"Knock, knock, knock." The sound of someone knocking echoed around the room.
Lu Xun and Ji Li glanced at each other.
The reason was simple - they hadn't heard any footsteps!
The inn was similar to an ancient Chinese building, walking on the wooden floor was typically louder than stepping on brick-paved floor.
Moreover, Ji Li, a martial artist since childhood, had far superior hearing to an average person. Yet, neither of them had heard a single sound!
So, the visitor was either incredibly light-footed, or they had simply floated in.
A master had arrived!
Ji Li's tiny hand moved to the hilt of the Wedding Sword, preparing for possible danger.
Lu Xun, on the other hand, seemed surprised for a moment but soon resumed his calm demeanor. With a placating gesture towards Ji Li, he rose composedly and opened the door.
Standing at the doorway was Murong Yan, whom they had just met.
Her ability to move so silently, given her size, was rather eerie.
Upon opening the door, Murong Yan caught Lu Xun's eye. For the second time seeing his face, she was once again slightly surprised and lost in thought.
After peeping inside and then smiling awkwardly, she said, "I apologize for the confusion. I got the wrong room." She bowed to Lu Xun and Ji Li and left.
The whole event seemed rather baffling.
After closing the door, Lu Xun furrowed his brow, puzzled.
As a Cultivator, how could Murong Yan not sense the two people in this room?
Moreover, who in their right mind would knock first when entering an empty room?
What's she trying to achieve with this unusual behavior?
Her visit couldn't simply be a case of mistaken rooms. There must be some ulterior motive.
Lu Xun glanced around the room, and his eyes finally landed on the Wedding Sword.
Upon closer inspection, he immediately noticed something off about the Wedding Sword.
The basic information of the Wedding Sword appeared before his eyes, but there had been some alterations.
"[Sword name: Wedding Sword (Yellow)]"
"[Note: This sword has been inflicted with a low-level blind eye method.]"
Lu Xun burst into laughter.
Yes, they were still in the world of Heavenly Dust as he remembered.
Yes, these were the Cultivators he remembered so well.
At this moment, to some martial artists and low level Cultivators, the Wedding Sword ceased to be seen as a Magical Sword. It had become an ordinary, albeit well-crafted longsword.
Weapons of higher tier than Mortal Iron possess a certain rhyme.
Cultivators can spot the difference at one glance, even ordinary martial artists can sense it subtly.
Hence, a magical sword among common weapons stands out, just like a husky in a pack of wolves.
But now that Murong Yan had applied the blind eye method, it would be difficult for anyone to recognize the Wedding Sword as a magical sword.
Of course, highly skilled practitioners were the exception to this, given that Murong Yan wasn't exactly a top-tier expert. How tough could a novice village tutor be?
The expression "in possession of treasure, in possession of guilt" was easy to understand.
Ji Li was young and only knew martial arts, carrying a magical sword could easily attract unwanted attention.
Lu Xun speculated that she was being hunted due to this exact reason.
For Murong Yan, it was a simple act, but for Ji Li, it could save her a lot of trouble in her future travels across the jianghu.
A large part of Cultivators in this Heavenly Dust world were like Murong Yan.
While murderous theft wasn't unheard of, it wasn't like certain oriental fantasy novels where every Cultivator was absolutely selfish, all acting like heinous thugs, ready to plunder and kill whenever possible.
In this world, most Cultivators focused their attention on cultivation.
To many, life was a grand process of cultivation.
As a result, "how to live" and "what kind of person to become" were serious matters.
Many players were deeply hooked on this gaming world because many knights embodied the spirit of chivalry, and many Cultivators had the conducts of the immortals. This was the ideal oriental fantasy world for the players.
Lu Xun no longer paid attention to the Wedding Sword, his face still donning a smile.
This world is still as reassuring as ever, he thought.
On the other side, back in her own room, Murong Yan also flashed a smile. The sight of her chubby face made her look even more guileless.
...
...
A few minutes later, Lu Xun and Ji Li set off.
The hefty weapons were sold at a decent shop, and Ji Li was thrilled when she received the money.
This little girl hasn't noticed the change in her Wedding Sword until now. Her heart is quite carefree indeed.
While Ji Li was jumping and skipping ahead, Lu Xun followed behind leisurely, attracting lots of attention from bystanders and passing young ladies.
He paid no attention, lost in thought.
From what he could recall, he remembered Murong Yan because she was the tutor of Qingmu County, a novice village he had once visited, hence the impression.
Although he was unsure why Murong Yan was in Wei County three years ago today, her presence was definitely helpful to Lu Xun.
With the countless players in the Heavenly Dust, a great variety of starting strategies have been developed, among which only three were considered closest to perfection.
Lu Xun was preparing to attempt one of these perfect starts, which Murong Yan could surely help with.
No, she would definitely be able to help!
The key was Ji Li.
It's all up to this former mount, now a useful sidekick, to decide whether she was effective or not.
Ji Li tiptoed with joy as she walked along, turning around to Lu Xun and asked, "Why are you walking so slowly?"
Lu Xun offered her a warm smile.
Ji Li felt the warm spring breeze blow on her. Her world suddenly seemed brighter.
Her tiny heart was throbbing fast and hard.
A hopeless case of face-obsession.
Lu Xun pointed to a small teahouse on the side of the street and said, "Shall we sit inside?"
Ji Li nodded her head.
Good, it was time to make small talk.
After conversing for a while, Lu Xun knew Ji Li's current situation.
It could be said that she was a typical protagonist.
Acquiring a magical weapon and cultivation technique by luck, suffering the death of her parents, being hunted, carrying the burden of revenge.
Her golden finger for the initial period of the plot was very clear!
Thinking of her, only 16 years old, who after going through so much still remained pure and kind, Lu Xun could not help but feel sympathy.
Of course, if she didn't insist on making him her cauldron, it would be even better.
However, it seemed like all these issues could be solved now.
He looked at Ji Li and said, "We were fortunate to have come across a real Cultivator."
"Ah! Where?" Ji Li's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Didn't you notice that the woman who knocked on the wrong door... er, moved without making a sound?" asked Lu Xun.
"I did notice!" Ji Li, looking at Lu Xun, admitted rather bashfully, "I was planning to discuss it with you after we left the inn but... I forgot."
Lu Xun: "..."
See this absent-mindedness? Impressive, right?
Don't be jealous, it's the result of using her brain too much.
...