"The storage bracelet?" Yao Ranran wanted to know how long it would take before it could be retrieved.
"Just so happens, the Holy Maiden will be visiting Wuxiang Sect in some time. With the friendship between this sect master and her, in less than three months, I can get that bracelet back for you!"
Han Huijun let out a hearty laugh.
Yao Ranran nodded.
As long as it could be recovered, that was enough. She had no other demands. It could also be considered fulfilling the last wish of the body's original owner.
"Mm, rest assured. If this sect master cannot return it to you, then I'll have Shen Yuefu marry you instead, hahahaha!"
Han Huijun looked at her with teasing mischief.
Yao Ranran shook her head like a rattle, "No, no, that won't do. I'd rather have a hundred million spirit stones!"
"Oh? So this little girl truly doesn't like Elder Shen?" Han Huijun squinted with a smile.
Yao Ranran pressed her hand against her chest and sighed dramatically. "The Yao Ranran who once liked Elder Shen has already died. The woman standing before Sect Master now is named Niohulu-Does-Not-Love-Shen-Yuefu-Yao-Ranran!"
Han Huijun: What in the heavens did I just hear?
After finishing her little act of sorrow, Yao Ranran quickly returned to calm. "If Sect Master has nothing else, Ranran will take her leave."
"Mm… go ahead…" Han Huijun nodded absentmindedly, though a sudden thought crossed his mind.
If she left now, would this be the last time he ever saw her?
Han Huijun waved her back. "Ranran girl, last night I only told you to leave in a fit of anger. There's no need for you to pack up and rush away!"
Yao Ranran blinked in surprise before replying, "Many thanks, Sect Master."
Still, she intended to go out and earn great wealth. She had no intention of lingering in Wuxiang Sect.
Han Huijun nodded in satisfaction, smiling as he watched her go.
Ah… so the girl really was leaving. Why did it leave such a trace of reluctance in his heart?
Lowering his head, he examined his own feelings and sighed suddenly. "If I had known, I would've held back my temper last night, let her stay on Yiyu Peak a few more days. Then I could've continued watching Shen Yuefu make a fool of himself!"
…
Yao Ranran looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar goose-yellow dress in the distance and glanced in puzzlement at Tang Xiangyin and her companion.
"Fairy Ranran, she's been waiting here for you a long while," Tang Xiangyin said, just as bewildered.
The woman walked toward them, and they clearly saw Pei Xianqiao's face.
Her apricot eyes sparkled with playful clarity, her brows carried a gentle charm, and her rosy lips stirred an urge to steal a kiss.
Pei Xianqiao got straight to the point. "Yao Daoyou, I'd like to speak with you alone."
Yao Ranran looked at Tang Xiangyin and her companion, then nodded in silence.
For now, they had not torn off their masks. Pei Xianqiao should not attempt a sneak attack.
The two of them walked to the edge of a stream. Snow had frozen its banks, but the center still flowed, a clear ribbon carrying a school of fish darting about freely.
The fish never realized that people outside could see them completely, and could cast a net at any moment.
Pei Xianqiao's step crushed a damp branch, the rounded toe of her shoe leaving a mark in the snow. She spoke softly,
"Yao Daoyou, I no longer care about what happened back then. You don't need to be in such a rush to leave Wuxiang Sect."
?
Yao Ranran couldn't see how that had anything to do with her.
Pei Xianqiao continued, "Isn't it laughable? You stole my identity and took away Brother Fu, and yet here I am saying I don't care anymore…"
"…"
Yao Ranran wished she would lift her head when speaking, so she could at least read the emotions in her eyes.
"If you don't care, then I certainly don't care!"
Pei Xianqiao still stared downward, her gaze fixed on scattered grains of sand.
Suddenly she squatted, scooped up a handful of fine sand, and whispered, "Because I know, what isn't yours can never be kept, no matter how you try."
"Like this sand. If it has no fate with you, it slips through your fingers no matter what you do."
Yao Ranran silently watched the grains run from her palm and said evenly, "Pei Daoyou, when I already hold a whole handful of sand, I won't waste my time mourning a few grains that slipped away."
Pei Xianqiao shot to her feet, agitation flashing across her eyes. "But those grains that slip away are often the most precious, the most irreplaceable things! Nothing in your hand can compare to them!"
"That is only because Pei Daoyou's vision is too narrow. If you traveled more, you'd discover beauty in many sands."
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Shen Yuefu was indeed a rare talent among the younger generation, perhaps even the most outstanding.
But Yao Ranran knew, above this world lay the Spirit Realm, and above that the Immortal Realm.
Even in Xianqiao's Cultivation Handbook, there were passing mentions of the Spirit Realm's vast immensity.
Shen Yuefu might be unmatched here, but in the higher realms? Not necessarily.
Besides…
There were older cultivators wealthier than Shen Yuefu, who could ascend to the Spirit Realm faster. If she followed them, wouldn't her cultivation benefit more?
They were all pursuing immortality—what did a mere appearance matter?
The more Yao Ranran thought about it, the more skewed her reasoning became, but the purpose behind it remained the same.
She was seeking only one thing: the fastest way to advance her Dao.
If An Xiaolin were present, he would surely marvel at the firmness of her Dao heart!
Even if her ideas sounded a little crooked…
Pei Xianqiao mistook her silence as wounded pride. She pressed, "Can anyone really compare to Brother Fu?"
Yao Ranran nodded without hesitation. "As far as I know, the Holy Lord of Beiming Sacred Palace has been in seclusion for centuries. His strength surpasses Elder Shen."
Pei Xianqiao frowned, "Are you just changing the subject? That Holy Lord is ancient. Would he even… need a Dao companion?"
Her cheeks flushed and she stomped in embarrassment.
Yao Ranran suddenly realized, "Ah, so only male cultivators in need of a Dao companion count as comparison?"
"Of course!"
"Then what about the Emperor of the Southern Dynasty? His cultivation is said to rival Elder Shen's. He's handsome, commands authority, and is famous for his fondness of women."
"That kind of lecher could never compare to Elder Shen!" Pei Xianqiao retorted hotly.
"Then what about Demon Sovereign Li Luoqi?" Yao Ranran asked.
Pei Xianqiao froze. The moment his name was spoken, she faltered visibly. "He's of the demon race, steeped in countless evils. Brother Fu defends the righteous path. They are enemies—you can't compare them!"
"If even enemies can't be compared, then Pei Daoyou, your question has no answer at all."
Yao Ranran shook her head. Her standards were far too subjective.
"You, you…" Pei Xianqiao was so flustered she could hardly speak.
Clearly she was the one being unreasonable, so why did it feel as though Yao Ranran had turned the tables on her?
Yao Ranran's expression turned serious. "Pei Daoyou, you admire Elder Shen, so be with him. I don't like him, so I will leave Wuxiang Sect.
As for having once assumed your identity, I apologize. But now, your misunderstanding with Elder Shen is resolved. Since I no longer care for him, you need not seek me out anymore.
"And one more thing…" Yao Ranran asked the question that had lingered in her heart, striking straight at Pei Xianqiao's soul.
"Pei Daoyou, you seem quite idle. Other than worrying about Elder Shen, don't you have anything else to do?"