Rebirth of Jinxuan

Not long after Lu Yuhang, Qingyuan, and Aixi returned home, they heard a gentle voice from outside the door, "Hang'er, we're back." Lu Jinxuan's voice drifted into the house. Lu Yuhang turned around and saw his mother, Zhang Yuxi, and Mo Chenfan walking in together. He immediately rushed joyfully into Lu Jinxuan's arms. "Mommy, Daddy, Uncle Mo!"

Zhang Yuxi affectionately ruffled Lu Yuhang's hair: "Looks like our little Hang'er is in good spirits. How was the assessment?"

Lu Yuhang blinked and said mysteriously, "We'll know tomorrow!" Then he turned to Qian Feng and said, "Brother Qian Feng, shall we go to the martial arts hall together tomorrow to see the results?"

Qian Feng smiled and nodded: "Okay."

Qingyuan and Aixi also came over, reporting with serious expressions what had happened on their way home from the Dark Night Forest.

Upon hearing this, Lu Jinxuan and Zhang Yuxi felt a sense of lingering fear and immediately said, "Fortunately, you were there to accompany him. You've both worked so hard."

Qingyuan and Aixi replied, "It's what we should do."

As night fell, the backyard of Renhe Pharmacy was brightly lit. Lu Jinxuan and Zhang Yuxi were talking quietly in a room, discussing the upcoming martial arts assessment.

"Yuxi, do you think Hang'er can pass the test?" Lu Jinxuan asked with some worry.

Zhang Yuxi gently hugged Lu Jinxuan and comforted her, "Don't worry, Hang'er is exceptionally talented, and with your careful guidance, he'll definitely be fine."

Lu Jinxuan nodded, still feeling somewhat uneasy.

The following morning, the entrance to the martial arts hall was packed with people, bustling with activity. Candidates and their families, who had come to check their assessment results, completely blocked the entrance. An atmosphere of tension and anticipation filled the air.

Lu Yuhang and Qian Feng stood side by side in the crowd, anxiously awaiting the results. Lu Jinxuan and Zhang Yuxi stood a little further away, silently watching them.

With a resounding gong, the doors of the martial arts hall slowly opened, and an elderly man in a blue robe stepped out. He held a golden scroll in his hand, his expression solemn.

"Now, I announce the list of those admitted to the Martial Arts Academy entrance examination!" The old man's booming voice echoed across the square.

Everyone held their breath, their hearts pounding in their throats, listening intently.

The old man slowly unrolled the scroll and began to read out the names. As each name was uttered, some were filled with joy, while others were filled with sorrow.

"Qian Feng!"

Upon hearing his name called, Qian Feng clenched his fist excitedly, a joyful smile spreading across his face.

Lu Yuhang was also happy for him and patted him on the shoulder hard: "Congratulations, Brother Qian Feng!"

The old man continued chanting names, pausing at the end before raising his voice: "Lu Yuhang! Inner disciple!"

Upon hearing the result, Lu Yuhang was stunned, then a surge of immense joy welled up inside him. He couldn't believe he had actually become an elder's inner disciple! This was an honor that every candidate dreamed of!

Qian Feng was also happy for Lu Yuhang, but he felt a little tired. The spiritual energy he had used up during the assessment had left him somewhat exhausted.

Lu Jinxuan and Zhang Yuxi both smiled with relief upon hearing the news.

Today, Old Master Qian is sitting in the front hall, receiving people who come seeking medical treatment and medicine. The two little maids, Momo and Ayu, are helping him, busy and happy.

"Mr. Qian, my son has been coughing a lot lately. Could you please take a look and tell me what's wrong?" a woman asked anxiously, holding her child.

Old Qian carefully examined the child and then wrote a prescription: "There's nothing seriously wrong, a few doses of medicine will do the trick."

Just then, Lu Yuhang ran over excitedly, "Grandpa Qian, where's Brother Qian Feng?"

Old Qian stroked his beard and said with a smile, "Your brother Qian Feng was exhausted during the assessment and is resting in the backyard now."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yuhang immediately turned and ran towards the backyard, shouting, "I'm going to check on him!"

Old Qian looked at Lu Yuhang's running figure, smiled kindly, stroked his beard and said, "This child, slow down, don't fall!" Before he finished speaking, Lu Yuhang's small figure had already disappeared at the archway leading to the backyard.

The front hall was bustling with people. Momo and Ayu, two young maids, were helping Old Qian organize the medicinal herbs. A faint fragrance of herbs filled the air, mixed with the hushed whispers of the people, creating a lively scene of everyday life.

After Lu Jinxuan and Zhang Yuxi returned from the martial arts hall, they had just reached the entrance of the front hall when they saw Lu Yuhang rushing in. Lu Jinxuan reacted quickly and scooped him up.

"Hang'er, slow down, what kind of behavior is this!" Lu Jinxuan gently patted Lu Yuhang's back, her tone gentle but with a hint of reproach.

Lu Yuhang squirmed in Lu Jinxuan's arms and said eagerly, "Mommy, where's Brother Qian Feng? Grandpa Qian said he was tired from the assessment and is resting in the backyard. I want to go see him!"

Lu Jinxuan put Lu Yuhang down, looked at his anxious little face, and said softly, "Your brother Qian Feng is alright, I've already gone to see him."

"Did Mother go to see Brother Qianfeng?" Lu Yuhang looked up, his big eyes full of questions. "How is he? Is it serious?"

Zhang Yuxi smiled and said, "Your brother Qian Feng just overexerted his spiritual energy. He'll be fine after a rest. Your mother has already given him some medicine and taught him how to regulate his spiritual energy. He'll recover soon."

