Chapter 71 [071] Fig
I almost forgot that when Shi Qing was patrolling or keeping watch, he basically used his spiritual consciousness. Even if I had taken the Cangxi Pill, as long as the spiritual energy in my body was still circulating, it would definitely be detected by Shi Qing's spiritual consciousness.

——Too careless.

Zhongli Jin felt helpless and sighed, "I'm not going anywhere, I just couldn't sleep at night, so I just walked around. Senior Sister Shiqing, please let me go."

"..."

The bandage moved, and Zhongli Jin thought Shi Qing was going to untie it. When he took it and was about to turn around, the boy found that the snow-white bandage wrapped around his body was still not untied, but was wrapped even tighter.

Zhongli Jin: “…”

Both the ankles and the waist were tightly bound, with a slight pulling feeling.

The boy's body stiffened for a moment. Ever since he knew that Shi Qing's bandages were connected to her five senses, he could no longer tolerate the feeling of being bound by these things.

It was like Shi Qing's hands were wandering over his body.

"Senior sister?" Zhong Lijin forced a smile: "Why don't you let me go?"

The girl stared at him with her brown eyes, and said two words expressionlessly but confidently - "Lie."

Zhongli Jin: “…”

It turned out that she didn't believe his excuse that he was just out for a walk, and she insisted that he tell the truth before she would let him go.

——Never mind, it’s not really something worth hiding after all.

Zhong Lijin said: "I just want to go pick figs at night, so as not to bother Senior Sister Cang and the others. I can also return directly tomorrow morning without having to wait for Junior Brother."

"Figs are very important to my junior brother's spiritual roots. I hope Senior Sister Shi Qing will help me and stop stopping me."

After he finished speaking, Shi Qing finally let go of the bandages wrapped around the boy.

Zhongli Jin felt his body lighten. No longer bound by bandages, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

It wasn't that he felt uncomfortable being strangled, but his heart couldn't help beating rapidly when he thought of Shi Qing's five senses.

"Thank you, senior sister." Zhongli Jin bowed to Shi Qing again, turned around and was about to move forward.

However, before he had taken a few steps, the bandage strip blocked his way again, preventing the boy from taking another step.

Zhongli Jin: "...What do you mean, Senior Sister?"

He thought the girl still didn't want him to go, and frowned slightly.

Shi Qing said, "Together."

"... together?" The young man looked back at her, not quite agreeing, "But if both of us leave, what will happen to the fairy ship?"

Shi Qing raised her arm and twisted her fingertips. The excess bandage on her wrist suddenly broke off from the connection. The two long strips turned into sharp blades and flew towards the fairy ship, like the two generals Heng and Ha guarding a house.

"They are guarding." Shi Qing said: "If there is any situation, send a teleportation talisman and return quickly."

"But..." Zhongli Jin wanted to say something else.

Shi Qing interrupted him directly: "Let's go together, otherwise - you are not allowed to go."

Zhongli Jin: “…”

So, this is all we have to do.

*
The road was quiet. At night, the tails of some poisonous creatures would emit colorful lights, forming a colorful scene similar to a psychedelic hell.

The night pearl illuminated the surroundings, and the aura shield protected the two of them as they slowly walked towards their destination.

Suddenly, Zhongli Jin saw a faint light flickering on a smooth stone wall, and under the stone wall, there was a red memory spider and its web.

This red spider is distributed in every corner of the Yellow Springs Valley, and it will also carry a pebble that it has polished smooth with its saliva.

The young man recalled the man in blue that Shi Qing mentioned in the evening, and his eyes unconsciously looked at the girl beside him, but he only glanced at her and then looked away.

He was somewhat attracted to Shi Qing, perhaps because after getting to know her, he discovered that she was different from the stereotype he had always had of her, and because they had been through life and death together several times, he developed a strange liking for her.

But Zhongli Jin was very clear that there would be no love or affection in his path of cultivation.

He must stop feeling this way and start by ignoring his concern for Shi Qing.

But he always thought of the man in blue, and couldn't help but speculate about the relationship between him and Shi Qing.

Why did this guy appear in the memory of the person she cared about the most?

She wanted to ask Shi Qing, but she herself didn't even know such a person.

--Too strange.

As he was thinking, the boy's pace gradually slowed down.

His thoughts were wandering, and he slowly fell behind Shi Qing, until the girl in front of him suddenly stopped and he accidentally bumped into her back, only then did he come to his senses!

"Sorry!" First an apology, then a question: "Why did you stop?"

Shi Qing stretched out his hand, pointed forward, turned around and asked the boy: "Is that a fig?"

Following the direction the girl pointed, Zhongli Jin looked over there.

Under the cover of night, a large tree with branches and leaves glowing with a faint green light grew under a cliff with a very closed entrance.

