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(Yi Feng POV)
Li Daji had finished dressing a while ago and went into the hut. It had been some time, but she still hadn't come out yet. Curious as to what had taken up so much of her time I trailed in after her.
It wasn't long before I realized how the interior of the hut was arranged. Once entering there was a singular large room which took up about 80% of the interior and to the side there was another smaller room that took up the remaining 20% of space.
The large room seemed to have basic appliances, but besides the fact that it was a combination of the living room and kitchen there was nothing else around that made it clear people lived here. It was like a clean slate, an unbought home.
Before I could enter the side room I saw Li Daji exit the room and from little glimpses through some cracks it looked like a bedroom.
"Sister Daji, what was in there?"
"It was nothing, you should take out that sect token. Right now it should be blank so hurry up and inscribe your name onto it. Once that's finished I can take us to one of the entrances of the set.
The most likely place he should roam would be the Inner court, but before that I'll show you the building we'll be staying in. We can't be looking for him the entire time after all. There is a chance he'll roam the Outer court, but he doesn't do that too often. Now hurry up and inscribe your token!"
I took out the golden token that was set alongside my robes and tried my best to inscribe the token as elegantly as possible, but in the end the characters still looked quite rough around the edges. Granted I'd never practiced much elegance in the first place I still wished to be portrayed as feminine as possible when I met him.
"*Sigh* Perhaps I should practice a bit."
"Hmm? What's wrong Sister Feng? Oh you finished, are you sad about your writing skills? It's fine! Let's go then!"
She smiled as she grabbed my hand as she began to soar through the skies, meanwhile I was basically being dragged by her. Her current excitement was through the roof. She wouldn't even wait for me to follow behind her through flight, instead directly grabbing me and flying far beyond my current capabilities.
The trees and mountain only became a streak of light as my eyesight currently couldn't react fast enough to understand what I was seeing. As I was dazed by the surrounding frenzy of colors our speed started to drop off and the lights started to blur, slowly becoming solid shapes forming around me.
Li Daji let me down and started to react to the motion, although mentally I was prepared, since this body had never flown so quickly before it had naturally reacted. I stuffed down the reaction before looking at Li Daji who had slightly puffed up cheeks, but with my gaze she looked away.
"Let's go Sister Feng, we should just fly around your speed now, we're pretty close to one of the entrances, but we'll have to first go through the Outer court to get to one of the Inner court entrances.
There's a good chance we'll get quite a lot of attention, but that won't matter much. We just have to move through, remember our goal ok?"
"Alright!"
'Yes, yes the goal. The Man's love shouldn't be given to that Demon of a woman, but if I had to choose I would have to pick myself. I'm sorry Li Daji, but my previous encounter with that woman has taught me something. To really get what you want you'll have to eliminate the competition, but it'll only be the last resort for you if I can't get you to back down.'
"Good, oh it seems that the sect is just over there! Whoa, they've expanded quite a bit since last time."
I looked at the city-like complex ahead of me. The place seemed completely transformed compared to the days I came over, perhaps it was only because I had only ever flown over a part of the range where his sect's presence was at a minimum.
We walked up to the gate where a couple other disciples stood guard. Their robes had a lighter shade of azure and it wasn't only that. Whereas our collars, cuffs, and sashes looked to be silver in color, theirs were simply black.
I let Li Daji take the lead and I simply followed to the side.She flashed her golden sect token and one of the disciples nodded at her. As she did I managed to catch a glimpse at her name. In comparison mine was simply garbage and at this point I didn't know if I even wanted to show mine out of embarrassment, but I felt like I had to so I did.
'Why am I comparing myself to others? This path will simply lead to my downfall if I continue to do so!'
I took out the golden token and showed it to the same person who only responded with a nod. Once both of our tokens were shown both of the guarding disciples pushed the gate open for us. Once they finished they gestured with their hands for us to go through.
Once through the gates what I saw before me was several disciples, mostly if not all Outer Disciples, walking around and a group of about 5 walked right past us toward the gate. I wasn't impressed with anything that went on around us, but I was interested since this was my first experience with a sect in who knows how long.
'Hmm, are all these buildings just for disciples to live in? Oh? That building over there looks a little different, I wonder what that's for?'
I curiously looked around while being sure that I was following Li Daji, if I didn't then who knows how lost I would be in this place? The cobblestone trail we followed curved and wined up as we followed behind her. The path kept continuing and eventually we started going down again to another mountain.
