Escape Together

The young man, however, was stubborn. He wouldn't listen, wouldn't listen, just wouldn't listen. Even if Pan Yun wasn't sent to the yamen for legal prosecution, he insisted she couldn't be let go.

"If I let someone like this go, I won't be able to rest easy. Who knows when they'll grow into a great weapon? You say killing evil stops evil, but isn't allowing evil to continue also doing evil?" The young man pointed at Pan Yun. "Isn't she considered an evil person now?"

The young woman pondered for a moment and nodded. "Third Senior Brother has a point. Then let's take her back with us. We'll have her cultivate her mind and spirit, and only release her after she's improved."

Pan Yun interjected, "My heart is very kind. I kill people for self-preservation, it was an accident, not intentional. As for killing the cat, that's impossible. We are companions. Before you arrived, I was treating it, that's why it cried so miserably from the pain. The injuries on its body were inflicted by Wang Yong, really!"

The black cat let out a sharp "meow" beside them and hissed at Pan Yun.

To the young man and woman, it looked like the black cat was testifying for Pan Yun.

The young man chuckled awkwardly, "Treating an injury? Then I misunderstood."

"I forgive you," Pan Yun said, sizing up their expressions and pushing her luck. "I was wondering if I could make a request?"

Her eyes brimming with tears, she said, "I haven't seen my father in a long time and miss him terribly. I want to go to Datong to find him..."

The young man: "That won't do. You're so ferocious, how can we possibly let you go just like that..."

The young woman, annoyed by their bickering, said directly, "Either come with us or go to the county yamen. You have two choices."

Pan Yun immediately fell silent.

She dared to haggle with the young man, but she didn't dare to be unreasonable with the young woman.

The black cat suddenly propped itself up on its front half, raised its head, and looked outside the woods, meowing, "Someone's coming."

This time, the voice didn't come from her mind, but was heard with her ears.

Pan Yun couldn't help but glance at it, but her movements were not slow. She immediately looked at the young woman. "Someone's coming."

The young woman also noticed and glanced outside. "You have half an hour. You'd better fill in the pit and erase the traces."

With that, she walked out. As she passed the stones Pan Yun had used to set up the formation, she stopped and kicked them, changing their positions.

Pan Yun saw this, her eyes flashing. It was a very simple illusionary formation, not enough to trap anyone, but it would make anyone who entered unconsciously avoid this area.

The young man leaned on his shovel, looking at her with shining eyes. "That's right, you know supernatural arts. This person was buried so plainly, and with your small frame, you used supernatural arts to bury them, didn't you?"

Pan Yun replied, "That's not called supernatural arts, it's called spells."

After some time, she had refined more spiritual energy. Without delay, she formed a hand seal, and the dug-up earth wriggled and slid back into the pit, slowly becoming firm. The traces of digging had all disappeared.

Not only that, but the ground where she had fallen and stepped also wriggled gently, the marks gradually vanishing, leaving no trace.

The young woman returned and saw this. After Pan Yun had cleared all the traces, she immediately sealed her meridians.

Meeting Pan Yun's wide eyes, she curled her lips. "This is for our safety. Only when we are safe can you be safe."

With that, she threw Pan Yun to the young man. "Let's go."

The young man picked her up and left. Before departing, Pan Yun couldn't help but look back at the edge of the woods. Her gaze passed over the plum trees and happened to catch a fleeting glimpse of a human face.

It was Liu Jing.

Pan Yun immediately became obedient. The spirit talisman hidden in her sleeve slowly dissipated. She placed her palm on the black cat's abdomen.

The black cat sensed the familiar spiritual energy emanating from her body and immediately absorbed it. Unfortunately, the black cat was far inferior to its true form, absorbing less than a tenth before the spirit talisman completely dissipated.

[It's good that you have some conscience,] the Spirit Realm said in her mind. [We are an inseparable alliance.]

Pan Yun: [You're right. Happy cooperation, black cat.]

Black Cat: [Please call me Spirit Realm.]

Pan Yun remained silent, both inside and out, because the young man and woman had carried her to a temple. They skillfully entered a courtyard, opened a door, and went inside.

The young woman said, "You pack up your things, I'll go say goodbye to the abbot."

The young man nodded, placed Pan Yun on the heated brick bed, and began packing his luggage.

Pan Yun sat on the bed hugging the cat, her small legs dangling. She asked obediently, "Brother, what's your name?"

The young man glanced at her. "Please call me Uncle. I am Tao Ji."

"Uncle Tao, and that Missy?"

Tao Ji neatly folded the clothes and placed them on a large piece of cloth. He straightened up wordlessly and looked at her. "You call me Uncle, but you call my Junior Sister 'Missy'? Aren't you afraid she'll come back and beat you?"

Pan Yun: "Girls don't like being called old."

"My Junior Sister isn't an ordinary girl, and who doesn't like being an elder?" Tao Ji said, looking Pan Yun up and down. He seemed to have an idea, his eyes brightening. He leaned closer and said, "Hey, why don't you become my Junior Sister's disciple? You also know supernatural arts, and at such a young age, you have such cultivation. You seem to have good talent."

Pan Yun said proudly, "Not just anyone can be my master."

Tao Ji snorted, "Only those worthy can be my Junior Sister's disciple. She's from the Zhang family of Mount Longhu, inheriting mystical arts through generations. You, at most, only know some supernatural arts."

Pan Yun: "Are you also studying at Mount Longhu?"

"Of course not. I am a Taoist from Mount Sanqing's Sanqing Temple. My Junior Sister also cultivates at Sanqing Temple. This time, we're taking you back to Sanqing Temple to cultivate your mind..."

"Third Senior Brother!" The young woman entered with a set of clothes, looking at him disapprovingly.

Tao Ji instantly came to his senses. He had revealed too much.

So he glared at Pan Yun and turned to continue packing.

The young woman said, "Let's go to my room to change. The plum blossom forest's maze won't hold that person for long. He'll either find the body or come looking in the temple."

Pan Yun obediently followed her.

The clothes the young woman brought were made of a common dark green fabric, about fifty percent new, and were boy's clothes. After putting them on, the sleeves were a bit long, but they could be rolled up.

Pan Yun actually didn't really want to wear them. Although she could smell the scent of soap on the clothes, which had clearly been washed, she still felt unaccustomed to them.

"Whose clothes are these?"

The young woman had already packed her things and slung the bundle on her back. Hearing the question, she looked up at Pan Yun for a moment before saying, "I got them from the temple's charity hall. Some visitors who come to offer incense donate money, and some wash their old clothes and send them here for visitors in need to use."

Pan Yun no longer minded. She tidied up the clothes she had changed out of, wrapped them in a small piece of cloth the young woman handed her, and tied them to her back, just like the woman had done.

Ah, I have luggage now too.

Tao Ji called out from outside. The young woman picked Pan Yun up and said, "My name is Xuan Miao. You'd best behave yourself on the way, I'm not as easily fooled as my Senior Brother."

The two of them met up and immediately took a shortcut, leaving through the side door of the temple.

Not long after they left, Liu Jing, who had been going in circles in the plum blossom forest, finally found his way out and pushed open the temple's back door.

He frowned and began searching the temple. He didn't see any trace of Wang Yong. After thinking for a moment, he decided to follow his instincts and went back to the plum blossom forest to continue searching. This time, however, he brought a monk along with him.

The plum blossom forest was clearly strange. Since it belonged to the temple, someone there should know what was odd about it.