My Card Girl's Infinite Evolution

As Luo Sheng and Dongfang Muqing fled Ling Shuang City, news of the incident reached the Nangong family.

"What did you just say? The Black Tiger Gang was completely wiped out?" A Nangong family elder asked, visibly shocked.

A significant portion of the Black Tiger Gang's members were disciples of the Nangong family, known for their combat prowess. Moreover, the gang operated under the Nangong family's protection. For someone to have the audacity to challenge them so blatantly was a serious offense.

"Who would dare do such a thing? Speak clearly," demanded the head elder of the Nangong family, a goat-bearded old man seated at the main hall, tapping his cane on the ground for emphasis.

A trembling subordinate replied, "It was because the young master sent someone to invite a lady from Niansheng Hall. She refused, and this caused a conflict. In retaliation, they burned down the Black Tiger Gang's property and killed many of its members."

"Outrageous! Bring them to me at once. I want to know who gave them the courage to act so recklessly!" The head elder's face turned stormy with anger.

"They fled under the cover of night," the subordinate admitted.

"No excuses! Dispatch people immediately to capture them!" the elder commanded firmly.

Soon after, the Nangong family issued a bounty for the capture of Dongfang Muqing and Luo Sheng. Many family disciples were sent out to scour the land in search of them.

In the world of martial cultivation, the Nangong family commanded considerable respect. Even other sects and aristocratic families dared not cross them lightly. Their influence was so vast that even the reigning monarch treated them with courtesy.

On the other side of the story, Luo Sheng leisurely rode his motorcycle, carrying Dongfang Muqing with him. After two days of travel, they reached Yiquan Town, a remote place thousands of miles away. There, they rented a small but spacious courtyard house, planning to live a reclusive life.

Dongfang Muqing looked around the serene, idyllic courtyard with excitement and declared, "This will be our home from now on."

"You're done adventuring out there?" Luo Sheng teased.

Dongfang Muqing clutched her head and blinked her bright, watery eyes. "No, it's too dangerous out there. If not for you, I'd already be locked in someone's firewood shed, enduring unimaginable humiliation."

She paused and added, "Grandpa was right—the outside world isn't a place for a little girl like me."

"Then why were you running around in the first place?" Luo Sheng chided her gently, tapping her forehead.

Dongfang Muqing pouted, her lips forming a delicate pink curve as she covered her head. "Because… this holy artifact felt familiar to me, and I couldn't resist…"

"Let me see it," Luo Sheng said, extending his hand.

Dongfang Muqing retrieved a golden feather-shaped artifact resembling a hairpin from her azure feathers and handed it to him. Luo Sheng took it carefully and began to channel his spiritual power into it, attempting to resonate with the artifact and uncover its secrets.

As his spiritual energy poured into the golden feather, a peculiar vision emerged in his mind—a dark, dreamlike world where countless golden symbols floated like drifting willow leaves.

Luo Sheng studied the golden runes intently. They were strange and unfamiliar, filled with profound meaning.

Dongfang Muqing, seeing Luo Sheng motionless for a long time, couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"

Opening his eyes, Luo Sheng smiled. "You've found quite the treasure. This contains ancient inscriptions of the Qingluan clan."

"Really?" Dongfang Muqing exclaimed, overjoyed. "Tell me more!"

She tugged at his sleeve eagerly, her excitement barely contained.

"All right, bring me some paper," Luo Sheng instructed.

"I'll get it!" Dongfang Muqing scrambled to fetch a large roll of rice paper and a brush but tripped in her haste. Dusting herself off, she presented the materials to Luo Sheng with bright, expectant eyes.

"Don't rush; we have plenty of time," Luo Sheng reassured her as he spread the paper on the ground and began carefully reproducing the runes he had seen in his vision.

Dongfang Muqing stared at the inscriptions with rapt attention. Although they were ancient runes, her Qingluan heritage made them innate to her understanding—a gift of her bloodline.

"This… this is the Qingluan clan's ancient life-bound cultivation technique!" she gasped, her voice trembling with emotion.

Dongfang Muqing had been searching for this her entire life. She and her grandfather had wandered the world, seeking the Qingluan clan's life-bound techniques. The ancient clans had withered over time, leaving little of their legacy behind. The Qingluan clan, less esteemed than the Phoenix clan, had declined even faster, their treasures stolen by greedy cultivators.

Her grandfather, nearing the end of his lifespan, had devoted his remaining years to finding a way to defy fate, only to fail. In desperation, he had passed his remaining life force and essence to Dongfang Muqing, leaving her to carry on his hopes alone.

Now, the treasure they sought lay before her.

Luo Sheng wrote from dawn till dusk, finally recording the Qingluan clan's life-bound cultivation technique in its entirety on the rice paper.

"It's done," Luo Sheng said, tossing the brush aside and sipping tea to soothe his parched throat.

Turning to look at Dongfang Muqing, he saw tears streaming down her cheeks, her sobs like those of a child.

"If you'd come sooner, Grandpa wouldn't have died, nameless and unfulfilled, leaving me to face this world alone," she choked out between sobs.

"My condolences," Luo Sheng said gently, patting her head. "Even if I had come earlier, without the holy artifact, you wouldn't have been able to access the technique."

"That's true," Dongfang Muqing admitted with a bittersweet smile. "Besides, if Grandpa saw me with another man, he'd probably yell, 'How dare you touch my precious granddaughter? I'll chop off your hands!'"

"..." Luo Sheng was speechless, though he understood the sentiment. After all, daughters and granddaughters were the jewels of any family. Dongfang Muqing, however, was a slightly unruly gem.

Carefully folding the rice paper, Dongfang Muqing placed it in her azure feathers, treasuring it like a priceless heirloom. "This is the Qingluan clan's ancient zither-magic technique. At its peak, anything in the world can be used as a zither, and all things can become music. One can control life and death through melody, and depict universal truths through musical theory. This is the essence of the Qingluan clan."

Tears filled her eyes again, but this time, they were tears of joy. "Thank you, Luo Sheng. This is the greatest gift I've ever received."

Luo Sheng watched as her demeanor transformed—her sorrow replaced by tranquility, her aura growing noble and serene. She was like a fairy stepping out of a painting, her beauty and elegance radiating with newfound confidence.

For the first time, Luo Sheng felt the profound changes in her heart and spirit.

(End of chapter)