The Daoist Nun

Seeing an opportunity, the old man from the Shen Family immediately added fuel to the fire, "Brother! This witch doesn't distinguish right from wrong! She suddenly broke into our homes, burning, killing, and looting! She has harmed countless people! Dizhou is nearby, if we two join forces, we can hold her off for now! The Heng Hai Army reinforcements will surely arrive!"

Who the hell is your brother? Do we even know each other? And you think you can stop me for a moment? She could smash your man to pieces with one slap, what right do you have to stop me?

Li Fan couldn't help but turn his head to take a look, and found that the old man had already taken out a talisman and was already hiding behind him.

Wow, that's quite a clever way to frame someone...

However, this rather fierce-looking nun or Daoist priestess did not rush over to gouge out Li Fan's eyes or anything like that. After all, since she had been startled by Li Fan's Divine Sense probing earlier, even if she could not see through Li Fan's background now, she should know that the other party was not simple and not so easy to deal with. Therefore, she did not immediately draw her sword and fight, but only pointed her right hand and cursed angrily.

"I harm people indiscriminately! Who put something in my tea? Who lit incense in my room?! There are plenty of people who covet my body, do you think I don't know what kind of drugs you used! You filthy dog, you dare to do this to my face, you're the first! If I hadn't caught you today, let's see how many more people you would have tried to harm under the guise of local worship! How many lives you would have taken! Bah!"

Oh, so the Shen Family is secretly harming former rogue cultivators? No wonder the two he encountered not long ago were so ruthless. But to be fair, this nun's appearance is actually quite nice—classic long, straight black hair. If she doesn't speak, she probably is someone who's frequently drugged...

Seeing that Li Fan seemed to have no intention of making a move, and that the female Daoist priest was not provoked and the two sides did not immediately start fighting, Old Man Shen knew that his plan to divert trouble had failed. He decisively gritted his teeth, bit his tongue, and spat a mouthful of blood onto a talisman, igniting the magic seal as he fled. At the same time, he didn't forget to add a sentence...

"Brother, I'll leave this gossipy woman to you! You'll receive a generous gift later!"

This guy had repeatedly tried to frame Li Fan with ill intentions, which disgusted Li Fan. He flashed after him, grabbed the old man from the Shen Family who had just landed with his escape talisman, and then used another escape technique to return. He threw the old man in front of the female Daoist priest and sneered.

"Don't walk so fast, brother. I noticed your stories are contradictory, and there seems to be some misunderstanding, so I stepped in to mediate. Let's discuss this face-to-face and clear things up. Let's not wrong an innocent person, nor let a guilty person get away with it."

The Shen Family patriarch was completely dumbfounded. He looked at the burnt escape talisman in his hand, and then at the people on both sides whose cultivation levels he couldn't fathom. Knowing that he had made a mistake, he shrank back, his body went limp, and he closed his eyes to await his death.

When Li Fan saw the old man's appearance and considered the local people's simple and honest customs, he knew that this old man was probably a hypocrite who had caused a lot of harm. This time, he had run into a brick wall and gotten burned, so he had only himself to blame. So he cupped his hands to the Daoist nun, wanting to explain the matter.

Before Li Fan could even speak, the Daoist nun pointed at Li Fan nose and shouted.

"I'm seeking my own revenge! I'm avenging my own hatred! What business is it of yours to meddle! What are you pretending to be so high and mighty for! Bah! I don't owe you any favors! You old dog! Get lost! I'll spare your life today, but I'll take your dog's life tomorrow!"

Upon hearing this, the old patriarch of the Shen Family twitched his ears, instantly revived, flipped himself up, bit his tongue, spat out a mouthful of blood essence, and used magic to fly away.

Li Fan clenched his fists, mouth agape, the words "Damn it, you crazy woman, are you sick in the head?" stuck in his throat, almost spitting out.

Fine, you crazy old hag, you think you're so tough? You think menopause is especially long at the Nascent Soul Realm? If I can't beat you, I'll just avoid you. Goodbye!

So Li Fan didn't bother with any more words. He cupped his hands in greeting to the Daoist nun, said nothing, and turned to leave.

As a result, the Daoist nun did some calculations with her fingers, then suddenly rolled her eyes and let out a shrill, eagle-like scream as if she had fallen ill, which startled Li Fan.

"Holy crap! What's wrong with you now?"

Then, without answering, the madwoman suddenly spread her arms wide, soaring into the sky like a flying eagle, disappearing into the distance. No one knew what kind of magical secret technique she used, but it was not much slower than a teleportation technique. In a short while, the shrill sound was heard from near to far, and then from far to near again.

Then, Li Fan watched expressionlessly as the old man from the Shen Family, who had just escaped, was brought back with a blank expression. After exchanging a glance with Li Fan, the old man's head was smashed open with a slap.