Its trunk is long and thick, like the torso of a snake that is coiled here.

The surrounding weeds were also dyed a little green, and the tails of colorful flying insects were glowing as they circled and danced around.

The Collection of Strange Fruits has a record: "At the bottom of Huangquan Valley, there is a fig tree, with branches and leaves glowing green, and colorful insects lingering around. Its fruit matures in fifty days, is bright red, and is peach-shaped, without seeds or flowers, and has five leaves. The flesh of one fruit can be used as medicine to warm and nourish spiritual roots, and is suitable for cultivators who reshape or transplant spiritual roots."

Through the tiny gaps between the green branches and leaves, you can see two big red fruits inside.

Zhongli Jin had touched the location of the fig tree during the day, but he did not go there in person. Instead, he borrowed the talisman taught by the old man to find the direction.

At this moment tonight, he finally saw the true face of the fig tree.

If it is exactly the same as recorded in the book, it is undoubtedly a fig.

Zhongli Jin said: "Yes, that is the fig."

Shi Qing put down his hand and walked towards the big tree.

As soon as the two approached the big tree, they heard a hissing sound of a snake spitting out its tongue!
Shi Qing was quick-eyed and quick-handed. The moment the red snake on the tree opened its mouth and showed its fangs to attack, he raised his sword and chopped off its head with one blow!
The snake's body fell to the ground, coiled around the weeds and moved for a while before it died.

Zhongli Jin lowered his eyes to take a look and said, "Seven-step snake from Huangquan Valley?"

It lives in trees and is extremely poisonous. One bite from it will kill a person after walking seven steps.

However, the snake's gall can be used as medicine and can also detoxify cunning rabbits.

Zhongli Jin took out a dagger, cut out the seven-step snake's gallbladder and put it in a square box for safekeeping, in case it might be needed in the future.

Shi Qing picked two figs, threw one to Zhongli Jin, kept the other for himself and put it into his sleeve.

The young man was slightly startled and asked, "Sister, did you collect it for Sister Cang?"

Figs mature once every fifty years. Even if it is not on the collection list this time, you can leave one in the sect as a backup.

Unexpectedly, Shi Qing shook his head: "No, I want it."

It's not for Cangying, but she wants it herself.

"..."

Zhong Lijin stood in front of her. After hearing those three words, he frowned suddenly, and said in an ambiguous tone, "…What do you want this for, Senior Sister? Are you going to give it to someone else?" "No," Shi Qing still shook her head and said, "For myself, to use as medicine."

"..." Zhong Lijin realized something and asked nervously, "Have your spiritual roots also been destroyed?"

But Shi Qing said——"No."

“…Never?” Zhongli Jin was stunned.

If the spiritual roots have not been destroyed and then reshaped, then there is no need for figs at all. Forcing them into medicine will cause the spiritual roots to grow too fast, which is similar to over-supplementing and causing harm. No one will eat figs unless it is under these two circumstances.

But since Shi Qing's spiritual roots had not been destroyed, there was only one answer left.

——Transplant spiritual roots.

While the cultivator is conscious, the spiritual roots inside his body are removed using an evil secret technique, and quickly placed into the body of another person while the person is still alive. In order to allow the spiritual roots to adapt to the environment, they must be constantly nurtured with the flesh and blood of the person being removed until they are completely integrated with the person into whom they are implanted.

The process is bloody and cruel, and those whose spiritual roots are cut open alive have to endure pain that others cannot endure!
The process of Zhongli Jin's spiritual roots being destroyed was extremely similar to this, so the pain was comparable to dissecting the spiritual roots alive!

That kind of pain is embedded in the bones. Even if I am a teenager today, when I think back to the feeling at that time, I still feel that all the bones and tendons in my body are in so much pain that it makes it difficult to breathe.

In addition, the cultivation condition of the transplanted spiritual roots is no different from that of the reshaped ones. Not only will the progress of cultivation be slow, but forcibly entering the Dao with the sword will also cause great harm to the body. This kind of damage is the same as practicing the Xu Nian Jue. Only those who are ready to die can practice it.

"Figs have no other uses except for nurturing and reshaping or transplanting spiritual roots. Few people in the cultivation world would come to Huangquan Valley specifically to look for this thing. I am the only exception in the past few hundred years. Then, Senior Sister Shiqing..." Zhongli Jin narrowed his eyes and stared at Shiqing. The color between his pupils cooled a little. He asked word by word: "Why do you use it as medicine?"

Even though he had guessed an answer, he still wanted to hear Shi Qing say it himself.

What if... figs really have other uses for her?

*
Shi Qing felt the gaze of the boy opposite him suddenly turn cold but with a hint of hope, and he didn't understand why he reacted like that.

But she herself didn't know why figs were needed as medicine.

Shi Qing replied: “I don’t know.”

"Master said I need it."

