“It is an honor to be invited by the Immortal Venerable.” Jiu Hui bowed her hands in salute. “Please, Immortal Venerable and fellow Daoists, follow me.”

The City Lord and the captain of the guards hesitated about whether to follow along. They were afraid that the immortals would think they were not respectful enough, but they were also afraid that the immortals would find them to be a nuisance.

In the past, Nan Feng wouldn’t have noticed their distress, but after spending some time in Taolin City, he seemed to be able to sense their emotions with ease.

“With Jiu Hui here, we won’t bother anyone else.” Nan Feng spoke, “The city has many affairs to attend to, so please make your own arrangements, City Lord.”

“Thank you, Immortal.” The City Lord bowed repeatedly in thanks. “This humble one will take his leave.”

Fortunately, Jiu Hui had a good relationship with Immortal Nan Feng, or else he would have had to grit his teeth and accompany them on their travels.

He was too old to withstand such stimulation.

“Miss Jiu Hui, thank you for your hard work.” As the City Lord passed by Jiu Hui, he slipped a silver ingot into her hand.

Jiu Hui deftly tucked the silver into her sleeve and winked at the City Lord. “Leave it to me.”

The City Lord and the captain of the guards left in high spirits. The joy of having someone above them was intoxicating to mortals.

Nan Feng watched Jiu Hui in silence. Don’t think he didn’t see her take a silver ingot from the City Lord just now!

Jiu Hui pretended not to see Nan Feng’s gaze. “Everyone, please.”

Bu Ting coughed a few times, covering his mouth with a handkerchief. “Thank you.”

Jiu Hui glanced at Bu Ting’s face and said innocently, “This place is remote and the spiritual energy is not as abundant as in the Jiutian Sect. Please take care of your health, Immortal Venerable.”

Several disciples of the Jiutian Sect were speechless.

If it weren’t for Jiu Hui’s sincere expression, they would have almost suspected that she was deliberately mocking the Sect Master.

He wasn’t a delicate flower raised in a secluded boudoir, so how could he need to “take care of his health” just because he had changed places?

“Thank you for your concern, young friend.” Bu Ting nodded slightly. “The weather has turned cold, so it’s easy for ordinary people to get sick.”

“That’s right.” Jiu Hui led the Jiutian Sect members around the corner and walked straight into a pharmacy. “Doctor Sun.”

“Little Jiu.” Doctor Sun was writing a prescription for a patient when he saw Jiu Hui leading a group of people in. “If you need to buy something, go find Xiao Liu. I’m too busy right now.”

“Didn’t you say a few days ago that the pharmacy was running low on snow lotuses, ginseng fruits, and century-old knotweeds?” Jiu Hui turned her head and glanced at Bu Ting and the others with a smile.

“It’s true that it’s lacking…”

But their small town had no use for these rare items, so Doctor Sun pondered, “Do you have any?”

“Of course I don’t either.” Jiu Hui shook her head. “But I helped you find a solution.”

Nan Feng: “…“carpreads.pages.dev

Suddenly, an ominous premonition arose.

He turned his head to look at Zhi You, who noticed his gaze and turned his head to the other side as if nothing had happened, pretending he hadn’t seen anything.

Nan Feng’s mood became even more complicated.

“These immortals are from the Jiutian Sect, which has countless medicinal herbs.” Jiu Hui looked at Bu Ting with longing eyes. “I wonder if the Immortal Venerable would be willing to part with some herbs and sell them to us? The winter is harsh, and the people in the city are prone to illness. If there aren’t enough herbs in the city, it will be difficult to get through the winter. Please, Immortal Venerable, have mercy on us and sell us some herbs.”

“Protecting the world’s peace is the responsibility of our Jiutian Sect. If the city needs any medicinal herbs, young friend, make a list for Nan Feng, and he will make all the arrangements.” Bu Ting glanced at the short, dilapidated pharmacy. “No need to spend money.”

“The Immortal Venerable has shown you mercy, why don’t you thank the Immortal Venerable?” Jiu Hui gave a wink to the old doctor.

