A Punch

There were a total of 999 steps on the mountain path leading down the mountain from the Immortal Ascension Mansion. All the disciples who wanted to join the Immortal Ascension mansion had to climb those 999 steps, but those steps were no longer a burden after they started cultivating and learnt how to ride a flying sword.

Unfortunately, Wen Ran's sword was broken.

She started slowing down after about 20 steps, and she eventually just sat down on the ground.

The young man's voice came from behind. "Why aren't you walking?"

"I'm tired." Wen Ran was enjoying the wind on the cliff. She rested her hand on her chin and stared unhappily at the clouds and mist that floated past her.

"It's normal for you to feel tired after walking down the stairs. "

The voice came from above.

Wen Ran looked up and saw him smiling as he stood atop a floating sword. She stood up excitedly and asked, "Where did you get it?"

"Your father said that journeying without a sword is out of the question, so he found a sword for me to use temporarily. What's wrong? Didn't your father tell you?" His pair of black eyes were filled with glee, and childishly youthful gloating was vividly displayed through his expression.

Wen Ran—who had gone down all those steps—forced herself to take a few deep breaths and was successfully able to suppress the urge to pick up a stone and throw it at him.

Shen Wu's white clothes fluttered in the wind. He was far from his usual cold self and narrowed his lazy eyes slightly while crossing his arms. He had a leisurely posture and said casually, "I might consider bringing you along with me if you beg."

Wen Ran was not a spineless person. She turned around and snorted.

However, the young man stood on the sword and flew in front of her again. "Are you sure you're not going to beg?"

Wen Ran turned around again.

He flew to her again. "Are you really that firm and unyielding?"

Wen Ran pursed her lips and turned her back to him.

He did not tease her with another mischievous question, and she was just about to worry that he had really left her behind when she suddenly felt a touch on her head.

Wen Ran raised her head subconsciously and looked right into a pair of sparkling eyes that were just inches away from him.

He reached out to straighten her beaded hairpin and her image was reflecting in his eyes. The two of them were now so close to each other that they could feel each other's breaths.

Shen Wu's mouth curled up when she stared at him motionlessly for a long time. He was filled to the brim with youthful energy yet was also extremely narcissistic. "What's the matter? Did you just realize that you've fallen in love with me?"

The only response he got was Wen Ran's fist in his face.

Wind Moon City was far more prosperous than other nearby towns by virtue of its proximity to the Hidden Abyss Valley. Voices of peddlers peddling their ware on the streets characterized the city's soundscape. There were also roaming swordsmen and immortal cultivators coming in and out of the area.

Passers-by on the street would usually do a double take when they saw a man walking with a woman. Their temperament and demeanor suggested that they should be immortal cultivators too. The green-clothed young girl was naturally dainty and beautiful, but the tall white-clothed man's face was a little obscured from view because of the white straw hat that he wore. No one could guess his age either.

It was strange, because if anyone had to wear a straw hat to cover their face, it should be the woman. They wondered why it was the other way around with the woman showing her face openly while the man appeared shy.

Along the way, Wen Ran had already gotten used to the probing gazes of the surrounding passers-by and she chose instead to ignore them. She then picked up a candy figurine from a roadside stall and said to the person next to her, "Pay up."

Rather than pay for it, Shen Wu reminded her, "From the moment we entered the city, you've already eaten a bowl of noodles, a bowl of wontons, a serving of deep-fried dough sticks, and two skewers of candied haw."

The peddlers all looked curiously at Wen Ran's stomach.

It was one of those rare occasions that Wen Ran felt embarrassed. She had only eaten that much because it had been a while since she enjoyed those little food.

Money made the world go round, whether it was in the mortal world or the cultivation world. With Old Wen leaving all the money in Shen Wu's hands, she had to request money from Shen Wu if she wanted to buy something.

Wen Ran glanced at Shen Wu, then at the cute butterfly-shaped sugar figurine in her hand. She still could not bring herself to put it down.

"You eat more than the demonic beasts in the forbidden area," Shen Wu muttered.

He took out two copper coins and handed them to the peddler, who immediately smiled.

Wen Ran acted as if she did not hear Shen Wu's words and took a bite of the butterfly figurine's wing. It was sweet and absolutely satisfying.

"You two aren't from Wind Moon City, are you?" the peddler asked upon seeing Wen Ran's beautiful appearance.

Wen Ran shook her head. "We're from another city."

"There have been many cases of young men and women going missing in Wind Moon City recently," the peddler said. "The people from the Hidden Abyss Valley have made several attempts to get to the bottom of it, but they haven't found anything yet. I can see that both of you have an extraordinary air, so I suggest that you should be careful."

Wen Ran glanced at the people on the streets. It was no surprise then that she felt something was amiss when she entered the city. As she walked, she remembered seeing very few ordinary young men and women; the only young people she saw were patrolling the streets in bright yellow clothes.

Judging from what they wore, they were probably the disciples from the Hidden Abyss Valley.

The Hidden Abyss Valley was filled with riches, and even the most ordinary disciples wore lots of gold, silver, and jade ornaments. Just looking at them was enough to make a person envious.

The peddler continued, "Several cultivators who tried to find out the perpetrators behind the chaos ended up disappearing. The people from the Hidden Abyss Valley said that…a great demon might be hiding in Wind Moon City, which led a lot of people to fear going out."

"You look very young. Aren't you afraid of being captured by that great demon?" Wen Ran asked, puzzled.

"You're probably unaware of this, but those missing men and women were young and good-looking. Guys who look like me are safe." The peddler beamed with optimism.

Wen Ran nodded. "Thanks for your reminder. We'll be careful. What do you think about that, Eldest Seni—"

Wen Ran's sentence stopped abruptly because she turned around and saw that no one was beside her. She looked around and saw the straw-hatted young man hat in front of a steamed buns stall.

The old man selling the steamed buns looked very excited. "Young Master, are you saying that you're going to buy all of my steamed buns?"

"Yes." Shen Wu nodded coldly and very generously paid a silver coin.

The old man was happy to accept it, of course! He hastily put one steamed bun into a paper bag, and the buns that he had for sale were more than enough to fill a few paper bags.

Whenever the old man was done packing a bun, the white-clad young master would pick it up and it would immediately disappear in his hand. It was not something surprising for the old man because he knew that cultivators possessed unique abilities. He focused his attention on packing the buns as fast as he could, as if he was afraid that the young master would suddenly decide not to buy them anymore.