121 - A Farewell to Mr. Luo

Chapter 121 - The Rampaging Dragon Girl Bai Fan ran her fingers over her neck, feeling an unsettling sensation creeping down her spine. Quickly, she turned to Hui Haozi and said, "Senior, let's leave here immediately. Delays could bring about unforeseen changes." "Allow me a moment to collect my things." With that, Hui Haozi started gathering items within the cave. Unlike Bai Fan’s storage bag tied at her waist, Hui Haozi merely stretched out his sleeve, and the various items inside the cave rapidly flew into it. Within a few breaths, the entire cave was cleared. Observing this, Bai Fan felt a twinge of envy. Her storage bag required everything to be placed inside one item at a time, and finding things often involved tedious searching—not convenient at all. If not for the fear of attracting too much attention, she would prefer to store everything in her dream realm for ease and quick access. However, given her current cultivation level, drawing too much attention would lead to unwanted scrutiny, so she opted to use her storage bag, reserving the dream realm for significant items. "Alright, let's go." With that, Hui Haozi and Bai Fan left the cave. Standing at the entrance, Hui Haozi reflected for a moment on having lived there for hundreds of years and how he was finally leaving. Bai Fan meticulously erased all traces of their presence, leaving nothing behind, and departed without leaving a hint of their existence. The two soared into the sky, looking over the vast forest, unsure of which direction to take. "Senior, where should we head to now?" Bai Fan asked. With his hands behind his back, Hui Haozi, garbed in grey, let the wind rustle his attire as he gazed below, seemingly lost in contemplation. Having just arrived in the Eastern Continent, Bai Fan didn’t dare to be as reckless as she had been in the Northern Continent. She stood silently, waiting for Hui Haozi to speak. "I haven’t left for centuries, so I’m not familiar with the current state of the Eastern Continent, and I have no friends in the cultivation path here. They would have probably passed away by now. Let's first head to the mortal realm." "I will follow your lead, Senior." Hui Haozi pinched his mustache, a comfortable expression spreading across his face. Having grown up in the mortal world, he was neither warmly received by the demon race nor the human race, making the mortal realm his favorite. Suddenly, he grabbed onto Bai Fan’s collar, and they disappeared in a flash. Bai Fan was already fast in her flight, but Hui Haozi, a great demon at the Tribulation Crossing stage, moved at an indescribable speed, akin to a rocket, matching the swiftest of flying shuttles. "Senior." "Little Dragon, you're flying too slowly. At your speed, who knows how long we'd take to get out of this place. You should just let me carry you. I'll let you down once we're out." Bai Fan couldn’t argue, realizing she was indeed too slow compared to him. The surroundings blurred into an indistinct view, and she couldn't discern direction, wondering how Hui Haozi even navigated. The wind roared past as they flew for half a month before finally emerging from the forest. Hui Haozi let Bai Fan down, and she struggled to regain her footing, slightly disoriented. Once she gathered her senses, she realized they were before a massive city. Despite having seen many grand immortal cities, she couldn’t help but marvel at this one's size and magnificence. The city left an impression of sheer vastness, so large it seemed to have no boundaries. Throngs of people poured into the city from outside. Bai Fan took a deep breath and looked towards Hui Haozi, "Senior, is this a mortal city?" Hui Haozi nodded and began leading Bai Fan into the city. "It was originally a mortal city. However, over time, many itinerant cultivators settled here, giving it its current form." The streets inside the city were packed with people, even busier than immortal cities. Shops and stalls were everywhere, with cultivators mingling seamlessly among the populace. It was the first time Bai Fan saw such harmonious coexistence between mortals and cultivators. In the Southern Continent, cultivators and mortals lived in separate worlds. Even when mortals appeared, they were considered insignificant, and direct business interactions between them and cultivators were unheard of. But Hui Haozi seemed to have a purpose upon entering the city. He walked straight, never hesitating, unlike Bai Fan, whose head turned from side to side, fascinated by everything she saw. They stopped at a small courtyard, where Hui Haozi pulled out a key to open the door, only for it to be opened from the inside by someone else. "Who might you be?" Upon being questioned, Hui Haozi responded curtly, "Who are you?" The man who opened the door appeared to be in his thirties, wearing a blue headscarf similar to the white one Bai Fan wore. "Why, I'm the owner of this courtyard." Hui Haozi glared, his brows knitting together. "This is my home. Since when is it yours?" The man stared bewilderedly at Hui Haozi. "My family has lived here for generations. My grandfather’s grandfather grew up here. Since when has it had anything to do with you, immortal sir?" "This was my house five hundred years ago. I still hold the deed, and if you don't believe me, I can show it to you." "Five