It was a rusty short sword, altogether just over a foot long, about the size of a dagger…
After Su Zhuyi emerged, she lay on the ground gasping for breath. Her entire body was injured, her clothes torn and tattered into strips, completely unable to cover her body. However, her body was now also torn and bloodied with charred areas, completely lacking any beauty.
The Golden Core Tribulation had been passed. Normally, successful tribulation would bring surging spiritual energy, restored spiritual consciousness, and advanced cultivation. But because of that pull from the sword river’s resentment, though she felt her meridians had become more resilient and could contain more spiritual energy, her injuries hadn’t recovered at all. Her internal meridians had expanded, but the consumed spiritual energy still hadn’t been replenished.
Su Zhuyi reached to touch her storage bag, only to discover that the storage bag tied at her waist was gone—it had very likely fallen into the sword river…
The pills were gone, the spirit stones were gone, the array discs, talismans, Straw Man substitutes, and the little hoe were all gone…
Su Zhuyi paused in slight bewilderment, then gathered her spirits and slowly sat up. She had Little Skull support her to sit under the azure pine, which at least hid half her body behind the pine tree.
Having chosen a sword in the Sword Tomb, one should be able to leave. She didn’t know why she hadn’t been sent away, but right now, barely clothed, she couldn’t very well lie in the middle of the road. Of the hundred cultivators, some would surely break through Four Sides Mountain and come here—it would be laughable to be seen in such a sorry state.
She needed to sit behind the tree and meditate to recover some strength.
Su Zhuyi hoped the next person to arrive would be a female cultivator.
If it were a female cultivator, she could ask to borrow some pills and a set of clothes. At this moment, Su Zhuyi was quite glad she was now on the Righteous Path and was also a disciple of the Gujian Sect—if she asked to borrow something, ninety-nine out of a hundred would lend it to her. If this were the Demonic Path, never mind borrowing things—as soon as she showed her head and was discovered, she’d probably be reduced to bones and dust.
“Little Senior Sister, does it hurt…” Little Skull saw Su Zhuyi covered in wounds and tears pattered down. Crying and crying, it suddenly remembered, “Ah, Little Senior Sister, I have medicine.” With that, Little Skull lowered its head to get its pendant. Upon seeing its little butterfly, Little Skull’s expression became stunned—it was so startled its jawbone dropped.
“I, I, I…”
“The little butterfly Little Uncle gave me, how did it become like this?”
That had been a pair of little butterflies with embedded jade and inlaid pearls, so lifelike they seemed ready to flap their wings and fly away at any moment. The wings were even movable—when touched, they would tremble slightly. When he ran quickly, the butterflies would flutter as if about to take flight. Now, how had it become like this?
Su Zhuyi struggled to lift her head to look at the pendant around Little Skull’s neck.
Little butterfly?
Its wings seemed broken, looking quite worn down. The jade color was very aged and looked as if it had been crushed by tremendous force, about to shatter. Where had Little Skull scavenged such a broken-down antique pendant?
Just as she was wondering, she saw him grip one wing of the butterfly and shake it downward, actually shaking out a red dress.
Seeing the dress, Little Skull cried even more fiercely.
“The beautiful dress Little Uncle gave for Little Senior Sister, how did it end up like this, too?”
That dress had splotches of red and stains, torn and tattered, looking equally as if ravaged by storms, seeming as if it would turn to ash and blow away with the slightest force.
Little Skull continued pulling things out, crying as he did. “The spirit stones are broken too, the pill bottles are broken too…”
The pills that fell out had all become blackened medicinal dregs. He pulled out half a jade slip. “The jade slip is broken too.”
The next moment, his head seemed to disappear entirely, extending into that worn butterfly storage magical treasure. “The meat and bones for Xiaoxiao are all gone!” He then pulled out a jade disc and a jade hairpin. Of those two items, the jade hairpin looked relatively intact, while the circular jade disc was covered in cracks, looking as if it had been dropped.
“Only the jade hairpin is somewhat better.” His voice choked with grievance. “This is what Little Uncle personally polished, carved, and made by hand—Little Senior Sister, it’s for you.”
Little Skull sat down dejectedly. “What do we do now? I broke everything.”