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Zhu Zhuqing exchanged a few words with the old man, nodded in gratitude, and quickly headed back.
"So this is Holy Soul Village, huh? Is there something special about this place...?" she asked curiously. She didn't understand why Lu Xian had gone out of his way to take a detour just to visit this seemingly ordinary village.
"People leave places for the same reasons they come to them," Lu Xian replied with a chuckle. "It all depends on whether there's something they want here."
Zhu Zhuqing pondered over his words and nodded thoughtfully. Was there something he wanted here…?
As Lu Xian glanced at the crystal-clear stream running beside the road, he fell into brief contemplation.
This stream was most likely connected to the original Douluo storyline—it could be the one leading to Ah Yin's waterfall. Since he and the little cat had ridden in from downstream and hadn't seen any sign of a waterfall, it was highly probable that it was further upstream.
But the path ahead was overgrown with towering weeds, making it impossible to continue on horseback. Lu Xian let the little cat hold onto the reins and allowed the horses to graze while he followed the river on foot, leaping through the terrain to search for the waterfall.
[Ye Fan: Lu Xian, hey bro, I wanna test out sending red envelopes.] [Lu Xian: ?] [Lu Xian: If you wanna send one, just send it. Why are you tagging me? Do you want me to snatch it or what? Now I feel bad.] [Ye Fan: This red envelope is kinda… special.]
Lu Xian hesitated for a moment, then lightly pushed off a tree branch, propelling himself forward. In the blink of an eye, he had already covered dozens of meters.
[Lu Xian: Bro, you're seriously playing with fire. Should I prepare some ghost money for your funeral?]
Ye Fan glanced at the little girl sitting on the stone bed in the corner. She was swinging her legs back and forth, resting her chin in her hands while staring blankly at a scroll of ancient scripture.
[Ye Fan: I'm serious.] [Ye Fan: You know me, bro. I spend all day cooped up in this stone chamber, soaking in the cauldron to train. I barely step outside, so I have no time to entertain her. But she's just a kid—I can't let her wander around alone. It's not fair to keep her trapped here all day, staring into space. Watching her like this breaks my heart. She's still a child, but she's already lost her childhood joy. Her suffering weighs on her body, and it pains my soul…]
Even a dog would shake its head at that melodramatic speech.
[Lu Xian: Cut the crap.]
[Ye Fan: Got it!]
[Ye Fan: Here's the thing—if this red envelope works, then the one who picked up the kid should take care of her. Or maybe we can all take turns in the group. We can't just let her stay locked up in my place forever, right? Poor kid deserves better.]
[Lu Xian: …]
[Lu Xian: By the way, where's Naiqi and Fire Chick? Haven't seen them today.]
[Yan Lingji: Rushing back to Baiyue at top speed. Camping out for at least ten days. Even when I get there, I've got a ton of stuff to handle. Can't take care of the kid. You take her first.]
[Lu Xueqi: In seclusion, trying to break through the Bitter Sea realm. Just got some aged spiritual ginseng from the sect, and it's speeding up my cultivation process. Won't be free for a while. You take her first.]
[Lu Xian: Damn, Naiqi, you're really grinding hard. Are you planning to make a shocking breakthrough and stun everyone in secret?]
[Lu Xueqi: Boring. Go away.]
[Lu Xian: What about Fire?]
[Xiao Yan: Bro, I'd be down, but I'm scared of getting obliterated by the Unrivaled Empress.
Who knows what she'll do if she finds out she's in a different world?
If something happens, my whole family's getting wiped out. I really can't risk it. How about you go first, Lu Xian? Test the waters for us?]
Lu Xian twitched. Oh, so his life didn't matter, huh?
[Lu Xian: Uh, Ye Fan, actually, I've been busy traveling these past few days. Super swamped. No time at all. How about you just take her out for a stroll? Cultivation can wait, no rush…]
[Ye Fan: Don't try that on me. Won't work. I already talked to her, and when she heard she was going to see you, she got so excited. Besides, I'm just testing if it even works. The red envelope might not even send successfully.]
[Ye Fan sent Lu Xian a special red envelope.]
Holy—
It actually worked?!
Lu Xian's eye twitched. Standing on a boulder by the stream, he hesitated for a moment but ultimately clicked 'Receive.' The Unrivaled Empress's awareness shouldn't be able to reach the Douluo star. If she noticed her Dao Fruit had gone off the radar, the first person she'd look for would be Ye Fan, that unlucky bastard.
It shouldn't affect him too much.
[Lu Xian received the special red envelope.]
A ripple spread through the air in front of him like a disturbance on the surface of a lake. Suddenly, a small figure was tossed out from the vortex. Lu Xian instinctively reached out and caught her by the armpits.
Tattered clothes, a dirt-smudged little face, and two pigtails—who else could it be but the little girl?
Damn you, Ye Black! It's been a whole day, and you still haven't bathed her or gotten her new clothes?
And you had the audacity to say her suffering pained your soul? Lu Xian felt like spitting on that thick-skinned liar.
The little girl blinked her big, dark eyes and, upon seeing Lu Xian, her face lit up with joy. "Brother Lu! Brother Ye really didn't lie to me! He got me to you so fast!"
Lu Xian ruffled her head and smirked. Honestly, even he hadn't expected the red envelope to work.
Just as he was about to speak, Ye Fan started screaming in the group chat, catching his attention.
[Ye Fan: Lu bro! Help! Quick! Send her back!]
[Lu Xian: You reap what you sow.] [Ye Fan: Damn it, my whole body just turned ice-cold. I can barely breathe. I think the Unrivaled Empress has locked onto me! Hurry, send her back so I can live!]
[Lu Xian: …]
[Lu Xian sent Ye Fan a special red envelope.]
[Ye Fan received the special red envelope.]
Back in the stone chamber, Ye Fan held the bewildered little girl tightly like a lifeline. In just moments, he was drenched in cold sweat.
The second he sent her away, he felt an overwhelming presence fixate on him—most likely the Unrivaled Empress herself.
Now that the little girl was back, that terrifying aura vanished instantly.
Or rather… it had descended upon her Dao Fruit body.
Ye Fan swallowed hard as the girl's initially dazed expression turned eerily calm. A knowing gleam flickered in her eyes before she returned to her usual innocent look.
He barely resisted the urge to chuck her away.
[Ye Fan: Lu bro, let me try sending her to you again…]
[Lu Xian: …]
"....."