Chapter 0: 43. Two Young Ladies
“Then let us be passing acquaintances,” Chi Yuchao said with a slight nod and a soft laugh. “But I don’t have the habit of revealing my name to those I’ve only met once.”
Zhao Xinting couldn’t help but be startled. It had been many years since anyone had reacted so calmly after he revealed his name. He found it rather amusing and said, “You’re right, it was rather presumptuous of me.”
“You asked me earlier if I was tired of life in the Mystic Maiden Palace. I can tell you now that yes, I dream of leaving this troublesome place every day. I wonder if you feel the same way, my friend?” Chi Yuchao asked, raising an eyebrow.
Hearing this, Zhao Xinting let out a bitter laugh. “I never intended to come here. It was just bad luck. And now, it’s very difficult to leave freely any time soon.”
“Oh?” Chi Yuchao’s interest was piqued, and he pressed on. “I am currently under sentence and can only stay put until the actual situation is clarified from above. May I ask what reason keeps you here, my friend?”
“I am bound by someone else. Don’t let my current leisurely stroll and appreciation of flowers fool you, friend. In reality, a spirit charm has been planted on me. I can only move within a certain range. If I leave this designated area, not only will the one who cast the spell know immediately, but I will also suffer the pain of a hundred insects devouring my heart.” Zhao Xinting’s eyes held a fierce glint tinged with bloodlust.
Upon hearing this, Chi Yuchao let out a long, somewhat melancholic laugh. “Indeed, we are both fallen souls. No wonder we’ve met with such fate. We are two utterly unlucky individuals.”
Zhao Xinting also laughed self-deprecatingly. How many years had it been since the Purple Extreme Demon Lord, whose subjects encompassed all under the sun and rivers, had experienced such helplessness?
What was the point of his ruthless pursuit of strength? Wasn’t it so that no one would dare to judge people by their appearance or order him around again? Yet, the mortal transformation stage had once again brought him back to this predicament that had inflicted so much pain in the past.
Mortal transformation, mortal transformation. Perhaps this was the true meaning of the mortal transformation stage. In the long passage of time, it was very easy for cultivators to lose their original self, discarding everything they once cherished. Mortal transformation was meant to allow them to see their true selves.
“Since we are so fated, are you still unwilling to tell me your name?” Zhao Xinting’s eyes, clear as a vast expanse of glass, revealed a hint of melancholy.
“Precisely because we are so similar, I must not tell you,” Chi Yuchao said with a hearty laugh. “We are both people plagued by bad luck, so we shouldn’t get too close, lest we scare away the goddess of luck. Of course, in the martial world, when you die, you die. If we meet again next time, it will be fate’s arrangement for us to know each other. Then, we can formally get acquainted, and that would be fine.”
With that, Chi Yuchao waved his hand with great nonchalance and walked away without looking back.
Zhao Xinting watched the retreating figure of Chi Yuchao in astonishment for a long time until the person completely disappeared from his sight. He then shook his head and chuckled, “An interesting little wench.”
On his way back to his cave, Chi Yuchao found that the unforgettable, peerlessly beautiful face kept involuntarily appearing in his mind, lingering from his brows to his heart.
He sighed and muttered to himself, “A strange girl.”
…
At the frontier of the Tian Kun Dynasty.
Yi Chengying spoke sternly and coldly to the male disciples, including Qin Gou. “I will part ways with you all here. From now on, you will need to rely on your own abilities and strengths to infiltrate the Tian Kun Dynasty, find a credible identity for yourselves, and participate in that marriage by martial contest.”
“If you can’t even accomplish this simple task, don’t show yourselves to me again. Find your own way back to the Mystic Maiden Raksha Palace.”
The male disciples eagerly rubbed their fists, raring to go. They were all elites from various evil sects and demonic paths, proud by nature. Some had already suffered severe blows in the Mystic Maiden Raksha Palace, but this infiltration mission was the perfect opportunity for them to regain their honor.
“Enough said, let’s go.”
With Yi Chengying’s command, the male disciples scattered without a trace, each using their unique methods.
Only Qin Gou remained in place, his expression calm and composed.
A bead of cold sweat trickled down Yi Chengying’s fair forehead. After cautiously probing to ensure no one else was around, the cold and arrogant authority on her pretty face instantly dissolved. Appearing somewhat bewildered, she asked timidly, “Lord Qin, why haven’t you departed yet?”
Qin Gou shrugged. “Departing on my own? How could it be as comfortable and convenient as being with you?”
Yi Chengying felt like crying but also laughing. She really wanted to shout, “Nonsense!” Of course, it would be incredibly easy with her leading the way. But no matter what, in this operation, Yi Chengying was playing the role of an ‘examiner’!
She suspected that only the Celestial Master could pull strings from the very beginning, right in front of her, his seemingly not-so-strict examiner.
“Alright then.” Yi Chengying didn’t object, her little face puckered in resignation as she nodded her little head.
Qin Gou teased her with great interest. “With your realm, you should be able to fly with your physical body, right? How shall we travel? Shall we ride a spirit boat together, or should I just ride on you? The latter seems faster.”
Yi Chengying’s face turned ashen, her little face flushed with shyness. Seeing the mischievous smile at the corner of Qin Gou’s mouth, she realized the Celestial Master was deliberately teasing her again. She stomped her little foot in annoyance and chided, “I’m called Little Chair, not a real chair! I won’t do that!” With that, she quickly took out a high-level spirit boat from her Nas, the void-storing ring.
“Please come in, Celestial Master.” Yi Chengying extended her hand towards the spirit boat, making a polite gesture.
Afterward, Qin Gou enjoyed the preferential treatment that other male disciples wouldn’t even dare to dream of. Together with the Lone Shadow Saintess, who appeared extremely willful and stern in front of them, he admired the scenery along the way, ate delicious food, and flew through the air.
A giant lottery wheel appeared before Qin Gou’s eyes and spun rapidly, finally stopping at the ‘Curiosity’ category.
Qin Gou’s face darkened as he heard the system notification.
“Ding. Congratulations to the host for obtaining the left-path curiosity, the Dizzying God Handkerchief, through the lottery wheel.”
