Infinite Save: I Cultivate Immortality Through Reincarnation - Chapter 344: A Gift for Youyou

“Cheers!”

In a tavern in Ningling City of the Qingque Kingdom, the sound of clinking cups and drinking echoed.

Chen Yan picked up the wine cup from the table, clinked it with the middle-aged cultivator sitting across from him, then raised it and downed it in one gulp.

“Hahaha, Brother Shi, you can really hold your liquor!”

The middle-aged cultivator said with a laugh.

“Not at all, I still can’t compare to you, Brother Cui.”

Chen Yan replied.

He was still using the alias Shi Mingxu, operating actively within this Ningling City.

The middle-aged cultivator surnamed Cui in front of him was a rogue cultivator he had encountered in Ningling City not long ago, who had fled to the southern border just a few days prior.

“I’m leaving tomorrow.”

This middle-aged cultivator surnamed Cui said:

“Get far away from this Qingque Kingdom, and if the situation still isn’t right, then take a ferry to leave the Northwest Region… whether it’s the Western Region or the Eastern Region, I just can’t stay here anymore.”

“This world…”

Chen Yan shook his head, joining in the lament.

Thanks to Chen Yan’s social skills, he quickly built a good relationship with this middle-aged cultivator surnamed Cui, and they drank together in this tavern.

For Chen Yan, a cultivator in the Myriad Transformations Realm, alcohol had no effect on him whatsoever.

But this cultivator surnamed Cui was only at the Qi Circulation Realm.

After several cups of wine, the middle-aged cultivator surnamed Cui clearly became a bit woozy.

From his mouth, Chen Yan indeed obtained quite a bit of information.

For example, the Li Godslayer people spoke of was Li Haowen from Kongshan Sect’s Yuanhua Mountain.

Listening to the deeds of Li Haowen as recounted by the middle-aged cultivator surnamed Cui in front of him made Chen Yan feel somewhat dazed.

Ruthless, even bloodthirsty—this was Chen Yan’s evaluation of the current Li Haowen.

He was completely different from the upright young man Chen Yan remembered.

But then again, people change.

Especially since Li Haowen had experienced so many upheavals in recent years.

Chen Yan suddenly remembered what he had glimpsed in the Heavenly Summit Mirror, from over sixty thousand years ago, on the Heavenly Summit Mountain before its destruction.

That represented not just the past, but also a future version of Li Haowen at some point.

What else would happen to him in the future?

Or rather, what would happen to himself?

Proceeding step by step with caution was the only thing Chen Yan could do right now.

And then there was—

“Speaking of which, Hall Master Ding was usually righteous and chivalrous; there wasn’t a single rogue cultivator in the entire Qingque Kingdom who didn’t respect him… But tell me, why did he have to provoke Kongshan Sect? Ah!”

The middle-aged cultivator surnamed Cui looked utterly dejected.

“Brother Cui, be careful of eavesdroppers.”

Chen Yan reminded him.

“What’s there to fear!”

The middle-aged cultivator surnamed Cui raised his hand and forcefully slapped the tavern table.

Instantly, a clearly visible, completely sunken palm print appeared on the table’s surface.

After all, he was a Qi Circulation Realm cultivator; even without using any true qi, relying solely on the brute force of his physical body was still quite terrifying.

“I’m running away tomorrow, and you’re still talking about fear, fear, fear. That damn Kong Yang, True Person Kong, surely he wouldn’t chase after a small Qi Circulation Realm cultivator like me relentlessly, would he?”

When uttering Kong Yang’s name, the middle-aged cultivator surnamed Cui even raised his hands and cupped them together in the air.

But his words and expression were dripping with mockery.

Chen Yan remained silent.

Apart from him and the middle-aged cultivator in front of him, everyone else sitting in the tavern were mortals.

Seeing this Qi Circulation Realm Upper Immortal throwing a drunken tantrum in the tavern, shouting and yelling incomprehensible things, the other customers hardly dared to breathe.

“Brother Shi, tell me, Hall Master Ding, he could have run away, so why didn’t he? Instead, he chose to confront Li directly, head-on. His opponent was Kongshan Sect…”

Immediately after, this cultivator surnamed Cui’s previously high spirits began to sink into a low.

“Probably… that’s what loyalty means.”

Chen Yan picked up the wine cup in front of him and took a sip.

It was just fate playing tricks.

…

Staring at the familiar cluster of buildings before her, Si Youyou stood silently in place.

Nearly three years had passed since she left the North Pass Sect.

It seemed nothing here had changed.

“How is it, True Person Qiu?”

Xiao Bo’an raised his hand and gently wiped away the recently settled dust on a nearby wall, blew on it lightly, then said with a smile.

Si Youyou stared intently at the North Pass Sect before her and nodded slightly.

The North Pass Sect was where Si Youyou grew up; for her, calling this place her true “home” was not an exaggeration at all.

