The biting wind blew against his face, like sharp blades scraping against Xie Shuci's skin.

He pulled his hood down a little, but the weight on his heart lingered for a long time.

Xie Shuci was not fully prepared for the dangers that might still arise on his path ahead, as he had almost never tried to face any danger alone.

Unlike his initial naive and fearless decision to leave the Little Immortal Sect, Xie Shuci now deeply understands the ruthlessness and cruelty of this world. He realizes that he is now truly alone.

Fortunately, Xie Shuci is no longer as afraid and helpless as he was back then.

After leaving Tianzhu City, Xie Shuci traveled for five days until he arrived at Luofang City, a place he had visited with Xie An before. He then stopped to rest for half a day before setting off again and to learn about the situation.

Luofang City is located in the center of Bianzhou. It was originally under the control of the Helian family. After the Helian family head's theft of destiny was exposed, the Hundred Sects abolished the Helian family's qualification as an immortal sect, and it seems that another immortal sect has been put in charge of Luofang City.

"Is there anything you need, young master?"

A man in a black cloak stood in front of the wonton stall. The vendor looked at him suspiciously and asked a question.

The man's face was mostly covered by a hood, revealing only half of his slender and handsome chin. The smooth and beautiful lines of his chin made him hard to look away.

The man stood there blankly for a long time before he came to his senses when he heard the vendor's voice. He lowered his head to cover up his unease and said in a muffled voice, "I want a bowl of wontons."

"Alright! Please wait a moment, sir."

Because the Immortal Sect Selection is about to be held in Sangqi City, more and more Immortal Sect disciples have been flocking to Bianzhou in recent days. Luofang City is located in the center of Bianzhou, and there must be many disciples from Immortal Sect families coming and going. There are also people dressed strangely like this man, so I didn't pay much attention to it.

It was past noon, and there weren't many people at the wonton stall. The man casually found a corner spot and sat down.

Smelling the aroma of the wonton soup, the man breathed a sigh of relief, took off his hood, and revealed a well-behaved young face.

Xie Shuci stared longingly at the boiling wonton soup in the pot, his mouth watering.

Along the way, to avoid wasting time, he traveled day and night without stopping, let alone eating anything flavorful or hot. In these five days, he barely ate or drank anything. If it weren't for passing through Luofang City, a place he had once passed through with Xie An, Xie Shuci would not have planned to stop at all.

Nothing had changed in Luofang City; it was exactly the same as when Xie Shuci had visited. It seemed that the events involving the Helian clan had not left any impact on them.

Thinking back to how she had come and gone with Xie An, but now she was all alone, Xie Shuci couldn't help but sigh, resting her chin on her right hand and lost in thought.

"Come on in, sir, thank you for waiting!"

The vendor placed a steaming bowl of wontons in front of Xie Shuci, and paused for a moment when he saw Xie Shuci's face.

Xie Shuci thanked him and said, "The weather has been getting colder lately, could you please make me an extra bowl of soup?"

"Alright." The vendor snapped out of his daze, turned around, and poured Xie Shuci a bowl of soup. "Please enjoy, sir."

Thank you.

Xie Shuci stuffed a wonton into his mouth, steam rising from it. His tongue was burned, but he chewed it a couple of times and swallowed it.

The piping hot wontons slid down her throat and into her stomach, and Xie Shuci's icy body finally felt a touch of warmth.

There was no one else at the wonton stall except Xie Shuci. The vendor stared at Xie Shuci listlessly for a couple of seconds, then smiled at the way he wolfed down his food and said, "Sir, where are you from? You look kind of familiar."

Xie Shuci's body trembled, and he involuntarily lowered his head. He had become known to the world in Luofang City, and perhaps some people here still remembered what he looked like. Xie Shuci took a sip of soup and said, "I am from Bianzhou. When the Dragon Fang Secret Realm opened, I came here with some of my senior brothers."

"Oh, no wonder." The vendor nodded, seemingly without doubting Xie Shuci's identity.

Xie Shuci breathed a sigh of relief and, not wanting to attract his attention any further, lowered her head so low that it was almost buried in the bowl.

The vendor, perhaps bored out of his mind, wanted to chat with Xie Shuci a bit more, so he asked, "Sir, are you planning to participate in the Immortal Sect Selection in Sangqi City?"

