MOF Chapter 2
by VolareJust like last night, Xie Yiling was once again riding Nangong Ci’s spirit sword, the cool morning wind carrying an aggressive chill, whistling past his ears.
The morning dew shimmered with golden light, making Xie Yiling’s face feel hot. Nangong Ci suddenly stopped the spirit sword by the roadside.
Without waiting for the disciples to ask, he said, “The journey is long, let’s rest here for a while.”
The disciples glanced at the sickly Xie Yiling, understanding in their hearts. Turning their heads, they saw a small shop by the roadside.
They greeted the shopkeeper and sat down properly at the square table, only occasionally whispering a few words.
Cultivators had long since achieved spiritual purification and didn’t need to eat. However, Xie Yiling had returned to a mortal body and had to fill his stomach.
He looked inside the shop and saw the shopkeeper quickly stirring the boiling water in the pot, scooping up thin, white noodles into a bowl, adding a spoonful of fragrant minced meat sauce, and sprinkling a handful of green scallions. The aroma seemed to grow legs and burrowed straight into his nose, stirring up a craving.
Xie Yiling couldn’t help swallowing, but when he touched his body, he found that he was penniless. He seemingly casually shifted his gaze, about to go and sit with Si Wumian and the others, when Azurefall blocked his path.
Nangong Ci said concisely, “I’ll pay. Go eat.”
His voice was already low and magnetic, exceptionally pleasant, and these words were exactly what he needed. They sounded like heavenly music to Xie Yiling’s ears.
“Thank you, Master!”
Xie Yiling’s heart warmed, and the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but rise. His eyes were still on Nangong Ci, but his feet had already moved towards the shopkeeper.
“One bowl of noodles!”
“Alright, please wait a moment, esteemed guest!”
Xie Yiling chose an empty table to sit at. Nangong Ci walked over and sat to his left.
The sun was bright, the wind was calm, and occasionally people passed by on their way, either glancing at the small shop and continuing on their way, or sitting down to drink tea and eat noodles.
Xie Yiling picked up his chopsticks and had just eaten two mouthfuls of noodles when a red-clothed woman appeared on the road, and the eyes of the people around him gathered on her.
Although the woman’s face was hidden behind a beaded curtain, her appearance was still visibly enchanting, her red lips slightly raised. She moved with each step as if a snake, twisting her body. When she brushed past people, she left behind a woody fragrance that one couldn’t quite name.
It was deep autumn, and the temperature was low and cold, but she wore a thin red dress, vaguely revealing her fragrant shoulders and jade waist. Her legs were hidden by a skirt that rippled like water, and she walked barefoot on the ground, her ankles tied with intertwined golden chains with bells that chimed with each step.
Xie Yiling’s expression changed slightly. This woman didn’t look like she came from a simple background.
The unusual clothing and exotic fragrance – could she be a foreigner?
“Shopkeeper, a bowl of noodles.”
The soft voice sounded after the woman sat down. The shopkeeper was stunned for a long time before he said, “Okay, okay, please wait a moment, miss!”
Si Wumian and Nangong Ning’an exchanged glances, and both saw vigilance in each other’s eyes.
He lowered his voice and said, “Everyone be careful.”
Nangong Ci’s expression didn’t change much. He only glanced at the woman at the beginning before focusing his attention on Xie Yiling, who was eating noodles.
Xie Yiling lowered his head to eat the noodles, occasionally glancing around. Although the location of this small shop wasn’t in a completely deserted wilderness, it certainly wasn’t close to being lively.
Remembering the Yin corpses, he couldn’t help but say, “Master, Senior Brother Wumian said that there have been Yin corpses in various cities recently. Isn’t it unsafe to have this shop open here?”
Nangong Ci raised his eyes, taking in the surrounding terrain of the shop, “This road is not only the only way to Ink City, but also a road with a lot of traffic between other cities. Although those Yin corpses are low in intelligence, even without spiritual intelligence, they are naturally inclined to avoid spiritual power and seek out evil.”
“I see.” Xie Yiling understood, “Because there are many cultivators passing by on this road, the accompanying spiritual energy is strong, and the Yin corpses will unconsciously avoid this road.”
