Chapter Seven: The Six Roots Are Purified

  As people slowly approached, on the ninth day, it seemed that there were no other footprints or traces of others in the valley. She asked softly: "Junior sister, why don't we see anyone else in this valley?"

  Lin Meng'er saw that she was approaching, and soon arrived at the edge of the pond. She seemed reluctant to disturb the faint sound of the guqin, and replied in a low voice: "I was also curious yesterday, so I asked my aunt, and it turned out that except for that pair of three-tailed spirit foxes, there is only my aunt living in this valley."

  On the ninth day, she didn't speak, but thought to herself: I'm afraid that Wu Hook's will is telling me to find the person in the valley, and it might be this woman!

  The woman in the white upper garment, with her ears listening to the crowd already on the shore, still remained calm and quiet, waiting until the end of this tune. She didn't turn around for a long time before saying faintly: "I didn't expect that you, young master, would have such an extraordinary inner power at such a young age. With your age, ordinary people would take three days and three nights to wake up after taking my hundred-year-old birch root, but you woke up in just two days!"

  She naturally heard the footsteps of the crowd, although she didn't turn her head back, but when she heard a man's voice, she already knew that Chu Jiu had come out of the house. Her internal strength and martial arts skills were obviously very strong! Moreover, her voice was like a valley orchid, or a mountain yellow oriole singing for the first time, although it was calm, yet it made people feel an inexplicable comfort when they heard it. Chu Jiu was stunned, there was actually such a elegant voice in this world!

  Na Lin Ming'er heard the woman speak in this manner, and said: "Shifu, Bai Jie, Xiao Qing, let's go!" After speaking, she had already pulled Chu Jiu and Bai Zhu Ye along, while Xiao Qing walked past from the wooden bridge.

  Lin Meng'er and Yun Yuan had been taught by Lin Ruoshi in the mountains since they were young, and they were extremely skilled in music and poetry. As a young girl, Lin Meng'er was diligent and had an excellent memory, and she showed extraordinary intelligence. She seemed to be surpassing her master, and among the disciples on Mount Diancang, she was the first. Now, as she walked, she exclaimed excitedly: "Auntie just played the ancient 'Six Roots Clear and Pure' melody, didn't she?" After asking, she answered herself: "Is there really someone who can play this piece?"

  That Nansu woman didn't say a word, and Xiao Qing saw that Lin Meng'er was somewhat agitated, so she couldn't help but ask: "Meng'er sister, what's so special about this 'Six Roots Clearing the Brahman'?

  Lin Meng'er, however, seemed to have not heard Xiao Qing's question and continued to mutter to herself: "I only heard Father say that this melody can only be played on the three strings of a nine-stringed zither, yet it can produce seven different tones, making one's heart feel carefree and intoxicated, unable to put down all worldly affairs, quietly practicing until falling asleep!"

  Bai Zhu Ye smiled and said: "This morning, I was just saying that my sister and I were able to fall asleep the fastest because of Aunt's song!"

  Lin Meng'er nodded, and then stood still for a moment, saying: "I thought Father was just casually mentioning that there were still people who could play the piano, but I didn't expect that this piece of music would actually be passed down through the ages. And yet, there are indeed people who can play it! This technique is so impressive, I don't know how many people will be envious!" She was both marveling at the fact that the ancient melody "Six Roots Clear and Clean" had been passed down through the ages without being lost, and also admiring the high level of skill displayed by this young woman's piano playing.

  On the ninth day, she was only slightly familiar with music and didn't dare to express her opinions. Bai Zhuye and Xiao Qingmiao were both exposed to passionate and powerful music from a young age, often singing and dancing around bonfires at night! However, this "Six Roots Clearing" melody, which calms the mind, is something she's hearing for the first time. Yet, as she listens, it truly lives up to its name, making one feel serene and calm, with hints of a distant, soothing sound that makes one forget past worries. Therefore, both women couldn't help but sigh in admiration, wondering how they had never heard such peaceful sounds before, with such ancient and rustic melodies.

