Picking Up a Little Girl

The slanting rays of the setting sun shone over the surroundings as Xiao Yi Xian walked down the street. The candied hawthorn skewer in her hand was especially sweet, and she had forgotten when she had last eaten one.

Ever since she had started working to support her family in her previous life, she had gone a long time without snacks. It seemed that after growing up in that life, she had never truly enjoyed living.

She kept moving forward, wandering without purpose, not knowing where the end lay ahead.

When she was young, people asked about her grades, asked about her ranking...

After growing up, people asked about work, asked about grades, but no one had ever asked whether she was tired.

Time marched on, and she grew older. The more she understood and saw through, the less happiness she had. Perhaps that was the price of growing up!

Yet now, she had come to such a mysterious world, where everything seemed freer than in her previous life. Or perhaps this was what power meant.

Trusting in her own strength...

"Hmm?"

After finishing the last candied hawthorn, Xiao Yi Xian saw someone bullying a child in the alley beside her.

"Whoosh!"

The small stick in her hand shot through the air, wrapped in Dou Qi. The slender stick pierced through the lecherous man.

The dark figure in the alley looked toward Xiao Yi Xian in the fading sunlight, her wine-red pupils staring fixedly at her.

"Hmm?"

Xiao Yi Xian looked at the dark figure. Wine-red pupils?

Moreover, she felt that this child's aura was somewhat extraordinary.

"Is she a magical beast?"

"Why does she not seem like one?"

Xiao Yi Xian walked over step by step, then crouched before the child curled up in the corner with her knees hugged to her chest. Smiling, she said, "Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you."

The child before her was filthy all over. Her worn cloth clothes seemed to have been with her for a long time. Only those wine-red pupils were especially eye-catching.

"Mm!"

The little girl showed no fear at all. Her tiny nose sniffed at the scent drifting over, and she liked the faint medicinal fragrance on Xiao Yi Xian very much.

Smiling, Xiao Yi Xian picked up the child and walked out. As for the corpse beside them, it was silently rotting away.

Xiao Yi Xian did not mind that the little girl was dirty at all. She smiled gently and asked, "What is your name?"

The little girl stared at Xiao Yi Xian for quite a while before saying somewhat indistinctly, "My name is Xiao Ling!"

"Xiao Ling? What a lovely name!" Xiao Yi Xian praised the well-behaved Xiao Ling before her.

Xiao Yi Xian tossed over a gold coin and took Xiao Ling into a bathhouse, carefully washing away the grime on her body and changing her into new clothes.

After her bath, Xiao Ling looked very adorable. And her hair was actually white?

A child of six or seven had white hair?

Xiao Ling's wine-red pupils stared fixedly at the clothes on her body, her face brimming with happiness.

Xiao Yi Xian curiously examined Xiao Ling, but no matter how repeatedly she probed with her soul force, she could not find anything.

Xiao Ling tilted her head and looked at Xiao Yi Xian curiously...

Xiao Yi Xian smiled and hugged the adorable Xiao Ling close. The soft feeling was quite nice. She needed to find Yao Lao; with her soul force, she truly could not make out anything.

"Bang!"

Xiao Yi Xian skillfully kicked open Xiao Yan's door. Looking at the still-cultivating Xiao Yan, she covered Xiao Ling'er's eyes and said flatly, "Yao Lao, I need to speak with you!"

With that, Xiao Yi Xian took Xiao Ling'er into the side room. Yao Lao drifted out from the ring on the table and smiled after glancing at Xiao Yan, whose aura was somewhat unsteady.

Yao Lao glanced at Xiao Yi Xian, then curiously examined Xiao Ling'er over and over. He lightly rubbed his chin with his fingers, as though seriously pondering something.

Xiao Ling'er did not have the expressions a child should have. She was especially quiet and obedient, and only felt safe when she lay against Xiao Yi Xian.

Xiao Yi Xian stroked Xiao Ling'er's hair and smiled as she felt the steady breathing in her arms.

This child did not like talking much. She was especially honest and expressionless too. Who knew what she had experienced?

"I remember now!"

Yao Lao clapped his hands together. As he looked at Xiao Ling'er, a flash of white light passed through his eyes.

"What exactly is this child?"

Xiao Yi Xian was very curious about what this child was. Her aura was extraordinary, yet she did not seem to possess the traits of a magical beast.

Yao Lao smiled as he folded his arms and drifted about. "This little girl may be a Heaven and Earth Spirit!"

"Hmm, a spirit?"

Xiao Yi Xian was a little baffled upon hearing that term. There were spirits here?

Was this not a fantasy world?

Yao Lao instantly seemed to become a different person. With his hands behind his back and the bearing of an immortal sage, he gazed at the silver moon that had risen and said calmly, "This world is vast, and humans and magical beasts are extremely numerous within it.

But there is not only that. For example, spirit materials can take form, medicinal herbs can take form, or Heaven and Earth Spirit materials can take form.

This little girl may have formed from a Heaven and Earth Spirit material. She is a spirit!"

Xiao Yi Xian was still somewhat confused after hearing this.

She knew of medicinal pills taking form, and Heavenly Flames taking form probably counted as some kind of Heaven and Earth Spirit material. But this was the first time she had heard of spirits.

Yao Lao looked at Xiao Yi Xian and smiled. "Heaven and Earth are vast, and anything is possible. A strand of hair, a blade of grass, or a flower may all gain spirit and take form."

After hearing that, Xiao Yi Xian understood. Still, she was not quite used to seeing Yao Lao with such an immortal bearing.

"Then what did Xiao Ling'er take form from?"

She was still very interested in Xiao Ling'er's origins.

"This child is likely a Snow Spirit. Her white hair is proof enough, and one can also sense the origin of snow within her body."

Yao Lao's pupils emitted a silvery-white glow, as though his eyes could see straight through Xiao Ling'er.

Xiao Yi Xian might not be able to see it, but how could he fail to?

Who was he?

He had once been a powerful expert, and an exceptionally skilled alchemist. How could he possibly fail to see it?

Yao Lao was extremely confident. He could still see through such a mere soul origin. There were no restrictions or concealment whatsoever; it was so obvious that he could not possibly miss it.

"Then why would she appear in Wutan City?"

A Snow Spirit should not have appeared here at all. Xiao Yi Xian had many doubts.

"To the north of the Northwest Continent lies a snowy region. She most likely came from there."

Yao Lao looked at the sleeping Xiao Ling'er with some amazement. After all, Heaven and Earth Spirits were exceedingly rare.

He had once seen someone who had taken form from Heaven and Earth Thunder. Their strength had been terrifying, and the lightning they wielded carried a trace of heavenly tribulation aura, making them an invincible existence among those of the same realm.

"You little brat, you really picked up a treasure. This child's talent is terrifying as well. She will definitely be a great help."

Yao Lao looked at Xiao Yi Xian with deep envy. This was a Heaven and Earth Spirit, transformed from a snowflake. The height she could reach in the future would be immense.

Xiao Yi Xian was very happy at the moment. She had gone out once and returned with a little girl possessing excellent talent.

Moreover, Xiao Ling'er could stay by her side from now on. She just did not know whether Xiao Ling'er could withstand an outbreak of her Poisonous Gas.

The possibility of the Poisonous Gas erupting at any time was her only worry now.

Outside, Xiao Yan glanced out, then looked toward Xiao Yi Xian, who showed no sign of coming out. He was truly helpless.

Everything about this older sister was good. Both her looks and figure were excellent, but it was not good that she kicked open doors whenever she disagreed with something.

He had to know that he had been naked when she came in. It truly left him with no masculine dignity at all. If he had not been unable to beat her, he...