Xie Shuci hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "Yes."

"Then why are you alone? Where are the others?"

His words struck a chord with Xie Shuci, causing her nose to sting and her to bury her head even lower. The steaming wontons in her mouth became difficult to swallow.

Xie Shuci has fair skin, which is especially noticeable when her cheeks turn red. Her eyes also seem to have a reddish tinge, and her chewing movements have slowed down.

His change was quite obvious, and the vendor realized he had misspoke. A little embarrassed, he scratched the back of his head and said, "Sorry, I..."

Xie Shuci's eyes were a little moist, and he shook his head, saying, "It's nothing, I just remembered some things from the past."

Seeing that he was young, the vendor sat down next to him and asked gently, "Sir, have you encountered some bad luck? If you need help, go to the Feng family. By the way, you may not know, but since the Helian family head's affair was exposed, the Feng family has taken over Luofang City."

Xie Shuci hadn't spoken to anyone for several days. Feeling the vendor's kindness, Xie Shuci felt a lump in his throat. He was the kind of person who could probably hold back if no one paid attention to him, but once someone showed him concern, he felt he could vent and quickly lost control of himself.

Xie Shuci pursed her lips, shook her head, and said, "It's nothing. Something happened at home, and now I'm all alone."

Upon hearing this, the vendor exclaimed, "Oh dear... what's going on here? You're still going to Sangqi City?"

"……Um."

The vendor sighed, patted him on the shoulder, and said nothing.

Xie Shuci took two sips of hot water with his head down, when he suddenly heard a commotion ahead. He quickly covered his head with his hood and picked up a wonton to put in his mouth.

"Raise your heads!"

Several people dressed in black disciple robes rushed into the nearby inn, holding a portrait in their hands, and were examining the appearances of the people inside.

Xie Shuci vaguely heard them say his name, and he breathed a sigh of relief. Even if they cut off Xie Shuci's head and held it in their hands to compare, they would never recognize him.

The vendor quickly approached the inn's door, glanced inside, and then gestured twice to Xie Shuci, signaling him to leave quickly.

Xie Shuci looked at him with suspicion, but did not make a move.

The vendor gritted his teeth, walked to the table, and said, "What are you all standing there for? Run!"

Xie Shuci was stunned for a moment, not understanding what he meant.

The vendor clicked his tongue and lifted him off the chair. Xie Shuci quickly picked up his wontons as well, "W-what are you doing? I haven't finished eating yet..."

"Don't you know?"

"Know what?" Xie Shuci looked completely bewildered.

"The Hundred Gates recently had your portrait redrawn, and they're after you! The Feng family disciples won't do anything to you, but those people were sent by the Hundred Gates!"

"Do you know who I am?"

"nonsense!"

Seeing that the group of disciples had come out of the inn, Xie Shuci set up a barrier around himself while holding a bowl of wontons.

This barrier was taught to him by Sikong Ye, and ordinary cultivators cannot detect it.

The vendor stared in astonishment as Xie Shuci suddenly disappeared from sight. The group of disciples, after observing him, moved on to the next location.

After the group of people had gone far away, Xie Shuci released the barrier, and more than half of the wontons in the bowl had been eaten.

The vendor rubbed his eyes in disbelief. "You...you're a human or a ghost?"

Xie Shuci: "..."

What do you think?

The vendor hurriedly pulled Xie Shuci to sit down beside him, "What kind of magic is this? Teach me, please! So my wife won't find out if I go out to play cards in the middle of the night!"

Xie Shuci rolled her eyes and asked, "Do you know who I am?"

"Ah, Xie Shuci, who doesn't know him?"

"Damn it!" Xie Shuci put down her chopsticks and covered his mouth. "Keep your voice down! Don't give me away!"

The vendor slapped his hand away. "Speaking of which, are you and that Xiao Xun really in that kind of relationship?"

"..." Xie Shuci was speechless. "I didn't realize you were so gossipy. Aren't you afraid of me? Aren't you afraid of him?"

The vendor shrugged and said, "What does your business as cultivators have to do with us ordinary people? Who cares who you are? You saved us back then, and I can't repay kindness with enmity. But you'd better leave quickly, or they'll find out sooner or later, and if they find out I'm protecting you, I'm finished!"

