25 - A Farewell to Mr. Luo

Chapter 25 Bai Fan retracted her leg and looked back at Dao Chang. "Don't worry, everything is fine now." The thief swallowed hard, looking at the two people in the distance who were no longer moving. He cautiously spoke to Bai Fan, "Miss, maybe you were a bit too harsh with them." "Hmph, they came at me with knives. If I show mercy, either I'm an idiot or I've lived too long." Saying this, Bai Fan leisurely walked over to the two individuals. She noticed that both of their chests had caved in and couldn't tell if they were dead or alive. The thief, following behind, stretched his neck to peek and noticed a golden paper edge sticking out of one of the men's pockets. He was always observant of such things and had a sharp eye for valuables, each time itching to steal them. In an attempt to ingratiate himself with Bai Fan, he quickly called out, "Miss, Miss." "What?" Bai Fan was already tying the thief to a rope, preparing to leave, but stopped when she heard him calling. "Look at the man's pocket; there seems to be something inside." "What kind of thing?" Bai Fan turned to glance at the thug's chest and spotted the corner of some gilded paper. However, it didn't seem particularly valuable to her. “It must be something good,” the thief insisted, trying to persuade her. Bai Fan walked over, reaching into the pocket to pull out the golden paper, only to find it was an invitation. She gave the thief an incredulous look. "See, just an invitation, nothing special." Just then, Dao Chang came over from a distance. Seeing the invitation in Bai Fan's hand, he remarked, "Miss, that looks like an invitation to the Immortal Ascension Gathering." Then, he pulled out a similar invitation from his sleeve. Bai Fan, stunned, quickly opened the invitation and confirmed that it was indeed for the Immortal Ascension Gathering. She broke into a smile, her mouth nearly stretching from ear to ear, thinking to herself how lucky she was to get such an invitation. It seemed her good luck couldn't be stopped. "So this is an invitation to the Immortal Ascension Gathering." Dao Chang was likely concerned about safety along the journey, seeing the young girl’s abilities as a boon. Traveling with her would provide extra security. “If you are also going to the Immortal Ascension Gathering, could we travel together for mutual protection?” Bai Fan happily put away the invitation, smiling broadly, "Sure, let's go together." "Miss," the thief called out, still looking at Bai Fan. "What now?" "Can you untie this rope for me?" "Are you planning to escape?" "No, no, Miss. Look, my hands have turned purple from the rope. If you keep me tied up like this, my hands will be useless. I depend on these hands for a living." He pitifully showed his tied arms, blood circulation obviously restricted. Bai Fan observed his condition and wondered why he was so delicate. "Don’t you dare think of running away, or I’ll really disassemble you," Bai Fan threatened as she untied the rope. The thief felt a great relief and immediately started rubbing his hands. "Thank you, Miss. I swear I won't run. You say east, I'll go east. You say west, I'll go west, no objections." They say the harsher life is, the more people master the art of flattery. The thief quickly started flattering Bai Fan. "Alright, alright, stop talking nonsense. Just follow along and call me Boss from now on, not Miss." "Yes, Boss." "Miss, shall we move on?" asked Dao Chang, standing nearby. Bai Fan hurried forward, "Let's go, let's go, right away." The three of them set off again. Unlike before, when Bai Fan cautiously followed from behind, this time she could openly walk beside Dao Chang, asking numerous questions and finally filling the gaps in her knowledge accumulated over the years. “Dao Chang, where is the Immortal Ascension Valley located?” “From west to east, it’s about a thousand miles further.” Bai Fan felt a twinge of disbelief thinking that she had already been following for a long time. The arduous journey reflected Dao Chang’s firm determination to seek immortality. The path was rugged, devoid of civilization. Only the provisions Dao Chang brought along provided sustenance. Bai Fan and the thief survived on wild fruits and occasionally feasted on a catch of game, fur and all. The thief, emaciated and yellow-skinned, was downright pitiful. Ultimately, Dao Chang took pity and gave him a piece of cornbread. The thief, tearful, nibbled slowly, lamenting his fate and regretting ever becoming a thief, which led him to such a dire situation. Bai Fan was away at that moment, digging rabbits out of their burrows. She managed to catch about seven or eight small ones, but when she was about to eat them, she saw their tear-filled eyes and felt a pang of pity, eventually releasing them. When she returned, she found the thief eating the cornbread, nearly finished. Annoyed, she ran over, glaring at him. "Is it tasty?" Startled, the thief didn’t recognize her at first. Once he realized