The next day.
As Xu Yi walked out of the inn, the worried expression from the previous day was gone.
Although the mystery had not yet been solved, Xu Yi had thought it over all night and convinced herself.
Everyone had secrets, and even she had kept the things she saw in her dreams hidden.
It wasn't scary that Lu Zaiye had secrets; she knew Lu Zaiye meant her no harm, and that was enough.
Why should she pry into it and make trouble for both of them?
Sometimes, silence was the best option.
Having figured everything out, Xu Yi felt a sense of relief, her good mood evident on her face.
"Sister Xu, I'll accompany you."
Not long after Xu Yi left the inn, Bai Shan suddenly emerged from a corner, smiling brightly, as if he had been waiting for a long time.
Xu Yi blinked and did not refuse.
Yesterday, they had agreed to split up, but Mo Cheng was not large. If ten of them scattered, their paths would inevitably overlap, and it was perfectly fine for two to go together.
Moreover, Xu Yi remembered Bai Shan dragging a bed to her room with a pleading look yesterday. She had refused him once then, and it was not good to refuse him again now.
The two ambled along the street, casually observing the surroundings. Occasionally, the scent of ink would drift into their nostrils, invigorating their spirits.
"Sister Xu, we've known each other for so long, and I still don't know which true immortal's disciple you are from the Xuanji Sect."
Bai Shan's eyes scanned the sides of the street, but his mouth was asking Xu Yi questions.
"I am a disciple of True Immortal Qian Ren's lineage," Xu Yi replied casually.
True Immortal Qian Ren was one of the three tribulation-passing elders of the Xuanji Sect, and his mastery of the Saber was unmatched throughout the Kyushu Continent.
Furthermore, his grand-disciple was Xu Yi's master, Sect Leader Yuan Ming. Therefore, Xu Yi was not wrong in saying she was from True Immortal Qian Ren's lineage.
However, this statement was interpreted differently by Bai Shan.
"So your master is the Saber Master Qian Ren!"
Bai Shan exclaimed with amazement, a hint of suspicion flickering in the depths of his eyes.
He had never heard of True Immortal Qian Ren of the Xuanji Sect taking any disciples before. Could it be that the Xuanji Sect was too secretive, and the information they released was false?
Yes, it must be so.
Fortunately, he had asked Xu Yi; otherwise, he would still be in the dark.
"Sister Xu, I have a presumptuous request," Bai Shan said.
"Speak."
"I have long admired True Immortal Qian Ren. I wonder if I might have the opportunity to visit him."
"True Immortal Qian Ren has recently come out of seclusion and is traveling. His return date is uncertain."
Xu Yi shook her head. She had been back in the Xuanji Sect for a long time, and she still didn't know where True Immortal Qian Ren was. She hadn't met him either, so she couldn't agree to Bai Shan's request.
"That's truly a pity."
A perfectly feigned disappointment appeared on Bai Shan's face.
After that, he continued to ask Xu Yi many questions about the Xuanji Sect with great curiosity.
Xu Yi answered intermittently, her attention fully focused on the surrounding environment.
"Xu Yi!"
Just as Bai Shan was about to speak again, a call sounded from a distance.
Xu Yi and Bai Shan looked up and saw Xiong Zhuang Zhuang and Yu Xiao Yu standing together. It was Xiong Zhuang Zhuang who had called out to Xu Yi.
Seeing the two of them standing together, Xu Yi couldn't help but smile a knowing smile.
"Have you found anything?"
Xu Yi walked over and asked directly.
"No."
Xiong Zhuang Zhuang and Yu Xiao Yu shook their heads in unison.
They had met on their way back. After a conversation, neither of them had made any progress. They were about to return to find the others when they ran into Xu Yi.
"It seems the assessment of Kunlun Academy is truly not simple."
Xu Yi smiled faintly.
Her interest in Kunlun Academy was growing.
"Are you two heading back, or will you join us?"
Xiong Zhuang Zhuang and Yu Xiao Yu said in unison, "Join you!"
Going back would only mean staying in the inn. It was better to search for clues with Xu Yi.
A flicker of unwillingness flashed in Bai Shan's eyes, but he dared not show it on his face. Instead, he smiled and welcomed the addition of the two.
The four had not walked far along the street when Xu Yi's gaze fell upon a small boy by the roadside.
The boy was about six or seven years old, slowly licking a candied hawthorn stick in his hand. He had a sturdy, round face.
Xu Yi's heart stirred. She stopped and said to the boy, "Little one, come here for a moment. Sister will treat you to candy."
Xu Yi, a cultivator who had lived for over two hundred years, called herself "sister" to the child without any awkwardness.
The boy glanced at Xu Yi, then at the candied hawthorn stick in his hand, and took two steps back warily.
Xu Yi: ...
In the eyes of this child, she was someone who would snatch his candied hawthorn.
"Hey, this kid isn't old, but he's quite cunning," Bai Shan remarked with a tsk-tsk.
Xiong Zhuang Zhuang, however, whispered into Xu Yi's ear, "Are you calling him to get some information from him?"
Xu Yi nodded.
The cultivators in Mo Cheng were very wary of them. Before Xu Yi could get close, they had already avoided her gaze.
Only this little boy did not dodge. Xu Yi felt he might be a breakthrough.
Upon hearing this, Xiong Zhuang Zhuang also put on what he thought was a gentle smile, trying to get closer to the boy.
Unexpectedly, with his smile, the boy looked as if he had seen a monster. His mouth puckered, as if he would start crying at any moment.
Xu Yi and Xiong Zhuang Zhuang were immediately at a loss, looking embarrassed.
Coaxing children was really not their strong suit.
Just as the two thought their plan had failed, Yu Xiao Yu suddenly crouched down and gently spun a rattlesnake drum that had appeared in her hand at some point.
The rattlesnake drum in her hand was different from ordinary ones. Its surface was made up of colorful patterns, and the golden balls tied to both sides glittered brilliantly in the sunlight.
The ding-ding-dong-dong sounds quickly captured the boy's attention.
"Do you want it?"
Yu Xiao Yu's voice was so gentle it seemed to drip with water.
The boy hesitated for a moment, then nodded emphatically.
At this moment, the candied hawthorn stick in his hand was no longer as tempting.
"Then, how about we make an exchange?" Yu Xiao Yu said softly.
Xiong Zhuang Zhuang and Xu Yi watched silently, not daring to interrupt.
The boy looked at the candied hawthorn stick in his hand again, then pursed his lips tightly. He walked over to Yu Xiao Yu and reluctantly handed her the candied hawthorn stick.
Yu Xiao Yu chuckled, "I don't want your candied hawthorn stick. I just want you to answer a few questions. Is that okay?"
Hearing Yu Xiao Yu say she didn't want the candied hawthorn stick, the boy immediately brought it to his lips, licked it, and then slowly nodded.
Seeing that the child had agreed, Yu Xiao Yu couldn't help but break into a gentle smile.
"Xu Yi, you ask."
Xu Yi nodded and was about to ask when the boy vigorously shook his head, indicating his resistance to Xu Yi.
Xu Yi gave an awkward smile and took a step back, "You ask then."
She wanted to retract her earlier statement.
Children, sometimes, were not that cute.