You promised to take the dog's life tomorrow...

The Daoist nun snorted coldly, "Can't I change my mind?"

Fine... why can't you do it... it's none of my business...

Li Fan spread his hands, shrugged his shoulders, turned his head, and flew off in a certain direction.

After flying for a while, he stopped and turned to look at the Daoist nun following behind him.

The Daoist nun snorted coldly, "The world is vast and open! It's none of your business where I want to go!"

"..."

Li Fan narrowed his eyes and stared at the Daoist nun. They stood frozen in place for a moment, and the nun also stood still. Then, Li Fan suddenly vanished, and sure enough, a sharp shriek was heard, and the nun chased after him again.

He goes east, she goes east; he goes west, she goes west; he stops, she stops; he runs, she runs...

Well, at first Li Fan thought this crazy woman was just acting on a whim and wanted to deliberately provoke him into a fight.

Li Fan could tell that this woman's cultivation was extraordinary and that she couldn't be killed in a few moves. He considered it and decided he couldn't be bothered to fight to the death for a mere point. If he were to waste his True Essence, wouldn't his Divine Transformation be even more distant? So, of course, he didn't want to pay her any attention. But who knew that this Daoist nun would shamelessly follow him and he couldn't shake her off!

Even if Li Fan suddenly uses Ice River Escape, she will soon shriek and pounce on him, just like a stalker. What's even more terrifying is that she seems to enjoy it! She really has nothing better to do than to make fun of Li Fan!

To be fair, one or two times would be fine, after all, the traces of the glacier were obvious. But the fact that he couldn't create distance with his escape techniques one after another, and instead the other party caught up with him, surprised Li Fan. This Daoist nun did indeed have the strength of a proper True Cultivator, but strangely, Li Fan's Divine Sense couldn't see through her methods. He didn't know whether she had a magic weapon protecting her or some kind of extraordinary skill protecting her.

Li Fan was cornered and had no choice but to stop and recuperate. It wasn't that he couldn't continue running, but if he did, he would have to reveal his superior skills. He had already inexplicably wasted a lot of his magical energy on this madwoman; if he used powerful methods and still couldn't shake her off, wouldn't he lose face?

And seeing her follow like a tail, without even breaking a sweat, it seems her skills go beyond that.

Li Fan remained silent for a moment, then bowed and said, "May I ask, fellow Daoist, how many clouds and dragons are there, what are the characters above and below, and where is the direct bloodline of the Three Mountains...?"

This time, the Daoist nun seemed to be in a good mood seeing Li Fan back down, so she didn't scold him. She cleared her throat, straightened her robes, and as if she had been waiting for Li Fan to ask her this question, she answered loudly, "I am Li Wugou of Emei. And you?"

Li Fan squinted and glanced at her sideways.

You must be a fake Emei disciple...

Although Li Fan had never actually fought Emei, he had personally seen genuine Divine Lords and True Person-level nuns. Their demeanor and bearing were worthy of the praise of the leader of the Xuanmen sect, far beyond what this village gossip could compare to.

Moreover, after running two laps, Li Fan had noticed something. Could a proper Nascent Soul Stage cultivator from Emei not even have a decent escape technique? That flying skill with its rolling eyes and shrieking didn't seem like a proper Xuanmen technique at all; it was more like some kind of unorthodox method to stimulate potential.

Moreover, when the madwoman blew his head open in front of him, the palm technique she used was not the true style of the Emei Pifeng Biyue. The Daoist nun's attire was also ambiguous, as if she was impersonating an Emei nun to disguise her identity.

Besides, even if one disguises their identity, does the Emei sect's elders teach their disciples that when they go out and introduce themselves, they shouldn't even greet the Xuan Girl of the Nine Heavens with a respectful salutation?

This Daoist nun was also quite sensitive. Seeing the doubt on Li Fan's face, she immediately raised her eyebrows and was about to explode again, "What! You don't believe I'm from Emei!"

Oh well, whatever...

Anyway, we're all just navigating the world. Li Fan himself has a whole bunch of character skins, and besides, this world is inherently cruel to beautiful women. Dressing up as a Daoist nun to protect herself using the prestige of the Emei sect is understandable. With such an extreme personality, maybe she suffered some trauma in her youth. Let's be a little more understanding of someone with a mental illness...

Li Fan then bowed and said, "So you are the Emei Real Person. My apologies for my rudeness. I am Li Er, a wandering cultivator."

Li Wugou, who was called the Emei Real Person, relaxed her brows for a moment, as sweet as if she had eaten honey. But upon hearing "Li Er," she suddenly turned hostile, "You're indirectly mocking me!"

Oh my god, this person is so tiring to be around...

Li Fan said helplessly, "I also have the surname Li, and I'm not a disciple of any prestigious family. I just called him Erlang casually. Please don't misunderstand, Master."

