Chapter 066: What Does It Have to Do with Her?

Yan Shu was utterly exhausted, her voice weak as she said, “Whether we go or not, I’ll just follow your lead.”

Hearing this, the coldness on Xiao Jihan’s face eased a little. He turned to look at her and said, “Since we’ve discovered a teleportation array, of course we have to go. You go first, I’ll cover our rear.”

Yan Shu was about to nod and agree, but then she thought of that wretched Heavenly Dao. She quickly said, “It’s better if you go first, I’ll bring up the rear.”

What if she went in and he didn’t follow for a long while? Wouldn’t she be struck by lightning the entire time?

Xiao Jihan glanced back at the now trembling demon-expelling talisman, then turned his gaze back to her, looking at her intently. He said, “Let’s go together.”

Well, that was perfect!

A smile immediately blossomed on Yan Shu’s face. She reached out her hand to him, “Let’s go!”

Xiao Jihan looked at her smiling face, the starlight twinkling in her eyes, then lowered his gaze to her delicate, outstretched fingers. He turned his head slightly, looking away, and coughed lightly. “No need. We can jump up together.”

Seeing his reaction, Yan Shu instantly realized, her face flushing red. She hurriedly withdrew her hand, embarrassed. “I... I thought we had to hold hands. Otherwise, we might end up in different places after we go in.”

Xiao Jihan let out a quiet “Mm” and said, “Let’s go.”

Yan Shu quickly echoed, “Let’s go, let’s go.”

If they didn’t leave now, she was going to die of embarrassment.

The two of them leapt together onto the top of the giant boulder. Whatever happened down the mountain was no longer their concern.

As soon as she landed, Yan Shu felt the ground beneath her feet go soft, as if some force was pulling her downward. Then her vision went black, and she instinctively closed her eyes.

When she opened them again, she found herself inside a vast cavern, seemingly within the heart of the mountain, and Xiao Jihan was nowhere to be seen.

Raising her brows, Yan Shu felt as if her pride had been restored a little. She knew it—if they didn’t hold hands while teleporting, they’d be separated.

The cavern was stiflingly hot, and soon sweat beaded on her skin. It was not only hot but suffocating, until her spiritual energy began to circulate automatically, giving her some relief.

Only then did Yan Shu have the mind to take a careful look at her surroundings.

The cavern was high and, judging by the many twisting branches, must have been vast. The passages wound and turned, making it impossible to discern what lay ahead. Yet strangely, for such a cavern—one that by all rights should have been pitch dark—there was enough light for her to see clearly where she stood, even if the atmosphere was dim.

Just as Xiao Jihan had said, for a teleportation array to appear in a secret realm, it meant there was certainly some great fortune to be found within.

But who was Yan Shu?

She was a consummate slacker, one who would never stand if she could lie down. If not for the Heavenly Dao forcing her, her life in its grasp, she would never have left Xuantian Sect.

Fortune? What did that have to do with her?

She had no intention of ascending. The lifespan of a cultivator was already long enough for her—she had already profited plenty; why should she wear herself out in pursuit of some so-called opportunity?

Besides, with the male lead here, and the book’s favored son of heaven, Yu Wenche, what fortune could possibly fall to her, a disposable side character?

The outside world was so dangerous; she had no desire to go out courting disaster.

She would much prefer to hole up here for the next couple of weeks, let the secret realm close, and be automatically sent out.

She’d wait until the lightning came for her, then move. With that, she’d have her own GPS automatically guiding her to Xiao Jihan.

With this in mind, Yan Shu sat down cross-legged, entirely at ease, and began to cultivate.

It wasn’t that she was diligent; cultivation simply felt quite nice, and, more importantly, time passed especially quickly.

While Yan Shu settled comfortably into her lazy state, Xiao Jihan and Yu Wenche crossed paths within the cavern.

After being teleported from the mountaintop into the cavern, Xiao Jihan immediately realized he was not with Yan Shu. For a moment, he regretted not taking her offered hand back on the mountaintop.

But regret was useless now. When he tried to contact her, he found that they hadn’t even infused their spiritual power into each other’s Xuanling Mirrors.

This realization gave Xiao Jihan pause, but he quickly pushed the thought aside.

Even though their past grievances had been erased, even though he now understood her feelings for him, that didn’t mean he had to respond in kind, nor did it mean he should surrender himself so easily—either his person, or anything else.

His concern at this moment was only because she had come here for him. If not for his presence, she would never have suffered any of this.

Composing himself, Xiao Jihan set off to find her.

No—he was searching for the opportunity and the exit within this cavern. Looking for her was merely incidental.

Following the path ahead, Xiao Jihan rounded a corner and found himself face-to-face with Yu Wenche.

Their eyes met, both pausing for a split second before disguising their reactions.

Yu Wenche stepped forward, a warm smile on his lips, as if he were greeting a beloved junior. “What brings you here? Where is Shuer?”

Shuer...

Xiao Jihan lowered his gaze, then suddenly looked up at Yu Wenche, asking, “Does she know you call her that, Ancestor?”

Cultivators had long since discarded mortal conventions; while some social hierarchies could not be abandoned, Yu Wenche had never cared for such things. After all, the lifespan of mortals was so brief it was hardly worth considering.

Yet, for some reason, hearing the word “Ancestor” from Xiao Jihan’s lips today, Yu Wenche felt a hint of displeasure.

It was as if a chasm had opened between himself, Xiao Jihan, and Yan Shu.

Yu Wenche narrowed his eyes and said, “Since you have joined the sect, you should know that those on the immortal path must leave mortal ties behind. There’s no need to call me ‘Ancestor.’ I am a peer of Shuer; you may call me Uncle-Master instead.”

Uncle-Master. How eager he was to stand on equal footing with her.

Xiao Jihan glanced at him and replied blandly, “You’re right, Master Yu Wen. On the immortal path, we use seniority among fellow cultivators. The Lord of Taichu Sect and several of my uncles are all your peers. Strictly speaking, I should call you Senior Brother Yu Wen.”

At these words, the warmth on Yu Wenche’s face faded slightly.

He looked deeply at Xiao Jihan, and asked, as if in passing, “It’s only a form of address—why are you so concerned?”

Xiao Jihan replied with a question of his own, “It’s only a form of address—why, then, are you so concerned, Senior Brother Yu Wen?”

“Because I am fond of Shuer,” Yu Wenche said plainly, making his intentions clear. “I wish to become her Dao companion and remain by her side. Naturally, I do not wish for any disparity in our ranks. And you? What is your reason?”

Xiao Jihan didn’t answer, instead changing the subject. “Rather than discussing this with me, Senior Brother, perhaps it would be better to find my master and speak with her directly.”

“True enough,” Yu Wenche seemed to agree, nodding. “Did Shuer enter the cavern with you? Have you contacted her?”

For some reason, Xiao Jihan didn’t want Yu Wenche to know that he and Yan Shu hadn’t even exchanged Xuanling Mirrors, so he replied coolly, “I haven’t had the chance yet. If you wish, you may contact her yourself.”