Doctor Sun reacted immediately. He got up, walked to the front of the Jiutian Sect group, and knelt down. “Thank you, Immortal, Immortal, I have nothing to repay you with. I can only kowtow to you on behalf of the people of the entire city.”

He was about to kowtow heavily on the ground.

“Doctor Sun, get up quickly!” Jiu Hui quickly helped Doctor Sun up. “The Immortal Venerable is kind-hearted, how could he let you kneel? Get up quickly.”

“Immortal, you won’t let me kneel, but I must.” Doctor Sun struggled to continue kneeling, his face full of gratitude.

“No need.” Bu Ting spoke, “I don’t like others kneeling to me.”

“Yes, yes.” Doctor Sun quickly retreated to the side, but the gratitude on his face was visible to all.

“Then shall we go somewhere else to have a look?” Jiu Hui’s smile towards the Jiutian Sect’s people was extremely bright.

“Alright.” Bu Ting nodded. “Young friend, please.”

Nan Feng glanced at his master, wanting to say something but stopping himself.

“Fellow Daoist Nan Feng, aren’t you leaving?” Zhi You looked at him faintly.

“Let’s go!” Nan Feng gritted his teeth and followed behind his master.

“We have a large mulberry forest outside our city, and many families raise silkworms,” Jiu Hui said as she led the Jiutian Sect group into a fabric shop. “The silk quilts and silk fabrics sold here are made from the finest silk, which is soft, breathable, and perfectly suited to your esteemed sect’s elegant and ethereal image.”

She reached out and touched the soft, smooth satin. “The weather is getting colder, and it’s not easy for everyone to earn money. If someone is willing to buy the cloth they weave, that would be even better.”

Bu Ting turned his head to look at Nan Feng.

“Master, our sect’s disciple uniforms for next year haven’t been made yet.” Nan Feng added.

Jiu Hui raised an eyebrow at him, this was a true friend.

Nan Feng silently averted his gaze. As the head disciple of the Jiutian Sect, he did not favor any disciples from minor sects. He merely spoke the truth.

“Immortal Venerable, we can do it,” Jiu Hui immediately replied. “We’ll only charge you for the materials and a small fee for our craftsmanship.”

“Alright.” Bu Ting nodded.

Jiu Hui took the Jiutian Sect members to visit several places, which cost the Jiutian Sect a lot of money.

As Jiu Hui was about to enter a rice shop, Nan Feng could no longer bear it and reached out to stop her. “Jiu Hui, we of the Jiutian Sect do not eat rice grown by mortals.”

“I didn’t ask you to buy it.” Jiu Hui looked at him in confusion. “I’m buying it for myself. We’re out of rice at home.”

Zhi You followed along and said, “I’ll help carry the rice.”

Nan Feng: “…”

You both have storage rings, why do you need to carry rice?

“Master.” After the two of them entered the rice shop, Nan Feng walked worriedly to Bu Ting’s side. “How are you?”

“I’m fine.” Bu Ting looked at this poor and dilapidated city. He wouldn’t easily believe that there were such coincidences in the world.

“It’s almost noon.” Jiu Hui walked out of the rice shop and glanced at the sky. “I’ll be your host today. Let’s go eat.”

The Jiutian Sect disciples thought, you took us on a tour and made us spend so much money, shouldn’t you buy us a meal?

Jiu Hui led the group to North Street, where they saw the plump boss waving a tambourine from afar, twisting his body in a dance that could hardly be called graceful.

“This is the best restaurant in the city.” Jiu Hui beckoned to the boss.

“Little Jiu, you haven’t come to eat for a long time.” The fat boss saw Jiu Hui and the group of people behind her, and immediately smiled and said, “Come, come, come in.”

He noticed that Bu Ting and the others were extraordinary, so he led them to a private room upstairs: “The shop just bought a few fat rabbits. Would you like some braised rabbit cubes?”

“Mountain chicken, dried mushroom and bacon hotpot, and all the signature dishes in the shop.” Jiu Hui patted the money pouch on her waist. “The City Lord gave me an ingot of silver to entertain distinguished guests.”

