Devilish Disciple [Transmigration] 94

Side Story 6

Upon hearing that Li Yu and Mu Tao were going to the human realm, the ever-helpful Si Qinglan prepared a travel guide for them.

She had traveled extensively in the human realm in the past. She recorded all the scenic spots, local customs, and delicious food in a small notebook.

Li Yu flipped through the notebook, impressed by Si Qinglan’s memory.

Remembering so many things wasn’t the impressive part; it was remembering them so clearly after so long.

If you asked her how she could remember such distant events so vividly,

She would reply, “Life is mostly boring; any interesting event, no matter how small, is worth remembering. There’s nothing you can’t remember, only things you don’t want to. And if you really can’t remember, just write it down!”

Indeed, things you didn’t want to forget, even if you accidentally did, would eventually resurface,

Because they were important.

But the things Si Qinglan cared about seemed to be mostly food, fun, and gossip, not exactly what you would expect from an immortal guarding a sacred mountain.

Perhaps she truly loved the human realm; choosing to leave the Heavenly Realm to search for Qing Nü wasn’t a regret for her.

If she had stayed in the Heavenly Realm, with its strict rules, she wouldn’t be as free and carefree as she was now.

And after receiving Qing Nü’s divine power, she had finally broken through her bottleneck and could further improve her cultivation.

With her aptitude and temperament, perhaps one day, she could transcend the limitations of the human realm and achieve true godhood.

Li Yu closed the notebook, a sigh escaping her lips.

“Thank you,” she said. “I’ll visit all these places with Mu Tao.”

“Don’t take it too seriously; the latest entry is from two hundred years ago.” Si Qinglan said calmly. “And things have changed since then, especially after the surge in resentment. You might find that everything is different now.”

She had seen too much change, too much impermanence.

Li Yu nodded and smiled. “Whatever changes, I’ll record them. When we meet again, I’ll show you.”

“Sounds good.” Si Qinglan replied, took a sip of tea, and then left.

By the time Mu Tao returned with the food, Li Yu was alone.

“Qingxuan Revered One left already?” she said, looking at the food. “I made extra today.”

“Mm,” Li Yu said, “She recently broke through her bottleneck, she’s focusing on cultivation, started abstaining from food again, but I don’t know how long it will last.”

Si Qinglan, always drawn to worldly pleasures, rarely fasted for long.

Mu Tao put down the food box and looked at the notebook in Li Yu’s hand curiously.

Li Yu: “Qingxuan Revered One used to travel the human realm frequently. These are places she recommends visiting.”

Mu Tao sat down beside Li Yu, and they looked through the notebook together, her head tilted against Li Yu’s shoulder.

As they flipped through the pages, Mu Tao asked excitedly, “Will Master take me to all these places?”

“Mm,” Li Yu nodded. “Anywhere you want to go, we can go together.”

“When?”

“There’s no time like the present, how about today?” Li Yu glanced at the food box. “After we eat.”

“Okay!” Mu Tao cheered.

She stood up and laid out the dishes, then placed the bowls and chopsticks before Li Yu with a smile.

After their meal, they left Mount Chao Yao, riding a spiritual crane.

Every previous departure had been…complicated.

This was the first time she left so freely.

Li Yu looked at the ocean below, her perspective having completely changed.

She no longer feared the vastness, the churning waves, just as she no longer felt lost and confused in this world.

She had, unknowingly, become a part of it.

The system’s hundred-day countdown was almost over. Soon, it would leave her, and she would truly belong to this world.

And she no longer hesitated.

She had abandoned Mu Tao twice. If she had died in the North Sea, she could have at least comforted herself with the thought of Si Qinglan’s Unasking Flower erasing Mu Tao’s memories.

But she had survived.

And staying here, with Mu Tao, was her unspoken desire.

Now, she could finally admit it.

When the seal on the Upper Spirit Lamp was broken, the Heavenly Demon’s power absorbed the surrounding resentment.

The human realm was far cleaner now than before.

Mu Tao said she had never seen the human realm like this.

In her memories, it was always shrouded in resentment, even during their long journey two hundred years ago, it wasn’t this clear.

She said she liked it this way.

Young and naive, she hadn’t fully understood Qing Nü’s sacrifice, but now, having traveled the human realm with Li Yu, she gradually understood.

The human realm was a good place.

And this time, they weren’t on the run.

They could take their time, see new things, taste new foods, meet new people, experience new things.

Most of the time, it was enjoyable.

But sometimes, certain things still angered her, souring even the sweetest treats.

There were good people and bad people, and the world was often unfair.

They would secretly help those in need, even if it meant disrupting cause and effect.

But why not disrupt bad causes and effects?

Just like the revival of the Heavenly Demon, wasn’t that also a predetermined consequence?

They believed their actions were justified.

And Si Qinglan’s little notebook was indeed outdated.

Two hundred years was a long time for the human realm; many places she had recorded had changed drastically.

Li Yu and Mu Tao recorded these changes in a new notebook, their handwriting intertwined, a new picture of the human realm, different from the one Si Qinglan painted two hundred years ago.

And during their travels, they revisited some familiar places.

Lan City, for example, was now thriving.

Without the Luoyu’s threat, not only were the fishermen’s lives improving, but maritime trade was also flourishing.

