Phoniex Requiem
Chapter 23: To the Imperial Region
Chapter 23: To the Imperial Region
Since he had won his token with a skill, Yun Ruoyu raised her head high, a proud expression on her face.
Compared to the three of them, Yun Ruoyan looked extremely calm.
As soon as he lifted his head, he met with a glare praising his father. He hesitated for a moment before lowering his head once more.
Yun Lan's emotions were somewhat complicated. After all, Yun Ruoyan was once her beloved daughter — before her mother, Lin Yuemei, passed away, before her birthmark became as disgusting as it is now, and before she lost her outstanding talent.
When Yun Ruoyan was one year old, Lin Yuemei suddenly died from a mysterious cause, and her birthmark started to spread.
From then on, there were rumors circulating that Lin Yuemei had been cursed by Yun Ruoyan. Naturally, Yun Lan did not believe in such ridiculous claims, and the rumors were quelled after freeing some servants from their duties.
But Yun Ruoyan's face was almost identical to that of her late mother, and the birthmark slowly changed Yun Ruoyan's face, as well as Yun Lan's feelings towards Yun Ruoyan began to change.
By the time Yun Ruoyan somehow lost her talent, her fondness turned into hatred.
However, unexpectedly, the princess he had already left behind had actually managed to obtain an entry mark into the imperial territory by himself.
“Tomorrow, all of you will be heading for the second round of the Kongming Academy selection process.” Yun Lan stood up and gestured to one of her servants.
The old maid brought a plate containing four porcelain bottles to the four girls.
“In each of these bottles there is a life essence pill, one for each of you. If you are injured in the expedition, taking pills will allow you to recover vitality and qi quickly"
Everyone's face is shining. Pills were an extremely precious commodity, and four such pills would be an incredible gesture even for the Lin family, who were renowned for their pill-making talent.
Pill makers depleted the spiritual qi of pill experts very quickly, and not many of them were around. With the expedition to the imperial territory to come, the supply of pills was very few.
"Because you're all leaving tomorrow, take a break tonight." As soon as Yun Lan dispersed the four girls, they bowed and left.
"Sister," Yi Qianying called out to Yun Ruoyan from behind, and Yun Ruoyan turned towards her.
"Sister, please take care of us tomorrow." Yi Qianying made a sincere and pleading expression.
Beside him, Yun Ruoyu laughed out loud. “Qianying, don't be so fussy! Aren't I here too? I will definitely protect you if danger arises!”
Yi Qianying quickly asked for her help tomorrow as well.
At this moment, Yun Ruoyao had long hidden her displeasure, and she walked over with a smile. “We sisters will definitely take care of each other and make our family proud.”
Yun Ruoyan could no longer bear that absurd fake conversation. Coldly, she stated, “Saudari, thank you for your generosity. But since the three of you must be enough to deal with any problems that might come, I'm sure you won't need me.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he hurriedly left. He could hear the laughter from Yun Ruoyu behind him. “What, does he think he is like that just because he is a daughter born of a wife? That ugly girl!”
After returning to his room, Yun Ruoyan looked at the porcelain bottle in her hand and recalled the black-clothed youth. What kind of person could just hand over five such pills as a gift to a stranger?
“Someone instructed me to visit you, and the pill was also from that person.” The young man's cheerful voice spoke from his memory. Uh. Yun Ruoyan suddenly thought of something. Could it be him?
The seriously injured man who ended up in his residence, the one who kissed him forcibly.
Before he left, he said he would help him find the antidote. Were those five pills his actions as well?
Thinking of this, Yun Ruoyan suddenly stood up. Oh, my God, five life pills! How could he just give it back ?!
At the very least, none of his sisters bothered him that night.
The next morning, the four Yun sisters rode the family charter carriage to Mount Yueli, the sacred mountain in the Li kingdom.
This will be the stage of their expedition.
"Look, Ruoyao!" Yun Ruoyu shouted in excitement, “See how many carriages!”
Yi Qianying opened the curtains of the carriage and looked at the scenery outside with Yun Ruoyao. Yun Ruoyan glanced outside, on the mountain climbing path of no less than a hundred carriages, forming what looked like a long centipede that was slowly climbing upwards.
Yun Ruoyao, who had rested quietly the moment she stepped on the carriage, said coldly, "The recruitment of Kongming Academy and the opening of the imperial territory are important events, so of course there will be a large turnout."
He looked much calmer than his two sisters.
Kongming Academy recruits students once every three years, and the imperial world is opened to the outside world once every three years.
The four great empires in the continent of Chenyuan, Li, Yue, Mo, and Chen, would each send an elite team in hopes of regaining the highest treasure, the, and even some smaller kingdoms would send expeditions in the hope of being granted access to the territory.
