I Need To Find A Way To Make Her Love Me Again - Chapter 6

The male cultivator who spoke was named Li Mufeng. Seeing him standing at the front of the group suggested he held a minor position of authority. Yan Xingyu noticed that the people behind him were exchanging glances, creating quite a subtle atmosphere.

However, Liu Ruoni responded with a calm, gentle smile: “We’re back. Junior Brother, could you please help me find another room? These two Daoist friends have done me a great favor, and it wouldn’t be right to ask them to squeeze in with us.”

Li Mufeng’s gaze fell upon the two people behind her and he said, “The village just finished the sea ritual. It gets a little dark, and the villagers here light their lamps and rest early, Senior Sister. You know that.”

Liu Ruoni’s eyes dropped. She turned to Yan Xingyu and said, “I’m truly sorry, you two. I forgot about this. It gets dark early here, and the villagers rest soon, so it’s not good to disturb them now.”

Then she turned back to Li Mufeng and said, “Since that’s the case, Junior Brother, how about this? I won’t go in to rest. I’ll let these two Daoist friends go in and squeeze in.”

Li Mufeng pondered for a moment after hearing this, then said, “But then, Senior Sister, you’ll have to make do and squeeze into the woodshed outside.”

Liu Ruoni replied, “It’s nothing. It’s just for one night.”

Yan Xingyu felt a little embarrassed when she heard that someone would have to sleep in the woodshed, especially since the other person had been soaking in the sea for so long and was giving up her spot for them. She wanted to suggest she would sleep outside instead.

Liu Ruoni spoke before her: “Please don’t be polite, you two Daoist friends. Please allow me to fulfill my intention.”

Hearing this, Yan Xingyu thought that people here valued integrity, so she didn’t decline. Besides, they had spiritual energy protecting their bodies, so they should be fine. Thus, she accepted.

Seeing this, Li Mufeng said no more and led his people inside. Yan Xingyu and Guan Fei didn’t want to interact much with these people, so they politely asked about the resting place and settled down.

Yan Xingyu was a little unaccustomed to sleeping with the lights on. However, with so many people around, she wouldn’t truly fall asleep; she just closed her eyes to rest.

As the night deepened, she became less and less sleepy. Yan Xingyu opened her eyes, got up, and decided to go for a walk outside. Stepping out, she saw Liu Ruoni, who was resting in the woodshed, staring at her.

Yan Xingyu said, “Miss Liu, you haven’t slept either?”

Liu Ruoni replied, “Miss Yan, shall we take a walk?”

Yan Xingyu agreed.

Liu Ruoni was familiar with the area. She got up and led them outside, slowly walking towards the beach closest to the sea at the end of the village. There was no wind blowing against them, no sound of insects, and they could only faintly hear the sound of the ocean waves surging.

The two walked quietly, watching the waves roll in and relentlessly beat the sand. Liu Ruoni suddenly drew her sword and slashed backward.

A flash of silver light appeared, and Yan Xingyu blocked it with her twin daggers. Confusion was in her eyes as she asked, “Miss Liu, what are you doing?”

Liu Ruoni merely stared at the weapons in her hands and made no further move.

Yan Xingyu thought that it was a good thing she was constantly vigilant, or she would have been nearly cut down. However, she couldn’t quite figure out the person in front of her. She had saved her, so why would she want to kill her? She hadn’t provoked her, either.

The two were at a stalemate for a moment, but since the other party made no other moves, Liu Ruoni suddenly smiled. Her gaze shifted to Yan Xingyu’s face, and a strange light flickered in her emotionless eyes.

Liu Ruoni slowly said, “Young Palace Mistress Yan, long time no see.”

Yan Xingyu’s expression froze, and she immediately denied it: “I don’t know what Miss Liu is talking about.”

Liu Ruoni smiled and said, “Names can change, but your soul companion cannot.”

Yan Xingyu remained silent. From the other party’s words, she knew that she recognized Yan Rou, but she didn’t know their relationship. Naturally, she didn’t want to admit the original owner’s identity now.

Liu Ruoni lowered her sword and said with a meaningful look, “Young Palace Mistress Yan, I never expected you to have a day of hiding your identity and running away, either.”

Yan Xingyu still said nothing and turned to leave the area. Behind her, Liu Ruoni continued talking to herself, “Young Palace Mistress Guan is sincerely devoted to you, yet you deceive her by taking advantage of her blindness and don’t reveal your true feelings. You’re really not like the old you.”

“Or perhaps, you are not Yan Rou.”

The sea wind tossed her long hair wildly, unsettling her heart. Yan Xingyu instantly flew in front of Liu Ruoni. This time, she was the one who wanted to kill her.

Liu Ruoni looked at the fiercely glaring person in front of her and smiled, “Don’t be angry. I won’t tell anyone your secret. I just want you to do me a small favor.”

Yan Xingyu ignored her words and continued to attack the other party. Amidst the clashes of blades and shadows, although her close-quarters combat was decent, it was no match for a cultivator with spiritual energy in this world.

Liu Ruoni quickly noticed that she wasn’t using much spiritual energy. She considered this and continued, “You can’t defeat me. Why make things so difficult? Why don’t you listen to me carefully?”

Yan Xingyu realized this woman was very clever and troublesome. Since she couldn’t take her out immediately, she asked, “What is it?”

Liu Ruoni said, “Help me arrange a meeting with someone.”

“Who?”

“Li Mufeng.”

Yan Xingyu slowed down her movements, raised an eyebrow, and asked, “Why arrange a meeting with your Junior Brother?”

