Bonus Chapter: Outing

One day, a carriage stopped at the foot of a mountain.

The mountain was shrouded in mist, giving it the charm of a fairyland.

“Whew! As expected, not only is the scenery here beautiful, but the air is very fresh too!”

A beautiful woman stepped down from the carriage, her long, slender legs particularly eye-catching.

Wang Yan’er looked at the scenery before her, and her mood lightened considerably.

Behind her, Lu Qian’s figure followed her off the carriage, and lastly, Qin Mu.

The three of them intended to experience an excursion.

They were forbidden from using their cultivation, pretending to be ordinary people to enjoy a genuine outing.

Wang Yan’er had nothing to do and felt bored by herself, so she dragged Lu Qian along.

Of course, she could not forget Mu’er.

The idea for the outing had suddenly occurred to Wang Yan’er yesterday.

Looking at the children playing outside, the words “spring outing” had naturally surfaced in her mind.

Although she and her best friend, Lu Qian, did not always get along when they met, they had been friends for many years.

Since entering the Nascent Soul Realm, Wang Yan’er had not lived without using cultivation for a long time.

“Why did you suddenly think of an outing? That doesn’t match your personality.”

Lu Qian looked at Wang Yan’er.

Based on her understanding, Wang Yan’er was not someone who liked such things.

“Just a whim. Let’s go! This mountain has quite a few treasures.”

Wang Yan’er took the first step.

Lu Qian followed closely behind, and Qin Mu obediently kept up.

Young Master Qin had been dragged along while half-asleep this morning.

By the time he woke up, he was already in the carriage.

Among the three, Qin Mu had originally been at the back, but he eventually ran to the front.

Wang Yan’er and Lu Qian chatted idly behind him.

“Humph. I say, Little Qian, are you hiding something from me?”

Wang Yan’er asked her friend of several hundred years.

Hearing Wang Yan’er’s words, Lu Qian replied with a look of dissatisfaction, “Hey, don’t call me Little Qian. That’s my childhood nickname.”

“Oh, whatever. I just want to ask you something.”

Wang Yan’er’s gaze carried a hint of interrogation.

“What is it?”

Lu Qian could not figure out what Wang Yan’er was up to.

“Regarding Mu’er, are you…?”

Wang Yan’er paused, her expression turning suggestive.

When Lu Qian heard the question, a flash of panic crossed her beautiful eyes, which Wang Yan’er captured accurately.

As expected, Wang Yan’er felt she had guessed correctly.

Lu Qian let out a long breath and parted her red lips.

“Wang Yan’er, you can eat whatever you want, but you shouldn’t say whatever you want. If you keep talking nonsense, I won’t be polite!”

Although Lu Qian’s tone was serious, Wang Yan’er had already confirmed the truth.

A meaningful smile appeared on her face.

“Is that so? I guess I guessed wrong.”

Stared at by Wang Yan’er like that, Lu Qian felt uncomfortable.

She quickened her pace and caught up with Mu’er, who was crouching on the ground watching two insects fight.

Qin Mu saw his vision darken.

Looking up, he saw Aunt Lu’s exquisite face.

“Aunt Lu, what’s wrong?”

Qin Mu rarely saw Aunt Lu’s cheeks flushed like that.

“It’s nothing. Mu’er, let’s go.”

Relying on her cultivation at the Tribulation Stage, Lu Qian quickly suppressed her pounding heart.

“But, aren’t we waiting for Aunt Yan’er?”

Qin Mu looked back and saw Aunt Yan’er still walking slowly.

“Don’t mind her. She’s in the Tribulation Stage; no one here can do anything to her.”

Lu Qian grabbed Mu’er and continued forward.

In fact, Lu Qian’s behavior was a way of escaping.

Having her secret pierced by Wang Yan’er was shameful.

After all, she was not just an expert at the Tribulation Stage; she was hundreds of years old.

Having such thoughts about a teenaged boy and being discovered by her best friend was embarrassing.

If this world had trains, Lu Qian would have carried one away through the night to flee the Eastern Region.

Looking at Lu Qian’s fleeing back, Wang Yan’er felt quite refreshed.

This girl had annoyed her plenty in the past.

After her amusement, Wang Yan’er was also surprised.

She had not expected that Lu Qian, who usually looked down on everyone, would actually be moved by someone.

She had thought Lu Qian would be alone for her entire life.

After all, Lu Qian had once said that any man who wanted her had to defeat her first.

Not long after, the previously fine weather turned gloomy in the blink of an eye.

Soon, it began to rain.

The overcast sky made the scenery in the forest even darker for Qin Mu and the others.

Lu Qian frowned slightly, wanting to disperse the dark clouds.

Seeing this, Wang Yan’er quickly stopped her.

“Wait, this atmosphere is exactly what we need. It’ll be boring if you disperse the clouds. Let’s go; there’s a cave over there. We can take shelter from the rain.”

Not far from them was a pitch-black cave.

The three entered without a second thought.

Wang Yan’er flicked her finger, and a flame made of True Qi illuminated the entire cave.

Opposite her, Lu Qian was asking Qin Mu if he was wet, her tone full of concern.

However, Wang Yan’er captured the emotions deep within those beautiful eyes, and a mysterious smile curled her lips.

The rain was heavy.

Two experts at the Tribulation Stage clearly had the strength to disperse the clouds, yet they were hiding in a cave.

It seemed somewhat out of place.

Listening to the sound of the rain, Qin Mu soon felt sleepy.

Seeing this, Lu Qian let him lie on her lap.

“Mu’er, if you’re tired, go to sleep. I’ll wake you when the rain stops.”

Lu Qian’s slender hand brushed through the stray hairs on the boy’s forehead, her eyes filled with doting affection.

“Yan’er.”

The name she had not heard in a long time made Wang Yan’er freeze for a moment.

Lu Qian stared at the boy resting on her lap and could not help but ask, “Do you think… love… will be accepted by the world?”

Wang Yan’er naturally understood what Lu Qian meant.

Looking at the sleeping boy, she whispered, “As long as you don’t regret it yourself, it’s fine. Why care about the world’s opinion?”

“Besides, perhaps I am the same kind of person as you?”

It was Lu Qian’s turn to be stunned by those words.

“Could it be that you also…?”

Lu Qian looked at her best friend in surprise.

Wang Yan’er shook her head.

“What are you thinking? I don’t have those thoughts right now. I just think that having such a junior around is quite nice.”

Or perhaps she would follow in Lu Qian’s footsteps, but who could say for sure in the future?

Amidst the flickering flames, the boy’s peaceful sleeping face came into their view.

“I really don’t understand. Those two girls aside, I didn’t expect you to fall for him too.”

Wang Yan’er’s voice was very soft, but with Lu Qian’s strength at the Tribulation Stage, she heard it clearly.

Lu Qian had initially wanted to extinguish the sparks in her heart, but they eventually burned brighter until they consumed her.

However, it was not a bad thing.

At least her life had a goal now.

She was no longer like before, only knowing how to cultivate with no other desires.

Now, at least, she had a treasure worth cherishing.

Before long, the rain outside the cave stopped.