Li Wugou even did some mental calculations with her fingers, then nodded, "Then forget it."

This girl... she won't hit you, and communication is so difficult. Li Fan was scratching his head and could only patiently ask.

"What brings you here, sir? It was just a misunderstanding earlier, shouldn't everything be cleared up now?"

Li Wugou glanced at Li Fan, "You don't need to worry about me! I just want to wait for an opportunity to compete with you again!"

However, I haven't seen you do anything wrong yet, so I can't act on it right now. You can do whatever you want, but if you cross any lines, I'll come after you!

???

Li Fan was stunned for a while, unable to follow the other's train of thought. But he felt that this entanglement was not going to work, so he simply said, "Since you, Master, want to compete, then let's not waste time like this. Let's just have a match here, and regardless of who wins or loses, we'll stop when we've made our point and have no further connection. How about that..."

To everyone's surprise, Li Wugou opened her eyes again, "Who wants to stop here with you! One is one, two is two! I, Li Wugou, never exterminate evil completely, nor will I indiscriminately kill the innocent! You just go about your business. If you don't have anything to hide, why are you afraid of me following you!"

Holy crap...

Li Fan was about to blow this crazy woman up when Yue Po suddenly said something.

"I understand."

You understand? What do you understand?

Then Yuepo said, "This Li Wugou has taken a liking to you and wants to cultivate with you."

... What the heck?!????

Yuepo explained, "I heard from the Sun Essence Sword that the Sword Ancestor Xuantian originally intended to give me as a betrothal gift to Senior Sister Han Xiangmo of Emei. Back then, that Senior Sister Han was the one who initially tested Brother Yan by being picky and demanding, always trying to outdo him. After testing him for ten years, she finally saw that Brother Yan's talent and character truly suited her taste. However, due to her strong personality, she held back and refused to say it openly."

Unfortunately, Brother Yan didn't like her. He said that although Senior Sister Han was talented, she was arrogant, unwilling to be subservient to others, and aloof and self-admiring, which often embarrassed Brother Yan's friends.

However, Senior Sister Han was not one to tolerate any dissent. She took the distinction between the Xuan and Mo factions very seriously. She often criticized and lectured Brother Yan for his carefree and unrestrained lifestyle, which involved making friends with all sorts of bad people.

So the two of them were constantly competing, and eventually, they would start arguing after only a few words when they met. This entanglement dragged on for so long that it ultimately ruined what was supposed to be a good relationship...

That's getting off topic. In short, someone like Senior Sister Han is a typical member of the Xuanmen (Daoist sect). The elites of the Xuanmen are often ambitious and disdainful; if they don't like someone, they won't even utter a word, and they won't hesitate to take action. Since this Li Wugou is from Emei, and she's been chasing after you relentlessly without actually fighting, and has said so much, she's probably taken a liking to you and is testing your cultivation and character."

Holy crap? There's even this kind of gossip... No way! Damn it! I haven't even had a few days of peace and quiet on my trip, and I've already hooked up with a nun! And she wants to test me for ten years!? Is this some kind of death trap?!

No, no, no, don't panic, don't panic, don't panic. Maybe it's just idle gossip. The situation isn't dire yet. On the bright side, maybe this Li Shita isn't actually interested in Li Fan's young and strong physique at all, and just wants him dead.

So Li Fan cautiously glanced at the Daoist nun again.

As it turned out, Li Wugou was also staring at him, her gaze quite alluring, and even the fierceness between her brows softened somewhat!

Oops... This is terrible!

Li Fan knew his own explanation might not be very convincing, but he wasn't the kind of lecherous devil who would do anything. Besides, although this Li Wugou was quite pretty, she had a bizarre personality, was mentally unstable, and could infuriate people with her words. Moreover, she was always fully covered up, looking like the kind of ruthless character who would say, "If you dare to betray me, I'll castrate you!"

Li Fan didn't want to provoke this Daoist nun, much less let her keep following him. He had a bunch of secret techniques to cultivate, and he had just gotten rid of that Manifestation Old Thief, so what was the meaning of this nun showing up now?

Li Fan, having gone around in circles, was somewhat desperate. He simply turned back, ignoring Li Wugou who was still following him at a leisurely pace, and returned to Dizhou City.

This time, Li Fan went straight into the Quemei Tower. Moreover, he was prepared; before the swordsmen in the hall could even step forward to question him, Li Fan had already flicked his wrist, sending out a flurry of gold coins and ingots, and clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"Brother, this is my first time visiting this place! Here's a small token of my appreciation! Please take it and enjoy the drinks!"

The thugs hesitated for a moment, then swarmed over and knelt down to pick up the money. Li Fan dodged the crowd, waving a gold ingot in front of the shopkeeper, "Shopkeeper, are there any cultivation sects nearby?"

