Chapter 392: Many Sword Cultivators

Cang Li: "No."

Shopkeeper smiled and said: "I don't think you are. After all, sword cultivators can't afford such expensive clothing."

Yuan Yao: "... Some sword cultivators are still quite wealthy."

"Too little, far too little," the shopkeeper replied.

Yuan Yao couldn't refute either, and she left the inn with her third senior brother.

Cang Li let out a soft sigh: "Looks like we can only stay two nights outside Red Cloud City. What do you think?"

Yuan Yao nodded: "Then let's do that."

The two strolled along the street, occasionally buying whatever they liked.

Yuan Yao accompanied Cang Li to the Hall of Hundred Herbs, purchasing a large amount of spiritual herbs for making pills.

After wandering for two hours, they found a restaurant to eat.

Since the private rooms were full, they could only go to the second-floor hall; their seat was near the window, allowing them to see the street below.

They ordered some specialty dishes.

When the dishes arrived, they picked up their chopsticks and took a bite.

Their expressions slightly stiffened, then they tried a few more dishes; as a result, their faces grew increasingly grave, and they exchanged a meaningful glance.

"The taste is weird." Yuan Yao said.

Cang Li let out a soft sigh: "The dishes here are overly sour; every one is too sour. It's normal if you're not used to it."

Seeing her lack of appetite, Cang Li said: "If you don't want to eat, go downstairs and buy two candied hawthorns."

Yuan Yao listened and nodded.

She stood up, went downstairs, and walked toward the stall selling candied hawthorns on the street.

She stood before the candied hawthorn stall and said to the vendor: "Boss, give me two candied hawthorns."

Just as the vendor was handing her the candied hawthorns, Yuan Yao suddenly noticed a person appear beside her; she turned her head, and what met her eyes was a face of exceptional bone structure, striking in visual impact—she saw his jawline cold and sharp, his lip color pale, a red mole beneath the corner of his right eye, and a pair of amber cold eyes.

The man wore a red robe and said to the vendor: "Boss, one candied hawthorn."

Upon seeing the young man, the vendor's expression lit up with astonishment, almost dumbfounded; after regaining composure, he quickly agreed.

"Sure thing, sure thing."

The vendor handed the two candied hawthorns to Yuan Yao with his left hand, and the one candied hawthorn to the red‑clad man with his right hand.

Yuan Yao withdrew her gaze, her heart tightening; she quickly took the two candied hawthorns and paid the vendor.

Immediately after, she turned and left.

Meanwhile, the red‑clad man lifted his candied hawthorn, gazed deeply at the back of the green‑clad girl, took a big bite—*crack*—the rock sugar shattered.

"So lifelike."

"Is it you? Yuan Xiao Liu." He murmured, half‑smiling.

At that moment, Yuan Yao weaved through the crowd; after confirming he hadn't followed, she let out a deep breath of relief.

That person just now was actually Qian Yunzhou!

He actually came too!

And just then, she looked up and saw several familiar faces on the street.

First to come into view was the graceful youth in green robes, Xiao Zhufeng. Beside him stood a tall, muscular youth with bulging muscles, bearing a heavy sword, his expression growing ever more resolute—this was Dongfangxiu.

In the nearby tea house hall were two more familiar figures—the brother and sister of the Gui Clan from the Seventh Continent, Gui Yanqing and Gui Yanhong.

She had no intention of revealing herself to Xiao Zhufeng just then, and she headed toward the restaurant.

As she was about to go upstairs, she suddenly bumped into several remarkable people, two of whom she knew.

Xie Yan's fellow sect senior sister, Feng Xuanji. Feng Xuanji wore a purple dress; her extremely beautiful face bore a faint smile, making her look gentle and charming.

Meanwhile, Bian Chen wore white robes, tall and handsome.

Since the stairway was too narrow, Yuan Yao stepped aside to let them go down first.

Feng Xuanji's group chatted as they walked.

The blue‑clad youth asked: "Have you gotten in touch with Senior Brother Xie?"

Feng Xuanji whispered: "Don't worry, he's surely held up by something; when the Heavenly Fire Secret Realm opens, he will definitely come."

The blue‑clad youth chuckled: "Senior Sister Feng truly lives up to being the one who understands Senior Brother Xie best!"

Feng Xuanji smiled faintly.

They had already descended the stairway.

Yuan Yao came to her senses; she had expected to run into acquaintances on this trip, but not this many.

Hearing them talk about Xie Yan, her heart stirred; these past days she had received no message from him.

And he hadn't come with the members of the Unparalleled Sect…

Could he have run into trouble?

Thinking this, Yuan Yao had already gone up to the second‑floor hall and returned to her seat.

"What's wrong?" Cang Li, trying not to waste food, had eaten quite a few dishes; when he saw Yuan Yao seemingly absent‑minded returning to her seat, he couldn't help but ask.

Yuan Yao came to her senses and told Cang Li: "Just now on the street I saw quite a few acquaintances—Xiao Zhufeng, Dongfangxiu, Qian Yunzhou, Feng Xuanji, Bian Chen, and your good friend Gui Yanqing and his sister Gui Yanhong."

Cang Li wasn't surprised either, but he noticed that Yuan Yao's tone seemed off when she mentioned the Gui siblings.

"Did the Gui siblings bully you?" Cang Li guessed.

Yuan Yao handed a candied hawthorn to Cang Li: "It's not really bullying; I just don't like their conduct."

After biting into the candied hawthorn, she curiously asked: "Third Senior Brother, how did you meet Gui Yanqing?"

"Before I took a master, I had met him once; later, after a trial, we became proper acquaintances." Cang Li said, finishing, then lifted his gaze to fix on Yuan Yao: "What did he do to make you dislike him?"

Yuan Yao recounted to Cang Li, in full detail, what had happened inside the Flowing Light Secret Realm.

Cang Li heard and furrowed his brows tightly.

「I never expected him to act like that. 」

「I told him to apologize to you. 」 He suddenly stood up, about to leave his seat, when Yuan Yao grabbed his robe.

「Third Senior Brother, don't! 」 Yuan Yao hurriedly said, 「We can't expose our identities now; moreover, this matter is already over, and I no longer wish to pursue it. In the future, I won't give him a pleasant look just because he's your friend. If he ever acts against me or bullies me, I will certainly not spare him for your sake. 」

Cang Li, upon hearing that, sat back down.

He gazed at Yuan Yao and said, 「From now on, don't suppress your feelings because of me. 」

「I know. 」 Yuan Yao chuckled.

The sky grew dark.

Crimson Cloud City remained bustling and prosperous.

But as time approached midnight, all the shops in the city began to close.

Yuan Yao and Cang Li left Crimson Cloud City.

The sight before them made them somewhat surprised.

To their surprise, over a hundred people were scattered across the rosy plain.

They were either in small groups or alone, scattered across the plain. Among them, nearly ninety percent of the young people carried swords.

「So many sword cultivators! 」 Cang Li couldn't help but remark.

Yuan Yao asked with a complex expression, 「Why are sword cultivators generally so poor? 」