Cui Niang thought it through; this was indeed the quickest way for her to find relief. After all, according to the notes, her parents had died of illness, Cui Fu was dead, and the bandits were also dead. It was too late for her to take revenge, and she had no reason to linger in this world any longer. 

If she could find someone to marry her and have her name written in the ancestral hall, she wouldn’t have to be a ghost dying far from home. Her obsession was simply to have a place to belong.

Cui Niang floated in front of Lin Ji and sincerely asked, “Can you marry me?”

Lin Ji: “…”

Lu Xiaobai widened his eyes in disbelief and pouted, “Why didn’t you ask me first?” Clearly, he had put in more effort!

Cui Niang replied, “You look too young; he’s more handsome and mature.”

However, seeing Lin Ji’s speechless and resistant expression, she floated over to Lu Xiaobai again. “You seem quite eager, so can you marry me?”

“Don’t worry, it’s just a title. I’m already a ghost; it won’t affect you from marrying again.”

“…” Lu Xiaobai thought for a moment and showed a look of regret. “Sorry, Cui Niang, I’m an orphan and don’t even remember where my family is, let alone a family tree.”

“Ah…” Cui Niang felt disappointed, then her gaze turned fervent as she looked at Lin Ji.

Lin Ji’s family did have a family tree, and there was a whole book that could accompany Cui Niang, but that didn’t mean he had to accept it. He wasn’t like Lu Xiaobai, who loved to leave room for negotiation; he refused without putting on a face that suggested he didn’t want to but just wasn’t worthy.

Seeing that Lin Ji hadn’t answered for a long time, Lu Xiaobai felt anxious. Could it be that he would actually agree?

But unexpectedly, Lin Ji directly skipped the question and said, “I can ask around in the town for Cui Niang.”

Cui Niang angrily said, “Do you think I would look down on just anyone? I’m at least a beautiful and distinguished young lady; of course, I need to find a husband who meets my standards!”

“…”

Writing a name in the family tree didn’t necessarily have to be a marital relationship. 

Lin Ji and Lu Xiaobai went back and relayed the ghost girl’s request. A few families in the West Town, wanting to resolve this matter, rummaged through their family trees and found a gap. 

There was a family whose woman had a miscarriage and gave birth to a baby girl. Since the baby was stillborn, according to ancestral customs, it couldn’t be recorded in the family tree alone. But if she had a twin sister, she could be included.

Upon learning about Cui Niang’s situation, the couple from that family feared that their daughter would have no place to rest after death and would not find peace. They quickly agreed to have Cui Niang recorded under their family name, so she could be honored alongside their biological daughter in the future.

It was just a change of surname; Cui Niang thought about it and agreed. After all, her parents had abandoned her first, so it didn’t matter who she became a daughter to.

Lu Xiaobai and Lin Ji diligently held a ceremony, and most of the men and women in the town attended, giving the official young lady a grand send-off. 

From then on, the place indeed returned to peace, and there were no more incidents of vengeful ghosts causing trouble.

On the night they bid farewell to the townsfolk, the screams from Cui Bao’s house lasted all night. The next day, all his possessions were burned, and Cui Bao became a legless vagrant, sometimes mad, sometimes foolish, and the news spread throughout the town.

When the town’s children pointed at the vagrant and wanted to ask something, their parents would cover their mouths and whisper in their ears that when they grew up, they should be good people and not do bad things! Otherwise, they would end up like that man—facing retribution!

After leaving the town, the two went elsewhere to carry out sect tasks and never encountered any similar difficult events again. 

In this month, they felt more like they were wandering and enjoying the scenery of the mortal world, relaxing their minds and bodies. 

At first, Lin Ji was still cautious, but gradually he opened his heart to appreciate the beautiful scenery and experience the customs and culture of different places. After all, his traveling companion was too relaxed; if he acted too tense, wouldn’t that mean he was more afraid than Lu Xiaobai, who seemed like a slacker?

Aside from daily cultivation, the two spent most of their time mingling in the mortal world. At this time, the silver they had on hand came in handy; having some money made life much more comfortable.

