Chapter 78: East-West Inn (Part 1): That… Sister?

That day, she protested vigorously, and in the end, she no longer had to risk her life training. But the intensity only dropped a little, still challenging her physical limits. A few days later, Mu Qian Tan could not bear the torment. She stood on the cliff edge, gazing at the setting sun casting its lingering glow, and wanted to simply flick her sleeves and leave.

Unfortunately, the Feng Ling Immortal would not let her have her way. Though she did not force her to stay, the Immortal was cunning and devious. She actually developed a new menu, with every dish so delicious it defied heaven’s logic, leaving her hesitant and torn!

In the end, she stayed. She endured a full month, training more than the previous three hall masters combined.

Mu Qian Tan drank rice wine under the moonlight, truly unable to figure it out. The most easygoing hall master had made her suffer the most.

After it ended, Jiang Zhouyao let her take some ingredients back. Mu Qian Tan was not polite at all. She swept through the local specialties like bandits raiding a village, nearly emptying Cliff Mountain’s warehouse, all to soothe her depressed mood.

It worked quite well. Over the next two months, smiles appeared on her face.

As for why there were no more after two months?

Because it was time to work.

Entering the sixth month, the weather warmed up. The sun blazed down fiercely, draping Azure Palace in a layer of golden light.

While blowing wind in front of the hall and gazing into the distance, her eyes held only blue. The sound of waves crashing against the rocks washed over her ears. In a daze, it felt like she had returned to when she first arrived last year, facing the same sky and the same sea.

It had actually been a year.

But in the original story, it was not even a quarter of the way through….

As she calculated the time, a girl’s loud voice came from behind: “Hey, aren’t you eating too much?”

The beautiful seascape shattered just like that. Mu Qian Tan turned to look and saw Shang Shan holding a plate with slow-cooked fish meat, all cut into chunks, red and white pieces. She fed the meat chunks to the parrot Zhengchun. The bird had glossy feathers, vibrant and colorful. It bobbed its head cleverly and laughed uproariously to the sky after eating a piece of meat.

The Pig-Nose Snake Red Silk coiled on Shang Shan’s arm, not fighting for it, but opening its mouth in an attempt to wait for some fish meat.

Shang Shan set down the meat chunk and rubbed Zhengchun’s round belly with her hand, chiding: “You’re a bird! No more eating, or you won’t be able to fly!”

Zhengchun flapped its wings and squawked: “Need feeding! Need feeding!”

“No feeding!” Shang Shan said angrily: “I taught you so many phrases, and all you know is this one. You’re doing it on purpose, aren’t you? Definitely! You ate way too much already, greedier than me!”

Zhengchun threw its head back, unconvinced, and was about to squawk again when it suddenly saw something and went instantly silent. It twisted its body and looked toward the horizon. Shang Shan reacted and turned her head: “Master!”

Mu Qian Tan sat down at the table: “Mm.”

Shang Shan said mysteriously: “I have a question for you.”

Her chopsticks were still dripping water, perhaps just washed. Mu Qian Tan picked them up, wiped them, and used them. She glanced at the girl and gestured for her to spit it out.

Cupping her hands over her mouth, Shang Shan asked quietly with bright eyes: “Is my cooking better, or is the Feng Ling Immortal’s cooking better?”

After asking, she covered her mouth, shrugged her shoulders, and swung her legs as she waited for the answer.

Mu Qian Tan said decisively: “Feng Ling.”

Shang Shan was greatly disappointed: “I’ve asked you so many times. Can’t you say it’s me just once?”

“You know you’ve asked many times?”

During that month on Cliff Mountain, Mu Qian Tan’s appetite had skyrocketed. Though she never said she liked it outright, her empty bowls every time proved it. She really liked Jiang Zhouyao’s cooking—so much that even that little bird’s glass stomach could hold a few more bites.

The Brain-Damaged Dragon discovered this point. She held back from saying anything on Cliff Mountain, but after they returned, she started asking slyly every time, always getting an unsatisfactory answer, yet asking again and again—like whack-a-mole, one popped up as soon as another was whacked, endlessly.

