Li Yaner, this wraith from the Peaceful World, had witnessed the cruelty of this world, and her worldview was severely shaken!
Shiyi almost died!
She felt so useless, having become a wraith who could only possess this clay figure, unable to do anything!
"Shiyi, what if... I don't bother with possessing a corpse to return to life, and I Cultivate the Path of Ghosts instead? You can let me become a fierce ghost, so the next time something like this happens, I can help you!"
Gu Shi Yi was startled at these words,
"Sis, don't be so pessimistic! Look, I didn't die, did I? Just need some rest and I'll be back, but if you switch to the Ghost Path, you'll never be able to be human again in this life, not to mention the next life, or the one after that!"
Li Yaner was still disheartened,
"If it weren't for me, why would you have left the mountain and faced this disaster?"
Gu Shi Yi couldn't help but grin,
"I'm already thirty, even without you, I would have had to leave the mountain. If I don't find a man to marry soon, I'll never be able to have a child!"
She spoke smoothly, and the candidness made Li Yaner burst out laughing, easing the guilt in her heart a bit,
"Whether you're thirty or not, you can't lay eggs either way!"
Gu Shi Yi laughed too, but her laughter caused her to pull on her broken ribs, and the pain made her grimace. Hurriedly, she pressed her hand against the injury, and the commotion awoke Old Lady Gu. Turning over and half-awake, the old woman asked,
"Shiyi, is it the wound that's hurting?"
Gu Shi Yi replied,
"Auntie, I'm fine, just accidentally pressed on it!"
Hearing this, Old Lady Gu opened her eyes and sat up,
"Be careful with yourself. Those bones need to heal properly; if they don't, they could trouble you for life!"
Gu Shi Yi nodded, shifted a bit to find a comfortable position, and then fell into a deep sleep...
After a bumpy ride in the cart, Gu Shi Yi arrived in Dumo State with the Escort Team, and after four more days of travel, they reached a place called Xiyuan City. The Escort Team settled down there, and at long last, Gu Shi Yi met the person Old Lady Gu referred to as Sixth Master.
This man was surnamed Huang. People dared not mention his given name and just called him Sixth Master Huang. Gu Shi Yi naturally followed suit. Sixth Master Huang appeared to be around forty, a refined and handsome man in a long robe, who, despite being part of the Itinerant World, resembled a scholar rather than a security escort; perhaps due to his years of traveling, his temples were slightly graying, adding a touch of maturity to his charm. Gu Shi Yi's eyes sparkled upon seeing him,
"Huang... Sixth Master Huang!"
The maturity he exuded was universally appealing, even though he wasn't her preferred type.
After sizing up Gu Shi Yi, Sixth Master Huang nodded with a smile,
"It seems you've recovered well these past few days, able to move around already!"
Gu Shi Yi promptly fist-palmed in greeting,
"Sixth Master, I've been injured and haven't had the chance to personally express my gratitude for saving my life..."
She paused, then with her hands clasped in a fist, made a difficult, deep bow,
"Sixth Master Huang's lifesaving grace, Gu Shi Yi will remember in my heart, and I will surely repay it in the future! Thank you, Sixth Master!"
Upon hearing Gu Shi Yi carry herself with the air of the Itinerant World, Sixth Master Huang couldn't help but inwardly sigh,
"No wonder Liu Er and the others couldn't recognize her as a woman. With this demeanor, even though I know she's a woman, I can't help but treat her as a man!"
Once Gu Shi Yi was helped up by Old Lady Gu, Sixth Master Huang with a smile inquired,
"I haven't asked yet, miss, what is your profession, and how did you come to be injured? Why did you fall from the mountaintop?"
Gu Shi Yi replied heartily with a laugh,
"Sixth Master, no need for formalities, just call me Shiyi..."
She paused again and continued,
"I won't hide it from Sixth Master, I am a person of the Taoist Sect, traveling the Itinerant World after leaving the mountain. The fall happened because I ran into some villains. Ordinarily, with my skills, those wretched thieves would have been no match for me, yet they resorted to underhanded tactics, poisoning their arrows. I was caught off guard and ambushed. With no other choice, I had to flee, but as I reached the mountaintop, the poison took effect, and I unintentionally lost control, falling from the peak..."
Her story was partially true and partially fabricated, but Sixth Master Huang did not suspect a thing. The Great Cultivation World was in chaos, and the affairs of the mundane Itinerant World were no less turbulent. Encountering such occurrences three or two times on a journey was not unusual. It was just that those he had saved on his travels had always been men, and it was the first time he had saved a woman.
Smiling and bowing, Sixth Master Huang responded,
"Turns out to be a high personage of the Taoist Sect, my apologies for any disrespect!"