The plump boss suddenly understood that these were the immortals who had entered the city. His expression turned serious, and he cupped his hands towards everyone in the room, hurriedly ordering the waiter to go and urge the kitchen to prepare the dishes.

“The chef at this restaurant is a master at making dried mushroom and bacon hot pot.” Jiu Hui sat down next to Zhi You. “Although it can’t compare to the spirit beast meat and spirit rice in the sect, it still has a bit of rustic charm.”

Bu Ting held his teacup and looked at the pedestrians coming and going downstairs outside the window. “It seems that young friend is very familiar with this city.”

“Of course.” Jiu Hui picked up the teapot and stuffed it into Nan Feng’s hand, gesturing for him to pour his own tea. “I’ve been coming into the city to play since I was a child, so most people in the city know me.”

“Although this city is remote, it has nurtured a person as graceful and elegant as you, young friend. It’s a good place.” Bu Ting coughed a few times, swallowing the blood that had rushed to his throat. “I wonder if you have heard any rumors about famous doctors in this place?”

“A famous doctor?” Jiu Hui shook her head. “I don’t know about other cities, but in our city, the biggest pharmacy is the one we went to.”

“Many thanks for informing me, little friend.” Bu Ting raised his teacup, suppressing the bloody taste in his mouth. “May I ask the name of this city?”

“I don’t know,” Jiu Hui shook her head.

Bu Ting retracted his gaze from the window and looked at Jiu Hui.

“The carvings on the city gate had long since weathered and become blurred,” Jiu Hui explained. “In recent years, everyone has called this city Small City.”

TN: author’s note on last chapter called this Nushen City

Bu Ting shifted his gaze to Zhi You. “Little friend Zhi You’s home is also here?”

“No.” Zhi You looked back at Bu Ting with an expressionless face, his eyes not dodging in the slightest. “My Little Senior Sister was worried about me, so she brought me home with her.”

Bu Ting: “Fellow Daoist Jiu Hui is truly a good Senior Sister.”

“I’m Little Senior Sister’s only junior brother, so of course she treats me well.” Footsteps could be heard outside the door, and Zhi You stood up to open it. “The food is here.”

Although the dishes tasted good, the people from Jiutian Sect were used to food with spiritual energy. They only used their chopsticks a few times before politely putting them down.

Only Nan Feng kept eating, and he ate quite a lot.

The other disciples of the Jiutian Sect stole glances at him, wondering what kind of hard life their Eldest Senior Brother had been living in Taolin City these past few days, that he could find these dishes so delicious.

After dinner, Jiu Hui sent Bu Ting and the others back to the inn and turned around to leave.

“Little friend Jiu Hui.” Bu Ting called out to Jiu Hui, but before he could finish speaking, his spiritual platform suddenly surged with spiritual energy, as if it was about to burst through his spiritual platform and sever all his meridians.

“Poof!”

Blood gushed out of his throat. He clutched his chest and fell backward.

“Master!” Nan Feng reached out in horror to catch Bu Ting, and with trembling hands, he fed Bu Ting a blood-replenishing pill.

“Eldest Senior Brother, these elixirs are useless to Master,” a Jiutian Sect disciple said with red eyes. “Master’s injuries are not ordinary.”

Jiu Hui took a step back, frightened by the blood gushing out of Bu Ting. It shouldn’t have anything to do with her, right?

Zhi You looked at Bu Ting, whose face had lost all color, and his expression was extremely calm. “Sect Master Bu is unwell and should not have traveled far.”

“Nan Feng, your master is in such a state that it’s really not suitable for him to remain in this remote little city.” Jiu Hui bowed to the Jiutian Sect members. “Why don’t you send a message to your sect so they can escort your sect master back?”

“Thank you.” Nan Feng helped Bu Ting sit on the bed. “Jiu Hui, I’m not able to receive you and Zhi You at the moment. You should go back first.”

