“Wait! Are you guys looking for a place to stay?”
Hu Qiao’er and Wang Hao stopped in their tracks, exchanging a knowing glance before looking again at the beggar-like figure.
They then nodded to each other and continued walking outward, as if they hadn’t heard the beggar’s words at all.
They definitely wouldn’t trust this person lightly.
“I can get you a good place to stay! And you won’t lose out, I promise!”
The female beggar’s voice was firm, causing Hu Qiao’er to pause and think for a moment.
“Should we trust her?”
“Qiao’er, sister, why not give it a try?”
……
By the time the steam from the noodle stall, laced with the scent of scallions, wafted over, the female beggar was already holding her first bowl, sitting on a stool and finishing it.
One hot bowl of noodles was gone in just a few bites.
Hu Qiao’er sat on a small stool, fingertips lightly tapping the table, her brows furrowed the entire time.
Wang Hao leaned close to her ear, lowering his voice as much as possible: “Qiao’er sister, look at her — she’s starving herself. How could she possibly help us find a place to stay? I think she just wants to scam a bowl of noodles.”
“Boss, another bowl! Extra scallions!”
“Alright!”
The female beggar didn’t hesitate to order another bowl.
After finishing the second bowl, she still seemed a bit unsatisfied.
“Alright! Now tell us how you’re going to help us!”
Hu Qiao’er’s tone was displeased, but the beggar wasn’t in a hurry: “One more bowl first, hehe!”
“Speak!”
“Uh… okay.”
The beggar set down her chopsticks and bowl, putting on a serious expression.
Lowering her voice to a whisper, she said mysteriously, “I’m guessing you two came to participate in the Shenxiao Sect’s new disciple recruitment, right?”
Hu Qiao’er raised an eyebrow. That kind of thing didn’t really need guessing, did it?
“And then?”
The next moment, the female beggar patted her chest—though it was flat and smooth; this person was barely taller than Hu Qiao’er, around 1.6 meters or so.
“My name is Yuan Qingqing, and I’m a disciple of the Shenxiao Sect. I can take you up the mountain to stay at the sect.”
Her tone was full of confidence. Hu Qiao’er and Wang Hao exchanged doubtful looks, scrutinizing her carefully but still unwilling to fully believe it.
Noticing their reaction, Yuan Qingqing quickly waved her hands to explain.
“Hey! Don’t look at me like that! I really am a Shenxiao Sect disciple — it’s just that I’ve been away training for three years and haven’t been back, so I look like this now!”
Hu Qiao’er took a deep breath at this.
“Well, you’re still a Shenxiao Sect disciple, right? You shouldn’t be this down and out!”
“Uh…”
Yuan Qingqing scratched her head awkwardly.
“Actually, I could have used this identity to… oh no, to get some food, but I lost my Sect Token, so…”
“So nobody believes you and no one will feed you, right?”
Hu Qiao’er’s mouth twitched. She had a feeling she was about to be fooled.
“Exactly! So you believe me now, right? This meal is worth it! Boss, one more bowl!”
Yuan Qingqing called out again.
Seeing Yuan Qingqing’s confident demeanor, Hu Qiao’er thought about it — if what she said was true, these bowls of noodles really were worth it.
But Wang Hao spoke up now.
“Well… if you don’t have a Sect Token, how are you going to take us up the mountain? Let me be clear — if you can’t take us up, we’re not paying.”
The air immediately fell silent.
The noodle stall owner was skilled and quick, so another bowl was served quickly.
Yuan Qingqing looked at the noodles set before her, hesitating to eat at first.
But she quickly adjusted and gave a mischievous smile.
“It should be fine, right? Someone should still recognize me!”
Heh…
Hu Qiao’er and Wang Hao immediately wore skeptical expressions.
After a while, Yuan Qingqing finished her noodles. Hu Qiao’er looked at her wallet with some pain and reluctantly paid 40 wen.
She hadn’t expected Shenxiao Town’s prices to be so high — 15 wen per bowl of noodles. After haggling, 40 wen wasn’t even enough for two bowls, let alone buy one get one free.
Yuan Qingqing led Hu Qiao’er and Wang Hao up the path toward the mountain. It was a seemingly endless staircase.
They were already exhausted from the journey, and the climb made even Hu Qiao’er struggle.
It took almost half a day before they reached the sect’s mountain gate.
Yuan Qingqing, on the other hand, showed no signs of fatigue and kept muttering and bragging to herself about this and that…
“The highest peaks of the Shenxiao Sect reach nearly a thousand meters. Climbing here is about six hundred meters — but that’s still quite a climb.
This mountain gate has a protective barrier. Disciples with Sect Tokens can enter. I don’t have one, but since it’s a special time, the sect should have sent guards. Look!”
She pointed to the mountain gate at the top of the stairs, where two male disciples stood guard.
Hu Qiao’er and Wang Hao exchanged looks. Yuan Qingqing had said a lot about the Shenxiao Sect, and maybe she really was a disciple who could bring them up the mountain.
That would make things a lot easier.
Of course, they could sleep on the spot, but Yuan Qingqing had said the nights got cold, and maybe there were even eagles that could snatch them away.
“Hey! Two senior brothers! Handsome senior brothers!”
Yuan Qingqing instantly switched to a sweet tone. She called them “senior brothers” to sound more appealing.
The two male disciples stiffened upright when they saw three people approaching, but didn’t expect such an opening line.
Her voice was sweet, but why did the speaker sound like a monster?
However, the girl behind that monster was truly pretty!
They were referring to Hu Qiao’er. Although they admired her, they had their duties to do.
“Hehe, good morning, senior brothers!”
“Ahem! Who are you?”
One disciple frowned, trying hard not to look at the ‘monster’.
Yuan Qingqing tidied her hair and performed a disciple’s salute.
“Hello! I’m an Outer Sect Disciple of the Shenxiao Sect — Yuan Qingqing!”
Hu Qiao’er raised an eyebrow, a little surprised. She didn’t expect this scruffy girl to pull off the part so well.
“Hello, I’m Shen Le, an Outer Sect Disciple of Shenfu Peak, and this is my younger brother, Shen Yue.”
“Oh, you’re from Shenfu Peak! I’ve met Head Elder Wen before, and I even called her Grand Elder Wen a few times. Behind me are two friends coming to join the new disciple recruitment. I thought I’d bring them up the mountain and arrange lodging for them.
Well, I won’t disturb you any longer!”
With that, Yuan Qingqing tried to step past the two guards and enter the mountain gate.
But to her surprise, they stopped her.
“Uh, sorry, but please show your Sect Tokens.”
Yuan Qingqing was speechless, but quickly smiled.
“Oh, this… sorry, senior brothers, I lost mine when I went down the mountain to train for three years. You know, we Outer Sect Disciples have to save Contribution Points and only do the simplest tasks.
I’ve barely broken even all day. Qingqing had no choice but to go down the mountain seeking opportunities, but as soon as I left Shenxiao Town, I was scammed out of my Spirit Stone money!
I was chased away like a beggar! And I even got lost. If the sect hadn’t recently sent out broad notices, I wouldn’t have found my way back…”
Yuan Qingqing’s voice was just right — with a slight quiver that brought her story vividly to life. It left Hu Qiao’er stunned.
Wang Hao’s eyes gleamed as he thought, so this is what an immortal cultivator’s daily life is like!