Chapter 42: The Cardinal Token and a Terrifying Flight

“Farewell, Master~~”

“Yes, farewell, Rongrong.”

Outside Yun Jing City, Qu Linglong raised a hand and ruffled Hua Xiangrong’s hair. Hua Xiangrong, in truth, wasn’t much shorter than her.

From her robe, she produced a wooden token, upon which the characters “Cardinal” were carved.

“Rongrong, this is a Cardinal Token from the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion. Should you ever need anything in the future, you can use it to contact me through any branch of the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

And if you want to buy new toys, presenting this token at our pavilion will even get you a discount.”

“Oh, thank you, Master! But Master, if you give me the token, what will you use?” Hua Xiangrong asked with a clear, crisp voice as she took the token with both hands.

“Don’t worry, it’s fine.”

Qu Linglong winked at her. Instantly, a mechanical arm emerged from a box behind her, holding seven or eight identical tokens, which it dangled before Hua Xiangrong.

“Your Master here has a whole dozen of these tokens.”

“That’s right, Rongrong. These tokens are actually what Fellow Daoist Qu gives to her clients. We all have them too.” Lin Qianqian, standing nearby, nodded in agreement, pulling an identical token from her own storage pouch.

Hua Xiangrong: ‘???

“Ahem, what clients? They’re all friends!” Qu Linglong cleared her throat, her expression turning earnest.

“Anyone who receives my Cardinal Token is a like-minded friend whom I, Qu Linglong, acknowledge! Come, Fellow Daoist Hua, you should also accept one.”

Saying this, she handed another token to Hua Yan.

“Well then, Rongrong, esteemed Fellow Daoists, I, Qu, shall take my leave now. It has been a pleasure to meet and spend time with you all during this demon extermination. Until we meet again, if fate allows!”

She cupped her hands in a salute to everyone, then turned and boarded her flying boat. Before long, the vessel transformed into a speck of light in the sky, quietly vanishing amidst the clouds and mist.

****

“Senior Sister, Fellow Daoist Hua, we should also depart quickly.”

Lin Qianqian retracted her waving hand, turning to Hua Yan and Yun Xueshang. She couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I truly didn’t expect, however, that Fellow Daoist Hua would choose to return to the sect with me and Senior Sister first. You truly do dote on Rongrong.”

“Haha, of course I do. She is my daughter, after all.” Hua Yan laughed heartily, accepting the remark.

Regarding this matter, Hua Yan and Yun Xueshang had explained to Lin Qianqian and the other person that Hua Xiangrong had cried and insisted on visiting the Carefree Sword Sect. She wanted to see where her mother had once lived and cultivated.

Coincidentally, Hua Yan’s grandmother had gone out on an errand and wouldn’t be back for a while. Therefore, the two decided to stay at the Carefree Sword Sect for a short period, not rushing to bring Yun Xueshang back to the valley to meet the family.

This explanation sounded perfectly reasonable to Lin Qianqian and her companion. After all, in their eyes, Hua Xiangrong was born to Hua Yan and had grown up with her.

It was only natural for her to be curious about the past of a mother she had never met.

Incidentally, because Hua Yan was secretly annoyed and wanted to get back at Hua Xiangrong, she exaggerated Hua Xiangrong’s willfulness and tantrums considerably when describing them to Lin Qianqian and her companion.

However, this only made Lin Qianqian and her companion, who saw Hua Xiangrong’s well-behaved demeanor every day, secretly suspect that it wasn’t entirely due to the child’s crying.

Perhaps Hua Yan, who admired Yun Xueshang, wanted to learn more about her beloved, which was why she chose to return to the Carefree Sword Sect first. As for her daughter’s fussing, it was merely an excuse.

“Alas, it’s a pity that I still couldn’t meet Xiao Li on this trip…” Lin Qianqian muttered to herself, somewhat dejectedly boarding the flying boat.

This flying boat was generously provided by the wealthy Hua Yan, styled as a flower boat. It only charged for the spirit stones consumed by its operation, much to Qu Linglong’s disappointment.

Subsequently, Hua Yan also retrieved her own flower boat from her storage pouch, its hull elegantly carved with the character “Rong.” Hua Xiangrong immediately scampered aboard with quick, light steps.

