Murim's Weakest Princess-Chapter 230: Anji’s Back

It was dark, but the road was familiar. Anji could smell the blood in the air. The atmosphere was depressing. She could easily feel the exhaustion and the stagnant qi in the air.

Reaching a new cultivation stage came with both pros and cons. Anji had yet to stabilise her advanced Refined Core fully. It was so close to reaching the Solid Core base, but Anji knew not to force its progress. For now, her constant breathing technique was slowly building a stable foundation for her golden core to recover and build its strength. According to Grandpa Jin, once the golden core was ready, Anji would automatically advance to the Solid Core stage.

For now, she decided to head back to the little hut in the western district. Anji hoped to find her shifu there, but she knew how busy Yan Ping must be with all the casualties. She would visit Aunt Wine tomorrow.

The hut was a little dusty, but otherwise remained unchanged. Anji settled into an easy routine, cleaning up the place and taking a bath. She needed one after spending half a year in isolation. Although there was a rock pool with clean spring water in that dark cave, nothing beats soaking in warm water with pleasant-smelling soap.

After a well-needed bath, Anji sat down and found her writing materials. Even if her shifu had other matters to attend to, it did not mean Anji was off the hook. War or not, Anji was still the successor of the Mystical Qilin Sect. She still had her duties to fulfil.

Grinding the ink, Anji prepared some paper and brushes. It was late, so she lit a candle. It was already winter, and the air was chilly, so Anji closed the windows, leaving only a small gap for ventilation. Thanks to her improved cultivation level, she no longer needed to wear eight coats to survive the weather.

The silence was both peaceful and frightening. Back in the cave, she had the golden dragon’s spirit with her. Anji was not in total isolation. Yet, in this small hut, Anji never felt more alone. It reminded her of the first night she spent here in a new sect away from home.

"I should call father soon and tell him that the isolation training went well," Anji commented off-handedly.

Previously, she had always made a point to write frequently and call back home. However, after the isolation training, Anji had actually forgotten about it until now. Perhaps it was due to the shock of the war, but Anji felt slightly disoriented. Knowing that Gu Ying was no longer in the sect made her motivation to write home dwindle even more. She knew she was an unfilial daughter. However, Anji could not bring herself to talk to anyone now.

Instead, she poured the excess energy from a better cultivation base into writing her report. Thanks to her constant breathing and new meridians, Anji barely needed sleep. She even had plenty of fasting pills leftover from her isolation training.

The more pages Anji filled with words, the less she thought about the lingering scent of blood. Contributing to the sect was considered a great honour for many researchers. Anji had no idea if her new state of constant breathing and method of harmonisation was valuable. However, it was her shifu’s instruction to write a report about it for review. Anji did not miss a beat. She wrote down everything she learned and practised, from harmonising with natural energy sources to the different nuances each energy signature contained.

The five-element theory proved very handy, and Anji wondered if it was acceptable to link medicine to cultivation. She had read many academic reports and cultivation manuals. However, writing one was a different challenge. Anji agonised over the format and had to refill her ink twice because it had dried up.

Before she knew it, the sun had risen. Anji looked at the stack of drying papers and stretched. Even after writing for so many hours, she did not feel lethargic at all. Although the draft was very amateurish, Anji collated her report. She had recorded all the important information in a summary for Yan Ping.

While waiting for the ink to dry, Anji tidied the place and did some light stretching exercises. Thanks to the constant flow of energy going through her body, every cell was constantly energised and in good condition. Anji was feeling a little hungry, so she decided that it was a good time to visit Aunt Wine in the cafeteria.

After tidying the report, Anji bound it into a small book and left it on the small dining table. The winter morning was always cold, but Anji no longer shivered. Even so, she brought an extra coat with her before making her way down the mountain.

The road was familiar, but Anji also noticed many changes along the way. The floating platforms that were used to transport books were now changed to transport beds with patients instead. Many new faces could be seen running about, and the research quarters nearer to the main street had been converted into temporary clinics, where many injured cultivators from other sects were being treated. Almost every Mystical Qilin Sect member wore a white veil over their face and an apron stained with blood sometimes. Nobody had time to stop, and nobody recognised Anji, too busy responding to summons.

Likewise, the cafeteria was transformed into a mess kitchen for tonics and elixirs. Anji recognised the smell from far away, even without seeing it. The smell of herbs that she grew up with was too familiar to miss.

Carefully, Anji entered the cafeteria. Previously, there would still be several researchers who became regulars because of Anji. Now, there was not a single soul sitting around. Anji did not blame them. This was a tumultuous time, and all hands were needed on deck. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

With nobody out front to receive guests, Anji did the sensible thing and took a peek into the kitchen. Aunt Wine was still there, a relief. The retired woman still wore her greasy apron and had her hair tied up tight. However, the pots bubbled with congee and medicine instead.

"Good morning, everyone!" Anji greeted softly with a smile that did not quite match her feelings. "Is there anything I can help with?"