21 - A Farewell to Mr. Luo

### Chapter 21 The Fire Kirin left the cave in search of food, indifferent to the mood of its new disciple. Meanwhile, on the other side of the gorge, there was a lively atmosphere. Li Xiao Yan and her father had great luck and found some crimson fruits, their faces unable to hide their joy. "Father, when we hand these crimson fruits to the sect, can we exchange them for Qi Refining Pills?" Li Zhen Shang watched his daughter carefully storing the fruits, a rare smile appearing on his gaunt face. "When the time comes, I'll keep some of the Qi Refining Pills for you to use later, Yan'er." Li Xiao Yan's face blossomed into a flower-like smile upon hearing this. Despite the great danger of coming to Wan Feng Tai, the rewards were even greater. She couldn't help but feel excited thinking about reaching the level of Dan Formation, just like the grand elder. Li Liansheng became the young sect master because he nearly reached Dan Formation thanks to his father. Immersed in their joy, it was the ever-vigilant Li Zhen Shang who spoke up, "Yan'er, we shouldn't stay here long. Let's leave quickly." "Yes, Father." No sooner had they left than three female disciples from the Ephmeral Palace arrived. They looked at the bare tree branches with a frown. "Why has someone already picked these? They've always been here at this time." "Several trees up ahead have been taken too. If this keeps up, we might leave empty-handed this time." The two Ephmeral Palace disciples looked disappointed. They had already marked the best spots, only to have someone beat them to it. However, He Yi Man, who was known for leaving a deep impression, wasn't looking at the empty branches. Instead, she stared at the grass. "Yi Man, what are you looking at?" asked one of the disciples when she noticed He Yi Man zoning out. They had expected better rewards being teamed up with this young junior sister, but things hadn't gone as planned, and all the good spots had been taken, showing just how unlucky they were. He Yi Man pointed at the grass, "The footprints here are clear. The way the grass has bounced back indicates that someone was here recently. They shouldn't be far." The other two disciples quickly came over to check and found the footprints as described. "Judging by the footprints, there are only two people, one male and one female." "Let's hurry and catch up!" The three set off, so fast that the air whistled faintly as they moved. Li Zhen Shang and Li Xiao Yan were meanwhile weaving through a dense thicket. The tall shrubs made it nearly impossible to see them once they were inside. At the edge of the thicket, the three pursuing women came to a halt; the footprints had disappeared. "Yi Man, what now?" He Yi Man's face remained calm and composed. "I'll take a look from above." She took out a red flute from her waistband, placed it at her lips, and blew softly. Though inaudible, a gentle breeze lifted her off the ground, allowing her to scan the area from above. Only sword cultivators could normally walk on air, but He Yi Man was neither a sword cultivator nor an ordinary practitioner; she was merely a mortal. However, she could hover by relying on nothing more than an ordinary red flute. Everyone in the various sects knew that He Yi Man was a mortal who had achieved extraordinary skills with her flute by mastering the Dao of Music. Her control over spiritual energy was even superior to those at the Golden Core stage. Many admirers lamented her short mortal lifespan, comparing her achievements to those of great masters, as she had forged a unique path, accomplishing feats that others couldn't. Because of this, He Yi Man held a special position within the Ephmeral Palace. Their participation in this mission was buoyed by the confidence that He Yi Man's exceptional abilities would guarantee significant rewards. But unforeseen complications arose due to the involvement of the Qing Xu Sect, which added over two hundred people. Despite their low cultivation levels, their number greatly enhanced the search efforts, continually outpacing the Ephmeral Palace's plans. Without He Yi Man's presence, the Ephmeral Palace disciples might have resorted to robbing others. He Yi Man quickly spotted Li Zhen Shang and his daughter moving hastily through the shrubs. Descending slowly, she rejoined her companions. "I've located them. Follow me." With that, He Yi Man led her fellow disciples into the thicket, disappearing among the dense foliage. Meanwhile, the Fire Kirin was wandering aimlessly, sniffing for something to eat. The gorge, rich in spiritual resources, provided plenty of sustenance, but the Kirin particularly favored the taste of flesh. Having lived in the gorge for tens of thousands of years, the Fire Kirin had nearly driven several beast species to