89 - A Farewell to Mr. Luo

Return to the Homepage of the Rampaging Dragoness Home 》Letter from Rampaging Dragoness Bai Fan found herself utterly defeated by Ming Zhu's persistence. In Ming Zhu's heart, she was convinced that Bai Fan was Yehe. Had she really spent the last ten thousand years thinking about nothing but this? Even He Yi Man, who usually remained indifferent, turned her head to look. Bai Fan could only show a face full of helplessness: "I am not Yehe." Seeing Bai Fan vehemently deny that she was Yehe, Ming Zhu felt an even greater pang in her heart. After a brief moment to steady herself, she said, "It's okay, I can wait again. I've already waited ten thousand years; I don't mind waiting a bit longer." There was no point in discussing this further. Bai Fan thought Ming Zhu would have to slowly come to terms with reality on her own. If she were to reveal the truth now, Ming Zhu might not be able to handle it and might do something crazy. Someone who spent thousands of years waiting in a tomb, thinking of just one person all that time, would not only feel love for Yehe but also a deep, almost obsessive attachment, as if they were the last tether to this world. In her current state, Bai Fan simply couldn't bring herself to say, "The person you're waiting for no longer exists." As the red clouds gradually descended and the soft touch under foot disappeared, Bai Fan finally noticed the bustling city in the distance; they had arrived at Loulan. Contrary to her imagination of a city made of mud walls, the buildings here were built from white stone and surrounded by coconut trees. "Jingle, jingle." The sound of camel bells rang in their ears. Turning around, they saw a group of camels being driven into the city. Ming Zhu looked at the camels with curiosity. Although she had lived for thousands of years, she had not seen everything in the world. Much of those ten thousand years were spent sealed within the tomb, and her knowledge was limited to what she'd seen before the seal. "What's that, and why does it have two humps on its back? It looks so strange. Is it a new breed of demon? But it doesn't have any demonic energy." Ming Zhu followed and closely observed the camels. "Those are camels, steeds used by mortals to travel across deserts. The humps on their backs are just tools for storing fat." "Fat? What is that? Is it similar to spiritual energy?" "Uh, something like that." As they chatted, a large bird flew overhead. The bird's tail feathers were stunningly beautiful, trailing a scorching aura as it flew, filling Bai Fan's senses with a familiar scent. Bai Fan looked up at the distant bird, a hint of doubt rising in her heart. Was that familiar scent just an illusion? The bird flew by swiftly, disappearing in the blink of an eye. Even Ming Zhu looked up and murmured, "It seems to have a divine aura. Is it just my imagination?" "Divine aura?" Bai Fan suddenly recalled where that familiar scent came from: the aura on the Fire Qilin. Could that bird also be a divine beast? But among bird-like divine beasts, there seemed to be only the Vermilion Bird. Could that really be it? How incredible. They stood there stunned until the Vermilion Bird disappeared. Even He Yi Man stared at the bird's vanishing point for a long while. "Let's go, into the city." Once inside the city, they were all struck by its bustling prosperity. Many cultivators from the Northern Continent had gathered there, with shops selling magical artifacts and spiritual medicines lining the streets. Unlike the Immortal City of the Southern Continent, Loulan City had no mortals. The lack of sect control made the atmosphere much more relaxed, with a variety of colorful attire. The market scene resembled a street bazaar rather than a formal market. Many items were not available in bulk, so some cultivators only had one or two items for sale, much like they'd experienced at the Ascendancy Fair. However, instead of manuals and elixirs, they sold antique relics that seemed to have been excavated from tombs. As they wandered through the market, dazzled by the variety of goods, a young boy suddenly ran up to them. Standing in front of Bai Fan and the others, he asked, "Is this your first time in Loulan?" Bai Fan looked at the boy dressed in rags, surprisingly just a mortal. The boy, seeing their puzzled looks, tried to tidy his patched clothes and then smiled appropriately, "Do you need any help? Whether you're looking for antiques or buying spiritual elixirs and magical artifacts, I know Loulan City inside and out. No one knows this place better than I do." "Are you a mortal?" Bai Fan asked, as it was hard to believe a child appearing no older than ten could know the city better than anyone else. Nearby, a vendor jokingly said to the boy, "Hey, isn’t that Qiang Zi? Out looking