Volume Five: The Past Life of River Breath, Chapter 135

Jinli had just finished bandaging the young man's wounds when one of her subordinates walked in. He gave a local demonic salute and said, "Immortal, we captured someone outside who claims she is looking for you."

"Looking for me?" Who could possibly know her whereabouts and movements?

She fell into deep thought, continuing to weigh out the medicinal herbs without taking her eyes off the scale. She asked casually, "What does she look like?"

"She is wearing a bamboo hat, so her face is not clear, but judging by her stature, she should be a young person."

Jinli's heart trembled violently, and her hand shook. A name clamored relentlessly deep within her heart, but she quickly regained her rationality. He had already returned to Zhaoshao Mountain; how could he possibly come here? By now, he must wish with all his heart that they would never lay eyes on each other again in this lifetime.

So how could he possibly come?

Jinli sighed softly at her own absurd notion.

It turned out that after all this time, she was the only one who couldn't let go.

She put down the tools in her hand, smoothed her sleeves, and asked with her hands behind her back, "Where is she?"

"At the city gate."

Tonight, shooting stars were a rare sight. Beneath the twinkling points of light, the miasma had dissipated significantly. Lanterns were hung indoors and outdoors, across the main streets and winding alleys, making this desolate city suddenly seem as though it had come back to life.

From afar, Jinli spotted the figure in white. A slight smile played at the corners of her lips; although this disguise spell had not reached absolute perfection, maintaining it for an hour or so was not bad.

Yet she was merely a mortal, so how did she come to know a disguise spell?

"She is a friend of mine. You all may withdraw first."

"Yes."

When the figure in white saw the surrounding people retreat, leaving only Jinli and herself, she lifted her veil. "Why did you come here? You caused this princess a thorough search."

Siyuan.

"What about you? What are you doing here?" Jinli poured her a cup of tea, then looked at her with a smile. For a young lady—thank goodness she possessed this disguise spell, otherwise, who knows what might have befallen her? Furthermore, as a pampered princess from the inner chambers, this was likely her first time traveling far from home alone, and she had even ventured into the unfathomable Limotian Realm.

She could never have found this place on her own; so, who had helped her?

"How can you still ask? I chased after you all this way, only to hear upon arriving at the Southwestern Wasteland that you had already left. I could only wander about asking for news, and it gave me such a hard time finding you."

"Where did you learn the disguise spell?"

"I accidentally stumbled into a place, and the pavilion master there taught me."

"Pavilion Master? Rebirth Pavilion?"

Jinli was instantly astonished. This Rebirth Pavilion existed beneath the Illusionary Dust; how on earth had Siyuan managed to enter?

"That's right."

"Where did you enter from?"

Siyuan nibbled on the flatbread in her hand, thought for a moment, and said, "Naturally, within Shanqing City."

Shanqing City? How could the Rebirth Pavilion appear in Shanqing City?

Siyuan took a sip of water. "Drink slowly; I'm not going to fight you for it."

Jinli drank some water, her brows furrowed with heaviness. What on earth had happened outside again? They said time within this Limotian Realm flowed differently from the outside world, but she had no idea just how different it truly was.

"Right, you came all this way to find me. Is there an important matter?"

At this, Siyuan raised her head and looked at Jinli with utmost seriousness. "I am going to follow you. No matter where you go."

As soon as these words left her mouth, Jinli, who was in the midst of drinking water, choked and broke into a fit of coughing. Siyuan hurriedly stroked her back to soothe her. "Don't be so excited. It's only natural to be excited when you've caught the eye of this princess."

"No."

No sooner had Siyuan finished speaking than Jinli flatly refused.

First, this journey was fraught with extreme danger, and Jinli had no idea what perilous trials lay ahead. Second, Siyuan possessed a mortal body and flesh, and inhaling the miasma could poison her to death; if Jinli became too busy, she would not be able to look after her, making the situation exceedingly difficult to handle. Third, regardless of how one looked at it, Siyuan was the Second Princess of Shanqing City. Even if the City Lord were to abdicate in the future, she would be the one to ascend as the City Lord of Shanqing. The divine realm was forbidden from interfering with the mortal realm's destiny and fortune.

"Why?"

Jinli's expression turned stern. "Did you get the City Lord's permission to sneak out like this?"

As soon as this question was asked, Siyuan's gaze dropped downward. It was blatantly obvious she had sneaked out behind the scenes.

"....... Permitted."

"Your Highness..." Jinli wanted to say more, but Siyuan showed a touch of spoiled, petulant vexation. "How many times have I told you, I have a name! Can't you just call me by my name?"

"....... Very well, Siyuan. You are now a city princess, and in the future, you will be the City Lord. Your safety no longer belongs to you alone; it belongs to your subjects. You must think of your mother, and you must think of those subjects. Do not be so willful."

Jinli looked at the young girl before her, whose gaze was lowered at that moment. The tip of her nose was faintly pink, and her cheeks were perhaps slightly darkened from days of hurrying along day and night.

Her long, feather-like eyelashes remained completely still, and gradually, glistening teardrops hung upon them. With a soft plop, the tears indeed soaked the fabric of her skirt.

"..... No..... No, don't cry." Jinli set down her teacup, somewhat at a loss by this sudden turn of events. But right at that moment, someone knocked on the door and entered. Jinli hurriedly lowered the gauze curtain over the young girl's face.

She sat up straight, lifted her gaze, and asked, "What is it?"

The man glanced at the cowering, lowered-gaze, utterly pitiful "young man," his mind spinning through countless dramatic scenarios in an instant. He cleared his throat as best as he could and continued to report, "What is your further instruction?"

"Immortal, the boss has woken up."

"Understood, you may withdraw. Have him take his medicine; I will be over shortly."

"Yes."

Then came the sound of the door closing. Jinli gently lifted the sheer curtain, and with a tone filled with deep earnestness, said, "Siyuan, I said those things with absolutely no intention of driving you away. It's just that staying by my side is simply too dangerous... I will send