108 - A Farewell to Mr. Luo

### Chapter 108 On this tranquil night, Bai Fàn silently watched the face of her companion throughout the night. Countless times, she struggled within her heart. She longed to venture into the wilderness with her companion, but her cultivation level was too low. Going would be akin to seeking death, and she would only become a burden to her companion. However, could Hé Yǐmàn really manage the journey alone with her current physical state? Even if no one could harm her, she might soon be overcome by her own physical drawbacks and exhaust herself to death along the way. Bai Fàn didn't know if she had taken the Elixir of Youth. Thinking of this, Bai Fàn felt she had to remind her companion because the Elixir of Youth was extremely rare, and she feared Hé Yǐmàn didn't know its effects. As the first rays of dawn seeped through, the fire before them gradually extinguished. Hé Yǐmàn's eyelashes fluttered slightly before she slowly opened her eyes. Initially, a wave of confusion poured from her eyes, quickly replaced by calmness as she looked at Bai Fàn sitting beside her. At this moment, their gazes intertwined. Bai Fàn's face turned slightly warm as she looked at Hé Yǐmàn, who had just woken up. In Hé Yǐmàn's eyes, Bai Fàn's clear, bright eyes focused on her with a light that seemed to shine, the morning rays entering her eyes like flickering flames. Although such an atmosphere could easily breed ambiguity, in this ill-suited place, they were abruptly interrupted by Míngzhū’s voice from behind, "It's dawn. Can we leave now?" The burning sensation on Bai Fàn's face seemed instantly doused in cold water, cooling her face's temperature. She turned awkwardly towards Míngzhū, her expression a mix of anger and helplessness, while Míngzhū looked innocently back. "What did I do wrong, Yèhé (Night River)?" "Nothing." Bai Fàn stood up, patting the dust off her body. Hé Yǐmàn did not stand for a while. After walking a few steps, Bai Fàn turned back to see Hé Yǐmàn stretching her hand to massage her neck. "What's wrong?" Hé Yǐmàn slowly stood up, her voice still hoarse from sleep, "My neck is stiff." "Are you okay, do you want me to take a look?" As she said this, she ran over, reaching out to touch Hé Yǐmàn's neck, but Hé Yǐmàn deftly evaded her touch. “No worries, a little movement will sort it out.” Bai Fàn awkwardly withdrew her hand, fidgeting with her fingers. “Alright then. Are you hungry?” “I’m not… grumble——” At that moment, Hé Yǐmàn's stomach growled, interrupting her. Bai Fàn, noticing this, quickly pulled out various spirit fruits from her storage pouch and handed them to Hé Yǐmàn. “Eat some to fill your stomach.” “Thank you.” Hé Yǐmàn took a spirit fruit, biting softly. The sweet juice instantly filled her taste buds, quickly quelling her hunger. Watching from the side, Míngzhū pouted, then couldn't help but ask Bai Fàn, “Yèhé, do you have more? I want to eat too.” Bai Fàn looked at Míngzhū puzzled, “You are a cultivator; you shouldn’t need to eat.” “But I want to. Just one, please.” Bai Fàn's supply of spirit fruits in her pouch was already limited, meant to last Hé Yǐmàn through the journey. However, seeing Míngzhū’s pitiful expression, she reluctantly took out one more and handed it to her, saying sternly, “This is the last one.” Míngzhū happily held the spirit fruit, not eating but savoring its fragrance, content with just one from Yèhé. Once Hé Yǐmàn finished eating, the three of them continued their journey. After Hé Yǐmàn's experience of shivering in the ice, they moved much faster during the day. The wind whistled in their ears, the landscape below barren and desolate. The direction could only be discerned by the sun: moving with their backs to the morning light, walking under the noon sun, and chasing the evening glow. Their shadows stretched long across the wasteland. Meanwhile, far in the Eastern Continent, Lǐ Liánshēng and his companions finally arrived at the entrance of Xuánzhī Palace, hoping to meet Elder Yushu. However, they were met with a closed door. The disciple guarding the gate, seeing Lǐ Liánshēng's group in shabby attire, wanted them to leave quickly. "The person you seek is not here." Lǐ Liánshēng couldn't believe it. He recalled his grandfather's words carefully, to seek Elder Yushu at Xuánzhī Palace. He stepped back a few paces, looking at the "Xuánzhī Palace" inscription, then asked the gatekeeper, "Is there more than one Xuánzhī Palace in the Eastern Continent?" The disciple, irritated, stepped forward, about to