A crowd was gathering around an old man and a child.

  Their clothing was nothing but robes patched to hide the evidences of long wear and tear, and upon further observation, Si Kongmian concluded that there was nothing special about them.

  These people might just be illiterate idiots wasting people's time with their useless babbles and tales.

  Qin Zhenzhu, however, was no fool. Having been surrounded by various deities who engaged in politics since young, she had always known that even if a rumor was filled with lies, there would always be a tendril of truth that made people believe them; yet it was also that truth that could unveil the whole story if treaded with caution.

  This was also the one of the reasons why, even if she disliked gossip, she would listen once in a while--to fish for information.

  But right now, the rumor centered around a major player in the High Council of the Heavens--Jinbai Hall.

  Yes, Jinbai Hall.

  There was no mistaking it. The child's voice was clear and bright, attracting numbers of listeners, as he announced, again and again, "Come! Come and hear my grandfather tell a story about Jinbai Hall!"

  "Kid, which story are you going to tell?" a curious listener asked.

  This particular person was hidden among the other listeners, but Zhenzhu caught a glimpse of an identity token and the voice was that of a woman's.

  The child's answer was swift. "The young lady of Jinbai Hall, miss!"

  When the people heard the answer, they were thrown in an uproar, and chaos erupted; confusion, interest, and excitement mixed in their faces.

  From its foundation, Jinbai Hall had a great influence in the Three Realms, each of its generations were filled with bright and brilliant cultivators, surpassing most of the Three Realms. Having had multiple immortals that ruled the world, its power was undeniable.

  In fact, it was rumored around the Three Realms that the current lord of Jinbai Hall had been appointed as the ruler yet chose to abstain. However, no one knew the reason why he refused it.

  If this story was about the origins of Jinbai Hall or it's ancestors and lords, they would have listened with no objections.

  But it just had to be about the young lady of Jinbai Hall.

  This was a controversial topic. Only kernels of rumors and suspicions were spread. Few dared to speak of her openly, so speaking publicly naturally warranted scorn and criticism.

  Rumors said that the young lady was a divine beauty. She had been seen at occasions, rarely going out and often reading scrolls and books. A mix of grace and intellect, as some put it.

  As for her cultivation and martial skills, there were multitudes of versions: some said that she was an exceptional swordsman, others said that they often heard a melodious, yet melancholy, sound at night which, they supposed, was the young lady's playing.

  But the most accepted version was that she was treated and spoiled as a princess, which was nothing unusual for a goddess. However, the gifts she received cannot be compared to a fifteen-thousand years of spiritual weapon.

  Thousands upon thousands of book, all of them rare and containing ages of knowledge, all kinds of talismans innumerable to count, a reservoir of ten-thousand years of cultivation of spiritual power, and so much more!

  It was even said that, on her eight-thousandth birthday, the previous God of Nature bestowed upon her a land full of herbs which can be used as remedies for life-threatening diseases. If the sects that practiced alchemy could store the precious plants on their storages, there would still be a countless amount of spiritual plants.

  She was truly doted on by the great lords and deities of the Heavens!

  With such a reputation, that rumor was inevitably accepted by many.

  However, when the woman heard the answer, she simply thanked the child and left.

  While knowing that at least one person didn't care about who this "young lady" was was a relief to Qin Zhenzhu, she could see that the woman was disappointed with the answer. Her shoulders were slightly slumped and there was a weariness in her manner as she silently took her leave.

  Again, Qin Zhenzhu took notice of the identity token. It was a black obsidian-like stone with dark bluish-green tinge on four corners, and...

  "Master? Are you listening?" Fengyue's voice registered in her mind.

  "Huh? What is it?"

  Fengyue sighed, his voice a little exasperated as he spoke. "Just as I thought, Master's not paying attention. They're now talking about what kind of hair color the young lady has."

  When Fengyue said "the young lady" there was a hint of knowing gleam in his eyes.

  "Nhm, sure." Qin Zhenzhu's voice was a bit rushed as she quickly looked back in the direction of that particular person.

  She sighed. The person had already gone. Whoever that person was, even if they didn't know each other, she wanted to help them.

  A bit annoyed by Fengyue, she forced herself to listen to the discussion.

  "...I heard the lady's hair is as white as snow and luminous as silver?" one was asking the old man.

