Chapter 41: Isn’t It Just a Sachet?

This was a small town, with ancient streets paved with bluestone slabs.

Along the sides of the street, the typical water-town architecture stood in scattered arrangements—eaves curving upwards, intricate brackets supporting the roofs.

The walls, mostly white and uneven, seemed to have weathered decades of wear, exuding an ancient and solemn aura.

The market was bustling, with vendors and travelers crisscrossing the streets, and the air was filled with lively chatter.

Suddenly, hundreds of people appeared out of thin air, startling the passersby.

“Oh my god! A mass teleportation!”

“Could they be gods from the heavens?”

“What gods? They’re even more handsome than gods!”

The women in the crowd were stunned, as if it were the first time they had seen so many dashing young men, all of them extraordinary in bearing, with an air of otherworldly grace.

Even many of the men joined in the excitement.

A few still retained some composure, observing from a distance, their eyes filled with amazement.

But the majority held their embroidered sachets, continuously tossing them towards the cultivators.

This was a local custom.

When a woman encountered a man she fancied, she would throw a sachet she had personally embroidered to express her admiration.

As the women tossed their sachets, they giggled shyly, struggling to suppress the urge to pull the men into their arms right there in the street.

“Look at that one! I’ve never seen such striking red eyes—so handsome!”

“I’ve never seen a man like him either. Just one glance, and my knees are going weak.”

“I brought ten sachets today! I’m throwing them all at him! Take all my love!”

Yin Buqi, dressed in a black robe, stood tall and slender, with his dark hair tied behind him by a golden clasp.

His long lashes were lowered, and his somewhat pale face carried a sickly beauty that was especially striking.

He remained silent, his brows furrowed.

He found the noise of the crowd chattering incessantly annoying, filling him with irritation.

Jiang Niannian picked up a sachet from the ground and examined it.

“The embroidery on this is exquisite, and the material’s quite good. It’s a pity to just leave it lying on the street.”

Yin Buqi’s long lashes trembled slightly, his voice low and subdued: “Niannian… does it not bother you?”

“Bother me? About what?”

“Other women throwing sachets at me.”

“What’s there to be bothered about? They’re just appreciating you.”

Jiang Niannian smiled gently.

Yin Buqi said no more, his thin lips pressed tightly together as he stared at his long, slender fingers. The gloomy air within him seemed to be seeping out, and he felt as if the obedient facade he wore was about to crack.

He rested his head on her shoulder, tugging at her sleeve, and muttered again: “But none of them are embroidered by you.”

Jiang Niannian, stroking Coal Ball in her arms, sensed something off in his mood and tentatively offered: “How about… I embroider one for you another day?”

“That would be most kind of you, Niannian.”

His response was swift and firm.

Jiang Niannian: “…” This stubborn kid—if you wanted one, why not just say it outright instead of going around in circles?

“Hey? From the looks of your attire, are you cultivators?” An elderly man, leaning on a cane, shuffled over slowly.

“That’s right,” several people from the crowd answered.

“Could it be that you immortals have come specifically to rid our Qinghe Town of the demons?”

The old man was visibly excited, grabbing one of their hands, his eyes brimming with hope and tears.

“Our Qinghe Town is too remote. We’ve been plagued by these demons for decades, and no one’s come to help. A few years ago, the town raised money to hire some Taoist priests, but they too perished at the hands of the demon. Since then, no one has dared come… But today, so many immortals have arrived!”

One of them asked, “Then why haven’t you moved away?”

The old man shook his head.

“Sigh… It’s not that we don’t want to leave, but we can’t. The people of this town were originally refugees who stumbled upon this place. There are mountains and water, and the houses were empty with no one living here, so we settled in. Later, when people started dying, we realized something was wrong and tried to leave, but we found that the area within a hundred miles was shrouded in resentment. Once you step into this place, unless the resentment is lifted, you can’t leave.”

“That’s strange. This secret realm doesn’t match the description my father gave,” Yin Ci murmured as he stood among the crowd.

“Haha, you have to admit, this secret realm is pretty impressive. The movements of these illusions are so lifelike,” joked a cultivator named Xie Fan, laughing with his companions.

“This isn’t a secret realm. The formation just now was a teleportation array,” Yin Buqi said, glancing around with lowered brows.

“You?” Yin Ci followed the voice and met Yin Buqi’s gaze. Then he noticed the small black ball of fur in Jiang Niannian’s arms and exclaimed again, “You!”

His earlier exclamation had been a question, but this time it was a shout of fear.

The black ball, which had been drowsy, suddenly opened its eyes wide in terror at the sight of him, frantically burrowing into Jiang Niannian’s arms.

But someone grabbed it by its corner and yanked it out.

Yin Ci glanced at the black ball, then at Yin Buqi, his tone unfriendly: “Is this your beast?”

Yin Buqi glanced at it indifferently and said in a flat tone, “I don’t know. It attached itself to me.”

Coal Ball: ??? Yesterday you called me your little baby when you told me to scram and give you and Niannian some private space! And today you pretend you don’t know me?!

Coal Ball looked up at the looming face of Yin Ci, its survival instincts kicking in as it unleashed a barrage of pitiful cries: “Awoo~”

Jiang Niannian facepalmed: “…” I can’t even watch this.

Yin Ci’s mouth twitched.

His fist had already clenched tightly.

He gave Coal Ball a hard smack on its chubby backside, then flung it away as if it were something filthy.

“Get lost! If you come near me again, I’ll beat you every time.”

Coal Ball landed on the ground with a thud, utterly bewildered.

It wanted to be fierce but also felt like crying.

This man was a real brute, actually hitting a poor little creature!

“This really doesn’t seem like an illusion,” a few disciples muttered as they examined their talismans.

The old man was puzzled.

“Immortals, what’s this?”

“A Spirit Suppression Talisman. In an illusion, it would burn up.”

Xie Fan took a few steps back, his voice trembling: “What?! If that demon kills us here, we’ll actually die?! No way, I’m going back.”

Yin Ci cast him a disdainful glance and sneered: “Ha, coward.”

“What did you say?!” Xie Fan lunged at him, grabbing Yin Ci by the collar and shouting.

Yin Ci shook him off impatiently.

“Don’t touch me with your filthy hands. Let me ask you—why do you cultivate?”

“For immortality, to ascend to the heavens and live as long as the heavens.”

Yin Ci countered, “Frog in a well. Cultivators train to fight evil and uphold justice. The sword in your hand exists to protect those around you and the common people. If everyone were as cowardly and afraid of death as you, what would be the point of cultivation? Since we’re here, why not help rid the town of this demon before leaving?”

For some reason, as Yin Ci said this, a brilliant holy light appeared behind him, accompanied by explosive background music: “The Light of Justice! Shining upon the earth!”

Isn’t this just the main character’s halo?!

Xie Fan couldn’t stand his self-righteous attitude and retorted, “Do you think you’re so great?”

Yin Ci replied, “I’m naturally much stronger than many of you.”

“You—!”

“All right, stop arguing. It’s getting late; let’s find a place to rest for the night.”

Jiang Niannian stepped in to mediate, then turned to the old man and asked, “Is there a large inn nearby?”

“There is, Immortal, please follow me,” the old man nodded, leading the way.