Chapter 84

They were mere mortals who had at most glimpsed those harmless demons outside, marveling at their bizarre shapes. They had never encountered immortal arts slamming right into their faces like this. The whole group leaped to their feet, knocking over tables, chairs, and stools as they rushed to the door. They pounded on the thick layer of ice, their palms growing numb and painful from the cold due to excessive force, yet they couldn’t budge the ice even a fraction.

Knife Bro grabbed a stool and bellowed for everyone to get out of the way. The others scattered with a clatter, but when he smashed the stool against the wall, it didn’t even leave a white mark. That stuff didn’t seem like ice at all—more like a massive stone wall. Some thought of other exits and hurried to open the windows, only to find the outside sealed in frost as well.

They were completely trapped!

Terror immediately rose in their hearts. The room only had a few jars of wine and a bag of peanuts. If they stayed locked in like this without getting out, wouldn’t they just starve to death in this place?

In their panic, Knife Bro figured out who was behind it. He pressed against the ice and shouted, “Shang Shan! We’re just joking around with you!”

The others caught on too. That kid hung out with demons, so she must know some demon arts. Things had gone wrong right after she left—it had to be her doing. They all started yelling, trying to coax her back.

However, the ice wall absorbed every sound. No matter how loudly they shouted, nothing reached the outside.

A flicker of spiritual light faded from Mu Qian Tan’s fingertip. She shook her sleeve to cover her finger.

What a stinky, noisy bunch. Since they thought everyone was weird, it was even better to leave them alone in a space where no one else could see them—just facing each other’s “normal” faces. How thoughtful.

Mu Qian Tan was just that kind-hearted. She liked doing good deeds and couldn’t stand seeing people upset, so she lent a hand. They must be thrilled beyond control.

Curses continued nonstop in her ears. Shang Shan dragged the fidgeting Tan Que downstairs to the lobby, then asked at the counter where the Monster Play Troupe was staying. After getting the address, she planned to take the girl back to rest for a bit before grabbing a big meal.

Playdream Pavilion provided hundreds of rooms for visitors, so the streets on both sides belonged to the pavilion grounds. The address he’d given was across the street—a short walk away.

Shang Shan stepped outside into the warm sunlight. She’d felt a chill on the back of her neck the whole way down, but now it finally eased. After just two steps, Tan Que, worn out from cursing, wriggled free from her grasp and hooked an arm around her neck instead. “I’ve been wanderin’ far and wide for years, and I ain’t never seen someone as shameless as that. If you take their words to heart, you’d be a fool. You ain’t like that, right?”

She was clearly just out playing, yet she used a worldly phrase like “wandering far and wide.” Paired with her age, it was a little amusing. And the one next to her wasn’t much more experienced either—they matched well. Shang Shan shook her head. “I won’t. I’ve already forgotten!”

“That’s right—just forget it. If water gets in your ears by accident, just pour it out!” Tan Que patted her own ears and adopted an elder’s tone again. “And so what if we’re weird? We gotta be weird. There’s a pond full of frogs—some have long tongues, some jump high, some save people, some are even poisonous! If just one pond of frogs has that much variety, aren’t people even more strange and varied?”

“That’s why I didn’t wanna stay in the village, why I went up the mountain every day. All those blabbermouths in the village—anyone could call me weird, say I was nuts for talkin’ to cats and dogs. If my dad wasn’t the village head, they’d have chased me out!

Shang Shan said, “That’s awful!”

Tan Que said, “Yeah! Bullyin’ people is awful! Those stinky friends of yours tricked you into Pot City and said that crap to you—that’s awful squared! But makin’ friends is like walkin’—easy to step in shit. Just watch your step next time.”

She let out a long sigh, revealing the gap where a front tooth was missing, then patted Shang Shan’s shoulder solemnly. “Neither of us is too bright. We’re perfect for bein’ friends—no one can fool us.”

The words were still meant as comfort, even if they made one want to spit blood a little. Tan Que suddenly remembered something and asked, “Almost forgot—I been meanin’ to ask, how old are you?”

Shang Shan let her drape an arm over her shoulder and replied, “Sixteen.”

Tan Que exclaimed in surprise, “Whoa, you’re older than me! Then I’ll call you Shan Big Sis, and you call me Little Sister Que. It’s settled.”