Lin Ji noticed that Lu Xiaobai was quite generous with spending money while out, not being shamelessly clingy to him, and often treating him to tea, storytelling, and local delicacies.

Since they were companions in cultivation, they couldn’t act too distant. They took turns being responsible for food and lodging, and Lin Ji noticed that some invisible barrier between them was gradually dissolving.

“Eat and drink as you please; I just like to save money, not hoard it.”

The two sat across from each other, a table full of delicious food between them. 

Lu Xiaobai picked up a bamboo chopstick, grabbed a local specialty soup dumpling, took a bite, and let out a satisfied sigh.

Lu Xiaobai seemed to be enthusiastic about everything in the mortal world, whether it was admiring wildflowers by the roadside or waiting in line for decades-old eateries; he could burst with excitement, his eyes shining like stars.

Lin Ji, on the other hand, had seen and experienced most things in the world since he was young. Not to mention the changes over the following decades, he had a cold attitude towards everything, with no desires that could stir his heart.

But seeing the intense vitality radiating from Lu Xiaobai made him momentarily dazed. When Lu Xiaobai encouraged him to try some while eating, Lin Ji unconsciously picked up the bamboo chopsticks.

Soon, he put the chopsticks back down. “You’ve finished all the boring tasks you took on; when are we going back to the sect?”

No, no, no, he couldn’t be complacent; he wasn’t the protagonist Long Aotian with a halo! He was a supporting character, a villain! Did he deserve to enjoy and slack off?

Lu Xiaobai’s ears perked up at the sound and he laughed, “Don’t rush; according to the plan, I just need you to accompany me to one last place, and then we’ll head back to the sect. But before that, I advise you to eat more to conserve your energy.”

As he spoke, Lu Xiaobai picked up another soup dumpling and placed it in Lin Ji’s bowl, smiling, “I can’t finish it all by myself; don’t waste it. Try it; it’s really delicious!”

Lin Ji glanced at him… Fine, seeing the other’s earnest recommendation, he reluctantly picked it up and took a bite.

Lu Xiaobai stifled a laugh, unsure of how many thoughts Lin Ji had while eating.

A few days later, Lin Ji took Lu Xiaobai to their final destination on his sword.

Looking at the distant mist and the direction Lu Xiaobai pointed out, Lin Ji sensed something was off and landed early.

“Where are we going?”

Lu Xiaobai raised his hand to shield his forehead and gazed into the distance for a moment. “Fengming Mountain; we’re almost there.”

Lin Ji was slightly surprised. “I asked you several times on the way; why didn’t you say anything?”

Lu Xiaobai hesitated, “I… I was afraid that if I told you, you’d throw me off the sword.”

Lin Ji: “…”

No wonder Lu Xiaobai didn’t pursue the matter of him pushing him to confront the female ghost last time; it turned out he had already decided to trick him.

Lin Ji scoffed, annoyed with himself for being misled by Lu Xiaobai’s recent facade of understanding, and for not asking clearly before following him. “I want to throw you off right now!”

Lu Xiaobai quickly protested, “That won’t do; you have to let me explain!”

Peifeng Sect is located in the north of Yunzhou, in the west of Dongzhou, in Qingzhou, a place on the edge of the world. However, the three states are close together, and the area with the most spiritual energy nearby is Fengming Mountain.

Fengming Mountain is rich in spiritual energy but cannot be artificially developed into a sect establishment. This is because there are countless exotic beasts lurking in the deep mountains, as well as various spiritual flowers and herbs. If harvested, they can provide countless benefits and effects for cultivators.

From hundreds of years ago to today, cultivators from all states, from powerful beings to nameless individuals, have longed for Fengming Mountain, always coming here with a purpose to take something. Some come in groups, while others go alone, but not everyone can make it out alive.

The closer they got to the deep mountains, the more dangerous it became. After all, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth nurtures all living things; where there are spiritual beings, there are also poisonous creatures. Not everything that is useful to humans can survive.

