"Here," Zhao Kun produced a leaf from his embrace.
A Jiu stared, amazed at how Tuoba Yan could make do with so little, writing on a leaf.
She took it reluctantly and glanced at it. It contained only one sentence:
"My wife wishes to see you. Come quickly."
A Jiu swallowed. Well, seeing the reply, she could have guessed what Tuoba Yan's letter would say.
A Jiu sat askew on the corridor, carefully rereading Xue Zhen's reply:
"Our paths diverge; we have no need to cooperate. If our paths align, there is no need to meet. I regret I cannot accept my wife's invitation."
The few words, written in a vigorous, flowing hand, exuded a majestic bearing and an expansive spirit.
The calligraphy was excellent, but the man himself seemed difficult to invite.
"Tuoba, since we can't invite him, is there a way to send me over?" A Jiu finally spoke.
Zhao Kun and his master exchanged glances. "That would not be wise. Yong'an City is the domain of the Qi King, a place of great military strength. To reach it from here, we must cross the Liushan Pass, which is very dangerous."
A Jiu heard this, her brows furrowed, her gaze lowered. What should be done?
Tuoba Yan knitted his brows. He feared no place, but his little sister Jiu was only mortal.
"Then I shall lead a few of the Tianji brothers and fight our way to Liushan Pass."
A Jiu's pupils contracted. "That won't do at all. We cannot involve the soldiers for my sake. Tuoba Yan, give me one night to think, and we will discuss it tomorrow."
A Jiu gracefully walked to the back garden.
The arrangement there clearly indicated it was the residence of the former prefect's concubine.
None of the remaining garments were of a vibrant red. In a prominent household, strict distinctions of rank were observed; only the principal wife was entitled to wear bright red.
However, the study, with its books, bed, and dressing table, was fully equipped.
A Jiu sat at the desk, contemplating.
Since Xue Zhen was a cultivator, perhaps he, like her grandmother, had a particular need for spiritual items?
A Jiu realized it was past midnight.
Without further delay, she personally took up her brush and wrote a letter. From the exchanges, she could tell that this Xue Zhen, as suggested by his direct words, was not one to dither.
So, A Jiu's letter was as concise as possible: "Our paths align, and I wish to meet and discuss the path of cultivation. A small token, of no great value."
A Jiu looked at it. This was still not concise enough, and lacked an element of mystery.
A Jiu crumpled the paper into a ball.
As dawn was breaking, Tuoba Yan knocked on her door.
A Jiu opened the door and handed Tuoba Yan a spiritual ginseng root.
This ginseng root emanated a purple glow, visible only to A Jiu. Her grandmother had once praised it highly. Even without a written word, he should be interested.
"Little Jiu, this is..." Tuoba Yan had discussed with his men last night how to proceed, even if it meant fighting all the way to Liushan Pass and leveling the Qi King's Yong'an City. The army was now assembled, awaiting A Jiu's decision.
Instead, he was presented with a lump wrapped in oiled paper. Upon opening it, he saw what appeared to be a tree root.
"Xiao Yan, take this to Xue Zhen. When he sees it, he will come."
This way, they wouldn't waste their limited manpower, nor would Tuoba Yan make any rash decisions for her sake.
"Really?" Tuoba Yan asked in surprise.
"He shouldn't refuse, logically speaking." As she spoke, A Jiu covered her mouth and let out a small laugh.
"If you haven't slept well, get some rest. Later, I'll have one of the women from the army who disguises herself as a man come over."
After Tuoba Yan finished speaking and personally watched A Jiu return to her room to sleep, he then instructed Zhao Kun to deliver the item.
Yong'an City, Qi King's Residence.
Within the Wisteria Courtyard.
Xue Zhen was in his room, looking at the ginseng root on the table.
It was indeed brimming with spiritual energy. With a slight closing of his eyes and a scan with his divine sense, he could perceive strands of purple qi.
He had never seen such a superior ginseng, even after following King Qi Ming for so many years.
Even a deep breath was enough to draw in a continuous stream of spiritual energy, so comforting it almost made him groan.
Xue Zhen's eyes snapped open. It seemed Tuoba Yan's wife was no ordinary person.
He had been in this world for over a century and had never encountered such a spiritually rich item in this desolate land.
It appeared that on this blue planet, Earth, other cultivators truly existed.
And not just one.
That senior he had sensed with his divine sense previously was already formidable. Since that day, he had never dared to consider her his granddaughter. And now, another had appeared.
And she was by Tuoba Yan's side.
What to do? If he went, and King Qi Ming discovered it, given the King's suspicious nature, the consequences would be dire.
But if he didn't go, he would truly miss a golden opportunity.
Upon careful consideration, the world's chaos was born of greed. His sole desire was to achieve immortality and enlightenment. What did it have to do with this warfare?
With this thought, Xue Zhen did not immediately use the spiritual ginseng. He wrapped it up, placed it in his sleeve, and rose to leave.