Meeting Nannan in Yan Capital

Jiang Yun had heard Jiang Shuanglan mention Yan Capital several times.

There were quite a few cultivators in Yan Kingdom, so naturally there were places for cultivators to trade. Yan Capital had a street where cultivation resources of every kind were sold.

Backed by Yan Kingdom's six great paradises, it was also the largest gathering place for independent cultivators in the kingdom.

The Eastern Wilderness, as its name implied, lay in the east. Vast and boundless, it was famous for its many great wildernesses, from which it got its name.

The Great Wilderness was boundless, with magnificent mountains and rivers, dense primeval forests, and stretches of hundreds of thousands of miles without a trace of human habitation. Few people ventured there.

Many cultivators went to explore the Great Wilderness with hope in their hearts.

Though exploring the wilderness meant facing countless unknown dangers, the Great Wilderness contained inexhaustible rare treasures and exotic wonders.

There were always lucky people who struck it rich there, even finding divine materials and extraordinary artifacts.

These were bought at high prices by certain Ancient Era aristocratic families and holy lands. With the precious cultivation resources, scriptures, and secret arts they obtained, the road ahead became smooth.

Countless independent cultivators hoped to become the next lucky one.

Though Yan Kingdom was small, it had the Desolate Forbidden Land and possessed some degree of renown.

After leaving the Great Wilderness, some independent cultivators sold all manner of genuine and fake exotic treasures here.

Jiang Yun wanted to take a look as well. Perhaps he might find some rare ingredients for refining Golden Cores.

Yan Capital also had every kind of common spirit herb seed needed to establish a medicinal field.

When he voiced the idea, Jiang Shuanglan was also interested, while Little Dingdang supported it with both hands raised.

Even Xia Weier, who had been timidly tidying the courtyard nearby, looked up.

When she accidentally met Jiang Yun's gaze, she immediately blushed like a startled deer and lowered her head to her chest again.

Seeing how eagerly they all anticipated it, Jiang Yun decided to form a group with the three of them and head to Yan Capital together.

Jade Cauldron Paradise was only a little over four hundred li from Yan Capital, not far for cultivators.

Yan Capital had a long history. Dynasties had risen and fallen repeatedly upon this land, and most had chosen to establish their capitals here. Since ancient times, it had been the center of this region.

The ancient city walls bore the marks of time's vicissitudes.

Yan Capital was exceptionally prosperous, its streets packed with bustling crowds.

Accustomed to facing an empty valley every day, Jiang Yun suddenly found himself back in such a lively and flourishing capital. It felt both familiar and strange.

"Golden-thread honey dates, big and sweet!"

"Crispy chicken wings! If they aren't delicious, you don't pay!"

"Zhang's soup dumplings! Thin wrappers, generous filling, bursting with delicious broth! Come and try them!"

"Candied hawthorn skewers, only one copper coin each!"

The three women before him also looked toward the lively mortal world with faint longing in their eyes.

Jiang Yun sighed softly.

"Cultivation, cultivation... Isn't cultivation meant to give us more time to enjoy the mortal world? Yet many cultivators gradually drift farther and farther away from it."

Perhaps once everything had settled down in the future, he would have more time to experience these things.

Jiang Yun then took the three of them around to all sorts of food stalls, and they ate until they were completely satisfied.

Just as Jiang Yun was about to leave for the area where cultivators gathered, he was stopped by a little girl.

"Big sister... I'm hungry. Please buy me a steamed bun. I'm begging you, Nannan is really, really hungry."

A tender, pitiful voice rang out. A child was lightly tugging at Xia Weier's skirt.

When they looked down, they saw a dirty, pitiful little girl blinking her large eyes as she gazed up at them.

She looked only three or four years old. Her clothes were tattered and ragged, as though they had not been changed in a long time, and her face was covered in grime. Only her eyes remained bright and clear.

Jiang Yun's entire body shook as he looked at the little girl before him. Yan Capital... Nannan.

Of everyone in the world of Shrouding the Heavens, the one Jiang Yun remembered most deeply was undoubtedly Xiao Nannan.

The little girl's pitiful experiences had made him, a grown man, cry more than three times.

Xiao Nannan grew frightened under Jiang Yun's stare. Looking as if she feared being scolded, she timidly lowered her head even further and immediately did not dare speak.

"Would you like big sister to buy you something to eat?"

Xia Weier's voice sounded at that moment. She crouched down and gently stroked Xiao Nannan's lowered little head, without the slightest hint of disgust.

Looking at Xiao Nannan, Xia Weier seemed to see herself from more than ten years ago.

Jiang Shuanglan noticed Jiang Yun's strange reaction and asked quietly in confusion:

"What happened just now? Is there something wrong with this little girl?"

"Nothing. She just brought back some bad memories."

Jiang Yun's expression returned to normal, but as he looked at Xiao Nannan, he had never expected to encounter her here.

He took Xiao Nannan to have a lavish lunch.

During the meal, Xia Weier learned of Xiao Nannan's pitiful background. She had no relatives at all.

She also often forgot things that had happened before. It was heartbreaking; her life was even more miserable than Xia Weier's had been back then.

All three women sympathized with her deeply. Moreover, Jiang Yun also seemed to sympathize with Xiao Nannan, causing another thought to arise in Xia Weier's mind.

After taking Xiao Nannan out for a meal, Xia Weier looked at Jiang Yun with a pleading expression and said:

"Can Xiao Nannan come back with us? I'll watch over her, and she won't disturb you."

Jiang Yun had already had the same thought but had not yet voiced it when Xia Weier spoke first.

"Of course. I had the same idea. Let's take Xiao Nannan back with us. The valley will be livelier too."

Setting aside Xiao Nannan's pitiful background, she was the Dao Fruit of a Great Emperor. The higher one's realm, the more one would revere her. Having her there was also like possessing a protective talisman.

"Senior Brother Jiang Yun, you really are a good person."

Gathering her courage, Xia Weier praised Jiang Yun, then lowered her flushed face.

Jiang Yun did not know whether to laugh or cry. Those words were so familiar.

He crouched down and said gently to Xiao Nannan, "Nannan, would you like to live with big brother and these big sisters?"

"Can I really, Big Brother? Nannan is very obedient. I can wash clothes, mop the floor, and learn anything."

The little girl looked nervous. Hope appeared on her face as she spoke softly.

"Of course you can. You'll stay with us from now on. We'll take care of you like a little princess."

Jiang Yun gently patted Xiao Nannan's head.

"That's wonderful! I can be a big sister from now on!"

Before Xiao Nannan could speak, Little Dingdang's cheerful cry rang out beside them.

They then took Xiao Nannan to buy several sets of pretty clothes, and the three women helped her clean herself up properly.

In an instant, Xiao Nannan became as lovely as a little princess, rosy and adorable, like an elf accidentally left behind in the mortal world by immortals.

Xiao Nannan was very pure-hearted. Over the following hours, she seemed to forget all her previous unhappiness, and her little face was filled with laughter and joy.

The process of taking in Xiao Nannan went smoothly. While wandering the world, she had been adopted many times before.

But because she never grew up, people regarded her as a monster and abandoned her again, leaving her to drift through the mortal world.

After helping Xiao Nannan dress up, Jiang Yun and the others headed to the cultivators' district. Perhaps because he had encountered Xiao Nannan, Jiang Yun's luck was exceptionally good.

He spent all his Source Stones and several dozen bottles of Hundred-Grass Liquid to purchase several batches of spirit herbs and precious materials capable of refining One-Turn Golden Cores.

Only a precious spirit herb called Blood Origin Fruit could not be found. Getting it would depend on luck.