Master said she needed it, so she needed it.

Upon hearing the instructions from Sect Leader Shi Yue, Zhong Li Jin felt relieved.

Shi Qing's eyes were calm and clear, without the slightest sign of lying.

The young man immediately lowered his eyes and apologized: "My words just now were inappropriate and offended Senior Sister. I am really sorry."

Since it was Sect Leader Shi Yue who said that, he could go and ask the Sect Leader directly about the reason, and also ask about the Xu Nian Jue.

"No problem," Shi Qing said calmly, "Go back."

Having picked the figs, I went straight back.

The bandage didn't sense any danger, which meant everything was fine.

Sure enough, the fairy ship was still calm. The two bandages were like two straight swords inserted into the ground. When they saw Shi Qing coming back, they immediately returned to their original shape, flew over and reconnected to the large bandage on Shi Qing's wrist.

Shi Qing sat on the deck and continued to keep watch with her eyes closed. Zhongli Jin turned around and looked at her for the last time, concealing a complicated expression, and turned back to the room.

*
The fairy ship set sail early the next morning. It took nearly a month to complete the journey, although there were many setbacks. Fortunately, the collection mission was successfully completed.

Chen Xiang opened the curtain and walked out of the room. Her eyes were red and a little swollen. When she saw Shi Qing looking at her, she immediately looked away and said, "Don't look at me!"

I cried for a long time last night and finally cried myself to sleep. When I woke up this morning, my eyes were red like a goldfish's. It was so ugly!!

After hearing her say this, Shi Qing really turned his head away and stopped looking at her.

Seeing this, Chen Xiang leaned over like an octopus, hugged her waist and rubbed against her, saying: "Senior Sister! Think about it carefully! Was there really no trace of me on that green-clothed man yesterday?!"

Shi Qing: “…”

Shake his head.

Chen Xiang was disappointed. He sat at the low table beside the deck, picked up a cup of tea that disciple Xu had just prepared, tilted his head back and gulped it all down, with the momentum of someone who was drinking alcohol.

Zhongli Jin took out an ointment from his sleeve and gave it to Chen Xiang, saying, "Little Senior Sister, apply this. Your eyes look swollen. Didn't you get enough rest last night?"

Chen Xiang stared at the ointment and asked, "How long will it take for this thing to work?"

The young man smiled and said, "It works immediately."

She quickly applied some on herself, even though she felt a bit of burning sensation around her eyes.

But after the spiciness, it is very refreshing.

Chen Xiang asked Cangying: "Senior Sister Cang, take a look, are my eyes okay?"

Cangying looked around and said jokingly, "It's okay, but your eyes are swollen as if you cried. What happened last night?"

Shen Xiang turned his head away and said, "It's nothing, just a nightmare."

Shi Qing rejected her so decisively, what else could this be but a nightmare?
The man on the cobblestone has the characteristics of Zhongli Jin and Xu's disciple, but not hers. What else could this be but a nightmare?

[Why doesn't this girl stick to you now?] The old man's voice was full of pity, [I quite like this girl, she is lively and smart, and she looks pretty and delicate, but she seems to be very different recently.]

Zhong Lijin chuckled and said, "Everyone grows up, right? Junior Sister has been through so much, it's only natural that she should be a little more mature."

Without the little senior sister sticking to him all the time, many things became much easier.

[Why do I feel like she seems to like Shi Qing's girl very much now? She clearly looked like she hated her very much before.] The old man continued to rub his chin and thought.

[Isn't this a good thing?] Zhong Lijin said: [This way, Junior Sister won't deliberately cause trouble for Shi Qing.]

[…Really?] The old man was puzzled and murmured: [But I always feel something is weird.]

Zhongli Jin: [……]

The young man raised his eyes, his gaze moving back and forth between Chen Xiang and Shi Qing.

After the red-dressed girl's eyes recovered, she held Shi Qing's arm affectionately again, liked to rest her head on her shoulder, and brushed Shi Qing's cheek intentionally or unintentionally with her bright red lips.

In addition to arm around, I also like to hug waist.

It was as if he was trying every possible means to stick with Shi Qing.

Zhongli Jin also felt it was a little weird and even a little dazzling before.

But later on, I suppressed those weird feelings of irritation with the thought, "They are sisters who grew up together, so it's natural for them to be close to each other."

But now, as he sat at the low table drinking tea and watching these scenes, he suddenly couldn't suppress his irritability.

The boy's black pupils sank a little, looking a little dark.

The slightly upturned corners of the mouth gradually became straight.

Chen Xiang seemed to be teasing Shi Qing intentionally or unintentionally.

Moreover, they are sisters who grew up together.

This is not some private talk.

Is it necessary to get so close?

Anyway, Senior Sister Cang and Shi Qing would not be like this.

Here I come!! Good night! ~~