107 - A Farewell to Mr. Luo
Chapter 107 Puppet stood expressionlessly in front of her, like a tree trunk. Bai Fan reached out to touch its head, thinking for a moment, she considered using her divine sense to explore it. As soon as Bai Fan's divine sense entered, she thought she had stepped into another space. Inside Puppet's head was a small cluster of consciousness, although it had yet to develop self-awareness and could be easily influenced from the outside. Bai Fan tried to issue a command for that consciousness to sit down. Instantly, the initially dazed and clueless Puppet sat down. Bai Fan joyfully watched the scene unfold before her. "If you can move now, then I’ll entrust you with the task of caring for the seeds. You can keep this small green gourd for safekeeping," Bai Fan said, handing the gourd to Puppet. Puppet diligently began its task as soon as Bai Fan handed it over. Observing no other anomalies, Bai Fan felt assured and left the realm of dreams. Sitting on the bed, Bai Fan suddenly opened her eyes. Seeing Ghost Lamp sprawled on the table, she felt confirmed that everything was real. With so many spirit stones in hand, Bai Fan suddenly felt a surge of pride. Just as Bai Fan was reveling in her success, there was a sudden knock on the door outside. "Yehe." It was Mingzhu. "What's the matter? Why are you here so late?" "It's an emergency." When Bai Fan heard it was an emergency, she knew it must have something to do with the golden bracelet. She glanced at Ghost Lamp. "Go open the door." Ghost Lamp pointed to himself. "You want me to open the door?" "If not you, then who?" Bai Fan frowned at him. Her thoughts were confirmed: using Ghost Lamp was never as efficient as using Er Chun. Reluctantly, Ghost Lamp walked to the door and opened it. As soon as Mingzhu saw Ghost Lamp, she thought she had entered the wrong room. She grabbed Ghost Lamp by the neck and demanded, "Who are you? Why are you in Yehe's room?" Ghost Lamp's body trembled with fear as he sensed a ghost king's aura emanating from Mingzhu. Yet, the other person didn’t seem like a regular ghost, making it hard for him to determine if she was human or phantom. "Master, save me!" Ghost Lamp cried out in distress. Bai Fan, annoyed by his yells that hurt her ears, said, "Mingzhu, don’t make a fuss. This guy is a lantern I picked up, I’ve already refined him." "Is that so? But Yehe, I think this thing isn't clean, it needs cleansing with fire." Upon hearing that, Ghost Lamp swiftly slipped away from Mingzhu's grasp and hid behind Bai Fan. "Get to the point," Bai Fan ordered, her expression turning serious. Mingzhu secured the door and then quietly approached Bai Fan: "Yehe, look at this." Mingzhu produced a portrait. After staring at it for a moment, Bai Fan recognized the face as that of the blue-dressed woman. "The whole Loulan City is searching for her now. Should we leave?" Recalling the blue-dressed woman's identity, Bai Fan couldn't help but gasp. With the spirit herbs auctioned off and the spirit stones in hand, alongside a lead on the wastelands, they no longer had a reason to stay here. "Let's go, there's no need to stay here any longer." "When do we plan to leave?" Mingzhu asked. "As soon as possible. The longer we stay, the harder it will be to leave," Bai Fan replied. Although she hadn’t revealed her identity at the auction, all eight billion spirit stones were announced to everyone present. If someone came looking, it could cause trouble. "Let's find He Yiman and discuss it," Bai Fan suggested. He Yiman appeared at the exact moment Bai Fan and Mingzhu arrived at her door. Her expression was as cold as ever, showing little interest in anything. "What's going on? Why are you looking for me?" Bai Fan lowered her tone seeing He Yiman’s indifferent expression: "We plan to leave Loulan City tonight." He Yiman paused, then assumed Bai Fan already had a new destination in mind: "Have you found a new destination?" "No," Bai Fan answered. "Then what?" "I want to leave with you first, heading towards the wastelands." He Yiman listened, sensing Bai Fan's hesitance. The wastelands journey was dangerous, and if Bai Fan was unwilling, she wouldn’t force it. "You don't have to go if you don't want to. You shouldn’t feel obligated; there's no debt between us." Bai Fan pondered silently while Mingzhu stared at He Yiman’s expression. Mingzhu preferred Yehe to stay, or at least wait until her cultivation was higher before venturing into the wastelands. "I’ll escort you for a bit to familiarize myself with the route. I’ll