The two of them walked slowly forward under the moonlight.
The long street was silent.
The evening wind carried a faint fragrance of grass and trees, brushing a few strands of hair by Luo Qingci’s temple.
She subconsciously raised a hand to smooth her hair, her gaze inadvertently falling on Xiao Han’s back.
The young man’s posture was upright like a pine, broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted, his plain-colored robe rendered ethereal by the moonlight.
He was clearly a high-level Golden Core True Person, yet he didn’t have the arrogance of other cultivators; instead, he carried a certain casual and carefree air… well, just like Master.
‘I felt even more guilty, thinking that I had previously made wild guesses about his ill intentions; I was really too narrow-minded.’
“By the way,” Luo Qingci suddenly remembered something and said softly, “I’ll wash and dry that handkerchief you gave me, and return it to you another day.”
Xiao Han waved his hand dismissively.
“No need to return it specially. Since I gave it to you, it’s yours.”
“That won’t do.”
Luo Qingci immediately shook her head and said seriously, “That handkerchief is made of precious material and embroidered with hidden patterns. It’s definitely not an ordinary item. How can I just accept it?”
Xiao Han turned his head to look at her.
‘How would I know if something from a System Draw is an ordinary item?’
He casually waved his hand and said, “It’s just a handkerchief. Keep it.”
Luo Qingci had no choice but to agree.
‘I’ll wash it clean and give it back to him later…’
As they spoke, they had already reached the long alley outside the City Lord’s Mansion.
The vermilion gate was tightly shut, and the night lantern hanging from the eaves swayed gently in the wind, casting a warm yellow glow.
“We’re at the City Lord’s Mansion.”
Luo Qingci stopped walking and turned to give a slight bow to Xiao Han.
“Thank you for escorting me all the way. I can go from here.”
Xiao Han also stopped, his gaze falling on the mansion’s plaque.
He nodded faintly.
“Go on in. Be careful tonight. Finish your business and return to the sect as soon as possible.”
“I understand.”
Luo Qingci nodded obediently and then gave him a solemn bow.
“I will never forget today’s life-saving grace.
I will repay you someday.”
‘Even so, what help could a Foundation Establishment cultivator be to a Golden Core cultivator? With his talent, going from Qi Refining to Golden Core in just a few months, what could I possibly do for him?’
“Then I’ll go in first.”
Luo Qingci squeezed the storage pouch at her waist, then looked up at him.
After a moment’s hesitation, she still advised, “You should rest early too. The night wind is cold.”
Having said that, she turned around, walked slowly to the mansion’s gate, and knocked on the door ring.
Behind her, Xiao Han stood in the moonlight, watching the girl’s back, and let out a low laugh.
Soon there was movement from inside.
The servant opened the door and, seeing it was Luo Qingci, quickly bowed.
Before entering, Luo Qingci looked back down the long alley.
Moonlight paved the ground, the night breeze swayed, and Xiao Han still stood there, his figure elegant, quietly watching her.
‘What is this look, like a father sending his child to school…’
When the mansion gate slowly closed, Xiao Han finally looked away and raised his head to the starry sky.
He turned slowly and walked toward the outskirts of the city under the moonlight, his figure soon melting into the quiet night.
But when she thought of Xiao Han’s open and composed demeanor, his gentlemanly integrity in not coveting her physique, and his gentle escort all the way, a strange fondness arose in her heart.
‘What a pity. This Xiao Han is truly a gentleman worth befriending. If I were still a man, I would definitely swear brotherhood with him.’
She steadied herself, composed her thoughts, picked up her storage pouch, and turned toward the City Lord’s study.
The City Lord’s study was deep inside the mansion.
After passing through two corridors, a rockery, and a grove of bamboo, she finally saw the lit lamp.
The light was not very bright, diffusing a warm yellow glow through the window paper, like a sleepy firefly in the night.
Luo Qingci knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
The voice inside carried a trace of weariness.
She pushed the door open.
The study was small.
Three of the four walls were lined with bookshelves, neatly packed with various texts and documents.
By the window stood a large desk, piled with stacks of papers.
A copper lamp sat on the corner of the desk, its wick burned long, the flame flickering unsteadily.
The City Lord sat behind the desk.
He was a middle-aged man in his forties, with a gaunt face and a small goatee.
He wore a dark green official robe with a blue City Lord token at his waist.
At the Qi Refining Mid-Stage, he was considered top-notch in this mortal city.
He looked up and saw Luo Qingci.
First he was startled—probably by her disheveled appearance and the bloodstains on her robes—then he quickly stood up, came around the desk, and walked over.
“Fairy Luo! You’re back!”
His voice carried clear relief.
“I thought—”
“Thought I died in the sewer?”
The City Lord’s eyelids twitched.
“How could that be? Fairy Luo is powerful; you certainly wouldn’t die from mere Qi Refining stage rats.”
“The mission is complete.”
Luo Qingci said, her tone flat, but she knew it was forced.
Her hands were still trembling slightly—not from fear, but because she had used too much force when slapping that old man earlier, and her knuckles still throbbed.
“The Bone-devouring Rats have been cleared, not a single one left.”
The City Lord didn’t ask further.
He took a cloth bag from the desk drawer and handed it over with both hands.
“Two hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones. Please count them.”
Luo Qingci took the bag, weighed it casually, didn’t count, and stuffed it into her storage pouch.
