Cultivators have keen senses; this was Ji You's feeling after cultivating, so he spoke that sentence very softly.
But he didn't know that the Upper Five Realms are called the Realms of All Laws precisely because cultivators in these Realms can utilize the Heavenly Dao Laws, and sensing wind and discerning sound are the most basic abilities.
Ji You's heart trembled, and he turned his head back, pretending nothing was amiss: "Kuang Cheng, have you eaten yet?"
"Not yet..."
"My Cao Instructor is treating, are you coming?"
Kuang Cheng waved his hand after hearing this: "I am not familiar with Cao Xianren, so I'll pass."
"Hey!" Ji You waved his hand, "What's there to be afraid of? He's not coming anyway."
"?"
Kuang Cheng was momentarily stunned, thinking to himself, how can someone host a treat without being present: "What kind of etiquette is this?"
Ji You put down the teacup in his hand: "I'll just get him a takeout later. He doesn't like spicy food, so we can't eat together."
Kuang Cheng still waved his hand: "Forget it, you have friends and fellow Daoists, so I won't intrude. Let's meet again after you safely return to the capital."
"Are you afraid of getting beaten?"
"I just... can't stand the sight of blood..."
Ji You chuckled, thinking to himself that she would at most kick him a few times; how could she bear to draw her sword?
Afterward, the two bid farewell, and Ji You left this secluded residence with the Little Master Jian of Lingjian Mountain.
As he expected, Yan Shuyi did not draw her sword to trouble him. She simply walked stubbornly ahead of him, her left hand behind her back, her other hand on her sword, not uttering a word, her expression cold, as if trying to show that she was not cute.
But she didn't know that the more she acted this way, the cuter she appeared in Ji You's eyes.
He even forgot that this girl in front of him was actually the next Sect Master of Lingjian Mountain, and he no longer remembered that she was also the strongest personal Disciple in the Yingtian Realm.
The two soon arrived at a restaurant called Dengyingju. Compared to Hongding Restaurant and Xihe Building, its reputation was not as prominent, but it was said that its braised pork ribs were delicious.
However, braised pork ribs didn't seem to be suitable food for a lady, so much so that Yan Shuyi couldn't bring herself to eat them, and she kicked him twice under the table.
"I will be departing in a few days. Do you have anywhere to go?"
Yan Shuyi tossed the bone in front of her onto the plate: "I'm also leaving tomorrow, heading to Qingzhou. A group of Lingjian Mountain Disciples went missing there, and I came for that reason. Seeing you was just a detour."
Qingzhou is between Lingzhou and Shengjing, so it's not a detour at all, but she still liked to emphasize this.
Ji You frowned upon hearing this: "Cultivators from Lingjian Mountain also went missing?"
"They've been missing for several days. Before I left the mountain, I specifically dispatched Disciples near Qingzhou to investigate, and there should be some clues by now."
"Previously, Disciples from Tianshu Academy also went missing, and it was intricately linked to Evil Seeds. You need to take good care of yourself."
Yan Shuyi nodded slightly after he finished the last sentence: "It's fine, I'm in the Yingtian Realm."
After eating, the sky gradually darkened, and night slowly enveloped the land as the sun set and the sky changed.
The two returned along the alley, the stubbornly cold-faced Little Master Jian still walking ahead.
They walked in tandem, gradually approaching an inn in this alley. This inn was very popular among cultivators in the capital, and most of the Lingjian Mountain's Jianghu travelers stayed here.
The night before last, a Disciple had even booked an extra room at the downstairs counter, but it remained empty for the entire night.
Yan Shuyi walked to the door, turned her head to glance, and then, as if she hadn't seen anything, walked towards the Ni Mountain Tianshu Academy.
Ji You followed behind her, also glancing at the Hengfeng Inn as he passed, a faint smile on his face.
However, before he could think further, he suddenly frowned and turned his head to look at the alley they had just passed.
Ever since he left Qionghua Pavilion, he had always felt as if someone was following him, but when he released his Divine Thought, he couldn't find anything.
Until that moment, he caught a wisp of an aura, but now it had completely receded.
That aura held no ill will, but for some reason, it had been following him.
Ji You walked back a few steps, frowning for a long time at the empty alley. Only when Yan Shuyi's voice sounded from behind him did he turn and leave, returning to Tianshu Academy.
