Chapter 62: Two Departures
“Are you ready?”
Yesterday, it had rained all day, and today should be clear and sunny.
Spring colors lingered, everything was moist, and rain flowed slowly through the thinning snow piles like hands caressing a lover.
Luohe walked silently across the shallow exposed grass. In the dim morning light, she saw Su Huanhuan sitting to one side.
She had shed her signature long red dress and changed into an unremarkable gray hooded robe.
Even the flower mark on her forehead was concealed, and her red pupils had been disguised as black.
With a pack on her back, she looked like a young female traveler.
Faced with Luohe’s question, she raised her chin and made an affirmative sound, then smiled and said:
“These past few days I’ve established an identity in the surrounding areas. From now on, I’m a wandering cultivator from the foot of Tianyuan Mountain who came to Ye City to explore famous sites. Have you got that?”
“Yes.”
Luohe nodded.
Though she didn’t see what good it would do for her to remember this.
The morning light was just breaking through the clouds as Su Huanhuan took a deep breath, as if trying to exhale all her previous gloom.
Then she stretched lazily, like a cat, and looked at Luohe again.
“Why did you change your clothes?”
“Someone gave them to me.”
“…Someone gave them to you?”
“Yes.”
“No, I mean, how can you wear them?”
“I can’t actually wear them, but I can change my appearance to some extent.”
Luohe switched between her two outfits.
Yes, the quick-change function was now installed.
At least spirits had that advantage.
But Su Huanhuan’s gaze turned strange.
“So although you can’t actually wear clothes, you changed your appearance for her, to make her happy?”
“Yes.”
Was there something wrong with that?
“…”
Come to think of it, Su Huanhuan also seemed to like red things.
Luohe looked at herself, then asked:
“How do you think this looks?”
“You don’t suit this kind of clothing. You don’t look obedient at all.”
“I see.”
It seemed people’s aesthetic preferences really could differ greatly.
“…Why haven’t you changed back yet?”
“Why should I change back?”
Su Huanhuan asked in shock:
“You can change clothes to make someone else happy, but not for me?”
“?”
What a strange question.
But Luohe was a serious person, so after thinking carefully, he decided to answer honestly:
“Before, I didn’t care what I wore, since hardly anyone could see me anyway. So if changing clothes could make someone happy, I didn’t mind.”
“But I actually like this outfit, so now I’m prioritizing my own feelings.”
“So I won’t change.”
“…”
Su Huanhuan’s happiness vanished instantly, and the meaning conveyed by the curve of her mouth swiftly changed from sunny to cloudy to overcast.
Now it was like a late winter wind, damp and cool.
“Sometimes you’re more adorable when you don’t speak.”
“Perhaps.”
Luohe felt the same way himself.
“By the way, Liu Miao mentioned that the flower shop owner came up the mountain looking for you… Did you see her?”
“…She came looking for me? When was this?”
Su Huanhuan felt a jolt of alarm.
“Just when you were away these past two days.”
“…”
That was lucky.
Fortunately, she’d gone far enough away on her errands these past two days and her ability to conceal her tracks was first-rate, so not even Gu Jing had found her.
Her sudden visit couldn’t possibly be for anything good, nine times out of ten, maybe even ten out of ten.
But damn, had Luohe been exposed?
No, it couldn’t be a complete revelation. She must have grown suspicious about something… Tch, it must have been that little girl Liu Miao…
Su Huanhuan thought to herself.
Of course, she didn’t have time to guess that the person who gave Luohe these clothes was her.
Otherwise, her mood would have been even worse.
“I didn’t see her, but it’s nothing important.”
“Mm.”
Luohe nodded without asking further.
After Luohe’s reminder, Su Huanhuan didn’t dare linger a moment longer. She crossed over the back mountain, passed through Deer Drinking Stream, and now stood on the mountainside facing north.
Below her, mountain peaks rose one after another, with clouds and birds sharing the sky.
Down below, winding roads connected to the faintly visible massive city in the distance.
That was the road they would take next.
…
“Flower Shop Owner, are you leaving?”
“Yes.”
Gu Jing no longer looked like she did in the flower house.
She had tied her hair in a high ponytail, the hairstyle she often wore when she was still at Tianzhen Sword Sect.
She carried two swords—one was a coarse iron longsword that could be bought anywhere, the other a broken sword strapped to her back.
After all, that sword no longer belonged to her.
Looking at her, Liu Miao felt a strange emotion rising in her heart.
These days, though it seemed like nothing had happened, she felt that much had changed around her.
She had met some new people, gotten to know the flower shop owner again, and now all three parties were leaving this place.
She remembered that the flower shop owner used to speak very little.
Each time she opened her mouth, she wouldn’t say much, quickly ending with “mm” and “mm.”
Now, she felt like the flower shop owner talked more… Well, it was just a feeling.
But she was still certain that something about the flower shop owner had changed.
As for the reason…
As mentioned before.
Liu Shuishui might be silly, but she wasn’t stupid.
She had guessed a little that perhaps, maybe, possibly…
It had something to do with Mr. Luo…
Of course, as for what kind of relationship exactly, she was completely clueless.
But keeping that secret for Immortal Luohe was probably a good thing…
Well, it should be.
Because they really didn’t look like they could have a good relationship.
Liu Shuishui was unexpectedly sensitive about such things.
“Do you have any plans for the future?”
Gu Jing stood up and asked Liu Miao.
Her figure now visibly looked haggard and thin, but something of her former self could be found in her eyes.
Like a vase that should have shattered but had been glued back together.
The sense of brokenness was more obvious, but there was still some hope to be seen.
Faced with Gu Jing’s question, Liu Miao thought carefully, which was rare for her.
“…”
Gu Jing looked at her, her eyes filled with an indescribable expression.
The girl before her had good talent. Of course, no matter how good her talent was, it didn’t matter to her.
What mattered was that she knew his sword technique… though she wasn’t sure if it was really his, but…
Gu Jing unconsciously clenched her fist.
“If you’re willing, I can take you to a place.”
“It’s a very powerful sect called… Tianzhen Sword Sect.”
“Ah…”
Tianzhen Sword Sect again?
Liu Miao was stunned for a moment, then nodded.
It seemed that both the flower shop owner and Mr. Luo had close connections to that place.
Going there might help her clarify many things.
With this vague hope, Liu Miao made the second most important choice in her cultivation journey.
As for the first, she had already made it.
…