The nickname felt oddly strange, but Shang Shan couldn’t quite put her finger on why. While she was still dazed, her head suddenly felt lighter—a black shadow flashed by overhead. She followed it with her gaze and saw that Tan Que had snatched off her mask. Tan Que flipped it over, inspecting it with disdain. “Stinky shit gifts are stinky too. Toss it—make a new one later!”

With a casual flick, she sent the mask spinning into the crowd. Shang Shan instinctively reached to pick it up, but her fingers paused just as they extended, then withdrew.

Something made from a gourd couldn’t match a magic tool’s toughness, so it naturally couldn’t withstand the trampling feet. One person stepped on it, and the mask shattered in an instant. More feet came down, grinding the fragments further until they lost all original shape, blending into the yellow dirt road.

Shang Shan stared blankly.

She had left her village with that mask, carrying it through many places and dangers. She herself had been injured and bled countless times, but the mask had always stayed intact. Part of that was her careful care, but she also felt that perhaps, having imbued it with some special meaning, it had become different.

But now, one foot had crushed it. So it was something that broke so easily after all?

Tan Que hooked her arm around Shang Shan again. “Didn’t you wanna eat good stuff? I’ll treat you! Come on, come on.”

Dragged forward, Shang Shan gave the ground one last glance and went along. “Think it over—I’m a big eater. You’ll be broke!”

“Broke is broke—eat up! I wanna see if your stomach’s really a bottomless pit.”

They decided not to head back to Playdream Pavilion yet and planned to find a restaurant for a feast. Tan Que craned her neck searching for a shop, but her height limited her view. She hopped onto the steps of a nearby store for a better look farther ahead when a burst of screams erupted from the crowd in front.

The two exchanged a glance. Shang Shan climbed onto the steps too and peered toward the commotion. At the end of the street, the crowd surged, parting to the sides in chaos—chickens flying, dogs jumping, shouts everywhere, as if fleeing some flood beast. Someone yelled for it to stop, but the momentum ahead didn’t slow—it had to be something fleeing in front.

As they got a closer look, Shang Shan narrowed her eyes and saw the pursued thing was a dumpling-like black ball, about the size of two human heads. It bounced and rolled like a headless fly, sending everyone into blind panic, dodging to the sides. In the chaos, a child tripped and fell flat, unable to get up, right in the path of the black ball!

Shang Shan’s thoughts hadn’t even stirred before her feet moved. Like a flying bird, she leaped over the crowd’s heads and landed in front of the child. She slammed a fist into the ground, sending dust billowing skyward. A golden curtain of spiritual power unfurled, and the black ball smashed straight into it, emitting the puffing sound of clay being squished. The impact was so great that both the person and the ball shuddered.

The black ball seemed dazed. It wobbled and rolled a short distance before its spherical body disassembled—limbs and torso splaying out, short and small, clay-like. Its face lacked features except for a single massive eye taking up half, the eyeball rolling in circles.

Shang Shan shook out her hand, turned to help up the fallen child, then picked up the clay figurine, puzzled. “What is this?”

The surrounding people relaxed only after seeing the thing subdued, daring to glance at it, but no one recognized it. Tan Que pushed through the crowd and leaned down for a look, exclaiming oddly, “A demon? Why’s it shaped like that? I ain’t seen one before.”

Shang Shan said, “Me neither.” She turned her head, spotting her master standing in the crowd. Before she could ask, someone snatched the demon from her hand.

“Got you.”

Her hand emptied. Shang Shan blinked in a daze, turning to look. A man wearing a wide-brimmed hat and long white robes stood before her. He panted heavily, sweat pouring down his face—he must have chased it all the way here. Now with a moment to breathe, he gripped the clay figurine and growled hatefully, “You sure can run. I’ll crush you to dust later!”

Shang Shan glanced up inadvertently and noticed four small words embroidered on his hat: Demon-Exorcising Little Immortal. His outfit matched those of the gatekeepers in Pot City—probably standard uniform. Their hats likely read Gatekeeper Little Immortal.

“Hey, you there—don’t go!” Little Immortal called out, pointing behind Shang Shan. “The kid got saved—don’t you know to thank him?”

The child had nearly been smashed by the demon and was still badly shaken. Even saved and unharmed, she stayed rigid, afraid to move. A headscarf woman softly called to her, but getting no response, she quietly approached to scoop up the child and slip away. He was calling to her. The woman shuddered all over and stopped.

