Your time is running out.

Over the next few days, Ye Xuan was in no rush to leave Luoyun City.

He took Ying'er around to visit all the fun and interesting places.

During this process, he discovered a fact that surprised him even more.

This Ying'er actually possessed the exact same Five Elements mixed spirit root as he did.

Although mixed spirit roots were considered trash in the cultivation world, to Ye Xuan, this was simply the will of heaven.

Because the Five Elements Chaos Sutra he cultivated was most suitable for the Five Elements spirit root!

Could this be... destiny at work?

Since he had nothing else to do anyway, he might as well...

Ying'er, do you want to learn some skills?

Learn skills? Ying'er's eyes widened. Skills to beat up bad guys like you do, Young Master?

Something even better than that.

Ye Xuan smiled mysteriously.

Skills that will let you control your own destiny, so you never have to be at the mercy of anyone else's whims again.

That night.

Ye Xuan imparted the introductory chapter of the Five Elements Chaos Sutra to Ying'er.

He didn't expect Ying'er to achieve any great Dao; he just wanted to see what kind of flower this cultivation method would bloom into on another person.

Perhaps, subconsciously, this was also a kind of redemption for his own past.

Days passed by one after another.

Ye Xuan acted like an idle rich young master, taking a pretty little maidservant to travel the mountains and rivers, spending money like water.

They went to see the wondrous sight of the Thread of Sky, tasted the aged wine at Zuixian Pavilion, and bought gemstone necklaces from the Western Regions.

Ying'er's attitude toward Ye Xuan was a mix of blind worship and absolute loyalty.

In the eyes of others, Ye Xuan was the young master, and she was the maidservant.

But in her heart, Ye Xuan was the sky, he was a god, he was the entire meaning of her existence.

No matter where Ye Xuan went, she stuck behind him like a little shadow.

When Ye Xuan was thirsty, she handed him water; when he was tired, she massaged his shoulders; when his shoes were dirty, she wished she could throw herself on the ground to wipe them clean.

This feeling of being wholeheartedly relied upon, without needing to put up any guard, slowly brought a trace of warmth to Ye Xuan's long-frozen heart.

Gone were the days of flying on swords to cover thousands of miles in an instant, and gone were the life-and-death struggles of constant scheming.

Ye Xuan bought a spacious and comfortable carriage, hired an old horse, and leisurely ambled along the official roads of the Great Xuan Dynasty.

It was late autumn, and the northern lands were dyed a brilliant golden yellow.

Young Master! Young Master! What are those bright red things?

The carriage curtain was lifted, and Ying'er poked her little head out, pointing at the strings of crystal-clear items stuck on a roadside stall, her eyes sparkling.

Ye Xuan was lounging lazily against the soft cushions, engrossed in a mortal storybook titled The Domineering Scholar and the Pretty Fox Demon. Hearing her, he glanced over and smiled.

Those are candied haws. They are sweet and sour.

Want to eat them?

Yes! Ying'er nodded vigorously, practically drooling.

Stop the carriage.

Ye Xuan jumped down from the carriage, waved his hand grandly, and tossed the peddler a piece of broken silver.

I'll take them all.

A moment later.

The carriage resumed its journey.

Ying'er held three skewers in her left hand and three in her right, with another dangling from her mouth. Her cheeks bulged as she ate, looking like a hamster hoarding food.

Mmm... delicious! So delicious!

Ying'er mumbled indistinctly, the sweet and sour taste making her narrow her eyes in pure happiness.

Young Master, mortal things are so tasty! Ten thousand times better than the fasting pills you gave me!

Ye Xuan also held a skewer in his hand, slowly taking a bite of a hawthorn berry.

The crisp sugar coating shattered between his teeth, and the tartness and sweetness exploded on his taste buds.

Indeed.

Ye Xuan looked at the red maple forest rapidly receding outside the window, his eyes a bit dazed.

Things like fasting pills are for feeding livestock.

This... is what you call food for humans.

Over the years beside Xia Lengyue, in order to maintain a so-called pure immortal body, he had consumed nothing but fasting pills and spiritual dew for over a decade.

That utterly tasteless sensation was something he never wanted to experience again in his life.

Eat, eat more.

Ye Xuan looked at Ying'er and reached out to wipe the sugar crumbs from the corner of her mouth, his tone incredibly gentle.

Make up for everything you haven't eaten and haven't played with in the past.

After all...

He silently added in his heart:

After all, you might not have much time left in this life.

The two traveled north, stopping and going as they pleased.

Ye Xuan was not in a hurry.

He was enjoying himself.

Enjoying every minute and every second of this air without Xia Lengyue.

They passed through Luofeng City.

This place was famous throughout the world for its roast duck.

Without a second thought, Ye Xuan took Ying'er straight to the largest restaurant in the city, Jufude.

Waiter, two roast ducks, sliced properly. Make soup with the duck frames. Bring four catties of braised beef and a jug of Nu'er Hong wine!

Right away! Please wait a moment, dear customer!

Before long, all the dishes were served.

Ying'er stared straight at the shiny, mouth-watering roast duck. However, she didn't pick up her chopsticks, obediently waiting for Ye Xuan to start first.

Eat.

Ye Xuan picked up a piece of duck meat, coated it with sweet bean sauce and shredded scallions, stuffed it into a pancake, and took a bite.

The rich fat burst in his mouth.

Satisfaction.

Having received the command, Ying'er immediately activated her glutton mode. Although she looked thin and frail, she had, after all, cultivated the Five Elements Chaos Sutra, and her digestion capabilities were terrifying.

More than half of a roast duck went into her stomach.

Just as the two were happily eating, a sudden commotion arose downstairs.

Catch the thief! Someone stole the prefectural magistrate's official seal!

Don't let him get away!

