Hammer in her left hand, sword in her right, the eldest sister is connected to both worlds.

Chapter 205: Offering a small contribution to the way my master died.

In Xiaoqing County, Linyun Prefecture, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

Wisps of steam rise from the wonton stalls on the street, filling the air with an enticing aroma.

Mingcheng and Dandao emerged from the Xiaoqing County government office, both sporting dark circles under their eyes.

“These bastards in Xiaoqing County are worse than pigs and dogs. Instead of trying to punish the criminals, they keep asking about the whereabouts of those children. They’re really treating me like a criminal.”

"I'm so sleepy. I need to eat something and go back to sleep."

Mingcheng muttered to himself as he walked toward the wonton jar. When he got closer, he couldn't take his eyes off the plump, white wontons in the diners' bowls.

"Boss, two bowls of wontons, please." The woman's clear voice rang out, and the man busy by the pot didn't even have time to look up. He responded loudly, "Okay!"

The two sat down at a table and waited for the wontons to arrive when a ghostly shadow flashed in Dan Dao's sharp eyes.

Before Mingcheng could react, the man beside him grabbed his dark black longsword and chased after him.

Mingcheng couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"

The man who had already flown onto the rooftop simply replied, "It's okay, you can eat yours."

Then it disappeared.

Dan Dao's actions drew the attention of the surrounding diners, but these people had seen wandering knights before. They only exclaimed in surprise before turning back to their own food.

Another fifteen minutes passed, and the owner placed two bowls of wontons in front of Mingcheng: "Please enjoy, young lady."

Mingcheng looked at the two bowls of wontons on the table, then at the empty seat opposite him.

"If I had known..."

Before she could finish her grumbling, a gentle voice came from behind her: "Miss Ming, it's been a long time!"

Upon hearing this, Ming Cheng looked up and the first thing that caught his eye was an extremely flamboyant red dress.

The color resembled a raging fire; with just one glance, Mingcheng seemed to feel the intense heat emanating from it.

Further up, she saw Xue Lan's bright smiling face.

The girl was dressed in red, with her wrists tightly bound at the cuffs, making her look exceptionally capable and efficient.

But her hair was still the same, casually draped over her shoulders.

The girl tilted her head and looked at her. Mingcheng noticed that the person was wearing a translucent red bead on her left earlobe.

This wasn't available before.

Xue Lan seemed to sense Ming Cheng's question and said softly, "It was a gift from a friend in the mountains. The Great Gift Court is not very peaceful."

Upon hearing this, Mingcheng chuckled softly, the years of accumulated gloom in his eyes melting away like springtime thawing, a gentle stream flowing for dozens of miles.

She pushed the bowl of wontons in front of her towards Xue Lan: "Give it to Xiao Tong, I'll order you another bowl."

To everyone's surprise, Xue Lan gently raised her hand to stop her. The girl pushed the wontons in front of her towards Xue Tong, then lightly tapped the rim of the bowl twice with her fingertips.

To Mingcheng's astonishment, the girl pulled out an identical bowl of wontons from the edge of the wonton bowl.

Ming Cheng's eyes widened, and he couldn't help but ask, "Miss Xue, do you pass on this magic technique to outsiders?"

Xue Lan smiled and placed the bowl of wontons she had pinched out in front of her, then copied the spoon in the same way.

"Miss Ming wants to learn?"

Mingcheng nodded, glancing around to see if the other diners were oblivious to Xue Lan's arrival or simply unable to see her.

Xue Lan ate a wonton. The wonton was made with high-quality ingredients and was exceptionally delicious. One sip of the soup warmed her up from head to toe.

The girl squinted her grayish-white eyes: "They can't see me. I came here specifically for you, young lady."

"Appreciate further details."

Xue Lan preferred to talk to straightforward people, so she got straight to the point: "How much do you know about that Flower Lady and the things she investigated?"

Mingcheng paused in his eating of wontons, not directly answering Xue Lan's question, but looking at Xue Lan's eyes and asking, "Does Miss Xue have any relatives in the mortal world?"

Xue Lan didn't hide anything: "Xue Lan is an orphan. Her relatives... I met them once yesterday, and they are already separated by the divide between immortals and mortals."

There is a difference between immortals and mortals.

Mingcheng became even more certain of his inner suspicion: "Did Miss Xue use some kind of magic yesterday to prevent that Flower Lady from noticing anything?"

Xue Lan smiled without saying a word.

Ming Cheng thought to himself that the life of a cultivator was truly arduous, for even the only kinship a person had in the world was severed upon ascending to the Jade Terrace.

The girl across from me was holding a spoon and gently stirring the wontons in her bowl.

"When immortals enter the mortal world, they must abide by the rules of the mortal world. When mortals enter the immortal gate, they should also sever all ties with the mortal world."

This basically means that one should follow the rules at all times. Ming Cheng was extremely displeased and immediately retorted, "I've heard that Miss Xue is possessed by a demon, and she doesn't seem like the kind of person who follows the rules."

Xue Tong silently ate her wontons, then looked up in Ming Cheng's direction when she heard this.

Is this person so used to being protected by the knife beside her that they don't know that evil cultivators are not to be trifled with?

The next moment, Xue Tong knew that her thoughts were absolutely correct.

An invisible blade was already pressed against Xue Lan's slender neck the moment Ming Cheng finished speaking. The girl paused slightly as she drank the soup.

On the street not far away, accompanied by the slowly pouring sunlight, the black-clad swordsman held his sword against Xue Lan. The long sword was not drawn, but its power could travel thousands of miles.

Xue Lan was somewhat skeptical and stretched her neck to drink the soup, only to find a bloody mark appearing on her neck instantly.

Xue Lan: Would it kill you to let me have a sip?

The girl put down her spoon and mocked the inner demon in her mind: "You're really useless. You can't even lure away a spirit."

"Alright then, give me your body and I'll summon the spirit within you. You can eat here!"

Xue Lan patted her head, feeling that her inner demons were becoming increasingly strange.

Xue Tong heard the host muttering, "So what if it's a demon in my heart? Why are there so many other demonic emotions?"

Seeing that she wouldn't be able to drink the soup today, the girl simply stood up, turned to the single-edged sword, and gave a deep bow.

"Xue Lan greets Senior. I have come here today with an important matter to ask of you."

Dan Dao looked at the girl in red and knew that this was not a good time to make a move, so he said in a low voice, "Speak."

Xue Lan smiled and lowered his posture: "This junior would like to ask, what method of death has my master chosen for himself?"

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

For a moment, Xue Tong, Ming Cheng, and even Dan Dao were stunned.

What is she saying?

She's dressed in a festive outfit. What is she saying?

Xue Tong couldn't help but tug at Xue Lan's sleeve: "Are you crazy?!"

Early in the morning, she put on the beautiful clothes that Ling Yuanzi had given her, and her first words were to do her part to help her master who had fallen.

It's not that she's sick!

Dan Dao looked at the girl in red in front of him and suddenly remembered what that person had said when he was chatting with Ling Yuanzi years ago:

"My apprentice is a variable."

Recalling the arrogance on that man's face at the time, he really wanted to bring him back to see.