Yun Xi and Qin Tongshuang exchanged a look, eyes lighting up with a shared excitement. They could already tell a good show was about to begin.
Mu Ningzhu and Zhang Yan had also recognized the male cultivator from the ruined temple. Their gazes lingered briefly on the two female cultivators at his side, and they began to form their own guesses.
Yun Xi quickly sent a voice transmission to both of them.
"Senior Sister Mu, Zhang Yan. Those two female cultivators are the ones who chased after that male cultivator surnamed Zhou yesterday. The one with the striking beauty is Zuo Die'er. The other, more delicate-looking one, is her follower and friend. I think her name is Xiao Ya. Pay close attention to that girl. If Zuo Die'er is so determined to cling to Zhou Daoyou, it's likely because of her."
Mu Ningzhu and Zhang Yan glanced over casually, taking in the two women without giving away too much. After confirming who Yun Xi was referring to, they nodded in understanding. Neither questioned Yun Xi's reasoning. They trusted her intuition.
Yun Xi had her reasons for this judgment. First, just by looking at their attire, it was obvious that Zuo Die'er's resources far exceeded Xiao Ya's. Her robes and accessories were all high-grade magical items. Even though Yun Xi couldn't tell their exact level, anyone with eyes could see that Zuo Die'er was not short on spirit stones.
Second, judging from the dynamic between them, Xiao Ya clearly acted as a subordinate. Since she chose to follow Zuo Die'er so closely, she must have been hoping to gain something in return. In the world of cultivation, there was only one reason to stick to someone like that—resources.
But Yun Xi had picked up on something else. She believed Xiao Ya was doing all this because of Zhou Daoyou. Every now and then, Xiao Ya would sneak glances at him, her eyes full of affection. She was careful, trying to hide it, but Yun Xi's spiritual sense had already caught it.
Mingjian Sect was the strongest sect in the western region. It was also the largest. While its disciples might not all be peerless talents, none of them were mediocre either. Forming a good relationship with a disciple of Mingjian Sect was like gaining access to a powerful network.
Zhou Daoyou was in the late Foundation Establishment stage and also a sword cultivator, the kind who could challenge enemies above his level. Yun Xi didn't know what kind of battle had left him so gravely injured, but ironically, that injury had given Zuo Die'er and Xiao Ya a perfect excuse to approach him.
The idea to offer healing pills most likely came from Xiao Ya. With that as a starting point, it would make their sudden appearance at Zhou Langchen's side seem far more natural.
Of course, all of this was still speculation on Yun Xi's part. But her spiritual sense remained focused on them, and she continued whispering to Qin Tongshuang.
"Tongshuang, this is going to get interesting. Yesterday's drama was cut short, but now that they're on a ship, that Fellow Daoist Zhou has nowhere to run. It'll be even livelier."
Qin Tongshuang still wore a cold expression, but her eyes glimmered with gossip. She nodded.
"I'm curious how that Zhou Doyou is going to deal with this."
"Just wait and see."
At that moment, Zhou Langchen wore a calm expression, but he was seething inside. He hadn't expected that a simple, temporary team-up to catch a third-rank Liuli Beast cub would land him with two persistent shadows. He was extremely annoyed. If he had known this would happen, he never would have accepted that healing pill from Zuo Die'er.
Zuo Die'er now spoke up with a modest smile.
"Brother Zhou, what a coincidence. I didn't expect we'd end up on the same flying ship."
Zhou Langchen merely nodded. He didn't show any interest in continuing the conversation.
Ming Ya saw the irritation in his eyes. She quickly stepped forward and tugged lightly at Zuo Die'er's sleeve. When Zuo Die'er turned to her, Ming Ya gave her a meaningful look. Then she turned to Zhou Langchen with a soft voice.
"Zhou Daoyou, my Senior Sister and I are on our way to visit an elder. We truly didn't expect to be traveling on the same ship.
