Looking Young

At Lai Fu Inn, Ji Li followed Lu Xun's gaze toward the entrance and met the newcomer's eyes.

The newcomer wore black and stood at least six foot one, a little taller than the just-over-six-foot Lu Xun.

The person in black was very fat, her entire torso shaped like a ball.

Just as the saying went, "Every story has a fat person." It was just that most stories had a fat man, while this newcomer was a woman.

She seemed to be trying her hardest to dress herself with an immortal air, striving to match the worldly image of cultivators. But she was simply too fat, making it all futile.

Lu Xun noticed her because he knew that the newcomer really was a cultivator.

Don't be fooled by her size—she could really fly, like a hot-air balloon.

Her name was Murong Yan. Perhaps her parents had hoped she would be as carefree and light as a swallow, but it had turned into quite the jinx.

The reason Lu Xun knew of her and remembered her name was because after the open beta, she had served as a "Novice Village Mentor." But she was not the Novice Village Mentor of Wei County—she was clearly from neighboring Greenwood County.

He had no idea why she had appeared in Wei County.

There were countless cultivation sects in Heavenly Dust, but any sect had to take disciples. They all followed the path of sustainable development.

So cultivators were not impossible to find in the mortal world. The more they showed off, the more disciples they could recruit.

Just like prestigious universities never worried about a lack of applicants, while diploma mills always clung to the mindset of scamming whoever they could.

As long as someone had the aptitude for cultivation, they would try to trick them in. Many new players fell for it at the beginning, thinking their futures were bright, only to delete their accounts and start over in bitterness later on.

But Murong Yan was different. She was not from some diploma mill. Her sect would count as a Project 211 or 985 university even on the Tian Chen Continent, though it was somewhat unusual...

Murong Yan, standing at the entrance, naturally noticed Lu Xun and Ji Li looking at her. She already drew plenty of attention wherever she went, so she had long grown used to it.

But when she clearly saw Lu Xun's face, she could not help but freeze slightly.

There was no shortage of handsome people in cultivation sects. On the contrary, there were quite a few.

Heaven was just that cruel. While granting some people exceptional talent, it even threw in beauty as a bonus.

—But gave you nothing.

Still... this was the first time Murong Yan had ever seen someone this handsome.

Even with her experience, she had to admit that he was the most handsome man she had encountered in her life.

After exchanging a glance with her, Lu Xun stopped looking her way. Instead, he paid the Shop Assistant and had him take Ji Li and him to their rooms first.

The Shop Assistant turned and gave Murong Yan an ingratiating smile. "Please wait a moment, miss. I'll take these two guests upstairs first and come right back."

Murong Yan nodded. She did not put on any airs, merely sat down on a long bench, and the bench creaked.

Poor thing.

She watched Lu Xun and the others head upstairs. When she saw Ji Li's Wedding Dress Sword, she could not help but let out a soft sound of surprise.

With her discerning eye, she naturally recognized it as a Magic Sword. She could also tell that Ji Li was merely an ordinary young martial artist.

Possessing a treasure invites disaster, Murong Yan thought.

After going upstairs, Lu Xun entered the first Heaven-class room. To his surprise, Ji Li slipped in after him.

"What? You're really determined to share a room with me?" Lu Xun asked, taken aback.

Ji Li's face was hidden behind her veil, so he could not tell whether she had blushed, but her ears had definitely turned red. "I'm going to sell these weapons. Are you coming?"

"No." Lu Xun waved a hand lazily.

Clearly, Ji Li had not given up. This troublesome girl was still hoping to use him as a Cauldron, probably afraid he would take the chance to run away.

"Then... how about I give you half the silver from selling them?" Ji Li suggested.

Lu Xun: "..."

He looked at Ji Li and said seriously, "Those are clearly my spoils of war. I gave them to you."

"But I carried them all the way back!" The heavy hammer in her hands slipped down a little, and Ji Li lifted it back up with a hint of grievance.

Fine, he would stop teasing her. Silver was of little use to Lu Xun anyway, and the money he had on him was already enough to last him a long time.

After a few seconds, Lu Xun stroked his chin. "It's not like I can't accompany you..."

"Take off your veil and let me see your face," he said with a smile.

He had actually intended to take Ji Li out anyway. But after seeing Murong Yan, Lu Xun had a new idea and a preliminary plan for his future development.

Asking Ji Li to remove her veil was merely something to tease her with while he had nothing better to do. At the same time, he was somewhat curious about what she looked like.

Though he had never heard this name while playing Heavenly Dust and knew she was no important character, they had traveled together for a while, and she had even briefly served as his mount. What was wrong with seeing her face?

Besides, this was the first time he had encountered a girl who wanted to capture him as a Cauldron. He found it rather interesting, so he ought to know what she looked like.

Ji Li had been lowering her head. Upon hearing that, she immediately turned away and hurried toward the door, saying in a mosquito-like voice, "Then I... I'll go back to my room and freshen up first."

Lu Xun: "..."

He should not have asked her to remove the veil.

A full quarter hour passed before Lu Xun heard a knock on the door.

He opened it, looked down, and burst out laughing.

I am an emotionless leveling machine. I have received professional training. No matter how funny something is, I won't laugh—unless I can't hold it in.

This little girl who kept clamoring about making him her Cauldron had developed quite well, so although Lu Xun felt that she still had a childish air about her, he had not thought she was that young.

But what sort of little face was now standing before him?

She had bright eyes and pearly teeth, and was especially cute. Lu Xun even felt that she still had a little baby fat!

You're a middle schooler!

Thinking about finding a Cauldron at such a young age? Your way of thinking needs some education! It needs to be purified!

Ji Li was not very tall to begin with. Taken as a whole, she looked like a middle school girl who had stuffed two things into her clothes—a little brat who had developed a bit too early!

Seeing Lu Xun smile so brilliantly, she was first dazed by it, then came to her senses. I should be angry right now!

So she puffed out her cheeks and said, "I knew you would laugh!"

As she grew angry, her little face looked even rounder. She lifted her chin and puffed out her chest. "Hmph! I'm really not as young as you think! I'm plenty grown up!"

"Oh? Then tell me, how grown up are you?" Lu Xun asked with a smile.

"I'm sixteen! My face just looks young!" Ji Li raised her head to look at him, though for some reason, she also unconsciously rose onto her tiptoes.

At sixteen, she would still be a child on Earth, but in this world, she had indeed reached marriageable age.

In some small villages, girls married at eleven or twelve. Child brides were even common.

This world was full of malice toward little girls.

Looking at her now, this troublesome girl merely had a naturally youthful face, plus... ahem.

"She's three years younger than Lu Yu," Lu Xun immediately thought of his younger sister on Earth.

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

Knock, knock, knock—