  A second listener answered the first, "No way! If she really has white hair, that would mean..."

  A third shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe she has black hair and they're just trying to take some money."

  Many opposed the third idea, stating that since Jinbai Hall already held enormous wealth and were often the second--if not the first--to send their disciples to aid the people in the Mortal Realm in the war thirty-thousand years ago, it was quite unlikely.

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  In the end, the argument was won by majority, and the third left in shame.

  "Well," the first replied to the second, while the old man continued telling his story to others, "I heard the young lords who went to ask her hand were rejected. Only a few saw her, they say, and when they came back, they begged their parents to let them marry her!"

  A woman couldn't resist speaking. "No way! For someone to reject the young lords is an insult! I say," the woman added, "if even one of the them asked for my hand, I would instantly agree."

  While it was Fengyue who had been the one to persuade his master to listen on this rumor, when he realized that the conversation between the people had turned from "who's the lady of Jinbai Hall?" to "marriage", he wanted to smack himself for his idiocy.

  If his master's father found out about this, he would never be allowed near his master ever again. After all, they had a deal, didn't they?

  Luckily, the worker arrived with their orders, saving Fengyue the trouble of thinking of ways to distract his master.

  "Here you go, miss!" she said cheerfully, placing the dishes in front of them.

  Fengyue was the first to take a bite, while Si Kongmian mumbled something about Fengyue's "beastly way of eating".

  Qin Zhenzhu ignored the two and acknowledged her presence with a nod. "Thank you, miss."

  Fengyue, who was devouring his food nonstop, spoke with his mouth full, "Second serving, miss!"

  The woman was stunned. The meal had only been on the table for seconds, and already it was about to be finished in an instant!

  A second worker immediately went to satisfy this handsome and potential customer who didn't even spare anyone a glance and continued to ravage his meal.

  Qin Zhenzhu mumbled something, trying to figure out which sect had that kind of identity token as she picked up the spoon and began to eat.

  She had only taken a few spoonfuls of soup before she heard a shout. The voice came from outside the restaurant, but since they were near the window and the voice was quite loud, they heard it clearly.

  "Thief! Thief!"

  Si Kongmian tsked. "Huh. So noisy, it hurts my ears."

  Qin Zhenzhu was about to stand up when Fengyue placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her. "Fengyue, I---"

  Fengyue shook his head. "Let me deal with this, Master. Your father won't let me off if something happens to you," he said, using his master's father as an excuse.

  "But you..." Qin Zhenzhu frowned. But again, she knew how stubborn Fengyue could be when it came to her safety. "Alright. But you have to be careful."

  "I will, Master. Don't worry, I can handle them. They're easy to beat." Fengyue turned to Si Kongmian, who had been putting on the air of nonchalance. "Lord Si, I'll leave my master to you for now. If something happens to my master, I will..." His eyes darkened slightly, an ominous warning in his gaze.

  But Si Kongmian remained unfazed. "Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to Young Master under my watch. So," -- he made a dismissive gesture with his hand, -- "you can go."

  At Si Kongmian's response, Fengyue gritted his teeth. With an annoyed huff, he turned and left.

  Seeing Fengyue leave in such a mood, Qin Zhenzhu turned to Si Kongmian. "You didn't have to say it like that, Lord Si."

  Si Kongmian narrowed his eyes at her, as though trying to make sense of something, before sighing. "Forget it. The wolf is practically following you wherever you go, but you let him. How many times have your uncles and aunts told you never to let your guard down? Especially around that wolf?"

  As though about to say something, Qin Zhenzhu opened her mouth but closed it again. Instead she said, "Are we going to repeat this again?"

  "No, I suppose not," Si Kongmian replied. After all, he knew that even if he kept bringing the topic up, Zhenzhu would always reply with the same answer -- 'Fengyue never did me any harm. Why should I stay away from him?' -- and it annoyed him to no end.

  Qin Zhenzhu turned her attention to the food again and continued to eat. "Lord Si," she asked after eating, "do you have any ideas of what might be a good gift for Father?"

  "Lord Qin? Although him and my father were good friends, I don't know much about him." Si Kongmian thought for a while. "Maybe you can buy him a brush... or maybe another book, like the one you gave him before... or..."

