Chapter 58: Meeting an Old Friend Again

The air was slightly damp, and a chill permeated her entire body.

"Awake?"

Hearing the voice, Zhao Chun opened her eyes. Qi Yunrong was standing beside her, holding a heavy ruler, looking down as she spoke.

"Where is this..." She sat up; though her wounds had not yet healed, her strength had recovered considerably. "Within the Hengyun World?" The spiritual energy around her was surging, clearly indicating she had already left that small realm.

"Does Senior know where that place was?"

Qi Yunrong frowned deeply, also unaware. She replied, "I have never heard of it. It might perhaps be a small world drifting outside of the Hengyun realm." She glanced at the disheveled Zhao Chun and said coldly, "Tend to yourself first!"

A drifting small world?

Zhao Chun had also originated from such a place, but she had never seen one as desolate as that small realm—in fact, it was desolately strange...

As things stood, the truth could not be uncovered. She could only keep it in her heart, hoping that as her cultivation progressed, she might gradually learn something.

Qi Yunrong looked around. At this moment, the two were in the middle of a mountain range, with no sign of human habitation.

After shattering the bottom of the heavenly pit, she had fallen from the deep black hole to this place. Because she was born within the Hengyun World, a sense of familiarity surfaced in her heart, letting her know she had likely returned to Hengyun, though she was unsure of her exact location.

This path ran parallel to the sect disciples. She did not yet know if her junior brothers and sisters were safe following the incident at the Fengyan Sect ruins. Because of this, Qi Yunrong felt a sense of anxiety and said, "I intend to scout the vicinity. If you still have some strength, follow me on your own!"

Zhao Chun was covered in blood-ash and indeed felt uncomfortable. After performing a Dust-Removal Technique, she took out a clean outer robe from her storage bag to change, finally breathing a slight sigh of relief. She replied, "I will certainly go with Senior."

"I didn't expect you to be someone the sect holds in high regard." The Foundation Establishment cultivator had just used a storage artifact. Qi Yunrong possessed extraordinary talent and was the foremost disciple within the Changhui Sect; thus, during her Qi Refining stage, she had been granted a storage artifact by the sect. She hadn't expected to see one on Zhao Chun, assuming she was also a standout among the Lingzhen Sect disciples.

Zhao Chun knew she was misunderstood but had no intention of explaining. Receiving an item from the sect was more legitimate than seizing it through killing, and since this matter involved Yue Chuan—who was an outcast of the Changhui Sect—it was even harder to explain to Qi Yunrong. Zhao Chun dared to use the items in her storage bag because she saw that Qi Yunrong held a high status and would not be driven by greed for such things; thus, it didn't matter if she continued to be misunderstood.

As for being valued by the Lingzhen Sect? Zhao Chun smiled inwardly; she was nowhere near the level of the other elders and disciples.

Qi Yunrong summoned a Smoke Boat. Only upon reaching the Condensation Realm could a cultivator fly through the air; since she was only at Foundation Establishment, she still had to rely on an object for travel.

Zhao Chun followed her out of the mountains. Her eyes were met with layers of lush greenery, but after traveling for a long time, she suddenly saw a lake embedded in the green fields like a cluster of stars, with a small city built around its perimeter.

"Let's check that place!" Qi Yunrong sped forward, and the Smoke Boat dove into the woods outside the city, not wishing to disturb the mortals.

Though surrounded by high walls of blue stone, judging by the population size, it could hardly be called a city. It was roughly the size of a small town, with people making their living through farming and weaving.

Sure enough, when the two arrived at the main gate, black characters on the stone read: *Lake Water Town*.

It was a very fitting and simple name given the geography.

In the Hengyun World, although there was a distinction between immortals and mortals, the traces of cultivators were not hidden. Furthermore, since low-level cultivators were numerous, it was inevitable that they would have some intersection with mortals; thus, Qi Refiners were not considered strange in the eyes of commoners.

The gatekeepers, seeing the light in Zhao Chun and Qi Yunrong's eyes and their aura which differed from mortals, knew that immortals were passing through. They did not dare to question them and hurriedly ushered the two inside.

Lake Water Town was quite bustling, with many merchants passing to and fro, and porters carrying various goods, shouting their wares along the way.

Qi Yunrong originally intended to grab someone at random to ask questions, but Zhao Chun's eyes were sharp, and she spotted a familiar face in the crowd.

