Chapter 17
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Chapter 17: An Lan’s Attempt to Tease
The land where Heluo Country is located is already rainy.
In recent days, the rain carrying the Meaning of Decay has been falling continuously, and this country, which is shrouded in a mysterious atmosphere of sorrow and resentment, has become even more gloomy.
Walking along the long street of Tianyi City, Bai Lian looked around.
There were few pedestrians on the road.
Even if there were some people going out, they wrapped themselves tightly like a mummy.
The eye-catching "slender waists" and half-exposed "snowy peaks" that would occasionally be seen on the street on normal days were now completely absent.
When passing by several brothels that were once full of guests, Bai Lian stared at them for a long time in a daze.
"Has they already closed?"
The past is hard to chase.
She shook her head and walked aimlessly towards the end of the street, holding up her oiled-paper umbrella.
Half a day ago, she bid farewell to the second Martial Sister.
The second Martial Sister exhibited unexpectedly considerate behavior.
"If the eldest princess were to pass away, would you be very sad?"
Bai Lian lowered her head slightly and softly responded:
"Hmm."
"What if I die due to unforeseen circumstances?"
"I would still be heartbroken."
"I’ll wait for Elder Martial Sister to come back safely."
"Aren’t you angry?"
"A little bit."
"Only a little bit?"
"That’s being very angry."
"…"
"But I am not the third Martial Sister, I will not throw a tantrum to stop Elder Martial Sister."
Bai Lian sweated profusely, if the third Martial Sister found out what you were scheming behind her back, she would definitely challenge you to a duel!
"I am not the fourth Martial Sister either, I cannot assist Elder Martial Sister. All I can do is not hold Elder Martial Sister back."
"…"
Finally, the second Martial Sister didn’t mention the fifth Martial Sister.
Perhaps the fifth Martial Sister was really too insignificant to be worth mentioning!
Therefore,
After bidding farewell to the second Martial Sister, Bai Lian quickly rushed to the Tianyi City.
As soon as she arrived outside the city, she sensed that something was wrong.
The Heavenly Secrets Magic Array, which had sheltered Tianyi City, had stopped functioning. Bai Lian went inside to investigate and found that no one knew where the eldest princess had gone.
Everyone in Tianyi City was in a state of anxiety, and there were now two completely different guesses about the whereabouts of the eldest princess.
A group of people believed that the eldest princess had gone to meet Xu Pan.
Another group of people believed that the Taixuan Taoist Sect had kidnapped the eldest princess.
Both sides insisted on their own words, each with their own rebuttal reasons.
Ultimately, it was because the Taixuan Taoist Sect had not come forward to explain the matter in a timely manner.
However, they also have something to say. Why should I explain such matters?
"Ah."
Bai Lian stood under a dripping eave where rainwater fell heavily.
She momentarily lost her sense of direction.
It is impossible to obtain useful information from Heluo Country.
Not everyone cares about the well-being of the eldest princess. Some people even wish for her to die outside. Even if these people were to obtain any clues, they would never inform her.
"Should I only seek verification from the Taixuan Taoist Sect?"
Bai Lian held up an umbrella with her right hand and toyed with a smooth milky-white Jade Message Slip with her left.
She harbors no fondness towards the Taixuan Taoist Sect.
If given the chance, she will eventually seek justice for Yan Yue to the Taixuan Taoist Sect.
"Let’s leave an escape route for ourselves."
After careful consideration, Bai Lian sent a message to her master first.
The Taixuan Taoist Sect will never remain calm after this, so she decided to have a contingency plan. If she encounters danger, as long as the risk indicated by the system is within an acceptable range, she can immediately call for her master to lend a hand.
An Lan’s speed in replying was unexpectedly fast and her words were unexpectedly plentiful.
[Flattery will get you nowhere, except into trouble!]
[Don’t overthink! Nothing happened!]
[He he(cold sneer)]
[What has master been doing outside these few days?]
