Central Continent.
Yunwen Inn.
Yao Ranran sat inside, casually tossing out a sound transmission talisman.
"I wonder if Wan Huaiyuan and the other one are far from here. Meeting in the afternoon would be best. As for noon, well, that's the perfect time to browse the marketplace!"
She looked through the open window, and from the corner of her eye caught a flicker of shadow sweeping past.
Yao Ranran's brows knitted.
Feigning nonchalance, she stepped outside.
Strangely, no one else seemed to notice the shadow at all. Even when it swaggered right across the street, it drew no attention.
That alone stoked her curiosity.
Clang!
A gleaming sword suddenly barred her path.
The bustling street went silent in an instant as people turned to look.
Above the sword's cold light stood two flawless faces.
Yao Ranran's lashes trembled as her gaze shifted to the man who had drawn his blade. "Elder Shen, what do you mean by this?"
"What's going on? Fighting is forbidden in the marketplace! Guards, seize—Elder Shen?!"
The captain of the market guards froze when he saw the swordsman's face. His legs gave way and he collapsed to his knees, begging for mercy.
The squad behind him followed suit, trembling in terror, afraid of being implicated.
Yao Ranran's expression didn't change as her eyes swept lightly across them.
Strength ruled this world.
What rules could possibly restrain an elder of Wuxiang Sect?
As if he understood the meaning in her eyes, Shen Yuefu's voice was icy. "I won't strike here. I have simply been searching for you for a long time."
"You mean to kill me?" Yao Ranran asked calmly.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
By now, everyone had recognized them both.
In all of Central Continent, there was only one elder surnamed Shen. The aura of frost he carried made him unmistakable.
And as for Yao Ranran, she was even easier to identify. Her beauty had already been renowned across Central Continent when she lived here. Just one glance from afar and no one could mistake her for anyone else.
"I do not wish to kill you. There is simply one matter I must ask you to clarify."
Even with countless eyes upon him, Shen Yuefu's expression was cold and unaffected.
Yao Ranran nodded lightly. "Elder Shen, Pei Xianqiao is indeed the little girl who saved you. I am the fake."
She recalled the events from the original book and guessed Shen Yuefu still hadn't confirmed Pei Xianqiao's identity. Better to expose the truth herself, so the two of them could fall in love undisturbed.
That way, her cultivation wouldn't be hindered.
Shen Yuefu's brows drew together slightly, his face as frigid as frost.
"She has nothing to do with this. Yao Ranran, have you ever entered the Shu Xi Palace of the Eastern Wilderness?"
Yao Ranran's gaze dropped to the Lǚshuang Yǔn Immortal Sword in his hand.
"If I refuse to answer, will you kill me, Elder Shen?"
His fingers twitched, and with faint awkwardness he withdrew the sword. "I will not."
"Then I refuse to answer." With no blade barring her path, Yao Ranran tilted her head slightly and walked past him with leisurely grace.
From the corner of her eye she caught the stiffness in Shen Yuefu's expression, and the corners of her lips curved ever so faintly.
"Just because you're the male lead doesn't mean I owe you obedience."
"She's bold indeed! Daring to refuse Elder Shen!"
The crowd buzzed in disbelief, whispers flying.
The kneeling guard captain even hesitated, wondering whether he should try to capture her. But to everyone's surprise, though Shen Yuefu had lost face, he did not grow angry.
Instead, he followed silently behind her, step for step, like a shadow.
Yao Ranran frowned but ignored him.
As the two left the marketplace, murmurs swelled.
"Elder Shen… Elder Shen is pursuing Fairy Ranran?"
A female cultivator's eyes went wide, staring at their retreating figures.
"No, it looks more like a little lover's quarrel!"
"But weren't the rumors that Elder Shen despised Fairy Ranran most of all? Seems that was false!"
"She must be the first person in this world to defy Elder Shen like that! So courageous!"
Speculation spread like wildfire. Neither Yao Ranran nor Shen Yuefu realized that in this moment, a rumor had taken root.
And in time, it would become reality.
-
Outside the city.
Yao Ranran stopped and turned.
"Elder Shen, if you want to kill me, then do it swiftly. Why follow me? Are you coveting my beauty?"
Shen Yuefu's lips pressed together, his gaze dark with complicated emotion.
Was she deliberately playing dumb?
"Your looks mean nothing to me. Yao Ranran… will you face me in battle?"
He had meant to press her about the Eastern Wilderness, but recalling her blunt refusal, he changed his words.
Yao Ranran studied him seriously.
"I will not."
She had discovered a flaw in this male lead. As long as she refused, he would hesitate to press her further, unwilling to force her. So all she had to do was keep refusing.
Shen Yuefu's eyes grew colder, his expression rigid. "You're afraid?"
Trying to goad her?
Yao Ranran gave a mocking laugh. "That's right. I'm afraid."
Shen Yuefu: "…"
Who admits fear so righteously?
He had slain countless foes in his life, yet in this woman's eyes there wasn't a hint of fear.
She wasn't afraid of him at all. In fact, her whole bearing was one of leisure, even faint irritation, as if she didn't want to waste words on him.
Shen Yuefu's grip tightened on the Lǚshuang Yǔn Immortal Sword.
When he still said nothing, Yao Ranran glanced around, summoned a wisp of spiritual light into her palm, and said, "Since Elder Shen has no business, let us part ways."
She shifted past him, preparing to fly off.
"Wait!"
Noticing the faint impatience between her brows, Shen Yuefu refrained from raising his sword again.
"Does Elder Shen still have questions?"
"If I asked, would you answer?"
"Absolutely not."
"…"
"Then you clearly have nothing more to say." Yao Ranran tapped lightly off the treetop and soared away.
Shen Yuefu's gaze stayed on her retreating form, his lips pressed into a thin line before he too vanished without a sound. He would make her agree to battle him one day.
Not long after the two left, a pale yellow figure emerged from the city gates.
"That shameless Yao Ranran, still trying to seduce your Shen Yuefu!"
Elder Shang's nostrils smoked with anger. He had thought Yao Ranran was virtuous, but now it was clear she was nothing of the sort.
Pei Xianqiao clenched her sleeves, staring at the direction where they had disappeared.
"The phoenix is in her hands. Did Brother Fu leave Yiyu Hall just to seek her?"
"Forget Shen Yuefu for now. Retrieve the phoenix. Phoenix blood is a great tonic, it could help you break through your bottleneck!" Elder Shang's voice was heavy with authority.
Pei Xianqiao nodded firmly. "Rest assured, Elder Shang. The phoenix will return to me."
A faint yellow glow trailed after Yao Ranran and Shen Yuefu.
Pei Xianqiao thought she had hidden well, but Yao Ranran had already noticed.
"Now this is what I call a tagalong. No, two of them."
She really couldn't understand. Why did the male and female leads have to drag outsiders into their romance?
Was it just to set themselves off by comparison?
===
For (吕霜云) that I usually just write as Lushuangyun but now I write it as Lǚshuang Yǔn. Maybe I also use a convention or style Hanyu Pinyin + English Translation in other novel too? Or maybe when you read this note I already use that on my other project?