6
Ever since we entered the ancient forest, getting back out has been as hard as reaching the heavens.
The forest was full of powerful monsters. Even though everyone in our group had grown stronger, we still couldn't afford to let our guard down.
As soon as Giang Vô Tiếc's pain eased, he forgot all about it. “There are still plenty of valuable materials in here. Since we've already come in...”
He didn't finish, but everyone understood: he wanted to sweep through the ancient forest one more time.
Lăng Vân Phượng didn't hold back. She punched him with a sharp whack. “Do you want the secret realm to swallow you up again?”
The bloodstains on their clothes hadn't even dried yet. That told you all you needed to know... Nothing in this world comes free.
Không Độ took off his strand of prayer beads and removed five of them. “These can withstand a single blow from a Nascent Soul cultivator. Use them in an emergency.”
Leaning against Không Độ's shoulder, Tống Tư Trạch tilted his chin up and grinned. “I didn't think a monk could be so stingy and still have six spotless beads.”
Không Độ closed his eyes and counted his prayer beads. “Please mind your words, benefactor.”
Dương Thiên Vũ eagerly chimed in, adding fuel to the fire without knowing when to keep his mouth shut.
And so... the second sweep of the ancient forest began.
This time, I was there.
The monsters guarding their treasures, Không Độ's golden light shield... they were all wiped out.
Six storage rings packed to the brim, and the ancient forest was so clean you could see your reflection in it.
Legend has it that six powerful cultivators once swept the ancient forest clean, drastically reducing its resources.
Curious children would look up and ask the adults, “If no one owns the ancient forest, why call it robbery?”
***
Tỏa Hồn City lay west of the ancient forest. They said the evil deity had fallen there.
It was governed by none of the three realms, and anyone could come and go as they pleased.
Yet it was an exceptionally peaceful place. As long as you were within the city limits, fighting was strictly forbidden.
Once, someone refused to believe it and went on a killing spree right in the middle of the city.
In the blink of an eye, both men became dry skeletons, their ashes scattering across the sky.
The one who did it was the city lord, though no one had ever seen him.
After that, no one dared break this rule again.
Tống Tư Trạch patted Dương Thiên Vũ on the shoulder. “You grew up in Tỏa Hồn City, right?”
Dương Thiên Vũ nodded. “Yeah. I grew up here. My parents died when I was young, and I had nowhere else to go.”
Tống Tư Trạch fell silent.
Dương Thiên Vũ gave a small, reassuring smile. “It's okay. I don't remember them at all. They died when I was two, and the neighbors raised me.”
Không Độ chanted, “Amitabha. A most virtuous deed, a most virtuous deed.”
Just as everyone was lost in thought, Lăng Vân Phượng suddenly swung her sword qi, sending all five of us flying through the city gate.
I was just about to ask, “What's going on?” when shouting erupted behind us.
Leading them was the same group of underlings from the people in black as last time, but they looked... taller, stronger, and more vicious.
I murmured, “It's... Tần Vô Nhai.”
Giang Vô Tiếc's eyes widened. “You know him?”
Tống Tư Trạch snorted. “That bastard. We beat them all, and they ran off.”
Then he turned to flatter Lăng Vân Phượng. “Sister Lăng, this little sister's life is in your hands.”
... The righteous path sure talks big.
Tần Vô Nhai crossed the city gate with two companions.
We faced one another, the air turning icy.
“This city gate will be where your lives end.”
Tống Tư Trạch furrowed his brow. “Why now? Weren't we supposed to settle this later?”
The three of them snorted and walked away.
Lăng Vân Phượng watched them go, then turned back to ask me, “Did he recognize you?”
I confidently patted my chest. “No way! I disguise myself every time I go out. My skills are top-notch—trust me.”
Lăng Vân Phượng smiled softly and patted my head. “Mm. Big Sister really does love patting your head.”
I looked up at her and saw that, on her usually icy face... a faint blush had appeared.
She cleared her throat and turned away. “It was just convenient.”
