Chapter 50 – Flower Picking
At dusk the trickle of people coming down the mountain began, with robes with their hems stained with frost, and green lotus leaf in hand. When their fellow disciples saw them, they would burst out in cheers and walk back arm in arm.

He Yanyun descended a little late. In the afterglow of the setting sun, Ruan Xiaolian spotted her at a glance.

Not because her movement was elegant, her downhill descent graceful, but because… her lotus leaf was truly too big.

The largest leaf anyone else has brought down was as big as a plate, or a fan- but He Yanyun, hers covered half of her entire body.

As she left the mountain path, everyone who saw her gave her sidelong glances. But because she was a young girl, doing something like this would only make people feel that she was cute and lovable.

Ruan Xiaolian rushed up to meet her, and swept her eyes along the length of the leaf, “This… is enough for many portions.”

He Yanyun proudly said, “Of course, I picked the biggest one.”

Ruan Xiaolian smiled, “We can also call Duiyan over to eat.”

The people next to them grew more and more confused as they listened, completely not understanding what they were talking about.

The thousand leafed lotus only bloomed at midnight. According to the experience of the people prior, picking it too early or too late would cause a loss in the quality of the medicinal effects.

Yin-shixiong is going flower picking, Luo-shixiong will undoubtedly accompany him. This is something that the Cang Ya disciples collectively recognized.

Thus they didn’t wait at the foot of the mountain for Luo Mingchuan to descend, and all headed back with wonderful expectations and blessings.

The moon was clear and the stars scattered. Chongming Mountain was encased within cloud and mist and the thick cover of night, indiscernible to the eye.

There no longer existed the sea of people that gathered at the mountain in the light of day, only leaving peace and silence behind.

The wind blowing through the mountains at night was cold and damp. Yin Biyue watched the countless lotus leaves, layer upon layer, swaying and dancing like surging jade waves in the sea as the wind blew by. It was hard to imagine that there would be a lake on this mountain.

Bitingly cold winds swirled. Between the moments as he raised his gaze, the Heavens and Earth spread endlessly before him, as if the brilliant moon above the Ninth Heaven was within reach.

Standing here, he should have felt the lonesomeness of the pinnacle.

But because there was someone beside him, this frigid night also became warm.

Yin Biyue was momentarily dazed.

This kind of warmth, throughout his long career as a transmigrating villain, was something he never experienced before. But he didn’t know when it began, but it has already become familiar.

He lightly parted his lips, voice drifting in the air, “Luo-shixiong…”

Luo Mingchuan didn’t ask what was wrong, and instead also attentively met his gaze, returning, “Yin-shidi.”

His gaze was focused, moonbeams seemingly flowing through his eyes.

Yin Biyue’s heart suddenly trembled.

He subconsciously turned his head to look at lake and lotus leaves. As his eyes landed on the lake, in its center he saw faint glimmers of speckled night, like leaping lights of fireflies- fragments of shattered stars, unceasingly igniting and extinguishing. An instant of withering glory, beautiful yet fleeting.

Luo Mingchuan smiled, “The flower is about to bloom.”

Yin Biyue started, and was gently pulled along by his wrist to fly forwards.

They alighted onto lotus leaves as they went, the mountain’s winds buffeting their faces, their sleeves fluttering.

The lake’s center held the singular lotus blossom.

The stem was slender, and the unopened bud was small and tender. An unending stream of glowing specks spilled from the spaces between the petals, rising towards the sky.

The moon’s light cast westward, landing perfectly on the lotus blossom.

From a blossoming bud into a blinding brilliance, it took only a twinkle of the eye.

Radiance gushed from the flower’s pistil, the lake’s water into a sheet of white, glimmering with the luster of gems.

The jade coloured lotus was no larger than one’s palm, yet overlapping endlessly. Its thousands of layers and tens of thousands of petals the exquisite and beautiful craft of immortal hands .

“Shidi, eat the lotus as soon as it’s picked, the medical effects are best then.”

Yin Biyue nodded. Reaching out to pick the stem, the splendor dimmed by half instantly.

The lotus entered his mouth and turned to liquid without any chewing. Cool yet not cold, flowing along his meridians.

In the same moment, Luo Mingchuan lightly pushed off his toes to send his body flying backwards, yet he his breathing could not be suppressed as it steadily grew frantic.

Wherever he passed, the mist scattered, lotus leaves parted, waters surged, and waves turned!

The Heart’s Blood Oath was resolved.

His cultivation realm actually skipped past Lesser Vessel early-stage, and directly entered the mid-stage until it reluctantly stopped.

He feared the might of his own breakthrough would affect Shidi, and hastily retreated. He now watched Yin Biyue at a distance, his expression tense.

Yin Biyue felt the lotus flower pure and smooth through his four limbs and bones, his mental sea became clearer than he could have imagined.

This kind of feeling was very strange, and he couldn’t help but close his eyes.

After the Breakthrough stage a cultivator is able to see the sea within themselves. Currently, his divine sense floated above that sea, watching countless tributaries converging into a silvery light, flowing towards the ocean. He knew that the streams were what became of the Thousand Petal Lotus¹.

Hundreds of rivers return to the sea, a silver radiance arising from its waters, waves gleaming crystalline as if scattered with moonlight².

Luo Mingchuan watched Yin Biyue close his eyes, his entire body foiled with a layer of soft brilliance, he and the bright moon above shining upon each other.

The Thousand Petal Lotus’s effects have begun. It was the same as rebuilding his meridians once again, and henceforth Shidi’s natural aptitude³ has been increased by a level.

He smiled faintly, feeling more uninhibited than when he broke through moments prior.

But the next instant, his smile stiffened at the corner of his lips.

Yin Biyue opened his eyes, his gaze clear and cold, his pupils flashing with a stroke of silver.

White robes swayed in the mountain breeze, accompanying the billowing three thousand strands of white doused in splendor.

That moment, Luo Mingchuan felt as if he was drowned within a frozen pit, the chill within his heart overflowing.

The Thousand Petal Lotus couldn’t cure his shidi’s white hair.

Yin Biyue opened his eyes and saw that Luo Mingchuan had promoted to Lesser Vessel Middle Stage, his breath fully integrated, and realm steady. Just as he wanted to congratulate him, he felt that Luo Mingchuan appeared to be distracted, so he called out, “Shixiong?”

Luo Mingchuan pulled them back to shore, his eyes landing on the strand of white hair that fell on his chest.

He resolutely spoke, “Shidi, we’ll set out for Xingshan Temple right away. If Xingshan Temple has no solution, we’ll go to Jikong Temple! There will be a solution! You’ll recover, believe me!”

Yin Biyue followed his gaze and saw where the problem layed. He hastily opened his mouth to explain.

“Shixiong, it’s alright. There’s nothing wrong with me in the slightest.”

Luo Mingchuan felt like Shidi was consoling him, and absolutely could not swallow those words.

He looked into Yin Biyue’s eyes, and earnestly said, “There will be a solution. Follow me, alright?”