extinction, eating nearly everything edible. This made the environment more suitable for spiritual plants due to the lack of natural predators. It wasn't until the past few centuries that the various sects discovered the crimson fruits in the gorge, beginning the quinquennial harvest tradition. The Fire Kirin pondered the places it hadn't yet visited. Most areas had been exhausted, except for the northern thicket. Thinking it might catch some fowl for itself and its retching disciple, it headed north. In the depths of the thicket, Li Zhen Shang and his daughter felt their hearts pounding with an ominous sense of dread. "Father, I feel like someone is following us." "Yan'er, I sense it too," Li Zhen Shang replied. As cultivators, their heightened intuition often warned them of impending danger. "We should split up." "Alright." Just as they were about to part ways, their pursuers caught up. He Yi Man and her companions surrounded them, blocking all escape routes. "Hand over the crimson fruits," He Yi Man demanded calmly. Though gentle by nature, cultivation was a ruthless competition for resources. "Why should I? We gathered these fruits ourselves," Li Xiao Yan retorted. Accustomed to preferential treatment in the Qing Xu Sect, she wasn't used to being pressured. The crimson fruits were her ticket to forming a Gold Core, and she wouldn't hand them over without a fight. "These fruits belong to the Ephmeral Palace. You snatched our resources, and now we're taking them back," responded one of the Ephmeral Palace disciples curtly. "The fruits are born of heaven and earth. They don't have your name on them." "Then we'll take them by force." With that, the two Ephmeral Palace disciples lunged forward. One wielded white silk while the other brandished dual daggers, both aiming for Li Zhen Shang and his daughter's vital points. Li Zhen Shang, the only one capable of holding his ground, faced off against the dagger-wielding disciple, gaining the upper hand with his experience. Meanwhile, Li Xiao Yan struggled against the silk-wielding disciple, unable to match her in cultivation or combat skills. He Yi Man watched the skirmish impassively, confident that Li Zhen Shang and his daughter would fall. In the midst of the fight, Li Xiao Yan failed to dodge, taking a blow to her abdomen and coughing up blood. "Yan'er!" Seeing his daughter's injury, Li Zhen Shang was momentarily distracted. The dagger-wielding disciple seized this opportunity to stab him in the chest, blood splattering as she withdrew the blade. "Father!" A length of white silk flew through the air, binding Li Xiao Yan tightly. ### Chapter 21 (Continued) Li Zhen Shang, clutching his chest wound, looked at his daughter held captive and could only grit his teeth, "Yan'er, give them the crimson fruits." In a panic, Li Xiao Yan could only comply with her father's desperate plea, reluctantly handing over the fruits to the Ephmeral Palace disciples. The disciple who retrieved the fruits breathed a sigh of relief and said to He Yi Man, "Thanks to you, Sister Yi Man, we were able to reclaim the crimson fruits." He Yi Man smiled gently and then looked at the wounded father and daughter on the ground, "It was only my duty. I merely found the path; it was you sisters who did the hard work." The two disciples, pleased by this recognition, felt their vanity well-pleased. As they were about to leave, one of them asked, "What about these two?" "Shall we just kill them?" The father and daughter trembled at these words, and Li Xiao Yan, desperate, nearly screamed, "You've taken what you want, and now you want our lives too? Aren't you afraid of heavenly retribution?" Just then, the Fire Kirin, having just entered the area, perked up its ears as if it had heard something. Excitedly, it dashed toward the sound, hoping it wasn't just some ordinary beast. The flames on its hooves did not ignite anything as it ran. He Yi Man looked at the father and daughter and then said to her fellow disciples, "Sisters, leave them to me. I'll handle this and catch up with you shortly." Her two sisters nodded, confident that He Yi Man would not show mercy, suspecting she wanted to be thorough. They didn't object but urged, "Sister Yi Man, don't take too long." "Alright." As the two female disciples departed, Li Xiao Yan stared venomously at He Yi Man. Li Zhen Shang watched her approach with an unreadable expression. At this moment, a sudden roar echoed from afar, catching all three by surprise. From the bushes nearby, a red shadow dashed toward them so quickly that its form was indistinguishable. --- This chapter continues from the heated confrontation between Li Zhen Shang, Li Xiao Yan, and the Ephmeral Palace disciples. As tensions rise, the unexpected arrival of the Fire Kirin adds another layer of suspense and potential danger.