need to go there eventually," Bai Fan decided. He Yiman's hand holding a red flute tightened as a faint smile appeared on her lips: "Alright." The three left Crescent Lake after dark despite the attendants’ suggestion to leave in the morning. The incident even brought out the lake’s lazy owner. Watching the trio's figures recede into the darkness, the owner calmly instructed, "Once they leave Crescent Lake, they’re no longer our guests. Inform anyone who inquires that they left at midnight." The servant, bowing deeply towards the leaving figures, replied, "Yes, sir." Once outside the city gates, Bai Fan felt completely at ease. Facing west, she said, "Since the wastelands are to the west, we should head that way." Mingzhu looked west, recalling her memories, and nodded, "Heading west, we must cross this desert to reach the highlands." "Good." The three of them transformed into streaks of light, flying into the distance as Loulan City sunk into the night, swirls of sand left in their wake. Meanwhile, in the Blue-robed Sect's headquarters, a heavy atmosphere weighed over the grand hall. The leader's seat stood vacant, only a few female elders exchanging glances below. "There’s still no news of the sect leader’s disappearance." "Rumors suggest the Red Flower Society intercepted them, but our spies within haven’t reported any captures of our disciples." "It's possible they secretly captured them." "Unlikely. Our spies are deep within their elder council; nothing should escape them. Moreover, the golden bracelet has also vanished." "The bracelet was auctioned at Crescent Lake. We've left word there but heard nothing." "If this continues, we might have to alert the old leader." The Blue-robed Sect was in turmoil. Far away, Bai Fan and her companions had long put the blue-robed woman out of their minds, filled with eagerness for the journey ahead. Crossing continents was no easy feat. Last time, He Yiman took Bai Fan to the Northern Continent because the Floating Palace wasn’t far. But crossing vast distances in a year or two was nearly impossible. The desert nights were cool. Despite not traveling far, He Yiman's face turned pale, prompting Bai Fan to look back with concern. "We should rest for a bit." Mingzhu responded with a surprised "Huh?" "Why? We've only flown for a few hours. It's not even dawn yet." "Let's stop for now. Her body isn't like ours." Bai Fan and He Yiman landed on the ground. Mingzhu glanced at He Yiman secretly, then acted as if she hadn’t seen anything, propping her chin up and gazing at the stars alone. Once He Yiman sat down, Bai Fan retrieved two pieces of clothing from her storage bag and draped them over He Yiman. These clothes were men's attire that Bai Fan had bought during a trip and had not worn. Now they were just right for He Yiman. "Put these on. You can't wear the Floating Palace disciple's attire anymore. These should keep you warm; the climate will only get harsher as we move forward." Listening to Bai Fan speak so seriously, He Yiman thought about how the girl who once barely reached her shoulder was now grown up. A bit dazed, she said, "Thank you." Her words were somewhat stiff. Bai Fan, focused entirely on He Yiman’s well-being, didn't notice any embarrassment and busied herself building a fire on the ground. The crackling flames gradually dispelled the surrounding cold. With their cultivation, Bai Fan and Mingzhu didn't need sleep and sat by the fire, full of energy. He Yiman, however, was different. Being a mortal, she needed rest. The warmth of the fire and the exhaustion from traveling all night quickly made her drowsy. Before long, she dozed off, her head drooping. As Bai Fan poked the fire, she looked up and noticed He Yiman sleeping. Despite sleeping while sitting, He Yiman's posture was impeccable, her mouth tightly shut. This contrasted sharply with Bai Fan's own sleeping habits, which involved open-mouthed snoring and all kinds of awkward positions. Strands of hair brushed against He Yiman’s cheek, her earlobes slightly red from the fire’s heat. Her eyelashes cast lively, flickering shadows due to the dancing flames. ※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※ Thank you to all the lovely readers who voted for me or watered with nutrient solutions~ Special thanks to the angels who donated [nutrient solution]: lulula945 with 10 bottles; I am deeply grateful for everyone's support, and I will keep working hard! Previous Chapter | Table of Contents | Next Chapter Homepage | Desktop Version | Bookshelf | Novel List | Popular Novels