Girl, Do Not Be Afraid

Night had fallen deep, but lanterns filled the entire city, making everyone forget the hour.

Tonight, some were destined to remain sleepless.

After continuing to spout nonsense and sending Shu Ni and Ning Shisi away, Jiang Wang felt somewhat tired. Having watched for so long, he found the temple fair rather uninteresting.

The Green-robed Cultivator carried the wicker chair as Jiang Wang slowly left the entrance to Qixia Street.

He went straight to West City Alley.

Naturally, he did not truly set foot inside. Instead, he lay down in the wicker chair within the bounds of Qixia Street and had the Green-robed Cultivator fetch Master Tao.

"Young Marquis, the temple fair is so lively. Why have you come here?"

Master Tao followed the Green-robed Cultivator out of the alley.

Jiang Wang smiled. "Aren't you holed up at home too, instead of joining the excitement?"

Master Tao said, "I am getting on in years. Besides, the temple fair is the same every year. Even if there are some new amusing tricks, they are more to young people's taste."

Jiang Wang turned serious. "There is something I need to get straight, otherwise it will always feel like a thorn lodged in my heart."

Master Tao asked doubtfully, "What do you mean, Young Marquis?"

Jiang Wang said, "You used to pester me endlessly to tell my fortune. You must explain that so-called Fierce Evil Energy clearly. You can capture Wangliang, which proves you do possess some skill. So how exactly did you see my fate path?"

Master Tao looked rather ashamed. After hesitating, he said, "Truthfully, I only wanted to earn some silver from the Young Marquis. Since the Young Marquis was physically weak, Marquis Xunyang had tried every possible means to cure you. But at the time, the Marquis did not regard me at all."

He hurriedly added, "That was all nonsense, Young Marquis. Please do not take it to heart!"

Jiang Wang looked deeply at Master Tao and smiled. "When you said you could tell my fortune, I did not believe you. Now you say it was all false, and I still do not believe you."

Master Tao anxiously wiped his sweat. "I did see a kind of energy on the Young Marquis, but it was absolutely not Killing Intent. I do not know what it was either. Everyone respectfully calls me Master Tao, but in truth, I have only just entered the path. Young Marquis, you must believe me!"

Jiang Wang found that last sentence very familiar, so he returned the very words he had said back then. "Do you think I believed you?"

Master Tao also felt as though he had heard those words before. After staring blankly for a moment, he said urgently, "Tao has always acted openly and honestly, treating others with sincerity. Heaven and earth can bear witness..."

Jiang Wang waved a hand to interrupt him. "Your skin is really thick. One moment ago, you said you were speaking nonsense, and now you say you are sincere. Even if you are lying, you should at least make the logic work."

Master Tao's face twitched as he gave an awkward laugh. "In my entire life, I have only told one... uh, two... perhaps three, four, five, six... perhaps dozens or even hundreds... lies. But I guarantee that what I am saying now is absolutely the truth. Young Marquis, you really must believe me!"

Jiang Wang stared at him: (?0?1_?0?1)

The Green-robed Cultivator's facial muscles trembled. He looked as though he wanted to laugh but was forcing himself not to, making him terribly uncomfortable.

"Well..." Master Tao slowly backed away. "The Wangliang at home are calling for me. Let us meet again."

But the instant he turned around, the Green-robed Cultivator was already blocking his path.

Jiang Wang said coolly, "If you are deceiving me, you should know the consequences."

Master Tao nodded like a pounding garlic press. "Every word is true, truer than gold!"

Jiang Wang looked to the Green-robed Cultivator. The latter moved aside, and Master Tao wiped away his cold sweat as he ran into the alley with a placating smile.

The Green-robed Cultivator said, "Mr. Jiang, I think that Master Tao truly possesses meager ability. Genuine celestial masters are scarce in this world to begin with. Those capable of seeing... of understanding fate paths—perhaps even the Old Master in the Divine Capital of the Sui Kingdom would not dare speak rashly."

He had nearly exposed Mr. Jiang's identity as an immortal, but fortunately changed his wording in time. He could not help swallowing.

Jiang Wang said nothing. Though he felt that Master Tao was concealing something, the man was probably not lying from beginning to end. As long as it had nothing to do with that so-called Fierce Evil Energy, he did not care all that much.

Master Tao could hardly have truly seen the existence of the Divine Kingdom.

After gently closing the gate, Master Tao turned and leaned his back against it, slowly letting out a breath. He muttered, "Young Marquis, it is not that I refuse to tell the truth. Who told you to have such an unusual birth date and eight characters? If one wishes to truly walk far upon the path of a celestial master, blindly fumbling about on one's own is useless. I wonder whether that person will keep his promise after all..."

Forty li south of Hun City.

On a rugged mountain road shrouded in mist, a carriage that looked as though it had been smashed apart lay overturned by the roadside.

Du Yanruo pressed her back against a wooden board and held her breath.

Suddenly, a sharp object covered in soft spines pierced straight through the board. Then a head emerged from the mist, its gaping bloody maw open wide as a wave of stench assaulted her nose.

That head nearly pressed against Du Yanruo's face. Four scarlet eyes stared fixedly at her.

Du Yanruo could not control the trembling of her body. Her face had gone deathly pale from fright.

She had never expected to encounter the monster Luo Yong here!

Luo Yong rarely traveled alone, usually moving in packs. Recalling how Qixia Street had once been besieged by many Luo Yong, could it be that even more Luo Yong were planning to attack Hun City?

But why had she been so unlucky as to run into them herself?

She had no ability whatsoever to contend against the monster Luo Yong.

