Chapter 72 - A Girl Dies Every Day in Her Dream Life

"...Luo Xue?" Sha Yiyi was stunned, and Sha Keke, who had peeked out slightly from beside her, was equally frozen in surprise. Nangong Mengxiang opened her eyes, and upon seeing Luo Xue, a hint of confusion flickered in her gaze. But soon, her nose twitched slightly as she sniffed the air, her face lighting up with delight. "Hey, Luo Xue, how did you end up looking like this?" Luo Xue: "..." Miss Nangong, please don't mar your beautiful appearance by acting like a canine when recognizing someone... "This isn't a change—this is my true appearance," Luo Xue explained, her gaze shifting to Sha Yiyi and Sha Keke to observe their reactions. "I only disguised myself as a furnace slave before to avoid trouble." Luo Xue was doing this intentionally. By reverting to her original appearance, she wanted to test the sisters. If they were truly spies sent by a sect, their reaction should be... "Crap, crap, crap..." Sha Yiyi was completely dumbfounded, screaming internally, "So we weren't supposed to capture a runaway furnace slave? We were supposed to bring back a prodigy from some sect! "Two... oh no, five—no, even a hundred Yellow Grade Qi Condensation Pills wouldn't be enough, would they?" Considering Nangong Mengxiang's presence, the difficulty of this task had increased exponentially. Sha Yiyi felt exceedingly aggrieved. How was it that the first business venture of her new enterprise had to be at such a hellish difficulty level? She had already lost the will to continue with the commission. If needed, "Dark Gang" could vanish without a trace; after all, it was just their first job. Moreover, she and Sha Keke had used a special technique to disguise themselves when accepting the commission, so no one would be able to trace them back to the man with the conical hat. Otherwise, even with a hundred times the courage, Sha Yiyi wouldn't dare undertake this kind of task. "Could you, Luo Xue, maybe change back to your previous look?" Sha Keke weakly suggested. Sha Keke didn't consider as many factors as her sister; she simply thought the commission mentioned capturing a short-haired, chestnut-colored slave girl, not this beautiful girl with long white hair. Bringing this version of Luo Xue to the Youxiang Tavern wouldn't allow them to fulfill their commission with their client. Luo Xue gave them a deep look. After making Sha Yiyi want to hide behind the counter like Sha Keke, she nodded and said softly, "Alright." Though the sisters' reactions were peculiar, they likely weren't spies from a sect. Luo Xue had only revealed her true appearance to confirm that point. While traversing Ghost Demon Pass, it was wise to remain inconspicuous… "No way! This look is so much better!" Hearing this, Nangong Mengxiang became anxious, hugging Luo Xue from behind and rubbing her cheek against Luo Xue's hair. "......" Luo Xue's expression was quite helpless. "However, your scent seems a bit different... wait?" Nangong Mengxiang sniffed Luo Xue's hair more intently. "This scent... it's familiar? Like I've smelled it somewhere before..." "Hmm?" Luo Xue paused. "I washed my hair with soapberries. A lot of people probably use the same kind of shampoo, don't they?" "I know soapberries, but what's shampoo?" Nangong Mengxiang curiously asked. "Cough, cough, it's just that my hair's scent should be quite common..." "No, no, I'm not talking about the scent of your hair," Nangong Mengxiang frowned slightly. "More specifically, it's the scent or aura from your body?" A similar aura to mine? Luo Xue's face showed a hint of gravity. It could only be her past self... But Nangong Mengxiang shouldn't have appeared at Feng Yin Mountain back then? If she had been there, dealing with Ziyang Taoist wouldn't have been such a hassle... "By the way, Luo Xue, I don't think you've told me what cultivation techniques you practice?" Nangong Mengxiang asked, "The similarity in our aura could be due to the techniques." Before Luo Xue could answer, Nangong Mengxiang patted her chest and introduced herself, "Mine are 'Supreme Forgetting Emotion Technique' and 'Basic Body Strengthening Technique'... that's what my master said. These two techniques are really strong!" ...Basic Body Strengthening Technique? That's impossible... Body practitioners typically learn two techniques: one for body strengthening and a basic foundational technique, except for extreme body cultivators. Of course, a common foundational technique is not as refined as those of ordinary cultivators, but only by learning one can they harness spells and techniques; otherwise, they rely solely on physical strength. Nangong Mengxiang's candidness somewhat moved Luo Xue, but she hesitated for a moment and glanced at the twin sisters. Nangong Mengxiang might be trustworthy for now, but the twins might not... Should she reveal her Juexiao Sect technique? Thinking carefully, it seemed safe. Apart from Wumu Master, no one had recognized her yet, meaning Juexiao Sect had not extended their reach here. After some contemplation, Luo Xue nodded and said, "I come from Juexiao Sect and practice the 'Falling Flowers Technique.' Maybe that's why it feels familiar to you." With that, Luo Xue revealed her cultivation technique's aura. Hearing her words, Sha Yiyi and Sha Keke were stunned. They had speculated about Luo Xue's identity, thinking she might be a prodigy from a major sect, but they never imagined she was from Juexiao Sect. What kind of sect was Juexiao Sect? It was one of the nine celestial domains overseeing a state! Even if they appeared somewhat weakened against the Yin Spirit Temple, that was only due to the temple's massive size. In reality, Juexiao Sect was much more powerful than Changchun Pavilion, which controlled