Chapter 96

“So she’s Zheng Zhuan’s sister...”

Jiang Ye nodded slightly, his aged face expressionless.

True Disciples have certain privileges, so it wasn’t surprising that his sister could accompany them as an inner disciple.

Chen Lili beside him also stared at Zheng Hui with keen curiosity.

She and Lu Ming were well-informed on Tianyangfeng, yet they’d never heard Zheng Feng had a sister—let alone one who was an inner disciple.

Clearly, Zheng Feng kept things well hidden.

Zheng Feng always acted uprightly and followed the rules; he didn’t want Jiang Ye to think he was someone who abused privileges.

He cleared his throat and quickly explained:

“Elder Jiang, my younger sister has only Dark Force cultivation, but she didn’t enter the inner sect through connections...”

He paused, his tone turning serious:

“Since childhood, my sister has had a unique talent—her sense of smell is far more acute than an ordinary person’s. Not just slightly sharper, but truly capable of detecting scents others cannot perceive.”

“I thought her keen sense of smell might prove useful during our journey to Taishan Mountain to search for relics from the previous dynasty.”

“And since she insisted on coming with me... I brought her along.”

At this, Jiang Ye’s eyebrows lifted slightly, a flicker of surprise crossing his aged face:

“Oh? A keen sense of smell, like a dog’s nose...?”

Zheng Hui, who had been standing quietly beside her brother, immediately pouted, her delicate face filled with indignation: “It’s not a dog’s nose! I’m far better than any dog’s nose!”

As she spoke, her tiny, refined nose twitched slightly, clearly preparing to show Jiang Ye her ability.

The next instant.

Her dark, glossy eyes fixed on Jiang Ye as she spoke, astonished:

“Hey! I didn’t expect Elder Jiang, despite your age, to have not a trace of old-man smell—you even smell like a young man in his forties or fifties!”

At this, Jiang Ye’s eyelids twitched slightly.

He didn’t know whether to be pleased or offended.

Zheng Hui inhaled twice more, her nostrils flaring more noticeably, her eyes shining brighter: “Wow! Elder Jiang, your internal fire is incredibly strong—it feels like the sun... so hot!”

Then, as if sensing something else, she leaned in closer.

A flicker of confusion passed through her dark eyes; she tilted her head slightly and whispered: “Huh? There’s also a cool, watery scent...”

Jiang Ye’s heart tightened slightly, but his expression remained calm.

He cleared his throat and chuckled:

“Impressive! I didn’t expect you’d notice the faint water scent still on me after my bath this morning.”

As he spoke, Jiang Ye immediately activated the Deer Form True Intent, suppressing the qi of the Water Element within him.

He had no intention of revealing he cultivated two types of true qi.

At the same time, he was inwardly astonished.

This little girl truly had talent—she could even detect the true qi he had nurtured within.

If properly cultivated, this gift...

“So it’s just the scent from bathing...”

Zheng Hui nodded thoughtfully, a look of understanding crossing her young face.

Then her gaze turned to Chen Lili beside her, her tiny nose twitching twice more.

“Sister Chen...”

She paused, her dark eyes filled with innocent confusion, her voice pure and unguarded:

“You’re on your monthly cycle today, aren’t you?”

“Huh?!”

Chen Lili, who had been standing nearby watching with amusement, froze as if struck by lightning.

In the next instant, her bright face flushed crimson—rapidly spreading from cheeks to neck, even her earlobes turning red like boiled shrimp.

In the next instant, her bright face flushed crimson before their eyes, the red spreading from her cheeks down her neck, even her earlobes turning bright red like a cooked shrimp.

She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out; she stood there helplessly, wishing she could vanish into the ground.

She opened her mouth as if to speak, but nothing came out; she stood there helplessly, wishing she could find a crack in the ground and crawl into it.

“Xiao Hui! What are you talking about?!”

Zheng Feng glared at his sister in exasperation, then turned to Jiang Ye and Chen Lili with an apologetic expression: “I’m truly sorry—my younger sister is young and speaks without thinking...”

After being scolded, Zheng Hui snapped back to awareness, her dark eyes brimming with remorse: “I’m sorry, Sister Chen, I spoke out of turn—please don’t be angry.”

Seeing the earnest, childlike face before her, Chen Lili’s shame and anger melted away significantly.

After all, the girl was merely a naive child—how could she truly hold a grudge?

Jiang Ye spoke up at once, breaking the awkward silence: “Let’s set out early.”

Jiang Ye spoke up at the right moment, breaking the brief awkwardness: “Then let’s set off early.”

Jiang Ye and the other three had already left Fucheng on swift horses.

Along the way, aside from the initial awkwardness upon meeting, Zheng Hui and Chen Lili surprisingly got along well.

The two chattered incessantly, as if they had endless things to say.

Jiang Ye and Zheng Feng rode side by side, chatting casually, their rapport growing slightly warmer.

“Zheng Zhuan, your bearing suggests you come from a prominent family... but I’ve never heard of a Zheng family in Fucheng...”

“Zheng Zhichuan, from your bearing, you seem born into a great clan... but I’ve never heard of a Zheng family in Fucheng...”

He had once heard from Lu Ming that the three most influential families in Fucheng were the Feng, Chen, and Yang clans.

Yet Zheng Feng’s demeanor clearly didn’t match that of someone from a minor family.