To express their gratitude, the people of Lan City held an annual festival called the “Immortal Appreciation Festival,” celebrating the day the immortals saved them.

When Li Yu and Mu Tao returned, the festival was just a few days away, and the innkeeper enthusiastically invited them to stay and witness it.

Intrigued, they stayed.

On the day of the festival, they were swept along by the crowds towards the seashore.

Perhaps because of the large crowd, no one recognized them.

Which was for the best, after all, they hadn’t done much during that incident, just cooked a meal and watched from the sidelines.

The story of the immortals slaying the Luoyu had been greatly exaggerated, now a theatrical performance, reenacted amidst the cheers of the crowd.

The story went that an imperial envoy, to save Lan City from the Luoyu’s threat, bravely ventured out to sea, facing storms and countless dangers, to seek help from the immortals.

The immortals, wielding magical artifacts, searched for the Luoyu for days and then battled it for days and nights.

The Luoyu, desperate, summoned hundred-foot waves and a massive waterspout.

Consumed by resentment, it wanted to drag the entire Lan City down with it. If it weren’t for the immortals’ immense power, the city would have been destroyed.

“That’s a bit of an exaggeration!” Mu Tao couldn’t help but comment. “If the Luoyu was that powerful, Master would have had to endure Heavenly Tribulation to defeat it.”

“I couldn’t use my full power then,” Li Yu shook her head.

If the Luoyu had been that strong, she would have died.

Mu Tao, standing on tiptoe, watched the performance for a while longer, a smile appearing on her face. “I have to remember this and tell Senior Brother when we get back.”

So, a highly embellished legend was added to their notebook.

The little notebook gradually filled with stories and memories.

In what felt like a blink of an eye, a year had passed, from winter to the end of the following winter.

The world was vast, far larger than any place they had known, exploring it slowly, they didn’t know when they would return to Mount Chao Yao.

And Li Yu wasn’t in a hurry; there was no need to rush.

They traveled at a leisurely pace, and Mu Tao, whenever the mood struck, would pull her into a dual cultivation session, sometimes staying in one place for ten days or half a month.

They still had many places to visit, and their list kept growing.

Their return to Mount Chao Yao was constantly postponed.

At the end of winter, as spring approached, Mu Tao, guided by her memories, returned to the town they had passed through two years ago, when they escaped to the Demon Realm.

She said she wanted to revisit the place,

To see the small inn, the place where she first learned about the “New Year.”

The small inn was still there.

Two years later, the innkeeper still recognized them, and her two little girls had grown taller.

It was the New Year period, business slow, the staff having gone home.

They arrived before nightfall, and the innkeeper and her two daughters were sitting at a table near the counter, making dumplings.

Seeing the familiar faces, the innkeeper greeted them warmly, her voice filled with a hint of surprise.

“I never thought I’d see you again,” she said, looking at Li Yu with a smile. “You looked so pale and frail back then, but you’re looking much healthier now.”

She said that so many people passed through her inn, many she only saw once, most she didn’t remember.

But these two were special.

Two beautiful young women, traveling during the New Year, their faces carrying a weary exhaustion, arriving at her empty inn.

She had remembered them.

They had left abruptly, without a word, leaving behind only the payment for their stay. She had often wondered where they went.

Two young girls, alone and unfamiliar with the world, seemingly vulnerable, hopefully, they hadn’t encountered any trouble.

“It’s so good to see you again,” she said, her voice sincere.

The stranger’s casual kindness warmed their hearts amidst the cold winter.

Mu Tao: “Don’t worry, Innkeeper! We are cultivators; we know spells! Bad people run away when they see us!”

The innkeeper was speechless, her mouth slightly open.

Mu Tao smiled. “Your dumplings were delicious, and the firecrackers were fun. If you don’t mind, I’d like to borrow your kitchen and cook a New Year’s Eve dinner for you and your daughters!”

The innkeeper blinked, then smiled. “Of course not! I was just about to start dinner after finishing these dumplings, it would be great if you could help!”

“Then I’ll go and see what ingredients you have!” Mu Tao said, rushing to the kitchen.

Li Yu quickly followed.

That New Year’s Eve, the delicious food earned the innkeeper’s praise, and the two little girls, sitting beside Mu Tao, clearly enjoyed the meal.

After nightfall, they knocked on their door, their rosy cheeks and eager smiles, each holding a plate of dumplings. “Elder sisters, after we eat, do you want to light firecrackers together?”

“Master!” Mu Tao grabbed Li Yu’s wrist, the silver bells chiming softly. “You promised to celebrate with me this time!”

“Mm!” Li Yu took the plate of dumplings with a smile. “Yes, let’s celebrate together! We’ll go down after we eat.”

The two little girls skipped downstairs happily.

Mu Tao looked up at Li Yu, a thoughtful expression on her face.

Li Yu placed the dumplings on the table. “What’s wrong? That look in your eyes…”

Mu Tao: “Is it…strange?”

Li Yu: “A little.”

Mu Tao thought for a moment, then smiled. “I just feel like…all of this is a dream.”

All of this, like a dream.

The last time they were here, they were on the run.

And now, they could finally enjoy the New Year’s fireworks.

“Will it…always be like this from now on?” Mu Tao couldn’t help but ask.

“It will,” Li Yu replied firmly.

All the hardships were over.

From now on, no matter where they were, it would always be like this.