Chapter 6: The protagonist is here
Pei Lianxue lay on the bed, and Ye Anping sat with his back turned towards her, cross-legged in meditation, guarding her. Her senior brother’s figure wasn’t broad, as he was only fifteen years old, but the sight of this fifteen-year-old boy brought her a profound sense of security.
Initially, Pei Lianxue was somewhat fearful when she arrived, but she believed her senior brother’s words after the recent incident. If she followed his instructions, the demonic cultivator in the Foundation Establishment stage would be as vulnerable as a catfish on a sticky board. Although her senior brother had been strict with her in the past, she always knew he would never harm her. The fact that she had survived from the age of three to fourteen was the best evidence.
Soon, drowsiness overcame her, and Pei Lianxue closed her eyes, ready to rest. However, the name “Xi Yue” suddenly appeared as she did.
Who is Xi Yue?!
Where does she live?
How old is she this year?
What cultivation level has she reached?
Is she more beautiful than me?
Today, Pei Lianxue spent the night unable to sleep, consumed by thoughts of Xi Yue.
Ye Anping rose to wake Pei Lianxue at the rooster’s crowing. However, upon reaching her bedside, he noticed she seemed to have stared at the ceiling with her eyes as wide as copper bells the entire night. Her eyes were now bloodshot, a result, he presumed, of her lingering fear of the demonic cultivator. To help her relax, he decided to take her for a casual stroll around Wuxi Town. They explored clothing shops, bought small trinkets, attended a play, and even tried their hand at fishing by the river.
They followed the same routine afterward. Apart from taking a brief hiatus to set up formations in the woods behind Wuxi Town to counter Wu You, they spent most of their time wandering around the town like tourists.
Finally, the day arrived when the protagonist would encounter Wu You.
…
On the mountain path outside Wuxi Town, a woman wearing a bamboo hat sat sideways on a horse, playing with a leaf flute crafted from lychee leaves. The melodious tune wafted through the air, attracting sparrows to perch beside her, providing a natural accompaniment. Under the bamboo hat, a few strands of silver threads swayed in the wind.
The woman’s name was Feng Yudie. Her parents, caught in a war, had no choice but to place her in a basket and let the river carry her away. She was later found and adopted by a reclusive cultivator, who raised her as his own.
About six months ago, the old cultivator’s lifespan ended, and he transcended, leaving behind only a letter of recommendation for her to continue her cultivation at the Xuanxing Sect.
After playing her flute, Feng Yudie tossed aside the leaf and looked into the distance, sighing restlessly. She asked, “Hey, Xiao Tian, how much longer until we reach the Xuanxing Sect?”
At this moment, she was alone, with no one else by her side. However, after posing this question, a diminutive figure bathed in golden light suddenly emerged from her brow.
The small figure resembled a doll, lacking legs, and appeared petite and charming. It waved its tiny, bean-like hand, and a map floated before Feng Yudie.
“It’s still early, at least another five hundred miles. There should be a small town ahead where we can rest,” Xiao Tian said.
“Five hundred more miles? We’ve been traveling for a month, haven’t we?” Feng Yudie sighed softly. “I wonder if there are any attractive senior sisters in the Xuanxing Sect.”
Xiao Tian glanced at her incredulously, admonishing, “Yudie, instead of thinking about handsome senior brothers, you’re pondering about beautiful senior sisters. Does that make sense?”
Feng Yudie pouted and retorted, “Master always told me to be wary of men. They’re all trouble.”
“Master warned you about men, not to look for women,” Xiao Tian remarked.
“Fine, fine. Let’s move on quickly. We’ll reach the town soon, and I’m craving roast chicken.”
“Really lacking in substance,” Xiao Tian muttered.
“Go!”
Feng Yudie tightened the reins, lightly kicked the horse’s belly, and galloped towards the nearby town. Before long, she reached Wuxi Town, passing through the City Gate. It was mealtime, and the town was filled with the savory aroma of roast duck and chicken. Street vendors were crowded with people enjoying noodles and tea.
Feng Yudie, leading her white horse, scanned the surroundings, eager to buy various items to satisfy her cravings. However, constrained by her finances and reminded by Xiao Tian, she settled for a random hotel and ordered a roast chicken.
The hotel buzzed with activity. Waiters with towels on their shoulders called out, and the innkeeper’s abacus clicked away. Seated at a small table in the corner, Feng Yudie waited for her meal, observing the other patrons. She was surprised to see many cultivators among them.
“Xiao Tian, there are many cultivators in this town,” Feng Yudie said.
“Not surprising. It’s not far from the Hundred Lotus Sect. Where there’s a sect, cultivators won’t be scarce.”
Hundred Lotus Sect?
Feng Yudie pondered for a moment and asked, “Is it a small sect?”
“Yes, a sect founded just a hundred years ago. The sect leader, Ye Ao, is currently in the Core Formation stage. He has a son with decent aptitude but only possesses dual spiritual roots, neither exceptional nor poor.”
Feng Yudie leaned on her cheek, tilted her head, and said, “Xiao Tian, you really seem to know everything.”
Xiao Tian stood with hands on his hips, proudly declaring, “Naturally, I am the spirit of the Heavenly Dao scroll. Hmph! There’s nothing in this world that I don’t know.”
“Well, okay…” Feng Yudie smiled, then pointed to a girl at another table and asked, “Xiao Tian, what is that girl’s name?”
“…”
Xiao Tian raised an eyebrow and followed Feng Yudie’s gaze. He saw a male and a female cultivator sitting at the nearby table, looking quite young, around fourteen or fifteen years old. The man was at the third level of the Qi refining stage, while the woman had already completed the Qi refining stage, indicating that they were like brother and sister on a journey.
Xiao Tian disdainfully curled his lips, responding, “How do I know that person’s name?”
Feng Yudie covered her mouth, amused. “Xiao Tian, didn’t you just say there is nothing you don’t know in the world?”
“Yes, I know all the big things that happened in the past, but…”
Xiao Tian circled Feng Yudie’s head, hands on hips, and defended, “No matter how you look at those two people, they are just two little people, and I don’t even care about their names!”
Feng Yudie shrugged, “Yes, yes. However, I think that girl is very beautiful. So, I’m going to ask her name.”
Feng Yudie stood up, called the waiter, instructed him to deliver the roast chicken to the girl’s table, and walked there.
Approaching the table, Feng Yudie smiled and raised her hands. “You two, fellow Daoists, can I share a table with you?”
The girl at the table turned to her and looked at the smiling young man beside her. “Senior brother?”
The person, addressed as a senior brother, glanced at Feng Yudie and nodded, “Okay.”
Feng Yudie took a stool, sat down, and initiated the conversation.
“Two fellow Daoists, I am Feng Yudie, a casual cultivator. What about you?”
“I am Ye Anping, a disciple of the Hundred Lotus Sect.”
Ye Anping smiled, gestured to the girl beside him, and said, “This is my junior sister, Pei Lianxue.”
At that moment, Xiao Tian, floating near Feng Yudie’s head, suddenly frowned, feeling as if Ye Anping had glanced in its direction. Since its creation, only those with the way of heaven, like the former Holy Emperor and Feng Yudie, could see this weapon spirit.
An illusion?
Xiao Tian wondered for a moment, then floated directly in front of Ye Anping, making faces at him.
Ye Anping showed no reaction to its antics, continuing to eat as if nothing happened.
Relieved, Xiao Tian thought, Just as I think, how can a dual spiritual root monk with mediocre qualifications see the spirit of this scroll of heaven?
Impossible! Absolutely impossible!
