Chapter 9

The red-robed young man inwardly clicked his tongue. Initially, he’d thought it was a simple love triangle, two men vying for one woman, but now it appeared there was yet another woman involved. He quickly glanced at Yun Menghan’s expression, and sure enough, her eyes shimmered even more pitifully with tears, looking ready to overflow at any moment.
Although their quarrel was quiet, the group’s exceptional appearances and noble bearings—combined with hints of complicated entanglements—had already drawn considerable attention from those around.
Meanwhile, Su Yinyue had finally managed to get rid of that annoying girl Yun Menghan. But when she turned around, her dear cousin Ling Zhongyu had already vanished. Judging from his direction, he must have chased after Yun Menghan. Furious, she stomped her foot and quickly led her maidservants after them.
When Su Yinyue arrived, she spotted Ling Zhongyu immediately and called out sweetly, "Cousin!" Only then did she notice Yun Menghan beside him and, of course...Ling Qingxiao.
Her expression instantly grew colder, and she gave Ling Qingxiao a distant nod: "Second Cousin."
Having acknowledged him briefly, she smoothly stepped to Ling Zhongyu’s side, subtly yet effectively pushing Yun Menghan aside.
The red-robed young man inwardly gasped for the third time today. Clearly, he'd underestimated the complexity: now there were two men and three women!
Two brothers, a junior martial sister, and a cousin—what an enthralling drama!
With Su Yinyue's arrival, Ling Zhongyu and Yun Menghan visibly stiffened, and both ceased their noisy antics. Naturally, Ling Qingxiao and Luo Han didn't bother engaging either. The atmosphere became quiet and tense. Thankfully, it wasn't long before the secret realm finally opened.
Countless glowing shields and flying artifacts shot toward the sky and ground alike as cultivators raced inside, eager to claim treasures before others. Ling Zhongyu was no different. He took two hurried steps forward, then paused, remembering Ling Qingxiao was still present. Out of courtesy, he begrudgingly asked, "Second Brother, Biyun Secret Realm is extremely dangerous. It would be safer if you joined the family’s group. Do you want to come along?"
Ling Qingxiao's only reply was to summon his sword. He turned to Luo Han and gently said, "Let's go."
"Alright."
Neither paid any heed to Ling Zhongyu, passing by him without another glance. Seeing this, the red-robed youth immediately followed behind.
Ling Zhongyu’s expression turned ugly at the blatant disregard. Ever since childhood, he had always been respected and admired; he had never been treated so dismissively. Even now, despite the awkward revelations about his origins, no one dared openly disrespect him to his face—until now.
Su Yinyue carefully tugged at Ling Zhongyu's sleeve, while Yun Menghan looked toward him with pleading eyes. Ling Zhongyu suppressed his displeasure and rearranged his expression, saying stiffly, "Let’s go as well."
The Biyun Secret Realm was uniquely accessible to all cultivators, unlike those monopolized by powerful clans. After stepping inside, Luo Han felt dizzy for a moment and stopped to catch her breath. When her vision cleared, she discovered the red-robed youth standing nearby.
Surprised, Luo Han asked, "Why did you follow us?"
The red-robed youth shamelessly smiled and introduced himself: "My name is Ye Zinan. I’m a member of the Vermilion Bird Clan, specializing in fire-element techniques. Since I haven't joined any other group and you two clearly need companions, why don't we travel together?"
Luo Han stared coldly at him. "What part of us looks like we need another companion?"
Ye Zinan blinked, confused. "There’s only two of you...and secret realms are perilous. If something dangerous appears, can you handle it alone?"
"Incorrect," Luo Han corrected mercilessly. "It would be handled by just one person."
Ye Zinan couldn’t quite decide if Luo Han was mocking herself or just being humble. He glanced between Luo Han and Ling Qingxiao, still determined to sell himself. "I noticed your friend here uses ice-elemental techniques. If we encounter an enemy whose element counters ice, things might get tricky, right? But since my element is fire, our abilities complement each other. Moreover, we Vermilion Birds are naturally swift and adept at reconnaissance. I can scout, fight, and even fly—an ideal teammate! Actually, I could clear this secret realm alone if I wanted to. I'm offering to join purely because I like you two."
Luo Han seriously considered his claims but quickly determined his abilities were redundant. Ling Qingxiao possessed Yinglong blood; his agility, speed, and swordsmanship were unmatched, making Ye Zinan's flying ability useless. Moreover, elemental counters were irrelevant when one's cultivation far surpassed the opponent's. Ling Qingxiao was powerful enough to single-handedly create cracks in divine barriers without his dragon core. He could attack, defend, scout, and even heal—he alone was an entire team.
