Chapter 692: Chance Encounter (Supplemental Chapter 11)

Pan Yun sealed her three junior disciples inside the Three Treasures Cauldron and, as night fell completely, shot upward with a whoosh and flew away.

To avoid drawing attention, she had set up a silence array.

The moment the Three Treasures Cauldron rose, the silence array shattered—ah, arrays built with talismans always had this flaw: weak resistance to impact; even the sonic barrier from ascending was enough to break it.

But once it reached high altitude, Pan Yun shot out with a whoosh, no longer hiding.

The Three Treasures Cauldron flew out of the courtyard, then out past Quanzhou's city walls, over the forest beyond…

Whoosh—it flew over the treetops, then whooshed back, hovering motionless above the branches.

Four heads popped out of the cauldron in unison, all looking down.

Pan Yun stared at the faint shadows below, picked up Pan Xiaohei, and leaned out of the cauldron: "Smell it now."

Pan Xiaohei, suspended entirely in midair, held only by Pan Yun's two hands: …

Pan Yun shook it: "Smell! Didn't you say you caught the scent of Sister Hong Yan?"

Pan Xiaohei: "... I just said that offhand—can't you just listen offhand too?"

Pan Yun's face darkened: "No! Can you be useful for once?"

Pan Xiaohei knew she was in a foul mood and especially irritable, so it decided not to provoke her and acted like a dog, lifting its small head to sniff: "It really is the stench of a flirtatious fox…"

Pan Yun immediately dropped the cauldron.

"But it might not be Sister Hong Yan…"

Before she could finish the sentence, Pan Yun had already landed the cauldron in the forest.

The four swiftly tumbled out of the cauldron, pulled on black outer robes, then pulled black masks over their heads, leaving only eyes, nose, and mouth exposed.

This was Pan Yun's design, inspired by bank-robber disguises—more fully covering than a simple scarf.

After the last time she'd worn a night suit and face scarf to commit a misdeed, she'd foreseen more such acts would come, so she'd had Seeing Miao Zhen and the other three make these masks: sewn like socks, then slit open for eyes, nose, and mouth.

Pan Xiaohei had never seen them dressed like this before and nearly had a heart attack.

"Didn't you dress like this in Japan last time too?"

Pan Yun said: "That's exactly why I improved it—how's this? Can you still recognize me?"

Pan Xiaohei: "Even your father and brother wouldn't recognize you."

Pan Yun: "I think so too."

She then confidently led her three junior disciples leaping out, landing right before the three stealthy Daoist Priests.

The three Daoist Priests were startled, then startled again at their appearance, and instinctively shouted: "You're—"

Before "who" could leave their lips, the four pounced and began pounding them.

The three weren't useless—they instantly retreated, drawing swords to defend…

They moved fast, but Pan Yun and Pan Xiaohei moved faster.

One felt something swoop over his head, saw darkness, heard a meow, then was kicked clean off his feet; before he could rise, a sword hilt smashed his neck, his vision blurred, and he passed out.

Another saw a flash, felt a fingertip strike his chest, and his sword froze halfway out of its sheath.

Pan Yun spun, her finger tapping another's arm; at the same moment, Miao He kicked in—before Pan Yun could strike the next acupoint, the man was already kicked flying.

Tao Yanbai and Seeing Miao Zhen had just risen when the man crashed to the ground; without hesitation, they raised their fists and pounded him unconscious.

Pan Yun: …

Miao He awkwardly lowered her leg: "Little Auntie, I didn't expect you to move that fast…"

Pan Yun: "Our coordination still needs practice."

Two were unconscious, one was pinned by a pressure point.

The four began searching the three men; soon, Tao Yanbai pulled a banner from one's sleeve.

He opened it curiously and shook it: "What's this?"

Seeing Miao Zhen looked up and immediately shouted: "Wait—"

The moment the banner moved, five colored energy clusters shot out; one crimson and one gray-white cluster hit the ground and *boom* transformed into a fox and a female ghost…

Pan Yun didn't bother watching them—she reached out and seized the other three energy clusters: green, gray-black, and gray-white.

They had fled over twenty paces, yet Pan Yun's Nascent Soul energy yanked them back violently, slamming them to the ground with a *thud*.

Pan Yun ignored the gray-black and gray-white spirits entirely, her gaze locked on the green cluster.

The green cluster trembled, reluctantly forming into a child about three years old—but only for an instant, then it transformed again into a plump, white… ginseng.

Pan Yun's eyes lit up brightly.

She pressed her hand down, pinning the two spirits to the ground, then gently picked up the ginseng, cradling it tenderly: "Poor child—how did you end up in their hands?"

The ginseng child trembled, its leafy top drooping to cover its face, silent.

Pan Yun didn't mind; she gently patted its back and said softly: "Scared, weren't you? Don't worry—sister will take care of you from now on."

The fox took human form, expressionless: "You scared it!"

Pan Yun turned back, holding the ginseng, and frowned: "How did you end up with them?"