Xie Shuci chuckled; his gloomy mood of the past few days had improved somewhat because of a few words from a complete stranger.

Xie Shuci took one last sip of the wonton soup and said, "Thanks."

"Don't try to get on my good side, we still have to settle this debt."

"knew!"

Xie Shuci took out a silver ingot, and the vendor accepted it with a smile. "As expected of Young Master Xie, you are so generous! Please wait a moment, sir, and I will find it for you right away."

When the vendor finished making sure the money was plentiful and was about to hand it to Xie Shuci, he turned around to find the stall already empty. A smiling voice floated from the air: "Thank you, I'm leaving."

The vendor paused for a moment, looked at the empty wonton stall, and suddenly sighed.

"Life is unpredictable!"

Seeing that there was still half a bowl of wontons left, the vendor muttered, "What a waste!"

"Don't give it back to me!" Xie Shuci's voice suddenly came from the air.

The vendor instantly put on a smiling face, quickly stuffed the silver into his pocket, and said with an embarrassed smile, "You haven't left yet?"

Xie Shuci originally planned to stay in Luofang City for half a day to rest, but unexpectedly, this mishap occurred. With no other option, he had to set up a barrier around himself and swagger away from Luofang City.

However, the trip was not without its rewards, and Xie Shuci's mood improved considerably compared to when he arrived.

At least in the cultivation world, he hasn't reached the point where everyone wants to kill him; there are still people who don't care even if they know his identity.

Even this level of tolerance was a bit unbearable for Xie Shuci. He didn't know how Xie An could remain unaffected by being rejected by the entire cultivation world. If it were Xie Shuci, who didn't even have anyone to talk to here, he would die of loneliness sooner or later.

Having successfully left Luofang City, Xie Shuci released the crane from the divine ship and took it to the surrounding mountains to eat some spiritual herbs.

The spiritual herbs here are quite rare. Xie Shuci searched for half an hour before finding a place full of spiritual herbs. He let the crane eat in the grass for a while, while he leaned against a tree to rest for a bit.

Perhaps it was because I had been too stressed these past few days, but as I felt the wind blowing on my face, carrying the scent of grass and earth, I fell asleep without realizing it.

In the hazy light, a gentle breeze caressed my face.

Even in his sleep, Xie Shuci did not dare to let his guard down. He vaguely heard several voices not far away. His consciousness was instantly pulled out of his sleep, and he suddenly opened his eyes. He found that these voices were not far from him. He lowered his upper body, almost crawling on the ground, using the half-person-high spiritual grass to cover himself, and quietly looked in that direction.

When Xie Shuci saw several disciples of the immortal sect surrounding the crane and talking all at once, he thought to himself, "Oh no!" He unconsciously clenched his fists and frantically tried to think of what to do.

He can get away on his own without any problem, but what about the crane? He can't just leave the crane here, can he?

Xie Shuci gritted his teeth. Judging from their clothes, they shouldn't be from the Hundred Sects. This place is so close to Luofang City, there shouldn't be any outsiders coming to the mountains specifically to look for something. He wondered if they were disciples of the Feng family that the wonton vendor had mentioned.

According to the vendor, he and Chu Guiyi helped Helian Zhu kill the Helian family head and break the seal on Luofang City to save them. Therefore, even if the Feng family captured him, they wouldn't do anything to him. In this situation, Xie Shuci had no choice but to take a gamble!

Moreover, these disciples look younger than Xie An, and they might not be his match. Xie Shuci should be able to escape from them with the crane, but... in that case, his whereabouts will inevitably be exposed. But there's nothing he can do about it; he can't just kill people to cover it up, can he?

Xie Shuci concealed his presence, intending to get closer to assess the situation.

Xie Shuci crawled forward on the grass without being discovered by the group of young cultivators. They were probably too young and had never truly ventured into the cultivation world on their own, so they were completely unaware of the potential dangers. Xie Shuci breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that these people should be easy to deal with.

Xie Shuci didn't delay any longer and stood up abruptly from the bushes. "What are you doing here?"

Xie Shuci crossed his arms over his chest, raised his chin, and tried to make himself look fierce, with an arrogant and haughty demeanor.

The sudden appearance of the person startled the few junior cultivators.

They realized what was happening and drew their swords, pointing them at Xie Shuci.

