The bright sun flooded the sky with pure, transparent light. Majestic mountains rose toward the heavens, their peaks lost in fluffy clouds, while below stretched an emerald forest—dense and alive. Tall trees stood shoulder to shoulder like silent guardians, protecting the serenity of this land.
The rustle of leaves merged with the sounds of wild animals deep within the woods, while above, the clear singing of birds filled the air, seeming to come from both earth and sky. Wherever one looked, the view took one's breath away. Anyone witnessing this scene would carry in their heart for a long time a sense of grandeur and the pristine beauty that nature itself bestowed.
A true fairy tale—there was no other way to describe it.
Yet this picture of peace and majesty was ruthlessly shattered by an irritating sound, coming from two people who sliced swiftly through the air above the forest.
They were flying—standing on a sword.
Ahead was a tall man with long hair and a cold, distant gaze. His face seemed sculpted by a master: a sharp chin, a straight nose, thin lips pressed into a barely visible line, and phoenix-like eyes—deep and piercing, giving his appearance a dangerously alluring charm.
Behind him was a girl. Long black hair streamed behind her, her small, round face adorned with large expressive eyes, a delicate nose, and plump crimson lips. She radiated a warm, lively aura that made anyone involuntarily smile.
They were complete opposites: he was cold, reserved, and masculine; she was lively, sweet, and charming.
And yet it was this charming little girl who was the source of the sound ruthlessly destroying the harmony of the surrounding world.
Her voice was genuinely beautiful—soft, clear, and sweet, like a babbling brook.
But when that brook became an endless stream of questions and chatter, even the most enchanting voice could get on one's nerves, making anyone nearby want to cover their ears.
"Master Benefactor, pleeease… what's your name? We agreed that we'd exchange names," Xiao Yu pressed on. "I've already told you mine. Now it's your turn!"
The man sighed heavily and slowly massaged the bridge of his nose, trying to ease the headache caused by the girl's incessant chatter.
"I don't recall agreeing to that," he said coldly, shooting her a piercing glance that clearly meant: enough, shut up.
But Xiao Yu, as if ignoring the warning, continued jabbering. Either she didn't notice the meaning behind his look, or she was so bold—or stubborn—that she simply chose to disregard it.
"Even so, it's basic courtesy," she said, tilting her head slightly. "If one person introduces themselves, the other should too. Isn't that right? And what's so hard about just saying your name? Even if we never meet again, I'd like to know the name of the person who saved my life. So, Master… please."
She pouted and looked at him with pleading eyes.
«Notto mention that knowing your name might help me figure out what kind of world this is. No guarantees, but my instincts are screaming: this cold, handsome guy is clearly a key character. So stop resisting and just tell me your name already,» she grumbled silently.
Realizing he couldn't make her stop talking, the man paused for a moment and decided to give her the name by which others usually addressed him.
"Ha…" he sighed again. "Ren Zun. That's what you can call me. Be satisfied with that—nothing more. And don't ask any more questions. If you keep talking… I'll just throw you off the sword," he added firmly.
"Ren… Zun?" Xiao Yu repeated slowly. "Honorable…? But that doesn't sound like a name… more like a title," she murmured, looking at the handsome man with questioning eyes.
His gaze held only one message: Exactly.
"So it really is a title?" Xiao Yu asked, eyes wide. "But a title isn't a name. That's not fair. I told you mine, so why don't you—" She trailed off mid-sentence, meeting his eyes. This time, Xiao Yu fully understood the warning in his gaze. A dangerous chill ran down her spine, and she instinctively covered her mouth, showing she would say no more.
Scary.
Seeing that the girl had finally grasped she should stay silent, the Honorable Stranger turned away with a faint, satisfied smile and looked ahead.
«Hmm… so last time she really just didn't notice, he thought. He didn't even realize that the corners of his mouth had slightly lifted, showing a rare display of emotion. For the cold Ren Zun, "Honorable Ice Blade," this was extremely unusual.
Xiao Yu, not daring to speak again, pretended to be absorbed in the scenery. Outwardly, she looked calm, even serene—but in her mind, chaos reigned.
«Stubbornfrost… Naming your own title is like moving a mountain. Fine, nothing I can do. I'll just try to figure out something from his title. But the main thing—no more talking. Or he really might throw me off the sword…» This thought made her cautiously glance downward, just a little, purely out of curiosity.
And that was a mistake.
Xiao Yu froze.
The height was… staggering. Truly staggering. All her thoughts evaporated in an instant. She stared down for several seconds without blinking, then slowly, as if in slow motion, straightened up. Her eyes stung.
«I'll be smashed intoa pancake… Alright. Decision made. Not a word. I love talking, yes, but I love living more. Testing whether he's joking? Bad idea. Because if not… brrr. No thanks. I'm done.»
Having resolved that her life was more important than unnecessary conversation, she focused on a more pressing matter: trying to remember if she had ever read about a character with the title Ren Zun in any of the books she had consumed.
Even narrowing the search to the wuxia genre didn't make it easier.
«IfI'd known I'd ever end up in a situation like this,» she sighed quietly in despair, «I wouldn't have read so many novels…»
Lost in thought, she didn't notice the sun reaching its zenith, signaling midday. She might have continued daydreaming had her stomach not suddenly reminded her of its existence.
"Uuurrr…"
Xiao Yu froze awkwardly, then slowly looked up at the Honorable Immortal, hoping he hadn't heard.
Of course, she knew that was impossible.
When she saw him turning to look directly at her, her face flushed with shame. She immediately covered it with her hands and mentally decided to play dead.
Yet her stomach was adamant that it would not be ignored and reminded her again.