Youzhou... "Why would there be such a commission, with a reward of five Yellow Grade Qi Condensation Pills... that's just setting us up for failure!" Sha Yiyi and Sha Keke were practically in tears. Meanwhile, Nangong Mengxiang, sensing Luo Xue's aura, shook her head, "No, that's not the right aura." She looked up at Luo Xue, asking seriously, "What feels familiar to me is another aura. Luo Xue, you must be practicing another technique." "......" Luo Xue's expression became instantly grave. She could tell that too? Was Nangong Mengxiang's perception truly so sharp? Luo Xue rarely used the Xuan Yin Transforming Phoenix Technique, as she was uncertain about its rank in this world. She was also concerned that exposure would invite trouble. Seeing Luo Xue's serious demeanor, the twin sisters realized it wasn't their place to linger. Unlike the naïve Nangong Mengxiang, Luo Xue had never let her guard down around them. They weren't fools; they could see that. "We... we'll just head upstairs to tidy up. You two carry on with your discussion." Sha Yiyi stood and spoke, then pulled along the still-stunned Sha Keke, their footsteps quickly retreating upstairs. Luo Xue calmed herself down a little, looking towards Nangong Mengxiang, who was full of expectation. She didn't set up a sound barrier—because she didn't know how. "This matter... I hope it won't spread." Luo Xue took a deep breath. She also wanted to find out what made Nangong Mengxiang feel familiar. "Don't tell anyone else—not even your master." Upon hearing this, Nangong Mengxiang opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something. But she quickly nodded instead, "Of course." Reassured by the certain response, Luo Xue slowly closed her eyes. When she opened them again, her eyes flickered with a hint of purple-red, with some mysterious depth in her pupils. Her whole aura turned a little colder, with even the tips of her hair showing a faint purple hue. ——This was Luo Xue's first time in this life fully unleashing the Xuan Yin Transforming Phoenix Technique, rendering her like an ancient mythical beast above the earthly realm, with a slight presence of her powerful bloodline's majesty around her. Nangong Mengxiang's eyes brightened upon sensing Luo Xue's current aura, her gaze growing wistful. She gently reached out her trembling hands and lightly touched Luo Xue's cheeks. "Master..." "Hmm?" Luo Xue was startled. "I remember now, it's Master’s aura." Nangong Mengxiang lowered her eyes. "I've looked for her for a long time, several centuries, yet I still couldn't find her." "Master... wait," Luo Xue withdrew her aura, her eyes filled with unstoppable shock, "Your Master, are you talking about Feng Yin Zhenren?" Back to the conspiracy at Feng Yin Mountain, if it weren't for Feng Yin Zhenren's soul intervening in the end, Luo Xue might have struggled to escape from the tenacious grasp of Ziyang Taoist. She wouldn't have been able to rescue Xiao Yao either. Deep inside, Luo Xue had always felt a sense of regret, as she could never express her gratitude to Feng Yin Zhenren. But now... it seemed there was an opportunity. "Feng Yin Zhenren? My master seems to have had that title," Nangong Mengxiang pondered for a moment, "but she didn't really like being called that. It was mainly used in front of others." "But... could there really be such a coincidence in this world?" Amidst her shock, Luo Xue calmed down. She wasn't doubting that Nangong Mengxiang was deceiving her; she was just uncertain about Nangong Mengxiang's reliability... "Can you tell me more about your master? We've got some time before lunch," Luo Xue glanced towards the stairway, "the inn’s two little bosses will probably be busy for a while longer." "Of course! My master is an amazingly wonderful person!" Nangong Mengxiang was delighted and immediately dragged over a chair, beginning to recount her stories. She described her encounter with her master, their experiences together, and eventually, their separation. Listening intently, Luo Xue began to sense that Nangong Mengxiang... might truly be the disciple of Feng Yin Zhenren, the one she knew well. "Always searching for an heir to a particular inheritance but never finding one, and you have other fellow disciples?" Luo Xue inquired. Nangong Mengxiang nodded, "There are a few, but not many. Master was always looking for girls born on a yin year, yin month, and yin day, screened a lot, but none met the requirements, not even me." Like Ziyang Taoist, Feng Yin Zhenren was also searching for a suitable inheritor for the Xuan Yin Transforming Phoenix Technique, on behalf of a great being known as "Feng Zun." It was likely that Ziyang Taoist's method of screening was derived from Feng Yin Zhenren. Unfortunately... not even Feng Yin Zhenren, in her many years of searching, could find a worthy candidate. She ultimately met a mysterious end, with her remains crafted into a Xuan Yin Gu seed. Nangong Mengxiang was one of those failed candidates, but Feng Yin Zhenren had discovered her talent in body cultivation and consequently taught her an unnamed body refinement technique—what was referred to as the Basic Body Strengthening Technique. As for the Supreme Forgetting Emotion Technique, it was a technique that necessitated cutting off emotions. Each time it was used, it severed all the emotions within oneself, significantly lowering the awareness of the physical body and delaying any injuries sustained. Nangong Mengxiang had used this during a robbery, and ultimately relied on this move to withstand a deadly Core Formation strike. It could be considered incredibly powerful. Apparently, at its highest level, it's not just about delaying injuries but rather becoming almost immune to them, appearing invincible to the world.