Li Jiang said coldly, "You're not an ordinary child."
Shen Xun raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue.
“As far as I know, people who have reached a certain level of cultivation can change into any form at will, whether they are adults or children. However, this transformation technique has a time limit. As for you,” he paused, then continued, “since you have been with us, your form has always been the same and has never changed.”
Shen Xun tilted his head: "What does that prove?"
Li Jiang: "This means your cultivation has reached a terrifying level. Another possibility is that you are not human at all, but a demon or some other species."
"hehe……"
The soft, sweet laughter drifted into Li Jiang's ears. In the dark night, where no one was around, it sounded ethereal and eerie, making one feel a sense of dread.
“If I really wanted to do it, I’m afraid you wouldn’t have left Chu Hua Mountain alive. You should be glad that I have no hostility towards you, instead of trying to provoke me time and time again.”
He was just an ordinary pretty child, but his words were cold and ruthless, carrying a subtle but powerful aura that even Li Jiang could hardly withstand.
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead. Before Li Jiang could draw her sword, Shen Xun's eyebrows twitched, he withdrew his oppressive aura, turned around, climbed onto the bed, and took the innermost spot.
"Well, I'm exhausted from walking so far today, I'm going to sleep now."
Before long, low, even breathing could be heard, accompanied by soft murmurs, as if she had drifted off to sleep.
The candle burned out, leaving only a small patch emitting a faint light. Li Jiang sat motionless at the table, her tightly clenched fist slowly opening, trembling slightly.
He looked at the back of Shen Xun, who was already fast asleep, with a depth he had never seen before.
...
The next morning, the sky cleared up and the rainwater on the ground was still wet. The owner opened the door early, and the chill of the early morning air rushed into the door, filling the entire inn with the fresh smell of earth.
Qinghe shivered as soon as she opened the door. She seemed to be half asleep. Although her hair was not messy, her disheveled clothes showed that she had not dressed up properly.
He squinted at the counter and mumbled to the owner, "Do you have anything to eat?"
The shopkeeper looked her up and down, and replied, "Yes, yes, yes, please wait a moment, I'll bring it to you in a bit." He thought to himself how open-minded this girl was, going out without even dressing properly, not afraid of being seen.
After a stick of incense had burned, the owner knocked on Qinghe's door, carrying a steaming bowl of plain noodles.
Upon opening the door, the owner's eyes lit up; indeed, people look better when they're dressed up.
"Your noodles, sir."
Qinghe thanked him, took the noodles, and closed the door.
At the same time, the doors of the two adjacent rooms opened simultaneously.
Li Jiang and Mo Junqian exchanged a glance. Mo Junqian was sleeping soundly, while Li Jiang looked tired and had bloodshot eyes, as if she hadn't rested well.
Mo Junqian: "Are you alright?"
Li Jiang shook her head, rubbed the corner of her eye with two fingers, and whispered, "It's nothing."
Mo Junqian glanced at Shen Xun, who was still half asleep inside, and whispered, "Is it particularly tiring to be around a child?"
Li Jiang didn't want to talk about anything related to children right now, so she gave a few perfunctory words and went to the counter to ask the owner for breakfast, while also asking about the distance from here to Luochuan City.
Luochuan City is the most prosperous city in the south. Although it is not large in area, its wealth is comparable to that of a country.
Taverns, gambling dens, brothels, and commercial establishments were simply dens of extravagance for the wealthy.
Due to its terrain, trade, and other factors, this place is a melting pot of all sorts of people, with inconsistent government policies, and is therefore considered a "no man's land." Anyone who wants to get rich or enjoy a life of leisure can come here. Even many high-profile criminals with criminal records come here to lay low until things calm down before going out to continue their evil deeds.
The reason Qinghe and the others returned here was entirely for the Imperial Mirror Manor on Moon Mountain behind the city.
The Imperial Mirror Manor occupies the entire Moon Mountain, and the only way to get there is through Luochuan City. To reach the Imperial Mirror Manor, one must pass through Luochuan City.
After breakfast and a short rest, it was time to leave the inn. Qinghe was still groggy and staggered out the door. Unexpectedly, a horse's neigh pierced her ears. She looked at the person who came in with displeasure and saw a large brown-red colt leaping up on its front hooves, standing in front of her like a dark cloud.
Qinghe was now fully awake. She patted her cheeks and looked closely, and a familiar face came into view.
The man dismounted and immediately went to Mo Junqian, exclaiming, "We've finally caught up with you! I thought we wouldn't make it!"
Looking at the people who came in front of them, everyone except Qinghe had a puzzled expression.
Seemingly oblivious to their expressions, the man continued rambling, "You guys left so fast! I originally went to Tianqi Capital to find you, but I had to ask so many people before I found out you'd already left. I had to ride as fast as I could to catch up, and I'm exhausted..."
Mu Dong finally couldn't help but ask, "Who are you? Do we know you?"
The man stopped speaking, trying his best to suppress his embarrassment, and said, "You may not have seen me before, but that's okay, he knows who I am."
In an instant, all three pairs of eyes turned to Mo Junqian.
Mo Junqian frowned and remained silent.
A crack finally appeared on the man's face as he tentatively asked, "You don't remember me? We fought side by side before, I'm Lingyin!"
Mo Junqian suddenly realized that the girl in front of him was Lingyin, whom he had met during the Weigu Trial.
Mu Dong and Li Jiang also remembered that this Lingyin was a new batch of disciples, and they had met her once at the welcoming party.
Li Jiang: "Why did you come to find us? Has something happened to the sect?"
Lingyin waved her hand: "No, it was the sect leader who sent me. He asked me to give this to you."
Li Jiang took it; it was a crystal ball. It seemed that her martial uncle had stored what he wanted to say inside the crystal ball.
"I received it. Go back and tell your master that everything is going well here, and ask him not to worry."
Lingyin exclaimed, "No way! I didn't come here just to deliver a message. My master said I should come with you to gain experience and broaden my horizons. Besides, I'm a girl, how can you bear to let me go back alone!"
Mu Dong retorted, "Then why did you come alone?"
Lingyin acted spoiled, saying, "Oh, I don't care, I'm not going back. Just take me with you, maybe I can help."
She jumped to Mo Junqian's side, grabbed his arm, and almost bumped her face into his chin.
Mo Junqian was startled and quickly shook off her hand, keeping a close eye on Qinghe out of the corner of his eye, afraid that she would see him.
The moment Qinghe saw the female lead, she was lost in her own world. The plot of the original book was spinning rapidly in her mind, but in the end she found that it didn't match up at all, as if she was trapped in an unsolvable vicious cycle.
She didn't realize what was happening until Shen Xun tugged at her.
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