When I woke up, the entire cultivation world was talking about my master.

Chu Xianlan felt a sudden rush of heat to her head, and her cheeks and neck burned.

These words are even more damaging than the phrase "nonsense"!

This isn't about reasoning; Master is clearly treating him like a child throwing a tantrum and trying to appease him!

"Your disciple will respectfully follow your teachings."

Thanks to his shamelessness and his actions, and thanks to his master's leniency, the matter was glossed over.

However, Yi Chen added at the end, "...When interacting with fellow disciples, one should also maintain appropriate boundaries."

These words came suddenly. Although Chu Xianlan didn't understand why the other party suddenly brought this up, she nodded and said whatever her master said.

Even after returning to Yujing Pavilion, he was still a little dizzy, as if he had a tail wagging happily behind him. On the one hand, he felt that his master was really too good, and on the other hand, he became more determined to protect his master's innocence.

Those who accept my revered master's offer, though they may be far away, will surely be punished!

In the following days, Chu Xianlan was on edge, fearing that she might be taken advantage of if she wasn't careful.

One morning, Yi Chen pushed open the door and saw his disciple leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, his head drooping little by little as he grew sleepy.

Did the person guarding his door fall asleep?

Seeing his disciple's state, Yi Chen felt somewhat helpless. He quietly concealed his aura and approached, just about to gently call her back to her room to rest, when he suddenly saw Chu Xianlan tilt her head and slide straight towards a stone pillar.

Yi Chen immediately reached out to support him.

My palms were slightly cool as they touched my soft, warm cheeks.

The familiar scent was reassuring, and Chu Xianlan instinctively rubbed against it in her sleep. Strands of her hair clung to Yi Chen's hand, causing a slight tickle.

A sigh.

When Chu Xianlan groggily opened her eyes again, she was already back in her room, her abdomen completely covered by a blanket.

"……?"strangeness.

After that, when Yi Chen reviewed the documents, Chu Xianlan would be grinding ink beside him with a predatory eye; when Yi Chen meditated, he would also practice breathing exercises beside him; even when the elders from various peaks came to discuss matters, they would find an excuse to linger in the hall, inseparable from each other.

In this way, Wei Jin, who came to freeload tea and visit his lonely senior brother, noticed something amiss.

"Has your little apprentice been a bit too clingy lately?"

Yi Chen did not deny it, but said, "If we become distant, won't people gossip?"

"Pfft!" Wei Jin spat out his tea.

Yi Chen frowned and quickly raised his hand to cast a cleansing spell.

What the hell is this?! Wei Jin's handsome face twisted slightly. He realized that this person clearly remembered what he had said last time and was deliberately trying to shut him up.

So childish, it's unbearable to look at.

Wei Jin's lips twitched as he looked at his senior brother, who was calmly drinking tea, and he strongly suspected that this person actually enjoyed being surrounded by his disciples.

Loading cargo.

A few years ago, when he was accepting apprentices, he acted like a chaste and virtuous man, unwilling to do so. When will he be able to change his habit of saying one thing and meaning another?

Wei Jin said coolly, "Yi Chen, I've discovered you have the potential to be a control freak parent."

But soon, Chu Xianlan no longer had time to stay by her master's side every day.

Because the Taiyi Sect's inner sect competition is approaching, and according to custom, before the competition officially begins, "wanderers" who travel around doing business will arrive in advance on dragon bone demon ships and mark out a square area near the Taiyi Sect's mountain gate to set up a temporary market.

Previous Wanderers' Markets were already quite large.

Not only are there rare treasures and mysterious ancient books from the Three Mountains and Five Sacred Peaks, but also merchants from all walks of life gather there, making it a diverse and bustling place.

The "Wanderers" are actually a large tribe of demons. Because of their elusive nature and business acumen, their trading network spans both the world and the realm of demons, and they are collectively known as "Demon Merchants" by outsiders.

As the market opened, in addition to the demon merchants from the Wanderer Tribe, the Taiyi Sect also displayed a lot of goods for exchange. The alchemists and healers from the Hundred Herbs Hall were the most enthusiastic, all eager to take this opportunity to clear out their long-standing stockpiles.

