Zhu Lian Has a Fist to Ask

Pei Qian arrived at Red Candle Town and found it rather strange. Little Millet actually dared not show herself, only lounging on the mountain cracking melon seeds until she had cracked away every shred of conscience? Once they got back to Luopo Mountain, she would take Zhou Mili to the Patriarch Hall to stand as punishment. Afterward, she could help Nuan Shu sweep the courtyard.

But Pei Qian quickly sensed that something was wrong. A street in the distance was buzzing with noise and debate. With her sharp ears, Pei Qian sprinted over. After listening for a moment, she clenched the Hiking Staff in her hand.

Still stubbornly holding herself back from immediately setting off, she listened a little longer before lightly pushing off with her toes and leaping onto a rooftop. She looked around, then followed the rough route described by the passersby, skimming across the rooftops like a dragonfly touching water and vanishing in an instant.

On the outskirts of Red Candle Town was a crescent-shaped river bend, where exquisite painted pleasure boats reeking of powder and rouge floated on the water. Some pitiful Boatwomen lived aboard them.

Pei Qian stepped onto roughly four or five of those boats. Each one steadily sank a little beneath her feet before abruptly rising again, though the hulls did not sway too badly.

After crossing the river bend, Pei Qian continued onward and spotted a black-clothed little girl. She had left the water's edge and was walking alone up the mountain.

Along the way, Pei Qian could no longer worry about whether she might attract the attention of certain Dao Cultivators, or those Mountain Spirits and water monsters.

She had to see Little Millet first before she could rest easy.

The carefree black-clothed little girl swayed along through the forest, humming