7
The group had just started looking for an inn when two people approached. “Lady Nguyên Hi, our master requests your presence.”
Their clothes marked them as members of the city lord's residence.
There was no avoiding it.
When you're under someone else's roof, you have to bow your head.
Our whole group marched toward the city lord's residence.
The two men led us to a small courtyard, then turned to me. “Lady Nguyên Hi, please come with us.”
I gave my companions a look that said, “Don't worry,” then followed them.
The layout of the city lord's residence... why did it feel so familiar?
The farther I went, the more familiar it seemed.
When I reached that room and opened the door, I immediately understood why.
I shouted:
“MASTER!!! You're the city lord again?!”
Sitting in the grand armchair, one hand resting casually on its armrest, with alluring peach-blossom eyes, was Ôn Hạnh Nhĩ—the High Priest of Nam Cương and my master.
“Yes. It's me, your master.”
I relaxed at once. I sat down across from him and casually helped myself to all the snacks on the table.
“What did you want to see me about?” I asked as I ate.
My master poured tea. “Take your time. I missed my precious disciple, so I called you over.”
I nodded and kept chewing.
While my master was in the bathroom, I... took the opportunity to sweep through the city lord's residence and pocket quite a few good things.
I left with my arms full.
As soon as I opened the courtyard gate, five worried faces crowded around me.
Lăng Vân Phượng rushed over. “Are you okay? Did they give you a hard time?”
I shook my head, beaming. “Don't worry! The city lord is my master. And I brought back a pile of good stuff!”
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Tống Tư Trạch stared at me in astonishment. “Nguyên Hi... you sure know a lot of people. You're connected to Nam Cương, and the city lord is your master... We even called you ‘Lady’ earlier... You aren't actually the Holy Maiden of Nam Cương, are you?!”
Me: “...”
Lăng Vân Phượng looked at me in silence.
Tống Tư Trạch rushed over and shook me by the shoulders. “It's true?! You're really the Holy Maiden of Nam Cương?!”
Lăng Vân Phượng swung her sword and sent him flying with one strike.
“Quiet... I'm getting dizzy...”
Tống Tư Trạch had been dealt with.
I breathed a sigh of relief.
A little while later, I blinked in confusion. “I've used gu insects in front of you so many times... I thought you'd known for ages...”
Tống Tư Trạch cried out, “That's different! You never said you were the Holy Maiden!”
I looked at the other four. Every one of them nodded.
Fine, I guess it was my fault.
I spread my hands. “Well, now you know.”
Tống Tư Trạch shouted, “Nam Cương and the righteous path have always been friendly allies! You ruined everything, senior brother!”
Then he shouted again, “You're the Holy Maiden of Nam Cương?!”
“Yeah. You only just figured that out?”
“Your father is the righteous path's sect leader?”
“Yeah.”
“Then you're... MY LITTLE JUNIOR SISTER?!”
The whole group stared at me as if I were a ghost.
Giang Vô Tiếc immediately switched to ingratiating himself with me. “Nguyên Hi~ I've wanted a twin sister since I was little. I'm your long-lost senior brother, missing all these years!”
“Uh... sure, let's go with that...”
Lăng Vân Phượng looked him over and said, “Idiot.”
I nodded solemnly. “That’s right. Really.”
8
Being at my master’s place really was as comfortable as being back at my mother’s home.
We had everything we needed, without wanting for a thing.
Giang Vô Tiếc gazed at the piles of precious alchemy ingredients filling the house, his eyes shining. “This is what they mean by enjoying the shade under a big tree!”
Ôn Hạnh Nhĩ was very good at winning people over.
His strength was extraordinary, yet he was always humble and gracious.
Before long, all of us had become die-hard fans of my master.
Even Lăng Vân Phượng was uncharacteristically unreserved.
Not for any other reason, but because… there were simply too many treasures here.
Hàn huyền thiết, an incredibly rare material worth a thousand gold for even a tiny piece, was now piled high in Lục Bác Lam’s hands.