Seeing the person’s fighting intent subside a bit, Liu Ruoni retreated a few steps, looked at her, and smiled, “If there’s no room inside, someone should vacate one. I can’t possibly sleep in the woodshed every day, can I?”

Yan Xingyu recalled how she and Li Mufeng interacted, which was indeed hostile. It didn’t seem like the spot could be easily vacated. So, she asked, “Is there a deep seated hatred between you?”

Liu Ruoni said, “Not really. It’s just that disobedient Junior Brother causes me a lot of distress.”

Yan Xingyu didn’t believe the woman’s words, but she was now held by a handle and couldn’t defeat the other party, so she had to give in. She said, “I can help you, but after this matter, there will be no more entanglement between you and me.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Ruoni’s lips curved into a smile, and she agreed, “Of course.”

Yan Xingyu said, “Then what do you want me to do?”

Liu Ruoni said, “As for that, I’ll tell you when the time is right. For now, let’s go back and sleep.”

Yan Xingyu: “…Fine.”

Seeing the person turn around and walk back the way they came, she followed, thinking about what Liu Ruoni had just said. She asked, “How did you know I wasn’t her? Do you know Yan Rou?”

Liu Ruoni had achieved her goal and didn’t mind telling the other party. She said, “I know Young Palace Mistress Yan, but she doesn’t know me.”

“Just like I know Young Palace Mistress Guan, but she doesn’t know me either.”

Yan Xingyu said, “If you’re not acquainted, how did you recognize that I wasn’t her?”

Liu Ruoni glanced at the other party and said, “Perhaps it’s because I used to envy her a lot. I’ve seen Yan Rou many times, and she is very different from you.”

“Even though you use the same body, and even the soul companion hasn’t changed, a little careful observation can actually reveal that you are two different people.”

At this point, she also asked something she was curious about.

“Did Young Palace Mistress Yan offer her life, giving her body to you?”

Yan Xingyu replied, “I don’t know.”

Liu Ruoni seemed to recall something and said, “However, with the Palace Mistress Yan passing away, Young Palace Mistress Yan wouldn’t want to live long, either.”

If everything this person said was true that she and Yan Rou weren’t close yet she observed so minutely then this woman was truly a bit frightening: seemingly kind and polite on the surface, but ruthless in reality.

Thinking of this, Yan Xingyu was even more reluctant to get involved with this woman. She didn’t engage in further conversation with the other party, and Liu Ruoni didn’t mind.

After returning to the house, the two went back to their respective resting spots to wait for dawn. Once it was morning, the two groups had different goals and naturally parted ways quickly. The group of cultivators from Qingding Mountain was ordered to capture sea demons, so they set out early, borrowed a boat from the local fishermen, and went to search for the sea demon.

Yan Xingyu and the others also wanted to borrow a boat from the fishermen to search deep into the East Tai Sea. Although everyone was a cultivator, the disparity between people was truly vast.

She had just seen Li Mufeng and his group easily borrow a boat and depart. When it was their turn, it was a different story.

The uncle mending his fishing net looked at the two young girls following him, one of whom was blind, and waved his hand, “Little girls, the sea hasn’t been peaceful lately. There are Daoist priests removing demons. Don’t go join the excitement.”

Yan Xingyu said, “Uncle, we are also cultivators who subdue demons and eliminate evil. If you lend us your boat, and it turns out we are the ones who eliminate the sea demon, you’ll be accumulating good karma, Uncle.”

Unfortunately, the uncle didn’t buy it and waved his hand, “How much skill can you two little girls have? Lending the boat to you and having something go wrong would be damaging my good karma. I cannot lend it, I cannot lend it.”

Yan Xingyu felt a headache coming on, but she kept pleading and speaking nicely to him. Even though the person’s attitude was very firm, she didn’t give up.

It wasn’t that she was being stubborn it was mainly because they had already approached several families, and the others wouldn’t talk much to them and simply refused to lend a boat. The uncle in front of her was at least willing to talk a few more sentences.

Seeing that he was still unmoved, Yan Xingyu asked, puzzled, “Uncle, why did you so readily lend it to the group of cultivators from Qingding Mountain, but not to us?”

The uncle had witnessed the girl’s persistence. Hearing her question, he explained, “They are from Qingding Mountain, and they are very powerful. We don’t even know where you two little girls popped out from. How can we lend it to you?”

Yan Xingyu felt unfairly treated. Never mind her, Guan Fei alone could trounce that group from Qingding Mountain. Thinking this, she quickly announced their credentials: “Uncle, my friend here is the Young Palace Mistress of the Lingluan Palace! Now, are you willing to lend it?”

Guan Fei hadn’t expected to be brought up, but she just smiled and showed no other reaction. Since she was blind, she didn’t see the uncle’s look of disdainful chuckle.

“What Young Palace Mistress would come to our poor, remote little village? Little girl, stop pestering me and leave quickly. I still have nets to mend and no time to mess around with you.”

After all the talking, they still couldn’t borrow a boat. Seeing the uncle completely ignore her and go back to mending his net, Yan Xingyu wondered where the fault lay.

Guan Fei suggested, “Why don’t we build a boat ourselves?”

Yan Xingyu looked at the blind, fox-playing person beside her, who didn’t look like someone who could build a boat. Furthermore, she didn’t know how to build a boat either. Just as she was worrying,

Liu Ruoni, who had gone out with Li Mufeng’s party, returned. Seeing that the two were having trouble borrowing a boat, she spoke up, “Miss Yan, Miss Guan, do you need any help?”

The woman’s voice was light and gentle, yet it made Yan Xingyu’s eyelids twitch. Thinking about what happened last night, the debt collector had come seeking payment so soon.