On the Way

Besides, seeing how Fellow Daoist Lin and the others were playing around everywhere, tagging along with them should also count as traveling to gain experience, right?

This way, it wouldn't be considered going against his older sister's request.

Lin Xiao scratched his cheek. After thinking it over and feeling that Yuan Qing was a decent guy, he agreed:

"Alright then, you can temporarily travel with us for now."

As for whether he could pass the Path of Heart-Questioning when the time came, they would see.

Anyway, he had already decided not to lower the difficulty of the Path of Heart-Questioning.

Saying that, he asked Yuan Qing again,

"Since your matters are resolved, can you leave tomorrow?"

"Yes, I've already informed my fellow sect members today," Yuan Qing nodded.

And so, the matter of leaving Banxiang City tomorrow was settled.

Previously, on their way back, Lin Xiao had already bought the return ferry tickets. Now that Yuan Qing was going with them, they would need to buy one more ticket.

However, right after he brought this up, Yuan Qing took out a ticket from his robes and said,

"My fellow sect members already helped me buy one earlier. Fellow Daoist Lin, there is no need to trouble yourself."

Because he had given most of his wealth to Lin Xiao earlier, Yuan Qing didn't have many spirit stones on him right now. Originally, Lin Xiao had planned to return all of Yuan Qing's spirit stones before they left, but Yuan Qing refused.

That was meant as a small token of his appreciation to begin with; naturally, there was no reason to take it back.

In the middle of the night, Jiang Youfu and Yuan Qing were each quietly meditating in the cave dwelling.

Lin Xiao then sent a telepathic message to Liao Pantu inside the Soul-Nourishing Pendant:

"Senior Liao?"

For some reason, he felt that Senior Liao had been somewhat reticent over the past two days. Although he would reply when spoken to, Lin Xiao felt he was much quieter than before.

After quite a while, Liao Pantu faintly replied,

"What is it?"

Seeing that he finally spoke, Lin Xiao asked,

"Senior, what's been up with you these past two days? If something is bothering you, let's chat about it. It's not good to bottle things up all by yourself. Be careful not to suppress it until it becomes a heart demon."

"Pah, pah, pah! You're the one bottling up a heart demon!"

Liao Pantu hastily retorted.

There wasn't a single cultivator who didn't consider heart demons a taboo subject.

Then he said with a lack of enthusiasm,

"What do you want to chat about? There's nothing to talk about, I'm fine."

After thinking about it, Lin Xiao started asking about their previous visit to the bookstore:

"When we went to the bookstore earlier, why didn't you say a single word? Normally, you would have been bossing us around on how to pick books."

Unexpectedly, Liao Pantu snorted and said,

"What? You still need me to pick books for you? Don't you already know what you want? Look at that massive pile you bought, aren't most of them just things you like reading? What is there for me to pick for you?"

Saying that, he paused for a moment before suddenly grumbling,

"...This Banxiang City really isn't a good place."

Hearing him say this, Lin Xiao immediately perked up, knowing that he meant to continue. He quickly struck while the iron was hot and asked,

"What do you mean? Come on, let's have a good chat."

Liao Pantu was rather speechless at the kid's current behavior. He finally understood why Lin Dayou always had the urge to smack him.

Unfortunately, he was currently just a soul entity residing in the Soul-Nourishing Pendant, and only at the Foundation Establishment realm at that. He could no longer beat this kid who had advanced to the Golden Core realm.

However, he did want to talk right now, so he finally opened his mouth:

"That bookstore is nine times out of ten run by Yin Xuanzi."

Hearing the name Yin Xuanzi so suddenly, Lin Xiao didn't react immediately. It took him quite a while to remember.

"Oh, you mean your mortal enemy, Senior?"

Liao Pantu gave a soft grunt of affirmation through his nose, acknowledging it.

Lin Xiao was suddenly enlightened:

"No wonder you didn't even let out a squeak when we entered the bookstore that day. It turns out you were afraid of being discovered by him?"

Liao Pantu: ...

The prideful Liao Pantu was furious:

"Who are you talking about? Who didn't dare to let out a squeak?! I was afraid of causing trouble for you guys! You hear me?! Ah? If you aren't afraid of trouble, take me over there right now! Immediately! At once! I'll directly show off a bunch of spells right in his shop!"

Seeing that things were going south, Lin Xiao quickly changed the subject:

"Is it just that? But I felt like you were pretty quiet even before we went to the bookstore."

Hearing this, Liao Pantu returned to his previous grumbling state and said,

"That jade plaque given to you by Senior Yue whom you met earlier, you kept it safe, right?"

Hearing him bring up the jade plaque, Lin Xiao took it out from his personal storage:

"You mean this?"

Liao Pantu slipped out of the Soul-Nourishing Pendant and stared at the jade plaque for a long time, thinking about who knows what. Then he returned to the pendant and said indifferently,

"Keep this thing safe. With your punchable personality, it might just save your life in the cultivation world one day."

After that, no matter how much Lin Xiao asked, he was determined to hole up in the Soul-Nourishing Pendant and didn't answer him with another word.

Therefore, Lin Xiao had no choice but to focus his attention on the jade plaque.

He had previously examined this jade plaque with his divine sense and found no hidden content or strange properties inside. It just had a clear character for 'Yue' carved on the front, seemingly just an ordinary jade plaque.

He assumed it was probably some sort of identification token.

However, in this cultivation world where cultivators walked everywhere, what use could an identity jade plaque have?

He, who normally went around listening to news and gossip, had never heard of any particularly famous family with the surname Yue.

It couldn't be that if he were being hunted down, pulling out this jade plaque would make others let him off the hook, right?

He just felt that it was probably just a small meeting gift from that Senior Yue to the two of them.

After all, it was just exchanged for a bag of snacks.

But now, hearing Senior Liao say this, he couldn't help but wonder, could this thing really be very useful?

Thinking this, he placed it back into his personal storage and used the appraisal function.

[Yue Clan Jade Plaque: A defensive Mystic-tier Rank Five Talisman Treasure. Can be used repeatedly until its energy is exhausted. At most, it can block a full-strength strike from a Soul Formation realm expert at once.]

Good heavens.

This was actually a defensive talisman treasure?

And it could even block a full-strength strike from a Soul Formation realm expert!

He had previously heard Liu Chun explain that above regular talismans, there existed talisman treasures.

Talismans had a limit, but talisman treasures had no limits!

Theoretically, as long as your abilities were strong enough, you could make a talisman treasure as powerful as you wanted!

To think that, bringing Fuzi out, he could casually receive a talisman treasure gifted by a big shot?

This luck... Lin Xiao was fiercely envious.

However, looking at it this way, this Senior Yue was definitely not simple at all.

Casually handing out such a treasure.

Tomorrow, he had to go remind Fuzi, tell him the use of this jade plaque, and make sure he kept it safe.

In the early hours of the second day, the sky was just beginning to brighten.

Lin Xiao, who was in the inner room, went out and woke up Jiang Youfu and Yuan Qing.

After the three of them briefly packed up, Liu Chun happened to come over to find them.