161 - Destroyer of Ice and Fire

Warm, wet, and slippery sensations brushed against the side of her face, accompanied by the light breaths of the young girl brushing softly over her skin. Ran Fanyin froze, her movements suddenly halting midway, feeling a wave of goosebumps arise all over her body. Her cheeks turned a faint shade of red, the blush spreading all the way to her ears. She felt uneasy and wanted to push the beggar away, but held back because her hand was still gripping the one with half-unwrapped bandages. She continued to silently tend to the beggar's wounds. The beggar stopped causing trouble and instead nuzzled his little head into Ran Fanyin's shoulder, enjoying the unique cool plum scent emanating from her. He felt so at ease that his eyes formed crescents with happiness, and the vermilion mark between his brows seemed to dance in delight. Ran Fanyin eventually fell asleep without knowing how it happened. Having not rested for several nights due to her cultivation, she had been busy for two full days upon returning to Beifa, and her body was utterly exhausted. Even as she slept, she carefully held the beggar's right wrist in her hand. Observing Ran Fanyin finally quieting down, the beggar found a comfortable position nestled against her and closed his eyes to sleep. ### Chapter 63: Praise As Ran Fanyin walked out the door, Luo Sheng immediately followed, heading to the mountain gate to meet with Jing Hu and travel to Yushui Pass. In an instant, the room was left with only Cen Ran and Ning Songwu. Ning Songwu stared blankly at the closed door, her eyes slightly widened, and said nothing. Cen Ran approached the bed and sat down. "Ning Songwu, what are you looking at?" Ning Songwu bit her lip, shook her head, and lay back down. “Knock, knock, knock.” Slow and even knocking sounded on the wooden door. Regardless of the response inside, the person outside pushed the door open after knocking three times. Ning Songwu quickly turned towards the door with a hint of expectation in her eyes. But it was not the person she had hoped to see. Helan Mianmian slowly walked in, her pretty face slightly reddened by the outdoor chill. She was holding a particularly thick white crane fur robe, so long that it nearly touched the ground, suggesting it wasn’t meant for her. Ever since Ning Songwu got injured, Helan Mianmian moved out to sleep and only occasionally came to accompany her. Seeing Helan Mianmian, Cen Ran asked, "What brings you here at this hour?" Helan Mianmian, a bit too effortful, handed the white crane robe over to Cen Ran, rubbing her red and frozen nose adorably. “Sister Cen Ran came to my place earlier and left this robe on my bed. It’s getting dark, and I was afraid you’d get cold on your way back, so I brought it over for you." Cen Ran felt warmth in her heart and handed a hand warmer to Helan Mianmian. "Are you cold? Here, hold this to warm up." Helan Mianmian reached out but didn’t take the hand warmer. Instead, she directly grabbed Cen Ran’s slender fingers and brought them to her face, her eyes curving into a smile. "Sister's hands are so warm." Cen Ran blushed momentarily but allowed Helan Mianmian to do as she pleased. The child's face was very soft and comfortable to touch, making Cen Ran want to pinch her cheeks. However, she didn't control her strength. Helan Mianmian winced. "Ouch, Sister Cen Ran, you’re so strong, it hurts." Feeling guilty, Cen Ran pulled her hand back. "I’m sorry." "It really hurts, you know." Helan Mianmian raised her little hand to rub her face, which was a bit red. Cen Ran sighed. "What do you want me to do?" Helan Mianmian pointed to her face. "Kiss it better, and the pain will go away." "Enough nonsense!" Cen Ran scolded, seeming genuinely angry. "Sister Cen Ran, you're so fierce." Helan Mianmian's large, beautiful eyes began to fill with tears, looking pitiful as if she were about to cry. "When I fell and hurt my face before, my mother would kiss it better, and my father too..." Her voice began to choke. “Alright. What do you really want?” Cen Ran relented, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe Helan Mianmian’s eyes. "Hug me, sister," Helan Mianmian pouted. Cen Ran could never resist the charms of a child, especially one as adorable as Helan Mianmian, who looked like a fluffy rice dumpling. So she bent down, picked her up, and placed her on her lap, hugging her closely. The child's body was soft and carried a sweet, sugary scent. Cen Ran's hand habitually stroked her back. Suddenly remembering something, she turned to look at Ning Songwu. At some point, Ning Songwu had fallen asleep. When Ran Fanyin arrived at the Sword Forging Pool, it was different from the past where Jiang Yue would only leave a crack in the door, unwilling to come out. This time, Jiang Yue was waiting at the stone gate early, holding a blue-and-white paper umbrella, one hand behind her back, her expression gentle and scholarly. A thin layer of snow had already settled on the umbrella's surface, indicating she had been waiting for some time. "You came quickly. Come in," Jiang Yue nodded toward her and led her inside. Ran Fanyin closed her umbrella and followed Jiang Yue inside. Seeing the bandage on Ran Fanyin's wrist, which had turned yellowish and begun to fray, Jiang Yue frowned. "How long has it been since you changed that bandage?" "Several days. It's fine," Ran Fanyin replied calmly. "I have some medicine here. Sit down, and I'll change it for you," Jiang Yue said, taking out a tray of medical supplies and motioning for Ran Fanyin to come over. "Zi Sheng said you had something important to discuss?" Ran Fanyin asked as she watched Jiang Yue start unwrapping her bandage. "How many days has it been since you and Brother Cheng Yunhuan left Beifa?" Jiang Yue suddenly asked. Ran Fanyin thought for a moment. "About half a month." "Yes, half a month. Quite a long time," Jiang Yue murmured. "What's wrong? What happened?" "There are suspicious circumstances about Heaven-Searing Gate's attack on Yushui Pass in Luocheng," Jiang Yue said with a serious expression. Ran Fanyin was puzzled. "What makes you say that?" "It's my fault. I was careless," Jiang Yue paused and lowered her voice. "While you two were away, Master was poisoned with the Huangquan Gu." Once infected by this Gu poison, unless the mother Gu is destroyed, there is no cure. Many renowned figures in the martial world have perished because of it, as it's extremely difficult to detect at first. By the time it's noticed, the poison has already spread through the bloodstream.