"I have to pass the second round and become a student at Kongming Academy. This is the most important step to change my life!” Yun Ruoyan muttered to herself resolutely.
While he was deep in thought, he suddenly heard voices calling out to him. While pulling the curtains on the other side of the carriage, he looked at Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen.
The sisters were currently waving at him through their carriages, and Yun Ruoyan quickly waved back.
He hoped it would take a lot of effort to find them, but it was him!
Naturally, he had to take good care of sister Lin.
About an hour later, their carriage finally reached the top of the mountain. Ignoring the others, Yun Ruoyan walked straight into Lin's carriage.
“So cold to his own sisters, yet so friendly to them,” Yun Ruoyu looked at Yun Ruoyan's back as she muttered in annoyance. "He better not blame us if we don't help him if he's in danger."
"Forget it, ignore him." Yun Ruoyao pulled the sleeves of Yun Ruoyu's clothes. “We're just about to start queuing up to enter the world, so don't part now.”
Yi Qianying glanced at Yun Ruoyan's back, a cold smile hidden at the corner of her lips.
The Yun and Lin families were both rather illustrious families, and they were naturally at the forefront. After each girl showed their tokens to the guards, they stepped into nature as a large group.
At first they thought that the entrance was a pair of majestic doors, but in truth, it was just a small, dark cave that looked as if it extended quite far into a mountain. Decorating the walls of the cave was a dim light source, giving it a surreal atmosphere.
Yun Ruoyao stepped into the cave, followed quickly by Yun Ruoyu and Yi Qianying. Yun Ruoyan, Lin Qingxue, and Lin Qingchen walked behind them, and behind the six of them was a pair of unfamiliar youths.
The cave was dark and dim, and a gust of cold wind blew from within. Yun Ruoyan held hands with her sister, simultaneously nervous and excited.
“My brother, what a mysterious light! I wonder what it is?" The voice of a young woman came from behind him.
“I myself am not used to it. Careful, brother, walk behind me and don't get lost.”
“Che! What kind of udik doesn't know about moon rocks?” The wind brought Yun Ruoyu's voice back from the front.
"Brother, someone called us hick ..." The young girl mumbled softly.
“Disregard those shallow girls, sister. Once we get into Kongming Academy, no one will look down on us!”
Yun Ruoyu was just about to reprimand them when Yun Ruoyao stopped her. To be honest, he was so rash and impetuous that taking care of it gave Yun Ruoyao a headache.
"Ruoyan," said Lin Qingxue softly, "I don't think what's embedded in the walls of this cave is moon rock."
"They don't," Yun Ruoyan replied to him. “Instead, it is a kind of neon ore with spiritual energy. It only shines when there are people around.
In his past life, when Pei Ziao brought him through this cave, he had indeed thought that his walls were filled with moon rocks until Pei Ziao corrected him.
"We're at the exit!" Someone shouted in excitement, and the crowd looked ahead as a single unit. The sunlight penetrated through the entrance.
Not long after, the crowd finally exited the mountain tunnel, and their eyes shone upon seeing their new surroundings.
It seemed to be a beautiful open space filled with lush greenery and wildlife. There were large trees separated by a flowing stream. Many foreign plants decorate the landscape, with lush and lush growth.
“Excellent flowers!” Lin Qingxue pointed to the pink flower and exclaimed excitedly.
"That's poisonous, don't touch!" Yun Ruoyan warned.
"Yes my sister." Lin Qingxue nodded obediently. Yun Ruoyan had given them information regarding the territory, but in her excitement, Lin Qingxue momentarily forgot to be careful.
“Plants and living things are the most poisonous, are you sure you should enter a place like this if you don't even understand such a simple concept?” Yun Ruoyu made thorns at every opportunity.
"We are really not as brilliant as you, Sister," Yun Ruoyan replied coldly. “Why don't we split up now? Otherwise, you might be trapped by us.
After saying his share, he and Lin's sister parted ways with them at the next fork in the road.
“If Ruoyan doesn't come with us, if there is danger, won't Uncle blame us? After all, she was the only daughter born as the wife of the Yun family.” muttered Yi Qianying.
“Pei! Don't worry about him, Qianying, he's useless!” Yun Ruoyu pulled Yun Ruoyao as she said these words. “In my heart, Ruoyao is the most talented and accomplished.”
Yun Ruoyao did not say anything after hearing this praise, but the look on her face brightened and she straightened her chest. “She wants to part ways, so if there really is an accident, she can't blame us.” Yun Ruoyao directed her two sisters in opposite directions.
Finally parting from sister Yun, Yun Ruoyan brought Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen to the grassy hill to speak.