The white-robed youth fell headfirst, plummeting straight down without gathering spiritual energy for protection or attempting to ride his sword.
At this height, a Foundation Establishment sword cultivator’s small frame would definitely be smashed to pieces!
Xiao Xinran watched anxiously.
Miss Lin jumped off the flower lantern, riding the wind in pursuit, wanting to catch the Young Master.
However, Yun Liu simply took a leap of faith, landing precisely on a pile of hay on the roadside cart and touching down safely.
He wiped the bronze pointer in his palm, pocketed the toy hidden within the flower lantern, and casually obtained the Earth Treasury Sect’s Small Spiritual Detection Instrument.
This thing could sense nearby Spiritual Veins—just hearing about it made it sound like a Jubao Pen.
There were many similar mini-games during the Yu Deng Jie, and though no one knew who designed them, they ultimately couldn’t escape Yun Sanguang’s evil hand.
Boom!
Suddenly, a loud crash erupted.
The small wooden hut beside them collapsed, smoke and dust billowing.
“Hey, hey, falling objects from the sky are dangerous, you know.”
Yun Liu jumped in fright, looked up but didn’t find the culprit, and wondered which fellow Daoist had such poor manners to toss trash around randomly.
Seeing the Young Master unharmed, Miss Lin sighed in relief, but her own landing was far from graceful, embedding her straight into the ground.
Miss Lin pulled her legs free, hugged Xiao Xinran, and crawled out of the ruins, just in time to see Yun Liu darting into a nearby alleyway, rubbing his hands with a wicked grin as he approached a sobbing little girl.
The girl wore her hair in pigtails, tied with a small apron, her chubby cheeks utterly adorable.
Starting at three years, with the death penalty at the highest?
The two exchanged glances.
First bungee jumping without a rope, now challenging imperial law—must the Young Master tread on thin ice for his whole life?
Xiao Xinran tossed a pouch of Spirit Stones to compensate the house owner, hurriedly escaping the scene of the accident and stealthily following Yun Liu’s trail.
In the Hutong, the Strange Uncle made a funny face, conjuring a Bangbang Tang as if by magic, and the little girl instantly broke into a smile.
“What… is he doing?”
Lin Shu blinked, her face reddening, still not daring to look directly at Yun Liu.
Expert outpatient services had remarkable effects; the techniques were top-tier, and the uniquely soul-stirring experience left a lifelong impression.
Yun Liu held the girl’s hand, weaving through the bustling market like a fish, quickly finding the child’s lost father—a middle-aged man anxiously searching.
Miss Lin hadn’t even finished marveling at Yun Liu’s skill before he vanished again.
Xiao Xinran squeezed up beside the father and daughter, but in the sea of people, there was no way to find the Young Master anymore—she could only stamp her foot in frustration.
Lost him again!
But… there didn’t seem to be anyone else by Xiao Yun’s side?
Upholding the tradition of doing good deeds without leaving a name, Yun Liu accepted his reward—an unnamed Hai Luo picked up on the beach—and rushed to the next location.
The Royal Capital map was sprawling and complicated, with all kinds of lantern festival missions that were endless and tedious.
If you were a Minotaur newbie without a guide, it was hard to tell what to do amid the swarm of exclamation marks.
In one go, Yun completed seven or eight limited tasks, and in less than half an hour, he’d claimed all the most tempting rewards of Yu Deng Jie, leaving only some entertainment-type little toys, optional at best.
Flyers filled the sky over West Gate Street, mixed with two familiar Wanted posters.
Yun Liu passed by a Food Court Chain Store, picked up a flyer at random, and burst out laughing, as if remembering something.
[Registration for the new Swallow the Eight Directions Big Eater Double Contest is now open!]
The top five receive permanent half-price coupons for the Food Court Chain Store, plus member cards of corresponding value.
If you place first in the game, a unique couple’s title, “Gourmet Not Alone,” will hang above your head.
Plus, free meals across all Nine Provinces store locations for a year, letting two people enjoy their own world.
The rewards for the Rice Bucket Contest looked great but hid traps for the unwary; if you didn’t make the cut, you had to pay full price for everything you ate!
The Big Eater Challenge was for pairs only, limited to couples with no gender restriction.
This side quest’s rewards were mediocre, but it boosted affection a lot.
If not for the Three-Year Promise, Ji Shiyu would have surely dragged Xiao Xinran to join.
Thinking of a certain silly girl, Yun Liu burst into laughter, and as if in perfect sync, a joyful shout rang in his ear.
“Old One—Master!”
A blonde, twin-tailed girl darted out from the tavern, throwing herself into the white-robed youth’s arms.
As expected, Ji Shiyu had refreshed right on time in the tavern of the Food Court street, clearly monitoring for a while and preparing for the contest.
The Big Eater Contest = free food and free gifts!
Wasn’t that better than drinking flower wine?
“Woo woo woo, I’m so happy, you finally came to find me!”
Yun Liu gently pushed aside the golden little head.
“Your bad habits again? Who’s looking for you—I was just passing by.”
“Whatever, just come with me!”
Ji Shiyu clenched her small fists, stars shining in her eyes, brimming with fighting spirit.
“Where to?”
“To join the contest, of course! I bet you’re starving, right?!”
“Ha? I’m not joining!”
Yun Liu was alarmed, but it was too late to escape.
Ji Shiyu locked her arm tightly around his and dragged him inside.
Just as he was gloating over someone else’s misfortune, now it was his turn—he clung to the doorpost, struggling.
A hungry blonde who’ll stop at nothing for free food—even taking advantage of the victim!?
“It won’t take long, please, Old-One Master, this championship means a lot to me!”
Swallow the Eight Directions was Ji Shiyu’s favorite chain restaurant; their snacks were the best outside her teacher’s cooking, and first prize was a year of free meals.
How could she miss out on such a tempting reward!?
“Dignity is very important to me, too! Who wants to enter this crazy contest? Let go, wicked disciple!”
“If you don’t agree, I won’t let go!”
Crack!
It wasn’t Yun Liu being moved by Ji Shiyu’s determination, but the doorpost breaking.
With a bewildered face, Yun Liu—doorpost and all—was dragged into the tavern, leaving everyone inside stunned.
“Look! He’s my Dao companion, see, I wasn’t lying! Now can you help us sign up?”
Ji Shiyu hurriedly called for the old proprietor to register two participants.
She’d almost overslept, and any later, the sign-ups would have closed.
Luckily, when she made her wish in her heart, the lucky boy really did appear at the door.
The men watching all eyed the white-robed youth enviously.
The golden-haired girl was so dazzling, she was about to cry out of worry because her beloved hadn’t arrived. They’d have gladly played the part of her boyfriend.
“I don’t…”
Yun Liu had just opened his mouth when Ji Shiyu clapped a hand over it, sobbing,
“Don’t expose me! Master Qin and Xinran aren’t here, so you’ll do! If we win, you get a share of the free meals too!”
Yun Liu sighed.
In the end, he couldn’t resist the pitiful gaze of the little blonde.
“Then do your best. I don’t have much of an appetite.”
“I don’t need you! I can do it alone!”
Ji Shiyu wiped her nose.
The proprietor was no fool. His cloudy old eyes looked the pair up and down, laughing,
“You two are a golden couple, well-matched, but you don’t seem like lovers—perhaps you’ve never even held hands?”