Chapter 28: An Unexpected Bond and a New Destination

“Then why?”

“I don’t know who you are, but your power renders me utterly incapable of refining it.”

“Uh… right, I understand.”

Xian Yuan’s face flushed with embarrassment, for that very power was her own miraculous strength.

“Who exactly are you?”

Murong Fier turned, her gaze settling on Xian Yuan. While she was indeed a young miss of high standing, this did not mean she lacked worldly experience. Someone like Xian Yuan simply couldn’t exist on Heavenly Gate Island.

“Uh… if I told you I was just an ordinary person, Sister Murong, would you believe me?” Xian Yuan asked sheepishly.

“Believe you? Don’t be ridiculous.”

Murong Fier shook her head.

“Very well then, there’s no harm in telling you.”

Xian Yuan shrugged. “My name is actually Xian Yuan; you’ve probably heard of me.”

“Xian Yuan?”

Murong Fier fell silent for a moment, then slowly spoke as if a realization had dawned upon her. “Are you… that scoundrel Xian Yuan who’s been making waves recently? No, wait, wasn’t that a man?”

“Ah, well, the truth of the matter is…”

As Xian Yuan recounted her story, Murong Fier gradually grasped the full situation, her eyes unconsciously appraising Xian Yuan. Yet, upon hearing the details of the wedding snatching, a spontaneous laugh escaped her lips.

“You truly are audacious.”

Murong Fier flicked Xian Yuan’s forehead with a finger.

“Ow!” Xian Yuan clutched her head, her brow furrowed in distress. “Oh, it hurts like mad!”

“That’s what you get for carelessly provoking girls.”

Watching Xian Yuan’s discomfited expression, Murong Fier’s mood brightened considerably, utterly devoid of her previous icy demeanor.

“Sister Murong, I’ve noticed that when you smile, you look completely different from your usual frosty self.”

Xian Yuan gazed at Murong Fier with wide, innocent eyes.

“Oh? And what do I look like now, pray tell?” Murong Fier asked, intrigued. “I used to always wear a stern expression; was I very ugly?”

Xian Yuan pondered seriously for a moment before nodding. “Hmm, not ugly at all; you’re still quite pretty. But I definitely prefer you like this now. At least you don’t have that ‘asking for a beating’ kind of aloofness you used to.”

Seeing Xian Yuan’s innocent demeanor, Murong Fier felt a wave of exasperation. She gave Xian Yuan’s cheek a firm pinch. “Perhaps it’s best if you keep that mouth of yours shut.”

“Sister Murong, let go! That hurts!”

Xian Yuan quickly pleaded for mercy, and only then did Murong Fier release her grip.

Xian Yuan rubbed her reddened cheek, looking utterly pitiable.

“Hehe, Xian Yuan, why are you such a silly goose? I barely used any strength.”

Murong Fier covered her mouth, chuckling softly.

“Well, it’s because Sister is so beautiful!” Xian Yuan stuck out her tongue, playfully blinked, then tugged at Murong Fier’s sleeve, pouting.

“Alright, alright, I’m scared of you now, happy?”

Murong Fier was torn between laughter and tears, having never encountered such a situation before. Nevertheless, she began to explain why she often appeared so aloof.

****

“So that’s how it is.”

As it turned out, being the young miss of the Murong Family often meant a lack of true friends. Her own clansmen treated her solely as a high-ranking lady, and having never left the Eastern Sea, the differences in their statuses caused many to view her with a certain detachment. This had led Murong Fier to become less verbose, appearing perpetually aloof, when in reality, deep down, she yearned for someone to play with her.

“Alright! Let’s leave here first!” Murong Fier gently pushed Xian Yuan.

“Sounds good.”

Together, the two companions emerged from the cave.

Once outside the cave, Xian Yuan immediately let loose, embracing her carefree spirit. Murong Fier merely watched her with a soft smile, the shared revelation of Xian Yuan’s past having forged an unexpected bond of mutual understanding between her and the immortal family’s young miss.

Meanwhile, outside in the wider world, many events had transpired. Male cultivators had begun to withdraw from the secret realm’s competition in droves.

Having been castrated (TL Note: A common euphemism in web novels for losing one’s cultivation or male essence, rendering them unable to progress further and often implying literal castration), their future prospects seemed bleak, leaving them no choice but to depart.

Shen Xiulan observed these cultivators, each one pale with rage. Many of them owed their plight to Xian Yuan, and Heavenly Gate Island had been forced to offer considerable compensation. Had they not appeased these cultivators and their respective sects, it was highly probable that Heavenly Gate Island would have been utterly overturned!

‘I wonder if I can intercede for them.’

Shen Xiulan felt a mix of helplessness and frustration. Her master was the previous sect leader, but with such a massive amount of compensation being paid out, even the Grand Elders would likely find it unbearable.

“Xian Yuan, where shall we go next?” Murong Fier inquired.

Xian Yuan scratched her head, pondering for a moment before replying, “Since there are no valuable treasures left to collect here, let’s explore somewhere else. After all, I only came here for fun.”

“Where, then, should we go?”

“Hmm~ I sense a vast lake not far from here! Let’s go investigate it!” Xian Yuan exclaimed, excitedly waving her delicate fists.

“Sounds wonderful!”

A short while later, Xian Yuan and Murong Fier arrived at the edge of a sprawling lake.

“Wow~ it’s absolutely beautiful!” Murong Fier gasped, her eyes wide with wonder as she gazed upon the lake.