"ng Qing, what happened?" Lin Hao asked.
ng Qing’s face was flushed with excitent. "Out... outside, I think I saw Xiaoru."
"Let’s go. We’ll go out and see." Lin Hao grabbed the Evil-Slaying Sword and pulled ng Qing out the door.
The Danling Sect’s Sect Assembly was officially starting tomorrow, and the streets of Cyan Forest Town were noticeably more crowded.
Many won, like ng Qing, wore hooded cloaks or veiled their faces. As a result, the won who walked about normally drew even more attention.
"Hee hee, Senior Sisters, look at this book of Alchemy Hand Seals. The drawings are so funny." Up ahead, a girl’s voice, as clear as silver bells, rang out.
ng Qing’s face lit up. She pointed at the girl and said to Lin Hao, "That’s her."
They were still about forty or fifty ters away, and the street was packed with people. All Lin Hao could see was that the girl was dressed in a white gown and had a rather tall figure.
With her were two other won, also in white gowns, holding longswords.
Although he couldn’t see their faces, their figures were graceful and elegant.
"We’re almost there," Lin Hao comforted ng Qing.
Just then, a clear, long whistle suddenly echoed from the direction of the Danling Sect.
"Oh, Master is calling for us. Senior Sisters, I’ll go on ahead." The girl who had spoken earlier hadn’t even finished her sentence before she was already floating gracefully into the air.
Behind her, the other two won followed with the sa movent. As light as water, they headed toward the Danling Sect.
"The Misty Step of the Misty Palace..." soone exclaid in astonishnt.
"The disciples of the Misty Palace are beautiful, and their Body Techniques are beautiful too. No wonder countless Martial Artists want to marry soone from the Misty Palace," another person drooled.
"Forget the Cangnan Empire—the entire continent is crazy about the Misty Palace disciples."
"I heard that the Palace Master of the Misty Palace ca in person for the Danling Sect’s Sect Assembly this ti."
"Really? The Misty Palace’s Palace Master, Fairy Misty, is known as the number one beauty in the Cangnan Empire. If I could just catch a glimpse of her true face, I could die without regrets."
As the people around them chattered excitedly, ng Qing pushed through the crowd. Seeing the figures receding into the distance, she anxiously shouted into the air, "Xiaoru!"
The girl who had left first, still in mid-air, suddenly looked back.
Then, her beautiful eyes narrowed. She glanced toward the Danling Sect, and her figure abruptly accelerated.
It was a fleeting glimpse, yet it left everyone stunned by her beauty.
"So beautiful!" countless people gasped, staring dazedly in the direction she had gone.
Only then did ng Qing rember she was wearing a hooded cloak.
She ripped the cloak off and shouted again, but unfortunately, the girl who left first was now just a white dot in the sky, too far to hear her words.
So close, yet a world away.
ng Qing’s eyes reddened.
"I’ll go after her!" Before the words even left his mouth, Lin Hao’s figure was already far in the distance, in hot pursuit.
ng Qing froze for a mont, then, holding up her skirt with one hand, she also sprinted off in the direction Lin Hao had gone.
Behind her, a large group of Martial Artists followed.
The reason was simple. When ng Qing had taken off her cloak, her peerless beauty was revealed, instantly captivating everyone present.
The large group surged toward the Danling Sect, and before long, they had left Cyan Forest Town.
ng Qing’s heart had flown away with that girl; she was completely unaware of the situation behind her.
She didn’t stop until she reached a clearing.
She had to stop, for the atmosphere ahead was incredibly tense.
She saw two fairies in white blocking her Young Master’s path.
"Who are you? Why are you following us?" In the clearing, the two Misty Palace disciples stared at Lin Hao with hostile expressions.
"Ladies, may I be so bold as to ask the na of the young woman who just left?" Lin Hao asked with a smile, holding his sword.
The mont he spoke, the Misty Palace disciples’ faces darkened, and they cursed in unison, "Lecher!"
The disciples of the Misty Palace held a noble status and possessed an exceptional air. Countless n overestimated themselves and tried to win them over. So when Lin Hao spoke, they naturally assud he had taken a fancy to their junior sister.
Just then, another lodious, long whistle ca from the direction of the Danling Sect.
"Co back and ask when you can get into the Danling Sect’s VIP seating!" one of the Misty Palace disciples said, then floated away.
"A toad lusting after a swan’s flesh—what a foolish fantasy!" the other disciple said scornfully, looking at Lin Hao as if he were an ant—lofty and dismissive.
’The Danling Sect’s Sect Assembly is tomorrow, and this brat doesn’t even have the qualifications to enter the sect grounds. How dare he have ideas about our junior sister? It’s laughable!’
Lin Hao frowned slightly.
The two Misty Palace disciples were already far away.
"Young Master..." ng Qing walked over, her face full of apology.
The two disciples hadn’t bothered to lower their voices, so ng Qing had heard everything.
On one hand was what might be her younger sister’s sect; on the other was her savior. ng Qing felt deeply conflicted and upset.
"It’s nothing." Lin Hao shook his head, indicating he didn’t mind. Then his eyes narrowed. "ng Qing, since we’re already here, let’s head up to the Danling Sect."
"Young Master, you..." ng Qing sensed a dangerous aura.
She was an observant woman. Although she hadn’t known Lin Hao for long, she knew that whenever the corners of his mouth turned up or his eyes narrowed, it ant soone was about to suffer.
"ng Qing, I won’t cause any trouble," Lin Hao replied.
