Senior sister, stop working and go home for dinner.

Chapter 300 Morning at the Foot of the Mountain

The next day, Feng Xiaolu woke up earlier than usual, almost at the crack of dawn.

She lay on the bed in a daze for a while, listening to the faint chirping of birds outside the window and the rustling of bamboo leaves in the mountain breeze. The lively scene of the film crew arriving yesterday was still vivid in her mind, especially the image of her second senior sister, Wei Qingyi, standing under the spotlight, surrounded by everyone.

Feng Xiaolu turned over, buried her face in the pillow, and groaned softly.

It would be a lie to say she wasn't envious. But what she envied wasn't the act of making movies itself, but rather... her second senior sister's ability to excel at whatever she did. Whether it was cultivation or acting, Wei Qingyi could always calm down, focus, and be fully engaged.

Unlike her, who often gets distracted even when meditating.

Feng Xiaolu sighed and sat up.

Morning light streamed through the paper windows, casting soft dappled patterns in the room. She walked barefoot to the dressing table, looked at her somewhat messy hair and sleepy eyes in the mirror, and rubbed her cheeks.

"Feng Xiaolu, Feng Xiaolu," she muttered to herself in the mirror, "if you keep going like this, you'll really become the most useless one in the sect."

After washing up and changing into casual clothes, Feng Xiaolu pushed open the door. The morning breeze from the mountains rushed towards her, carrying a refreshing coolness that invigorated her.

She had intended to go for her morning exercise in the back mountain, but her steps involuntarily turned towards the side hall.

The side hall was exceptionally quiet in the early morning. Most of yesterday's filming equipment had been packed away, leaving only some essential lights and tracks. The hall door was open, and one could see that it was empty, with only wisps of sandalwood smoke rising from the incense burner, slowly swirling in the morning light.

Feng Xiaolu was about to turn and leave when she heard a slight noise coming from behind the hall. She followed the sound and went around to the side of the hall, where she saw Chen Anran and Huiming talking about something, seemingly about the statue.

Not being able to hear clearly, Feng Xiaolu didn't go in to disturb her, but simply waited outside.

Chen Anran's conversation with Huiming didn't last long. He had only been passing by in the early morning and happened to inquire about the trivial matters of coordinating the incense offerings at the side hall with the film crew these past few days. Seeing that Huiming had everything arranged in an orderly manner, he felt relieved.

He turned and walked out of the side hall, and immediately saw Feng Xiaolu lingering at the door. She seemed a little absent-minded, her toes unconsciously grinding the pebbles on the ground.

"Third Senior Sister?" Chen Anran called out.

Feng Xiaolu was startled and abruptly raised her head, her cheeks slightly flushed: "Junior Brother! You...you've finished talking with Master Huiming?"

"Hmm, nothing urgent." Chen Anran walked to her side, looking at her slightly flustered appearance, and asked gently, "You came so early, is there something you need to see me about, or would you like to go for a walk down the mountain?"

"No...nothing's wrong." Feng Xiaolu shook her head. "I just woke up and took a walk. Second Senior Sister and the others are filming today, right?"

"I heard from Wang Rui that today is mainly for reshooting some street scenes and establishing shots. Second Senior Sister's scenes won't be filmed until this afternoon." Chen Anran glanced in the direction of her gaze. "Want to go take a look? They should still be preparing for it."

Feng Xiaolu hesitated for a moment, then nodded. She was indeed a little curious, but more than that, she wanted to find an excuse to dispel the inexplicable unease in her heart.

So the two of them went down the mountain and arrived at the resort.

Chen Anran and Feng Xiaolu walked side by side on the main street of the resort in the early morning.

At this time of day, there weren't many tourists yet, and most shops had just opened, with shop assistants busy sweeping and removing door panels. The air was filled with the aroma of breakfast stalls.

"There seem to be fewer people today than usual," Feng Xiaolu remarked casually as she looked around.

"With the film crew moving in, Director Hu and Fatty Li have coordinated to appropriately control the flow of tourists in the next couple of days to avoid affecting filming," Chen Anran explained. "However, this only applies to the main road area; the surrounding areas and mountain attractions remain open as usual."

Feng Xiaolu gave an "Oh," but her gaze involuntarily drifted towards the makeshift filming area not far away. Several staff members were adjusting tracks and reflectors, and the assistant director was whispering instructions through a megaphone, but Wei Qingyi was nowhere to be seen.

"Second Senior Sister... she should still be preparing on the mountain, right?" Feng Xiaolu asked.

"Yeah, she doesn't have a scene until this afternoon, so she's probably in her room studying the script or meditating right now," Chen Anran said, pointing to a soy milk shop that had just opened on the street corner. "Want to grab something to eat? I heard their spirit soy milk is freshly ground and goes really well with fried dough sticks."

Feng Xiaolu wasn't actually hungry, but after hearing Chen Anran's suggestion, she nodded and said, "Okay."