for work? Didn’t bring your little sister today?" The boy named Qiang Zi turned to the vendor and replied indifferently, "My sister is resting at home today." "These people seem to be outsiders. Be careful not to end up with nothing after completing your work." "Got it, that won't happen." Bai Fan's forehead twitched in frustration. Did they look like people who wouldn't pay? Besides, she hadn't even considered needing a guide. The boy turned back apologetically, "Sorry about that, do you need any help?" "No." Bai Fan replied coldly, then moved to walk around him. He Yi Man glanced at the downcast boy, while the vendor smirked. Ming Zhu, lost in her own thoughts, paid no heed, her eyes fixated on the ancient relics laid out for sale, though none caught her fancy. After perusing the market for a while, they finally found an inn. Due to Loulan City’s bustling nature, the inn was crowded. Upon entering, they noted that nearly all the guests were male cultivators, with not a single female cultivator in sight. Their arrival stirred quite a commotion. "Female cultivators!" "Bro, how long has it been since we saw any female cultivators?" "Probably over a decade." "I've almost forgotten the charms of a female cultivator after staying in the Northern Continent for so long." "Look at those soft curves, imagine how it feels to hold them." The lewd comments filled their ears, causing Bai Fan to frown. Since her clothes had been damaged during her tribulation, she had reverted to wearing female attire. But this experience left her with a strong distaste for the inn; the thought of staying under the same roof as these men was unbearable. "Forget it, let's find another inn." Bai Fan was about to lead He Yi Man and Ming Zhu out when those who had made the unsavory remarks blocked their path, forming a line at the door. "Hey, why leave without staying?" "We just don’t want to stay. Please move." "Why the sudden change of heart? This place is great." "Please move." These male cultivators, confident in their strength and seeing Bai Fan and her companions as easy targets—two initial-stage Golden Core cultivators and a mortal—believed they could bully them at will. In Loulan City, as long as one did not commit grave offenses, there were few restrictions, despite a Nascent Soul-level powerhouse’s presence keeping most people relatively in check. Yet of those, a few scum always stood out, like these men. "Why don’t you three lovely ladies join us? The Northern Continent is desolate, but follow us and you'll have plenty of cultivation resources. Big brothers will take good care of you." As they spoke, one reached out to touch He Yi Man’s cheek, but before his filthy hand could make contact, a sudden whimpering flute sound was heard. Out of nowhere, a jade sword appeared, slicing through the outstretched hand. Blood dripped onto the floor. The inn fell silent. No one had expected a jade sword to appear suddenly. The man whose hand had been cut off froze momentarily before howling in pain, “Ah, my hand! My hand! Who did this?” He clutched his bleeding arm, while his comrades panicked. He Yi Man turned to Bai Fan, “Let’s go.” “Yes.” The three of them left the inn. Shortly after, they encountered the same young boy again. This time he walked dejectedly along the road, asking every passerby if they needed help, saying the same lines he had used with Bai Fan and her friends. However, just as Bai Fan and the others suspected, no cultivator would believe the boy's words. They had no need for a mortal's help. He Yi Man looked at the boy for a long while before stepping forward to stand in front of him. Bai Fan and Ming Zhu, unsure of her intentions, followed her. They then heard He Yi Man say to the boy, "We need your help." The boy, who had been hanging his head, looked up abruptly at the sound of her voice. His eyes widened, and a confident smile replaced his previously forlorn expression. "What kind of help do you need?" "We need a place to stay where we won't be disturbed and a location where we can gather information." The boy pounded his chest confidently and said, "Leave it to me. Follow me." Bai Fan wanted to ask He Yi Man why she decided to do this, but seeing her already following the boy, she swallowed her words. Walking ahead, the boy named Qiang Zi introduced himself, "My name is Qiang Zi. I’ve grown up in Loulan. Though I’ve never been inside the Nascent Soul cultivator’s palace, I’ve been everywhere else. The best inn in Loulan is by Crescent Lake. It has the best safety measures and offers complete privacy. You won’t be disturbed if you stay there, although it's a bit pricey—about a hundred spirit stones per night." After speaking, Qiang Zi looked at them apprehensively, knowing that a hundred spirit stones was an impossible sum for most people to afford.