"Sister Daji, why don't we just fly? Do we really have to walk around?"
"Yes Sister Feng, if we just fly and spot my Master then it would be a bit awkward to fly down just to talk to him. It would be much more natural if we simply crossed paths with him on these stone walkways. If we haven't even met him before and just come up to him like that then it would be a little weird, no?! It has to be natural, we can't come off as odd to Master!"
"Ah o-okay…"
We were still on the path when I saw a group of disciples up ahead along the side of the path. Every once in a while they would glance at us before huddling together to speak. They seemed a little suspicious so I tried to enhance my hearing to listen in on them.
"Do you all see those two! They're so beautiful, especially the one on the right! It's odd how we've never seen them before! Maybe they're simply very conservative or reclusive."
That man was talking about Li Daji who was slightly in the lead, but still mostly on my right..
"I agree the one on the left looks a little scary doesn't she? She seemed cold and with that scar on her face she looked like she'd kill me if I looked at her wrong. Especially since those red eyes of hers seem devoid of life. It would probably be horrifying to stare into those eyes."
'So I look like that huh? Hmm, perhaps it would be a little difficult for me to approach that man then. No, as long as he hasn't changed I'm sure he wouldn't mind it.'
"I could probably get past that scar of hers, just look at that body of hers! It could rival numerous women. It's not like she's hideous either! You know what, I'm going to go and ask her out, maybe I'll get lucky."
"Heh, you know what I'll go with you, but I'll be asking the one on the right. Might as well give it a try right?"
"You two are going to die doing stupid shit like that! Haha I'll just watch from over here! I don't want to be caught in the crossfire if they decide to attack you two idiots! You two have to remember what they're wearing alright? It's Inner Disciple clothing that means they're definitely stronger than the two of you!"
"Ah! Shit I forgot! But we've already gone this far, let's go do it!"
"Yeah!"
Soon the two began to approach us from up ahead. I don't know if Li Daji was listening to them too, but she had simply been smiling the entire time. It was actually since I finished dressing, her smile hadn't faded from that moment. If she knew about their conversation then she wasn't showing it.
In a moment they came up to us and Li Daji stopped as they blocked our path, of course I stopped with her too. The two went towards their targets and began to try and engage with them. The one talking about my body earlier came close.
I may have not had this body for long, but with his fascination being purely in my body I felt the need to send a fist flying his way immediately.
"Hello there Miss! I'd like to say those scars of yours look beautiful and only adds to your charm!"
'These are purely words of flattery. He probably doesn't mean any of them in the slightest. Hmm, I'll see how Sisteri Daji handles this first.'
I turned my head toward their conversation.
"Huh? Miss, where are you looking? I'm right here, those two are having their own conversation so you should let them be."
The man targeting her had already said his line, but Li Daji's expression didn't change at all.
"Please, move out of the way." She spoke in a gentle tone.
"But I just want to confess my love for you, won't you listen to me?"
"No, I'm afraid not, I have somewhere I must be. You'll have to find someone else since I already have someone I like as well. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go." She walked past him.
"But, ugh. Well I tried."
Before she got far she turned around to look at me.
"Are you coming?"
'I guess I won't have to do anything.'
I tried to walk to her, but before I could, the man targeting me didn't relent.
"Hey, you haven't responded to me yet!"
He reached his arm out to grab ahold of me, but before he could touch me I sent a fist up into his abdomen. The man recoiled from the punch and he wrapped his arms around his abdomen as he fell backwards onto his ass.
With that I continued onward with Li Daji.
"So you decided to become the kind of girl they were talking about? Sister Feng, do you still want to marry a man with that attitude?"
"Yes, if I simply become that kind of woman perhaps people would leave me alone."
'Yes, others would leave me alone and they won't interrupt my time with your Master. As for marriage, your Master is a great candidate isn't he? He also didn't mind my scars before, he shouldn't mind them now. I feel my chances aren't too bad, at least better than before.'
Soon we arrived through the gates of the Inner court and reached a cozy little home setup with two beds, though separated by walls.
"Welcome Sister Feng! This will be our little home for however long it'll take for this operation to succeed! We shouldn't jump ahead as soon as we meet him alright? We have to take this slow and steady. Now let's start our first little patrol today! Remember to let me know if you found him and I'll be there as quick as I can, alright?"
"Alright."