Initially, Luo Han intended to reject Ye Zinan outright—after all, she could see clearly he merely wanted to tag along and watch the drama unfold. Yet, after reconsideration, she thought every team needed a pack mule like Sha Wujing in Journey to the West. Keeping Ye Zinan around to do menial tasks wasn't a bad idea at all.
Luo Han turned to Ling Qingxiao, their sole combatant, for his opinion. “What do you think about him? Will he drag us down?”
Ling Qingxiao remained indifferent, completely disregarding the person in question. “No. It makes no difference to me.”
Luo Han nodded graciously, finally granting Ye Zinan’s request to join their team. “Fine. You can come with us for a bit, but behave yourself and don't cause trouble.”
Ye Zinan, proud heir of the Zhuque Clan and Crown Prince of Yunzhou, had never before experienced such reluctant acceptance. For a moment, he was speechless, filled with doubt about these teammates of his.
“Aren’t you two boasting a bit much?”
Luo Han gave him a cold glance and warned sternly, “Mind your words, or you might lose the Heavens’ favor.”
With great difficulty, the trio finally formed their reluctant team. While they were busy doubting each other, other groups had long since flown ahead, leaving only faint streaks of escaping sword-light among distant mountains.
Ye Zinan craned his neck anxiously, “Everyone else has already moved so far! If we don't hurry, we won’t even get scraps.”
Luo Han asked casually, “What exactly are you hoping to find here?”
“Isn’t it obvious? Crane Orchid, of course.” Ye Zinan regarded her with a look reserved for the particularly clueless. “Whose spoiled young lady are you, anyway? You're speaking as if treasures will just present themselves to you!”
Crane Orchid’s worth couldn’t even be measured by spirit stones; traditionally, it was traded only for equally rare treasures. Yet Luo Han’s tone suggested she was merely picking vegetables from her backyard.
Ye Zinan was beginning to deeply regret his decision to team up with these two. Luo Han seemed utterly ignorant of worldly hardship, and Ling Qingxiao was as cold as a statue. Being paired with them was proving exhausting.
At this pace, would he even manage to clear a single mountain before the secret realm closed?
Feeling defeated, Ye Zinan desperately attempted to wake up his teammates from their delusions. “You two, listen carefully: Crane Orchid grows under extremely rare and delicate conditions. Even in a place as abundant as the Biyun Secret Realm, you’d be lucky to find ten stalks in total!”
“Oh, really?” Luo Han calmly activated her Heavenly Dao system, having previously adjusted it so only she could see its interface. All Ye Zinan saw was Luo Han rapidly tapping in mid-air, seemingly at nothing.
Ye Zinan was baffled. “What on earth are you doing?”
She had already accessed the Heavenly Dao’s treasure archive for Biyun Secret Realm and searched for Crane Orchid. Instantly, its precise locations appeared clearly in front of her eyes.
Luo Han gave Ye Zinan an appreciative glance. “You're right. Exactly ten stalks.”
Ye Zinan’s jaw dropped in shock.
“Two are in the southeastern mountains, two more at the far northern boundary, three toward the west, and another three hidden beneath the sea.”
Ye Zinan’s jaw dropped even further.
Ling Qingxiao, however, didn’t question a thing and simply nodded. “We’ll head southeast first, then move north, and finally to the sea.”
Ye Zinan lost all power of speech. Just like that? Did one dare speak, and the other actually dare believe?
Luo Han tried to share the coordinates with Ling Qingxiao, but hesitated briefly, unsure how to convey them. Ling Qingxiao guessed her intent and quietly suggested, “Use jade slips.”
Realization dawned on Luo Han—right, jade slips were standard communication tools in the cultivation world, capable of transferring one’s thoughts instantly by pressing them against the forehead. She quickly checked her storage space, only to realize she had no jade slips.
Ling Qingxiao anticipated this as well and silently handed her a stack.
Ye Zinan, watching their seamless, silent communication, felt utterly excluded. Wait, what was going on here? Why did it seem like he’d suddenly become a complete outsider?
Luo Han swiftly recorded the locations of all ten stalks into a jade slip and handed it to Ling Qingxiao. As for Ye Zinan...well, a laborer didn’t deserve such luxuries.
Thus, Ye Zinan found himself suddenly ignored, realizing belatedly that his two teammates were already preparing to move out. He gritted his teeth and decided to trust them once, even if it meant leaving empty-handed.