The shopkeeper hurriedly smiled and said, "There's a Shen Family in the south of the city..."

Li Fan interrupted him, pointing behind him, "That's it. The Shen Family was wiped out. Quickly call your general to come and avenge them."

The shopkeeper's face stiffened. He peeked over Li Fan's shoulder and, sure enough, saw Li Wugou standing at the door—no, floating there. She was dressed in white, ethereal and otherworldly, her feet barely touching the ground. Her brows were furrowed as she surveyed the dirty, muddy streets surrounding the Quemei Tower with displeasure. Then, she pointed at passersby and began to berate them.

"What are you looking at! Haven't you ever seen a beautiful woman before?! Look again and I'll gouge your eyes out!!"

Dizhou City is full of unruly people and bandits. Purely brainless fools have long been dead. As soon as they saw this woman floating three feet off the ground like a ghost, they hurriedly hid far away, afraid that they would be caught in the crossfire when gods fight. How could they dare to offend her?

The local warlords and generals were even more straightforward. As soon as they sensed the arrival of Real Immortal, they didn't dare to show their faces at all. Sure enough, these fierce soldiers and bandits were susceptible to the bullying tactics of the strong.

"Hey, shopkeeper, besides the Shen Family, are there any other cultivation sects?" Li Fan knew such a simple trick wouldn't shake her off, so he focused on getting information. He snapped his fingers to get the shopkeeper's attention, rolled the gold ingot in his hand into a ball, and placed it in her hand.

"Or are there any demons, monsters, or immortals' abodes nearby? Has something major happened to the Heng Hai Army recently? I heard they're going to arrest someone?"

The shopkeeper stared at the golden ball in his hand, swallowed hard, quickly poured a cup of wine for Li Fan, and thought carefully for a moment, then said, "How could I possibly know about matters concerning immortals? Arrest them..."

Oh, right, right, I heard from the soldiers that recently some demons from Yellow Heaven Dao were making corpse demons and plotting something sinister, but they were suppressed by the Heng Hai Army. The military commander has ordered the entire territory to search for Yellow Heaven Dao's remaining followers; arrest anyone wearing yellow clothes."

"Yellow Heaven Dao? The Corpse Demon?"

Having already witnessed it all, Li Fan didn't touch the drinks. He just stroked his chin, pondering. He didn't know if the man in yellow was a genuine member of the Yellow Heaven Path or just an unlucky fellow who got a mouthful of cold water. Besides, the Fiend Corpse was barely considered a rare monster, and only those at the Golden Core Stage were worth taking seriously. To him, it was too weak; he wouldn't even bother with such trash.

"Is it just something as trivial as corpses? Think again, are there any other demon god altars, ghost temples, monster caves, goblin lairs, or the like?"

"What's 'Ge Bila'...?" The shopkeeper looked helpless. "Our Dizhou is guarded by the Heng Hai Army, so it's very peaceful. Everyone is a law-abiding citizen; no one picks up lost items on the road, and there aren't even any bandits..."

Li Fan narrowed his eyes and turned to look at the law-abiding citizens who were already stabbing each other with knives in their fight for money, with blood splattering everywhere.

"They were just joking around." The shopkeeper wiped his sweat and chuckled, but he knew Li Fan was definitely not satisfied, so he added an explanation, "Our Dizhou is close to the Gen River, and the North Suwei is stationed on the other side. There are no natural defenses, and the Jiezhen army is not stationed here. Immortals from all over the country pass right over our heads. There are a lot of spies coming and going, so what major incident could possibly happen?"

"Immortal, if you also want to investigate the situation in the north, you should go to Shuofang as soon as possible to join the fun; perhaps you'll still make it in time."

"Oh? What kind of excitement is there to join in Shuofang?"

"Recently, the envoys of the Ten Jiedu of Gen Province are gathering in Shuofang to plan Northern Expedition."

"... Northern Expedition?" Li Fan was bewildered. "You... warlords... actually organize your own Northern Expedition??"

The shopkeeper knew Li Fan was from out of town, and wasn't surprised by his expression. "Actually, we organize these trips quite often, like seizing cattle, sheep, and horses during holidays..."

However, this time it wasn't that the Jiezhen wanted to Northern Expedition. In recent years, merchants and spies had frequently reported that the northern Hu Barbarians had elected a new Chanyu (ruler), who had established Royal Court with nine banners in the Yinshan and Qiushui areas, and held alliances and sacrifices to heaven, seemingly harboring ambitions to invade the Central Plains. The territories of the various towns in Hebei were the first to be affected, so recently they planned to join forces and march out of the border to test the abilities of this new Chanyu.

However, the tribe of that Chanyu was unfamiliar; it seemed to have appeared out of nowhere—Xipi? Or perhaps Xiba or something like that...

In short, if we don't go as soon as possible, we won't be able to earn this military reward.