Given that even Bei Chen from Kunlun hadn’t been able to detect the Wu Tong heart, Nan Wan treated Bai Shuo with newfound respect.
Yawning as if exhausted, Bai Shuo remarked, "Yes, yes, I need a good night’s sleep. Today really wore me out."
With that, she grabbed Fan Yue and hurried into the adjoining room. Hua Da Tie, looking bleary-eyed, attempted to follow them inside, but Fan Yue unceremoniously shut the door in her face.
Pouting, Hua Da Tie growled at the closed door, then glanced left toward where Nan Wan of Yun Xiao was resting and right toward Bei Chen of Kunlun. Halfway through pounding on the door, she stopped, sulked, and grudgingly leaned against it, dozing off with her iron hammer.
Inside the room, Fan Yue immediately took Bai Shuo’s hand, gently rolling up her sleeve to massage her wrist, his face tight with concern. Bai Shuo chuckled, trying to reassure him. "It’s fine, Mu Mu. Your teacher doesn’t hurt at all."
Fan Yue remained silent, his face stern.
Bai Shuo ruffled his hair. "This place isn’t dangerous. Don’t worry. As long as I’m with Yun Xiao’s group, no one will hurt me."
He kept his head down, ignoring her.
Sighing, Bai Shuo continued, "I was just a little worried about Ah Zhao, so I wanted to come and check on him. Ah Zhao is your senior uncle. I’ve told you about him…"
Fan Yue’s hand paused, his expression darkening further.
Realizing her mistake, Bai Shuo raised her other hand in a pledge. "It was my fault. I swear I won’t leave you behind again. Even if I’m just going to Hua Da Tie’s place to steal a chicken, I’ll take you with me!"
Fan Yue finally looked up, his lip quivering. "Promise?"
"Promise, I swear! Truer than gold!" Bai Shuo pinched his nose affectionately. "You little grump!"
Seeing him relax, she felt a wave of relief. She quickly pulled two small paper dolls from her dimensional bag, tapped their heads, and they transformed into lifelike replicas of her and Fan Yue, sitting on the bed.
Fan Yue blinked, startled, as Bai Shuo quietly opened the window a crack. Hua Da Tie’s loud snores outside effectively masked the faint noise.
"Mu Mu, let’s go. All the Yun Xiao disciples are out searching. This is our chance to find your senior uncle."
With a flash of spirit energy, they vanished through the window.
The streets of the Foreign City were eerily quiet, with only a few scattered lights flickering in the darkness.
Bai Shuo pulled out the bamboo flute hanging around her neck and blew softly. A faint trace of spiritual energy drifted from the flute and floated off toward the east.
“A-Zhao must be nearby! Mumu, let’s follow!” Bai Shuo's face lit up with joy as she grabbed Fan Yue and hurriedly followed the flute’s path.
The flute was forged with A-Zhao’s spiritual energy, allowing it to sense his presence.
Meanwhile, inside a rundown inn, A-Zhao, who had been focused on his meditation, suddenly opened his eyes and pulled out the bamboo flute from his chest pocket. It emitted a brief sound.
“A-Shuo?” A-Zhao’s face registered surprise as he channeled his spiritual energy into the flute, but it made no further sound.
“Could A-Shuo really have come to the Foreign City?” With the spiritual seal on the city, A-Zhao couldn’t be certain if that sound had actually been due to Bai Shuo.
“Impossible… the city is sealed; she wouldn’t be able to enter…” he murmured to himself, but an uneasy feeling gnawed at him. Unable to concentrate, he clenched the flute tightly and disappeared from his spot.
Just as he appeared outside the inn, a shadowy figure passed overhead, carrying a strong, sickly odor. The figure was too obscured to make out clearly.
Such intense evil energy? How could there be such a creature in the Foreign City? This is bad. If A-Shuo really is here…
A-Zhao’s face darkened, and he darted after the shadow.
* * *
On the street, Bai Shuo was still following the flute’s guidance when the energy connection suddenly snapped, and the flute fell from mid-air. She caught it in one swift motion.
“Oh no, oh no, the spiritual seal in this city is too strong! This thing won’t work anymore.” She tried blowing into the flute with all her might, but it was completely unresponsive—there wasn’t a trace of spiritual energy left in it.
The Foreign City was enormous, and without the flute, Bai Shuo was like a blindfolded person fumbling around in the dark.
Just then, a shadow flitted across the sky, and the flute flickered slightly in her hand.
It’s working again? Could it be A-Zhao?
Overjoyed, Bai Shuo was about to leap after it, but Fan Yue held her back.
“Master, don’t follow it.”
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