  On the ninth day, I thought about it and understood that this woman had played "Six Roots Cleanse" early in the morning. She must have seen Lin Ming'er and Bai Zhu Ye hadn't slept for two days and was worried they wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully again. So she played music to help them fall asleep, or maybe even to help herself sleep. But now that I've woken up, I've disturbed both my junior sister and Bai Zhu Ye, wasting this woman's kind intentions. I came to this valley, and she has been exhausting herself to treat my internal injuries. She even continued to use precious medicine for me, which I don't deserve. Now, I've ruined her intention of playing music to help us sleep!

  He was momentarily at a loss, feeling uneasy and unsure of what to do.

  The four of them walked without stopping, and in an instant, they arrived face to face with the woman. They all bowed their heads and greeted her. Lin Meng'er, Bai Zhu Ye, and Xiao Qing called out: "Auntie, good morning!" Chu Jiu also hastily bowed his head in greeting, but as he did so, the wound on his chest throbbed with pain, and he could only endure it silently.

  At the beginning of the ninth watch, a nine-stringed ancient guqin was casually placed on a large stone in front of a woman with a plain dress. The style was classical, and the strings were old. The guqin itself didn't recognize it, nor did Bai Zhuye or Xiao Qing.

  Three people beside her had already heard Lin Meng'er's voice say: "Aunt, this qin of yours is actually the third-ranked Wind Thunder Qin in the 'Tian Lei' series of ancient qins from the former Great Tang Dynasty?" Yesterday she hadn't seen this qin before, and now couldn't help but have a trembling voice. Chu Jiu, Bai Zhu Ye, and Xiao Qing didn't understand the principles of the qin, but seeing Lin Meng'er so excited, they naturally understood that this qin was also an extraordinary treasure!

  At the beginning of the ninth month, he also knew some of the former Tang Dynasty's Lei family's ancient guqin reputation and knew that his master sister's eyes would not be wrong. His heart was filled with reverence, such a famous zither, truly rarely seen in the world.

  Lin Meng'er had heard her father say that the "Silken Strings Ancient Rhyme, Catalpa Wood and Tongue Back, Clear Joy in Heart, Intoxicated and Unable to Rise" was precisely the characteristic of the Wind Thunder Zither, ranked third in the ancient Qin series of the former Great Tang Dynasty's Lei family. The zither before her, whether it was its shape or color, matched what she had just heard, so she blurted out.

  And she saw her aunt just smile slightly, and didn't refute at all. It seemed that it was indeed the Wind and Thunder Zither. This zither had been lost in the rivers and lakes for hundreds of years, and she never expected to see it again in this valley, let alone in her aunt's hands. The surprise and delight in her heart were beyond words.

  The young woman remained silent, still smiling faintly. Lin Meng'er surprisingly not only recognized the tune she was playing as "Six Roots Clear and Pure", but also recognized the seven techniques of playing the piano, and even recognized the piano in her hand. Such crystal clear thinking is hard to find among girls of this generation.

  She liked it even more, so she spoke out: "You all, get up!" She stretched out her hand and had already pulled Lin Meng'er up with one hand, letting her sit down beside her on a large stone. The three-tailed red and white spirit foxes also stopped playing, turned their eyes around, looked at the four people including Chu Jiu, and ran out of the pool. For over ten years, they had only seen this woman, relying on each other for survival. Suddenly, these four young men and women came to the valley, it seemed that they were not used to it either.

  But the woman's big and clear eyes were staring at Chuyi.

  On the ninth day, he raised his head and saw the woman's face. He couldn't help but feel a shock in his heart. In this world, there was still such an extraordinary beauty. The woman was probably only around thirty years old. Her eyes were like cold stars, her lips were red as vermilion, and her eyebrows were like black jade. When she spoke, her voice was gentle and loving, and when she looked at her master's sister and himself, her movements were full of kindness, yet still had a hint of nobility that made people feel intimidated and not dare to offend her.

