After several twists and turns, Tian Fan and his companions finally eliminated the Zombie King, completing their mission in descending the mountain.
Apart from Zhang San, who had already died, the other dozen villagers returned to their normal selves. Under the villagers’ endless gratitude, the three left the simple village and arrived at a bustling area.
“Candied hawthorn! Delicious, sweet candied hawthorn!”
“Rice cakes! Fresh, tasty rice cakes!”
The street was filled with the pleasant sounds of various vendors hawking their goods. Inside a tavern, Tian Fan and Li Yunyang stared at the food on the table, their mouths twitching uncontrollably—a small dish of pickled vegetables, a plate of dried radish, and two bowls of clear soup with only a few scattered green onions floating in them. This was their lunch.
“Eat up, finish it so we can get on the road.”
Sun Yueying rested her chin on her left hand, rhythmically tapping the table with her right. She was still angry.
“Hey, Junior Sister, look at us—two grown men, and this little bit of food isn’t enough. Uh, how about… Hey, bastard, put down that dried radish!”
Li Yunyang’s face showed a pitiful expression, hoping Sun Yueying would order something better. But then he suddenly heard a “smack smack” sound from the side. When he turned around, he was furious! It turned out that while he was “negotiating” with Sun Yueying, Tian Fan had already pulled the plate of dried radish to his mouth and was shoveling it in.
“Uh…”
Hearing Li Yunyang’s words, Tian Fan gulped down a bite and quickly raised the bowl of clear soup to his lips. Li Yunyang grabbed the plate from Tian Fan’s left hand, only to find there was just one strand of radish left. He clutched his stomach, looked at the pickled vegetables on the table, and after a fierce internal struggle, grabbed the pickles and stuffed them into his mouth, drinking the soup madly.
Seeing their pitiful state, Sun Yueying burst into laughter before sternly saying:
“Hmph, I’ll let you off this time, but if it happens again, you’ll be eating carrots for six months!”
Tian Fan and Li Yunyang immediately nodded frantically. Ah, when you’re under someone else’s roof, you have no choice but to bow your head. After all, she controlled the sect’s finances.
The three walked along the street, watching the bustling crowd, when suddenly a woman in white bumped into Tian Fan’s arms. She seemed to be in a panic.
“Please help me!”
Tian Fan was about to pull the woman away from his chest, but she clung tightly to his clothes, speaking urgently. It was the sweetest voice Tian Fan had ever heard—clearer and more melodious than Long Aotian’s.
At this moment, a group of cultivators rushed over, each exuding a strong presence that marked them as anything but ordinary. One man in black stepped forward, cupped his fists politely, and spoke to them:
“Excuse me, have any of you seen a woman in yellow, about this tall, holding a string of bells, and very beautiful?”
The man in black gestured as he spoke.
“Sorry, I haven’t seen such a woman,” Sun Yueying replied with a smile.
The man had been so polite, it was only right to respond.
“Oh, I see. I apologize for bothering you. We have urgent matters, so we’ll be taking our leave.”
Hearing Sun Yueying’s response, the man in black looked slightly disappointed. He cupped his fists again and prepared to leave.
“Huh? Who is this young lady?”
One of the men looked at the woman in Tian Fan’s arms, his voice full of doubt.
“Oh, this is my sister. It’s her first time out, and she’s a little shy. I hope you’ll understand.”
Tian Fan looked at the woman in his arms, smiling as he “explained” to the group.
“Haha, that makes sense. Third Brother, don’t worry about other people’s family matters. Brother, please don’t take offense; my Third Brother meant no harm.”
The man in black apologized to Tian Fan before leading his group forward.
“Big Brother, that woman in his arms looked a lot like the one we’re looking for!” one of the men said to the black-clad leader after they had walked some distance.
“She only looked similar. Besides, the person we’re looking for was wearing yellow. Do you really think she would be leaning against a strange man like that?”
The man in black responded calmly.
“You’re right, Big Brother, you’re so clever! I didn’t think of that!” the Third Brother said, scratching his head in embarrassment.
“You’re too careless sometimes. Alright, let’s stop talking and keep moving!”
With that, the man in black led his group forward, picking up their pace.
…
“Alright, you can come out now.”
Seeing that the group had gone, Tian Fan gently pulled at the woman in his arms.
“Are they really gone?”
The woman still kept her head down, refusing to look up.
“Really.”
“You better not be lying!”
“I’m not lying!”
Tian Fan smiled wryly. This woman was acting like a child.
The woman in white slowly lifted her head and looked around. Once she confirmed no one was around, she jumped out of Tian Fan’s arms, exclaiming joyfully:
“Haha! They’re really gone! I’m safe now, hehe…”
Now that the three of them could see this strange woman clearly, they were struck by her beauty—her hands were delicate, her skin like creamy jade, and her body was sculpted to perfection, as if crafted by the heavens. The only flaw was her face, smeared with black dirt, hiding her features.
“Miss, why is your face like that?” Li Yunyang asked, confused.
“I don’t want people to recognize me, duh! So dumb!” the woman replied in a pure voice.
Li Yunyang: “…”
“Who were those people chasing you?” Tian Fan, amused by Li Yunyang’s awkwardness, held back a laugh and asked the woman.
“They were chasing me, obviously! You’re not too bright, are you?” The woman tilted her head and looked at Tian Fan, her brows furrowing slightly as she pouted adorably.
Tian Fan: “…”
“Haha, little sister, you’re so cute. Come, come to your big sister,” Sun Yueying said happily, clearly enjoying their discomfort, and motioned for the woman to come closer.
“Hello, Sister! What’s your name, Sister?” The woman happily jumped to Sun Yueying’s side and greeted her sweetly.
“Hehe, you’re such a cutie! My name is Sun Yueying, what about you?” Sun Yueying asked, smiling brightly.
“Zi Ying. Sister Ying can just call me Zi Ying.”
Zi Ying clung to Sun Yueying’s arm, calling her sweetly.
“Alright, little Zi Ying, why were those people chasing you?” Sun Yueying asked with a smile, holding Zi Ying’s small hand.
“Hmph, they’re bad guys! They want to catch me for a reward, but I’m not so easy to catch!” Zi Ying pouted, waving her tiny pink fist in defiance.
“So, what will you do now? Where are you going?” Sun Yueying asked, looking at the adorable girl.
“I don’t know. I don’t have anywhere to go right now,” Zi Ying blinked her beautiful eyes pitifully at Sun Yueying.
“How about this, Zi Ying? You can come with me. I’m the granddaughter of the Great Sealing Sect’s headmaster. You can come to the Great Sealing Sect with me.”
Seeing Zi Ying’s pitiful expression, Sun Yueying softened and patted her head with a smile.
“Great! Sister Ying is the best! I’ll follow you from now on!”
Zi Ying was overjoyed, her eyes curving into crescent moons.
“Haha, but first, let’s wash that dirty face of yours.”
Sun Yueying playfully tapped Zi Ying’s nose before leading her to an inn.
After Zi Ying finished washing up and came out, Tian Fan and Li Yunyang were left speechless.
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