At twenty strands every five minutes, removing the lingering energy went faster than I’d suspected. It still took an hour to clear away the foreign Qi and have the dragon store it away.

Even though the bleeding had stopped long ago, because of his repetitive energy usage, Little Spring had developed dark circles around his eyes and his pale face had turned paper white.

“What’s next?” His voice sounded lethargic.

“Now it’s time for you to sleep so you can wake up fully recovered.”

“Don’t lie to me. I’m too injured even for your best healing pills, aren’t I?”

“I’m not lying.” I added in fresh acupuncture needles and took out the ones that I no longer needed. The ones I removed turned black and crumbled into dust because of the wasteful technique. Slowly, I changed the anesthetic formation into the version that put patients to sleep. “Once you wake up, you’ll feel like new.”

“Can I really recover from this...” his voice drifted off.

“Yes. But I can’t promise that your body will be the same when I’m done.” It was possible that even with my Lin’s Healing Dan, the previous damage would cause issues with his body. It might even affect his cultivation going forward.

Of course, this was a Xianxia universe, so that meant leaving on a decade-long adventure to find a miracle plant. Well, maybe he’d get lucky.

Now that he was asleep, I began using my divine sense as the most perfect x-ray while my spiritual energy placed all the shards of bone back together and realigned tendons and muscles. I was pretty sure surgeons from my past-past life would have paid millions for this ability.

Moving all of his parts to their correct locations took a couple of hours. It was long tiring work that only increased my anger toward that crimson rope guy. That fucker needed to die.

After I double-checked that every part of Little Spring’s body was back in place, or as close to it as I could get, I force-fed him a Lin’s Healing Dan. Instead of allowing the energy to randomly flow through him, I controlled it, forcing it to travel along the same pathways as his cultivation technique.

That was when a familiar energy appeared within him. This kid’s unique physique finally showed up! How long had it been since I’d seen its lock release like this? A year and a half? This new energy traveled behind the medicinal one, strengthening the repaired areas. Seeing this was a fucking relief. It meant that the kid wouldn’t have to worry about sequelae after all.

The shattered bone and mended torn ligaments I healed became even tougher. Impossibly strong for a Qi Condensation cultivator. Actually, by the time I was done spreading the energy throughout Little Spring’s body, he had a stronger skeleton than I did, and I’d been through two different types of body cultivations!

Well, whatever. I could still kick his ass if I needed to.

Even though he’d been perfectly healed, he still looked like a pile of bloody rags. That was no good. I repeatedly used the cleaning technique on him to the point where his cheeks shined and his clothes were torn in places but spotless.

Next, I removed the acupuncture needles. They all turned black and crumbled into dust, leaving me with a mere half dozen. I grabbed those, dipped them in some spring water, and applied them to the same acupoints I used to wake up Clear Eyes earlier. Then I pulled them out.

“Three, two, one!”

He sucked in a breath and sat up.

“It’s alive! It’s alive! Muahahaha!”

The brat looked at me like I was crazy.

What? Who didn’t want to reenact the first science fiction story?

Then his eyes grew wide. He patted his body as if he couldn’t believe it. He blinked rapidly. Then, without saying anything, he gave me the biggest, most adorable grin.

While I had originally learned to cure others in order to heal myself, there was something wonderful about helping someone get better.

“You’re perfectly healthy now. Actually, you’re better than you had been! So don’t doubt me again. Just who do you think your older sister is?”

“Fairy Lin!” He gave me a brief hug. “Thank you!”

“Now that we’ve taken care of your injuries, I have to get back to Clear Eyes Mad Tongue before he realizes that I’m not in my tent. Why don’t you stay here while we make our way to you?”

He tapped his chin. “I think I can leave the space where you are if it helps.”

“That... actually makes a lot of sense.” I totally should have realized this earlier. “We each carry an entry point to this space. We should be able to exit it wherever the other is.”

He nodded.

“But if we used that ability, then Clear Eyes would definitely become suspicious. While he’s a good person, I’d rather not test his resolve to keep this treasure hidden.”

“Then I’ll make my way over to you once I leave from wherever I landed.”

“Where are you, anyway?”

He scratched the back of his head. “I only remember bits and pieces, but it looked like some underground maze.”

This kid’s protagonist’s luck was off the goddamn charts. He gets hit by an ascendant beast, heals his body to be stronger than it had been, then lands in the middle of an inheritance.

“Is the entrance still there?”

“No. The place where I entered collapsed behind me. I barely slid inside the corridor before the rest of it caved in.”

“Well, chances are you either found another legacy or you discovered a trap of some kind.”

His eyes turned serious. “I want to explore it and try to find an exit.”

“Alright. But since Ghosty is out of action, you’ll be there by yourself. Of course, this heritage doesn’t seem to prevent communication so ask me anything at any time.”

He nodded excitedly.

Maybe he looked forward to treasure hunting or something. I flicked his glabella. “However, don’t allow yourself to become injured again. Next time I see blood on you I’ll put you through hell training so difficult that you’ll wish you were dead.”

