Chapter 13: Never Out of Sight

The people from the Ten Thousand Artifacts Pavilion and the Xuanji Sect couldn’t stay at Qingyun Sect for too long. They still needed to go to other sects to search for demons.

Those under centralized watch would have to wait ten days before the Qingyun Sect’s own people used spiritual energy to probe their meridians and detect whether any demonic energy remained.

Additionally, Wei Nianqin sold Qingyun Sect a few demon-expelling bells. These would ring if a demon came within ten steps, but if the target used a shield of Earth rank or above, the bells would be ineffective.

The demon-expelling bells couldn’t compare to the compass, but they were better than nothing.

Before leaving, Wei Nianqin wanted to say goodbye to Shen Shengqing. However, when she arrived at Qingjian Peak, she heard that he had already gone down the mountain with his disciple.

She felt a twinge of regret.

Many years ago, Shen Shengqing had saved her and her sister, and she still owed him a favor.

There was an old saying in the cultivation world: “Better to owe millions of spirit stones than half a favor. Better to give up treasures to repay a debt than to let karma cling to you.”

In the cultivation world, owing a favor was considered the worst offense. In severe cases, it could even affect one’s future ascension.

Shen Shengqing’s cultivation level was higher than hers, and there were rarely any opportunities for her to repay him. She truly didn’t know when she would ever be able to repay this debt of gratitude.

***

Once Mu An went down the mountain, he was like a bird set free. One moment he lingered at food stalls, the next at jewelry shops. He watched cockfights, listened to storytellers at teahouses.

On the first day down the mountain, he never even left the small town below the sect.

“System, chew chew chew… Tell me, chew chew chew… did they drug these buns? Chew chew chew… How are they so delicious?”

[A steamer of buns for one low-grade spirit stone? If they drugged them, the only drug would be laxatives.]

Mu An pretended not to hear. “They’re really too good. Once I get my master, I’ll bring him a steamer every day for breakfast. Let him know that fasting for cultivation is just suffering.”

Little did he know that on the rooftop of a nearby wine house, a man stood facing the wind, his long, narrow eyes fixed unblinkingly on Mu An, who was eating happily downstairs.

In the pitch-black night, the man in white robes reflected the moonlight, as bright and pure as white jade. Though he was a very obvious presence, none of the pedestrians below noticed him.

Holding his buns, Mu An ate as he walked and finally arrived at the Transmission Pavilion in front of the city lord’s mansion.

At the Transmission Pavilion, as long as one paid spirit stones, one could use the spatial arrays inside to be sent to other stations—like an ancient version of a subway station.

From here to Chen Village, the site of the incident, required changing stations multiple times.

Mu An could only choose to go to the distant Nightlight City. He planned to stay there overnight, find a place where he might hide his master, and then transfer from Nightlight City to other stations.

Using the spatial array cost as much as a hundred steamers of buns for Mu An. As he paid, he felt an unexpected pang of reluctance.

In the blink of an eye, Mu An arrived at Nightlight City. As he landed, his head throbbed terribly.

The spatial array was prone to causing dizziness, but fortunately, the discomfort lasted less than a minute.

Near midnight, he found a random inn and asked the attendant to send hot water to his room.

After bathing, he also moved the bedding in the room aside and replaced it with his own blankets and pillow.

Although he wasn’t particularly germophobic, he was particular about sleeping. He didn’t like sharing bedding with others, as he always felt it was unclean.

After arranging everything, he said goodnight to the system and fell into a carefree, deep sleep.

Late at night.

Night clouds drifted, gradually covering the bright moon. Everything was silent.

The wooden door opened silently. The newcomer slowly lifted the bed curtain and reached a pale hand into the blankets.

Shen Shengqing gently placed his hand on his disciple’s abdomen and rubbed it softly. He subtly channeled spiritual energy to aid digestion.

[Eating all this mundane food will accumulate impurities in his body.]

[On this single day out, my disciple, who normally fasts, has eaten dozens of things. Isn’t he afraid of getting a stomachache?]

Watching Mu An sleeping so soundly, a hint of a smile appeared in his eyes.

[It seems An’an isn’t all that eager to see Yunnan You. The way he carefree strolled around today looks more like someone who was cooped up in the sect and wanted to come out for some fun.]

[Perhaps I should find more opportunities to accompany An’an down the mountain in the future.]

Mu An slept peacefully, but the system was wide awake. It watched the scene with utter horror, feeling its circuits short-circuit.

[Why did Shen Shengqing follow him? And he’s… he’s touching the host’s stomach?]

The system was terrified that Shen Shengqing would suddenly probe the host’s dantian and expose the host’s demon identity.

Fortunately, after touching Mu An’s stomach, Shen Shengqing made no further moves. He merely sat quietly on the edge of the bed, watching Mu An.

If only the inn’s bed weren’t so small, and if only An’an’s blanket weren’t so large that it occupied all the remaining space, he truly would have liked to sleep with An’an.

The night passed without dreams.

When Mu An opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was an unfamiliar bed board. The first thing he heard was the system’s piercing screech.

[We’re done for, Host! Done for!]

“Calm down. Have you forgotten the first thing we do when we wake up?” Eyes open, Mu An took a deep breath and pumped himself up.

“Wake up first, then shine bright. Today will be steady and sure. Let’s go, Mu An!”

[Host, I really don’t have time to mess around with you right now. This isn’t the time for motivational slogans.]

📚 Also on NHV Novels

The Price of Stardom

ModernRomance

Read Now →
Not interested