Xie Shuci looked at the silvery blades in their hands and felt a pang of regret. Why hadn't he thought to bring a weapon with him? Although he wasn't very good at using them, they could still intimidate people!

He originally wanted to keep the wooden sword he had given to Xiao Xun with him, but he searched the room several times and couldn't find it. He guessed it wasn't anything valuable and that Xiao Xun had thrown it away for some reason.

Just as Xie Shuci was pondering whether he should simply fight them outright, he saw one of the junior cultivators point at him, staring in disbelief, and say, "I've seen you before! You are... um!"

The moment he opened his mouth, Xie Shuci intended to take action, but before he could finish speaking, four or five people with him suddenly covered his mouth and nose and held him up.

"Shut up!"

"You know nothing!"

"Let's go, let's go! We've found the medicinal herbs the patriarch asked us to find, let's hurry back!"

Xie Shuci watched helplessly as the four or five people carried the young cultivator in the middle back.

The crane calmly lifted its hoof and continued eating its grass.

Xie Shuci: "?"

What's going on here?

Ah! I just remembered something!

The junior cultivators who were walking away suddenly stopped.

"Can't we talk about this when we get back?"

"Cough... I just suddenly remembered, what sect are we... what sect are we again?"

Those around him looked at him with suspicion, but after a frantic look in his eyes, they suddenly realized what he meant, covered their mouths, coughed, and said, "We are naturally the Feng family of Bianzhou!"

"Oh dear, I remember our young master and many inner disciples were trapped in the Dragon Fang Secret Realm and couldn't get out. We tried many methods but none of them worked. Then one day, the young master and the others suddenly returned and said..."

"Huh? What did you say?"

The young cultivator glanced back at Xie Shuci, and seeing that Xie Shuci was listening to them, he continued, "It seems that a group of people of unknown origin opened the secret realm and released them! The patriarch has long wanted to thank them in person!"

"I see!"

Yes, yes.

Xie Shuci: "..."

"Oh, right! Also, although our family has decided not to participate in the Immortal Sect Selection, the family head has learned some things beforehand. I heard, it seems, from one of the top ten Immortal Sects that on the only way to Sangqi City, even that... what's the name of that place again?"

"I've also heard the patriarch mention it; isn't it called Moonlit Dock?"

"Oh! It's that legendary cultivation academy, Yuemanwu, the most famous cultivation academy in the cultivation world!"

Xie Shuci: "..."

Actually, I can hear you even if you keep your voices down.

"Yes, it's said that there are at least a dozen disciples from immortal sects lying in ambush there! Apparently, if you capture Xie something and Xiao something before they enter Sangqi City, you can directly gain the opportunity to enter the Floating Pagoda Mirror!"

"I see! I see!"

"So, it seems there are quite a few people lying in ambush at Yue, Man, and Wu!"

Xie Shuci: "..."

Okay, thank you.

"Alright, that's enough about your legs, let's go."

"Walk……"

"Ah! I remember now!" The disciple, who was being held in the middle, suddenly turned around and pointed at Xie Shuci, "You are Xie... um!"

However, before he could finish speaking, several other people covered his mouth and dragged him forward.

"No need to thank me!"

"Thank me my ass!"

"Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!"

The little cultivator's eyes

He stared wide-eyed at Xie Shuci without blinking.

Xie Shuci chuckled and waved at him.

He mounted his horse, placed a protective barrier on himself and the crane, and left the Inner Spirit Grassland.

On the way back, the junior cultivators of the Feng family were discussing the people they had just encountered.

"What are you doing! That's Xie Shuci!"

"Nonsense! We're not blind!"

"Didn't the patriarch want to see him? Why are you all..."

"Are you out of your mind! The cultivators from the Hundred Sects are right here in our city. Inviting him back now would be like throwing a lamb to the slaughter! Don't forget, he's just a pill cultivator. How could he possibly defeat those people from the Hundred Sects!"

"...Oh, right."

"But seriously, she's really good-looking."

"I heard Xiao Xun is handsome too, they really are a perfect match... Pshaw! They're a match made in heaven!"

"Can't you speak properly? But seriously, little alchemist and a killer cultivator... tsk tsk, that's really exciting!"

As they were talking, they suddenly felt something fall from above. They instinctively reached out and caught it, and soon several pure white pills appeared in their palms.

