Chapter 13: Strict

This time, the black cat was much more cautious—it wasn't enough for Pan Yun to agree; it demanded a pact.

Both the black cat and Pan Yun knew the spell for forming a pact.

By communicating with heaven and earth, using one's own Qi and soul as a medium, the pact is written—those who break it will suffer heavenly retribution.

Just like raising a hand to swear that breaking an oath will bring consequences, except the latter may not come true, while the former always will.

The human and the cat formed a pact; from this moment on, whenever Pan Yun cultivates, the Three Jade Realm within her dantian will automatically seize its rightful share of Qi.

Pan Xiaohei finally relaxed, flopping onto its back with limbs spread wide, exposing its belly, letting out a long "meow" and sighing endlessly.

Qi is so hard to come by~~ Is this heaven's trial for it?

Pan Yun gathered more firewood nearby, moved the burning firepit to one side, swept the ashes away, then shifted the branches and leaves beside her onto the scorched ground, pulled out her blanket from the Realm Space, and lay down on the warm, toasty branches and leaves, sighing with comfort.

Since leaving the Pan household until today, she finally slept a peaceful sleep.

"You keep watch."

Pan Xiaohei didn't refuse—it wasn't sleepy anyway. It half-dug itself into the blanket, its head pressed against Pan Yun's, staring blankly at the starry sky.

Because they had formed a pact, Pan Yun was certain the Realm Spirit dared not and could not return to its body now, and she trusted it to guard the night well.

As a well-traveled Realm Spirit, it had to have this much ability.

So she let herself fall asleep, and only woke when sunlight poured down and the chirping of birds sounded right beside her ears.

Pan Yun sat up, stared blankly for a while, then folded her blanket and tucked it into the Realm Space. She asked: "Can your world-body, where the soul can exist eternally, be entered? If it's a self-contained world, does it have food and drink, or is everything virtual, like data?"

Pan Xiaohei couldn't answer—it would've already left to roam the world freely if it knew.

It would've broken its seal and vanished into the world long ago, wouldn't it?

Seeing its blank, dumb expression, Pan Yun knew it didn't know.

Indeed, everything was illusion—only saving her father and her brothers was real.

Pan Yun patted her empty stomach, buried the glowing embers with soil, clapped her hands, and stood up: "Let's go to Datong."

Pan Xiaohei stretched out its paws; Pan Yun picked it up and hugged it close, heading north.

She had gained a little cultivation, but far from achieving Qi Abandonment, so after walking all morning, she was starving.

Because of her weak constitution and lack of food, her face turned pale, her lips whitened slightly—clear signs of qi and blood deficiency.

In the distance, she spotted the city gate ahead; her eyes lit up, and she quickened her pace, hugging Pan Xiaohei.

Near the city gate was a tea stall, supported by a few tree trunks, roofed with thatch—it sold tea, but also baked buns, noodles, and steamed buns.

Pan Yun clearly couldn't wait to enter the city to eat; she hurried over with Pan Xiaohei, found a table, and sat down: "Shopkeeper, two buns and a bowl of noodles."

"Coming right up!" the shopkeeper replied cheerfully, quickly grabbed two buns and placed them on a tray, about to bring them over—then looked up and realized the customer was a child, face dirty, hair messy, clothes as if rolled in grass, her pack looking light as air—clearly couldn't afford to pay. His hand paused.

But after a brief pause, he still smiled and brought the buns over: "Little guest, enjoy. I'll make your noodles now—we have vegetarian, egg, and meat noodles."

Pan Yun didn't want to compromise, but remembered Datong was still far, she had little money, needed to move fast, and would need to hire a cart or ride later—she'd need food and lodging along the way—so she bit back her craving: "Just a bowl of vegetarian noodles."

The shopkeeper agreed and went to cook her noodles.

Pan Yun rummaged in her pack—in truth, she pulled a bowl from her old room in the Realm Space, broke the buns in half, ate one half, and placed the other half in the bowl for Pan Xiaohei.

The shopkeeper saw her feeding the cat from her own bowl, opened his mouth, then closed it again, silently continuing to cook.

Pan Xiaohei sat on the table eating, paws holding the bun carefully, neat and tidy, not messy or wasteful at all.

Pan Yun ate while saying: "See? I told you I'm kind—I hate deceit and hiding. You treat me with sincerity, I return sincerity. As long as I have buns, I'll share half with you; same with noodles."

"Meow—"

Pan Yun happily patted its head.

The shopkeeper brought the boiled noodles—Pan Yun glanced at the bowl and saw it was overflowing. She looked around at other tables and raised her eyebrows slightly.

The shopkeeper was surprisingly generous—he'd given her extra noodles.

Pan Yun kept her word and gave Pan Xiaohei a generous portion.

The human and cat ate slowly; Pan Yun finished every last drop of broth.

Grains nourished the body—Pan Yun's face slowly regained color, her stomach and heart both felt warm, and she became cheerful.

