Yi Qing headed northwest the moment he stepped out of Blackheaven Sect. He flew especially fast, perhaps because he was still feeling indignant inside. He had already flown past the Black Sea before he finally turned around.

　　“Master, we are at least four hours from the nearest town.” He turned back to face the front and suggested, “It’s getting late. Why don’t we stop here for lunch before we continue on our way?”

　　“Sure!” Shen Ying touched her belly. She had been waiting for him to say this.

　　Yi Qing adjusted his sword and headed toward the ground. He cast a wind-elemental Dharma spell to sweep the area clean before landing.

　　“Master, please wait here. Lunch will be ready in a second.” He started a fire while he took the remaining spirit beast meat out from his storage bag. “We are still in Blackheaven Sect’s territory so it’s unlikely we’ll be able to find any spirit beasts. The town in the east has transportation arrays. As soon as we cross the transportation array, we should take no more than three days to get back to the straw cottage.”

　　“Huh? What straw cottage?” Shen Ying asked.

　　“The straw cottage that you were living in.” Yi Qing hesitated. “Master, are you not planning to return there?”

　　“Er…” Shen Ying recalled the baskets full of radishes. The corner of her mouth twisted as she smacked his shoulder and said, “Chef, actually…”

　　She was just about to quash his plan to return home and munch on more carrots when suddenly, a strong suppressive force came over the two of them. A wind born of Spirit Qi stirred a bunch of leaves into the air as five figures clothed in green and white suddenly descended from the sky, landing before the two of them.

　　“You two moved so quickly. You really made us work to find you!” one of them stepped forward and said mockingly.

　　“They’re from the Xuan Yuan Family!” Yi Qing’s expression darkened as he stood up aggressively. They were the Traveling Immortals who had been standing atop the lotus flower earlier on. Yi Qing made to summon his spirit sword.

　　However, Shen Ying pushed down on his shoulders and said, “Carry on roasting your meat.”

　　“… Yes, Master,” Yi Qing obediently squatted back down, but he couldn’t stop himself from throwing a warning glare at the five strangers standing in front of them. He had guessed that they would come to steal the Thousand Leaves Vegetation Spirit, but he didn’t think they would be so fast. Could they really not wait any longer? To think that an aristocratic family from the Upper World would have such an ugly, greedy side.

　　“Sorry to intrude on you, Fellow Daoists.” A middle-aged Traveling Immortal stepped forward and smiled, looking at Shen Ying. He sounded like he came in peace, yet he had pure greed in his eyes. “Please forgive us for following you—we really couldn’t control ourselves. We have a favor to ask of you, Fellow Daoists.”

　　Before waiting for Shen Ying to ask, he continued, “My Xuan Yuan Family has always worked hard to refine pills and elixirs. I don’t think you would be able to find another family of alchemists as powerful as mine in any of the Three Azure Realms. Our family’s patriarch is a tenth-stage alchemist as well. The Thousand Leaves Vegetation Spirit that you, my fellow Daoists, have obtained is a being useful only for refining pills and elixirs. It has absolutely no value in any other areas. You two don’t look like alchemists to me. Why don’t you hand the Thousand Leaves Vegetation Spirit over to my Xuan Yuan Family to put it to good use?”

　　Shen Ying bent over and picked up the Thousand Leaves Vegetation Spirit which had been hanging on to her leg ever since they had stepped out of the Blackheaven Sect. Lifting it up, she asked, “Are you referring to this?”

　　“Ji…” The radish immediately raised its leaves.

　　The group’s eyes lit up and the middle-aged Traveling Immortal took a few more steps forward. He couldn’t hold in his excitement as he replied, “Yes, this is it.”

　　“You want it?” Shen Ying tilted her head.

　　The Traveling Immortal’s expression shifted. His smile widened as he said, “Fellow Daoist, this Thousand Leaves Vegetation Spirit has quite a high sentience. With proper care and protection, it may manifest after a short while. Forgive me for being blunt, but apart from my Xuan Yuan Family, I don’t think anyone else has the capabilities to provide the proper care and protection for it. You, my fellow Daoist, are now on your own. You don’t belong to any family or sect. Why would you want to offend an aristocratic family?”

　　“Oh, then…” Shen Ying still appeared nonchalant.