Two hundred spirit stones.
In the past, she would have thought it was a lot.
But now, her storage pouch still held several hundred spirit stones from her share with Hui Gu Lao Zu, so two hundred seemed trivial.
“The mission is done. I’m returning to the sect tonight,” she said.
“Leaving tonight?”
The City Lord was surprised.
“It’s already past midnight. Miss Luo, why not rest for the night and leave at daybreak? I’ll have people prepare hot water and clean clothes for you—”
“No need.”
Luo Qingci cut him off.
It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate it, but she felt uncomfortable all over.
The bloodstains on her clothes, the dust in her hair, the dirt under her nails, and that stench of the sewer seemed to have seeped into her skin and wouldn’t wash off.
She wanted to return to Lingyun Peak, boil a big pot of hot water, and wash herself clean from head to toe.
Seeing her resolve, the City Lord didn’t insist further.
He untied a token from his waist and handed it over.
“This is a pass token for Muyun City. Whenever Miss Luo comes to Muyun City, you can stay at the City Lord’s Mansion for free with this token. Consider it a small token of my appreciation.”
Luo Qingci took the token and looked at it.
It was blue, with the characters “Muyun” engraved on the front and a small “Order” character on the back.
The craftsmanship wasn’t exquisite, but it was sturdy.
She put the token into her storage pouch, said “Thank you,” nodded, and pushed the door open to leave.
On the way back to Lingyun Peak, Luo Qingci flew on her flying sword through the night wind.
The Cangwu Mountain Range stretched and undulated beneath her feet like a sleeping giant beast.
The moon hung over the western ridge, large and round, bathing the mountains in silver white.
The night wind was strong, making her robes flap loudly, her hair streaming behind like a black banner.
She squinted at the mountain peak growing closer ahead—Lingyun Peak.
Luo Qingci sheathed her sword, stepped onto solid ground, and let out a long breath.
The osmanthus tree swayed gently in the night wind, its leaves rustling as if saying ‘Welcome back.’
She stood under the tree for a while, looking up at it.
A few months ago, it had only reached her waist, but due to spiritual energy, it was now taller than her, with lush branches casting a dense shadow in the moonlight.
Luo Qingci stood under the osmanthus tree and thought carefully in her heart.
‘He is a true gentleman, not coveting my physique, not taking advantage of me in danger, saving my life and sharing the spoils. He has talent, strength, integrity, upbringing, good looks, and a pleasant voice.’
‘If he were a wandering cultivator, I would definitely become sworn siblings with him, drink blood wine, burn yellow paper, share blessings and hardships together. But…’
She looked down at herself.
‘Waist too thin, shoulders too narrow, hands too small. My chest is a bit cumbersome. Hair too long, voice too light, eyelashes too long, skin too pale. No matter how you look, I’m a woman—the kind that’s very pretty, the kind that gets extra glances on the street, the kind that people feel shy to stare at but can’t help looking at.’
‘Sworn siblings? Which man would become sworn brothers with a girl who looks like this?’
Luo Qingci looked up at the osmanthus tree above her.
She took a deep breath, pushed those messy thoughts out of her mind, turned around, and walked toward her wooden cabin.
Back in her cabin, she closed the door and lit the lamp.
The dim yellow light filled the room, revealing the cracks and stains on the walls.
She placed her storage pouch on the table and took things out one by one.
Low-grade spirit stones, medium-grade spirit stones, high-grade spirit stones, sorted and stacked.
Magical artifacts, pills, talismans, checked, sorted, and stored one by one.
Finally, she took out that handkerchief from her storage pouch.
It was dark blue, folded neatly.
She unfolded the handkerchief and looked at it under the lamp.
The fabric looked even more precious under the light, soft and fine.
The hidden patterns embroidered along the edges were only visible under lamplight: pine branches and flowing clouds, the stitching fine and smooth, clearly the work of a master.
She turned the handkerchief over.
In the corner was embroidered a small character.
‘Han.’
Luo Qingci looked at that character, her fingers gently tracing the edge of the embroidery.
‘I’ll wash this handkerchief clean tomorrow, fold it neatly, and put it by the pillow. I’ll return it to him the next time we meet. If he doesn’t want it, I’ll say, “If you don’t take it, I’ll throw it away,” and then he’ll definitely take it…’
She folded the handkerchief and put it aside.
Then she fetched water, closed the doors and windows, and opened the screen to create a small bathing area.
The water was cold.
She brought a kettle of hot water from the kitchen stove and mixed it in, then tested the temperature with her hand—warm, but not hot enough.
She fished out a fire-attribute talisman from her storage pouch and tossed it into the water.
The talisman emitted a faint red glow in the water and bubbled a few times.
Now she was satisfied.
She stepped into the wooden tub and sank into the hot water.
The water reached her shoulders, submerging all those lines.
Luo Qingci buried half her face in the water.
The hot water enveloped her from all sides.
She blew a string of bubbles underwater, which rose and popped on the surface with faint sounds.
She washed for a long time, until the water was nearly cold, then got out of the tub.
She dried herself, put on clean clothes, and wrung her wet hair repeatedly with a dry cloth until it stopped dripping, then let it go.
Her hair hung loose on her shoulders, damp and cool.
Then she blew out the lamp, lay down, and soon fell asleep.
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