“Immortal Venerable Bu has profound cultivation, he will be fine.” Jiu Hui nodded at Nan Feng, and left the inn with Zhi You.

Bu Ting knew he was dreaming.

Since Mu Qi had died long ago, how could she possibly be standing before her if this wasn’t a dream?

Under the moonlight, she sat on the side of a deserted street, expressionlessly watching the ten major sects searching for her.

“The moonlight is so beautiful tonight. Let me take one more look.” She slowly stood up and asked them, “Do you really think that I can quell the great plague and make the heavenly tribulation disappear?”

He heard his master say, “Man can conquer the heavens. We must at least try.”

“Can man overcome the heavens?” Mu Qi’s gaze swept over them one by one as she softly murmured, “Can man overcome the heavens…”

After a long while, she chuckled softly, “Yes, only humans can overcome the heavens.”

She reached into her chest and pulled out a sparkling, crystalline yao core. “This is what you want. Take it.”

After losing her yao core, her full head of dark hair instantly turned as white as snow. He stood behind his master, tightly gripping the Cosmos Sword, but he couldn’t move a single step.

Mu Qi held the yao core and walked towards the crowd step by step, but the crowd retreated step by step.

“Isn’t this what you wanted?”

Mu Qi tilted her head, looking at the crowd with a confused expression. “Why aren’t you continuing?”

She tilted her hand slightly, and the yao core rolled to the ground, all the way to his feet.

He lowered his head to look at the yao core, not daring to look Mu Qi in the eye.

Moonlight carried Mu Qi’s soft laughter as she said, “Nothing in the world is immortal. The sun rises and the moon sets, the stars shift and change, all things are born, and all things die. Today, I die, but perhaps this is not the end, but the beginning of everything.”

“But I can’t just stand by and watch them die.” Mu Qi looked at Bu Ting. “I’ve drunk the wine they brewed, eaten the sweet cakes they gave me, and even danced with them. I’ve laughed with them, and I’ve been happy with them. I just hope that after I’m gone, there will be no more immortal trees in the world.”

“It could be a flower, a blade of grass, or a small tree.” Mu Qi collapsed on the ground, her entire body bleeding after losing her yao core. “Just don’t be like me.”

In the dream, Bu Ting seemed to have finally regained some strength. He walked up to Mu Qi and stretched out his trembling hand, wanting to cover the bleeding wounds on her body, but he didn’t know how to cover those countless wounds.

“Bu Ting.” Mu Qi pulled her own heart out of her chest. The beating heart transformed into an Immortal Fruit in her hand. She placed the fruit in Bu Ting’s hand. “This is the real… Immortal Fruit.”

“May you…” She smiled, her tone laced with a hint of mockery. “Attain the Dao and achieve greatness, never regretting the path you’ve taken.”

Crystalline water droplets dripped onto the Immortal Fruit. Perhaps they were dewdrops from the night, or perhaps they were water droplets blown in by the wind from somewhere.

Bu Ting held the blood-stained Immortal Fruit, watching as Mu Qi closed her eyes before him, finally turning into a withered tree.

“Poof!”

Awakening from his dream, Bu Ting sat up and spat out a mouthful of blood. He looked at the sky that had already darkened, lifted the covers, got out of bed, and pushed open the window of the room.

Outside the inn, a few stall owners were still guarding their stalls, waiting for customers who might come at any time.

He casually grabbed an outer robe and threw it on, then flew out the window and landed in front of a small stall.

“You are…” The vendor selling hot glutinous rice cakes took a close look at the young man with his cloak billowing in the wind and said enthusiastically, “You must be the immortal who knows Miss Jiu, right?”

“You know Jiu Hui too?” Bu Ting tossed a spirit stone to the stall owner, who waved his hands repeatedly. “I can’t accept this. You and Miss Jiu are our guests. I’ll give you whatever you want to eat.”

The stall owner returned the spirit stone to Bu Ting and handed him two warm glutinous rice cakes wrapped in lotus leaves. “We watched Jiu Hui grow up. Her friend has come from afar. How can we accept money for two rice cakes?”

