Chapter 327: Conclusion 9.

"Yes."

Su Yubing looked at Mo Yuxin.

Mo Yuxin whispered, "Bad liar."

The gray-robed man’s face changed.

The other two cultivators immediately stood.

Their cultivation rose.

Two late Nascent Soul cultivators.

One Soul Formation cultivator.

Ordinary travelers would have been terrified.

Mo Yuxin simply looked at them.

"Why are you asking names?"

The Soul Formation cultivator sighed.

"We are looking for someone."

"Who?"

He stared at Mo Yuxin.

"We do not know."

"Then why ask for names?"

"Because we were given a list."

"What list?"

The old cultivator hesitated.

Then he took out a piece of paper.

There were no names on it.

Only drawings of two women.

One looked like Mo Yuxin.

The other looked like Su Yubing.

Mo Yuxin’s expression hardened for a moment.

The Soul Formation cultivator immediately raised both hands.

"We were told to find two travelers matching these appearances. We were not ordered to attack you."

Su Yubing stepped closer to Mo Yuxin.

"Who gave you the order?"

"We do not know."

"Then why follow it?"

The old cultivator gave a tired smile.

"Because the payment was enough to feed our sect for three years."

Mo Yuxin almost laughed.

"Fair answer."

She extended one finger.

The paper in the old man’s hand turned to ash.

He stared.

Mo Yuxin said, "Forget you saw us."

The three cultivators nodded.

"Understood."

They sat down again.

Mo Yuxin and Su Yubing continued walking.

After they were gone, the sleeping cultivator opened one eye.

"Are we really going to forget?"

The old man nodded.

"Yes."

"Even though they are obviously connected to whatever is happening?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

The old man looked at the broken tea cup in his hand.

"Because I prefer to live."

Further north, the forest finally opened.

They reached a cliff overlooking a huge river.

The river ran toward the central plains.

Across it stood an ancient bridge made entirely of white stone.

The bridge was so long that the opposite bank was barely visible.

Su Yubing looked at it.

"Beautiful."

Mo Yuxin nodded.

"Yes."

"You said beautiful about the rainbow too."

"And you."

Su Yubing smiled.

"You always bring it back to me."

"Because everything is better with you."

Su Yubing shook her head.

"You are getting too good at this."

"At what?"

"Making me blush."

Mo Yuxin looked proud.

"Good."

They crossed the bridge just before sunset.

Halfway across, a group of sword cultivators landed in front of them.

There were about thirty.

Their robes carried the emblem of the Heavenly Sword Sect.

The leader was a woman with a silver sword and cold eyes.

She looked at Mo Yuxin.

Then at Su Yubing.

Then at their joined hands.

"Are you two wandering cultivators?"

Mo Yuxin nodded.

"Yes."

The sword cultivator sighed with relief.

"Then please forgive us. We thought you were the people we were searching for."

Mo Yuxin raised an eyebrow.

"What people?"

The sword cultivator hesitated.

"Two mysterious cultivators who have been crossing the central roads."

Su Yubing asked, "Why are people looking for them?"

The sword cultivator shook her head.

"We do not know. But several sects have been asking questions."

Mo Yuxin nodded.

"Then we are not them."

The woman bowed.

"Thank you."

They stepped aside.

As Mo Yuxin and Su Yubing passed, the sword cultivator suddenly looked at Mo Yuxin again.

"Wait."

Mo Yuxin stopped.

"What?"

"Your sword."

Mo Yuxin glanced down.

Her sword was ordinary-looking, but the woman had noticed the style of its scabbard.

"What about it?"

"That sword style resembles the old records of a lost sect."

Mo Yuxin said, "Probably coincidence."

The woman nodded slowly.

"Probably."

They crossed the bridge.

The sun disappeared beyond the mountains.

Stars appeared.

And far ahead, beyond the central plains, the lights of Thousand Dao City began to glow faintly against the horizon.

They were still far away.

But now the destination was no longer a distant name on a map.

It was real.

It was waiting.

Mo Yuxin squeezed Su Yubing’s hand.

"Almost there."

Su Yubing smiled.

"Good."

"Hungry?"

"Very."

"Then tomorrow we find the noodles."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

The next morning, instead of taking the main road, Mo Yuxin and Su Yubing decided to follow an older route that ran through the White Mist Highlands.

Qin Lian had warned them about the route before they separated.

"It is shorter," she had said, "but there are fewer travelers. If something goes wrong, you may have to solve it yourselves."

Mo Yuxin had nodded.

Su Yubing had said, "That is probably exactly why she told us not to go."

Mo Yuxin had answered, "We can still go."

So they went.

The White Mist Highlands were beautiful.

The mountains were covered in pale grass that moved like waves whenever the wind passed through. White mist gathered between the cliffs every morning, and huge pieces of white stone floated slowly through the valleys. The stones were not naturally floating. They were caught in old spiritual currents created by ancient formations built thousands of years ago.

According to local stories, the formations had once been part of a massive cultivation academy. The academy had disappeared after a great battle, and only the floating stones remained.

Su Yubing liked the scenery enough to slow down.

Mo Yuxin slowed down with her.

At one point they came across a small sign that said VIEWING PLATFORM 100 STEPS AHEAD.

Su Yubing immediately wanted to see it.

Mo Yuxin followed.

The platform overlooked an enormous valley filled with mist.

Sunlight spilled through the clouds, turning the mist gold.

Su Yubing stood at the edge and smiled.

Mo Yuxin stood beside her.

"Worth the detour?"

"Yes."

"Good."

Su Yubing turned and leaned against her.

"You did not even look at the view."

"I did."

"When?"

"The whole time."

Su Yubing realized what she meant and laughed.

"You are getting worse."

"I am improving."

"That is not how improvement works."

Mo Yuxin wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Then I will keep practicing."

They stayed there until the sun climbed higher.

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TO BE CONTINUED.