who she was, he swallowed the bread in his mouth and wiped his lips. “Ah, Boss, you’re back. Want some of this cornbread?” Starving, Bai Fan grabbed the last bit and swallowed it in one go, hardly chewing. This habit of eating without chewing was instinctual; no matter how large, she could digest anything. Finally, after days of trudging, they saw signs of human habitation. Though Dao Chang and Bai Fan managed to walk on their own, the thief had to lean on a wooden stick, disheveled and unshaven. “This must mean we’re close to the Immortal Ascension Valley,” Dao Chang exclaimed, gazing eagerly at the nearby signs of civilization. Bai Fan felt the same excitement, no longer having to suffer in the wilderness and anticipating a large feast. The thief nearly cried out of relief, thinking he would have died on the road if they hadn’t arrived soon. In the small town, the three cleaned themselves up and feasted like ravenous wolves in a restaurant. Among them, Dao Chang maintained the best appearance. Bai Fan and the thief used their hands to eat, eliciting distasteful looks from other diners. At that moment, a group of four robed individuals entered, their attire similar to Dao Chang’s. “Owner, a few vegetarian dishes and a small pot of wine, please.” “Coming right up, take a seat inside.” Bai Fan, engrossed in her meal, didn’t notice the group passing by, though one brushed against her arm and disdainfully wiped the spot, muttering, "Disgusting." Bai Fan’s sharp ears caught the remark. She put down her meat and slammed the table with her hands, startling the thief who almost choked. "Bang." The entire restaurant fell silent. Bai Fan, wiping her mouth, approached the young man who had spoken, glaring at him. "What did you say?" Standing on a table to confront him, the man looked down at her arrogantly, which only fueled her anger. The young man, dressed in white robes and looking somewhat scholarly, sneered down his nose at her. “I said you eat like a pig. How can a pig sit at the table? If this place isn’t filthy, then what is?” Bai Fan was stunned. No one had ever compared her eating habits to a pig’s before. Furious, she couldn’t comprehend why an immortal-seeking demon needed table manners, especially when starving. Enraged, she vowed to teach him a lesson for his arrogance. Bai Fan's face turned bright red from holding back her words for so long. She was about to lose her composure when Dao Chang, who had been sitting nearby, quickly intervened. "Miss, let’s step down first." Bai Fan was led back to her seat by Dao Chang, her eyes still fixed on that arrogant young man. Back at the table, Dao Chang explained, “Miss, it is unwise to make enemies here. We are less than half a mile from the Immortal Ascension Valley. Most of the cultivators rest here before entering the valley, and while many are independent cultivators like me, occasionally, there are disciples from established sects and clans training in the area.” Bai Fan took several deep breaths to calm herself. She didn't understand why she had been so easily agitated lately; this wasn’t the case before when she was at Qingxu Sect. "Thank you for the warning, Dao Chang." The thief couldn't comprehend anything about cultivation, sects, or clans; he understood none of it. But after following along for the past few days, he had at least gained some insight. After the meal, the three of them settled in at an inn. Bai Fan began to meditate as she hadn't had time to cultivate during their journey. Her unsettled emotions meant she needed to meditate more than ever. Upon closing her eyes and calming her mind, a refreshing stream of spiritual energy soon entered her brain, immediately dispelling her previous agitation. The spiritual energy circulated continuously through her meridians, accumulating in her abdomen until it reached a critical mass and began to compress and transform. Eventually, it condensed into a glowing speck the size of a grain of rice. This transformation signaled a qualitative change. Spiritual energy, being omnipresent, was absorbed through Bai Fan’s skin, filtered into her meridians, and then solidified. When her abdomen reached its capacity, a qualitative change occurred, forming a radiant speck, essentially turning into what is known as spiritual power. Thus, Bai Fan broke through the first layer of the Qi Refinement stage. She opened her eyes, feeling a little dazed but noticing how much lighter she felt. She looked at her skin and saw black sweat oozing from her pores. She must have been meditating for quite a while, as the sweat had dried, forming a layer of black grime that emitted an unpleasant odor. ※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※ Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or nourished me with nutrient solutions~ Thank you, little angel for nourishing [nutrient solution]: Mantou 10 bottles; Thank you all very much for your support. I will continue to work hard! 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