Although the other women remained silent, they all looked at Lin Xiao with the same hopeful expression.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Lin Xiao reassured them, "Don't worry, sisters. We'll make sure to get you back to your homes safely."
With that, he pulled out a Pei Yuan Pill, dissolved it in water, and distributed nine cups of the mixture to the women.
The girls, hearing him address them as "sisters," glanced at his youthful face. Receiving the warm cups from him, they couldn't help but feel shy, their lips curling into smiles as they blushed and averted their eyes.
They sipped the warm liquid slowly, trying to hide their flushed faces behind the cups.
Meanwhile, the other cultivators, who were sitting in meditation but secretly observing everything, couldn't help but scoff internally at Lin Xiao.
Pfft! Just because you look young doesn't mean you are! Who knows how old you really are? And yet, you call these mortals "sisters"? Shameless!
Of course, no one dared say this aloud. After all, it was Lin Xiao who had broken the stalemate earlier and helped them out of a tight situation. They merely ridiculed him in their thoughts. In the cultivation world, having a few odd quirks wasn't unusual.
Unaware that he had earned the reputation of "someone who likes to act young" among his fellow cultivators, Lin Xiao turned his attention to Yuan Jinsheng, who was being tended to by Jiang Sisi.
The Qinglian Sect was well known for its healing arts, and without a word, Jiang Sisi had immediately stepped forward to treat Yuan Jinsheng after they rescued him. It seemed she had done this many times before for the Allied Army.
Lin Xiao hadn't studied medical techniques, so after watching for a moment, his gaze drifted to Shen Yingzi, who was standing nearby, anxiously watching over his father.
Lin Xiao was surprised to find that Yuan Jinsheng's son was a mortal with no cultivation. Could it be that he had no spiritual root?
As his eyes lingered on Shen Yingzi's delicate features, Lin Xiao grew curious. Though Yuan Jinsheng had always spoken of his "son," Shen Yingzi looked undeniably feminine. Lin Xiao couldn't help but wonder why.
Out of curiosity, Lin Xiao used his divine sense to probe Shen Yingzi, only to find that even his spiritual detection indicated that Shen was female.
Puzzled, Lin Xiao handed a cup of the Pei Yuan water to Shen Yingzi and casually asked, "Brother, why are you dressed as a woman?"
Startled, Shen Yingzi looked up at Lin Xiao, his large eyes wide like a frightened deer. It took a moment for him to realize that Lin Xiao was addressing him. Not knowing how to respond to the stranger but grateful that Lin Xiao had carried his father to safety, Shen Yingzi hesitantly accepted the cup and mumbled a quiet, "Thank you."
After an awkward pause, Shen Yingzi finally answered softly, "When I was born, the elder of my family said that my yin and yang were unbalanced. My fate was different from others, and I needed to be raised as a girl..."
"I see," Lin Xiao nodded, understanding.
It was surprising to him that someone as burly as Yuan Jinsheng had managed to raise his son as a girl so successfully. Compared to the other nine mortal women, Shen Yingzi looked the most like a real girl.
Just as Shen Yingzi thought the conversation was over and prepared to return his attention to his father, Lin Xiao spoke again, "By the way, I'm Lin Xiao. What's your name, brother?"
Looking up at Lin Xiao, Shen Yingzi noticed the absence of the usual disdain or mockery that came when others learned of his disguise. A bit nervously, he replied in a soft voice, "Thank you, Lin Daoist, for your help. I… My name is Shen Yingzi."
Years of referring to himself as a girl caused him to momentarily stumble, but he quickly corrected himself. After introducing himself, Shen Yingzi downed the rest of his cup in one gulp.
Since they had time, Lin Xiao sat down beside Shen Yingzi and struck up a casual conversation, "Your father's surname is Yuan, right? So you took your mother's surname?"
Shen Yingzi handed back the empty cup, nodding. "Yes. My mother passed away giving birth to me, and my father wanted to honor her memory, so I took her surname."
"Do you not have cultivation because you haven't started training, or is it because you lack a spiritual root?" Lin Xiao asked, intrigued.
"My spiritual roots are weak and chaotic, even worse than a five-element root. Even if I trained, I would never get beyond the Qi Refining stage. So, my father let me choose whether or not to cultivate."
Perhaps because Lin Xiao seemed close in age, or maybe because he was one of the few people who didn't look at Shen Yingzi with disdain after discovering his disguise, Shen Yingzi found himself opening up.
"I've seen so many elders with far better spiritual roots than mine, who spent their entire lives struggling to even reach the Foundation Establishment stage. Many never make it past Qi Refining. So, I thought, what's the point of cultivating with my poor talent? I wouldn't get far. Instead, I decided to live my life doing the things I enjoy."
Curious, Lin Xiao asked, "What kind of things do you enjoy?"
Shen Yingzi's face brightened, and he pulled a small storage pouch from his robe. From it, he retrieved a smooth bamboo flute and a well-worn notebook.
"I love studying different musical instruments, but the flute is my favorite. Look, this is a collection of music pieces I've composed myself!" He beamed with pride as he handed the notebook to Lin Xiao.
The notebook, though old, was meticulously maintained. The pages were slightly yellowed, but the contents were neatly written, with small, delicate notes in the margins explaining the inspirations behind the compositions.
From a distance, the other mortal women watched as Lin Xiao and Shen Yingzi chatted happily. Their eyes sparkled with excitement, silently exchanging glances as they whispered among themselves.
Their thoughts all revolved around one thing: the handsome young cultivator and the beautiful "girl" beside him made a strikingly attractive pair.
Unbeknownst to them, the lovely "girl" they envied was, in fact, a young man.