Chapter 6: Leaving the Mountain

Xuan Shiyan steadied himself and took another careful look at Yan Li.

Sharp jawline, thin lips pressed together, cold and aloof eyes that kept strangers at bay.

Nothing had changed.

He let out a quiet breath of relief and pushed that inexplicable twinge of unease deep into his heart. On the surface, he regained his usual gentle, composed demeanor.

“Senior brother, did you not rest well last night?”

“Mhm.” Yan Li answered briefly, not noticing the flicker of distraction that had crossed his junior brother’s face moments ago.

He didn’t mention that last night, to keep Yan Shu from making too much fuss on the journey down the mountain, he had spent twice the effort guiding her spiritual channels. After running the energy through forty-nine cycles, he was completely drained. Still wearing that pale moon-white robe and holding the child, he had collapsed onto the bed and fallen into a deep sleep.

When he woke, the sky was just starting to lighten, and birds were chirping outside the window. He opened his eyes groggily and nearly sprang up when he saw himself still in a skirt. His face flushed crimson in an instant.

‘He had actually slept in women’s clothing all night?’

He looked around in a panic. Fortunately, he was in his own room. Apart from Yan Shu, who was sleeping soundly in his arms, no one else was there. And fortunately Xuan Shiyan had not yet arrived.

He hurriedly stripped off the dress, changed into his usual plain white Daoist robe, folded the skirt neatly, and tucked it into his storage ring. Then he pretended nothing had happened and started preparing his travel gear.

Now that Xuan Shiyan had casually mentioned it, that flustered image from earlier resurfaced, and Yan Li’s face grew warm. He lowered his eyes and muttered a vague “Let’s go,” then took the lead as he held the child, stepping forward.

Xuan Shiyan murmured in response and followed. The two walked onto the stone steps leading out of the mountain, one after the other.

The mountain gate of Qingxuan Sect was a stone archway engraved with the characters “Qingxuan” in bold, vigorous strokes, said to be written by the founding master himself. Two outer sect disciples guarding the gate stood there listlessly. When they caught sight of Yan Li approaching with a child in his arms, both of them shuddered in unison and instinctively took a half step back.

Yan Li walked past them with a blank expression, not even sparing them a glance. Xuan Shiyan trailed behind and offered the two disciples a smile.

“Thanks for your hard work.”

That smile was as warm and pleasant as a spring breeze, yet for some reason, the two disciples felt an inexplicable chill run down their spines.

After passing through the mountain gate, Yan Li released the small silver sword from his sleeve. The sword grew larger in the wind, turning into a three-foot-long blade that hovered in midair with a low hum. He stepped onto the sword with Yan Shu in his arms and stood steadily.

Xuan Shiyan also summoned his own magical tool. It was a narrow sword, pitch-black throughout, slender and gleaming with a cold light.

The two swords, one silver and one black, floated side by side in the air.

“Senior brother, which route do you plan to take?”

“The main road.” Yan Li was succinct.

If they took a shortcut, they would be faster, but the path would wind through desolate mountains and wild forests where demon beasts roamed. Taking the main road would add two more days of travel, but there would be more towns and people along the way, making it safer with Yan Shu. Naturally, Xuan Shiyan had no objection.

Yan Li lightly tapped his toe, and the silver sword shot through the air, carving a smooth arc as it flew away from the mountain. Xuan Shiyan followed closely, his black sword silently trailing at the side.

Despite Yan Li using his spiritual energy to shield Yan Shu, the long flight still showed the little one going from initial excitement to gradually wilting, drooping eyelids against Yan Li’s chest, and finally closing her eyes and falling asleep. Her little mouth slightly open, drool soaking a patch of Yan Li’s chest.

Perhaps the meridians-clearing before departure had helped, because the little one was surprisingly quiet the whole trip. She didn’t cry or fuss, only occasionally made small noises as she shifted positions. Most of the time, she slept. Yan Li enjoyed a rare peaceful journey.

But long-distance flying was no easy task. Even with mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, continuously flying on a sword while diverting some spiritual energy to maintain a protective barrier around Yan Shu was still a heavy drain on his spiritual power. After three hours, Yan Li’s spiritual energy began to wane.

He tilted his head slightly, signaling Xuan Shiyan to follow, and turned his sword light downward toward a large town below.

Luoyan City. This place was not considered a major cultivation hub, but because it sat at a crossroads between north and south, merchants and travelers came and went incessantly, and the marketplace was lively.

Passing through the city gate and entering the market, the noise of the crowd gradually grew. Stalls selling spirit fruits, magical tools, talismans, one after another, with vendors shouting out their wares. Yan Li stopped in front of a shop with a sign reading “Lingbao Groceries.”

The shop was small, but stocked with everything. Three walls were lined with shelves holding all sorts of talismans, pills, magical tools, and spirit materials that cultivators needed daily. Even pots, pans, and children’s toys were mixed in.

A round-faced middle-aged woman was sitting behind the counter cracking melon seeds. Seeing customers, she immediately rose with a big smile.

“Two immortals, please come in!” Glancing at the child in Yan Li’s arms, she grinned even wider. “Oh, you’ve brought a little one along? Perfect, just look around, I’ve got everything here!”

Yan Li stepped forward and placed a list he had written on the counter. “Do you have these?” The proprietress took it, scanned it, and answered briskly. “Yes, yes, all common items.” She got up, pulled a stack of soft diapers from a cabinet, and then stood on tiptoe to fetch several wooden boxes from a shelf behind her, counting items as she piled them on the counter.

“Diapers… spirit milk… soft cloth… bellybands…” She flicked her abacus. “That’ll be five low-grade spirit stones.”

Yan Li frowned. He remembered buying these things last month for just three.

“Prices went up?” Yan Li asked.

“Ah…” The proprietress sighed with a helpless look. “You don’t know the situation, sir. It’s not that I want to raise prices, it’s that I simply can’t get the goods anymore.”

Yan Li glanced at the pile on the table. Five spirit stones for a stack of diapers and milk. No one would believe that if told. Over the years, he had spent his time either practicing swordsmanship or cultivating, hardly touching his spirit stones. But this was not a sensible way to spend them.

Though his heart ached, he kept his expression unchanged as he counted out five spirit stones and placed them neatly on the counter.

The proprietress collected the stones, shaking her head with a sigh. “Sir, don’t think it’s expensive. This isn’t even the most expensive time. According to the merchant caravans from the south, in another month or so, these things will rise even more.”

Yan Li didn’t reply, just looked at her. The proprietress, unnerved by his cold expression, still felt compelled to speak her mind.

“Sir, you wouldn’t know? On Cangwu Continent, the Venerated Cangming and the Valley Lord of Fentian have broken into a fight, and it’s turned the sky and earth dark.”

“What does that have to do with cultivators fighting?” Xuan Shiyan cut in.

“It has everything to do with it.” The proprietress slapped the counter and began to talk with great enthusiasm.

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