Besides these reasons, making a living was also a major factor.
While the two were talking, a bare, scorching gaze had been staring at them directly from the side.
After Xie Yiling noticed it, he looked back and saw that the red-clothed woman’s eyes were burning, fixed on Nangong Ci’s face.
He subconsciously frowned slightly and looked at Nangong Ci. It was undeniable that Nangong Ci’s appearance was stunning, and his demeanor was even more like a jade tree, his temperament as pure as white snow. Anyone who passed by couldn’t help but take a second glance.
But the woman’s glances were a little too long.
The noodles in the bowl became tasteless, and Xie Yiling stared straight back, as if trying to determine a winner. The woman noticed his gaze, but she wasn’t afraid. She casually sized him up twice and then looked back at Nangong Ci.
Xie Yiling raised his eyebrows slightly, a little interested.
Nangong Ci saw him tilting his head and not moving, not eating his noodles, and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Shh.” Xie Yiling put his finger to his lips and said in a low voice, “Master, I’m watching a show.”
Nangong Ci asked, “What show?”
Xie Yiling’s mouth curled slightly: “A show of ‘The Neighboring Girl Peeking at the Table.'”
Nangong Ci followed his gaze and happened to meet the woman’s eyes.
The red-clothed woman’s eyes were bright as autumn waves flowing, staring at him without blinking, her snow-white wrist propping up her pink cheek, smiling but saying nothing.
The shopkeeper came over with a bowl of noodles and placed it on the table: “Miss, please enjoy!”
The heat blurred the woman’s face. Nangong Ci lightly furrowed his brow, a hint of puzzlement flashing across his face.
He naturally understood what Xie Yiling meant by “The Neighboring Girl Peeking at the Table,” but he didn’t know why this woman was always looking at him.
Xie Yiling finished the noodle soup in a few gulps, and a money bag appeared on the table.
He glanced at the money bag, then at Nangong Ci, and reached out to take a few copper coins, not forgetting to say, “Master, let’s go after paying.”
He got up and walked to the window of the small shop, and put the copper coins inside. When he turned around, he discovered that in this short moment, the woman had taken over his position, sitting with the bowl of noodles in its original place, looking at Nangong Ci with affection.
Xie Yiling pursed his lips, turned down the corners of his mouth, and his face wasn’t very good.
At the other tables, the disciples looked at each other, not daring to make a sound after seeing this scene.
Nangong Ci, the person being watched, seemed not to see the woman in front of him. He picked up Azurefall, which was placed on the table, and was about to get up and leave.
The woman quickly raised her hand, about to press down on his hand along with the sword, but Nangong Ci deftly dodged it.
Xie Yiling’s eyes widened instantly.
This woman was bold and unrestrained. It probably wouldn’t work to restrain her with ordinary etiquette.
Although he and Nangong Ci were nominally master and disciple, their relationship had only just been established and wasn’t solid, so it wasn’t easy to say anything.
But who was he? The clever and quick-witted Xie Yiling. If he couldn’t deal with this kind of thing, then he would have learned his skills in vain.
While the shopkeeper was cooking the noodles, he saw out of the corner of his eye that the handsome guest had given the copper coins but hadn’t left, standing in front of him, casting half a shadow. He picked up the noodles and put them into the bowl one by one, finally having the time to curiously look up.
This look almost made him drop his chopsticks into the pot. He saw that the person who had just been fine was now frowning, his lips tightly pursed, half-closing his eyes, his body swaying like a dying candle, looking almost useless.
“Oh dear!” The shopkeeper put the chopsticks on the cutting board, slapped his thigh, and shouted, “Esteemed guest, are you alright?!”
This shout attracted everyone’s attention. Nangong Ci reacted extremely quickly, moving to Xie Yiling’s side almost in the next second.
Si Wumian and the others also immediately stood up and walked towards them.
Xie Yiling supported his forehead, and when Nangong Ci approached, he took advantage of the situation and fell backward. However, he didn’t grasp the strength and sat directly on the ground, fainting neatly.
