The four of them were speechless, like lonely boats in a vast ocean, tossed and turned by the vortex.
This situation continued for about half an hour before slowly easing. Shen Lannini and Ren Yuanhao simultaneously discovered that the qi, which had been stagnating in Ye Lan's dan tian, had finally completely dissolved and spread throughout Ye Lan's limbs and bones.
At this moment, Ye Lan was the first to speak, "That was truly dangerous just now. Are you all alright?"
Ye Lan's voice was full of vigor, not at all like someone who had just suffered a serious injury.
"We're fine, Ye Lan. How do you feel?" Shen Lannini felt incredibly clear and serene all over. Even her old injuries, which hadn't completely healed, were now perfectly mended.
"I feel much better, though my abdomen feels a little bloated."
"That's to be expected with qi bloating. You're lucky. This medicine not only repaired your damaged areas but also managed to open your dan tian. Now, you have the strength of a martial artist who has practiced internal qi cultivation for two years!"
Shen Lannini withdrew her hand, and Yang Lingxue also retracted hers, muttering, "It's already opened a martial artist's physique? This medicine is too miraculous!"
"It might not just be the medicine. It's also related to Ye Lan's physique, and to some extent, we should thank the injuries you sustained for stimulating your body's potential."
The four of them rose one after another. Ye Lan, who always valued cleanliness, saw that her clothes were stained with blood. She deliberately hid behind the other three and followed them back to the bamboo house.
As Shen Lannini had said, Qing Xuanzi, having suffered such a severe injury, had no energy left to seek revenge. The bamboo house was still intact, with only some bamboo weaving, tea sets, and other items scattered on the floor.
"Hey, it's getting late, and tonight will surely be a storm. Why don't the four of us have a barbecue in the pavilion in the backyard bamboo forest to celebrate?"
Yang Lingxue's eyes seemed to be occupied by grilled skewers, and nothing else could be seen.
The other three did not reply. Yang Lingxue paced back and forth, saying slowly, "Think about it. When the wind is fierce and the rain is heavy, the bamboo forest rustles and clangs, like a grand natural symphony concert. Then, the sizzling aroma of meat dances with the wind, with fine wine at hand, wouldn't that be delightful?"
"After all that, it's still for your stomach, isn't it?" Shen Lannini added with a sharp remark.
Yang Lingxue rolled her eyes at her, thinking to herself that as the eldest daughter of the Yang family, she still had to ask for their opinions just to eat grilled skewers. How much she was sacrificing! When she was at home, she only needed to snap her fingers to have whatever she wanted to eat, yet she had to suffer this hardship with them.
Though she thought this way, she quickly looked up expectantly at Ren Yuanhao, her almond-shaped eyes seeming about to pop out of their sockets.
"I can't stand you anymore, Miss Yang. Let's tidy up first and then prepare the things."
After Ren Yuanhao finished speaking, he walked towards Ye Lan's room, seemingly a little worried.
"Hmph, his mind is full of Ye Lan. I was kidnapped by that perverted monkey, and he didn't even come to send me some warmth. My heart feels so cold," Yang Lingxue mumbled quietly, but Shen Lannini overheard her.
"Hey, I suggest you wash your face first. Looking at you now, you resemble a mother monkey."
"You're teasing me too."
The two of them bickered, washed up, and changed their clothes, not to be mentioned further.
About ten minutes later, the three women emerged from the bamboo corridor as if participating in a beauty pageant. Shen Lannini was tall and slender, her posture like a queen. A black dress perfectly accentuated her figure. She wore black gauze on her sleeves, and a red ribbon on her head fluttered like colorful clouds, perfectly highlighting her heroic and striking face.
Yang Lingxue also wore a white plain dress and, like Shen Lannini, wore black gauze. Her hair was parted on both sides and styled in an Athenian goddess braid. Her cheeks were rosy, and she looked pretty and spirited. Although she was around the same age as Shen Lannini, she appeared like a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl. She carried a black bag at her waist, it was unknown what strange things she had hidden inside.
Ye Lan, who walked out last, also wore a plain white gauze skirt. Her natural bangs lay gracefully on her forehead, and her dark hair danced in the wind. With every smile and frown, she was like cold frost pressing on branches, or white plum blossoms proud of the snow, possessing an ancient charm. She, too, wore black gauze, and as she walked, a clear and cold sound of palace bells emanated from her ankles.
At that moment, a strong wind fiercely shook the phoenix and maple trees in front of the courtyard. The branches collided, emitting unsettling creaking sounds from time to time. Dark clouds gathered rapidly overhead, white light pierced through the sky, and thunder boomed like an surging tide!
"So, you guys haven't had experience grilling skewers in such bad weather, right? Aren't you excited? Aren't you happy?"
Yang Lingxue, carrying a large pile of cut and marinated meat, was the first to rush into the backyard.
"When it comes to eating, I'm afraid no one can compare to her," Shen Lannini shook her head, carrying some fruits and vegetables, and followed them out.
Ye Lan naturally carried the wine and smiled at Ren Yuanhao, saying, "Sister Lingxue loves to eat so much. I really can't understand how she maintains her figure."
Ren Yuanhao also shook his head and followed them out, carrying the stove.
As the sky gradually darkened and lights began to appear, white smoke gently curled. The bamboo forest swayed in the wind, and the surroundings were filled with eerie creaking sounds.
However, this terrifying scene still couldn't stop Yang Lingxue from feasting.
"Hey, Lingxue, our master hasn't passed the seventh day yet. Isn't it inappropriate for us to do this?" Although Shen Lannini held a skewer full of fragrant meat, she had no appetite to eat.
"Look at me, I almost forgot."
Yang Lingxue poured a cup of wine, bowed three times in the direction of Yun Qinghe's grave, and then poured the wine horizontally onto the soil in front of the pavilion.
"Master Yun, you gave your life to save the three of us. I have no way to repay you, so I offer you this cup of wine."
Seeing this, Shen Lannini and Ren Yuanhao also did the same, feeling a little better. At this moment, Ren Yuanhao, using the light of a flashlight, took out the bamboo slips from the demon tree's cave.
"Hey, hey, hey, Ren Yuanhao, do you want to learn from the ancients and read by lamplight?" Yang Lingxue said vaguely, her mouth full of grilled skewers.
"No, I'm curious. The content recorded on these bamboo slips is incomplete." Ren Yuanhao repeatedly tried to probe the end of the bamboo slips but couldn't find any missing parts.
"What does it say?" Shen Lannini was also quite curious about these bamboo slips.
Ren Yuanhao hesitated because he was unsure if it recorded a story or contained some hidden mystery.
"Actually, I really can't tell. At first glance, I thought it was a story, but looking at it again, it seems like a biography describing geography. But I am sure that these bamboo slips are incomplete."
"Compared to this, I'm actually more curious about your identity as an ability user."
As soon as Shen Lannini said this, the three women's gazes all shifted to him.