She devoted herself to forging swords all day and barely spoke.
I felt… it was almost time to return to our sect.
The days we spent in Tỏa Hồn City passed peacefully.
At last, the communication talisman on Tống Tư Trạch began to glow.
We decided to leave.
Three people were waiting outside the manor. I pushed open the study door and went in, finding my master painting.
When he saw me, my master set down his brush and flicked his hand. The painting floated over to me.
I should have said goodbye first, but the painting was so beautiful that curiosity got the better of me. I tugged on my master’s sleeve. “Master, what are you painting? Is that… my future mistress?”
Ôn Hạnh Nhĩ laughed, looking at me as I trembled like a little cat. “If Hạnh nhi is willing… your master certainly hopes so.”
My eyes widened so much I thought they might pop out.
The Holy Maiden of Nam Cương and the High Priest had always lived in the heart of Nam Cương. There had never been a precedent for them to “go out and fall in love,” and my master had never even been rumored to be involved with any woman.
I used to think my master liked my mother.
Who would’ve thought my master already had someone in his heart?!
Suddenly, I felt… as if I’d grown up, like a daughter reaching the age to marry.
Strangely enough, though, I felt happy.
Maybe my eyes were shining too brightly.
Ôn Hạnh Nhĩ cleared his throat, then asked, “Hạnh nhi, what did you come to see your master about?”
I smacked my forehead. “That’s right! I came to say goodbye. We’re leaving soon.”
My master nodded without asking anything else. I ran to the door, but after taking two steps, I turned back and said seriously, “Master, whatever you do, don’t tell my mother I was staying with you! She’ll make you help her!”
Ôn Hạnh Nhĩ laughed. “All right, I understand. I was the one who called you here.”
Satisfied, I ran off.
The moment we left the city lord’s manor, we ran straight into three familiar faces: Tần Vô Nhai and two of his men.
No one was allowed to fight in the city, so the two sides could only glare at each other.
We went ahead to clear the way. One glance was all it took for the whole group to agree: We’d take the same route back.
We’d already taken ten parts from the ancient forest; there was nothing left to gain by taking more.
The six of us flew straight out of the ancient forest on our swords.
But behind us, just as expected, the three men gave chase.
Tần Vô Nhai stared at us with a vicious glint in his eyes. “So what if you got a lucky opportunity? So what if you lived another life? Today, you die.”
All three charged at once. Tần Vô Nhai was extremely powerful, already at the middle stage of Nascent Soul.
The four of us joined forces.
Lăng Vân Phượng killed the two henchmen with a single sword strike, leaving only Tần Vô Nhai.
Even so, the gap in our cultivation levels was too great.
Tần Vô Nhai struck once, shattering the Buddhist prayer beads Không Độ had given me.
I hurriedly released the gu insects. My soul had grown stronger, but my fear of gu insects was ingrained in my very bones.
My hands shook uncontrollably.
Tần Vô Nhai seemed to have anticipated this and sneered.
He struck the golden gu insects with his palm. The pain shot straight into my soul, making my whole body convulse.
The golden gu insect was my natal gu. I’d only separated it from myself because I hated gu insects so much.
But now it was injured, and immediately burrowed back into my body. The pain felt like I was being torn apart; I doubled over and fell.
He’d killed nearly all the black gu insects, and the golden one drove the rest to swarm toward me and bite at my skin.
Tần Vô Nhai laughed loudly. “Kill the Holy Maiden of Nam Cương… let’s see how long you can hold out! The great upheaval of the world is coming—hahahaha!”
Lăng Vân Phượng and the others rushed over. But the golden gu insect was already tearing apart the meridians inside my body.
The black insects on my skin bit until I bled. My thoughts were a muddle.
My cultivation surged out of control. The pressure of the Nascent Soul stage erupted, making everyone in the group spit blood.
My meridians were already shattered, and now they had to endure this terrifying force. I felt like I was about to explode.