Despite being a prestigious immortal sect of the human race, the Taiyi Sect maintained a friendly relationship with this demon caravan.

It all started with the good karma that Master Zhiyue forged during his travels in the Northern Sea.

"The sect leader's connections are truly all over the cultivation world." Xiao Huandu put down a box of medicinal herbs that was taller than his head and sighed deeply.

Zhu Ling rolled her eyes at him and uttered a few words in a low voice, "Be gentle." The pills were much more valuable than Xiao Gandu.

Xiao Huandu let out a mournful howl.

Just before the market opens, many tents have been set up in Sifangping, creating a lively atmosphere with crowds coming and going.

"That's the last box over there. Once you've moved it, you're free." Zhu Ling said expressionlessly, taking out spirit stones to pay the bill.

Xiao Huandu felt as if he had been granted a general amnesty.

Because Zhu Ling's height was less than Xiao Huandu's chest, Xiao Huandu had no choice but to reverently bend down to accept the spirit stone. Afterwards, he looked around with great interest, having heard that the demon race was often known for their beauty in the outside world, and he wanted to see for himself.

The next second, Xiao Huandu suddenly sniffed and asked in confusion, "What's that strange smell?"

Several strong bear demons carried timber past them. They had not yet fully transformed into human form; their bodies below the head were still those of demons. Their strong body odor wafted in the wind, a mixture of fishy smell and sweat, which was truly intoxicating.

Zhu Lingmian silently took out a handkerchief from her sleeve, covered her mouth and nose, gagged, and then turned around to see a figure standing in front of her.

"What do you want to buy?" she asked softly.

Ji Cheng'an glanced disdainfully at the scattered low-grade yellow pills on the stall, frowning and saying, "Why is it all this junk? Don't you have any higher-grade healing medicines?"

Zhu Ling remained calm and gently uttered four words: "If you're not going to buy, then get out."

She has always been like this, not minding to kill everyone equally.

"...?" Ji Cheng'an seemed incredulous. "What did you say?"

Zhu Ling ignored him and turned to organize the goods.

Ji Cheng'an was met with a cold shoulder, but in the end he couldn't bring himself to lay a hand on the woman. He could only squeeze out a "nonsensical" through gritted teeth before turning away with a livid face.

-

On the other hand, in order to make a fortune selling magical artifacts at the market, Chu Xianlan seized the best stall before dawn, which was closest to the road and located right on the border between the human and demon markets.

From afar, the giant dragon-bone demon ship stood silently in mid-air, exuding an imposing aura.

The outer side of the demon ship was constructed from a huge, azure-blue skeleton, while the inner wooden hull was streamlined and winding, wrapped in the bones of a giant dragon, vaguely retaining its majestic posture. The sails were semi-transparent membranes that shimmered with tiny glimmers of light in the sunlight.

It is said that the true dragon is the closest being to the gods in the world, able to summon wind and rain and control the laws.

However, after the ancient calamity, dragons have disappeared from the world, leaving only scattered skeletons. Even though their souls have been annihilated, ancient spiritual power still flows within them.

In short, it's rare and expensive.

Chu Xianlan counted on her fingers and sighed inwardly. She wondered how many spirit stones it would take to build such a flying magic vessel. Wanderers were indeed rich and powerful.

"Hey, what are you spacing out for?"

Her voice was light and cheerful, with a hint of a smile in her tone.

In the blink of an eye, a slender figure stood before Chu Xianlan.

The young woman was dressed in a red outfit, with a gold chain of exotic flair adorning the openwork at her waist. Her tanned skin glowed with a healthy sheen, and strings of red coral beads hung from her smoky blue hair. Her golden eyes shone brightly in the sunlight.

The woman took a long stride, revealing the beautiful calf muscles beneath her skirt, and casually straddled the table displaying the goods. She spoke fluently in a human language, "What's wrong, Little Xianlan? Don't tell me you don't remember me."