Si Youyou had deep feelings for the North Pass Sect.

Born at the Ningshi Mountain Ferry, both her parents were Qi Circulation Realm cultivators.

But her father had unfortunately developed a gambling addiction, and precisely because of this, her mother deeply hated her father.

And also disliked Si Youyou.

Simply because Si Youyou was her father’s bloodline.

Later, Si Youyou’s father lost everything and even wanted to use Si Youyou to settle his debts.

It wasn’t until the very end that Si Youyou’s mother finally had a change of conscience.

She put Si Youyou on a ship heading to the Northern Region, where she encountered Chen Yan and Mr. You.

“Since that’s the case, go back and take a look. As for me, I won’t accompany you.”

Xiao Bo’an said with a smile and bowed toward Si Youyou’s direction.

Si Youyou glanced at Xiao Bo’an with surprise.

She had always disliked this guy; could it be that he was actually a good person?

But Si Youyou said nothing, only nodded, then walked toward the North Pass Sect.

At the mountain gate of the North Pass Sect, two mountain-guarding disciples looked somewhat confused at this young girl wearing moon-white daoist robes.

They were both new disciples who had just joined the North Pass Sect a little over a year ago, so naturally they didn’t recognize this Vice Sect Leader.

“May I ask, Fellow Daoist, what business brings you to our North Pass Sect?”

One of the mountain-guarding disciples spoke up.

“Where’s the Big Silly Guy?”

Si Youyou asked.

“Big Silly Guy?”

The two mountain-guarding disciples looked at each other, completely clueless about what the girl in front of them was talking about.

“Lü Han.”

Si Youyou said.

“Supervisor Lü?”

The two mountain-guarding disciples widened their eyes, looking utterly incredulous.

“Tell that Big Silly Guy to come out and see me.”

Si Youyou said.

Although these two mountain-guarding disciples were completely baffled and couldn’t understand how this girl in front of them dared to be so presumptuous, they still sent someone inside to report, just in case to avoid any mistakes.

“Please wait a moment, Fellow Daoist.”

One of the mountain-guarding disciples said.

After about half the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a tall, plump-looking, somewhat simple and honest cultivator wearing North Pass Sect daoist robes walked out from inside the mountain gate.

“Who’s looking for…”

When Lü Han’s gaze fell upon Si Youyou in front of him, his unfinished words suddenly caught in his throat, then became stammering:

“V-Vice… Vice Sect Leader, how did you come back?”

Immediately after, his eyes began darting around:

“Where is the Sect Leader? Where is the Sect Leader?”

Hearing this, a slight dimness flickered in Si Youyou’s eyes, but she quickly returned to normal:

“Stop the nonsense, hurry up and get me some pastries to eat first!”

As she spoke, Si Youyou stepped toward the inside of the North Pass Sect’s mountain gate.

“Alright, I’ll have someone prepare them right away!”

Lü Han smiled honestly, following behind Si Youyou.

“Vice Sect Leader, where have you and the Sect Leader been all this time for over two years?”

The Big Silly Guy chattered incessantly behind Si Youyou:

“Last year, Elder Huang, who manages the treasury, even said that after you left without saying goodbye, the sect’s spending on pastry purchases saved over three thousand high-grade spirit stones compared to the year before… The owner of the pastry shop at the ferry has also asked about your whereabouts more than once.”

Si Youyou’s steps gradually quickened.

“A while ago, I was drinking with Little Jiang, and when he got drunk, he cried and told me that he’s been thinking about the three high-grade spirit stones he owes you. Even though he was deliberately delaying repayment back then, if you came back, he would definitely repay tenfold. Hahaha, that kid!”

Lü Han continued speaking as he followed behind Si Youyou.

Si Youyou’s steps became faster and faster, and the corners of her mouth curled into a smile.

So happy.

The feeling of coming home was truly wonderful.

It seemed nothing had changed. If she could stay at the North Pass Sect forever, would Chen Yan also return?

“Oh, right, and there’s Elder Shi’s side, seems like it was just last month…”

The Big Silly Guy’s voice suddenly cut off.

Si Youyou stopped walking and turned back, somewhat puzzled.

She saw the simple and honest-looking young cultivator standing behind her, wearing a strange smile on his face, holding a long sword pressed against his own neck:

“Welcome home, True Person Qiu. Do you like the gift I prepared for you?”

He slowly spoke, but the voice that came out was Xiao Bo’an’s.

“No…”

A flash of panic crossed Si Youyou’s eyes as she opened her mouth, trying to stop what was about to happen.

“No…”

Ssssh!

The blade sliced across the neck, and the Big Silly Guy’s warm blood splattered onto Si Youyou’s moon-white daoist robes.

Si Youyou froze completely on the spot.

“…Don’t”

She only managed to utter such a faint sound.