　　The Traveling Immortal’s expression darkened immediately. Another Traveling Immortal beside him couldn’t stop himself from interrupting, “Why do you bother talking to this woman? No matter what, nobody else but the Xuan Yuan Family can possess a Thousand Leaves Vegetation Spirit. She has no choice but to hand it over!”

　　As soon as he had finished, he flew up, drew his sword and headed straight for Shen Ying. His surging Sword Qi whipped up a huge gust of wind. The branches and leaves on the ground flew up as the Spirit Qi in the air suddenly became dense. He was truly quick—within a second, he was right in front of Shen Ying. His sword was centimetres away from Shen Ying’s head.

　　But suddenly, Shen Ying raised her hand.

　　All they heard was a clinging and the Traveling Immortal’s sword began to fall apart. It broke into pieces within the palm of her hand, leaving behind its hilt.

　　She turned her palm quickly and grabbed the Traveling Immortal’s fist which had just been holding onto the sword a moment ago. At that moment, the Spirit Qi and the wind in the surroundings disappeared.

　　Shen Ying… didn’t even move an inch.

　　Huh?

　　“You…” How was that possible? She so easily broke apart a ninth-grade spirit sword.

　　Before he could figure it out, however, he heard Shen Ying sigh. She lifted up her other hand. Hanging from it by the leaves was the radish.

　　“Actually… I’m really not interested in this type of vegetable. If you want it, ask me nicely for it and I may give it to you. But…” She narrowed her eyes and faced the five strangers in front of her. “Giving it to you is one thing. But if you want to snatch it, I’m not going to be very happy…”

　　As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she clenched the fist that held onto the Traveling Immortal’s fist.

　　Ah…

　　A strange cry cut through the air.

　　****

　　It was late in the afternoon by the time Lonemoon caught up with Shen Ying and Yi Qing. After he left Blackheaven Sect, he followed Yi Qing’s aura until he found them. He had rushed all the way. In his heart, he felt a thousand different emotions: touched, guilty, worried… All he wanted was to catch up with Shen Ying and Yi Qing.

　　When he spotted green smoke from afar, he knew that he had found the two of them.

　　And then…

　　He saw what looked like five stacked Luohans ¹ —the five Traveling Immortals from before were stacked atop one another just next to Shen Ying and Yi Qing.

　　“Holy shit!” He slipped on his flying sword and went out of balance, nearly falling head first onto the ground. Aren’t they… the five Traveling Immortals from the Xuan Yuan Family?

　　“Hey, Father Niu!” Shen Ying waved her greasy hands at him and made space for him out of habit. “It’s lunchtime, do you want to join us?” She pointed toward Yi Qing who was still roasting meat. Yi Qing shot Lonemoon a dirty look.How shameless—you still want to steal my master!

　　The corner of Lonemoon’s mouth twitched. He turned around to frown at the Luohans. “They… What happened to them?”

　　“Oh, they came to rob us!” Shen Ying replied matter-of-factly.

　　Rob them?

　　Immediately, he understood what was going on. They had been after the Thousand Leaves Vegetation Spirit. However… it had only been awhile and the five of them were already lying motionless atop one another. It was a tragic sight. What exactly did you do to them?

　　“Don’t worry, they’ll survive. They’re just unconscious for now,” Shen Ying assured Lonemoon after noticing that he had been surveying the bodies. She shook her head and continued, “Today’s… middle-aged men are so weak.” They had done no damage at all to her—they were just like little animals to Shen Ying.

　　Lonemoon: “…”

　　“Do you want a piece?” Shen Ying handed a slab of meat over to Lonemoon.

　　Lonemoon hesitated, received the meat and sat next to her like he always did. His heart felt heavy thinking about what happened earlier in the day. Lonemoon wanted to say something, but he didn’t know where to begin.

　　It was only after he finished the meat that he said in a low voice, “I left Blackheaven Sect.”

　　“Oh.”

　　“I’m… sorry about what happened earlier.”

　　Shen Ying paused. She turned to face him, stunned. “What?”

　　“I was the one who encouraged you guys to go to the ancient mystic realm with me.” Lonemoon sighed. He looked at the two of them with a sombre expression and said, “It wasn’t your fault that the Xuan Yuan Family came to confront the Blackheaven Sect. Yet, they… Whatever the case… this only happened because of me.”

　　“…”