Maiden Of The Splitting Moon

Elder Xiang began to snooze away as everyone else sat in their respective groups, laying lazily within the captain's cabin.

Ming Yue and the others found a little corner at the front of the ship, near the elder. Xukun began to quiver a bit more compared to before. Hei Yue and Xiao Yin sat around her before going off to bother Elder Xiang. Having noticed them, he chuckled and allowed them to nap with him, much to everyone else's surprise.

At that moment, they had all taken note of Ming Yue, committing her face to memory.

"You're in good terms with the Sword Elder?!" Anqing exclaimed.

"I wouldn't say that. But he has been teaching me for a little", Ming Yue replied, it seemed that she really didn't know what has been happening with her pets.

It was surprising to see the elder greet someone to warmly.

"Anyways, can you tell me more about the Ninth Flower Garden?"

"Oh, yes! As you know, the Ren Huan Battlefield has five other places as well as the core zone. There is the Enduring Battle Hall, a place to learn techniques and skills if one has the ability. The Seven Stringed Fort, which holds ancient contraptions and formations. Here, crafters could learn from the old knowledge and improve on their skills. The Imperial Hall, which holds few but incredibly powerful items. However, it is riddle with traps and barriers making it incredibly hard to enter. The fourth is the Bound Waterfall, a place for those wanting to improve their Dao of Water and Earth. Then there is the Ninth Flower Garden, a vast garden filled with energy and all sorts of plants. This is a dream place for medical disciple."

As Anqing continued, she also spoke of the dangers of each area, traps, evil spirits, fearsome beasts.

"And the garden is... um. Brother Xukun, what was the danger of the Ninth Flower Garden?" she turned around asking him with an innocent expression.

Having heard her, he seemed to have snapped out of his nervous state and began to speak.

"You don't remember?" he said, "It's insects, large and disgusting insects..."

He shuddered as he spoke those words.

"Yes! Insects, they're plenty strong and should not be underestimated. They could be *venomous! Not to mention, poisonous plants also exist in that garden."

Ming Yue thought over what she had heard and understood why they wanted someone like her. In a place with poison and venom, having someone skilled in medicine would be extremely beneficial.

"Hmm in that case, I should make some preparations", she said and quickly went to work, creating some simple decoctions that would at least slow down the poison.

Knowing the elders, they most likely prepared for the worst but it helped to have a back up just in case.

It was going to be several hours before they reached the garden and that was plenty of time to create some things.

As she worked, she noticed those around her taking glances at Xukun and Anqing. She wasn't sure why they were so fixated on these two but those quick looks had something mixed between pity and fear. Even more than that, Anqing garnered many more eyes than Xukun but those looks were full of vigilance.

Was there something about these two that she did not know about? Though, Ming Yue found Anqing to be a bit strange. As much as Anqing talked, she did not speak much about herself. Ming Yue decided against prying and did not want to push her. Everyone had secrets and it wasn't her place to ask.

She stopped thinking about this and went back her medicine making. As she did not have a mortar and pestle with her, Ming Yue took out her knife, slicing the herbs before crushing them together and storing it in a small bottle. In front of her, she placed three more to fill up and saw that her team mates had walked off.

Most likely to join the small ring that formed on the ship. Others gathered about to watch people spar with each other.

Currently, it was between a older man and a boy, the former wielded an elegant blue long-sword and the latter held a large hammer with one hand. The one with the blue sword did not attack with speed but with ease, as if he was a flowing river. He carried a serene aura and his thin beard flowed with each move.

"Your skills are good. I wonder how much time you've put into training", he said.

The young man moved his hammer wildly, smashing down on his opponent. In the span of ten breaths, the hammer fell on him like a boulder, crashing straight down. His sleeveless gray uniform wrapped tightly around his muscular body as he moved with ferocity. But the middle aged man was not perturbed and parried each strike skillfully. At the end of that exchange, both of them stopped attacking, ending the spar.

"I could say the same for you. I did not think that you could deal with my Thunderous Earthfall Strike so easily. It is my loss", the young man spoke respectfully.

"Nevertheless it was a good spar!" the middle aged man cupped his fists and bowed.

As they exited the circle, murmurs began to spread around.

"Who did you think would win in a real fight?"

"Shanguan Lei no doubt! Can't you see his hammer strikes? That Thunderous Earth Fall Strike wasn't even at full strength! Don't forget, he still has four more moves after that!"

"What? Hang Xuhu would win. His Flowing Water Swordplay has been trained to near perfection, he hasn't even executed any of his techniques!"

"What about the others that fought? Yu Song and his Frost Iron Chains? Ge Yun and her Demonsong Harp?..."

"What about them? They aren't much."

"Hah! Forget it, each one could probably beat you in one move. They might not be Elite Disciples or Inheritors but they aren't far off.

As the many onlookers continued to discuss, a new pair of fighters entered the little ring. As for who entered, everyone suddenly stopped and stared.

"It's her, that girl with the cursed body."

"Her?"

"Ah, whoever decided to fight her should give up."

As for who they spoke of, it was none other than Anqing. Ming Yue soon noticed and moved to the roof of the ship cabin.

She spotted Xukun watching right behind Anqing who had brought out her short spear. As for her opponent, it was actually Shanguan Lei that entered.

"So you are Wen Anqing? The girl with the poison body?" he said.

Anqing smiled cheerfully.

"I see that you've heard of me. Don't worry about any poison. It's only a spar so I won't be doing anything like that."

Her sweet expression seemed strange, it seemed sickeningly sweet as though it was all an act.

"Poison Body?" Ming Yue thought, was that why Anqing was given those looks?

"A girl with a poison body? Maybe that's why those two are looked at like creatures. One is a snake and the other its prey", Xue Yue muttered.

"We don't know that yet. Be quiet."

"I'm just saying, keep a watch on her...."

As Shanguan Lei held out his hammer, Anqing held her short spear with both hands, as if anticipating the powerful strikes.

Anqing was the first to move, thrusting her short spear forward. She held it from the end of the handle, increasing its reach. Shanguan Lei sidestepped and swung his hammer from the side but Anqing moved quickly.

Retracting the spear, she gripped it tightly with both hands and shielded herself. There was no chance for her to dodge and so she could only brace for the strike. Everyone that watched couldn't help but look away. Just because Anqing had a poison body didn't mean she was strong, only dangerous.

As that hammer brought a swift end, it was met with a single hand.

No one heard the sound of impact, only a weak clang between weapons. Ming Yue was one of the few that didn't look away, she watched carefully and saw Elder Xiang standing in front of the hammer.

He held his hand out nonchalantly, stopping Shanguan Lei mid-strike. The elder gently pushed it off, knocking Shanguan Lei several steps back.

"Alright!", he shouted, "No more playing around, we've reached the Ninth Flower Garden! Everyone make your preparations to depart!"

Everyone dispersed and began preparing, leaving only Anqing and Xukun at the center. Ming Yue had left her spot, joined up by Hei Yue and Xiao Yin.

"Are you alright?" she asked as Xukun supported Anqing.

"Yep!" she answered back, "Let's go and prepare too!"

Minutes later, the ship that carried them all descended, landing gently on the ground.

"Alright, remember, the Ninth Flower Garden is as dangerous as the other areas. Should you be poisoned just return to the ship and I will get you fixed up. A map has been put into your badges, just send some energy into it and it will appear. There is an area towards the back of the garden that has been shaded in red. If you enter there, prepare to lose your lives! You have one month! Now then, off you go!"

With that Elder Xiang sent off the disciples while he returned to the ship, most likely to nap again.

As Ming Yue left with the others, she was met with a great sight.

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