Fluffy woke up the next day and relaxed only after seeing Jun Lan unharmed. He could feel his qi replenished, and his body felt lighter than before. After transforming into human form, he sat on the bed silently while scrutinizing Jun Lan keenly. She was not wearing a veil, and it took a great amount of willpower for Fluffy to maintain a straight face after taking in her reformed features.
"You can laugh..." Jun Lan rolled her eyes at his behavior.
"pfft..." Jun Lan saw Fluffy's shoulders tremble. In between his fits of laughter, Fluffy asked with pity lacing his voice "Master, your cheeks are now no different from two lumps of coal! Who did this to you?"
Jun Lan didn't feel bad on hearing him speak as such. Even she felt her face comical and laughed at her reflection earlier on. Though she was not happy with her present face, she could not do anything about it. She could only pin the blame on Jun Ling since her brother was the one who changed her appearance. He even justified his actions saying "Now, no irritating flies will hover around you."
"It's my brother's doing!" Jun Lan stated begrudgingly.
"Oh..." Fluffy found the entire situation amusing and a ghost of a smile lingered on his face.
"How did you lose consciousness?"
"It was your friend who knocked me out!" Fluffy burst out in indignation as soon as he heard Jun Lan's question.
"It must be Xu Zian!"— Jun Lan sighed in relief—"I will thank him later on; if not for him, you would have been wounded physically!"
"As you wish!" Fluffy rolled his eyes, he stretched his body while saying "I'm tired, I will rest a bit."
And then, he entered into Jun Lan's soul space.
...
After resting for a couple of days, Jun Lan decided that it's time she left for her master's place. She packed some of her clothes and plenty of snacks into a medium-sized cloth bag. It was the only thing she was going to take with her.
Her brother left the day before after a messenger arrived from the capital— The emperor decreed her brother to enter the Imperial Palace as soon as possible, and she was a forgotten presence as usual. Jun Lan knew then there that her silly father must have landed into trouble. So, she begged Jun Ling to take her with him, but her obstinate brother firmly declined her request.
After seeing him refute her, Jun Lan finally stopped pestering him. She knew that there must be some strong reason behind his denial, and she was not worried about the well-being of her parents; the emperor or the princes, no one stands a chance against her brother. Jun Lan even suspected that her brother was hiding his true strength.
The parting with her brother had been an emotional one, and the latter had promised that he would allow her to meet father and mother if she manages to impress him with her cultivation. Jun Ling's words further deepened her resolution to reach new heights in cultivation.
"We'll meet again soon..." After patting her tiny head, Jun Ling finally left for the capital.
After leaving the inn, Jun Lan headed to the woods. After making sure that no other person is present, she pulled out the green jade pendant from her robes. It was the one given to her by Tian Wu. Remembering his instructions, she tapped on the jade pendant with her knuckles.
Nothing happened...
Time passed by and just when she was beginning to doubt the pendant's authenticity, a flustered, chirpy voice fell on her ears.
"What a tiring journey! I will pummel the old man to death! How dare he orders me around!"— A thumping sound resounded followed by a cry of pain—"Stupid rock! How dare you trip me over!"
A silence followed before the series of curses resumed.
"Now I even have to pick up the litter who he calls as his students! Back then, that stinky boy and now—"
The shiny red feathered bird finally stopped speaking as it came face to face with a veiled girl. Forgetting its earlier indignation, the red bird tiptoed towards Jun Lan while curiously observing the latter's dressing with its large round golden eyes.
Jun Lan abandoned the intricate hanfus and skirts. Instead, she opted for loose pants and a full-sleeved shirt which stopped below her waist. Jun Lan always preferred clothes that allowed her to move freely. Moreover, the clothes did not appear baggy or make her look masculine. Her clothes made her look like a little farm girl from the village. She looked simple and mysterious, given the veil which covers her entire face except for her large almond-shaped eyes. The little bird then stared at Jun Lan's face keenly.
"Are you Tian Wu's new disciple?" the old bird asked with odd shine in its eyes.
"Yes, you can call me Jun Lan!"
"Did I ask for your name?!"
"Oh..." Jun Lan felt awkward. She eyed the little bird which was currently floating in melancholy. Then she saw the bird raise its proud beak. Another staring constant started.
"Ah! Another weird one!" Soon, the agonized cry of a little bird resounded in the silent woods. In a depressed tone, it complained "When the old man announced that he accepted a female disciple, my happiness knew had no bounds. If I knew that it would be you instead of a beautiful lady, then I would not have celebrated!"
As if remembering something, the bird cried "I can see through your veil, your cheeks are as black as moonless night!"
Jun Lan felt this sudden urge to roast the bird, suppressing her anger, she spoke, her voice mellow.
"No one has ever complimented me in such a way; moonless night, such beautiful words! Thank you..."
The little bird widened its eyes, it was truly rendered speechless. It had never seen such a shameless mortal! It had clearly insulted the human, how did she turn it into a compliment?!