Seeing her timid, not daring to lift her head before Little Immortal, Shang Shan said, “No need to thank me. I was just…”

“If not for the Pot God watching from above, your child would’ve been gone.” Little Immortal’s voice boomed like thunder. He glared fixedly at the headscarf woman—not urging so much as threatening. “You don’t know gratitude, don’t revere the divine. Next time, the Pot God won’t protect you. So many demons out grabbing people for Hell! You want to go down there with your kid?”

The headscarf woman’s face instantly drained of color. “I didn’t, sir. I didn’t…”

Little Immortal bellowed, “Kneel! How dare you stand while speaking to this immortal!”

The headscarf woman’s face paled further. With a thud, she dropped to her knees, kowtowing repeatedly. “I know I was wrong, sir. Forgive me. The child’s innocent—it’s me. I was afraid of offending the immortal, so I wanted to leave quietly. I don’t disrespect the Pot God. I’m grateful. See, I have a protective talisman on me…”

Her trembling hands pulled out the protective talisman from her bosom, offering it up for Little Immortal to see. Many onlookers were travelers to the area. Seeing the woman’s pitiful words, they all showed reluctance and doubt on their faces. Local residents, however, acted as if accustomed to it, their expressions unchanged. Tan Que couldn’t hold back and muttered to the side, “What’s he yappin’ about? You saved the kid—why thank some god that’s not even here?”

Little Immortal overheard. His smug satisfaction from the woman’s worship froze. His brows shot up, eyes bulging in disbelief. He roared, his whole body shaking. “What did you say? You’re questioning the Pot God?”

Tan Que said, “Yeah.”

He’d thought that would scare her off, but she just agreed. Little Immortal choked, his rage exploding further. “Every inch of land in this world, every person, enjoys the Pot God’s grace. Without it, where would the Cup-Pot Immortal Realm come from? How could you live such good lives!”

While he spoke, Shang Shan helped up the headscarf woman, patted the child’s head, and infused her with a bit of gentle spiritual power. The frightened-stiff child finally relaxed and threw herself into her mother’s arms. Shang Shan whispered, “You should go.”

Tears welled in the headscarf woman’s eyes. She murmured a few thanks and left hugging the child.

Shang Shan watched them go, then tugged Tan Que’s sleeve. “Let’s go too.”

Tan Que rubbed her belly. “Yeah, I’m starving.”

These two treated him like air, ignoring everything he’d said. Baring his teeth, he noticed the woman was gone too. How long had it been since he’d swallowed such insult? His face twisted.

But before he could say more, the curly-haired girl approached. Though dressed in unremarkable beggar clothes, her posture was straight and striking, her features exceptionally beautiful—pity they were blue-tinged.

Her hands hung naturally at her sides, golden spiritual energy leaking faintly from her palms—not a good sign. Little Immortal judged her a cultivator, and possibly a strong one.

Shang Shan said, “Stop pressing her. Even if she wants to thank the Pot God, she shouldn’t kneel to you. Don’t make trouble for her. You’ve caught the demon—now go.”

Having lost too much face in public today, Little Immortal’s complexion shifted from green to white. Unwilling to end it like this, he pondered his odds of winning when a chill suddenly rose from underfoot, making him shiver.

He looked down to see a faint blue formation shimmering on the ground, snowflakes drifting within, emanating bone-piercing cold.

A supreme immortal capable of conjuring a grand formation from thin air was nearby!

Little Immortal jerked his head up and saw, amid the crowd not far off, a clear-featured woman gazing calmly at him.

The woman’s expression was serene. She said nothing, but the warning was clear. The formation’s center was right under her feet, unnoticed by those around—as if only he was targeted. Any move, and he’d be hit instantly. The consequences were unpredictable.

Right at that moment, the demon in his hand woke up. It frantically clawed at Little Immortal’s hand, trying to break free from the restraints. Its huge eyeballs rolled around, as if searching for someone. Little Immortal seized this opportunity to back off. He turned and bolted away, shouting, “This Immortal still has important matters to attend to. I’ll let you off the hook this time….”

He slunk away sheepishly. Before he left, that Clay Figurine seemed to glance over here again. Shang Shan didn’t notice. She withdrew the spiritual power from her palm and imitated Tan Que by hooking her arm around her shoulder. “Let’s go, let’s go. We’ll go eat.”

