Markets were something Ning Xian had never been involved with. She had never participated and never felt interested in them. But once she was there, she realized why they were so popular with young women and housewives alike.
The dazzling array of items wasn't the usual mundane, everyday things; though inexpensive, they were exquisite and appealing, quite charming to girls. With so many girls dressed up, young men also flocked out, as if it were a prelude to Qixi Festival.
Ning Xian was a wealthy woman and had little interest in cheap trinkets. She ate her way from one end of the market to the other, while Phoenix followed behind, paying for her meals.
This guy is actually not bad; good-looking and doesn't waste words. Although he doesn't smile much and is rather cold and fierce, having grown up with Long Jue, she can still tolerate him. Especially since she had just noticed that wherever they went, Feng, dressed in a dark red robe, seemed to be the focus of countless gazes.
"No one would have noticed these things when we were in the Demonic Sect..." She chuckled to herself. It was a strange feeling. The phoenix, who was never popular, had become the center of attention outside. Was it true that distance makes the heart grow fonder?
She finished the scallion rolls in her hands, wiped her hands with a grin, and then leaned over to hang her two greasy hands on his arm.
Feng looked down at her, puzzled. "What are you doing?"
"To protect you."
She chuckled as she watched the shattered hearts fluttering all around her, leaving Feng completely bewildered. Although he really wanted to ask Ning Xian if she had cleaned those oily hands properly, seeing her clinging to his arm and laughing so hysterically... oh well, as long as she's happy.
“Hey, Feng,” she looked up and suddenly asked, “Is it alright for us to wander around like this? Won’t the Xuanlang Sect come looking for us?” When she mentioned the Xuanlang Sect, a deep blackness flashed in her eyes, but it disappeared in an instant. Feng saw it, but played along with her nonchalant attitude, arrogantly curling the corners of her lips, “With me here, would I let you get into danger?”
It's thick and looks very reliable.
Ning Xian snuggled closer to him, feeling like she'd struck gold—good-looking, useful, and reliable. Since she'd acted like a beast and now had to take responsibility, she figured she might as well try to like him.
(Who just asked to change the male lead??)
"The Qixi Festival is coming soon."
"Um?"
"That's what the waiter said."
"oh."
"Let's stay here until the Qixi Festival ends."
Okay~
Having eaten her fill, she leisurely led Feng back home, amidst the envious gazes of the other women.
(Background sound—Holding your hand~ feels like holding a dog~~~~gets slapped away~~)
It was past noon when they returned to the original town. The streets were neither too crowded nor too quiet. They weren't in a hurry to return to the inn, so they strolled around leisurely. Ning Xian casually looked around, but then she caught a glimpse of a white figure. In such a simple and pragmatic town, white clothes, which are beautiful but not practical and easily get dirty, were not uncommon, but only that figure made her take a second look.
In front of a small alley, the white figure, with its back to them, was being pulled by a child and soon disappeared from sight. Several passersby blocked her view, and after she pushed them aside to search again, she couldn't find the two people no matter what she did.
"What's wrong?" Feng stopped in her tracks.
Ning Xian hesitated for a moment, then said, "Feng, I think... I saw..."
"who?"
"I'm not sure, but it seems—Mu Yuan." Feng paused, then asked, "He saw you too?"
Ning Xian shook his head, "It's just a back view..." Although it's just a back view... Mu Yuan's distinctive and enchanting figure is something that even if others wanted to imitate it, they couldn't. The chance of coincidentally resembling her is too low, right? But if it were Mu Yuan, how could she possibly be holed up in a place like this?
Feng was clearly aware of this as well, and he did not doubt Ning Xian's judgment. In addition, since they came directly from the Du family and did not know the current situation of the sect and Mu Yuan, he also took it to heart.
"Let's go back to the inn first and try to send a message back to the Underworld to ask about the situation."
Ning Xian nodded. Indeed, this was the best solution. If Mu Yuan was already back in the sect, comfortably nestled in her own place, then it was simply a case of her eyes playing tricks on her, and there was nothing to worry about. Back at the inn, everything was handled by Feng. Ning Xian's mind kept replaying the figure from earlier, and she couldn't help but recall the familiar voice she had heard that morning—perhaps she was just too focused on that voice, causing her to see things incorrectly? But as she repeatedly recalled the figure on the street, it seemed unmistakably Mu Yuan.
Even outside the sect, the Netherworld Heaven had well-established communication channels. Fortunately, they hadn't gone far and sent a reply before the next day. The reply was from Long Jue, and it was simple and clear: First, the Misty Rain Pavilion had completely cut off contact with the outside world, likely due to internal changes. Second, Mu Yuan hadn't returned to the sect at all, and they couldn't contact him by any means.
Ning Xian and Feng stared at each other in astonishment. After a moment of silence, Feng picked up her sword. "Let's go!"
She quickly dropped the note, got up, and followed him out the door.
—The two of them knew better than anyone the circumstances of Feng's departure that day. A hasty, unexplained warning arrived from the Misty Rain Pavilion, followed by an attack on the Bai residence. It was highly likely that the Misty Rain Pavilion had discovered the Xuanlang Sect's actions, but they themselves perished, leaving no time for detailed explanations and only able to send a hurried warning. However, Mu Yuan, who had gone to investigate, simply vanished without a trace…
That fiend dares to hide in such a small place and not show his face, making everyone worry about him? He'd better have some reason, otherwise I'll strip him naked and hang him on the city gate!
(With someone backing me up, I speak with a completely different confidence...)
The two of them went straight to the place where Ning Xian had seen the white-clad figure earlier, and after inquiring around the area, they found no trace of him.
Ning Xian recalled the place where he heard what sounded like a wooden kite that morning, and narrowed down the search area even further.
Feng looked around and saw that there were no street vendors nearby, only small residential courtyards, so she said, "We'll have to ask each household one by one."
"Wait..." Ning Xian suddenly grabbed him, "That child..."
Ning Xian looked at a child running past not far away, "That's the child who was with the man in white this morning!"
She chased after him and called out to the child, "Little brother!"
The child turned around and looked at Ning Xian blankly—just an ordinary child, with ordinary clothes and ordinary features, even the snot hanging from his nose was ordinary, ruling out the possibility that he was Mu Yuan's illegitimate child.
"Little brother, I want to ask you about someone. Do you know an uncle named Mu Yuan? He wears white and is very handsome?"
"I don't know him!" The child answered decisively, almost resolutely, even with a hint of... wariness.
Based on Ning Xian's years of experience in the underworld—it's promising! (What use is your experience to a little kid?)
"Little brother, you can't lie. I saw you walking with a man in white. Isn't he incredibly handsome?"
"Nonsense! My Huahua is clearly a fairy, not a demon. I don't know the people you're talking about! You're the monsters—" Before he could finish speaking, he was met with Feng's cold gaze, which showed no patience or love for children. The child sniffled, burst into tears, and ran away.