The tickets for the Tianlin Ship were affordable, and Senior Sister was injured while fighting the Liuli Beast. She isn't in a condition to travel by sword, so we chose to take the ship. We really had no intention of following you."
Zhou Langchen's expression eased slightly. He gave a faint nod. "I'm taking the ship as well since I haven't fully recovered. If that's the case, then Zuo Daoyou should focus on healing. I'll be heading back to meditate."
With that, he cupped his hands in farewell and left, leaving Zuo Die'er no room to follow up.
After they watched Zhou Langchen disappear into the ship's quarters, Zuo Die'er pouted.
"Xiao Ya, why did you stop me? That was a perfect opportunity to get close to Brother Zhou."
Ming Ya sighed silently but still explained gently.
"Die'er, you can't rush these things. Yesterday in Chongming City, you put Zhou Daoyou in an awkward position. We need to change the impression he has of you."
"Then what should we do next?"
"His wounds haven't healed yet. Let him rest for now. We won't disturb him these next two days. After he disembarks, we'll follow him."
"I've already prepared an excuse. We'll say we're visiting an elder. He can't exactly stop us from going to the same place, can he?"
Zuo Die'er's eyes lit up. She nodded immediately, then pulled Ming Ya back to their room.
Yun Xi, having caught the full drama first-hand, immediately began whispering with Qin Tongshuang again. By now, the ship was full. It began to rise steadily and left Chongming City behind.
Yun Xi and Qin Tongshuang didn't bother hiding their conversation from Mu Ningzhu and Zhang Yan. The two had no choice but to be part of the audience now.
Mu Ningzhu spoke up.
"That girl Xiao Ya is definitely a schemer. She knows exactly how to manipulate Zuo Die'er. People like her are trouble. Be careful when dealing with her. Don't fall into a trap she's already dug."
"Yes, Senior Sister."
"Yes, Martial Aunt."
The three of them agreed quickly and earnestly.
The next three days passed without incident. Not even a single flying beast tried to intercept them. Zhou Langchen never came back up to the deck, which meant Zuo Die'er and Ming Ya also stayed hidden. Yun Xi felt a little disappointed—less entertainment.
When the ship landed outside Shuangshan City, Mu Ningzhu's group disembarked. Coincidentally, Zhou Langchen also hurried off, followed closely by Zuo Die'er and Ming Ya.
Once the passengers were unloaded, the flying ship took off again toward its next destination.
Yun Xi's group paid the spirit stones for entry and stepped into Shuangshan City.
This was a major cultivation city. A thousand years ago, it had produced a pair of Divine Transformation siblings. After their small ascension to the spirit realm, many cultivators came here hoping for their own chance, and the city had only grown busier since.
As usual, Mu Ningzhu let everyone rest for a day before setting out again. The four of them chose to stay at an inn.
They went straight to Shuangshan Inn, which was said to be under the authority of the City Lord's Manor. The place was safe and well-equipped to handle the needs of cultivators. They booked two premium rooms.
The attendant leading them spoke cheerfully.
"You've arrived at just the right time, Seniors. Two upper rooms opened up this morning. If not, you'd have had to settle for the lower-grade ones."
Mu Ningzhu asked casually.
"Is it because this place belongs to the City Lord that business is so good?"
The attendant laughed.
"That's a misunderstanding, Senior. If you visit any inn in Shuangshan City right now, they'll all be just as crowded as this one."
Yun Xi smiled and asked,
"Is something big happening in Shuangshan City lately?"
On their way here, they'd noticed the city was bustling with cultivators. They had even seen two Golden Core cultivators.
The attendant beamed.
"There's indeed something going on. The City Lord's Manor is about to host a Dao Companion Ceremony."
"Oh? Who's getting married?"
"The eldest young master, Li Cangyuan."
"I see. No wonder it's so lively."
"If you're not in a rush, Seniors, you might stay a couple more days to attend the ceremony."