The Mirror Master

"This is too precious!"

Upon hearing this, Madam Lu quickly refused, "Ah Bai can’t accept this!"

The Lu Family was in the medicinal herb business, after all.

She understood a thing or two about it.

The Lu Family owned four pharmacies, but they couldn’t perform Refining for Elixirs.

They couldn’t even refine the most basic Bone Strengthening Pills and Bone Forging Pills used to improve one’s root bone.

It was said that only Cultivators with profound Magical Power in Profound Sect Daoist Temples could refine Elixirs.

Every single Elixir was exceptionally precious, worth more than all their pharmacies combined. Even when Lu Yun first started cultivating the Martial Dao, he had never taken one.

"These two Elixirs cost the young miss..."

Xiaodie had just started speaking when Luo Qing shot her a glare.

Xiaodie’s lip trembled, and she looked aggrieved.

Luo Qing said sternly, "Madam Lu, Xiaolu is about to turn eighteen. The various academies in the Wu Dynasty have strict age limits for recruiting disciples. He must reach the Root Bone Stage before he turns twenty."

His older brother, Lu Yun, had mentioned this to Lu Bai before.

To give more people a chance to practice martial arts, the Wu Dynasty had already relaxed the age limits for the Martial Arts Academies in its various provinces and counties.

Other kingdoms had shortened it to eighteen, or even sixteen.

For children not born into powerful clans or established Martial Dao families, it was much harder to get ahead.

Luo Qing continued, "With Xiaolu’s talent, the only way he can possibly reach the Third Level of the Root Bone Stage within two years is by taking the Bone Strengthening Pill and the Bone Forging Pill. Once he passes twenty, he’ll lose his chance to enter Bluestone Academy, even if he wants to."

"But the Elixirs are too precious."

Madam Lu was still hesitant.

’If we accept something so valuable, how will our family ever repay it?’

Luo Qing added, "Besides, I’ve already bought the two Elixirs. I reached the Inner Strength Realm long ago, so they’re useless to me. If Xiaolu doesn’t take them, no one else can use them either."

"I remember you have two younger brothers. What about them?"

Madam Lu asked tentatively.

"They don’t need them."

Luo Qing shook her head, then waved Lu Bai over. "Come here!"

Lu Bai took a few steps forward but didn’t dare get too close. He was afraid Luo Qing would rush up, roll up his sleeves, and inspect his body again.

"You’re a grown man now, what are you so shy about!"

Luo Qing said, "When you go to Bluestone Academy to cultivate the Martial Dao in the future, you have to be confident. You can’t show any fear.

The place is full of hot-blooded young men. The moment you show weakness, you’ll get bullied. Understand?"

As she spoke, Luo Qing stood up and pressed the two porcelain vials into Lu Bai’s hands.

Lu Bai didn’t shy away.

Listening to her words, he could truly feel her concern, and a sense of closeness bloomed in his heart.

Luo Qing added, "Xiaolu, you have to work hard. My two younger brothers are a year or two younger than you, but they’ve already reached the Root Bone Stage and entered Bluestone Academy to cultivate."

"Actually..."

Lu Bai hesitated, about to reveal his true strength.

Luo Qing interrupted, "There are no outsiders here. Let me see how badly you’re hurt."

The words on the tip of his tongue, Lu Bai swallowed them back down and said quickly, "Sister Luo, I’m really fine."

After speaking, he flexed his arm a few times in front of her.

Seeing Lu Bai move so freely, it indeed didn’t look like he was seriously injured, so Luo Qing finally relaxed.

"Why were you injured?"

Madam Lu asked hurriedly.

Lu Bai briefly explained what had happened at the martial arts hall, then added, "As soon as Sister Luo arrived in Liuxi Town, she charged into the Zhou Family’s estate and, surrounded by a million troops, cut off one of their Guard’s arms."

Luo Qing shook her head. "Surrounded by a million troops? Don’t be so dramatic."

"Ah!"

Madam Lu grew worried and asked, "Miss, how are you? Are you hurt?"

"Of course she’s hurt."

Xiaodie muttered under her breath, "The young miss was afraid you’d worry, so she wouldn’t let me say anything."

"Then why are you still running your mouth!"

Luo Qing shot Xiaodie a glare and said, "It’s just a minor injury, nothing serious. I’ll be fine after a few days of rest.

If it were one-on-one, that Guard would be no match for me. But they had numbers and all rushed me at once. Swords have no eyes, so it’s hard to escape completely unscathed."

Luo Qing suddenly asked, "What happened with the death of First Master Lu’s family? Were they really burned to death?"

A single fire managed to kill six people, with not one survivor.