[Exploring an ancient relic, in my opinion, this is an Immortal Emperor’s Cave. Although it has undergone several epochs, it has still been preserved in an extremely intact state.]
[Immortal Emperor’s Cave?]
[There’s nothing surprising about it. Inside, there was just a bunch of worthless junk. Only a foolish demonic beast there who wanted to turn me into a blood puppet. Laughable. I already cooked it into a hotpot.]
[…]
Something is wrong, very wrong!
Bai Lian desires to grasp onto her master’s chest and ask, "Are you truly my master? Quickly, return her to me!"
She has indeed witnessed a different side of her master before.
In the Past World, her master was not aloof in the slightest, and never uttered those embarrassing, juvenile lines.
She traveled around with little Bai Lian, and after settling down, she resumed farming. She was like a fair-skinned, beautiful, gentle, hardworking village girl.
In fact, according to her master’s own account, if she hadn’t fallen into the well that night and hadn’t been rescued by her master that night, she would have become a village girl working in the fields in the future.
The mountains are vast, like a prison, countless people may spend their whole lives without being able to break free!
Whether it’s the awkward master in the past or the master from the Past World, they’re completely different from the current master.
An Lan had been waiting for Bai Lian’s response but couldn’t help the change in her tone.
[What do you want from me? If there’s something, say it quickly, don’t disturb me if there’s nothing.]
Bai Lian replied, "Can’t I chat with my master about nothing important to deepen our relationship?"
[Extremely boring!]
However, An Lan only screamed louder.
After uttering those words, she immediately wrote, "Anyway, I’m currently having hot pot and there’s nothing urgent for me to do. What do you want to chat about?"
Come back.
Bai Lian felt her familiar master had returned!
She smiled and held tightly onto the Jade Message Slip.
She was quick-witted and naturally wouldn’t say something about it to her master at this moment.
However, finding interesting chat topics is quite a challenge.
She actually wants to discuss some profound topics with her master but she’s afraid that her master will come over and beat her.
As expected, discussing cooking skills is the most appropriate choice. She has a Cooking Skill value of 15 points and can be considered an expert in this field too.
With this in mind, Bai Lian immediately started.
[Master, hot pot is not made like this, you have to first… then… and finally…]
An Lan immediately became angry and said, "Is that all?"
[Not yet.]
[Come to make it and if it doesn’t taste good, I’ll eat you, you disobedient disciple!]
[…]
Bai Lian dared not speak.
Despite calling and shouting for a long time, An Lan finally followed Bai Lian’s instructions and made a hot pot again obediently.
[The taste is only slightly better, but it takes twice the amount of time, what a waste!]
Bai Lian replied, "I will take over cooking for my master from now on, so that my master can enjoy slowly without wasting time."
An Lan "scoffed," saying, "If you had spent more time on cultivation, you would have already passed through the Guafeng Disaster."
[…]
Bai Lian remained silent once again.
If possible, she also wants to pass through the Guafeng Disaster!
But every time she tries to sense the Guafeng Disaster, the system throws a [Great Luo Sword Embryo] reward to scare her.
That is the lifelong essence of an Immortal Emperor. Even if she can now defeat the Celestial Immortals with her feet, she dares not challenge this task.
It’s really outrageous!
Bai Lian could not comprehend why she couldn’t breakthrough to the Transmigration Stage.
Could it be that it was because she carried her Master’s scent on her?
Damn.
If only she could survive the Guafeng Disaster and rebuild her physical and spiritual body, the Taixuan Taoist Sect would no longer be a threat to her.
An Lan continued to "taunt" by saying, "You should spend more time with those inexplicable women outside."
[Master, you have misunderstood.]
[Okay, speak up. Who did you go to see this time and what trouble did you encounter? I’m in a good mood today, so I won’t punish you.]
Bai Lian pursed her lips slightly.
[It is like this…]
She briefly described what she was doing but didn’t directly ask her master for help.
In fact, she didn’t mind relying on others for support.
Why would anyone refuse help?
