A Man of Such Peerless Beauty Existed in This World

On an official road outside Heyang County.

Gao Yunyi strolled along at a leisurely pace, his steps neither fast nor slow. Relaxed and at ease, he looked like a scholar out enjoying the spring scenery.

Without the Nine Heavens Flowing Cloud Immortal Robe, he lacked that sacred, inviolable majesty, but had gained the bearing of a modest, refined gentleman, as warm and smooth as jade.

Gao Yunyi had thought that changing out of his outfit would make him less conspicuous, but he had clearly underestimated the devastating effect his face would have in ancient times.

Every passerby who came toward him was drawn to his peerless face. Even though he had done his best to conceal it, he still stood out like a firefly in the dark, so striking, so exceptional.

In the end, Gao Yunyi simply stopped bothering to hide it. After all, it wasn't his fault he was handsome.

They could look all they wanted, as long as they didn't keep dropping to their knees and bowing to him.

Being an immortal was more tiring than being a handsome man.

He didn't know how long he had been walking. In any case, Gao Yunyi felt no fatigue, so he treated it as a chance to enjoy the scenery of the ancient countryside.

Back in modern times, although he had rarely gone out, he had all sorts of games and movies to keep him company, so he had never felt lonely.

But now, in an unfamiliar ancient era, with no phone or computer, he actually felt a little bored.

At the thought, Gao Yunyi couldn't help giving a self-mocking smile.

Suddenly,

A neat, solemn ceremonial procession appeared ahead on the official road.

Gongs sounded to clear the way, ceremonial staffs led the procession, and guards accompanied it.

There were quite a few people.

It looked like someone important.

Pedestrians on the road lowered their heads and stepped aside.

Vice Prefect Xiao sat in his carriage, his eyes slightly narrowed, seemingly pondering something.

He had heard the latest rumors about Heyang County.

According to the rumors, after the immortal descended to the mortal world, he had gone straight to Crouching Ox Mountain and wiped out every last bandit there in a single night.

If the rumor was true, then although the Memorial to the Court submitted by the Heyang County magistrate contained falsehoods, as the head of the county, he still deserved the greatest credit.

Heyang County, a mere subordinate county of Dingzhou, indeed lacked the ability to wipe out the bandits on Crouching Ox Mountain. But if an immortal had really helped, that was another matter.

The rumors about the immortal were growing more numerous and more credible, and Vice Prefect Xiao's half-doubtful heart grew ever more fervent.

If the immortal was real, and if he invited the immortal to the Capital and personally brought him before His Majesty, that would be a heaven-shaking accomplishment.

At the thought, Vice Prefect Xiao felt his heart pounding, and his breathing grew rapid.

So he lifted the curtain, intending to breathe some fresh air.

Then he saw Gao Yunyi outside the carriage.

"Gasp... a man of such peerless beauty exists in this world."

Vice Prefect Xiao's eyes went wide, and he murmured to himself without thinking.

Born in the Capital, he had seen countless scions of wealthy households and Aristocratic Clans, including many handsome men with fine features and imposing bearings.

But not one could compare with the unfamiliar young man before him.

Though he was plainly well versed in literature, he could not, for the moment, think of a single word to describe the man's appearance and bearing.

As the carriage passed him,

Vice Prefect Xiao could only stare blankly at the young man's departing figure.

Dingzhou truly is a land blessed with natural treasures and heavenly splendor. Not only has an immortal descended here, but one can even meet a remarkable man of such peerless looks and bearing on the road.

Even an official like me, who has no taste for men, can't help wanting to invite him into my residence for a long, intimate conversation.

Hm... the Eldest Princess in the Capital is exceedingly fond of handsome young men. If I were to present him to her...

Forget it. The matter of the immortal is more important.

Vice Prefect Xiao shook his head, dismissed the thought, lowered the curtain, and closed his eyes to rest again.

The official road led straight to Dingzhou City.

But Gao Yunyi clearly had no intention of entering the city, because besides leveling up, he now had another important matter to attend to.