His spine stiffened. “Yes, Sister Lin!” He said before disappearing.

I looked at the gold dragon. “Of course, when we get back to the sect, I’m still increasing his training. If he’d used the space sooner, none of this would have happened.”

The spirit held up the scoreboard, showing that I’d earned another point.

***

When I exited the space, my tent swayed from side to side. I poked my head out.

Clear Eyes Mad Tongue shook the tent while repeatedly saying, “Wake up, wake up!” A vein ticked at the corner of his temples.

When he saw me his eyes widened. “Were you dead in there? I’ve been trying to get your attention for hours.”

“I was walking Little Spring through how to treat his wounds. They were extremely severe. If I allowed myself to get even slightly distracted, something terrible might have happened.”

“He’s alive?!”

I nodded.

“How? He’s in Qi Condensation and was hit by an Ascendant Beast!”

I grinned at the teen. “There is a reason why you call us Great Martial Aunt and Uncle.”

This, of course, implied that we had the protection of an immortal. It was the perfect excuse to get him to stop asking uncomfortable questions.

“Have the beasts stopped fighting?”

“Probably. I haven't heard thunder for the last hour.”

I nodded, then I grinned. “Hey, Little Clear Eyes Mad Tongue. How’d you like to see a Qi Condensation cultivator get revenge against a Core Formation expert?”

He coughed. “Senior Lin. You’re not saying—”

“Junior!” I interrupted him. “Your martial uncle’s injuries were horrific. And you know how old he is. The man with the crimson rope aimed for the kid on purpose. A child of our sect.”

It took him a second, but eventually, his expression turned grim.

“Tell me what I can do to help.”

My smile turned vicious. “I’m glad you asked.”

***

“Are you sure this is going to work, Senior Lin?”

“Well, it’s between this or calling Junior Shadow Gopher over.”

“He’s on a special assignment for the sect. We can’t disturb him for revenge.”

“Exactly why I thought of doing this!” Muahahaha! And this would allow me to get my revenge using my own skills... As long as we didn’t die before my plan succeeded.

“Also, don’t forget that you owe me all those mid-tier spirit stones.”

“Your Senior always pays her debts. Even if it’s through alchemy. Which would be a better deal for you.”

“I can’t even deny that.”

Where we stood had once been a tall, rocky hilltop. Technically, it was still a hill, but the beasts’ fight had ripped a massive slice through it, creating a small valley. The floor was covered in debris and tons of jagged grey stones. The uneven terrain could really mess up footwork for those who weren’t careful. It was also a great place to hide things.

I tossed Clear Eyes a bottle. “There are trick pills in there. Strong enough to kill a Qi Condensation cultivator, temporarily paralyze a Foundation Establishment practitioner, and slow down a Golden Core.” They were something I cobbled together using nearby spiritual plants and my alchemy skills.

I handed him another bottle. “And here is the antidote, in case someone throws it back in your face.”

He gave me a look. “Why did I agree to do this again?”

I grinned. “Because they went after our sect’s children and you want revenge as much as I do.”

The teen nodded grimly. “What should I do if he pressures me with his cultivation base?”

I scowled at him. “You’re a sword cultivator.”

“So?”

Did I really have to explain it to him? I knew he was smarter than this. Well, it had been a long day. Both of us were exhausted from the hours we spent preparing for my plan.

“Listen, the way of the sword is one of the hardest paths to walk because a significant portion of your cultivation comes from enlightenment.”

He nodded, looking very confused.

“But with that insight, you also gain a higher understanding of how the universe works. How laws affect this world.”

“But how does that help with pressure?”

“Since you understand the universe at a greater level than your Golden Core opponent, while you’ll still feel pressure, your control over the world around you is superior. This allows sword cultivators to overcome what would debilitate the average practitioner.”

His mouth opened. “Wait. Is that why we’re known for punching up in rank? That’s the reason behind it?!”

I grinned. “One of them. The other is obviously your increased strength at lower levels and your tenacity.” I patted his shoulder. “While you might not be strong enough to defeat a Golden Core cultivator at your current level, briefly running away from one shouldn’t be too hard.”

He grimaced but nodded. Then he left the valley as if he were walking towards his death. With any luck, this would be an excellent opportunity for Clear Eyes.

I followed his progress with my divine sense as he ran through the forest towards the first cultivator with Golden Core level cultivation. I’d directed him there because I couldn’t tell which assassin of that realm was the crimson rope man. The assassins were currently using some kind of technique to hide their presence. The only way I was able to detect them was due to my higher realmed soul.

This wasn’t the asshole we were looking for. The teen backed up and started towards the second energy I felt.

This next person had a fainter presence.

When Clear eyes neared him, he crouched low behind some trees as he made his approach. Then he tossed out several trick pills. The teen slashed his sword at the guy while using his strongest Thousand Tons Dirt Eating Blade. The assassin pulled a rope weapon from his bag and dodged the attack before throwing the tip at Clear Eyes.

