The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

"Junior Sister".

Jiu Fangzhi walked beside Tang Xixue, deliberately slowing his pace.

"Hmm? Senior brother, what's wrong?"

Tang Xixue tilted her head slightly, her long eyelashes fluttering, her starry eyes clear and bright with a hint of doubt.

The little white cat, Yin Kong, followed at her feet, looking around with curiosity about everything around it.

It would occasionally reach out its paw to poke at the glowing medicinal herbs by the roadside, and then occasionally tilt its head back to sniff the medicinal fragrance floating in the air, in an extremely good mood.

Jiu Fangzhi paused for a moment, as if he was carefully considering his words.

Then he spoke.

"This time, experts from the Guixu Palace have also entered the Liuli Heaven. You must be careful and not trust strangers easily."

"Oh?"

Tang Xixue paused slightly, then regained her composure.

"To enter the Glazed Heaven, one must pass the first three trials. Below the Guixu Palace, the most skilled in medicine, poison, and Gu techniques is Fengxiao Pavilion."

"Yes, it was Pavilion Master Fengxiao who came in person."

Jiu Fangzhi nodded slightly, a hint of complexity in his eyes.

"I have dealt with her before. Her Gu techniques are the strongest in the world."

Upon hearing this, Tang Xixue's starry eyes flickered slightly as she looked thoughtfully at Jiu Fangzhi.

She has keen insight.

"Senior brother and Pavilion Master Fengxiao, do you perhaps know each other?"

Jiu Fangzhi did not answer immediately.

His hands clenched and unclenched slightly inside his sleeves, his cold eyes seemingly gazing at a very, very distant shadow.

"We're old acquaintances."

He finally spoke, his voice filled with melancholy.

"Therefore, my senior brother is even more aware of how dangerous she is."

He fell silent.

He recalled that when he first came to the Divine Medicine Valley, he was only four years old and still a child.

My senior sister was already in her teens then, extremely beautiful, with eyes as clear as autumn water when she smiled.

My senior sister never liked martial arts. She was innocent and bright, like a shimmering lotus flower in summer, blooming in the Valley of Divine Medicine.

She is a very patient person, and speaks in a gentle and soft voice, which is very pleasant to hear.

When he misses home, she will conjure up a peach blossom pastry to comfort him.

She would teach him to read the "Medical Classic" word by word, her voice carrying the gentle, clear tone of a girl from Jiangnan.

Later, upon learning of her senior sister's death, everyone in Divine Medicine Valley was filled with immense grief.

The old medicine master locked himself in his medicine hut. When he came out, his beard and hair had turned much whiter, as if he had aged several years overnight.

It wasn't until later, when the old medicine god met Tang Xixue, that things changed.

Those delicate, porcelain-doll-like eyebrows and eyes, and that equally innocent and carefree smile.

It was as if he saw his poor disciple from back then, and he immediately had the idea of ​​taking him as a disciple.

"Senior brother?"

Tang Xixue called to him softly.

She noticed that Jiu Fangzhi was somewhat lost in thought, and that his usually cold and aloof eyes were now misty.

Jiu Fangzhi came to his senses, and the mist vanished completely in an instant.

"Hmm. In short, it's always better to be safe than sorry."

"Thank you for the reminder, senior."

Tang Xixue didn't press for details, but simply nodded, her voice gentle yet earnest.

She knew that the Ghost Doctor was mysterious and his reputation wasn't exactly good.

He is unpredictable and has a volatile temper. His favorite things to do are to study poison and witchcraft.

But he never hurt her.

In front of her, he was just cautious and clumsy, trying to be a dutiful senior.

Jiu Fangzhi originally wanted to say a few more words, but swallowed them back.

Regarding the second senior sister...

"If Pavilion Master Fengxiao dares to come before us, she will surely not return alive."

Si Xingxuan's voice was filled with murderous intent.

He considers anyone who threatens Zhizhi's safety as an enemy.

"It's windy here, be careful not to bite your tongue."

Jiu Fangzhi said something.

They had now emerged from the low-lying grass, and a vast lake lay before them, blocking their path.

The lake surface was like a mirror, with blue light rippling gently on the water, as if someone had laid a whole layer of tiny blue gemstones on the bottom of the lake.

Those crystal palaces floating in the clouds were now reflected in the lake water in perfect detail.

From afar, it seems as if there are palaces in the sky and celestial palaces underwater, a beautiful interplay of reality and illusion.

"According to the map, we need to cross this lake first."

Si Xingxuan stood still by the lake, his light blue robes fluttering in the lake breeze.

He recalled the route he had just seen on the firefly map.

"Then let's ride the ice dragon there."

Jiu Fangzhi said in a calm tone.

He raised his hand and gently patted Bingyou.

The little ice dragon immediately raised its head and then leaped off Jiu Fangzhi's shoulder.

It unfolded its form in mid-air, its ice-blue scales glowing.

Its small body rapidly expanded amidst the flowing light, transforming in the blink of an eye into an ice-blue dragon several meters long.

The dragon's head was held high, and its horns, forged from ice crystals, shimmered with a cold and holy light.

"Little Ice Spirit, may I and my friends ride on your back?"

Tang Xixue stepped forward and looked up slightly at the majestic ice dragon.

She asked the question with great politeness, her voice clear and sweet as a spring.

Bingyou immediately nodded at the huge dragon head, her movements light and joyful.

It even lowered its body, as if paving steps for her.

Those deep blue dragon eyes were filled with undisguised joy.

It really likes the gentle, sweet-smiling little Zhizhi.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Xiao Bingyou."

Tang Xixue bent down and hugged the little white cat Yin Kong into her arms.

Silver Sky nestled obediently in her arms, its tail tip swaying gently, looking completely relaxed and content.

Si Xingxuan, however, did not stand on ceremony with Bing You at all.

He lightly touched the ground with his toes, his body rising as gracefully as a flowing cloud, and landed steadily on the dragon's back.

After stopping, he looked down at the dragon scales on his feet with disdain and muttered, "Bingyou, have your scales gotten hard again? They were uncomfortable to sit on last time."

Bingyou let out a low hum, and its dragon tail lightly slapped the water's surface, splashing water that flew straight towards Si Xingxuan.

"Why--"

Si Xingxuan dodged to the side, but a few drops of cold lake water still stained the hem of his robe.

"As expected of Master's dragon, its temperament is exactly the same."

Jiu Fangzhi had already landed steadily on the dragon's back. Upon hearing this, he didn't even lift his eyelids, and said calmly:

"My disciple is too delicate; she can swim across by herself."

"There's no need for that, I don't really mind."

Si Xing sat down next to Tang Xixue, his legs dangling in the air, the tassels swaying gently in the wind, and he remained silent.

Tang Xixue held Yin Kong and sat down on the dragon's back.

Bingyou let out a clear and melodious dragon roar and soared into the air.

It flew very low, almost skimming the surface of the lake, creating fine white waves in the wind.

The coolness of the lake water mixed with the fragrance of medicinal herbs wafted over, ruffling Tang Xixue's long, ink-black hair.

"It's unclear how long the Glazed Heaven Secret Realm will remain open this time, but it will be at least several days. By now, most of the physicians who passed the third level should have already entered."

"Let's find a place to rest for a while and continue our journey at dawn. After all, the nights in Liuli are not peaceful."

"Okay, let's see if there's a suitable place."