Fortunately, Nangong Ci caught him in time, holding him so that he leaned against his chest.
“Is Senior Brother Xie alright?”
“Could it be that some disease suddenly broke out?”
The disciples surrounded the two, speaking with concern. The other guests looked at the noodles in their bowls, not daring to use their chopsticks, and all pricked up their ears to listen.
The light above their heads was blocked, with only some gaps letting out golden light, mottled on Xie Yiling’s face.
His complexion was already fair, and now with his weak body, the golden light made him almost transparent, as if he would turn into smoke and disappear with the wind in the next moment.
Xie Yiling slowly woke up, squinting his eyes, his breathing intermittent: “Master… my head is so dizzy…”
The shopkeeper was anxious and sweating profusely, walking around outside. He couldn’t help but come forward and say, “Esteemed guest, I’ve been running this shop here for several years, and I’ve never had this kind of thing happen…”
Si Wumian said considerately, “Shopkeeper, don’t panic. My senior brother’s body is not good, and it has nothing to do with the food in your shop. We won’t hold you accountable.”
Hearing the words “won’t hold you accountable,” the shopkeeper breathed a sigh of relief. In his urgency just now, his mouth was dry and his tongue was parched. He didn’t have time to drink a cup of tea, and first loudly conveyed Si Wumian’s words. Seeing that the guests moved their chopsticks, he wiped his sweat with the long towel hanging around his neck and turned to drink water.
Under the gaze of the disciples, Nangong Ci felt Xie Yiling’s pulse and used his spiritual power to probe, but found that his pulse was stable. Although he was weak, there was no danger to his life.
His eyes turned, seeing that Xie Yiling’s expression was uncomfortable and didn’t seem fake, he didn’t dare to make a rash judgment in his heart.
Si Wumian carefully asked, “How is it, Daoist Fufeng? What’s wrong with Senior Brother Xie?”
Xie Yiling leaned against Nangong Ci, feeling his chest vibrate slightly with his breathing, and his heart blossomed with joy. But in the next second, he couldn’t laugh anymore.
His lower back seemed to be pressed against something hard.
Perhaps it was Nangong Ci’s spirit sword?
With this fluke, Xie Yiling squinted his eyes to look back and confirm, but halfway through, he caught a glimpse of Azurefall still placed on the table. Instantly, his whole body stiffened, and something came to his mind, making his face burn like red charcoal.
In full view of everyone, in broad daylight, Nangong Ci, he, he, he!
For a time, words like “a sword in the sky,” “Peng bird spreading its wings,” and “a peak standing alone” leapt out in his mind, unbearable to think about in detail.
Normally, this appearance would clearly be a scene of shyness and embarrassment, but its appearance on Xie Yiling made the surrounding people anxious.
Seeing these symptoms of hot and cold, could it be that he had caught a cold?
Nangong Ci’s distinct fingers stretched over to Xie Yiling’s philtrum, paused for a moment, and then retracted.
Xie Yiling moved his body, wanting to confirm whether his judgment was wrong. Who knew that when he pressed down on that thing, it slipped instead, increasing the area touching his lower back.
The reason in his brain was burned empty, so that he ignored his falling posture, which was to lie sideways in Nangong Ci’s arms.
However, in this way, the woman was also isolated outside the crowd, unable to send secret glances.
Nangong Ci pursed his lips and said, “Xie Ci he…”
The disciples looked over expectantly.
“Probably because he was frightened and chilled last night, his body couldn’t hold on, so he fainted temporarily.”
As soon as these words came out, a sigh of relief sounded, including from Xie Yiling, who was red in the face.
He took advantage of the posture to look up, peeking at Nangong Ci from the cracks of his eyes, pinching the flesh of his palm to force back the guilt, and put on a look of calmness.
Nangong Ci couldn’t possibly not detect that there was nothing wrong with his body. The only possibility was that he was cooperating with him in acting.
Why? This question flashed through his mind. Before he could think about it, Nangong Ci took out a delicate and small white jade bottle and waved it under his nose.
A cool air floated out, burrowing into his nasal cavity. Xie Yiling slowly opened his eyes at the right time.