Among them were two Guards, and even a Martial Artist like Zhou Yu.

Something about it was strange.

"That family got what they deserved."

Madam Lu said, "The Lu Family suffered such a disaster because someone used some kind of Evil Technique on them..."

Uncle Fu, afraid of frightening Madam Lu, hadn’t told her the full truth of what happened that night. He only said that the Lu Family members had been burned to death by an eerie green flame, similar to the one from the Brick Mourning.

So, Madam Lu recounted to Luo Qing what she had heard from Uncle Fu.

Luo Qing’s expression grew cold. "To think I couldn’t kill those bastards with my own hands. They got off easy!"

"I’ve heard people mention this Evil Suppression Technique before. I never thought I’d encounter such an Evil Technique here in Liuxi Town."

Luo Qing then asked, "Who tampered with the Protective Talisman on Xiaolu?"

"That, I don’t know. The Lu Family members never said a word."

Madam Lu shook her head.

Madam Lu had already left by then and didn’t know the details.

Luo Qing seemed lost in thought, musing, "An Evil Technique like this... Lu Ziyuan and the others most likely wouldn’t have had access to it. Someone else must be behind it. It’s a pity they’re all dead, leaving no leads.

We’ll wait for the Daoist masters from Danding Temple to arrive and see what they can find."

Lu Bai hesitated, but he didn’t mention Madam Zhou.

With Luo Qing’s personality, if she learned about this, she would probably charge back to the Zhou Family without a second thought and kill Madam Zhou.

That in itself wasn’t a problem. It didn’t matter who killed that Witch.

However, Lu Bai was worried about tipping them off. If Madam Zhou died, the malevolent spirit at her side might escape.

Although the Ancient Mirror could devour malevolent spirits and Ghost Souls, he didn’t dare use it in front of others, much less let anyone discover this trump card.

If he guessed correctly, the Ultimate Skill, the Bone Supreme Profound Scripture, which had first appeared on the Ancient Mirror, was likely left behind by the mirror’s original owner.

The original owner had perished, which was how the Ancient Mirror fell into his hands.

The mirror’s original owner must have been far more powerful than him, yet they had perished completely. How could he dare to reveal the Ancient Mirror’s existence?

Besides, he remembered some terrifying stories from his past life.

In one village, an exceptionally talented child was born. At just one year old, a bone was carved out of his chest—an act of extreme cruelty.

There was also a wealthy industrialist whose powerful energy source in his chest was also dug out.

Lu Bai had no desire to repeat their mistakes.

Luo Qing said, "Madam Lu, I have some matters to attend to back home. I rushed over here on short notice and need to head back soon. If you and Xiaolu are all set, you should leave with me for Bluestone County today."

"But..."

Madam Lu hesitated, then said, "Ah Bai did mention to me that he wanted to go to Bluestone County in the future. But if you take us back with you, it will surely cause you a lot of trouble. People will inevitably gossip."

Luo Qing’s expression was untroubled. "Let them talk. I don’t care."

"Okay."

Lu Bai, however, agreed. "Mother, you and Uncle Fu go back first with Sister Luo. I need to take care of a few things here. I’ll catch up in a couple of days."

"What are you staying here for?"

Luo Qing asked with a frown.

Lu Bai smiled. "I need to deal with the four pharmacies and sell them for some silver. I’ve already found a buyer. It should only take two or three days."

Luo Qing looked Lu Bai up and down, then said suddenly, "You have something else you need to do, don’t you?"

"Huh?"

Lu Bai’s heart skipped a beat.

’A woman’s intuition is that powerful? She could see right through me?’

Luo Qing said, "Is it because you’re thinking about that fiancée of yours and don’t want to leave?"

’Good, she guessed wrong.’

Lu Bai breathed a sigh of relief.

Luo Qing continued, "You’re at that age for romance. Even spending every day together isn’t enough. It’s only natural that you can’t bear to be apart."

"Er..."

Lu Bai said, "We’ve already broken off the engagement."

"Hm?"

Luo Qing’s brow furrowed, but then realization dawned on her.

’The Lu Family has suffered a great catastrophe and fallen so low. As a major family in Liuxi Town, how could the Chen Tieshan family possibly still want to be joined with them by marriage?’

"Xiaolu, you’re at the prime age for cultivation. Put matters of the heart aside for now."

Luo Qing said, "There are plenty of good women in the world. As long as you cultivate to the Perfection of the Root Bone Stage and successfully enter Bluestone Academy, then no matter which girl you set your sights on, I’ll go be your matchmaker."

’Hmm... I’ll give this Xiaolu something to look forward to, a goal. Maybe that will give him some motivation.’

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