ghost tomatoes.

“Thank you,” Cheng Hongling said politely before swallowing it.

Mu Ruoyi, unable to refuse further, gritted her teeth and continued. She placed her jade hand on the trunk again and lowered her head to resume drawing blood.

As time passed, the walnut tree flourished further. Its branches became dense, fruits began forming, and deep within the trunk a faint, soul-like shadow gradually emerged. A sign of transformation into spirit, and the key target for Mu Ruoyi’s communication.