Shang Shan said: “I thought you’d say I’m great at least once.”

Mu Qian Tan spread a lie: “I’m very honest. I won’t say nonsense.”

Hearing this, even if she was silly, past lessons were vivid. She could not take it seriously. Shang Shan said: “Don’t you trick me all the time? Why can’t you trick me this time?”

“What’s in it for me to make up that lie?”

“I’ll be happy.”

“Your happiness isn’t my happiness.”

“Hmph. But if you’re happy, I’ll be happy too.” Shang Shan lowered her head and glared at her, poking her bowl with chopsticks: “But it seems my happiness won’t make you happy.”

Mu Qian Tan lowered her gaze: “What tongue twister is that?”

Another obviously perfunctory reply. Shang Shan pouted and fell silent. She finished her porridge, then devoured all the dishes with the speed of a whirlwind. She slammed her bowl on the table: “All mine! Not leaving any for you!”

Her chopsticks moved too fast. Mu Qian Tan had just picked up a bit of side dish when all the plates were empty.

“….” Mu Qian Tan picked at some porridge with her chopstick tips and ate it. She was not angry, just recalling what she was like at fifteen… no, sixteen. She should not have been this annoying kid.

After recalling, indeed not. She felt relieved.

After breakfast, Shang Shan washed the bowls. Mu Qian Tan returned to the hall and changed into a light blue outfit, form-fitting and neat, sharp like the edge of a blade—thin and keen. It made her face look even colder, exuding an aura that seemed to disdain even the air around her.

She went out to the courtyard and applied the disguise mask by the pool. That cold face immediately changed to another: a clear-featured woman, even a bit gentle. She checked the last side in the water, saw no issues, then turned the Bu Yao into a white hair ribbon and tied it in her hair. With hands behind her back, she waited under the tree.

Shang Shan stacked the bowls and shook water droplets from her hands. She saw a rather refined stranger in blue clothes standing under the tree, looking this way, and could not help but say in surprise: “What is Master doing?”

Mu Qian Tan subconsciously touched her face. The mask was on properly.

Last time, this girl said she could recognize her at a glance. Mu Qian Tan could not, so this was a little test. It turned out she really could. If it were her, she would not recognize Shang Shan just from a change of clothes and hairstyle.

Shang Shan walked closer, as if observing: “Master?”

Mu Qian Tan dropped her hand: “Disguise. You need one too. Go change clothes.”

Shang Shan grabbed her collar: “This is my only one. And why do we have to do this?”

Mu Qian Tan said: “Aren’t you going to Pot City to watch the performance?”

Shang Shan nodded: “Yeah! My friends are performing iron fireworks! Golden stars all over the sky, super pretty. They taught me how to make masks back then. I really like it….”

“Stop.” Mu Qian Tan cut off her chatterbox: “Don’t ask why. Just change if I say so.”

Only then did she remember that she really only had this one outfit. She wore it every day, washed it when dirty, and hung it on a tree, while running around naked all over the mountains. Luckily, Narrow Sea only had the two of them. Otherwise, the dignified female protagonist’s naked body would have been seen by who knows how many people.

“Can I wear your clothes then?” Shang Shan compared their heights: “I’m not much shorter than you.”

Mu Qian Tan straightened her back slightly: “Way shorter, Dwarf Winter Melon.”

Shang Shan jumped up: “Why do you still call me that! I’m not the me from last year anymore!”

Ignoring her fuss, Mu Qian Tan eyed her Dawn Robe, frowned in thought for a moment, and considered: “No need to change. Beggar clothes like that are everywhere anyway.”

“I’m not a beggar,” Shang Shan muttered, still puzzled: “So why change clothes?”

The reason was not easy to explain.

The next main storyline stop, Pot City, was in the northern region. The entire city hid in the mountains, wrapped in a ring of red rocks, shaped like a pottery pot, hence the name. In the original book, it was where the female protagonist obtained the trunk, unlocked the qi aperture—her final stop. It was also where the male and female protagonists reunited, their feelings advancing slightly in an ambiguous spot of great significance to both.

