Two weeks passed swiftly as he worked tirelessly as an assistant, never daring to practice the forbidden cultivation methods. If Yun Xiu caught him...
Rather than focusing solely on cultivation, he concentrated on impressing the Miss Sect Master. She remained mostly unmoved, though slightly more approachable than before. He needed a plan to make her fully accept him as her assistant.
The deadline for this task was one month, and three weeks had already passed, leaving him with only nine days.
His thoughts were interrupted by Yun Xiu's voice. Turning, he saw her standing there, serene as ever. He quickly guessed what she wanted—mango.
He had discovered a mango tree with ripe fruit and decided to let the Sect Master try some. She enjoyed it so much that she asked for one daily. It did taste exceptionally good, he thought.
As he prepared the mango on a plate, setting a fork and spoon beside it, Yun Xiu watched him with her usual calm expression.
After she finished eating, Hun Yu took the plate and fork, carefully washing them. Sometimes, his tasks felt more like those of a servant than an assistant.
An hour later, she stood up. "I am leaving. I will be back in five to six weeks," she told Hun Yu, adding, "You can stay here in the meantime."
Confusion clouded Hun Yu's face. How could he win her genuine acceptance as an assistant if she left? He needed to persuade her to stay or find another way. "Can I also tag along?" he asked, his innocent gaze pleading. With only nine days remaining until the deadline, time was running out.
Considering his status, he couldn't stop her, so his only option was to accompany her and prove his loyalty. Locking eyes with her, he declared, "I am your assistant. I will follow you even to death. Please don't abandon me."
Raising an eyebrow at his bold declaration, Yun Xiu considered his request. "Accompany me to death? Well, I don't need you to go that far, but you must be careful," she replied.
"You have done a good job these days, so I don't mind taking you with me," Yun Xiu said, raising her hand and letting energy flow out.
Its gentle, green hue wrapped around him like a wisp of wind. Slowly, she ascended into the sky, with Hun Yu floating behind her, propelled by her energy.
Looking down, Hun Yu felt a shiver run down his spine. If he fell from this height, it would be fatal.
After floating for what felt like an hour, Yun Xiu gracefully landed, while Hun Yu, relying on her Cultivation Qi, stumbled slightly but quickly regained his balance.
"I wanted to ask, where are we going?" Hun Yu inquired, curious about their destination.
"We are going to the Prana Beast Forest to look for a certain herb," Yun Xiu explained. "You can go back if you don't want to come."
"How can I go back? Although the Prana Beast Forest is dangerous, I don't care. I only want to serve you," he replied, hoping his flattery would impress her. She did not react, clearly seeing through his intentions, but as long as he did his work correctly, it didn't matter to her.
"Okay, we will go to the nearest city from the Prana Beast Forest and depart for the forest the next day," Yun Xiu concluded.
Hun Yu nodded in understanding. Suddenly, Yun Xiu took out a black robe and, in a matter of seconds, donned the garment, covering every part of her skin except her eyes.
This was routine for her whenever she went out, allowing her to conceal her identity and operate discreetly in the shadows.
Hun Yu, watching her change her outfit swiftly, wasn't amazed; it seemed normal to him. If she revealed her identity, many sects and powerhouses would swiftly move in, knowing that anything catching the eye of a powerhouse like Yun Xiu must be valuable.
As they walked toward the city, they soon arrived at the entrance. "Stop! You will have to pay 1 gold coin to enter the city," the guard said, halting them and eyeing Yun Xiu, who was concealing her appearance with the black robe. Hun Yu's expression became troubled.
One gold coin could sustain a person for a year without worrying about food, and he didn't even have one. Suddenly, a memory struck him. He had received gold coins after completing the escape from the bandits' task. "System, give me 1 gold coin," he pretended, slipping his hand into his pocket to retrieve a coin. It would be hard to explain if the coin suddenly appeared in his hand. He handed the coin to the guard and walked inside.
"Wait, 1 gold coin is for one person. You have to pay for this woman," the guard said, eyeing Yun Xiu with a greedy gaze. Though her face was covered, her eyes hinted at her beauty. Anger flashed across Hun Yu's face. Yun Xiu also had a look of disgust, but she couldn't do anything. Revealing her identity would only cause trouble.
Yun Xiu burned the guard's appearance into her memory. When her work was complete, she vowed to punish him severely.
Though not prone to anger, Hun Yu couldn't stand the insolence of this lowly guard. Who did he think he was? Just a city guard, and not even a cultivator. Without much thought, he clenched his fist, shifted one leg slightly back, and with a sudden push, punched the guard directly in the face. A loud snap or crack was heard as the guard was thrown into the wall.
Hun Yu was speechless. When did he become so strong? But he didn't waste time, knowing that other guards might be nearby. He grabbed Yun Xiu's hand in panic and ran.
Yun Xiu felt the grip on her hand. Though she wanted to retract her hand, seeing the chaos, she decided to follow. After running through the city, they finally arrived at a small, quiet place between two houses.