hundred years ago?! Hardly anyone from that time remains. There might be few in this city who've lived that long. Immortal sir, it's unjust to bully ordinary folk despite your cultivation." The man added, "If you're displeased, you can take this matter to the Heavenly Alliance within the city." Fuming, Hui Haozi realized that after five hundred years away, his home had been occupied by multiple generations, leaving him speechless. Bai Fan watched from the side, finding the situation absurd. Five centuries apart, everything had indeed changed. Hui Haozi glanced at the property deed and the house number, then simply set the deed ablaze. "Senior, aren't you going to approach the Heavenly Alliance?" "With our status, approaching them will only get us caught. Since this place no longer belongs to me, we'll find new accommodations." He turned away, signaling Bai Fan to quickly follow. They stopped at a City God Temple within the city, where Hui Haozi headed inside without pause. Bai Fan was stunned. "A great demon visiting a City God Temple? All for what? He neither prays to gods nor worships Buddhas." The temple was bustling, the incense burning strong, proving its popularity. As they entered, an aged man hurried over, draped in a yellow robe and looking rather shifty, his legs as thin as sticks. Seeing Hui Haozi, the aged man's hands reached out, but Bai Fan and Hui Haozi dodged quickly, avoiding his grasp. "Ah, Haozi! Five centuries, and you've changed quite a bit," the aged man said with a mischievous grin, his eyes scanning Hui Haozi before lingering on Bai Fan. Hui Haozi snorted. "You haven’t changed a bit." "And this young lady here?" the aged man inquired. "My newly acquired junior." "Have you made a breakthrough?" he inquired, looking intrigued. "Close," Hui Haozi replied. With prying eyes nearby, the aged man suggested, "This place is inconvenient for talking. Come inside." The man led Bai Fan and Hui Haozi to a back courtyard, where it was noticeably quieter, isolated from outside. Hui Haozi shifted uncomfortably before speaking, "I'll need to stay here for a while." The aged man seemed disinclined to have them stay. "Don't you have a house in town?" "My home has been occupied. Prepare two rooms." Handing over a small ceramic vial, the aged man's reluctance turned to excitement as he opened it to smell its contents. "An Essence-Conjoining Pill!" "Prepare the rooms, and arrange a pill room for me." The aged man patted his chest. "Leave it to me. I’ll have it ready in no time. But you should have mentioned this sooner, having such good stuff." Basking in his delight, he went off to arrange the accommodations. Bai Fan watched their interaction, feeling a bit concerned. Hui Haozi reassured Bai Fan, "Don't worry about him. That old man is just a yellow weasel with cultivation lower than yours. We were friends before he took on a human form, but he doesn’t tread the path of cultivation like us. He follows the rare God Path, allowing him to move freely under the Heavenly Alliance's nose." Hearing of "yellow weasel," Bai Fan couldn’t help but think of mice and weasels holding hands. Both men had a roguish look about them, and if not for their height difference, one might mistake them for brothers. Before long, the voice of the yellow weasel sounded from behind, "The rooms are ready, make yourselves at home." With that, he cheerfully returned to his quarters, clutching the little bottle Hui Haozi had given him. Hui Haozi then led Bai Fan into the alchemy room, where he handed her the alchemical furnace she had chosen earlier. "How have you been progressing with the basics of alchemy I taught you?" "Senior, I've already learned and even managed to concoct some Foundation Pills," Bai Fan replied, offering the pills she had created. Hui Haozi took one out, examining it with satisfaction. "You've nearly completed your apprenticeship. The quality is quite good—such pills could be traded for spirit stones at a shop." Bai Fan hadn’t expected such acknowledgment so soon; she was hoping to learn more from him. "But Senior, I—" Before she could finish, Hui Haozi interrupted her, "The rest will have to be learned on your own. There's an Alchemy Appraisal Conference in the city soon, if you're interested." Bai Fan nodded, realizing she’d have to continue independently for a while, and she left to head into the bustling streets. A quick inquiry on the street revealed the location of the conference. Those attending the Alchemy Appraisal Conference were all alchemists, adorned in distinctive, luxurious attire symbolizing their rank and status. Their ranks were denoted by colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Wherever they went, they were respectfully addressed as Dan Shi, or Alchemist. After much effort, Bai Fan made her way inside, catching snippets of conversation around her. "A prominent figure is attending the conference this time." "Who?" "Zhang Dan Shi. They say his alchemical rank has reached the Celestial Level, with cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage seeking him out for pills." "Incredible." --- A heartfelt thank you to the little angels who voted for me or nourished me with nutrient solutions~ Gratitude to the angel who nourished [nutrient solution]: Xiao Qiang, 1 bottle; Thank you all for your support. I'll keep doing my best!