Chapter 53: Bad Company

The day passed in cultivation, and nightfall was approaching.

After tidying up a bit, Yun Fei climbed out of her room’s window.

She then crossed the medicinal field and arrived at a corner of the courtyard wall.

With a light tap of her toes, she leaped over the wall, the process making very little sound.

For necessary caution, Yun Fei had deliberately avoided the main gate.

The moment she landed, Yun Fei activated a secret technique, causing her figure to vanish from sight.

To the naked eye, there was no trace of anyone.

However, Yun Fei had miscalculated one thing.

Just after she concealed her form, Mu Lingxi’s figure appeared atop the courtyard wall.

She gazed at the spot where Yun Fei had disappeared, her eyes slightly lowered, making her emotions difficult to discern.

Yun Fei was completely unaware of all this.

She simply hurried toward District 23.

District 23 wasn’t far from District 24, and she arrived in less time than it took to drink a cup of tea.

Of course, the way to enter District 23 wasn’t by knocking politely on the door.

She planned to climb over directly to get Ling’s badge from her room.

She had already arranged this with Ling in advance.

‘Hmm… Room 4… There it is!’

After surveying from the top of the wall, Yun Fei locked onto Ling’s location, sensing the familiar aura of their soul link.

At that moment, Ling was sitting somewhat nervously on the edge of her bed.

Her window had been left open, and when it was suddenly closed by the “wind,” she finally let out a sigh of relief and stood up immediately.

“Your Highness, is that you?”

Yun Fei didn’t maintain the secret technique any longer.

Her figure gradually emerged from the shadows.

“Ling, it’s me.”

Yun Fei nodded to Ling and extended a hand.

Ling immediately understood and handed the badge to Yun Fei.

This badge contained something like a positioning array; not wearing it would arouse unnecessary suspicion.

As for the issue of appearance, she had her own solution!

“Good. You’ve reached the Plucking the Stars Realm. Keep working hard. Once you reach the Shattering Void Realm and undergo your transformation, you’ll be able to help me handle some matters. If you perform well, when my mother abdicates, you will become the Great Handmaid of the Demon Palace.”

“Yes! Your Highness, I will strive hard. I will definitely live up to your expectations!”

“Good. I’ll be going now. Do not appear before anyone else until I return.”

After giving her instructions, Yun Fei put on a prepared mask that was pure white with crimson stripes.

The moment she put it on, a flash of white light passed.

The person standing there was no longer Yun Fei, but “Ling.”

Seeing such an astonishing sight, Ling was shocked but wisely remained silent.

The Thousand Illusion Mask was Yun Fei’s trump card, a genuine semi-immortal artifact.

It was a treasure her ancestors had dug out from a time-limited immortal ruin secret realm.

It had been secretly passed down within the Yun Family for a long time, with very few knowing she possessed such an item.

As the saying goes, when you’re out and about, you make your own identity.

This Thousand Illusion Mask of hers could deceive the prying eyes of anyone below the Taichu Realm.

However, it was common knowledge that immortal artifacts had spirits.

She had heard the spirit of this semi-immortal artifact speak before; it sounded like a rather fierce girl.

It seemed to have a strong sense of cleanliness.

When she wore it in her male form, it had no effect.

Only after taking the Gender-Swapping Pill and then using it would the transformation work.

This was also the literal reason why the Thousand Illusion Mask had been kept at the very bottom of her chest.

This was the first time she had taken it out to use since fully becoming a girl.

The transformation process went smoothly, and the mask’s spirit didn’t seem to resist at all, which made Yun Fei sigh in relief.

Otherwise, her plan would have been difficult to execute.

Thankfully, everything was under her control!

With Ling’s appearance, Yun Fei swaggered out through the main gate, heading for the outskirts of Shuguang City at the foot of the mountain.

Since Ling hadn’t yet reached the cultivation level for sword kinesis, it wouldn’t be appropriate for her to simply fly down the mountain on a sword, in case someone was watching.

At this point, she had to mention the immortal crane she had taken as her little brother.

Riding the crane down wouldn’t be a problem; it could be explained as having been specially purchased from the Beast Taming Hall.

Her crane should currently be by the stream in the back mountain, facing the moonlight and having a moonlit drink with its few bad friends~

Although this would disturb its refined mood, she was the boss!

If a little brother dared to vent anger at the boss, that was pure itchiness for a beating.

Plucking a few tufts of feathers would make it behave.

In the blink of an eye, Yun Fei arrived in the woods of the back mountain.

Following the route from memory, she found the stream.

After scanning the area, she immediately spotted the combination of one crane, one fox, and one wolf-dog.

Clearly, the crane was her immortal crane, and the fox and wolf-dog were its newly made friends.

After becoming Yun Fei’s exclusive little brother and mount, the crane’s solitary nature had eased considerably, and it had made quite a few friends.

‘… Screech…’

(Second Brother, Third Sister, let me tell you, the boss lady I recognize is a heroic, majestic, and formidable woman, truly a remarkable person! Proud as I am, I couldn’t help but be won over by her heroic bearing!)

‘Howl? Howl!’