  In the past twenty years, I have never seen a woman as beautiful as this one, who surpasses my junior sister by three points and exceeds my second senior brother's wife, Ye Yini, by one level in terms of nobility. Moreover, she possesses two qualities that are mutually exclusive, yet they coexist in her without any conflict, forming a natural and effortless whole!

  What a beauty the world has, yet on the ninth day of the first month, I passed by in a daze, my mind a complete blur! Such a stunning woman, why is she alone in an empty valley? What a "peerless beauty, hidden away in an empty valley"!

  "I knew my aunt was the most beautiful woman in the world, and all the men who saw her would be stunned. My brother-in-law is no exception. I was thinking yesterday that when he saw her, he would definitely be dumbfounded. I didn't expect it to be true! Sister Zhuyue, Little Qing, wake up my brother-in-law!" Lin Meng'er said with a smile.

  She was also amazed when she saw the woman in white two days ago, and didn't expect that there would be such a beautiful person in this world, just like the Nine Heavens Xuan Nü. Coincidentally, she had a natural affection for her, and the woman in white went all out to save her senior brother, taking good care of the four of them over the past two days, especially herself, with a deep affection, even mending the torn clothes on her own body personally at night! Yesterday morning, Mr. Chu Qi also spoke up, and she, Bai Zhu Ye, and Xiao Qing all affectionately called the woman in white "Auntie" directly, their close relationship was even more evident!

  Bai Zhu Ye and Xiao Qing had also sat down beside them, listening to Lin Ming Er's words, they both smiled slightly. Bai Zhu Ye gently nudged Chu Jiu, who quickly came back to his senses. The woman in white clothes just smiled slightly, not taking it seriously. She had seen many men lose their composure like this since she was born and grew up. Chu Jiu withdrew his gaze, his face turning red with embarrassment, and he sat down awkwardly.

  No one knew that Jiǔ had just lost his mind and was stunned, not entirely because he was muttering to himself about the fairy: "One smile can conquer a city, another smile can conquer a country." The most important reason was that Jiǔ suddenly discovered that his junior sister Lín Biàn'ér and this woman in white clothes were surprisingly 60% similar!

  He was a man, and naturally his eyes were not the same as those of women. Lin Meng'er and Bai Zhu Ye, Xiao Qing only noticed that this woman's beauty was unmatched, but did not notice that she looked like Lin Meng'er. However, Chu Jiu had such a first impression, which was also strange.

  "Young hero, your physique is extraordinary. If not, with your young age, you would have died on the spot after being hit by the internal force of 'Seven Sorrowful and Seven Mutilated Swords' which has been cultivated for decades. It's extremely difficult to survive until now. Indeed, it's true that 'when the country prospers, there will be talented people; since ancient times, heroes have emerged in their youth!'". The woman in white smiled again.

  At the beginning of the ninth day, I didn't know how to address her, when I heard Lin Ming'er say: "Master brother, Seventh Uncle said this is the Tea Fairy, we can call her Fairy Maiden!" In these two days, she naturally told the Tea Fairy about her and Master Brother's story from learning martial arts on Mount Diancang to sneaking down Mount Diancang, from coincidentally encountering Silver Spear Old Man's final battle to sharing life and death with Wu Gou and Wan Dao, her sorrowful tears flowed more and more as she spoke, thinking of Mr. Chu Qi and herself personally burying Wu Gou and Wan Dao by the roadside, yesterday was even more uncontrollable tears.

  The Tea Fairy was also listening to Lin Ming'er's words, her face sometimes anxious and sometimes relaxed, while sighing. Now the Tea Fairy naturally knew the name of Chu Jiu. Although Lin Ming'er sometimes called out "Chu Jiu, Chu Jiu" without regard for propriety in front of others, once there were outsiders present, she was still very polite. This point of the Cangpai sect's rules was very strict, and Lin Ming'er also remembered it in her heart at all times. Now when speaking to Chu Jiu, she had to address him as "Shixiong" (older brother).

