Yun Ling's New Home

Ten minutes passed in the Real World, while three days and two nights had already gone by in the Inner World.

The night sky of the Inner World was vast with stars. The crescent moon resembled a little silver boat, leisurely sailing across the heavens.

"Whoosh!"

Xian He appeared out of thin air, carrying a sack of wood flour and holding his beloved wife Yun Ling's little hand.

It was pitch-black all around, so dark he couldn't see his hand in front of him.

Luckily, two large red lanterns hung at the gate across the river, showing them the way.

"It's so dark. I'm scared~" Yun Ling clung tightly to Xian He's arm, pressing her chest against his biceps as if afraid he'd leave her behind and run off alone.

Xian He intertwined his fingers with Yun Ling's and gently reassured her, "Don't be afraid. It's safe around here. There aren't any wild animals, and there's n—"

"Awooo—"

Before he could finish, a wolf howled in the distance.

"Y-you said there weren't any wild animals!" Yun Ling's legs went weak with fright.

Xian He swallowed and put on a brave face. "Don't be afraid. Those are all domesticated. They won't hurt us."

Holding Yun Ling's slender hand, Xian He carried the wood flour across the bridge at a quick pace, pushed open the gate, and entered the courtyard.

After bolting the gate from the inside, he felt much more at ease.

"System, how can there be wolves in the Mountain River Society Diagram?" Xian He asked silently.

[The Inner World is the Primordial World. It's perfectly normal for there to be wolves.]

[But rest assured, Host. As long as you don't enter the forest, neither you nor your wife will be attacked by a pack of wolves.]

Xian He wasn't satisfied with the system's answer. "No, the Mountain River Society Diagram has already acknowledged me as its master. How can there still be things inside that can hurt me?"

[The Mountain River Society Diagram is a Divine Grade Nine treasure. It won't acknowledge a master lightly. Only when Host has raised both his bone structure and spiritual root to Heavenly Dao level will he be able to fully control it.]

"I have to improve not just my bone structure, but my spiritual root too?" Xian He felt a headache coming on.

Bone structure determined a person's talent as a martial artist, while spiritual roots determined their talent as a Spirit Master.

Was the system trying to make him cultivate both martial arts and spiritual arts?

Thanks, System. You've really gone to a lot of trouble for me.

Once he'd calmed down, Xian He pulled Yun Ling up from where she was slumped on the ground and continued toward the courtyard.

He passed through the gate passage and turned left into the front courtyard. The view opened up before him.

Sensor lights were installed all over the Siheyuan. They lit up whenever someone came near.

Come to think of it, why hadn't they installed a couple of light bulbs outside the main gate? Why hang two lousy lanterns instead?

Showing off? There were only him and Yun Ling in the Inner World right now. Who were they showing off for?

"Little Brother Xian He, I really need to use the restroom. Where is it?" Yun Ling released his arm, her face flushed as she hurriedly asked in a quiet voice.

"Over there. Turn left!" Xian He pointed west and warned her, "Be careful. It's a pit toilet. Don't fall in."

The restroom stood at the far west end of the front courtyard, in a small yard opposite the gate passage. They could reach it through a round archway.

Aside from the restroom and the gate passage, the front courtyard also had three rooms facing the street, meant for the gatekeeper, guests, and servants.

While Yun Ling went to the toilet by herself, Xian He carried the wood flour along the covered walkway to the kitchen in the back courtyard.

The kitchen was very close to the gate passage, separated from it by only a screen wall.

As soon as he pushed the door open, the kitchen's sensor light came on.

Xian He poured the wood flour into the flour jar, then looked up at the electric light overhead.

He followed the wire outside and understood.

So the tiles on the Siheyuan weren't ordinary tiles at all. They were solar-powered roof tiles.

"No wonder it's a building above Grade Seven. This thing's freaking awesome!" Xian He gave a thumbs-up.

"Little Brother Xian He, where did you go? Come out quickly! Don't leave me here all alone. I'm scared~"

Suddenly, Yun Ling's slightly hoarse voice rang out.

"Wait for me. I'm coming right over!" Xian He shut the kitchen door and hurried back to the front courtyard along the covered walkway.

Yun Ling was standing before the hanging-flower gate, peering through the crack and cautiously looking inside.

"Silly girl, this is our home. Why are you sneaking around like a thief?"

Xian He scooped her up in a bridal carry, kicked open the second gate—the hanging-flower gate—and strode into the back courtyard.

"Look, this is the tree I picked the fruit from." Xian He stopped in front of the Crystal Pomegranate Tree and set Yun Ling down. She was as limp as a noodle.

Was the girl really this sleepy? She'd even managed to fall asleep while he was carrying her like that.

Yun Ling murmured a couple of times, then closed her eyes and fell fast asleep again.

"Never mind. We can look tomorrow." Xian He carried Yun Ling into the room on the east side of the north building, laid her on the soft heart-shaped bed, and helped her out of her clothes.

Yun Ling's name might have sounded light and airy, but she was no lightweight. She must have weighed around a hundred pounds.

He always gave her whatever the leader rewarded him with to eat. No wonder she wasn't thin.

Still, a little extra weight was nice. He liked slightly chubby girls best.

The night passed without incident.

At dawn, the morning clouds glowed like brocade.

Yun Ling was still fast asleep, but Xian He had already gotten up.

After tucking Yun Ling in, Xian He went to the river to wash his face and used a towel to wipe down his slightly sticky body.

Gazing at his reflection in the water, Xian He stroked his chin and admired himself. "I've gotten even more handsome."

For some reason, a red dot had appeared inexplicably between his brows. No matter how much he washed, it wouldn't come off.