Chapter 10: Straightforward Ling Xiaoxing
“Me?” Ye Changsheng asked.
“Yes, you! Who else!” Ling Xiaoxing’s eyes held no one else.
Ye Changsheng couldn’t understand what wind had blown Ling Xiaoxing’s way. Logically, she should despise him as a pest, not approach him proactively.
“I’ll take you to find Chen Ye. Don’t you not have a Magical Treasure and can’t fly with an object?” Ling Xiaoxing said. “So I’ll be merciful and grant you an opportunity!”
As soon as Ling Xiaoxing spoke, Ye Changsheng knew she was being deliberately arrogant.
But then, Ye Changsheng thought, something was still off.
He didn’t have any “gentle protagonist passive” that attracted girls to self-regulate, nor had he ever “planted flags.”
Ling Xiaoxing released her Magical Treasure, a spiritual wood staff. She jumped on it and used the Art of Immaterial Control. The spiritual wood staff automatically adjusted its size to accommodate a passenger.
“Are you coming or not?” Ling Xiaoxing continued to press.
Why not?
Ye Changsheng also wanted to see what tricks Ling Xiaoxing was planning, so he jumped on. “Then, thank you, Senior Sister Xiaoxing.”
…
In the sky, Ling Xiaoxing piloted her Magical Treasure steadily, while also scanning the ground for their target.
“Hey, Calamity, what was with that look just now? Like I’d taken the wrong medicine?” Ling Xiaoxing noticed Ye Changsheng’s gaze and said unhappily.
“My relationship with Senior Sister Xiaoxing hasn’t improved to that extent,” Ye Changsheng replied honestly.
“You still have some self-awareness. Your grand speech in the council hall just now made me approve of you a little.”
“That’s still not enough.”
“…You’re so annoying! Are you a straight-arrow man? Can’t you read the room!”
Ling Xiaoxing was both angry and vexed. She turned to face Ye Changsheng, as if intending to headbutt his chin.
“Alright, forget it, I’m sorry!”
“What?”
“I can apologize, don’t react like that!”
“Has Senior Sister Xiaoxing ever done anything to apologize for?”
“I misunderstood you. I’ve always thought you were the traitor, and I’ve wanted to impeach you to the Young Palace Mistress several times.”
Ye Changsheng almost laughed out loud. “Just this?”
“Mhm.”
“I don’t really care.”
“I do!” Ling Xiaoxing said excitedly. “The Young Palace Mistress said we should admit our mistakes. Since this was my mistake, there’s no need to be stubborn. I don’t want the Young Palace Mistress to dislike me.”
Ye Changsheng was a bit surprised. This Ling Xiaoxing was surprisingly straightforward.
No, “naive” might be a more fitting description.
“Okay.”
“Really, I mustered up so much courage and put aside my pride to apologize, and you’re so casual about it, making me anxious for nothing.”
“What if I didn’t accept?” Ye Changsheng teased. “Could there be a more advanced way to demonstrate your sincerity?”
“If you keep spewing such nonsense, I’ll kick you off,” Ling Xiaoxing glared at Ye Changsheng. “In my eyes, you’re still a pest hindering the Young Palace Mistress, a target that must be eliminated.”
Alright, no more jokes. Ye Changsheng didn’t want to experience freefall.
“Xiaoxing, what are you doing! Why are you with the Young Palace Mistress’s exclusive Cultivation Cauldron?”
“Could it be your first time practicing Flower Transferring Art and you’re inviting the Young Palace Mistress’s exclusive Cultivation Cauldron to experience it together?”
“Incredible, simply incredible! You dare to touch someone from the Young Palace Mistress?”
Seeing Ling Xiaoxing carrying Ye Changsheng, the surrounding disciples flying on their Magical Treasures began to mock them sarcastically.
“Ughhhhh!”
Ling Xiaoxing wanted to get angry and refute them, but she couldn’t find the right words. She looked like a little dog baring its teeth, which was quite amusing.
