Chapter 16

PS: Thanks to the generous donations from Shen, Fenglongzhuan, and GG Ai Wuju!

Tall and straight figure.

Gentle voice.

And the jingling silver bell.

It must be said that many passersby on the main road couldn't help but turn their heads to take a look at the young Taoist priest in luxurious robes, listening to him sing a strange tune.

What a handsome Taoist!

What an eccentric Taoist!

This was the common thought of all the passersby. The only flaw was the torn sleeve, which marred the peculiar and graceful demeanor of the Taoist.

"Books sigh as if they are dreams of a thousand years, sitting alone by the window, listening to the rain in a room. Having seen and experienced too many joys and sorrows, one does not feel the cold in the cold place..."

Yue Yuan softly sang a familiar song, ignoring the gazes of the other passersby. He continued walking along the main road, his eyes fixed on the silver bell in his right hand, constantly examining it and occasionally shaking it to produce a clear jingling sound.

Stopping his humming, Yue Yuan picked up the bell and began to examine it seriously.

After a thorough inspection, Yue Yuan found the bell to be extremely exquisite, and it was spotlessly clean, without a trace of dirt. This alone showed how much the Scarlet Serpent Immortal valued the bell.

In the story, Li Mochou had changed her mount, but the only thing she never changed was the bell in her hand.

It was easy to imagine the significance of this bell to Li Mochou.

And now, this bell was in his hands.

Recalling his actions earlier, Yue Yuan had to admit that he had been unusually bold at the time.

It seemed that the visualization technique had a significant impact on him!

Thinking about this, Yue Yuan walked while closing his eyes and visualizing the image in his mind. The image of Chu Liuxiang in his mind began to change; the half-smile disappeared, replaced by a gentle, shallow smile.

"Hmm? It's changing!"

Opening his eyes, Yue Yuan squinted and touched his nose with his right hand, muttering to himself, "If this continues, I'll be on my way to becoming a Casanova!"

"Ah?"

Stopping his right hand, Yue Yuan looked down at it, then touched his nose again. Shaking his head, he said somewhat helplessly, "Forget it, I'm still me, just influenced by the aura of the Master. I just need to stay true to myself."

After saying this, Yue Yuan temporarily ignored his changes. Regarding the visualization technique, he felt that since he was borrowing someone else's power, there should be a corresponding cost. Besides the reward, there would certainly be other effects on his body.

And now, these effects didn't seem too bad.

Yue Yuan had a good impression of two women in the world of "The Return of the Condor Heroes." One was the Scarlet Serpent Immortal Li Mochou, whom he had decided to help, and the other was Guo Xiang, the second daughter of Guo Jing and Huang Rong.

While he had a high opinion of Xiaolongnü, her otherworldly aura made her seem untouchable.

Xiaolongnü was like a fairy, while Guo Xiang was bold and generous, with a charisma that could rival that of Qiao Feng, the leader of the Beggar Clan in "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils." This was extremely rare in a woman.

As for the Scarlet Serpent Immortal Li Mochou...

In some ways, she was a suitable goddess for a household, but she lost to the wealthy and beautiful He Yuanjun in the competition for Lu Zhan yuan.

At the time, Li Mochou's status couldn't compare to He Yuanjun's, as the Ancient Tomb Sect was not well-known in the martial world. Most people didn't even know such a sect existed. For a man like Lu Zhan yuan, who prioritized his career, the support Li Mochou could offer was far less than what He Yuanjun could provide.

Who was He Yuanjun?

A member of the He family, with a foster father named Wu Santong.

Who was Wu Santong?

A disciple of Duan Huangye, one of the Five Greats, also known as the Great Master Yideng.

This showed the background of He Yuanjun and the support her family could provide to Lu Zhan yuan's career.

Yue Yuan lamented Li Mochou's devotion to Lu Zhan yuan. He didn't deny that Lu Zhan yuan had once liked Li Mochou, but the final outcome was Li Mochou's failure, and a crushing one at that.

The root cause, after much thought, was the class difference.

Li Mochou had no parents, only a master and a junior sister. Because of Lu Zhan yuan, she was even expelled from her sect, ending up with nothing but a lingering affection in her heart.

What about He Yuanjun?

She had her family's support, was talented herself, and had a foster father who was a disciple of the Great Master Yideng. How could Li Mochou compare to her?

Lu Zhan yuan's parents, from a prominent family, would never allow Li Mochou to become their daughter-in-law.

In modern times, class difference is still a consideration in marriage, and in ancient times, it was even more so.

Therefore, the competition between the Scarlet Serpent Immortal Li Mochou and He Yuanjun ended in a crushing defeat for Li Mochou, with no room for compromise. Lu Zhan yuan was not a man who could give up everything for a woman.

"Pity the Scarlet Serpent Immortal's devotion!"

His expression darkened as Yue Yuan felt that Li Mochou's lifelong devotion was not worth it. Because of this silent dedication, Li Mochou embarked on a path of no return. Her rebellion was fueled by hatred for the man's infidelity and a challenge to the class system.

Unfortunately, Li Mochou didn't have the same luck as her junior sister Xiaolongnü, who found someone to fight alongside her.

Rescuing the immortal from her misguided path...

This was the kind of magnanimity a passionate man should have.

Whether it was the Master or Yue Yuan himself, their mindset aligned with the person they visualized, which was why Yue Yuan had made a promise to the Scarlet Serpent Immortal.

"I've always been curious about what this bell means to the Scarlet Serpent Immortal."

His eyes fixed on the silver bell in his right hand, Yue Yuan squinted, deep in thought. Could this have been a gift from Lu Zhan yuan?

After all, no matter how many times the Scarlet Serpent Immortal changed her mount, she never changed this bell, which clearly showed its importance to her. If it wasn't something very important, Li Mochou wouldn't have treated it this way, and the bell was clearly well-maintained.

"Hmm!"

Looking at the silver bell in his palm, Yue Yuan decided to ask the Scarlet Serpent Immortal about the origin of the bell the next time they met. However, it was clearly not the right time, and he suspected that in the next few days, Li Mochou would want to crush him to pieces, or even take him down with her.

Thinking about this, Yue Yuan abandoned his plan and gave himself and the Scarlet Serpent Immortal some time.

After putting away the bell, Yue Yuan quickened his pace and continued walking.

A few hours later.

The sky had darkened, and the sun had set. Although there was still a hint of sunlight, the stars were already visible in the sky.

After traveling for over a hundred miles using the Master's lightness skill, Yue Yuan finally arrived at a bustling town.

The reason was simple: it was dinnertime.

How could someone who enjoyed life let his stomach suffer?

After inquiring about the quality of the food at the town's inn, Yue Yuan headed toward it. As soon as he stepped through the door, he was surprised to see a familiar face sitting at a table by the window.

It was him!

Yue Yuan was secretly startled but decided to approach him.