Sister Hong Yan: "... We lost, so we got captured."

Pan Yun's eyes narrowed: "So you were the ones who did something wrong first?"

"What wrong? My little Red and I were just walking down the street when some magistrate's son kidnapped us, wanted to make us his concubines. He was so enthusiastic, and we had no money for food or lodging, so we agreed."

Sister Hong Yan sounded deeply wronged: "It was mutual—I didn't even blame him for kidnapping us—but then he complained we ate too much, were too… enthusiastic—so he hired a Daoist Priest to capture us…"

"What nonsense—what did you mean by 'too enthusiastic'?"

Little Red floated quietly: "That official's son had a strange fetish—he liked whipping people at night, and poking them with needles. I got scared just seeing the tools, trembling… so Sister Hong Yan snatched the whip and whipped him back, and used the needles on him too…"

Sister Hong Yan defended: "He was enjoying it, screaming 'I love it, I love it!' so I thought—why not make him even happier? I used all the tools on him! How was I supposed to know he'd get angry?"

Little Red added: "There were two other girls in the room besides us. Afterward, we helped them escape. We thought—if we stayed, we'd spare others from his torture. We're durable, and he couldn't beat us anyway."

Sister Hong Yan: "Who knew he'd play dirty and call in reinforcements—Daoist Priests, no less!"

Red Beauty urged her: "These Daoist Priests aren't doing good—kill them."

Red said: "They're not truly evil. We barely stirred them, and they let us go without smashing our souls to dust. Besides, they even joined the sea expedition to hunt pirates."

Speaking of this, Red couldn't help but feel wronged: "We urged him to come to Quanzhou just to meet you, so you could save us. Who knew our luck was so bad—he followed Zhang Ziming's group to Dongyang Island and missed you entirely."

Speaking of Zhang Ziming, Red Beauty brimmed with resentment: "Zhang Ziming sensed our presence several times, yet he never rescued us."

Pan Yun defended Zhang Ziming: "Not everyone can recognize you just by scent, like we can. He probably knew his banner held a spirit—but didn't know it was you."

Pan Yun waved her hand, looking at the two ghosts pinned to the ground: "Do you want spiritual transcendence or physical transcendence?"

The two ghosts: "... Is there a difference?"

Pan Yun: "Of course. Spiritual transcendence opens the Gate of the Underworld, letting you return to Yin and restore order. Physical transcendence means smashing you apart. Choose one."

The two ghosts pointed at the floating Red: "Why doesn't she have to?"

"Because she's my friend—she took the back door."

The two ghosts choked, tears welling: "Then, can we…?"

Pan Yun said coldly: "No."

They could only choose spiritual transcendence.

Seeing Miao Zhen and the other two approached, joining Pan Yun to chant sutras over the two ghosts. Soon, their eyelids grew heavier, their resentment slowly purified, dissolving into starlike specks that passed through the open Gate of the Underworld and vanished from sight…

The Gate of the Underworld slowly closed. The four corners fell silent.

Pan Yun turned, hugging the ginseng, and called to the fox and the ghost: "Let's go—we're late."

Red Beauty pointed at the man pinned by acupoint suppression, standing motionless: "You're just letting him go?"

Pan Yun: "What else? You really want to kill them? They're Daoist Priests—slaying demons is their duty. Honestly, I'm the one who erred."

Red Beauty's eyes darted: "He heard our conversation—he might guess your origins…"

"He heard nothing. I sealed his five senses."

For all his frantic eye-rolling now, he can't see or hear a thing.

Red hadn't expected such thoroughness—she could only fly with Little Ghost into the Three Treasures Cauldron.

The Three Treasures Cauldron rose into the air. Pan Yun hurled a pebble from high above.

The pebble struck the standing man on his back. Moments later, he could finally move. He immediately unblocked the remaining acupoints, looked around—and saw only his two unconscious junior brothers on the ground. No shadows anywhere.

He picked up his banner, nearly weeping: "My fox… my ginseng…"

Pan Yun shot toward the sea with a whistling sound. Amid the cries of the three, the fox, and the ghost, she sliced through the sea wind and plunged deep into the ocean.

The wind surged, and everyone in the pot stood up, clinging to the pot's rim, gazing far off in delight.

Tao Yan Bai said: "The sea wind wrinkles the blue sky; mountains rise like lotus blooms as the moon swells like a lotus."

Red Beauty: "Wow, this wind feels amazing!"

Pan Yun felt it too—she accelerated further.

The Three Treasures Cauldron shot away into the sky, vanishing into the endless horizon, the vast sea below—ordinary people could never tell direction here.

But this sea voyage had taught Pan Yun and Seeing Miao Zhen how to read sea charts and use the compass. Tao Yan Bai had learned it too—mostly.

Now, Seeing Miao Zhen pulled out the treasure map, placed the compass atop it, confirmed the direction, and guided Pan Yun.

After flying for about an hour, they finally spotted a fleet drifting across the sea. (End of Chapter)