  He smiled, a thought crossing his mind. "But I'm sure those wouldn't matter as long as he knows that you are safe and sound. But if Young Master insists, we can go and look around. There are numerous shops open tonight, it's a good time to look around. What do you think?"

  "Nhm," Qin Zhenzhu agreed. "Alright."

  Just then, the first worker, who had been called away a few moments ago, returned and gave Qin Zhenzhu a piece of paper.

  "From the owner, young miss," she said timidly. "And... uh, I apologize for my... overly enthusiastic actions earlier."

  "Huh?" Qin Zhenzhu was puzzled at the sudden apology. If anything it should've been her who was apologizing, what with the two's ruckus earlier. But when she looked behind the worker, she understood.

  Behind the curtain of the restaurant that separated the cooking area and the customers was an elderly woman. She was in the middle of cutting vegetables, but when she sensed the young woman's eyes on her, she looked up and winked, a meaningful smile on her face.

  Qin Zhenzhu accepted the paper and read it. Reading it, she felt a flush of embarrassment. With a wave of her hand, a pouch appeared out of thin air.

  "Please give this to the owner as a token of my gratitude," she said quietly.

  The worker apologized again before thanking her and went behind the curtain.

  "We should go too," she said, standing up. "I don't want to waste any more time."

  Feeling a bit dazed, Si Komgmian nodded and followed her out.

  Why in the world wouldn't he be?

  The Young Master had just given away a pouch full of high-grade spirit stones! What was even written on that piece of shit that she gave them so easily without a second thought?!

  Still brooding over Qin Zhenzhu's nonchalant treatment of money, Si Kongmian failed to notice that she had suppressed her spiritual powers, causing her hair to turn black. But when he did, he immediately guessed what had happened.

  The paper probably contained something along the lines of the her presence and appearance standing out too much, which was something that she did not want. Hence, the spirit stones was her way of expressing her thanks. But why such high-grade stones?

  He huffed in annoyance. The Young Master was surely something else. Even if he knew it to be quite unlikely, it felt like she was flaunting her wealth right in front of him!

  But again, Si Kongmian thought, this was not the first time it happened, nor would it probably be the last.

  As he watched Qin Zhenzhu browse around and check the various shops, an affectionate gaze entered his eyes. In truth, he didn't mind it, he would gladly indulge her wishes.

  "Young Master! Young Master!" A boy was running towards Qin Zhenzhu. When he reached her, he panted, catching his breath.

  She turned. "Yes?"

  The boy, who had gathered his courage to approach her when he saw her, suddenly felt his composure deflate under her presence. "Uh... Uhm..." He fumbled for words, but gave up, and thrust a flower roughly in her hand. "Just..." He bowed his head. "Something from me!"

  Qin Zhenzhu didn't even get the chance to say a thing before the boy dashed away and was out of sight, leaving her stunned and speechless.

  She looked down at the flower in her hand. It was a bit unsteady from the force it received, nevertheless, it was quite sight to behold.

  "Uhm..." Qin Zhenzhu glanced at Si Kongmian.

  He shook his head, grinning teasingly at her. "It seems we don't have to look around, Young Master. Someone already gave you a flower. It's a fitting gift for Lord Qin."

  Qin Zhenzhu nodded. It sure was a fitting gift, with its bright colors and delicate petals. It seemed like luck was on her side tonight.

  But Si Kongmian just had to say that he had to go.

  "I apologize, Young Master, but I cannot accompany you further. I must go and make haste. My destination is still a long way. But I hope to see you again in the future." He paused briefly, as though choosing his next words. "But I hope that we will meet again in the future. And when we do, I want to tell you something."

  When he said those words, a strange look was in his eyes, something affectionate but deep. It was the first time she saw that expression in his usually cocky and confident demeanor, leaving her stunned.

  As though he couldn't bear to see the sadness which had suddenly shown itself in those eyes, Si Kongmian bowed his head. "Farewell."

  "Okay," she said quietly. "Farewell."

  "Take care of yourself. Until we meet again." And with those words, he disappeared into a mist.

  Qin Zhenzhu sighed. Even though she had thought of being by herself again when she left the forest, there was still comfort in the company of others.

  Never mind. Once Fengyue returns, she thought, and once we're back home, my life will return to normal.

  And she did not doubt that.