Chapter 286 Enemies on a narrow road
Scorching sun, endless yellow sand.
On the vast Gobi Desert outside Jade Pass in the Central Domain, a caravan pulling several carts of goods was moving rapidly, guided by the compass in hand.
Inside one of the carriages filled with goods, Si Xuanji was sitting on Xiao Yunluo’s lap. Like a curious baby, she held a monocular telescope and gazed out the carriage window.
Xiao Yunluo, who was being used as a seat cushion, could only lean against the surrounding goods. She was incredibly hot but dared not complain. She could only entertain A’ying to pass the time, occasionally wiping the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief.
While Ye Anping and Feng Yudie were in the Southern Domain, she had been diligently practicing in the Xuan Xing Sect, progressing from the Early Foundation Establishment Stage to the Late Foundation Establishment Stage. She had been eagerly awaiting Ye Anping’s return to show off her achievements.
However, before Ye Anping returned, Si Xuanji had dragged her to this godforsaken place. And they had been traveling for more than three months.
That was three whole months!
Three months of her mother never leaving her side!
She was suffocating.
Previously, when they went to Chi Long Mansion, she could do whatever she wanted outside. If she encountered anything delicious or interesting, she would go in and buy, buy, buy and eat, eat, eat. If she wanted to read at night, she could lie in bed with a quilt and read as long as she locked the doors and windows.
But now, even if she had the courage of a bear, she wouldn’t dare to read. She hadn’t even dared to put those books in her storage bag for this trip.
If Si Xuanji discovered them, she would definitely be labeled an “unworthy daughter.”
…
Now, looking at her mother’s petite back, Xiao Yunluo’s face showed a hint of complaint and helplessness. But she dared not complain, so she simply turned her head to look out the window, her mind wandering a thousand li away, trying to pass the time.
The yellow sand was boundless, and the horizon in the distance was distorted and wavy from the scorching sun, appearing somewhat ethereal.
The ethereal sight in her eyes gradually led her into a fantasy.
— Ye Anping returned from the Southern Domain, flew on his sword to their Three-Bay House, found her, took her hands, and held her in his arms: “Yunluo, I’m back.”
— She went to the kitchen to cook noodles, but Ye Anping sneaked over, squeezed her butt, and hugged her from behind: “Yunluo, you look so good, I’m a little…”
— Ye Anping, with a shy face, raised her chin with his index finger: “Yunluo, will you dual cultivate with me?”
…
A hint of pink gradually appeared in Xiao Yunluo’s eyes. Her feet, clad in clogs, involuntarily arched, and her toes rubbed gently…
Then, she was snapped back to reality by a hoarse voice:
“Spring is here!! Spring is here!!”
!!
Xiao Yunluo was startled and turned her head in fear. After a moment of daze, she realized what A’ying meant, and her cheeks flushed. She pursed her lips and replied,
“A’ying, what are you talking about… What spring is here? Spring is over, it’s summer now.”
“Heh heh!! Heh heh!!”
?
Being “heh-ed” at by a parrot, Xiao Yunluo frowned and poked A’ying’s head with her finger.
“What are you chuckling at, you sly bird…”
“Hee hee!! Hee hee!!”
Xiao Yunluo was a bit helpless. She couldn’t stoop to the level of a parrot, could she? So she took A’ying from her shoulder, held it in her hand, took out a comb from her storage bag, and started grooming its feathers.
At this moment, the idle chatter of the Foundation Establishment Stage guards outside the carriage could be heard:
“Speaking of which, the bounty for the Immortal Thief has doubled. I heard that not long ago, that person broke into the Sword Gate Sect’s treasure vault. The Sword Gate Sect recently offered a very high reward, asking for him dead or alive. When we get to Jade Pass, should we try our luck?”
“Forget it. The bounty for that person has been out for decades. We don’t even know their gender, let alone their cultivation and techniques. Even if we meet them, we won’t recognize them.”
“Let’s just try our luck? Providing information can still get us a lot of Spirit Stones. That person stole things from the Sword Gate Sect and must be eager to sell them. Within a radius of eight hundred li, the black market in Jade Pass is the largest. Who knows if we might encounter them…”
…
“Immortal Thief…”
Xiao Yunluo pouted. She had heard the elders of the Xuan Xing Sect talk about this person before.
When she was six years old, the cultivator who was given the title “Immortal Thief” by rogue cultivators sent a letter to the Xuan Xing Sect, saying he would go to the Xuan Xing Sect’s library to steal something a month later, but the matter was eventually dropped.
“Mom…”
Upon hearing this, Si Xuanji immediately turned her head and pressed the telescope in her hand to Xiao Yunluo’s nose, reprimanding her,
“What did you call me?”
“Sister Xuanji…”
Si Xuanji’s expression changed. She lowered the telescope and tilted her head with a smile: “What is it?”
“The people outside said the Immortal Thief broke into the Sword Gate Sect’s treasure vault…”
“Mmm… I heard,” Si Xuanji sighed slightly and stated, “That person also said he would come to the Xuan Xing Sect’s library ten years ago. Guess what he stole?”
?!
Xiao Yunluo’s eyes widened, and she asked disbelievingly:
“Did that person really steal something? Didn’t the elders say he didn’t come?”
Si Xuanji smiled, leaned into Xiao Yunluo’s embrace, and closed her eyes:
“He stole a tile from the roof of the library and carved ‘Visited here’ on the beam. After I found out, I kicked Elder Lei to the border to farm.”
“Ah? A tile… and carved words?”
Si Xuanji didn’t intend to continue. She yawned sleepily:
“I’ll take a nap. Wake me up when we arrive.”
“Oh…”
Xiao Yunluo was speechless. Among the Void Returning Stage cultivators in the Four Domains, perhaps only her mother still maintained the habit of sleeping. But she didn’t dare to say more and continued to stare out the window blankly.
…
The carriage swayed unsteadily. By the time the caravan reached Jade Pass, it was already dark.
Jade Pass City, standing in the center of the Gobi Desert, was the only place with lights at night. This was because there were too many demonic beasts in the vicinity, and this bordered city served as the Imperial Sect’s first line of defense against them.
After entering the city, Xiao Yunluo bade farewell to the caravan that brought her. Seeing that it was already dark, she casually found an inn, booked a room, and planned to continue her journey the next morning.
However, she didn’t know how long she slept.
Swish swish—
A breeze blew past the window of the private room, causing the window to tremble and emit a slight sound.
Si Xuanji seemed to sense something and slowly opened her eyes. She looked around and saw that her daughter was sleeping like a pig. With a look of helplessness, she pulled the quilt up and covered her own face.
And in the next moment, the window of the private room slowly creaked open. A white figure flashed through the window and landed on the wooden floor of the room, making not a sound.
The person was small, wearing a fox mask, and dressed in a snow-white form-fitting outfit, which was quite conspicuous in the night.
She looked at the two people on the bed, and a smile appeared on the face beneath the fox mask.
…
