Chapter 28: The Shortbread Evil Cultivator and a Family of Three

“Mother, you must believe me. If we don’t do this, truly terrible things will happen!”

Hua Xiangrong gazed up at Hua Yan, her small face alight with an earnest solemnity.

“I possess a Dao Body Blessed by Heaven; I couldn’t possibly be wrong.”

“Rongrong, what you’ve said… is it true?”

Yun Xueshang’s surprise was evident as she gently covered her mouth.

“Of course, it’s true!”

Hua Xiangrong nodded vigorously.

“If I don’t eat another plate of shortbread today, a terrifying ‘Shortbread Evil Cultivator’ will appear and steal all the shortbread in the world! Then, no one will be able to eat shortbread anymore! Ouch!”

“You’ve already eaten two plates and you’re still thinking of more! Are you not going to eat lunch?!”

Hua Yan indignantly withdrew the finger she had just flicked against the girl’s forehead. She then glared at Yun Xueshang beside her.

“And you! You believe everything she says? What kind of mother are you!”

‘Honestly, for a mother to be tricked by her own daughter, and with such a clumsy excuse! Yun Xueshang, did this girl perhaps con you into buying snacks all day before?’

“I apologize. It’s my fault.”

Yun Xueshang, the novice mother who had too readily believed her daughter, humbly lowered her head and apologized.

“Waaah… it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have lied to Mother.” Hua Xiangrong released her hand from her forehead, tugged on Yun Xueshang’s sleeve, and then looked pleadingly at Hua Yan, “Mother, please don’t blame Mother…”

“Tsk.”

Caught by that pathetic, pleading gaze, Hua Yan irritably clicked her tongue.

‘How did I suddenly become the villain here?’

“Fine, seeing as you know your mistake and are willing to correct it…”

Hua Yan pursed her lips, intentionally turning her head away to avoid looking at her.

The girl’s eyes immediately brightened.

“Yay! Then the shortbread—”

“Ouch!”

“Still thinking about shortbread! Don’t even think about eating any desserts this week!”

Without another glance at the small child, who was once again clutching her head with teary eyes, Hua Yan turned and walked out.

“Let’s go. Qu Linglong and the others have arrived; we should go greet them.”

***

“Oh, Fellow Daoist Yun, Fellow Daoist Hua, you both look well? After reuniting these past few days, you must have… ‘grown closer,’ haven’t you?”

As soon as she saw the two women emerge from the cabin, Qu Linglong, standing on the deck, winked mischievously at them, her tone brimming with teasing.

‘Grown closer?’

Yun Xueshang blinked her clear eyes.

Recalling these past few days of eating, living, and sleeping on the same bed with Hua Yan, as well as their conversation on the moonlit deck… by now, she and Hua Yan should indeed be considered close, shouldn’t they?

Thinking this, she nodded frankly and replied, “Yes, we have grown intimate.”

“Wowww~”

Lin Qianqian gasped, covering her mouth with both hands, her eyes wide with disbelief.

‘I never imagined that Senior Sister would be so proactive and unreserved in love!’

“You, you, you! What nonsense are you spouting?!”

At these words, a flush immediately spread across Hua Yan’s cheeks. She glared at Yun Xueshang, both embarrassed and annoyed, then turned to the two women whose expressions were ambiguously amused and loudly protested.

“We absolutely did not!”

“Mm-hmm, we understand.” Qu Linglong nodded sagely, the amusement in her eyes impossible to hide. “After all, the child is still here, so it’s not convenient to go into detail.”

“Precisely, we all understand.” Lin Qianqian chimed in, a knowing look on her face.

‘?!’

‘What do you understand?!’

Hua Yan’s embarrassment and annoyance intensified. She stamped her foot in frustration, her ample chest rising and falling slightly.

“What exactly are you two here for?! Did you specially come all this way just to tease me?!”

“Cough, cough.”

Qu Linglong cleared her throat, finally putting away her teasing demeanor and speaking seriously. “Fellow Daoist Hua, don’t be so anxious. We won’t discuss your private marital affairs in front of Rongrong.”