Hun Yu caught his breath, still astounded by his own strength. Just as he was examining his fist, Yun Xiu noticed his surprise.
"Are you surprised?" she remarked, observing his expression. "Don't forget, you're a cultivator now. At the first level of Tempered Body, your power and body are much stronger than ordinary people's. You didn't control your power back there," she explained.
"You did well. People like him should be punished. But what are we going to do now? Everyone will be looking for us," Hun Yu expressed his concern.
"If I'm not mistaken, the guard should be under the city lord. Beating his guard means challenging his status.
"If my guess is correct, every guard in the city will be looking for us," Yun Xiu deduced.
As if on cue, they overheard the guards' voices.
"Where did they run?"
"Look, they should have gone there!"
"Let's search there!"
The guards rushed away in another direction, unaware of Hun Yu and Yun Xiu hiding nearby.
Suddenly, a golden screen appeared before Hun Yu, visible only to him.
{Congratulations, host! For your unconventional actions and directly punching the City Guard in the face, causing brain damage and making an enemy out of the city lord.}
{Host is rewarded with 100 Energy Points.}
Hun Yu glanced at the screen, the mention of becoming an enemy of the city lord standing out the most.
Though the city they were in wasn't very big, the city lord likely had cultivators under his command.
Despite the perilous situation, Hun Yu felt reassured with Yun Xiu by his side. As the Sect Master of Wind Sky Sect, she was one of the strongest in the empire.
Their immediate concern was finding a safe place to rest, considering they were being hunted throughout the city.
The streets were fraught with danger, each shadow potentially hiding an enemy, and every whisper hinting at betrayal.
Yun Xiu noticed Hun Yu's troubled expression. "I can use a technique to disguise myself as a man," she said, producing another black robe and tossing it to him. "You'll need to wear this."
With no other option, Hun Yu donned the black robe over his clothes. When he finished, Yun Xiu executed her technique, transforming her appearance.
Standing before him now was a man, though still bearing subtle feminine features. The transformation was uncanny, her features sharp yet delicately soft.
"Alright, we should go," Yun Xiu's voice, though altered, carried a hint of her natural tone. "Although this technique is good, it's not perfect, and it consumes a lot of cultivation Qi to maintain. So we should hurry."
Hun Yu nodded, trailing behind her as they navigated through the city. The bustling streets provided some cover, and they moved with purpose.
In about a minute, they arrived at a modest hotel, a sanctuary compared to the hostile streets.
Yun Xiu approached the receptionist with a cold demeanor. "Two rooms, please."
"Sorry, sir. There is only one room available," the receptionist replied, scrutinizing them but finding their appearance did not match the descriptions given by the city guards.
Glancing at Hun Yu, the receptionist suggested, "Mister, I don't think you need two rooms. You two could easily adjust in one room. It's quite spacious."
The receptionist's assumption that Hun Yu was Yun Xiu's wife elicited a peculiar expression from him. Pushing aside the thought, Yun Xiu agreed, "Fine, we'll take the room. I'll pay when we check out." She took the room key and led the way.
Hun Yu, still perplexed, wondered how anyone could mistake him for a woman in this robe. He was clearly a 6'3" tall man with broad shoulders and a muscular build.
Inside the room, Hun Yu quickly removed the robe, and Yun Xiu reverted to her original form. Hun Yu stole a glance at her, not daring to stare for too long. No matter how many times he saw her, she always appeared more and more beautiful.
"You should sleep; I will cultivate," Yun Xiu said, sitting cross-legged on the bed.
Hun Yu looked around and found a table. He lay on top of it; obviously, it was the only place he could sleep. He didn't dare to sleep where Miss Sect Master was cultivating.
Firstly, it wasn't appropriate, and secondly, he didn't think Yun Xiu would let him live if he accidentally touched her. Thirdly, she wouldn't allow him to sleep on the bed.
Although he noticed she was kind, she wasn't kind enough to let an unknown man she had known for less than a month get close to her.
What he wanted to do now was slowly win her trust. Obviously, she could be his biggest support, and maybe...
He didn't know when he fell asleep.
The next morning, as he opened his eyes, he looked at the ground where he had been lying. Had he fallen when he was asleep? He slowly got up and turned towards the bed, where he saw the Sect Master still cultivating. Her form was serene, almost ethereal in the dim light filtering through the window.
"Well, maybe strong cultivators don't need sleep," he thought to himself, deciding not to disturb her. He stretched his sore muscles, the table not being the most comfortable sleeping surface.
Suddenly, a soft gasp escaped Yun Xiu's lips. Her brow furrowed in concentration, and her normally calm demeanor contorted in a grimace of pain. Her cultivation session seemed to be going away from the usual course.
Hun Yu bolted upright, concern etching across his face. "Miss Sect Master! Are you alright?"
Yun Xiu's eyes snapped open, a flicker of vulnerability flashing across them before her usual stoic expression returned. "It's nothing," she muttered, pushing herself up from the bed with a grimace.
Her movements were deliberate, hiding the strain she was under. Hun Yu could see the faint sheen of sweat on her forehead.