Zheng Feng paused, then sighed with a complex expression:

“Elder Jiang, my sister and I... are originally from Linzhou’s great city.”

“Linzhou’s great city?” Jiang Ye’s eyes lit up. “That’s the very center of Linzhou!”

Yunling Prefecture was merely one of Linzhou’s subordinate prefectures—and already so grand; he couldn’t imagine what the center of Linzhou must look like.

Yunling Prefecture is merely one prefecture under Linzhou, yet it’s already so grand—hard to imagine what the heart of Linzhou itself must look like.

Zheng Feng let out a long sigh, a flicker of painful, bittersweet memory crossing his eyes; he opened his mouth as if to speak, but ultimately said nothing.

Seeing this, Jiang Ye did not press further.

Zheng Feng and Zheng Hui had drifted from Linzhou’s great city to Yunling Prefecture—there must have been many twists in their journey.

Zheng Feng and Zheng Hui fell from the great city of Linzhou to this Yunling Prefecture; there must have been many twists and turns along the way.

The sun set, and dusk deepened.

“Elder Jiang, ahead lies Luosha Town. Let’s spend the night there.”

Zheng Feng glanced at the sky and asked.

“Alright, I leave it to your judgment, Zheng Zhuan.”

Jiang Ye nodded slightly.

He was unfamiliar with the roads, but Zheng Feng, who often traveled and trained outside, knew them well.

The four rode along the main road for a while, and soon the outline of a small town came into view.

Zheng Feng led the way, quickly arriving at the most imposing inn in town.

The innkeeper’s assistant, seeing guests arrive, beamed and rushed forward: “Welcome, honored guests!”

“I’m starving! Starving!”

As soon as they entered, Zheng Hui pouted and cried out: “Hurry and bring us something delicious!”

“Right away, honored guests, please wait!”

The assistant instantly recognized they were well-off patrons and bowed respectfully before withdrawing.

“Elder Jiang, have some tea.”

As soon as they sat, Zheng Feng poured tea for Jiang Ye with dignified grace, then served tea for Zheng Hui and Chen Lili as well.

As soon as they sat down, Zheng Feng calmly poured Jiang Ye a cup of tea, then also served cups for Zheng Hui and Chen Lili.

Zheng Feng was about to speak when Zheng Hui, seated beside him, suddenly flared her nostrils.

“So fragrant... there must be a great beauty here!”

Zheng Hui wore a dreamy expression, sighing softly.

No sooner had she spoken than a group arrived at the inn’s entrance.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a group of people arrived at the inn’s entrance.

Jiang Ye and the others turned to look, their pupils contracting sharply.

The newcomers had just dismounted; at their head stood a woman dressed in a purple gown.

The purple fabric was light and soft, swaying gently with her steps; silver embroidery along the hem shimmered faintly in the lamplight, like flowing moonlight.

Her figure was perfectly proportioned; every step carried an effortless grace, as if she were dancing rather than walking.

She lifted her head, revealing a face so exquisite it stole the breath.

Her brows were like distant mountains veiled in ink, her eyes like autumn waters rippling, her nose straight and refined, her lips a vivid crimson.

Her skin was pale as if translucent, glowing faintly under the dim light like fine sheep-fat jade.

Her black hair cascaded like a waterfall, adorned only by a simple white jade hairpin—yet it made her face even more stunning.

Her posture was peerless, her steps light and elegant, each step striking straight at the heart.

Her figure was exquisite, her lotus steps gentle, each step landing on the tip of the heart.

A faint, invisible aura seemed to envelop her, captivating all who looked.

“What a beauty...”

Jiang Ye sighed inwardly.

He had seen many beautiful women.

Liu Yiyi’s icy aloofness like snow, Su Yan’s gentle grace like the moon, Xu Qinghuan’s seductive allure like fire—each was top-tier.

But this violet-clad woman was in a league of her own.

Her beauty was not merely physical; it was an inner aura radiating outward, making one forget the mundane world.

Chen Lili blinked slightly, a trace of envy crossing her face.

Though her own looks were no slouch, they paled beside the violet-clad woman.

She thought to herself: “She’s even more captivating than before...”

Zheng Feng, beside her, was utterly transfixed, his gaze locked on the violet figure, unable to look away.

His usually refined and handsome face now looked dazed.

Zheng Hui chuckled softly from beside him: “Brother, if you keep staring like that, your eyeballs are going to fall out.”

“......”

Zheng Feng snapped back to himself, cleared his throat, and a flicker of embarrassment crossed his face.

He lowered his voice and introduced to Jiang Ye:

“Elder Jiang, this is Miss Yang Han of the Fucheng Yang family—known as the Number One Beauty of Yunling Prefecture.”

“She’s not only gifted in business, but also possesses formidable martial talent. She’s even younger than I am, yet she’s already a Golden Core cultivator.”

As he spoke, he gave a slightly embarrassed grin:

“To be honest, I’ve seen her several times, but every time, I still lose myself in her...”

“Yang Han?” Jiang Ye nodded thoughtfully. “What a coincidence—to meet someone from the Yang family here.”

Hearing this, Zheng Feng immediately grew serious: “It’s probably no coincidence. They likely heard the news too and are headed for Tai’an Mountain.”

No sooner had he spoken than Yang Han, not far away, seemed to sense something and turned her gaze toward them.