120 The Allure of A Faint Dream 1 (2/2)
The instant her finger seared the young girl's name onto the paper scroll, the scroll burst into a countless number of sparks of multicolored light that scattered away into the atmosphere with the gentle but conclusive spring midnight breeze.
The Grand Elder burst into euphoric tears, his heart fully at peace.
”Mm, I got it! Yu Xin, you've helped this old sack of bones, ah! Remember that I owe you an earth-shaking favor!”
He would need to offer that young girl all the pampering and familial affection she demanded, in order to ensure that she followed him to meet with his Ming Xia!
Tian Mu quickly fled from the scene, but did not head into the gathering to greet his disciples, instead dashing into the depths of the forest.
The empress walked into the imperial carriage with a freshened smile that quickly morphed into a helpless grimace and a slap to her forehead.
The young girl had not retained enough clarity to reattach the incense burner to the surface of the table, but the sachet of scarlet silk had mysteriously vanished.
Since the girl had heard enough of their conversation, how was she now supposed to explain to Wei Xuan when she returned?
And how did a young girl who hadn't progressed beyond the Body Tempering Realm sneak up on two cultivators, one of the Peak Core Formation Realm and the other a Peak Nascent Soul Realm, without divulging her presence?
Feng Yu Xin revealed the longest sigh of ever yet, sinking into the soft and comforting couch with an audible groan.
Forget it, since this trip was going to take at least twelve months to complete, she had sufficient time to construe a plausible excuse. If not, she could always dawdle on her return journey.
After all, she was the one reporting the results to Wei Xuan! She could delay for as long as she wanted, as long as that girl took a step into the grounds of the Taiyi Sect!
–
The forest that the Empress' convoy had paused to take a rest was unusually solemn and melancholy.
As An Fei raced past the various trees and tall grasses, the young girl could hardly sense any of the overpowering vitality she had glimpsed during daytime.
However, since the melancholy and comparably depressed forest did not posses any of the creatures that Feng Yu Xin had cautioned about, at least not yet, the young girl could hardly care any less about her observations.
Right now, she had to run!
Run away from the imperial carriage, from the empress, and the rest of the convoy. Most particularly, An Fei had to flee from the Grand Elder of the Heavenly Sword Sect.
She, under no circumstances, wished to be roped into an arranged marriage!
”Hah…”
The young girl released a huff of breath, a faint sheen of sweat dotting her brow. The night weather of the forest was unusually cold, causing her to become thankful to Wei Xuan for the linen coat.
The thick layers warmed her body during cold temperature, and brought forth a cooling and refreshing sensation during hotter weather.
Furthermore, it didn't restrict mobility in any major fashion…
An Fei grit her teeth, her hands curling into tight fists underneath the sleeves of the coat.
Taking in a deep breath, she began to run once more, her body quickly lapsing into an unnatural yet surprisingly effective rhythm.
A high-speed dash that bypassed any large obstacles, a fast jog whenever she could see a straight path, and random insertions of walking.
Although the girl constantly complained of her weakened physique compared to her state within the Sanctum, An Fei had already covered several kilometers in the past hour.
Unfortunately, she still didn't feel any safer!
”May the Young Fellow stop to talk for a moment?”
An old, hoarse voice rang from beside her ear, causing the young girl to shriek in surprise.
Unconsciously, An Fei drastically increased her speed, breaking into a beeline towards the depths of the forest without concern for any harm that lay before her.
Whoosh!
A weightless sensation suddenly overtook the young girl, instantly halting her sprint towards the mottled mesh of trees.
The mysterious force easily suspended her body and placed her onto the ground, the momentum from her breakneck sprint evenly dispersed into the atmosphere without a single trace.
”Young Fellow, may we talk?”