That face, even though it had grown somewhat blurry after nearly two hundred years, she could absolutely never mistake it.
Back then, in that nameless little mountain village, he had been a somewhat dull boy who took great care of her. Now, he had transformed into the high and mighty Young Sect Master of the Blue Moon Sect.
“With the arrival of these mighty cultivators, it seems the rumors are true. As soon as the mortal Martial Arts Tournament ends, the once-in-a-century Immortal Path Tournament will begin right after.”
“Tsk, tsk. The Young Sect Master of the Blue Moon Sect is personally leading the team. The Imperial City is truly going to be swept up in a storm this time.”
“Rumor has it that this Young Sect Master possesses a Heavenly Bone, a genius rarely seen in centuries!”
Listening to the fanatical and envious chatter of the mortals on the street, Su Yueli slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, forcing the rampaging blood qi in her body to calm down.
After seeing Lin Ye, she had originally intended to leave the Imperial City immediately and return to the deep mountains to remain in hiding.
But now, having seen Shen Huai'an, she changed her mind.
She had waited for this for nearly two hundred years.
It was not easy to finally see a living acquaintance. More importantly, the tragedy of the mountain village back then, as well as the death of her master, Lu Chen—
every single one of these unsettled debts was inextricably linked to the Blue Moon Sect.
As the Young Sect Master, and having shown absolutely no reaction after the village was wiped out, Shen Huai'an definitely knew something.
She needed to pry the truth of those events, word by word, from the mouth of this so-called immortal cultivation genius.
She did not dare to directly reveal her identity. For one, her secret of immortality would be exposed. For another, she still did not know if her previous suspicion about the severing of mortal ties was true.
If it were true, exposing her identity would only land her in danger.
“Since he won't be leaving anytime soon anyway, I'll fill my stomach first and see what this Immortal Path Tournament is all about.”
Su Yueli touched the white carved mask on her face, turned around, and walked into a luxurious, bustling restaurant by the street.
She asked for a seat by the window, ordered a few plates of delicate mortal dishes, and began pouring and drinking wine by herself.
...
Meanwhile, on the streets of the Imperial City.
Shen Huai'an, dressed in snow-white robes, strolled slowly with his hands behind his back through the dazzling array of immortal markets and secular stalls.
Just as the Sect Master had said, ever since he was tested to have a Heavenly Bone and brought back to the sect, he had been in dark, bitter cultivation, sitting in meditation for nearly two hundred years.
Although his cultivation had been forcefully piled up to the Sixth Realm of the immortal path using spiritual medicine and cultivation methods, making him stand proudly above his peers, his experience in the mortal world was a complete blank.
“Young Sect Master, the Sect Master asked you to wander the mortal world more before the Immortal Path Tournament officially begins. While it is called tempering your state of mind and experiencing the mortal world, it is actually to let you relax your tense Dao Heart.”
“Look at that restaurant ahead, it seems quite lively.”
Behind him, a withered-looking Ninth Realm elder spoke via voice transmission.
The two Ninth Realm old monsters had concealed their terrifying auras, quietly following behind Shen Huai'an like old servants.
Shen Huai'an looked up at the magnificent sign of the restaurant, a trace of lofty arrogance flashing across his brow.
He said indifferently, “Although the mundane hustle and bustle is chaotic, it's somewhat interesting to observe occasionally. Let's go in and sit.”
The three of them stepped into the restaurant. At this moment, the place was already packed to the brim. Secular wealthy merchants and martial artists of all kinds crowded the tables, making it extraordinarily noisy.
Shen Huai'an frowned slightly. Accustomed to quiet cultivation, he found this noisy environment somewhat unbearable.
Sweeping his gaze across the second floor, his eyes eventually landed on a corner by the window.
Only a single young woman in a blue-and-white dress sat there. Her face was covered by a cold, white carved mask, and she was picking at some side dishes, the seats beside her completely empty.
Shen Huai'an possessed a Heavenly Bone and had sharp perception.
Yet, when his divine sense swept over the masked woman, he found that she was completely devoid of any spiritual energy. There was not even a trace of magical fluctuation, making her look like a wealthy young lady who only knew some basic, shallow mundane martial arts.
Yet, her leisurely, cold, and aloof temperament was completely out of place among the vulgar mortals around her.
“A rather peculiar loose cultivator.”
Shen Huai'an did not bother looking for another spot and simply walked over.
Walking up to the table, he behaved quite politely, cupping his hands slightly as he spoke, “Miss, I see there are no empty tables left in this restaurant. I wonder if it would be convenient to share this table?”
Su Yueli, who was drinking, paused slightly in her movements.
Beneath her mask, her eyes suddenly narrowed, and a violent wave of emotion surged in her heart.
An acquaintance she had not seen for nearly two hundred years was now standing right before her eyes, alive and well.
On his handsome face, there was no longer any trace of the simplicity of the mountain village youth from back then. In its place was an innate arrogance and coldness.
“Please do,” Su Yueli replied, altering her voice to a cold, deep tone devoid of any emotional fluctuation as she nodded slightly.
Seeing her agree, Shen Huai'an sat down naturally.
The two Ninth Realm elders stood behind him like wooden statues, expressionless. Their decaying yet extremely oppressive auras made the secular martial artists at the surrounding tables feel an inexplicable sense of suffocation, and none dared to look over.
After a short moment, the waiter served a pot of immortal spiritual tea and several plates of delicate pastries.
Shen Huai'an picked up his teacup and took a light sip. Perhaps because he had spent nearly two hundred years in bitter cultivation, he felt a sudden urge to talk. Or perhaps he found the masked woman before him somewhat mysterious, so he took the initiative to strike up a conversation.
“You are drinking here alone and wearing a mask, Miss. Could it be that you are also here for the upcoming Immortal Path Tournament?”
Shen Huai'an smiled faintly. His tone seemed peaceful, but his lofty sense of superiority as a member of an immortal sect was impossible to hide.
Su Yueli sneered in her heart.
This Second Brother Shen, who could barely speak properly back then, had now become quite adept at striking up conversations with people.
“I'm not here for the tournament. I was simply bored out of my mind and came to watch the fun.”
Su Yueli deliberately acted eccentric, her tone highly casual. “On the other hand, you, young master—is it not too cramped for you to have two half-dead old men standing behind you as a backdrop just to grab a bite to eat?”
As soon as these words were spoken, a cold glint flashed in the eyes of the two Ninth Realm elders behind Shen Huai'an.
In the cultivation world, who would dare to show such disrespect to Ninth Realm powerhouses?
Shen Huai'an was also taken aback.
Possessing a Heavenly Bone, he had everything he wanted in the Blue Moon Sect. The disciples flattered and fawned over him, and those secular loose cultivators wished they could kneel and lick his boots.
Where had he ever met someone who completely disregarded social conventions and spoke with such sharp thorns?
However, Shen Huai'an ultimately lacked experience in the mortal world, and his mind still retained a trace of youthful curiosity.
Instead of being angered by Su Yueli's sharp retort, he found this eccentric, worldly-wise hidden loose cultivator to be highly intriguing.
“Haha, you must be joking, Miss.”
Shen Huai'an waved his hand, signaling the elders behind him to withdraw their pressure.
Rate on N.U.