For Mu Qian Tan, it held significance too, just negative.

It was where the first of the three tasks that damaged her reputation the most occurred.

The burning of Infant Spirit Manor!

The rumor went that Yao’e chased a demon to Pot City. Her skills were lacking, and the demon escaped into the infant manor. She entered the village but could not find it in time, fearing it would escape. Afraid of losing it and damaging her reputation, or the demon causing more trouble if it fled, she went mad and set a fire, burning everyone in the village alive just to catch that demon!

Hundreds of innocents died in their sweet dreams. They resented, they hated. Their souls lingered over the village, cries unending, resentment soaring to the heavens!

Mu Qian Tan had read this rumor carefully while devouring books recently, but the most detailed accounts only covered this much. The follow-up was just that Panxiang Yin and Qin Shuang stepped in, and it ended there. So what exactly happened with the infant manor fire, whose fault it was—none of it was clear. But the outcome was written in black and white very clearly:

Pot City strictly banned Tianyu Sect’s Yao’e from entering.

In the original book, the Yao’e Immortal did not accompany the female protagonist to Pot City, so the ban had no effect. But since Mu Qian Tan was going, she could not stroll in openly knowing the ban—it would be like provoking them outright. So disguising her identity was crucial.

This was not easy to explain, and admitting a whole city had blacklisted her was a bit embarrassing. Mu Qian Tan said impatiently: “I said don’t ask. So much nonsense. Hurry and get your luggage. We’re leaving.”

She summoned White Pupil and mounted it, ready to depart. Shang Shan immediately straightened up and hurriedly grabbed Zhengchun: “I want to show my parrot and snake to my friends. Okay?”

During these days apart from her friends, she had made some new ones, but sadly could not bring the new friends along to play together. But sharing these two was nice too!

Recalling a certain plot from the original, Mu Qian Tan glanced at her meaningfully: “Up to you.”

The two sat steadily amid the white feathers. The immortal crane raised its neck and cried out, then soared into the air, breaking through the clouds toward the north.

Cool wind brushed past their ears, rolling clouds racing below. Mu Qian Tan used spiritual power to lock White Pupil’s flight direction, opened her package, and pulled out a book.

She had borrowed many books before, cramming history with decent gains. She understood parts of this world’s rules now, no longer like a transmigrator from another world, leaning more toward “local.” Even if she left the sect later, she would not fare too badly.

These new ones were borrowed after Xie Mei learned her cultivation basics were weak, to supplement her knowledge. She had not looked yet. With days of travel to Pot City, it was perfect to read and learn some simple spells.

As she flipped open the book, Shang Shan rolled over and tugged her clothes.

“What.”

She handed over a steamed bun with one hand: “For you.”

Mu Qian Tan frowned: “Not eating. Why bring this?”

Shang Shan scooted closer: “I ate all the veggies this morning. Got enough?”

“…” Mu Qian Tan said: “Do I have a pig stomach like you?”

Shang Shan said: “No way. Pigs don’t eat as much as me.”

Mu Qian Tan said: “Good that you know.”

Shang Shan dangled the bun: “I’m afraid you’ll go hungry in the morning and get a stomachache later.”

Mu Qian Tan ignored her.

Seemed unnecessary. She took back the bun and ate it in two or three bites. Shang Shan lay flat on her back, bent her legs with knees knocking together, and said: “I’m super happy you’re coming with me to watch the performance.”

Mu Qian Tan turned a page: “You’re happy too soon.”

“Ah? What do you mean, Master?”

Mu Qian Tan said: “Once we reach Pot City, don’t call me Master.”

“Then what should I call you?”

“Whatever.”

“Whatever?” Shang Shan tried: “Auntie?”

Mu Qian Tan nearly spat blood. What a leap. She closed the book and pinched the girl’s neck with one hand: “Think again.”

Shang Shan blinked, utterly unafraid, and tried another: “That… sister?”