However, it was not easy to get help from the master.
And the Martial Sisters were still too young and couldn’t offer her help.
An Lan said with profound meaning, "Empress, this identity seems to have a different flavor to it."
The crux of the matter is not this!
[I have finished eating, there is important work to be done. You go find the Taixuan Taoist Sect. Don’t disturb me if it’s not urgent.]
[Yes, Master.]
After chatting with An Lan for a long time, Bai Lian wiped her forehead after putting away the Jade Message Slip.
There was no sweat on her forehead, but she felt uneasy inside.
She vaguely felt that her master’s "talking skills" had improved.
Bai Lian adjusted her umbrella and was about to talk to the disciples of the Taixuan Taoist Sect who were guarding outside Tianyi City. At this moment, she saw a stranger standing in the pouring rain.
The man stood under the archway, dressed in a long white robe that reached his ankles. The clothes were engraved with ink paintings and bold poetry that exuded profound artistic conception and majestic momentum.
His visage appeared to be around thirty years old, and due to the obstruction of the rain, it was blurry. He didn’t hold an umbrella, yet the rain naturally dispersed, not daring to touch him.
He carried an ordinary iron sword on his waist, but Bai Lian clearly felt that the sword was alive.
"A strong sword cultivator!"
Bai Lian descended from the two steps of the low stairs.
The outside world was thundering with the sound of rain, and the raindrops were dancing at her feet like elves.
She discovered that the person had been watching her all along.
The fact proved that she had not been making a fuss about nothing.
She took two steps to the side, turned her head, and found that the person had disappeared. But when she turned back, she saw the person standing in front of her, just half a step away.
"White Emperor Bai Lian."
A gentle voice sounded.
This reminded Bai Lian of some humble scholars.
She thought this person should not be holding a sword, but rather a pen.
She asked, "You seem a bit unfamiliar, may I know for what reason you stopped me here, fellow Daoist?"
The person replied, "White Emperor Bai Lian, you have come to search for the eldest princess, haven’t you?"
Bai Lian nodded without denying it.
"White Emperor Bai Lian, you can come with me."
Bai Lian narrowed her eyes and asked, "Are you a member of the Taixuan Taoist Sect?"
The man shook his head and replied, "No."
Without saying much, he simply stared at Bai Lian.
In an instant, apart from the sounds of wind and rain, the whole world fell into a profound stillness.
Bai Lian’s heart rate suddenly accelerated.
Her gaze fell on the man’s right hand, which was lightly holding the sword hilt.
A powerful momentum!
Bai Lian felt a massive and boundless force.
The force fell upon her heart, almost depriving her of breath.
However, she didn’t feel fear. Instead, under the pressure of the force, she suddenly became more perceptive.
This was a mystical and inexplicable experience.
She knew that the person in front of her was definitely very strong!
It was not until the system task popped up that she was able to break free from that strange state.
[Task 1: Believe in this stranger and follow him to meet the eldest princess (Reward: Mindfulness Charm)]
[Task 2: Politely decline and search for the eldest princess on your own (Reward: Hard Skill +4)]
[Task 3: Abandon the eldest princess without hesitation (Reward: Soft Skill +1)]
The Mindfulness Charm is a special symbol that can reveal one’s true self, with no attack effect but instead, it can clear confusion and suppress internal demons. Its value is no less than that of an excellent Spirit Tool.
For Bai Lian, this thing is of little use, just like the Enlightenment Stone she previously obtained.
But if it were given to Martial Sisters to use, it would be very useful.
However, the risk is still too great.
After a brief contemplation, Bai Lian directed her focus towards Task 2.
Abandoning the eldest princess was an impossibility, and this mysterious individual in front of her was too enigmatic, only 4 points in Hard Skills could make her toughen up.
However, just as she was about to make her decision, the person spoke once again, "To prevent any future trouble, the sect leader of Taixuan Taoist Sect personally took action this time."
Bai Lian was momentarily stunned, "So, the one who attacked the Taixuan Taoist Sect is Xu Pan?"