It was just a small interlude. Apart from some discussing how stunning the girl’s appearance was, the crowd of onlookers gradually dispersed. Tan Que was still complaining about that weirdo immortal. Shang Shan responded in words. She looked back and found that her master was no longer in place.

Having completed what was supposed to be the Male Protagonist’s task, Mu Qian Tan was too lazy to go out strolling with those two anymore. Instead, she first returned to Playdream Pavilion, ate something simple, and ran into Hu Xinsu on her way upstairs. He said, “Immortal Wang Lan, this is the key to your room.”

When those people had asked her name, Mu Qian Tan had happened to think of the Crane-Gazing Orchid Step-Shake on her head. She casually made up a name, dropping “Crane” and keeping “Wang Lan,” thus becoming Immortal Wang Lan. She took the key, nodded slightly, and went upstairs by herself.

She opened the door with the key. The room was large and spacious, with two beds. Hu Xinsu had probably assumed she would room with Shang Shan, so he chose this layout.

The two beds were different sizes. One was by the window, with a good view. It was also more airy and comfortable. Mu Qian Tan unhesitatingly chose that one. She slept a bit in the room, read a book, cultivated for a moment, then went downstairs to order dinner.

Outside was very lively. The sounds of music and revelry never stopped. It sounded somewhat interesting, but she had no interest in joining. After she finished eating, she returned to the room. Just as she finished bathing and lay on the bed, the door opened.

“Wow.” Shang Shan held a roasted sweet potato. When she saw the two beds, she said delightedly, “I get a bed to sleep on too.”

This sounded quite pitiful. Mu Qian Tan propped the pillow behind her waist and leaned against the headboard. She said lazily, “Had enough fun?”

Shang Shan entered the room and closed the door behind her. “Mm, I ate so many things.” She sat on the edge of the bed and bounced up and down. “The bed is so soft.”

Mu Qian Tan picked up the tea by the bed, took a sip, and turned a page in her book.

Shang Shan asked, “Do you want some roasted sweet potato?”

“No.”

Shang Shan devoured the sweet potato, skin and all, in just a few bites. She swung her legs while holding her hands for a bit. Then she pulled out two copper coins from her bosom, hopped off the bed, scurried to Mu Qian Tan’s bedside, and showed them off with a grin. “Look!”

Mu Qian Tan glanced at them. The two copper coins were deformed somehow, and their surfaces were still covered in dust. There was nothing worth looking at. She said, “Did you go begging?”

Each hand pinched one copper coin, which she held up to her eyes like a pair of new eyeballs. Shang Shan sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed and laughed. “These were on my mask. I picked them back up. I thought I’d lost them, but surprisingly, they were still there. Everyone is so rich. They don’t even pick up money dropped on the ground.”

The eye holes on her mask had originally been embedded with two coins. Now that the mask was broken, she couldn’t easily pick them up, so she had simply taken the coins back.

“…” Just as she expected, Mu Qian Tan said speechlessly, “Two copper coins—so tiny, people might not even notice them. Who would pick them up?”

Shang Shan put down the coins, bit her lower lip, and muttered, “Seems like that’s the case.”

She quietly poked at the coins for a bit. Then, with nothing to say, she made conversation. “Master, what book are you reading?”

Mu Qian Tan moved her finger and tapped the book cover, indicating for her to look herself. Shang Shan propped herself up on the edge of the bed and tilted her head. She read the words on the cover. “Introduction… to Formations… Explanation? I can’t see clearly.”

Mu Qian Tan said, “Then don’t look.”

Shang Shan retracted her head and fiddled with the two copper coins again. She tossed them back and forth between her hands, making tinkling sounds.

After playing with them for a while, she stopped. Her fingertips rubbed the wrinkles on the bedsheet. Her eyes occasionally glanced upward. She wanted to speak but licked her lips, unsure of what to say. The room fell quiet for a time, with only the occasional sound of page-turning.

After a long while, Mu Qian Tan glanced at her. “Go back to your own bed.”

Shang Shan had still been smiling, but upon hearing this, the smile gradually faded from her face. In the end, only grievance remained, along with overwhelming dejection in her brows and eyes. “But Master, I’m so sad. I want to talk to you.”

“Is that so…” Mu Qian Tan responded casually. She gazed at that little blue face but couldn’t feel any sadness. Instead, she wanted to laugh, though she barely held it back.

No helping it. She really couldn’t empathize with a sad Blue Elf.