She glanced at the price list nailed to the wooden board, pulled out copper coins, and said: "Shopkeeper, check out!"

Standing at the city gate, Pan Yun sighed: "Indeed, the one thing never to betray is good food."

She walked happily toward the gate, glancing casually at the two characters above it: Shexian.

People were lined up at the gate—two queues. She picked one at random and stood in it, curious, peered ahead. Each person entering handed a paper to the guards for inspection; those with heavy luggage had their bags checked too.

Pan Yun fell silent. After a moment, she turned to the person behind her: "Do you need a travel permit to enter the county here?"

The person behind her blinked, instinctively looked past Pan Yun to the person ahead—seeing that person didn't turn around, he wasn't sure if she was asking on behalf of a superior, so he replied: "We've required them here for a while now. Did your elders forget to bring yours? Or are you not from Shexian?"

Pan Yun didn't answer his question, but grumbled: "What if someone from outside wants to enter the city to buy things or sell vegetables—do they need a travel permit too?"

"Just bring your household registration page. Locals don't need travel permits—only when leaving the county." The young man asked curiously: "Don't other places require permits for entering or leaving?"

Pan Yun carefully recalled her journey—leaving cities never required permits, since they carried no large goods; entering cities, only two had checked—her group of three, the guards merely glanced at Tao Ji's permit, ignoring hers and Master Xuanmiao's.

Throughout the journey, it had been so lax—she'd assumed she could slip in and out easily—but now she saw families entering with children; even older kids had their household pages carried by elders.

Where could she get a household page or travel permit?

No—she did have one, from those two traffickers—but the descriptions didn't match.

Seeing her distress, the young man kindly explained: "Lately, human traffickers have been rampant—there've been many cases of cruel organ harvesting. So our county is checking strictly: you need both a travel permit and household page to enter, and also to leave."

!. Read

Even farmers leaving the city must carry their household registration page.

Well, this county magistrate is strict.

Pan Yun watched for a long while, confirmed she couldn't slip in, and turned away from the queue.

The young man behind her gaped after her; once she was far off, he tapped the person ahead: "Brother, isn't that your kid?"

The person ahead turned and looked: "What kid? I don't have any children."

Pan Yun had already walked far away and returned to the teahouse.

She was considering the possibility of taking a shortcut to bypass Shexian's city walls and head north.

She sighed; it seemed she would have to sleep outdoors again tonight.

Pan Yun calculated her and Pan Xiaohei's appetites and told the shopkeeper, "Wrap me ten large buns."

The shopkeeper already knew she wasn't poor—just messy—and happily replied, handing her two paper bags, filling five buns in each.

Pan Yun took the bags, paid, and asked, "Shopkeeper, which is faster from outside the city to the northern suburbs—going east or west?"

The shopkeeper paused, then said, "The fastest way is to enter the city."

Of course she knew that.

Pan Yun said, "I won't enter the city. I came to visit my aunt. My mother passed away, my father remarried, and my stepmother won't have me. But I can't remember where my aunt lives—only that she said it's halfway to the northern suburbs, near the northern city gate."

The shopkeeper: … Who the hell gives directions like that?

He hesitated, then asked, "Miss, is your aunt reliable? Why not enter the city and find the government office? Let the government office runners help you find her. There are so many human traffickers out there now—you don't want to get snatched."

Pan Yun asked, "Are there many human traffickers here?"

"Many. Several children went missing in Anyang, and I heard two were taken last month in our Shexian—their parents are heartbroken," the shopkeeper said, noticing her filthy clothes but pale, soft skin and delicate hands—clearly a favored child at home.

He urged, "Your father must love you—he's just bad at showing it. I think you should go home. If your family can't find you, how worried they'll be?"

"I know," Pan Yun said. "I'm just scaring them. I'll stay at my aunt's for a few days, then go back when my father comes looking for me."

Pan Yun insisted on the fastest route to the northern suburbs, so the shopkeeper finally pointed: "There—follow that road west, it's a long way, then turn north. There's a river—the moat. Follow the river, and when you see the gate again, that's the northern city gate."

"But the villages are far from the moat—I think you've got the address wrong."

Pan Yun insisted, "I didn't get it wrong. Thank you, shopkeeper."

She hugged the paper bags full of buns and walked off.

Just as she reached the side path, she encountered officials driving a crowd out of the city.

She stopped to watch.

A group of ragged people were shoved out by the officials; their leader, a soldier, gripped his waist and roared, "If you dare sneak back into the city again, next time you'll all be sent to the mines to dig!"

Pan Yun stood among the crowd, listening to their murmurs: "They say a censor from Jingcheng is inspecting, so the county won't allow a single beggar inside."

"Alas, what will these people do now they've been driven out? There are so many children among them."

"They'll wander village to village—maybe someone kind will give them a bowl of rice. They'll survive somehow."

(End of Chapter)