"UUUUUURRRR!" this time even louder than before.
"Um… well… hahaha… you see…" Xiao Yu started awkwardly. "I just… haven't eaten since yesterday. So…" Her voice gradually softened into a whisper by the end.
The man continued to look at her with the same calm, unreadable gaze.
It was impossible to tell what he was thinking.
Xiao Yu even suspected he was contemplating whether to throw her off the sword for her noisy stomach.
But before that thought could take root, Ren Zun extended his hand. A beautiful hand, with long fingers.
Resting on it was a small pill.
"Um… what's this?" Xiao Yu asked.
"A mid-grade Bigu pill," he replied curtly. "It will rid you of hunger for roughly half a year."
"Rid me of hunger?!" she exclaimed, carefully taking the pill. "Wow, that's amazing… and you just… give me something this valuable? Can you really do that?"
"You don't need to worry," he said, adding nothing more.
From his calm tone, posture, and demeanor, Xiao Yu immediately understood: such things were commonplace for him. Perhaps he possessed even more valuable treasures.
"Then… thank you very much," she said sincerely, smiling.
And it was true. He had not only saved her life, agreed to help her reach a village, but now also gave her a pill. Despite his cold tone and threats to throw her off the sword if she chatted too much, Xiao Yu somehow knew in her heart he wouldn't do it.
Otherwise, would she have dared to keep talking, asking over and over for his name?
After taking the pill, she immediately felt the agonizing hunger that had tormented her since the day before vanish. The unpleasant emptiness was replaced by a gentle warmth spreading through her body.
She sighed quietly, finally realizing: she was truly in a world where such miracles were ordinary.
Freed from hunger and lulled by the calm atmosphere, Xiao Yu closed her eyes, tired, deciding to rest a little. She did not dare to sleep fully—who knew if she might not wake up… hehe.
Thus, amid an astonishingly harmonious environment, with breaks in the forest, two days passed.
Most of the time, they flew in silence. Only occasionally did Xiao Yu speak, when boredom overtook her. Her chatter quickly ceased the moment Ren Zun shot her a cold, warning glance.
By the evening of the second day, they finally emerged from the forest, and before them appeared a small town—Qinghe, nestled at the foot of the mountains, near the road leading to the central lands.
They landed at the city gates. Even in small towns, flying on swords was inappropriate—too conspicuous for the guards.
At the gates, a small line had already formed: merchants, travelers, and locals arriving on various errands. After a brief wait, they approached the booth where entry fees were collected.
When the guard requested payment, Xiao Yu panicked. She had neither coins nor the slightest idea what currency was used here. Panic quietly rose—until the man next to her slowly placed a small stone on the counter.
The stone was small, light blue, with subtle shimmering, as if fine threads of energy danced inside. To an untrained eye, it was just a beautiful mineral, but to any cultivator, it immediately radiated a weak but living spiritual power.
Xiao Yu was captivated by the stone's beauty, barely able to look away. Yet another person's gaze was even more fixated—the guard at the entrance.
It was probably the only case where an entry fee for such a small town was paid with a spirit stone. Its bright color indicated low quality, yet for a normal mortal, even one stone could secure a long life without want.
The guard, however, did not rush to accept it. He bowed low and spoke respectfully:
"Honorable Immortal, this guard is not authorized to accept a spirit stone. It is too precious, and we could not return any change. May I ask if something less valuable could be offered instead?"
"For me, this stone has little value. Take it—you needn't return anything. Just let us enter," Ren Zun replied coldly and detachedly.
Xiao Yu stood there, mouth open. She knew what a spirit stone was, and how ordinary cultivators would never simply hand one over for entry.
And this man… could throw them away as easily as leaves in the wind. Not just the spirit stone, but the mid-grade Bigu pill he had given her. Such pills were usually extremely valuable, especially ones that could relieve hunger for six months.
Only now did Xiao Yu realize: the man who saved her was far from an ordinary minor immortal.
She only regained her composure after passing through the city gates and entering the town. She glanced at the man, intending to ask who he was, but seeing his cold back, she reconsidered.
«Even if I ask, he won't answer. The one who gave only his title instead of his name surely won't answer 'who he is.' Definitely not…» she sighed.
Putting the thought aside, she began exploring with genuine interest. She had always been curious about how ancient towns looked, and now she finally had the chance to see for herself.
The town wasn't large—barely a thousand residents. Houses were modest, with straw roofs and wooden shutters, but neat and well-kept. Narrow streets carried the aromas of fresh bread and herbal teas.
Along the central square, shops and workshops lined up: a smithy with faint metallic clangs, a brightly colored fabric store, a small tea house with gentle steam rising from hot cups. Residents, though modest in means, seemed diligent and steady—some sweeping streets, some peeking into workshops, while children played at the fountain in the center.
Qinghe wasn't a wealthy town, but that gave it a special coziness. Everyone knew each other, and even a stranger could notice the friendly curiosity in passing eyes. The atmosphere was calm, almost peaceful—like the land itself sought to preserve harmony between humans and nature.
Xiao Yu loved this atmosphere.
She ran from shop to shop, smiling endlessly at the townspeople. She became so engrossed that she nearly got lost—which was quite difficult in such a small town. But even that didn't stop her; she continued running about tirelessly.
It annoyed the man so much that when Xiao Yu ran past him again, he grabbed her by the scruff and put her in place.
"Take one more unnecessary step aside, and I'll just leave you here," he warned coldly, irritation lacing his voice.
His tone was so frightening that for the rest of the journey, Xiao Yu truly didn't dare stray from his side. Still, mentally, she continued to grumble.
«Such an ice cube… So what if I walked around a bit? Hmph.»