  Chi Jing hurriedly bowed and said: "I, Chi Jing, seventh generation disciple of the Pointed Dipper Sect, pay my respects to Fairy Lady. My martial arts skills are mediocre, yet I have suffered such severe injuries!"

  "Eldest Sister, if it weren't for the young hero's sacrifice to save us on the ninth day of the first month, we would have fallen into the hands of the Kongtong Sect. He suffered severe injuries, all for our sake."

  Bai Zhuye looked at her with gratitude and continued, "I, a worthless and incompetent junior, was rescued by the fairy maiden's great efforts. I really have no way to repay her! I also want to thank the fairy maiden and Seventh Uncle for treating my injuries all night, as well as the precious Emei Mountain medicinal herbs given by the fairy maiden!" He actually had different ideas about men and women than Lin Meng'er, so when he heard Lin Meng'er call this woman "Fairy Maiden", he followed suit and called her "Fairy Maiden" too.

  The Tea Fairy sighed and said, "Young hero, there's no need to be humble. I've already said that in today's world, those who can withstand the intense flames of the Scarlet Blaze and not die immediately from a single blow are few and far between. Among young people of your age, you are extremely rare! Your internal strength is so high at such a young age, your future prospects will surely be boundless!"

  She paused, then continued in a helpless tone: "Unfortunately, it's too early for you to thank me now. Your Seventh Uncle and I have exhausted our efforts, but we can only temporarily protect your heart meridian from the invasion of cold energy. Your Ren Meridian is still unobstructed, so you can hold on for seven days. However, your Du Meridian has already frozen into a sheet of ice. According to our analysis, if you don't expel the cold energy within three days after being injured...". She couldn't continue speaking, but everyone understood that it meant certain death from severe injury.

  Lin Meng'er, Bai Zhu Ye, and Xiao Qing all felt a pang in their hearts. They thought to themselves that the injuries from the ninth day were actually this severe!

  At the beginning of the ninth day, he naturally knew that his injuries were so severe. Now, every move he made was without any internal energy, and all the meridians in his body ached to the extreme. However, how could he bear to show this in front of his junior sister Lin Bi'er? In his heart, he had long known that he might not live much longer. Now, hearing Tea Fairy confirm it, he couldn't help but let out a long sigh!

  Lin Meng'er, Bai Zhu Ye, and Xiao Qing were all shocked. They knew that Chu Qi had spent the entire night before last using his internal energy to heal Chu Jiu's wounds. Now they saw Chu Jiu wake up, get out of bed, and take a walk in the valley, thinking he was almost fully recovered. But now, there was still such a serious problem, how could they not be shocked? Lin Meng'er had already grabbed onto Chu Jiu's arm, asking Tea Fairy, "Auntie, is there really no other way to cure my Shixiong?" Her sincere concern was written all over her face.

  "The Ren channel is injured, we still have many ways to deal with it, but now the Ninth Junior's Du and Heart channels are damaged, the injury is even more severe, I'm afraid..." The Tea Fairy's face was difficult to look at, she said.

  Lin Meng'er was greatly alarmed, her eyes reddening as tears began to fall. She hastily asked: "Auntie, I know that you and Seventh Uncle are both all-powerful and capable of anything, so surely there must be a way to cure my Shixiong?"

  Bai Zhu Ye and Xiao Qing were both staring at Cha Xian Zi, waiting for her to speak. It seemed that whatever she said now would be enough to determine whether Chu Jiu was alive or dead!

  On the ninth day, I was moved by Little Shifu's sister and also paid attention to Cha Xianzi. It concerns my life and death, but I don't know what Cha Xianzi will say?