Entering winter at 40

  Changyang Zhenren was now free and sat in the medicine room watching them divide the medicine, occasionally pointing out one or two sentences.

  Qiuqiu was clever and willing to learn, so Zhangyang Zhenren liked her and also considered Yu Xiang Zhenren's face. At noon, he let Qiuqiu go over and gave her a small bag.

  "There are a few books inside, some commonly used Dan Fang and herbs on top, you can take a look at them slowly when you get back if there's nothing else to do. Although your sect isn't particularly good at Dan refinement, it's still better for you to have an understanding of these everyday things." Qiu Qiu immediately bowed in gratitude.

  She understood the unspoken meaning behind Zhang Yang's words. By understanding these things, it wasn't just about finding a convenient way to take medicine, but also being prepared in case someone tried to trick her by tampering with the medicine, so she wouldn't foolishly eat it without any precautions and end up dying like an ignorant ghost.

  They stayed at Zhang Yang Zhen Ren's place for three days, and the four of them should have returned to the mountain by now. Looking from the town towards Xiuyuan Mountain, the rain and clouds blocked their view almost completely, the entire mountain was shrouded in fog, nothing could be seen clearly.

  Jingfei couldn't eat or play enough, and was sulky all the way, not saying a word. Compared to her lively self when she first came out of her shell like a little bird, the difference was really too great. This can be understood, as in her previous life, Qiuqiu also had the same experience when summer vacation ended and school started again.

  After all, I'm still young and have a playful heart. Living in the mountains is dull and restrictive, how can it compare to the freedom and joy of living at the foot of the mountain?

  But at the same time, people down the mountain don't know how much they envy them, cultivating immortality and seeking the Tao, free from illness and pain, living forever without aging.

  Life is always like this, there are gains and losses.

  It kept falling and falling, the fine rain turned into sleet, and then it became snowflakes fluttering down. Qiuqiu stretched out her hand to catch some, and the snowflakes landed on her palm without melting.

  The snow now is not six-sided, looks like one by one more like sugar grains, that is the common saying salt grain.

  Qiu Qiu brought it to her lips and licked it, of course, the snowflake was neither sweet nor salty, but cool, with a refreshing icy flavor.

  The long winter of Xiuyuan Mountain has arrived.

  The weather was indeed as Jingfei said, it didn't clear up at all. At its best, the sky was still gloomy and overcast. The snow fell in small flakes, swirling around, and as a result, there were fewer people visiting Zhi Xing Tai. People are generally lazy, and although these cultivators claimed to be different from ordinary people, they were still human after all. As humans, they would naturally want to take it easy. With the weather getting colder by the day, even fewer people went to Zhi Xing Tai.

  Qiu Qiu now has a very precise schedule for every day, going to Zhi Xing Tai to practice in the morning, then directly from Zhi Xing Tai to Cang Shu Lou, which saves a lot of distance. After returning, he practices sword for two hours, and the rest of the time is spent reading and practicing.

  They are still afraid of the cold like ordinary rabbits and do not want to go out in winter. The house has a warm array, and Da Bai's family is lazy and does not want to move. Every day, Qiuqiu wakes up surrounded by a pile of fur balls and falls asleep again at night surrounded by a pile of fur balls. The little fur balls are very sensible and do not make trouble, and the slightly larger ones will even bring Qiuqiu slippers. The first time they brought her shoes, Qiuqiu burst out laughing and held her stomach in pain.

  I heard that other people's pet dogs can fetch newspapers and milk, but I didn't expect her lovely rabbit to pick up slippers too.

  Dàbái and èrbái are especially spiritual, when Qiūqiū is meditating, they guard beside her. They are Qiūqiū's spiritual pets, when Qiūqiū cultivates, they can also gain benefits from the spiritual energy. Just like in the past at Xiūyuàn Mountain, when Yùxiā Zhēnrén was meditating and closing his doors, a tiger family would come to rub against him for good fortune.

  Qiu Qiu's study of the old painting had made no progress for the time being and could only be put aside temporarily.

  After she came to Xiuyuan Mountain, both the sect leader and Yu Shui Zhenren had shown concern for her. However, no matter what, Autumn was still a young girl who had just entered the sect, and nobody expected her to achieve anything great. The basic heart method was something that could be taught by senior brothers and sisters, let alone by Zhenren himself. For him to take action would be like using a treasured sword to swat at mosquitoes, too wasteful.

  But Qiuqiu's master, Yu Xia Zhenren, did not think the same way. Since Qiuqiu joined, Yu Xia Zhenren would ask about her progress in heart method every day as long as she was not closed off. In Yu Xia Zhenren's view, it is precisely because the basic heart method is fundamental that this stage cannot be taken lightly, and later on, all other heart methods and sword methods of the Shuijian Sect are closely related to the entry method. If one's thinking goes astray at the foundation-laying stage, it would be like a canal being dug crookedly; no matter how much water flows in afterwards, it will all follow this wrong path.

  This difference in concept may also be one of the reasons why Yu Xiang Zhen Ren left Xiū Yuàn Shān. Of course, there must be other reasons, such as the grudges and struggles between the older generation, the splits and conflicts within the sect, and even some romantic factors.

  In short, it's very complicated.

  Qiu Qiu's gossiping skills were not strong, only limited to curiosity. She couldn't even dig up the gossip about Jing Lan Shifu and Jing Yuan Shixiong, let alone the entanglements of the previous generation of masters.

  The quiet and reserved brother who guarded the library had also become familiar with Qiuqiu. According to him, there was only one other junior disciple like Qiuqiu who came to the library every day, and that was Jingyuan, the first disciple of the sect leader. However, that was many years ago. After Jingyuan built his foundation, the sect leader handed over some of the sect's affairs to him. Not only did he handle internal matters, but also dealt with other sects and aristocratic families. With so many tasks, he couldn't often come to the library. He had also taught Qiuqiu a method for tracing and copying, which Qiuqiu was very grateful for.

  The library is not big and there are few visitors, so it's very boring to maintain and take care of. However, when someone comes frequently and becomes familiar, he is very willing to make things convenient for them. After all, they are all from the same school, although this junior sister is an outsider.

  She was the youngest and had a special status among those on the mountain.

  She was a disciple of Yu Xiang Zhen Ren who had left many years ago. Due to the changes in the sect, she was brought back by Yu Shui Shu Shu. The sect would not approve of Yu Xiang Zhen Ren's actions, which could be seen as either carefree and detached or even treasonous. However, for so many years, the sect had allowed Yu Xiang Zhen Ren to roam freely without pursuing her, which made one wonder about the underlying reasons.

  So this little sister's position in the sect is also somewhat subtle.

  You want to say she's not a person of the Liushui Sword Sect, that must be a slap in the face. Yu Xia Zhenren didn't establish another sect, her disciples also worshiped the ancestors and took the sword oath with the sect, without any difference, what she taught, her disciples practiced, was still the sect's mental method, this is of course considered a person of the sect.

  But which branch of the sect does she belong to? The sect doesn't even have a position for Yu Xiang Zhen Ren, let alone a small newly admitted disciple like her. No one is willing to raise someone else's disciples, not even if she lives on Pipa Peak, and the people on Pipa Peak don't consider her as one of their own.

  Three don't care

  These days, Qiuqiu sends a message to Fang Zhenren every month to ask about the news of the child. However, it is unknown whether it is due to the bad weather or the long distance, or maybe... there are other reasons. For several months, Qiuqiu has not received any response.