Her tone shifted, getting to the main point. “Actually, we’re here to discuss the specific arrangements for entering Yunjing—that is, the Great Chu Imperial City. After all, the enemy is hiding in the shadows, and they might even hold high positions. If we just swagger in, things are bound to go wrong.”

“So, according to you, what should we do?”

Hua Yan stood with her arms crossed, her tone still testy, evidently not yet recovered from her earlier mortification.

“In my opinion, why don’t we split into two groups, each disguised, and infiltrate Yunjing through both the immortal and mortal paths to investigate? How does that sound?”

Qu Linglong smiled faintly.

‘That sounds rather good…’

Hua Yan pondered inwardly.

‘But if we split into two groups, who will I be paired with? Could it be…’

She instinctively glanced at Yun Xueshang beside her. The cool, ethereal white-haired maiden was also quietly looking at her. Catching her gaze, Yun Xueshang tilted her head slightly, a hint of faint confusion in her eyes.

***

Yunjing, the Imperial City of Great Chu, was now far from the plateau. Its landscape consisted mostly of mountains and hills, with a humid and hot climate and distinct four seasons.

The entire city was nestled within a shallow, dish-shaped basin, with slightly higher terrain surrounding a gently concave center. One side bordered the Jade Dragon River, which transitioned from turbulent to tranquil.

Whenever the weather was clear and breezy, or when days were hot and nights cool, the moisture in Yunjing became exceptionally dense, with the morning mist being the thickest.

Furthermore, a spiritual ley line of water flowed beneath the city, nurtured by formations laid by the Great Chu imperial family using secret techniques.

Each dawn, the city’s mist would condense even further, refusing to dissipate, glowing with a soft luster, as if covered by a thin layer of swirling clouds. This phenomenon gave the city its name, “Cloud Capital” (Yunjing).

At this moment, three figures stood in a bustling cultivators’ market square in Yunjing.

All three had black hair, and all were women.

The one on the left wore a pale cyan cross-collared, narrow-sleeved blouse, topped with a moon-white half-sleeved vest.

Her dark hair was styled into a simple round bun at the back of her head, secured with a white jade hairpin, and small gold-thread pearl earrings adorned her ears. An undeniable air of nobility and radiance emanated from her.

To her right, a woman was clad in a light grey-blue cross-collared long robe.

Her black hair was combed entirely back, tied low at the nape of her neck with a dark blue ribbon, revealing a smooth, full forehead.

Her posture was as erect as bamboo, and she carried a slender oilcloth-wrapped bundle on her back. Her gaze was calm and clear, her demeanor refined and serene.

Standing between the two was a tiny girl of the zongjiao age. Her black hair was tied into two flower-bud buns on either side of her head, bound with red ribbons.

She wore a pink and white cross-collared top embroidered with small plum blossoms, dark blue cotton trousers, and black embroidered shoes with white soles.

A small floral cloth bag was slung across her back. Her large eyes darted around, making her appear obedient and adorable, as she held a hand of each woman.

Undoubtedly, these were Hua Yan, Yun Xueshang, and Hua Xiangrong.

All three had altered their appearances. Yun Xueshang, as the Chief of the Carefree Sword Sect, was already widely known in the righteous cultivation world, so her disguise was essential.

While Hua Yan and Hua Xiangrong were new faces to the Great Chu evil cultivators, their striking beauty could easily draw attention, hence they too had somewhat concealed their looks.

As for their current identities—

‘Damn it! Even though this is a disguised journey, why must I still pretend to be a family of three with this person!’

Hua Yan secretly glared at Yun Xueshang beside her, seething inwardly.

‘We… we aren’t even married yet!’

This matter traced back to several hours prior, when Qu Linglong had explained: “When traveling, Rongrong is young, and it’s hard to guarantee she won’t blurt things out.

To be safe, it’s most secure for you to pretend to be a family of three. Moreover, the evil cultivators in Yunjing would never imagine that cultivators hunting evil would bring a child along; this could actually become a hidden advantage.”

Hua Xiangrong, standing nearby, nodded emphatically. “Mm-hmm! Master is right! If I accidentally say the wrong thing and expose us, then we’d be doomed!”

And so, the “act” of this family of three had to continue.