As yesterday, under the deep night, the two still sat in the meditation room, lit a brazier, and looked out the window with a relaxed expression.
Yesterday's sweet potatoes were all roasted, but Ji You still had some peanuts left, so he added them to the pot.
The Little Master Jian seemed to have become accustomed to this kind of life in just one night. After entering the room, she watched him stoke the fire and light the brazier, her delicate face illuminated by the gradually rising flames.
"I think I forgot to bring food for someone..."
"Never mind, it's irrelevant."
Ji You pulled a stool from the corner, placing the cushion he bought in the city today on Yan Shuyi's stool.
The Little Master Jian smoothed her skirt and sat down, casually taking off her moon-white, jade-green boots, revealing a pair of small, exquisite, jade-like feet, slowly warming the soles of her feet by the brazier.
Her feet were always cold, so she disliked wearing shoes and always went barefoot on the mountain.
When they first met yesterday, she was too embarrassed, but now she seemed not to care much. Her pink and moist toes slightly curled in front of the firelight, feeling the warmth gradually surge.
In a short while, the peanuts in the pot were also cooked.
Ji You reluctantly averted his gaze, poured the peanuts into a basket, let them cool a bit, and then handed them to her.
Yan Shuyi grabbed a peanut, peeled it, and put it in her mouth, suddenly remembering that she had seen this scene in a town at the foot of the mountain.
It was a farming family, the kind with bare walls.
The woman mended clothes for others in the room every day, and the man did odd jobs during the day, then in the evening, they would gather around the stove and chat about this and that.
Yan Shuyi hadn't thought there was anything special about it at the time, but now, for some reason, her heart felt as if it had melted.
...
Cultivators do not need to sleep every day, so the two sat by the brazier all night.
Ji You chatted with her about his past in Yuyang County, and by the way, told her who that very familiar scholar from today was.
Yan Shuyi, in turn, told him about life on the mountain, some soft murmurs.
Thus, with words exchanged, the sky outside gradually brightened.
By Chenshi (7-9 AM) on the second day, Yan Shuyi had packed her belongings and stood in the courtyard outside the meditation room, feeling a bit dejected.
She hadn't planned it this way when she came; she only intended to meet him once and then leave, wandering the Jianghu with a cold face to find the missing Disciples.
But for some reason, she ended up staying here for two days and even grew accustomed to the boring life of daily brazier roasting.
And it wasn't until she thought of this that she realized this was only the first time she had met this man.
"Help me put away my cushion."
"And my bedding, that's mine."
"And also, help me put away that cup with the gold thread, don't let it get dusty."
Yan Shuyi earnestly instructed Ji You before leaving. She didn't say anything about loving to come or coming again, but it looked as if she definitely wanted to come back.
Ji You stood at the meditation room door, looking at her: "It's already put away. You mentioned it last night."
Yan Shuyi was silent for a moment, still wanting to say, "How about I stay one more day?" But as soon as this thought arose, the mountain gate jade token at her waist glowed with a burst of Mystic Light.
She had told Ji You yesterday that Lingjian Mountain Disciples had been missing in Qingzhou for many days, and she had sent nearby Disciples to investigate secretly. Now, it seemed there were clues.
"Ji You, when you pinched my face and said I was cute, did you forget that I am in the Yingtian Realm?"
"?"
Yan Shuyi raised the corner of her mouth, and suddenly, Mystic Light burst forth around her, like a surging wave, far more powerful than any pressure Ji You had ever witnessed from anyone else.
In that instant, the Little Master Jian of Lingjian Mountain vanished from her spot, leaping a thousand li and disappearing into the wind.
She disliked goodbyes, so she felt that if she was going to leave, she should leave quickly. At this moment, she crossed the clear daytime sky like a meteor.
And Ji You looked at the whirlwind that remained, unable to help but hold his breath.
Yesterday, when food was dangling before his eyes, he was fortunate not to act on impulse; he truly couldn't defeat this strongest personal Disciple of the current generation.
However, to show off before leaving, it was a bit too cute.
(The Little Master Jian will not exit the stage; she will enter from another storyline. Please continue reading and vote with monthly tickets. Continued reading is truly crucial. We are still a bit short of being able to participate in the event. I humbly beg everyone to just flip through it when you have time... orz)