grab Lǐ Liánshēng by the collar, but Gù Hé quickly intervened with his wooden sword. “Speak nicely. No need for hands.” The disciple, glancing at Gù Hé's drawn sword, snorted, “Of course there’s only one Xuánzhī Palace.” "Then why did you say there’s no Elder Yushu here?" "People like you, from who-knows-where, dream of associating with Elder Yushu? Stop dreaming." "We're not here to associate, we have important business with the Elder." Lǐ Liánshēng's anxious explanation fell on deaf ears. The gatekeeper remained dismissive. "Important business? Every day, people like you show up here claiming the same." Just then, a few other shabby cultivators approached, holding a token. “Young master, please show some leniency. We are descendants of Elder Yushu, coming from afar. Our family has fallen on hard times, we’re seeking refuge at Xuánzhī Palace.” The disciple glanced at the token, an ordinary one emitting slight spiritual energy, and mocked, “Ha! You dare claim to be Elder Yushu’s kin? Look in the mirror, you’re not worthy. Get lost!” He kicked at their faces, scaring the shabby cultivators into fleeing. Witnessing this farce, Lǐ Liánshēng and his group felt utterly embarrassed. Lǐ Xiǎoyàn, unable to control her temper, cracked the grass with her foot and crushed flowers with her hand. Renowned for her fiery temper, she felt like giving the gatekeeper a good slap but remembered her father’s strict instructions to temper her behavior. But anger isn’t easily subdued, so she vented it on the flora. Lǐ Liánshēng sighed, but remembered his own token. “We also have a token. Let us see Elder Yushu, who will recognize it.” The disciple’s impatience grew, and he began pushing them away with his wooden sword. “Go away. Even if you have a token, you won't see him. Elder Yushu has been in seclusion for ten years, with no sign of emergence.” Hearing this, their hopes shattered. Lǐ Xiǎoyàn muttered, “What now? The demon clan might have already breached our sect’s gates. After so long, who knows our father’s fate. Relying on others is never as good as having one’s own stronghold. Even meeting someone means facing this kind of indignity.” Her words plunged everyone into silence. The long wait and the probable fall of their sect weighed on them. Lǐ Xiǎochá and Lǐ Mǐn began to cry quietly, the first time they had ventured so far from home. “Xiǎochá, sob, I miss home, I miss Master.” “Me too.” "I miss the great spiritual chickens in Qīng Xū Sect, and the little junior brothers in the cookhouse.” “Sob, sob, sob.” ### Chapter 108 Continued The two young girls, around eleven or twelve years old, burst into loud sobs. Gù Hé, seeing his two junior sisters crying so hard, became flustered and didn't know what to do. Lǐ Liánshēng also had never taken care of young children before, and he wasn't sure how to comfort them. All he could do was try and coax, “Junior sisters, please don't cry. How about we go down and have some spiritual chicken later?” “Sob, sob, sob.” But the more they were comforted, the harder the two young girls cried. Lǐ Xiǎochá held Lǐ Mǐn tightly as Lǐ Mǐn cried on her shoulder. Their wailing only irritated the Xuánzhī Palace gatekeeper further. He shouted at them, “Will you leave already? If you must cry, not here! It sounds as if someone died in Xuánzhī Palace. It’s too noisy!” Intimidated by the shouting gatekeeper, the sobbing became quieter, though the occasional sniffle still echoed in the background. Finally, Lǐ Xiǎoyàn, frustrated beyond measure, marched up to the two young girls and, with a sharp tone, threatened, “If you two keep crying, we'll leave you here, and let the demonic beasts eat you tonight. I heard the beasts here especially love weepy little girls like you.” Frightened by Lǐ Xiǎoyàn's threat, the girls' sobbing ceased immediately. Even Lǐ Mǐn, who had been hiccuping from crying so hard, hastily covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes wide with fear. Their eyes reddened like little rabbits, and with tears still pooling, they looked extremely pitiable. Seeing his junior sisters finally stop crying, Lǐ Liánshēng heaved a sigh of relief. However, they still hadn't seen Elder Yushu, and now they had nowhere to go. As he contemplated their situation, Lǐ Liánshēng thought of Da Bai. What would Da Bai do in this situation? With the chaos in the Southern Continent, where was Da Bai now? Was he safe and sound? --- **Previous Chapter** | **Table of Contents** | **Next Chapter** Return to Home | Desktop | Bookshelf | Novel Directory | Popular Novels