She had finally managed to escape. Was she going to die here instead?

Dark shadows stirred ahead, and another Luo Yong appeared.

Its body was pitch-black and two zhang tall, with only the tips of its claws white. Four eyes as large as her head emerged from the dense mist, terrifying to behold.

Cai Tanggu had once explained that Luo Yong were monsters without any intelligence, their actions driven entirely by instinct. Sometimes, even when facing cultivators, they did not know to fear them or flee. Unless one possessed the power to kill Luo Yong, one should not entertain any wishful thoughts upon encountering them. If one could run, one had better run quickly.

Though she knew this well, Du Yanruo was surrounded on all sides and had nowhere to escape.

Her desire to survive made her grip the sword in her hand tightly, yet she did not dare truly strike.

At the thought of being torn to pieces by the monster Luo Yong, she shuddered from head to toe.

Five Luo Yong surrounded the wrecked carriage. Du Yanruo's vision seemed filled entirely with eyes, and nausea surged up within her.

She waved her sword as tears streamed across her face, roaring herself hoarse.

One Luo Yong stepped forward. A leg like a pillar planted itself beside Du Yanruo, and it lowered its head, about to open its jaws and bite down.

The previously calm mist suddenly began to churn.

The melodious sound of a flute drifted over.

Immediately afterward, a Flying Sword directly severed that Luo Yong's head.

Dark green blood drenched Du Yanruo from head to toe.

The remaining four Luo Yong howled in unison, their cries like thunder rolling across the sky.

A figure emerged from the dense mist.

His white robes fluttered, a jade flute in hand. His features were resolute, with a pair of sword-like brows and eyes as sharp as blades.

He raised one hand slightly, and the Flying Sword turned back.

After shaking the dark green blood from its blade, the newcomer looked at the terrified Du Yanruo and said softly, "Girl, do not be afraid."

Then he swung his sword.

Two dull thuds rang out.

Dark green blood sprayed everywhere.

Another Luo Yong lost half its body.

The remaining three Luo Yong charged madly at the man in white.

Black saliva splashed from their mouths onto the trees, which withered to death in an instant.

But the man in white casually flourished his sword, intercepting every drop of the black saliva.

He strolled leisurely around the three Luo Yong as though taking a walk in a courtyard. With only one strike, at an incomparably tricky angle, he separated all three Luo Yong's heads from their bodies.

The man in white took out a black handkerchief and wiped his sword clean. Once the sword was returned to its sheath, he walked toward Du Yanruo and said, "There should still be monster Luo Yong nearby. Girl, wait here for a moment. I will return swiftly."

As though speaking only to himself, he turned and left at once.

Du Yanruo still had not recovered her senses.

The sword slipped from her hand.

Her body went limp as well, collapsing to the ground. Looking at the five monster Luo Yong corpses before her, she felt as though she were dreaming.

After waiting for half an hour, the man in white finally returned.

But his originally spotless white robes were now stained with much filth.

All of it was the blood of monster Luo Yong.

"This is quite strange. There are actually over a hundred Luo Yong within dozens of li. In past immortal-seeking expeditions, I have never heard of monsters moving on such a large scale."

The man in white pondered silently. When something was abnormal, there must be a monster behind it. Could it be that Immortals Descend had truly appeared in Hun City?

The Sui Kingdom had sought immortals countless times in the past, yet there had never been the slightest trace of one. He had originally thought this time would be the same, that it would be difficult to gain anything real. He had not expected such an unexpected delight.

He recalled that when he had set out, his teacher had emerged from seclusion, something he rarely did. It was said that his teacher was heading deep into Kutan to slay monsters. Any monster requiring his teacher to personally deal with it was surely terrifying beyond measure.

After the Mirage appeared in Hun City, disorder had begun to arise throughout Kutan.

Seeing that dark green monster Luo Yong blood had even congealed upon Du Yanruo's face, the man in white stepped forward and asked, "This place is deserted. Why is the girl here?"

Du Yanruo lifted her eyes. The man before her was not as handsome as Jiang Wang, but he was still exceptionally good-looking, enough to leave Su Lingyi several streets behind.

Moreover, he had casually slaughtered the monster Luo Yong, and his strength was far beyond anything Su Lingyi could compare to.

Thus, some thoughts rose within her.

But when she recalled the scene of Jiang Wang frightening Tan Lao Liu into begging for mercy, she felt that even if she asked the man in white to save her father and younger brother, the chances of success would likely not be high.

For a moment, she was conflicted.

The man in white, however, assumed Du Yanruo had been frightened badly. He did not ask further, instead saying, "There is a stream nearby. Girl, you may wash up there for now."

He needed to change clothes as well.

With that, he walked away on his own.

Du Yanruo glanced over, picked up her sword, and followed him.

All the monsters here had been eradicated. The man in white assured Du Yanruo that she could rest easy, choosing a stretch of stream some distance away where they definitely would not be able to see each other.

He removed the clothes covered in Luo Yong blood. With a light wave of his hand, a new set of clothes appeared out of thin air.

After restoring his image of fluttering white robes, he suddenly remembered that the girl likely had no clean clothes to change into.

After hesitating briefly, he walked toward where Du Yanruo was washing.

He thought he only needed to leave a set of clean clothes there.

But when he saw Du Yanruo, he discovered that she was sitting by the stream and had not washed at all.

A regretful thought rose in the man in white's heart.

He immediately shook his head several times, then pulled another set of clothes from thin air, identical to the ones he wore. Seeing Du Yanruo turn around in alarm, he promptly explained, "Girl, do not be afraid. I came to bring you clothes."