The two arrived at the soy milk shop. The owner, a kind-hearted man in his fifties, was also a villager from the foot of the mountain. As soon as he saw Chen Anran, he greeted her with a smile: "Good morning, Master Chen! Good morning, Miss Feng! The soy milk is fresh out of the pot, and the fried dough sticks are just fried and are very crispy!"

"Two bowls of soy milk and two fried dough sticks," Chen Anran said.

"Alright!" The owner quickly ladled out the soy milk, then scooped two golden, crispy fried dough sticks from the oil, cut them into pieces, and arranged them on a plate. "Would you like to sit inside or outside?"

"Let's go outside," Chen Anran said, choosing a wooden table by the street.

Feng Xiaolu sipped her soy milk, the warm liquid sliding into her stomach, bringing a simple sense of satisfaction. She glanced at Chen Anran, who was focused on breaking apart a fried dough stick, his movements calm and collected.

"Junior brother," Feng Xiaolu suddenly spoke up, "do you think... I should also find something serious to do?"

Chen Anran looked up at her: "Why did you suddenly think that way?"

"I just feel..." Feng Xiaolu poked at the soy milk skin in her bowl with her chopsticks, "Second Senior Sister is filming, Eldest Senior Sister is in seclusion breaking through her cultivation realm, Mengmeng and Xiaoman are managing the back mountain very well, and even Master Huiming has made the side hall very popular. Only me... it seems like all I do every day is cultivate and wander around."

She paused, then lowered her voice: "My cultivation is still not making any progress."

Chen Anran thought that Feng Xiaolu couldn't stay idle anymore and wanted to go out and become her wandering Taoist priest or tomb raider again.

Chen Anran put down her chopsticks. "Third Senior Sister, everyone has a different way of cultivating and doing things. There's no need to compare yourself to others."

Feng Xiaolu lowered her eyes, stirring the little soy milk left in her bowl with her chopsticks: "I know... but I just feel like I'm not very useful. Second Senior Sister can go down the mountain to film movies and earn money, Eldest Senior Sister manages the sect, Xiaoman manages the back mountain so well, even Master Huiming..."

"Master Huiming is a Buddhist disciple, and his method of practice is different," Chen Anran gently interrupted her. "Third Senior Sister, what kind of things do you consider 'serious business'?"

Feng Xiaolu was taken aback by the question, opened her mouth, but couldn't answer.

"Look at the resort down the mountain," Chen Anran pointed to the gradually bustling streets. "Those shops, vendors, tourists and independent cultivators coming and going. This place was originally just a remote mountain village at the foot of Yunyin Mountain, but now it has become a place where the cultivation world and the mortal world meet."

He turned his head and looked at Feng Xiaolu with gentle eyes: "If a sect wants to stand firm in these changing times, it cannot rely solely on secluded cultivation on the mountain. The seemingly trivial daily life down below the mountain, the interactions, transactions, and information flow between people, are equally important."

Feng Xiaolu listened thoughtfully.

"When your cousin first arrived, you were the one who showed them around the resort; and most of the news the independent cultivators were discussing in the teahouse was also told to me by you after you had taken notes during your casual conversations." Chen Anran smiled. "Third Senior Sister, you may not have realized it, but you are very good at dealing with people, and you can always find something useful in seemingly messy information."

"Is this...is this considered a skill?" Feng Xiaolu asked uncertainly.

"Of course it counts." Chen Anran said seriously, "Cultivation is not something you can do behind closed doors. For a sect to develop, it needs to understand the changes in the outside world and maintain appropriate contact with various forces. These are things that Senior Sister and Second Senior Sister may not be good at, but you are quick-witted, cheerful, and can get along with anyone. This is a talent that not everyone has."

Feng Xiaolu was stunned. She had never imagined that her daily "strolling" and "chatting" would have such value in Chen Anran's eyes.

"But...but my cultivation level just won't improve." She lowered her head, her voice muffled.

"Cultivation progress varies from person to person." Chen Anran softened his voice a bit. "As you know, in previous years, I couldn't even break through to the Qi Refining stage."

Feng Xiaolu muttered, "Can that compare to now? Now the spiritual energy is gradually recovering, and there's also your 'nurturing' secret method."

"The sect belongs to everyone." Chen Anran calmly continued, "Without Senior Sister's hard work all these years, without you and Second Senior Sister's tireless efforts, and without Xiao Ling'er's obedient and sensible nature, the Yunyin Sect wouldn't have survived to this day, and I wouldn't have been able to wait for the so-called 'opportunity'."

He looked at Feng Xiaolu, his eyes clear and sincere: "Third Senior Sister, on the path of cultivation, some are fast, some are slow, some are good at attacking, some are good at defending, some can guard the mountain gate, and some can navigate all directions. For a sect to stand firm, it needs all kinds of people. Your value has never been in the speed of your cultivation."

Feng Xiaolu's heart skipped a beat, and her nose felt a little sore. She quickly lowered her head, pretending to concentrate on drinking her soy milk, and after a long while, she mumbled, "I...I understand."

Chen Anran knew she had taken it to heart, so she didn't say anything more. She simply broke the last piece of fried dough stick in half and soaked it in the soy milk.