The spiritual herb Lu Xiaobai wanted to pick this time was a wild thorn vine that didn’t even have a proper name, growing on the cliffs. The vine is red and hard with thorns, but when cut open, it has rich juice inside.

What he truly needed was the juice of the wild thorn vine.

“However, the vine can also be used medicinally when crushed; the book says it can stop bleeding and relieve pain when applied externally.”

Lu Xiaobai took out a book and showed it to Lin Ji. “It’s said that this vine can only grow in extremely desolate and harsh places, and it has a naturally yang nature, which can dispel cold and yin ailments.”

“Back then, the old man was poisoned by the cold and yin creatures, which is as troublesome as demonic energy. I was thinking, if he could take the wild thorn vine as medicine for a long time, it could dispel the cold and yin energy in his body. Even if it can’t completely eliminate the demonic poison, it can alleviate the toxicity and reduce the frequency of outbreaks.”

Lin Ji knew Lu Xiaobai was just giving an example, but upon hearing the words “demonic energy,” he couldn’t help but tremble slightly, then glared at him in dissatisfaction. “Then why didn’t you tell me directly? Do you think I would refuse to gather herbs for our master?”

“Not that,” Lu Xiaobai handed the book to Lin Ji, then took out a scroll from his storage bag and unfolded it. It depicted a fierce-looking demon creature. “The key point is this.”

He pointed to the last half of the description of the demon creature: Six-Winged Bird Demon, fond of eating wild thorn vines.

Lin Ji was dumbfounded: “…”

The wild thorn vine was practically useless in many situations and was never valued by cultivators. Even the records in books only contained a few short sentences.

Yet Lu Xiaobai found a connection among numerous texts, perhaps being overly cautious.

Lin Ji was always the type to draw his sword and fight when there was a situation, and when faced with danger, he would charge forward without fear, undaunted and relentless.

He had the ability to escape from most dangers; in a sense, sword cultivators become more excited and explosive the more they fight.

He cared for nothing but hatred and becoming stronger, putting his life on the line in any duel.

At this moment, however, he had to sit cross-legged with Lu Xiaobai, strategizing on how to avoid or defeat the Six-Winged Bird Demon.

Lin Ji listened in silence and suddenly asked, “Did you used to live a very tiring life?”

Lu Xiaobai: “…”

Lu Xiaobai looked at Lin Ji in disbelief: “Is this how you usually chat with others?”

How could someone speak like that? Even if it was concern, it wouldn’t make someone feel comfortable. Although he had a broad mind, it still felt like someone had shot an arrow into his knee.

Lin Ji bit his tongue; he had said he wasn’t good at communicating with others. “I was just curious; Master always protects you. Don’t you dislike hiding things when faced with problems? Why didn’t you seek Master when you were oppressed?”

Lu Xiaobai sensed that Lin Ji seemed to care, and after he added a follow-up, he felt a wave of joy in his heart.

“Not bad.” After thinking for a moment, Lu Xiaobai avoided the main point. “On this journey, the people we meet will always be a mix of good and bad; how could the old man manage everything?”

Those disciples all had someone backing them, and they banded together to bully him. He couldn’t have Master step in every time something happened, making Master offend everyone.

The experiences he had growing up shaped Lu Xiaobai’s character. He was used to seeking the best solutions to situations, minimizing impacts and consequences.

If he hadn’t been so cautious, he might have died before he even grew up. He had lived like this for years and didn’t feel it was tiring.

However, Lin Ji asking him this made Lu Xiaobai feel quite gratified.

Lin Ji turned his head away. “Don’t look at me with those clingy eyes. If we’re discussing tactics, just say it; I don’t like wasting time.”

He suddenly remembered that Fengming Mountain was the place where he first met Lu Xiaobai in his previous life, and the timing seemed… about the same?

Even though he hadn’t thought about this matter for a long time in his previous life and couldn’t remember Lu Xiaobai’s appearance or name, it was only later when they met again, and the protagonist Long Aotian took the initiative to mention their previous encounter that Lin Ji had left an impression.