"Exactly so."
"Why is the eldest princess in your hands?"
"In this way, she will not fall into the hands of the Taixuan Taoist Sect."
The mysterious person’s speech was very fast, so much so that Bai Lian felt a bit disoriented.
It seems that this person must have a deep connection with the Taixuan Taoist Sect!
Bai Lian gritted her teeth lightly.
Very well.
She’ll go!
This level of risk is no longer a matter of life and death for her. Moreover, not long ago, she got in touch with her master. She wouldn’t be in danger and would at most result in coming back empty-handed.
"Please take me to see the eldest princess."
Bai Lian chose Task 1.
"Very well."
A transparent aura suddenly appeared around the mysterious person’s body. Within the aura, Bai Lian noticed a distortion in the surrounding space-time.
The process was brief, and when she regained consciousness, she found herself in an ancient and rustic room.
"?"
This method…
Bai Lian was startled.
Although not as fast as her master, it surpassed An Lan in the level of skill.
She asked, "Are you also a reincarnated Immortal Emperor?"
The mysterious person smiled and shook his head, "I dare not compare myself to an Immortal Emperor. I am just an ordinary person who practices the sword."
Bai Lian wanted to ask something else, when suddenly a voice behind her called out, "Bai Lian, what are you doing here?"
She immediately turned around.
At the end of the flower path, amidst the greenery.
The eldest princess stood at the opened door with a look of astonishment on her face.
She was still wearing the luxurious attire, without any trace of torture on her body and with a steady breath.
She is fine. That is truly good.
Bai Lian’s raised anxiety dissipated as the mysterious person was beside her; instead of rushing over to express her emotions, she kept her composure.
She gave a slight smile and said, "I couldn’t communicate with you via the jade slip, so I came to find you."
The eldest princess opened her mouth slightly, "I…"
She lightly placed her right hand on her chest, which rose and fell for a while before she uttered a sentence.
"Thank you."
Bai Lian smiled even more happily, "Do we still need to thank each other?"
The eldest princess thought for a moment, then shook her head.
It’s probably not necessary.
Otherwise, even if she talked until her mouth was dry, she wouldn’t be able to thank every deed Bai Lian had done for her.
She said, "I am glad you came to find me."
Bai Lian said, "We agreed beforehand that if you needed anything, you could always come to me, but you missed our appointment."
The eldest princess lowered her head slightly and said in a timid tone, "I’m sorry."
Bai Lian waved her hand and said, "The past is the past."
The eldest princess replied, "I will remember it next time."
A warm wind brushed across their faces.
Seeing this scene, the mysterious stranger took a step back and said, "There is no one else here to disturb you. You can chat slowly. I will excuse myself first."
The eldest princess cried out in shock, "I almost forgot that Senior Qingxuan was still here, such a sin, such a sin."
Bai Lian mused on the name "Senior Qingxuan?"
The eldest princess introduced, "This is the former sect leader of the Taiqing Taoist Sect, and was also the Qingxuan Sword Master of the Taixuan Taoist Sect in the past."
The mysterious person nodded to indicate that the eldest princess had not made a mistake.
Qingxuan Sword Master?
Bai Lian suddenly remembered that her master had told her about it.
The Taixuan Taoist Sect and the Taiqing Daoist Sect were originally one, but they had an irreconcilable conflict of ideas. The former sect leader of the Taixuan Taoist Sect fought a fierce battle with this Qingxuan Sword Master, but as they could not determine the winner, they eventually split directly from each other.
From that moment on, the transcendent status of the Taixuan Taoist Sect continued to decline.
In the past, the other three major sects were all accompanying the Taixuan Taoist Sect.
Considering the relationship between Qingxuan Sword Master and the Taixuan Taoist Sect, Bai Lian became wary.
She took a step to the left, vaguely protecting the eldest princess behind her.
"What is the purpose of Senior Qingxuan bringing the eldest princess here?"