He didn’t start trouble, nor did he provoke people. But if soone or sothing provoked him, he was not the type to simply swallow the insult.
ng Qing nodded, but then looked around and asked worriedly, "If we go up, what about the little turtle? Will it be able to find us?"
The turtle egg had been swatted out of the inn by a flick of Second Master Hao’s sleeve, but ng Qing wasn’t the least bit worried about whether it was dead or alive.
How could a turtle egg that could immobilize a Soul Gathering Realm expert with a single glance die so easily?
And the fact that it hadn’t returned for a day or two didn’t seem strange to ng Qing either.
Because during their journey from Celestial Jade City to the Danling Sect with Lin Hao, the turtle egg would always disappear for no reason at night, only to reappear in the morning.
But looking at the buildings faintly visible behind a few mountain peaks, she began to worry that it wouldn’t be able to find them.
"It’s just up ahead," Lin Hao said with certainty.
The turtle egg recognized him as its master. Although there had been no formal ceremony, Lin Hao could sense its general location.
At that, ng Qing finally made up her mind. "Then let’s go up, Young Master."
"Let’s go too," soone in the crowd behind said to their companion, seeing ng Qing follow Lin Hao toward the Danling Sect.
"The path up to the Danling Sect is very difficult. It takes at least several hours. We should go back to town, eat our fill, and then decide," soone replied.
"Right..." The group watched the pair walk further and further away until they disappeared from sight, then they all chose to head back.
And Lin Hao wasn’t wrong. The two of them had barely walked any distance when a voice ca from the grass beside them: "I’ve been waiting for you for so long that the flowers next to have withered."
"Looks like you’ve recovered nicely." Lin Hao sent a kick out, and a turtle went tumbling several tis before coming to a stop on the mountain path.
Turtle Egg wasn’t angry. Instead, it urged them on, "Quick, quick, get on, get on! Let’s go up."
As it spoke, its body began to grow larger.
"I know what you’re thinking. You can’t cause trouble when we get to the Danling Sect!"
’This guy definitely wants to get to the Danling Sect quickly so he can steal and eat Spirit Grass and Spirit Pills. Many of those pills are not only tied to the future of the Danling Sect but are also closely related to the Heaven-Stepping Sect. I can’t let this guy run wild.’
"You’re so naggy. I won’t touch your things," Turtle Egg promised, as if it knew what Lin Hao was thinking.
Lin Hao nodded and helped ng Qing onto Turtle Egg’s back.
Then, Turtle Egg transford into a gale of wind and shot toward the Danling Sect.
Caught off guard, ng Qing fell backward.
Lin Hao caught her, pulling her into a full embrace.
His left and right hands landed on two highlands—very soft and supple.
"What’s this?" Lin Hao asked in confusion, giving them a couple of squeezes as he spoke.
ng Qing’s entire body felt as if it had been struck by lightning, and a cloying moan escaped her lips.
Lin Hao felt as if he’d been struck by lightning himself, finally realizing what he was touching.
For a mont, the two of them were exceptionally awkward.
Only the howling wind raged in their ears.
But even the raging wind couldn’t disperse the heat rising in their hearts...
"Turtle Egg, what’s wrong?" Lin Hao didn’t know how much ti had passed before he realized Turtle Egg was motionless and couldn’t help but ask.
"’Get lost’?! Excuse , do you have an invitation?" an irritated voice sounded from ahead.
Only then did Lin Hao’s mind return to the present.
He looked up and saw that their path was blocked.
Four Danling Sect disciples were staring at him with unfriendly expressions, their gazes periodically flicking toward ng Qing.
"An invitation?" Lin Hao paused, then shook his head.
Before coming, he had received a letter from Master Shan Dan, which stated that the token he had given Lin Hao could serve as a pass, so no invitation had been issued.
"If you don’t have an invitation, what trouble are you causing? And you dare to tell us to ’get lost’? You’ve got so nerve! Do you have any idea where you are? This is the Danling Sect, one of the four great sects of the Southern Border Prefecture," one disciple said arrogantly.
Before, they had been stealing furtive glances at ng Qing. But after seeing Lin Hao shake his head, the four of them beca brazen.
"Of course, she doesn’t need an invitation. We welco her," another disciple said with a grin, reaching out to grab ng Qing’s hand.
"Hmph!"
Lin Hao snorted coldly and stuffed sothing into the disciple’s lecherous claws.
The disciple glanced at it casually, tossed it backward, and said disdainfully, "A worthless token. I’ve seen plenty of trinkets like this."
Lin Hao’s eyes grew cold, but he remained silent.
"S-Senior Brother..." A voice sounded from behind the disciple, and a hand grabbed his right arm.
"What is it!" the disciple snapped, turning around with an annoyed look on his face.
’I was just about to touch her delicate hand, what’s with the interruption!’
"The... the token," a disciple from behind stamred, holding out the token he had just caught.
His hand was trembling as if he were holding not a token, but a hot potato.
"It’s just..." The disciple who had reached out didn’t finish his sentence. He suddenly clamped his mouth shut, spun around, and dropped to his knees with a THUD.
Without a word, he began slapping himself across the face. SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!
The slaps were fast and vicious.
The mont he finished, his face was already badly swollen.
The other three were only half a beat behind him, also dropping to their knees.
ng Qing’s small mouth fell open, her beautiful eyes filled with confusion.
She didn’t understand why these n had changed their tune so quickly.
’Right, the token.’
"Oh? So you recognize this ’worthless token’?" Lin Hao asked, his eyes narrowed into a grin.
Hearing Lin Hao’s words, the four of them trembled, looking as if they were about to cry.
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