The two finished their breakfast quietly, and the streets gradually filled with more pedestrians. From the film crew came the director's voice calling "Ready," indicating that filming was about to begin.

Feng Xiaolu wiped her mouth, looked up at Chen Anran, and her eyes lit up: "Junior Brother, you're right. I... I want to start by understanding the daily operations of the resort. Fatty Li must have a lot of trivial matters to handle, and I can go and help him. Also, the teahouses where the rogue cultivators often gather—those places are where the information is most mixed—I can go there more often."

A relieved smile appeared in Chen Anran's eyes: "Good. If you need any support from the sect, please let me know."

"Mmm!" Feng Xiaolu nodded vigorously, a relieved smile finally appearing on her face.

Just then, Chen Anran's phone vibrated. He took it out and glanced at it; it was an encrypted message from Qi Lan, containing only a few short words: "The bell is acting strangely, come immediately."

Chen Anran remained expressionless, put away her phone, and said to Feng Xiaolu, "Third Senior Sister, I have some things to take care of. Let's talk later."

Chen Anran remained expressionless, put away her phone, and said to Feng Xiaolu, "Third Senior Sister, I have some things to take care of. Let's talk later."

Feng Xiaolu noticed the subtle change in his aura and knew that something important must have happened. She didn't ask any more questions and simply said, "Okay, be careful."

Chen Anran nodded, got up and left the soy milk shop. His steps seemed leisurely, but in fact, he turned a few corners and entered a quiet alley. With a sway of his body, he headed towards "Meow Fairy Residence".

…………

The "Miaoxianju" teahouse is closed today, with a wooden sign hanging at the entrance that reads "Temporarily Closed".

When Chen Anran pushed open the door, the room was dimly lit, with only an old-fashioned oil lamp lit. Qi Lan sat by the tea table, her expression solemn. Lingdang was curled up on a cushion in the corner, her hands covering her head, her body trembling slightly, and fine beads of cold sweat appearing on her forehead. Shi Tou silently stood guard beside her, like a stone statue, but even his usually honest eyes were now filled with worry.

"What's going on?" Chen Anran quickly walked to Lingdang's side and squatted down.

"She suddenly had a headache starting at 11 p.m. last night," Qi Lan said in a low voice. "At first, I thought it was an old injury, so I gave her some calming pills, but they had little effect. Now, the pain has intensified, and she even... experienced a brief period of confusion, muttering some incoherent words."

Chen Anran extended her finger and lightly touched the center of Lingdang's brow. A gentle and pure spiritual energy emanated from her fingertip, flowing like a trickle into her sea of ​​consciousness.

Bell trembled and let out a muffled groan, but she did not struggle; instead, she buried her head even lower.

As soon as the spiritual energy entered, Chen Anran felt a chaotic and powerful resistance. It did not come from the bell's consciousness, but rather seemed to be some dormant power within her that had been activated by the sudden pain and was instinctively rejecting the external probing.

This power carried a hint of heat and violence, completely different from the spiritual power that the bell usually displayed. Chen Anran frowned, feeling that this spiritual power was somewhat familiar.

Before he could think further, Qi Lan asked, "How is it?"

Chen Anran snapped out of his thoughts and said, "I temporarily used gentle spiritual energy to calm her down and stabilize the shock in her mind. The pain should lessen a bit."

At this moment, the trembling of the bell subsided somewhat. She released her hands from her head, her face pale and her forehead soaked with cold sweat. She weakly forced a smile at Chen Anran: "Thanks... I've troubled you to make this trip again."

"How are you feeling?" Chen Anran asked.

"Much better... but my head feels like it's been trampled by a herd of cows, I'm really dizzy." Bell's voice was hoarse. "It's an old problem, I get a seizure every now and then, but a good night's sleep will fix it."

Seeing that she had regained consciousness and was speaking normally, Chen Anran breathed a slight sigh of relief, but his doubts remained. He looked at Qi Lan: "Fellow Daoist Qi, I'll need to trouble you to keep a close eye on things these next few days. If anything unusual happens again, please inform me immediately."

"Of course." Qi Lan nodded.

Chen Anran then instructed Shi Tou, who was guarding beside her, "Shi Tou, take good care of your Holy Maiden. Don't let her run around. Let her rest here quietly. If she needs anything, just tell Fellow Daoist Qi."

Stone nodded solemnly, letting out a deep "hmm" from his throat.

Seeing that Lingdang's condition had temporarily stabilized, Chen Anran decided not to linger. He exchanged a glance with Qi Lan, and the two of them got up together, walked out of the inner room, and came to the door of "Meow Fairy Residence".

Qi Lan closed the door behind her, straightened the "Not Accepting Guests" sign, and turned to look at Chen Anran, her face regaining its usual slightly lazy and indifferent expression: "I called you here so early, you haven't had breakfast yet, have you?"

"I had a bowl of soy milk at the foot of the mountain." Chen Anran walked side by side with her on the gradually awakening street. "As for Fellow Daoist Qi, you must have worked hard guarding the bell all night."