Chapter 4

It seemed as if the bronze piece had merged into the palm of his hand. Xue Mu clenched and then relaxed his hand repeatedly, but he could not detect any foreign object, nor any energy response; he could not feel its use at all.

Perhaps one needed to possess a certain amount of energy to activate it? Xue Mu pondered silently.

Xue Mu had always been a very proactive and adaptable person. The moment he opened his eyes after being transported here, he had been facing reality, trying to understand and integrate into the new environment. Although it was dangerous to be with this group of violent women who didn't value human life, it was also a good opportunity. Currently, there was no faster way to understand this world or practice martial arts than to build a good relationship with these women. Therefore, the first thing to do was to gain their trust and establish a foothold before considering the future.

Looking out the window, the sky outside was clear and blue, the air fresh and invigorating, with birds flying and grass growing lush. Xue Mu, who had lived in a modern city for over twenty years, hadn't seen such a rural scene in a long time. Even in the countryside, the sky was often shrouded in gray smog, making one feel oppressed, rather than this fresh and bright atmosphere.

For Xue Mu, who had no family ties in the modern world, this moment made him feel that being transported here wasn't so bad after all. It was just a change in lifestyle, right? The wealth he had accumulated over the years and the celebrities he had dated were all gone, but what was there to regret? In a new world with an uncertain future, what was there to worry about? If he could start from scratch back then, he could do it again now.

Xue Mu exhaled a deep breath, feeling much more relaxed. Looking around, he realized that they were no longer on a mountain path but on a flat road. In the distance, the outline of a city could be faintly discerned, perhaps their destination.

Yue Xiaochan was nearby, her clothes fluttering as she walked on the grass. Xue Mu gazed at her bare feet, confirming that she was definitely not touching the ground, only skimming the tips of the grass, like a butterfly flitting through flowers.

The martial prowess in this world was really high... A girl of thirteen or fourteen could have such lightness of body, and she looked so relaxed. I wonder if she could really fly if she went all out? But then again, if you're so awesome, why do you need a carriage?

As if sensing his gaze, Yue Xiaochan turned her head, giggled, and made a gesture as if to dig out his eyes, as if to say: "If you keep looking, I'll dig out your eyes."

Xue Mu tried to make conversation, pointing in the direction of the city: "Miss Yue, where is that?"

"Capital City."

"Are we heading to the capital?"

"Does it concern you?"

"I'm supposed to be your accountant."

Yue Xiaochan laughed, "Hah," and floated to the window, examining him for a moment. "You look much better. You were so sickly before, but our medicine really works."

Xue Mu rolled his eyes inwardly and continued to make conversation: "Why don't you ride in the carriage?"

Yue Xiaochan puffed out her cheeks: "My master is tallying up our losses in the south. I get a headache looking at those numbers, so I came out to clear my mind."

Xue Mu was taken aback. When they changed carriages, he saw many female guards sitting at the front and back of the carriage. If you were bored, why not chat with them? Why play on the grass alone?

As if reading his thoughts, Yue Xiaochan's eyes curved into a crescent, finding it very amusing: "It seems you really don't know who we are—do you think just anyone can talk and laugh with us like you do? I wonder if you're missing a screw or just too ignorant."

Xue Mu leaned against the window, tilting his head to look at Yue Xiaochan's doll-like face, with its smooth, porcelain-like skin and shallow dimples, which indeed looked incredibly cute. He shook his head and smiled, "While I am indeed ignorant and don't know who your master is, I don't think it makes sense to be afraid to talk to such a pretty little sister."

Yue Xiaochan scratched her cheek: "You're stubborn. If you knew who my master is, you wouldn't say that."

"Then may I ask your master's name?"

Yue Xiaochan blinked: "She shares your surname, her name is Qingqiu."

Xue Qingqiu? The image of those icy eyes flashed through Xue Mu's mind. He couldn't associate this name with such a terrifying expert, and the three level tones sounded a bit awkward. He laughed, "So we're from the same family. That makes me even less afraid."

Yue Xiaochan widened her eyes, looking at him as if he were a monster, and finally laughed, "Really... Okay, okay, if you're not afraid, that's fine."

Not knowing who Yue Xiaochan was was quite normal, after all, she was only thirteen and had not yet made a name for herself in the martial world, with no notable achievements. But who was her master?

In a world where martial arts were revered and various schools spread their doctrines, Xue Qingqiu's name could almost soothe a crying child. She was the strongest Dòngxū-level expert, the most mysterious and unpredictable leader of the Star Moon Sect, a super demon who had killed countless people, and was considered by many to be the strongest in the world, even though there was no official consensus, she was widely recognized as one of the top ten strongest. The so-called female guards were not really guards but disciples of the demon sect. However, there was an unbridgeable gap between them and core disciples like Yue Xiaochan. Few dared to joke with her, and even if she wanted to chat with them, she would only get respectful responses. As for outsiders, they would either fight the "demoness" to the death, be entranced and act foolishly, or be those self-righteous peers. Xue Mu's ordinary attitude was something Yue Xiaochan had never seen before, finding it very interesting. She smiled, "You seem much more relaxed now. You always seemed to be hiding a lot of secrets, with a worried look on your face. Did you have some kind of epiphany just now?"

Xue Mu smiled, "Since you're bored, how about I tell you a story?"

Yue Xiaochan's eyes lit up, and she said enthusiastically, "Sure, sure."

Xue Mu said slowly, "An old man selling porcelain bowls was walking down the road with a pole on his shoulder. Suddenly, one of the bowls fell and broke, but the old man continued walking without looking back. A passerby found this strange and asked, 'Why didn't you look back when your bowl broke?' What do you think the old man answered?"

Yue Xiaochan guessed with interest, "The old man was actually very rich and didn't care about one bowl?"

Xue Mu shook his head, "The old man replied, 'Since it's already broken, no matter how many times I look back, it will still be broken.'"

Yue Xiaochan was taken aback, and the smile on her face slowly faded as she fell into deep thought. After a long while, she said, "It's a very interesting story. It seems to have given me some insight into my cultivation. Thank you."

In another carriage not far away, Xue Qingqiu was frowning over several scrolls, her hand holding a brush, writing and drawing on the paper. Her power had long reached a realm beyond human imagination, and she could hear every word of the conversation between Yue Xiaochan and Xue Mu, even though it wasn't very loud. As Xue Mu finished his story, she, like her disciple, was taken aback. She then looked down at the scrolls in her hand, suddenly understanding something, and laughed. The scrolls suddenly burst into a pale blue flame, turning to ashes in an instant, leaving no trace.

A female disciple reported, "Mistress, we have arrived."

The convoy slowly came to a stop, and Xue Mu also got out of the carriage, looking up at the seal characters on the city gate: "Tian Du."

At the same time, he suddenly felt a surge of pressure on his body, as if he were diving to the bottom of the sea, making it hard to breathe. Before he could ask Yue Xiaochan beside him, he suddenly felt a warmth rise from his palm, spreading through every cell of his body. The pressure that had just felt so intense was gone, and instead, he felt a sense of comfort and even a strange sense of familiarity, as if he had returned home. Even the weeds by the city gate looked cute, as if he had truly come home.