The previous trip to the Gathering City had been to select a husband for the Hong family daughter. Later, due to Yue Chuan's treacherous hand, Hong Qisheng died on the spot, and Madam Hong went mad. Having lost her support, Hong Qian had taken her mother and the family steward away from the Gathering City, saying they were going to live with the Hong clan's ancestral home. As fate would have it, the Hong ancestral home was actually in Lake Water Town. The woman carrying a small basket with a graceful figure was none other than Hong Qian.

"Miss Hong."

Hearing someone call her name, Hong Qian turned around. Seeing it was Zhao Chun, who had once visited her home, she said in pleasant surprise, "Immortal Master! Why have you come to this place?"

"It is a long story, and there are indeed some matters I must ask you about."

Hong Qian nodded and led Zhao Chun and Qi Yunrong into a small roadside shop. She explained that she ran this shop herself, selling small snacks and wine, the profits of which were enough to support her mother and keep them fed. The upper floor served as the living quarters for the mother and daughter. She led them inside and only dared to speak in detail after closing the door.

Zhao Chun glossed over many details, simply saying that she and Senior Qi Yunrong had arrived here unexpectedly and did not know where they were.

Hong Qian smiled and said, "This is Orange Province Ridge. According to my late father, it is in the northeast of the Southern Region."

If they were still in the Southern Region, things would be much easier; once they knew their direction, they could return to the sect. It made sense; the members of the Hong family were mortals and could not travel very far; they certainly couldn't leave the Southern Region. Only cultivators on large ships could travel between the two regions, let alone mortals.

Having clarified this, Qi Yunrong could no longer sit still. She had not yet received any messages from her junior brothers and sisters and feared someone might be in danger. She stood up immediately and said, "I have other matters to attend to; I shall take my leave first."

Without waiting for Zhao Chun and Hong Qian to see her out, she pushed open the door and hurried away.

To Hong Qian, she was a stranger, known only as Zhao Chun's senior, but her aura was quite heavy. While she was present, Hong Qian had felt quite cautious in her speech and actions; seeing Qi Yunrong leave, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"That senior was quite intimidating."

How could a mortal easily glimpse the true nature of a Foundation Establishment cultivator? Zhao Chun smiled and said, "Senior Qi looks stern, but she is actually a warm and kind person. She is quite a lifesaver to me."

The saying "one cannot judge a person by their appearance" was even more applicable to cultivators. Cultivators had diverse appearances, making it difficult to see through to their true character; only through careful interaction could one truly know a person's heart over time.

Hong Qian understood this as well and nodded slightly.

The incident with Yue Chuan had caused her to grow significantly. After returning to her ancestral home, she had faced various difficulties. Now, with heavy burdens on her shoulders, her speech was much more composed.

Zhao Chun sent a transmission talisman to Meng Han, but had not yet received a reply. At Hong Qian's invitation, she stayed in Lake Water Town for two more days. During these two days, she learned quite a bit about the Hong mother and daughter.

Since returning from the Gathering City, Madam Hong's condition had improved somewhat, though she had become increasingly silent and unwilling to communicate with others. Within the Hong ancestral home, many knew that Hong Qisheng had encountered immortal fate and entered the path of cultivation; upon hearing of his death, they felt some pity for the mother and daughter.

Both women were used to a life of luxury, and they had found it somewhat difficult to adapt when they first arrived at the Hong family home, which had drawn some criticism from others. Afterward, there was the matter of Hong Qian's marriage. She was beautiful and in her prime; it was rare for ordinary families to have an eighteen or nineteen-year-old maiden still unmarried. Shortly after arriving in Lake Water Town, matchmakers had been knocking incessantly at her door.

But having just lost her father and with her mother ill, Hong Qian truly did not wish to marry. After multiple refusals, she was even subjected to slander from others, prompting the Hong family to attempt to force her into marriage. Being a woman of strong character, she immediately cut her hair in front of the main gate, declaring she would never marry, and led her mother to split from the family. Relying on their accumulated savings, she opened a small shop to make a living.

Zhao Chun sighed, lamenting the many hardships faced by daughters in the mortal world. She then asked why the steward, Xiao Shuang, who had traveled with Hong Qian before, was not seen.

Mentioning this, Hong Qian lowered her eyes and sighed, "Not long after arriving in Lake Water Town, he left. He said he was going to find a way to let us mother and daughter return to the Gathering City so we wouldn't have to endure the cold stares of others. I have inquired around, but there is no sign of him..."

Zhao Chun offered a few words of comfort. During their conversation, a yellow talisman drifted in; it was a message sent by Meng Han.