Hua Yan followed behind her, walking a few paces before turning back to look at Yun Xueshang, who remained standing still.

“Why are you still standing there in a daze?” She raised an eyebrow, her voice carrying an undeniable urgency. “Aren’t you coming aboard with us?”

“Mhm, alright.” The white-haired immortal smiled faintly, nodded, and quickly followed.

***

“Wow! Mama, are we almost there?”

Early that morning, the pink-haired girl was carried onto the deck by the white-haired immortal and immediately pointed ahead, cheering.

“Yes, that’s the Carefree Sword Sect ahead.”

The Carefree Sword Sect was situated in the central-eastern part of the righteous cultivation realm. Seen from the flying boat, the mountain ranges stretched like undulating dragon spines.

It was autumn, and under the morning sun, the mountainsides were ablaze with vibrant colors, a truly beautiful sight. Most striking were the seven main peaks, resembling seven divine swords pointing directly at the sky.

They stood majestic and solitary amidst the surrounding peaks, their summits faintly revealing the outlines of palaces and pavilions.

Countless stone steps wound through the mountains, like slender silver chains wrapped around the peaks.

Occasionally, white-robed figures could be seen ascending the steps, appearing as tiny as specks of dust. To one side of the seven peaks, a verdant lake lay still, its waters clear as a mirror, perfectly reflecting the sky and mountain shadows.

This was the Carefree Sword Sect.

“Wow, it looks just like an immortal cultivation sect from traditional novels, so ethereal and mystical.” Hua Xiangrong murmured to 099 in her mind while gazing around from Yun Xueshang’s embrace.

“We are already in the world of an immortal cultivation novel. This is perfectly normal, isn’t it?” 099 retorted helplessly.

“Hmm, it seems the spiritual energy and scenery of your Carefree Sword Sect are quite good.” Hua Yan also stepped out slowly, feeling the concentration of spiritual energy in the surroundings.

She then looked at the scenery below, standing with her arms crossed, nodding with a slightly critical air. “Let’s go. I’ll take you to meet the Sect Master first, and report on the demon extermination at the same time.”

Yun Xueshang nodded, then took the lead, embracing Hua Xiangrong and flying on her sword towards the tallest and most central of the seven main peaks.

“Waaah! Mama, slow down!” Hua Xiangrong cried out, clinging to Yun Xueshang’s shoulder with her eyes tightly shut, terrified by the sudden speed.

“Host, why weren’t you afraid of heights when you were on the flying boat?” 099’s somewhat gloating voice chimed in her ear.

“A flying boat is like sitting in a ship! It’s similar to an airplane! How can that be the same?! Before, Mother always landed the boat directly on the ground. I’ve never flown like this before!”

“Waaahhhhhh—”

…

“I’m sorry, Rongrong, I seem to have scared you.” After landing in the small plaza in front of the main peak, the white-haired immortal belatedly set the girl down.

She bent slightly, and a hint of apology surfaced on her usually serene face. “N-no, it’s fine…” Hua Xiangrong was still dazed with fear, her little legs trembling, barely able to stand steadily.

“Pfft—hahahahahaha! I can’t believe you’re afraid of flying, little one! Why weren’t you afraid on the flying boat? It’s a good thing you didn’t learn swordsmanship from Xueshang. Otherwise, when chasing enemies on a sword, you wouldn’t catch them, but scare yourself half to death first? Hahahahahahaha…”

Hua Yan landed next, and seeing the pink-haired girl’s pale face and recalling her earlier shrieks, she burst into uncontrollable laughter, bending over with mirth.

“Alright, Fellow Daoist Hua, stop teasing Rongrong.” Lin Qianqian landed shortly after, casting a helpless glance at Hua Yan, who was clearly enjoying her own daughter’s predicament, then at the flustered Yun Xueshang beside her. She sighed silently.

‘Alas, Senior Sister is one thing, but how can Fellow Daoist Hua, as a mother, seem so unreliable too?’

“Rongrong, here, take this pill. You’ll feel better.” As she spoke, she flicked her finger, and a pale green pill gently landed in Hua Xiangrong’s hand.

“Thank you, Auntie Lin…” Hua Xiangrong nodded weakly and swallowed the pill.