Chu Xianlan certainly remembered her; in fact, she was deeply impressed.

This person is none other than Qionglan, the daughter of the leader of the Wanderer Tribe.

The wanderer would visit the Taiyi Sect every five years. The last time he saw Qionglan, Chu Xianlan was just a teenager. This enthusiastic demon sister made him drink more than a dozen cups of strong liquor at the banquet, and he was almost drunk to the point of becoming an immortal.

Five years have passed, and Qionglan remains as bright and fiery as ever, unchanged.

I'm afraid it will be the same in another fifty years, since age has always been the least valuable thing in the cultivation world.

"Long time no see, Sister Qionglan." Chu Xianlan coughed, trying hard not to recall the details of that drunken night.

Qionglan squinted her upturned eyes, turned her head to observe for a while, then lightly licked her lower lip with the tip of her tongue, "You've grown up quite a bit... Hmm, you look a bit like a grown-up now, much more pleasing to the eye than those in our tribe."

Her original form was a black panther demon capable of tearing apart tigers and wolves, so she inevitably retained some carnivorous habits, and even her units of measurement were somewhat wild.

"Let me take a closer look." Qionglan bent down.

"Wait, wait, wait!" The sudden closeness forced Chu Xianlan to lean back, slightly embarrassed. "You're too close!"

"Hmm? You're shy, that's so cute~"

At this moment, several demon merchants walked towards them, each with a bare upper body and a muscular physique that was more robust than most human body cultivators.

The leading demon man grinned and said in a human-accented language, "Qionglan, you're scaring this young man again. Last time you got him so drunk he was clinging to a pillar shouting 'Master, don't leave me!' 'Master, don't abandon me!' He wouldn't listen to anyone, and even Immortal Lord Jixue had to come and get him himself. Have you forgotten about that?"

His human language was only slightly worse than Qionglan's, yet he faltered at the most crucial point, leading Chu Xianlan to suspect that he did it on purpose.

This did happen. He was only fourteen years old when Yi Chen suddenly announced that he would be going into seclusion for several years, which dealt a devastating blow to his young mind.

Qionglan covered her mouth in surprise, "If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten. He cried so pitifully back then, wailing like a banshee!"

"Hahaha--"

Several demons took turns giving Chu Xianlan a thumbs-up to express their admiration.

Chu Xianlan's lips twitched: "..."

Why do you all have such good memories?!

We agreed that wanderers are knowledgeable and well-traveled, so why do we have to remember all these trivial matters?

After a few casual words and laughter, Qionglan nimbly jumped off the table. "Come on, let me show you some good stuff."

Chu Xianlan knew that the "good stuff" mentioned by the wanderer must be of high quality, so she readily stood up and stretched.

"Sure, this will be a good opportunity to broaden my horizons."

The wandering merchants brought a wide variety of goods, dazzling the eye. From elixirs and miraculous medicines to talisman arrays, many strange and unusual items were on display. Chu Xianlan even spotted a still-pulsating, bright red beast heart core.

"Is it alive?"

The shopkeeper chuckled: "Yes, the core of the Crimson Flame Beast is comparable to underground magma. Don't get too close, or you'll get burned."

The heat hit her face, and Chu Xianlan quickly took a step back.

Besides these, there were also rare demon spirit pets in the Southern Cang Continent: a purple-eyed white fox lazily grooming its fur, a three-tailed phantom cat leaping lightly, and little birds whose names it didn't know huddled together chirping.

These spirit pets are tamed demon beasts, all of which are bound by restrictions, making them appear exceptionally docile and endearing. Each of them has glossy fur and is plump and fair.

Chu Xianlan was quite itchy to take one back. If it weren't for her master's love of cleanliness and dislike of molting creatures, she would have really wanted to bring a little spirit pet back to Yujing Pavilion to keep her company.

As he was pondering this, he bent down to examine the group of furry spirit pets and spotted a particularly thin little snake.

It is snow-white and slender, with a very round head.

If it's a spirit pet that doesn't shed... would Master accept it?