“Senior Brother Xie, I didn’t expect your body to be so weak. It seems that we will have to take more care of you in the future.”
Si Wumian’s words had no other meaning besides concern. Xie Yiling knew his character and nodded obediently, supporting himself on Nangong Ci’s leg with his elbow, wanting to get up.
A force lifted his waist from behind. Xie Yiling borrowed the force to stand firm and turned back to see Nangong Ci put the white jade bottle into his sleeve, asking himself, “How is it, is your head still dizzy?”
“No.” Xie Yiling supported his forehead with one hand, secretly glancing at Nangong Ci’s lower waist area while his hand was covering his face, not seeing anything unusual, and inexplicably relaxed in his heart.
Nangong Ci suddenly raised his hand and pressed the object on his waist.
Xie Yiling noticed it, took a closer look, and it turned out to be a flute whose color was integrated with the immortal robes.
His eyes widened slightly, but he shifted them again in an instant, pretending not to see it, his ear roots as red as blood jade.
When did Nangong Ci learn to play the flute?
Xie Yiling seemingly unintentionally pinched his ear and glanced at the previous position. The woman was still sitting there steadily.
“Master.” His voice was weak and hoarse, “Your sword is still on the table.”
Nangong Ci said, “I’ll get it.”
He turned to get the sword. The moment his fingers touched Azurefall, a series of beads shot from the side.
Nangong Ci raised his hand and caught all of them with his spiritual power, using force to push them back.
The beaded curtain on the woman’s face, which had turned into a weapon, was all blocked back. She slammed the table, supported herself on the table and turned around in mid-air, her body twisted together, presenting a strange posture that ordinary people couldn’t do, looking at Nangong Ci upside down, spitting a burst of wood chips at Nangong Ci.
Xie Yiling subconsciously wanted to go over and help, but unfortunately, his heart was willing but his strength was insufficient. He could only hide behind others now.
Seeing that the situation was not right, the disciples drew their swords, stood in position, and surrounded the woman.
The shopkeeper was busy for a long time. He looked up and saw that swords were drawn for some reason outside. The heart that had just been relieved was raised to his throat again.
Some of the guests at the table ran away directly with their packages, and some were really hungry, so they held their bowls and hid in the shop, avoiding the crowd.
The wood chips carried a strange fragrance, and once inhaled, a person would become distracted. Nangong Ci held his breath, pushed the scabbard with his thumb, and the light of Azurefall’s unsheathing caused the wood chips to fly backward.
A wooden carved flower rushed straight at Nangong Ci’s face the moment the wood chips scattered.
Nangong Ci lightly touched it with his finger, and the wooden flower solidified in mid-air. The flower heart bloomed, and several gold needles shot at his eyes.
Xie Yiling anxiously said, “Master, be careful!”
The moment the gold needles shot out, the woman climbed towards Nangong Ci in a strange posture, her knuckles protruding, grabbing the table and slamming it hard at Nangong Ci!
Xie Yiling was stunned for a second.
Wouldn’t this kind of fighting method be too simple in front of cultivators? Why didn’t you release some demonic energy to increase your power?
Sure enough, Azurefall split the tabletop in two, and the spiritual power suppressed it, turning the gold needles into powder, scattered diagonally with the wind.
Nangong Ci pinched out a spiritual incantation and placed it on the woman’s head. With a force, the woman’s limbs curled up, her shape like a ball of shriveled insects, only her head twisting madly.
“Ah—”
The scream was cut in half, and a palm-sized puppet appeared in front of everyone.
Nangong Ci used force on his hand, and the puppet shattered into wood chips. His movements were too fast, and the disciples behind him didn’t have time to see clearly.
Only Xie Yiling’s expression changed, and he vaguely guessed what it was. “Master,” he slowly walked over and stared at the wood chips on the ground and asked, “What kind of monster did this woman transform into?”
Nangong Ci shook his head: “Just a piece of wood without spirit or intelligence.”
Azurefall returned to his waist, Nangong Ci paid the shopkeeper for the table, leaving behind an exorcism array around the area, and then set off again with everyone.