Volume One, Chapter Eighty-Two: The Buried Coffin

Zhou Meiqiong picked up her cigarette, intending to take another drag, only to realize that, at some point, the burning tip had quietly extinguished, a layer of frost crystallizing where the tobacco once glowed. She propped herself up and glanced behind her; sure enough, Chen Luoluo was standing just behind them.

"Alright, alright, I only took one puff..." Zhou Meiqiong muttered, unnerved by Chen Luoluo's silent stare. With resignation, she pulled out her cigarette extinguisher and tucked the still half-smoked cigarette inside.

Whenever the members of the expedition smoked, they always did their best to avoid the vice-captain, for Chen Luoluo was exceptionally sensitive to the smell of smoke.

Zhou Meiqiong had assumed the young woman would be lost in thought inside her tent, but hadn't expected her to patrol all the way out here.

Rising, Zhou Meiqiong brushed the dust from her pants and walked over to Chen Luoluo. Chen Luoluo wrinkled her delicate nose, raised her hand, and summoned her frost ability—an icy mist erupted from Zhou Meiqiong’s body, dispersing outward.

The chill made Zhou Meiqiong shiver involuntarily. But as the frost faded, the lingering scent of tobacco around her was completely erased.

"See you tomorrow, Brother Mo." Waving, Zhou Meiqiong returned to the heart of the camp. Mo De waved back in farewell, noticing that Chen Luoluo did not follow Zhou Meiqiong as expected.

"Is there something you need?" Mo De felt unsettled under her gaze.

Ever since the group had set out from Dongsha Village, Mo De had sensed that Chen Luoluo was watching him and Mu Qing, whether intentionally or not. Yet every time he greeted her, she remained silent, leaving him at a loss as to her thoughts.

Could it be... she witnessed the moment I slew the Remnant Soul?

Mo De busied himself mentally crafting excuses and explanations while gazing at the silent figure beneath the starry sky.

"Thank you." A slightly hoarse voice interrupted his wandering thoughts. After uttering her thanks, Chen Luoluo seemed relieved, reaching out to tap Mo De lightly before turning to leave.

A pale blue frost suddenly exploded around Mo De, eradicating the faint scent of tobacco. Caught off guard by the sudden chill, Mo De found Chen Luoluo’s behavior increasingly inscrutable.

What was her intent? Was all these days of silent observation simply to say thank you?

Stamping his feet to drive away the lingering cold, Mo De finally shook it off. He walked a few steps toward the edge of the Crimson Rift Valley, leaned forward, and peered down into its unfathomable depths.

He took out the pair of void rings, entrusted to Mu Qing’s care, and, after confirming he was alone, retrieved the exotic gold dragon coffin.

He melted the couple's rings, forged from void stones, into the surface of the golden coffin, then tossed it into the abyss below.

From now on, no one will disturb you. Rest in peace.

...

"Mm-hmm, yes, I understand. I’ll report Mo De’s special situation to Principal Cheng. Thank you for your efforts, Class Leader Su." From the other end of the line came the voice of Homeroom Teacher Yu Heping. Su Ziwen responded politely and hung up.

At last, she had explained everything to her friends and Teacher Yu. Wu Fan and the others were used to Mo De’s frequent absences, but Yu Heping, a newcomer to the class, naturally cared about his students.

After much explanation on Mo De’s behalf, the diligent homeroom teacher finally relented and approved his leave, though he would have to make up missed assessments immediately upon returning.

Su Ziwen removed her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose. Though dealing with Mo De’s aftermath was tiring, knowing he was still lively and troublesome at least eased the anxiety that had weighed on her heart.

She reached for the black cat, settling it in her arms, and gently smoothed its fur, savoring the healing comfort of petting.

The black cat didn't struggle; instead, it found a comfortable spot in her embrace and enjoyed her gentle touch.

The tranquility was short-lived, as the alarm sounded again—it was time for the final cultivation session before bed.

As disciplined and self-driven as Su Ziwen was, she adhered strictly to her schedule. The schoolwork assigned had long been completed; she would never procrastinate like certain others, scrambling only after the semester began.

Beside the Crimson Rift Valley, Mo De, just returned to his tent, sneezed...

After the lunar tide ended, Tianshui High School announced a sudden reopening, canceling the joint holiday. That thick, daunting pile of winter homework no longer needed to be fully completed.

Having finished her homework early, Su Ziwen had little to occupy her time, save for marathon phone calls with Ji Keqing and constant cultivation practice. Perhaps due to the cosmic disturbances brought by the lunar tide, her cultivation had accelerated dramatically. By the time she received notice of the upcoming ability assessment, she had already advanced to the early stage of the Reception Realm.

Placing the black cat on her lap, Su Ziwen sat cross-legged on her bed, closed her eyes, and calmed her mind to begin comprehending the spatial attribute seeds within her body.

In her inner vision, glimmers of ability seeds wandered through her limbs and bones. Her task was to gather these errant seeds with her will, unify them into a mental image, and expand them into her inner world, making them her own.

In a trance, the slippery, mischievous seeds suddenly became docile, greatly accelerating her progress in forging her mental image. The aura around her surged higher and higher.

The black cat, resting atop the girl's smooth, fair thighs, quietly opened its eyes. Deep within its black-gold pupils, silver light flickered.

It was secretly monitoring the changes in the girl's internal energy, for after each session, Su Ziwen would enter a mysterious state, her insights into abilities flowing like spring water, her cultivation speed soaring.

Yet, no matter how thoroughly it examined her, it could find no source of abnormality, only confirming that this cheat-like cultivation speed would not harm her body or foundation.

The cat licked its forepaw, shifted to a more comfortable position atop her legs, and closed its eyes.

Unable to fathom the reason, the cat decided to resume its nap.

Since there was no hidden danger, the youngest Su’s increased cultivation speed was a blessing. After all, it was just a cat—what use was worrying?

Outside the small room, in the kitchen, Su’s mother, busy cooking, noticed her beloved daughter was once again meditating and cultivating, and couldn’t help but smile with satisfaction.

At first, when she observed Ziwen’s sudden progress, she suspected it was due to the black cat. But after some investigation, Xu Xueyan determined the little creature had done nothing unusual, merely eating, sleeping, and occasionally enjoying Ziwen’s grooming.

For a while, she couldn’t pinpoint the reason for Ziwen’s accelerated cultivation. But since the change proved beneficial and harmless, Xu Xueyan’s attitude aligned perfectly with the black cat’s.

If you can’t figure it out, then simply don’t think about it.