“What’s more, I heard from Miss Jiu that you bought the silk satin we wove and gave us a lot of medicinal herbs. That’s a great favor.” The stall owner asked for a cup of sweet drink from the stall next door: “I see that your complexion is not good, young master. Have some sweet water.”

The bamboo tube holding the sweet drink was simple and crude, and Bu Ting could smell the bamboo and the low-quality sugar powder.

“So Jiu Hui grew up under your care. No wonder she’s so familiar with you.” Bu Ting took a sip of the sweet water from the bamboo tube.

“Of course.” The entire city’s people were proud that Jiu Hui knew the head disciple of the Jiutian Sect. The stall owner praised Jiu Hui, “She even snatched the wedding procession’s candy faster than anyone else. You can tell she’s a smart child at a glance.”

“After getting lost, she was reluctant to go home after eating someone else’s fruit. In order to eat someone else’s boiled peanuts for free, she could help sell them for half a day. She lost the copper coins given to her by her family and cried so hard that people from half the street came to coax her…”

After listening to the stall owner’s stories about Jiu Hui’s childhood, Bu Ting was finally able to confirm that Jiu Hui was indeed an ordinary person, and an ordinary person who had grown up here.

It turned out to be just a coincidence.

He walked a few more streets, and those who recognized him were very enthusiastic towards him. However, after two or three sentences, they would always mention “Miss Jiu” or “Little Jiu”, which showed that they were very close to Jiu Hui.

He had a few more items in his arms that the stall owner had forced on him. When he reached a secluded spot, he bent down to place these items in a corner and turned to leave.

“Immortal Venerable Bu.”

Out of the darkness stepped a young woman carrying a lantern, and behind her followed a young man with an expressionless face.

“Fellow Daoist Jiu Hui, Fellow Daoist Zhi You.” Bu Ting straightened his outer robe and looked at the two of them with an indifferent expression. “Why are you two here?”

“We were worried about Immortal Venerable’s condition this afternoon, so we came to visit.” Jiu Hui said as she handed the lantern in her hand to Zhi You and bent down to pick up the food that Bu Ting had thrown on the ground. “We’re relieved to see that Immortal Venerable’s complexion has improved a lot.”

She peeled open the lotus leaf wrapping the food, and a dog and two cats squeezed in front of her in the corner.

“Good kitty, here you go.” Jiu Hui crouched on the ground and fed the cats and dogs, reaching out to pet their heads.

The streets were extremely quiet at night, with only the sounds of cats and dogs gnawing on things.

Knock.

The puppy knocked over the bamboo tube filled with sweet water, and the sweet water spilled onto the ground, seeping into the crevices of the soil and nourishing the roots of the flowers and plants.

Jiu Hui tossed the lotus leaf and bamboo tube into the nearby trash can and bowed slightly to Bu Ting. “Immortal Venerable, this junior will take her leave.”

Bu Ting wanted to say something, but he glanced at the food that had been eaten by the cats and dogs and fell silent.

Zhi You followed behind Jiu Hui, carrying a lantern. After walking for a while, he slowly turned his head to look at Bu Ting, who was standing still. His eyes were filled with a faint chill.

Bu Ting and Zhi You’s gazes met, and he was slightly startled.

He seemed to have seen such a look somewhere.

When Bu Ting noticed his gaze, Zhi You showed no fear. He gave Bu Ting a slight smile, then quickly caught up to Jiu Hui and walked beside her.

The lantern lights flickered, and as the two walked further and further away, the entire street gradually darkened.

Bu Ting looked up at the sky. The moon that had been in the sky had hidden itself in the thick clouds at some point.

“Little Senior Sister.” Zhi You gently hooked a corner of Jiu Hui’s sleeve. “Don’t be angry.”

“I knew that old fart was up to no good. Not only did he secretly inquire about me, but he also threw away the gifts everyone gave him.” Jiu Hui took a deep breath. “Serves him right that he got hurt.”

“Well, let him keep hurting.” Zhi You nodded.