(There really is such a woman in this world? If that’s true… then you’re amazing, Big Sister!)

‘Foxy, foxy!’

(With such a boss lady, Big Sister, aren’t you about to soar to great heights!)

‘Screech~’

(Ah~ not at all, not at all~ you flatter me, Third Sister. She’s still just a wet-behind-the-ears little girl right now. Soaring to great heights will take some time. But don’t think she’s omnipotent just because I brag about her like this. In my opinion, when it comes to worldly wisdom, I’m several mountains ahead of her!)

‘Howl howl! Howl!’

(Hey! Big Sister makes sense! Wait! Big Sister! There’s someone behind you! Third Sister! Form up! Protect Big Sister!)

‘Foxy!’ (Yes!)

Just as the little creatures were chattering about something Yun Fei couldn’t understand, the wolf-dog and fox suddenly looked at her with alert expressions as she approached, shielding the crane behind them and baring their teeth at her.

Feeling their hostility and seeing the crane make no move, a surge of anger rose in Yun Fei’s heart.

At that moment, she forgot that the crane couldn’t see through the mask’s disguise.

“Hey! White-Eyed Crane! Little traitor! Are you trying to rebel?”

Hearing this unfamiliar woman suddenly utter a familiar term, the White-Eyed Crane couldn’t help but pause slightly.

The wolf-dog, enraged by her words, barked fiercely at Yun Fei, as if ready to lunge and bite at the crane’s signal.

‘Howl howl!’

(Where did this crazy woman come from! How dare she speak to Big Sister like that!)

Unlike the angry wolf-dog, the observant little fox assessed the situation.

This woman seemed very familiar with Big Sister…

Could it be?

Just as the little fox was pondering, Yun Fei’s mind suddenly clicked.

She remembered! She was currently in Ling’s form!

Realizing the issue by chance, Yun Fei pretended her expression hadn’t changed and extended her right hand.

A ball of purple flame rolled in her palm.

Seeing this, the White-Eyed Crane’s already small pupils suddenly contracted!

Before it could even make a sound, the wolf-dog’s body trembled, letting out a slightly shaky “howl.”

What it was staring at was the purple flame actively dancing in Yun Fei’s palm.

Thinking about it, part of the reason she had subdued the White-Eyed Crane in the first place was due to the intimidation of the exotic fire.

Thinking this, Yun Fei didn’t dwell on it further. She was in a hurry.

So, Yun Fei used two kicks to send the still-trembling little brother and sister of the White-Eyed Crane tumbling into the river.

The White-Eyed Crane remained silent about its companions’ fate, showing no expression.

Because the moment it saw that flame, it had recognized who had come.

Although it didn’t know what method she used to completely conceal her appearance, the soul pressure inadvertently emitted by that flame was something it remembered vividly!

‘Screech!’

The White-Eyed Crane wisely let out a cry and then obediently moved closer to Yun Fei, slightly bending its long legs, indicating for Yun Fei to mount its back.

Whether it was an illusion or not, Yun Fei actually sensed a hint of sycophancy in the spirit beast’s expression?

Shaking her head, Yun Fei pushed these distracting thoughts aside.

Gripping its neck with her right hand, she used the leverage to climb onto its back.

“Little White-Eye, to Shuguang City. Stop right at the city gate will do.”

Once seated, she patted its back and casually plucked a few crane feathers.

She didn’t pluck many, so it didn’t notice.

These feathers weren’t useless.

With them, combined with her exclusive tracking secret technique, she could directly locate the White-Eyed Crane’s position without having to come to the riverbank and rely on luck to find it.

She had only recently remembered she had this not-so-commonly-used technique.

The night wind was cool.

Flying in such a cool breeze did a lot to sharpen one’s focus.

Shuguang City at night was still brightly lit.

There was no curfew within the city, and many students were coming and going.

Yun Fei landed outside the city, instructed the White-Eyed Crane to go play on its own, and then headed toward her destination.

The woods on the city outskirts were essentially a mountain forest.

Shuguang City was built against the mountain, so exiting from the west gate near the mountain was more convenient.

After planning her route, Yun Fei brushed off the bird feathers scattered on her clothes and entered the city through the south gate.

The south gate was crowded.

Students coming down the mountain usually entered and exited here.

Those returning from outside without using sword kinesis entered from the north gate.

The area near the east gate was a residential district, so locals leaving the city used the east gate.

Passing through the bustling crowd, Yun Fei didn’t linger in the lively market streets and headed straight for her destination.

However, while passing by a tavern, she seemed to sense something and looked up to the second floor.

There, she saw a familiar figure sitting by the window, conversing with another girl.

That figure was none other than Mu Lingxi, dressed in night-travel attire.

As for the other person, she hadn’t seen her much.

After accidentally glimpsing this scene, Yun Fei’s footsteps slowed slightly.

She noticed the genuine smile on Mu Lingxi’s face, which made her heart tighten involuntarily.

She looked again at the girl talking to Mu Lingxi…

Hmm, not as good-looking as her.

Her face could only be considered above average.

Thinking this, the stone in Yun Fei’s heart slowly settled, though she didn’t notice the abnormality in her own emotions.