Cultivators naturally traveled by flight. Luo Han carefully stepped onto Ling Qingxiao’s flying sword, feeling slightly nervous despite knowing Ling Qingxiao’s control was impeccably steady. As the sword rose gently, trees, rivers, and mountain peaks quickly blurred beneath their feet into flowing streaks of green.
Ling Qingxiao had already established a barrier around Luo Han, allowing only a gentle breeze to softly lift her hair. Passing through the clouds, Luo Han gradually lost her fear, her eyes sparkling with delight. She reached out playfully, catching bits of drifting clouds. “Flying is wonderful. I want to learn fLying techniques soon.”
She spoke casually, as she intended to learn many things in the future. Yet Ling Qingxiao took it seriously, calmly replying, “Alright.”
His voice was tranquil, even cooler than the clouds themselves. Luo Han’s playful movements paused, feeling a bit overwhelmed. “It’s not really that urgent. We can wait until after we’ve left the realm. Finding the herbs comes first.”
“No worries,” Ling Qingxiao replied evenly. “It won’t interfere.”
Luo Han felt a pang of despair. Judging by his tone, Ling Qingxiao intended to teach her personally. In truth, it wasn’t necessary to be so diligent…
Ling Qingxiao’s flying speed was astonishing. Guided by exact locations, their path became an effortless straight line. When it came to gathering the rare herbs, Ling Qingxiao also took care of everything single-handedly. Luo Han watched, deeply impressed by his skillful efficiency. She couldn’t help sighing, “Life must be great for a genius.”
Ling Qingxiao calmly handed her the jade box containing Crane Orchid, not bothering to question what “genius” meant. He simply asked directly, “Next location?”
“Let’s go.”
Luo Han had barely stepped onto the sword when Ye Zinan finally arrived, panting heavily. Seeing Luo Han still standing on the sword, he quickly asked, "Did you find the Crane Orchid yet? Don't worry, I'll help you search."
"No need," Luo Han replied mercilessly. "We've already got it. You don't even need to land. Let's move directly to the next location."
Ye Zinan stared at her in disbelief, suspicious. "Really? You're not just bluffing, are you?"
Luo Han shot him a disdainful glance and took out a jade box, opening it to reveal the precious herb inside. "Do you really think we'd lie about something so simple? You had no contribution in finding this one, so it’s not yours to claim. But don't lose hope—perform well at the next location, and you might still have a chance."
After a moment, Luo Han muttered under her breath, "You're a Zhuque, right? How come a proud bird like you is this slow at flying?"
Immortals had acute hearing, and Ye Zinan heard Luo Han’s disdainful words clearly. He clutched his chest dramatically, feeling as if his pride had been ruthlessly stomped upon.
At the next location, Ye Zinan gave it his all, staking the dignity of the Zhuque clan and barely catching up in time to see the final orchid being harvested. Luo Han glanced at the exhausted bird-man and, out of pity, reluctantly gave him a single Crane Orchid.
Ye Zinan held the jade box containing the priceless herb in his trembling hands, unsure whether to laugh or cry. Finally, he understood Luo Han’s earlier warning—he truly was the one dragging the team down.
What kind of monstrous teammates had he found himself with? He clearly remembered that exploring secret realms wasn’t supposed to be like this!
After harvesting the orchids from the mountains, they intended to head straight north. However, considering Luo Han was still a fragile cub who required at least four hours of sleep each day, Ling Qingxiao halted the expedition at a warm and safe mountain cave, abruptly pausing their progress.
To his shame, Ye Zinan felt immense relief. He was finally able to rest. What sort of monster was Ling Qingxiao, anyway? Ye Zinan had exhausted himself just keeping pace, and yet it seemed that Ling Qingxiao had intentionally slowed himself down—for Luo Han’s sake.
In just one day, Ye Zinan’s perception of his own appearance, speed, and strength had crumbled completely.
The sun was still hanging low, but Luo Han had already transitioned into her comfortable evening routine. She leisurely arranged the bed, cushions, and pillows she'd brought along, settling into them contentedly. Just as she summoned the Heavenly Dao panel, intending to enjoy some gossip, a cold voice suddenly called from the cave’s entrance: "Luo Han."
Startled, she raised her head and saw Ling Qingxiao standing there, his expression serene. "Didn’t you want to learn sword flight?"
"I…" Luo Han bit her lip, hesitated, and then bit her lip again. Finally, she asked tearfully, "Do I really have to start now?"
Author’s Note:
Luo Han: Just call me Luo—the merciless, sharp-tongued, domineering Heavenly Dao, and unmatched beauty—Han.
Ling Qingxiao: Luo Han, it’s time to practice.
Luo Han: …(a tiger shedding tears).