“You have no say in this.” Jiu Hui took out a handful of copper coins from her sleeve and gave them to the stall owners who had given Bu Ting things.

“I’ve already sent all the thank-you gifts. It’s not easy for everyone to save money. If you don’t accept this money, I won’t be able to sleep tonight!”

At Jiu Hui’s insistence, the stall owners accepted the money.

“I can have the final say.” After Jiu Hui paid, Zhi You hooked Jiu Hui’s robe corner again. “I’m not lying to you.”

“Could it be…” Jiu Hui pulled Zhi You to the foot of the city wall and asked in a low voice, “Do you know the person who injured Bu Ting?”

Zhi You was silent for a moment before nodding slowly.

“Then let him suffer first.” Jiu Hui snorted. “Don’t pity him.”

“Hmm.” Zhi You said, “I don’t pity him.”

As soon as Bu Ting returned to the inn, he coughed up blood again. He held onto the doorframe and waved away Nan Feng and the Jiutian Sect disciples who tried to help him. “It’s nothing.”

He staggered two steps, when suddenly a wisp of well-concealed demonic energy wafted in from outside the inn.

“Demon Clan.” Bu Ting summoned the Cosmos Sword and flashed away.

“Eldest Senior Brother, what happened?” The disciples of the Jiutian Sect still didn’t know what had happened. Nan Feng shook his head. “I don’t know. Let’s follow them and see.”

In the night sky, Yin Ji, Sha Luojia, Jiu Hui, and Zhi You stared at each other with eight eyes. They all wanted to ask, why was it you guys again?!

“It seems that the two of you have recovered from your injuries and have the energy to sneak into the mortal world.” Jiu Hui grabbed a spirit bow from the void and used her spiritual energy as an arrow, pointing it at the two of them. “Get out of the city!”

Yin Ji and Sha Luojia didn’t move, so Jiu Hui shot an arrow directly at them.

Yin Ji used his sword to cleave the arrow in half. He glanced at his slightly numbed hand and, holding Sha Luojia’s hand, flew out of the city.

Jiu Hui and Zhi You exchanged a glance, then flew out in pursuit.

Outside the city was a desolate wasteland. Sha Luojia looked at Jiu Hui and Zhi You, who were relentlessly pursuing her, and simply landed from the sky. “Yin Ji and I are truly in love. Why won’t you two let us go?”

“If you two love each other, you can go to your Demon Clan. The mortal world is not a place for you to set foot in.” Jiu Hui heard movement in the grass and glanced at it. “Do you have any more helpers?”

“No, no, no.” A person rolled out of the grass. Luohe waved his hands and stepped back. “I just happened to pass by. You guys continue. You guys continue.”

After he finished speaking, he ran away with a few of his lackeys, not daring to look back.

Sha Luojia’s expression turned ugly. Her idiot third brother was actually following her?

She looked at Jiu Hui with suspicion. Her good third brother had always been self-righteous, so why was he so scared after seeing this human cultivator?

Cautiously retreating behind Yin Ji, Sha Luojia pressed her face against his back. “Yin Ji, let’s go. I don’t want to watch you become enemies with your former fellow Daoists.”

“Help!” Luohe, the Third Prince who had just run away, came rolling and crawling back along the same path. He and several of his lackeys rushed straight towards Yin Ji and Jiu Hui, as if there were a ferocious beast behind them.

Jiu Hui glanced at the people behind them. Bu Ting, who was holding the Cosmos Sword, was no different from a ferocious beast to the demons.

“Sect Master Immortal Venerable…” Yin Ji was a little confused. Why was the Immortal Venerable here?

He turned his head to look at Sha Luojia, who could only lean into his arms helplessly.

Jiu Hui hooked her toes and kicked Luohe to Zhi You’s feet, then crossed her arms and looked at Yin Ji and Bu Ting.

Fight! Hurry up and fight.

Author’s Note

Little Garlic Chive: Look at all this food! Even if I feed it to a dog, I won’t give them to that old fart!

Zhi You: I only listen to my Little Senior Sister.