"Aunt Mao..."
Originally hiding in the cabin, Qing Jun sighed with a grown-up demeanor the moment she heard her master mention Aunt Mao.
She really gives Qing Jun a headache!
To say who in the world makes Qing Jun most troubled, it’s not her master, but Aunt Mao!
To be honest, she really likes Aunt Mao, but how to put it...
She’s a dragon!
Humans can’t give birth to dragons!
But nevertheless... forget it, forget it, she didn’t want to think about these things that give her a headache.
The most important thing is,
Aunt Mao always competes with her for her master!
"Master, master... are we going to Divine Mist Valley? How long will we be staying there?"
Qing Jun couldn’t help but poke her furry little head out and ask softly.
"Not for long, just collecting some intelligence. What’s more pressing right now is to find True Inheritor Bai, there’s not much time to waste."
Chen Ye shook his head.
Upon hearing this,
Qing Jun didn’t know whether to feel disappointed or happy. She looked down at the Xiaohan Sword, a magical treasure Aunt Mao gave her back when they were in Yunxi District.
The tenderness on Aunt Mao’s face from that time is still vividly clear in her mind.
Chen Ye had no clue about the complex emotions in Qing Jun’s heart.
As the saying goes, the girl’s heart is like a needle in the sea.
Though the master understands the nature of his disciples, he’s not the worms in their stomachs and often can’t guess their thoughts.
He looked at Zhiwei and casually asked, "Zhiwei, what do you think?"
Zhiwei nodded seriously, agreeing:
"Master has thought things through. The two counties of Canghe and Changqing have just been baptized by war, though they have now fallen into the hands of the sect, there must be hidden chaos, likely including spies from the Emotion Crossing Sect. It’s best to inquire from the Mao and Xu families first to save us a lot of trouble."
"Since that’s the case, it’s decided then, let’s head to Divine Mist Valley!"
Chen Ye intentionally tried to ease his disciples’ tension, jokingly saying,
"Master truly respects your opinions; currently, there are two votes to go to Divine Mist Valley. Jin’er, Qing Jun, what about you?"
The little girl mumbled, "Master is unreasonable! Clearly, the flying boat is already heading to Moon Creek Lake District before asking for our opinions... Since that’s the case, Qing Jun votes against! Jin’er, hurry and follow your senior sister to vote against, I want to see what happens if it’s a tie!"
Oh.
This girl just insists on opposing her master, even though her heart somewhat wants to go to Divine Mist Valley.
Chen Ye looked kindly at Jin’er, "Jin’er, what do you say?"
Jin’er looked at her master’s kind smile, and her heart skipped a beat. She shyly lowered her head:
"I... I agree with Master!"
Master... looks quite intimidating.
But also very handsome!
Before, when she first met her master, he was so domineering and mischievous, even forcibly treated her leg... Nonetheless, back then, her master was even more handsome!
"Traitor!"
Qing Jun furiously glared at Jin’er, her little face flushed like a little puffer fish that failed to protect its food,
"Jin’er, you coward, you promised to resist the stinky master together! You’re bowing to the evil forces!"
Jin’er twisted her fingers nervously, muttering softly:
"But... but Master’s smile is so scary, and even if it’s tied, Master surely would say his vote counts as double..."
The third disciple saw things clearly.
As a master,
A vote counting as double is understandable, isn’t it?
"Three to one, the proposal is approved."
Chen Ye crossed his arms, smiling as he declared the results,
"The minority obeys the majority; protests are invalid. Sit tight, Moon Creek Lake will soon be here."
"Blah blah blah, dictator! Tyrant! Faint-hearted ruler!"
Qing Jun made funny faces while secretly touching the Xiaohan Sword in her arms.
Truth be told, if she really meets Aunt Mao, she would still feel quite happy inside.
...
Half a day later.
Fly boats descended at the periphery of a vast, misty lake.
This is Moon Creek Lake.
"Look,"
Chen Ye pointed to the north of Moon Creek Lake, where a majestic mountain range lying like a dormant dragon, faintly visible in the sea of clouds,
"That is Dragon Sleep Mountain."
"Wow!"
Jin’er leaned against the porthole, watching intently. She had never seen the full view of Dragon Sleep from high up before.
"And to the northwest is the endless stretch of the Three Thousand Great Mountains. The great waters originating from the Three Thousand Great Mountains flow mightily and become the Canghe River, which traverses the waterway of the Yan Kingdom. The Canghe County we are about to pass through is named after it. Black Cliff City is the river’s estuary."
Chen Ye cheerfully explained.
And to the north of the Three Thousand Great Mountains is actually the territory of the Ruins Country.
Fortunately,
The Three Thousand Great Mountains cover a vast area, stretching not only across the Yan Kingdom but also across the Lingxu Realm.
Though it’s just separated by one mountain range, the actual distance is at least equivalent to six or seven Yan Kingdoms.
Inside, there are hordes of demon beasts, with Nascent Soul level demon beasts lying dormant.
And according to legends, there are even ancient Divine Beasts at the Transformation God level sleeping. Of course, this is merely a legend.
But it’s enough to keep the Ruins Country isolated outside.
If the Ruins Country wants to send people, they must exert great effort to detour.
For instance,
The river east of Qi Kingdom.
In the battle of Songyang a thousand years ago, Ruins Country cultivators came from the river and exploded in a war between the river and the Canghe River, ultimately devastating the place into the Celestial Abyss.
...
Upon reaching Moon Creek Lake District,
Chen Ye put away the fly boat and led his three disciples, all wearing wide-brimmed hats and cloaks, to avoid the bustling market easily, arriving directly at a quiet valley often shrouded in thick fog by the edge of Moon Creek Lake.
He took a communication talisman from the Storage Bag, whispered a few words to it, then flicked his finger, turning it into a flame that darted into the rolling mist.