Seal the city gates!

This was immediately followed by a chaotic uproar.

Ye Xuan peeked out to look.

He saw a masked man in black, using lightfoot techniques to sprint across the rooftops, followed by a large group of panting constables.

The man in black had decent movement techniques, but he was clearly injured and stumbling a bit.

Young Master, is that a bad guy? Ying'er asked indistinctly with a duck leg stuffed in her mouth. Do you want me to blow... uh, go kill him?

Ye Xuan shook his head and took a sip of wine.

The magistrate is a corrupt official, and this man in black carries a sense of chivalry. He's most likely a reckless youth robbing the rich to help the poor.

However... his lightfoot technique is terrible.

Ye Xuan glanced at the eaves where the man in black was about to land. There was a loose roof tile there; if he stepped on it, he would definitely fall.

Oh well, since I'm enjoying a good meal and watching a show, I should at least give a little tip.

Ye Xuan casually picked up a peanut from the table.

He flicked his finger lightly.

Swish!

The peanut carried a faint sound of breaking the air and accurately struck the loose tile, shattering it to pieces.

The man in black landed right then, his foot finding solid ground. Using the momentum, he leaped into the air again, narrowly dodging a cold arrow shot from behind.

The man in black noticed something, glanced back in the direction of the restaurant, cupped his fists in a quick salute, and disappeared into an alley.

Young Master is so amazing! Ying'er looked at Ye Xuan with adoration.

Shh.

Ye Xuan raised a finger.

Just eat, don't meddle.

However, trouble always has a way of finding you.

Having lost their target, the group of constables stormed into the restaurant in a fluster to conduct a search.

The leading head constable, a man with a face full of fierce, fleshy jowls, immediately spotted the brightly dressed and extraordinary-looking Ye Xuan, as well as Ying'er, who, despite wearing a maid's outfit, looked incredibly delicate and beautiful.

"Hey! You over there!"

The constable swaggered over, slammed his foot onto Ye Xuan's stool, and stared at Ying'er with a lecherous gaze.

"That thief from earlier looked this way. Are you his accomplices? Come back to the yamen with me! Especially this little lady here, she needs a thorough strip search!"

The surrounding diners quickly lowered their heads, not daring to make a sound.

Ying'er put down the duck leg in her hand.

Her eyes instantly turned cold, and her hand quietly reached for the short blade hidden in her sleeve.

She was waiting for her young master's command.

As long as the young master nodded, this fat man's head would turn into a smashed watermelon in the next second.

However, Ye Xuan pressed down on her hand.

He looked at the constable with an amiable smile on his face.

"Officer, we are law-abiding citizens."

"Law-abiding citizens?" The constable sneered, reaching out to touch Ying'er's face. "Whether you are or not, I'll only know after I have a feel..."

Before he could finish his sentence.

Ye Xuan suddenly moved.

He didn't draw his sword, nor did he use any spiritual energy.

He simply grabbed the basin of boiling hot duck bone soup that had just been served on the table.

Splash!

The entire basin of hot soup, broth, bones, and all, was dumped directly over the constable's head.

"Ahhhhhh!!"

A miserable shriek, like a pig being slaughtered, echoed throughout the restaurant.

The constable clutched his scalded face, rolling around on the floor.

"Run!"

Ye Xuan pulled up the stunned Ying'er, casually grabbed the unfinished spiced beef from the table, and leaped out of the second-floor window.

"Catch them! This is a rebellion! A rebellion!"

The other constables behind him finally reacted, drawing their swords and roaring in anger.

Thus, an extremely comical scene unfolded on the streets of Fallen Phoenix City.

A young master with his white clothes fluttering in the wind was dragging a girl in yellow, sprinting wildly in the lead.

The girl was still holding a package of spiced beef, stuffing it into her mouth as she ran.

Behind them chased dozens of guards brandishing swords, causing absolute chaos and sending people and animals flying.

"Young Master! Why are we running?"

Ying'er asked as she ran, looking highly excited. "Couldn't we just kill them?"

Ye Xuan tapped his toe against a stall, lightly vaulting over a wall, and laughed:

"Killing is too boring."

"Plus, it gets your clothes dirty, and then you have to wash them. It's a hassle."

"This is called tempering the heart in the mortal realm, understand?"

"I don't understand!" Ying'er shook her head honestly. "But it's so thrilling!"

The two of them were like slippery loaches, darting in and out of the alleyways.

At one point, they kicked over a vegetable-selling auntie's basket, and Ye Xuan casually tossed a silver ingot as compensation.

At another, they trampled someone's chicken coop, sending feathers flying everywhere.

Finally.

The two shook off their pursuers and hid on the roof of an abandoned City God Temple.

It was already dusk.

The setting sun coated the entire Fallen Phoenix City in a layer of golden red.

The two lay panting on the roof tiles, looking up at the sky.

Ying'er gasped for air, her face flushed red and her forehead covered in sweat, but her eyes shone as brightly as stars.

"Haha... hahaha..."

She suddenly burst into laughter.

This was the first time she had let out such a pure laugh, completely devoid of any flattery or murderous intent.

"What are you laughing at?" Ye Xuan turned his head to look at her.

"I'm happy."

Ying'er handed the last piece of spiced beef to Ye Xuan:

"Young Master, this is for you."

Ye Xuan took the beef and took a bite.

It was a bit cold, but the taste was still good.

He looked at Ying'er's face, which was brimming with youth and vitality.

In this moment, she was truly alive.

She was not the beggar kneeling on the ground begging for death, nor the dead soldier who killed without blinking.

"As long as you're happy."

Ye Xuan chewed the beef, his gaze cast into the distance.

"While you still can, laugh as much as you want."

"Because later on..."

Ye Xuan's eyes darkened, and he didn't finish his sentence.