The group's eyes widened instantly, their breathing becoming erratic. "This...this is...a top-grade pill?! How could this be..."

Someone grabbed him by the back of the head, and the group of people knelt down on the spot, clasped their hands in front of the air, and said, "Thank you, senior!"

Even though no one responded, they remained kneeling for a moment before getting up and leaving.

As they walked toward Luofang City, one of the disciples turned around and looked in the opposite direction. A figure riding a white horse suddenly appeared on the road that had been deserted just moments before.

He seemed to be in a good mood, humming a light tune that faintly echoed in everyone's ears from several meters away.

The group stopped and turned around simultaneously.

At the end of the road, the man sitting on horseback turned around as if by telepathy.

He raised a bright smile, his eyes crinkling into crescents. Seeing the young cultivators watching him, he gracefully spread his arms and waved vigorously at them in the air, his lips opening and closing as if saying goodbye.

The white horse beneath him deliberately raised its front hooves high, trying to throw him off its back. He quickly turned around, grabbed the reins, steadied himself, and leaned down to the horse's ear, cursing and swearing.

The young cultivators stared at him blankly until he and Bai Ju disappeared at the end of the road, then they slowly withdrew their gazes.

"He...is good..."

What's so good about it?

I'm not quite sure how to describe it.

The most silent disciple in the group turned around and said, "He's like a vibrant color, enough to cover anything."

Overly bright colors will be loved by some and hated by others.

"It would be fun to be with someone like that, wouldn't it?"

"Damn it! I'm suddenly a little envious of that big devil Xiao Xun."

"Ugh, this is so annoying! I don't know why, but I feel like crying..."

"……Me too."

After leaving the vicinity of Luofang City, Xie Shuci felt as if he had been fully recharged.

Despite the possibility of revealing his whereabouts, Xie Shuci was still glad that he had come to Luofang City.

The place I once visited with the little blind man is so beautiful, enough to comfort Xie Shuci's heart.

No matter how rugged the road ahead may be, Xie Shuci has no shortage of courage to take it.

——

South of Bianzhou, the moon shines over the valley.

Moonlit Dock is a town comprised of an academy.

The city is home to disciples from all over the country, and talented people emerge here every year. Even from Huaizhou, which is the most distant, many immortal sects and families send their most valued disciples here for training.

The city was mostly populated by young disciples. Looking around the streets, all you could see were young faces, which was a very pleasing sight.

At that time, a large group of people arrived outside the city gate of Moonlit Dock.

The man at the head of the group was handsome with a smiling face and a gentle and refined demeanor.

He turned to look at the dawdling disciple behind him and called out, "Wen Feng."

Chu Wenfeng frowned as he looked at the three large characters "Moonlit Dock" written on the door, his expression extremely unwilling.

"I never want to come back to this place again in my life," Chu Wenfeng cursed. "A bunch of old bastards!"

"I've heard the news!" Chu Guiyi looked at him sharply.

Chu Wenfeng waved his hand, "I know, I know!"

Chu Wenfeng had attended classes at Yuemanwu for half a year a few years ago, but he couldn't stand it anymore and secretly slipped back to the Chu family. He refused to come back no matter what. The head of the Chu family almost crippled his legs, but he still wouldn't give in. In the end, Chu Guiyi stepped in and agreed to teach Chu Wenfeng, and the matter was dropped.

The group entered Moonlit Valley, where the streets were filled with young male and female cultivators, all dressed in extraordinary clothes, clearly not disciples from ordinary families.

A woman sat in a roadside teahouse, her face cupped in her hands, gazing intently at the portrait in her hands, occasionally letting out a silly giggle, "Good brother..."

Chu Wenfeng shuddered upon hearing her soft, seductive voice and couldn't help but glance at the portrait. But looking at it made him want to vomit.

The portrait depicted none other than Xie Shuci's dog-like face.

Suppressing his discomfort, Chu Wenfeng turned to Chu Guiyi and asked, "Senior Brother, where is Xie Shuci? Has he been caught?"

Chu Guiyi shook his head and said, "Shuci shouldn't be caught by them so easily."

Chu Wenfeng nodded. "That's true."

The two looked up and suddenly saw several familiar figures ahead, causing them to pause in their tracks.

Chu Guiyi looked at the group of people in surprise and murmured, "How come they're here?"