The teen ducked under the powerful spiritual rope. It passed over him, slicing into the back of his robes but not actually touching the sword cultivator. Without hesitating, Clear Eyes threw another two pills at the man before retreating in my direction.

It was nerve-wracking how the teen went round after round with this guy, barely escaping each time they clashed. Still, I knew he could do it. And if anyone needed practice fleeing from people who were higher in realm it was that walking disaster mouth.

The sounds of fighting grew closer.

The Golden Core must have told his buddies because several more assassins started toward our direction.

I loosened my clenched fist, pulled my sword from my hair, and enlarged it.

“Senior Lin! Run! They’ve discovered us!”

The crimson rope guy smirked, likely thinking that we were dumb to lead him right to his target.

“I’m not leaving without you!” I said like a little girl.

Clear Eyes threw the last of the trick pills at the assassin, then ran toward me.

And that was when I sent a spiritual energy-infused kick to a specific location in mid-air, activating my illusion-slaughter formation.

The bastard that hurt Little Spring tossed his tip rope at Mad Tongue. The power that it possessed was enough to kill the teen. I had to use my most powerful stabbing sword Qi attack to get it to swerve off course enough to avoid him.

When the assassin went in for a whip-like strike, I grabbed Clear Eyes’ belt and pulled him out of the way with my body cultivation-enhanced muscles. Then I picked him up, threw him over my shoulder, and started jumping through my activated slaughter formation while using the Impossible Leap technique.

::Senior Lin! Put me down! I can do it myself.::

::Even if you could, this is easier.::

::Do you know how embarrassed I feel getting carried by an 11-year-old girl a realm lower than me?”

::I’m just returning the favor from earlier. Besides, I’m your senior.::

::Okay. I was wrong. I shouldn’t have picked you up without your permission back then.::

::Just shut up and let me get to the safe zone.::

As soon as I reached the flat boulder on top of the hill, I set the teen down. This was the only place within the massive slaughter array where no one would be harmed. Something I prepared because the only way a Qi Condensation cultivator could defeat a Golden Core was by not playing fair. I even used a whole tree branch from the Golden Walnut tree just to create the perfect flag sticks for this!

We both peered down and watched as the crimson rope guy used attack after attack against invisible illusions of us. More of the assassins entered the formation and started lashing out at the surrounding air. Then they began fighting each other, using powerful techniques to kill each other off amid the curved blades of energy that formed within the deadly array.

The crimson rope user fell under the onslaught of attacks from his underlings and my badass formation. I felt zero sympathy for these assassins who went after children.

Clear Eyes’ lips thinned.

“Hey. What if this hadn’t worked?”

I eyed him. “In what way?”

“If one of them had seen through this trap of ours?”

I laughed.

He raised both eyebrows.

“First of all, I had you strike him that way to fool them. They would believe we were getting revenge by using a sneak attack to make up the difference in realm. Next, I had you lure them here like you were desperately attempting to escape, so they would lower their guard.”

He scowled. “I was desperately trying to escape. Do you know how hard it was running from that guy?! I almost died several times!”

I looked him over. His uniform was torn in places, and his face appeared paler than normal. Other than that, he appeared fine. “You’re not even that injured.”

He huffed and rubbed his side. “I have some internal injuries. They hurt.”

I handed him a high-quality healing pill.

“I didn’t say that to.… Well, thank you.” He put it in his mouth and rotated his cultivation base.

“It’s only right for a senior to take care of their juniors.”

Color returned to his face, and he opened his eyes. “Okay, you planned for all that. But what if they’d had an arrangement master with them?”

“They likely thought their earlier trap would be successful. But, if they had done their research, and knew I was a formation master, they would underestimate me. I’m too young. If they sent someone, it wouldn’t have been anyone decent. And as you can see from my Nine Pillars Illusionary Blade Slaughter Formation, I create masterworks. Once I’ve turned my array on, no one can escape it unless they discover a path I’ve left for myself.” Muahahahaha!

He opened his mouth, closed it, then said, “Senior Lin... Remind me never to piss you off.”

I patted his shoulder. “Knowing you, you’ll do it, anyway. But I promise I won’t kill you just for being annoying.”

***

Once all the assassins in the nearby area had fallen into my trap, I turned the formation off and looted their bodies... for clues. And spirit stones. Powering that array had been expensive, and I needed to pay back the teen.

In one bag, I discovered a manual for a transcendence rank full body disguise technique. While I’d seen face transformation spells, this was the first at this level. It made me tempted to use it. Of course, I’d have to decipher it since someone hid it behind layers of codes and traps.

Other than those, the assassins had nothing else. They were professional enough to not leave any traces back to their employer.

Regardless of how careful they were, Clear Eyes and I collected a decent amount of currency from them. Unfortunately, they’d used up all their talismans in the first fight with us.

The teen picked up the last storage bag and scowled as he took out another dozen stones. “Is this what being a mountain bandit feels like?”

I patted his shoulder. “This is what winning through tactics and plans feels like. Now let’s collect the flag sticks and rendezvous with the kid.”