Hearing this, Lu Yuhang seemed a little relieved, but his brows were still furrowed, and he was still a little worried. He felt that Qian Feng's weakness was not just due to exhaustion; it was as if something had hollowed him out.

"Mother, I still want to go see Brother Qian Feng." Lu Yuhang tugged at Lu Jinxuan's sleeve, his tone pleading.

Looking at her son's worried face, Lu Jinxuan felt a pang of pity. She knew that Lu Yuhang and Qian Feng had a very good relationship; they had supported each other through many trials during this assessment, and their bond was invaluable.

"Alright, go ahead then. But remember, don't disturb your brother Qian Feng's rest." Lu Jinxuan finally agreed to Lu Yuhang's request.

Having received permission, Lu Yuhang immediately ran happily to the backyard. He walked through the long corridor and arrived at the door of Qian Feng's room. He gently pushed open the door and peeked in with his little head... "Brother Qian Feng..."

Lu Yuhang cautiously pushed open the door, peeked in with his little head, and softly called out, "Brother Qian Feng..."

The room was quiet, save for the soft sound of breathing. Qian Feng was sitting cross-legged on the bed, his eyes closed, seemingly fast asleep. Lu Yuhang tiptoed to the bedside and carefully examined Qian Feng. He noticed that although Qian Feng's complexion was better than during the assessment, it was still somewhat pale, and his lips were a little chapped.

"Brother Qian Feng, how are you feeling?" Lu Yuhang asked softly, his voice barely audible.

Qian Feng didn't respond, remaining fast asleep. Lu Yuhang reached out his small hand, wanting to touch Qian Feng's cheek, but then withdrew it. He remembered his mother saying that his brother Qian Feng was just suffering from excessive spiritual energy depletion and would be fine after a rest. She had even given him a body-tempering pill and taught him how to regulate his spiritual energy. However, he always felt that his brother Qian Feng wasn't just tired; that feeling of weakness, as if something had been hollowed out, made him vaguely uneasy.

"Hang'er, don't disturb your brother Qian Feng's rest." Lu Jinxuan's voice suddenly came from the doorway.

Lu Yuhang was startled and quickly turned around. He saw his mother standing at the door. "Mother, I... I just wanted to see Brother Qian Feng."

"Didn't I already tell you that your brother Qian Feng is alright? What if you disturb his rest by acting so recklessly?" Lu Jinxuan's tone was somewhat stern.

Lu Yuhang lowered his head and said softly, "But, Mother, I'm worried about Brother Qian Feng..."

"I've given him a Body Tempering Pill and taught him how to regulate his spiritual energy. He'll recover soon," Lu Jinxuan said.

Seeing that Lu Jinxuan's tone was not good, Zhang Yuxi stepped forward, gently put her arm around her shoulder, and said softly, "Xuan'er, Hang'er is just concerned about his friend, don't blame him. Besides, we should respect the friendship between children."

Lu Jinxuan sighed, her tone softening a bit, "I know, but..." She paused, as if she wanted to say something, but then swallowed it back.

Zhang Yuxi noticed Lu Jinxuan's unusual behavior and changed the subject, "By the way, Xuan'er, we haven't finished talking about the Dark Protector yet."

Lu Jinxuan looked up at Zhang Yuxi, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes, "Let's talk in the study."

The two turned and left the room, leaving Lu Yuhang standing alone. He looked at Qian Feng, who was sleeping soundly on the bed, his worry undiminished. He felt something was wrong, but couldn't quite put his finger on it. He hesitated for a moment, then turned and ran out of the room.

He walked through the long corridor, around the artificial hill, and came to the depths of the backyard.

Momo and Ayu were sitting in the flower bushes nearby, each holding a small animal in their arms, playing happily. The two little animals, like two tiny balls, rubbed against each other in their arms, making soft whimpering sounds. Xiao Wu and Xiao Ba, on the other hand, were curled up under the stone table, fast asleep, completely unaware of Lu Yuhang's arrival.

Upon seeing Lu Yuhang, Momo and Ayu immediately stopped playing and put their index fingers to their lips, making a "shh" gesture towards him. Lu Yuhang nodded to indicate that he understood, then tiptoed to their side and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong, Brother Qian Feng?"

“Brother Qian Feng exhausted his spiritual energy during the assessment,” Momo explained softly. “Grandpa Qian examined him and said he was exhausted and needed to rest and recuperate.”

Ayu added, "Madam Lu fed Brother Qian Feng a pill, and it was amazing! Even Grandpa Qian was secretly amazed!" As she spoke, she imitated Grandpa Qian stroking his beard with remarkable accuracy.

Lu Yuhang felt a little relieved. He recalled his mother's earlier impatience; perhaps it was because she was worried about Qian Feng but didn't want him to worry, so she pretended not to care. He decided to go to Qian Feng's room again.

As they approached, Qian Feng's body trembled slightly, and the spiritual energy surrounding him became somewhat unstable. Lu Yuhang also subconsciously clenched his fists.

A moment later, Qian Feng slowly opened his eyes, a hint of weariness flashing in them. He saw Lu Yuhang and forced a smile: "Yuhang, you're here."

"Brother Qian Feng, how are you feeling?" Lu Yuhang asked with concern.

Qian Feng shook his head, trying to stand up, but felt weak all over and almost fell. Lu Yuhang quickly caught him and helped him sit back down at the stone table.

"I'm fine, just a little exhausted," Qian Feng said. "I'll be fine after a rest."

"Okay, then you should get some rest. We'll go to the martial arts hall together tomorrow," Lu Yuhang continued.