He needed to catch a spirit pet that could carry him through the air.

As a modern man accustomed to traveling by high-speed rail and plane, he really couldn't stand an age when getting around depended mostly on his legs and was as slow as a crawling tortoise.

This wasn't a game, where spirit birds and exotic beasts were everywhere and could be tamed at will.

Here, he could only search the world himself for a spirit pet he liked.

So he chose a small path and went straight around Dingzhou City.

Gao Yunyi's first choice was a white crane. It couldn't be helped; he was a sucker for good looks.

Whether in form and posture or appearance and bearing, a white crane was the best match for his identity as an immortal.

He wanted to choose the strongest, most elegant white crane as his spirit pet.

Before leaving, Gao Yunyi had already asked County Magistrate Zhang about it. There were white cranes in Dingzhou Prefecture, most of which lived around Yangcheng Dian.

And Yangcheng Dian wasn't far from Dingzhou City.

Gao Yunyi wasn't afraid of getting lost, because he had a map. When he opened the minimap, it became a large map.

Wherever he went, the locked regions of the large map would automatically be revealed, with all kinds of place names and roads marked in detail.

The sky gradually darkened,

Gao Yunyi didn't like traveling at night, so he decided to find somewhere to rest for the night.

But he was out in the wilderness, with no village ahead and no inn behind, and he couldn't find a single place to stop.

With no choice, he walked a little farther and found graves standing all around him. He had come upon a desolate graveyard.

By now, the night had grown deep,

And the place, with its lonely graves and wild tombs, suddenly took on an eerie, terrifying air.

Gao Yunyi was startled, but immediately came to his senses.

I'm an immortal! Why the hell should I be afraid of ghosts?

If there really were ghosts, he would be delighted. He had been worrying about having nowhere to gain experience.

At the thought, Gao Yunyi instantly lost his fear and eagerly walked toward the lonely graves.

What if there really were ghosts in this world?

Although he had killed countless demons, monsters, and ghosts in games, he had never encountered a ghost in the real world.

He wondered if a ghost could withstand one strike of his Blazing Sun Sword Qi.

Unfortunately, he searched the entire graveyard without seeing even a single little ghost. It seemed there were no ghosts in this world either.

The curiosity in Gao Yunyi's eyes turned to disappointment.

Since there were no ghosts, he might as well rest here for the night.

So Gao Yunyi chose a relatively clean grave mound and entered a meditative trance.

Before long, however,

A faint light suddenly appeared at the end of the path.

Zhang Qiang was a suona player from nearby Zhangjia Village. Old Master Cheng from the neighboring village had died that day, and Zhang Qiang had been invited to play funeral music.

After the funeral, he had drunk some wine, and by the time he woke up, it was already late.

Not wanting his wife and children to worry, he had declined the Cheng Household's invitation to stay the night and set off home in the dark.

He had walked this path countless times. Although there was a graveyard along the way, in all these years he had never once encountered a wandering ghost.

Where in this world are there any ghosts?

Zhang Qiang carried a lantern in his hand, the suona he used to earn his living tucked into his belt, and hummed funeral music he knew by heart.

Although his surroundings were eerie and frightening, he didn't feel the slightest fear.

Not until a faint white glow appeared in his field of vision.

Zhang Qiang's brisk steps came to an abrupt halt, and his humming stopped.

He rubbed his eyes hard, as though trying to clear them and take another look to see whether the wine had made him hallucinate.

Then he fixed his gaze on it, and the sight scared his three souls and seven spirits right out of him.

"Ghost, a ghost!"

Zhang Qiang's pupils contracted sharply and his face turned deathly pale. He turned and fled in terror.

He was so frightened that he dropped both the lantern in his hand and the suona at his waist, but didn't dare pick them up. He wished his parents had given him a few extra legs.

"A ghost? Where's the ghost?"

Hearing the commotion, Gao Yunyi immediately woke from his trance and looked all around.

"Liar. Where are there any ghosts in this place?"