Ye Changsheng couldn’t help but smile slightly, causing a vein to throb on Ling Xiaoxing’s forehead.
“You’re still smiling? Who do you think is ruining my reputation?”
“We don’t need to follow the crowd. Let’s find a less populated area.”
“If you want to leave Wuhua Palace, going south is definitely the safest.”
“You’re wrong, Senior Sister Xiaoxing,” Ye Changsheng explained. “If you want to escape unnoticed, you should choose the direction everyone ignores.”
“…Now that you say it, it does make some sense! Going this way is the easiest way to be exposed.” Ling Xiaoxing nodded in agreement.
“Therefore, let’s go to the most dangerous Peach Forest Sea. The north is guarded by Ferocious Beasts raised by Wuhua Palace. Even our own disciples dare not approach easily. It’s the most suitable escape route.”
“What you say makes sense,” Ling Xiaoxing turned the direction of her Magical Treasure, but then became suspicious.
“Wait, you’re too professional. Why are you so skilled at this?”
“…”
“Don’t stay silent!”
“I secretly asked the Young Palace Mistress, and she told me.”
“Really?”
“What do you think? Am I capable of being this smart?”
“Hmph, that’s true. Someone like you, who is useless and incompetent, isn’t even as good as a single hair of the Young Palace Mistress. I doubt you could even think of such a plan.”
Whenever Luo Yingying was mentioned, the little fan Ling Xiaoxing was easily handled, Ye Changsheng thought to himself.
…
The Peach Forest Sea surrounding Wuhua Palace was not only a place for gathering Spiritual Energy but also a mystical magic formation of the Seven Gates and Eight Trigrams.
This formation, named Star Vortex, was left from ancient times, and its mysteries have not been fully deciphered to this day.
Entering the Star Vortex formation was like entering a galaxy sea. The dazzling peach forest would bewilder one’s senses. The abundant Spiritual Energy could even create illusions, destroying the State of Mind of those who entered and causing them to collapse.
Furthermore, within the Star Vortex formation, Wuhua Palace also raised Ferocious Beasts.
Except for a relatively safe exit path in the south, even disciples of their own sect rarely approached other directions.
The Soul Refining Sect’s past failure to easily conquer Wuhua Palace was also due to this Star Vortex formation.
“Senior Sister Xiaoxing, we’re about to enter the Star Vortex formation. It’s better to stop flying with our objects,” Ye Changsheng reminded her. “Otherwise, your State of Mind will be destroyed.”
“That’s right. It would make us a primary target for the Ferocious Beasts. Let’s descend.”
Ling Xiaoxing agreed, controlled her Magical Treasure to land, and then put it away.
As soon as they landed, Ling Xiaoxing noticed a pair of footprints that were not long gone, heading deep into the north.
“You were right, Calamity! These are Chen Ye’s footprints. He really did escape this way!” Ling Xiaoxing became excited.
She looked forward and saw that the Peach Forest Sea before her seemed to create a mysterious environment, layering one on top of another, with no end in sight.
The deeper she looked, the more confused her mind became, as if trying to drag her into a quagmire.
Ling Xiaoxing felt dizzy and quickly cast a “Calming Mind” spell. If she hadn’t known it was the effect of the formation and been prepared, she might have easily fallen victim.
“Calamity, can you handle it… Ah!”
Ye Changsheng calmly took out and applied a “Calming Heart Talisman” to himself. He had already put on a pile of them.
“Do you want some, Senior Sister Xiaoxing?”
“Why didn’t you take out such good stuff earlier!”
Ling Xiaoxing took a handful from Ye Changsheng and also applied them to herself. After all, Talismans could reduce Spiritual Power consumption, which was much more convenient.
“So you’re skilled in Talisman Cultivation.”
“Just know a little bit, really. I don’t have any particular specialties,” Ye Changsheng replied honestly.
“Alright, let’s go find Chen Ye. Calamity, you must follow my lead and don’t run around. Otherwise, not only will we encounter Ferocious Beasts, but we’ll end up as their meal!”
