A torrent of petals rained down from the sky, relentlessly hammering the energy barrier and causing it to tremble. Ripples rapidly spread out as the barrier disintegrated into nothing in the blink of an eye.
However, the petals didn’t halt after the energy barrier collapsed. They hovered in mid-air once more, then, like darts, shot fiercely toward Ling Chen.
Ling Chen’s eyes narrowed. He used his agility to dodge the petals, but one brushed past him, leaving a fine streak of blood on his face.
This won’t do; I’m too passive, Ling Chen thought, wiping the blood from his face with his finger. Illusionists were indeed formidable, killing invisibly, their attacks unpredictable and coming from anywhere.
To escape this predicament, he had to break the Illusion Technique and flee the inn.
But now, his eyes were deceived and his mind was under attack by the Illusion Technique, making it difficult for him to discern its weakness on his own.
Ling Chen focused completely, concentrating all his mental energy. He tried to block out all sound, hoping to see through this Illusory Realm.
However, even so, he still couldn’t find any trace of the Illusion Technique’s flaws.
It’s no good; I can’t find it, Ling Chen thought, his brows furrowing.
"It’s no use. Unless your Realm is higher than mine, you cannot break through my Illusion Technique." Princess Huiye’s voice suddenly reached his ears.
The voice was so ethereal he couldn’t discern its origin.
"The door is over there." Just as Ling Chen’s brow furrowed, Xiao Yin’s voice suddenly reached him, causing his expression to change.
He looked over to find Xiao Yin beside him, her gaze fixed on a spot that was clearly a wall.
Before Ling Chen could react, Xiao Yin had already walked towards the wall and, to his astonishment, passed right through it.
Ling Chen followed her, passing through the inn’s wall.
A narrow alleyway appeared before them.
Behind them stood the inn. They had somehow walked out of it so easily.
Ling Chen was astounded. He turned to look at Xiao Yin beside him, the surprise in his eyes deepening. At that moment, a Yin Yang Fish pattern emerged in Xiao Yin’s eyes, emitting an ancient and mysterious aura.
"That woman is over there." Before Ling Chen could fully process this, Xiao Yin suddenly pointed to the second floor of a nearby mansion.
Ling Chen’s pupils shrank. Without hesitation, he executed his Light Skill, moving swiftly. Moments later, he leaped through a window of the mansion.
Before him stood a beautiful woman holding an ancient zither.
Ling Chen quickly approached the woman, pressing the point of his Heavy Sword against her throat.
"Princess Huiye, your Illusion Technique is indeed formidable. Unfortunately, everything has its nemesis." Ling Chen admitted to himself that he couldn’t break Princess Huiye’s Illusion Technique. Unfortunately for her, Xiao Yin’s magical eyes seemed immune to it.
"I never thought I would lose to a Maid, Ling Chen. You’ve won." The woman was indeed Princess Huiye. She hadn’t expected the little girl by Ling Chen’s side to be able to see through her Illusion Technique and easily find her hiding place.
"Princess Huiye, I don’t wish to fight you," Ling Chen said placidly, retracting his Heavy Sword. "To be honest, your Illusion Technique is truly formidable. If not for luck, I might not have escaped the inn. You must have been provoked by Li Tai to cause trouble for me. Had you known what happened at the Cui Yu Building, you probably wouldn’t have done this. I will not speak of today’s outcome."
"No need. A loss is a loss. I just want to know, who exactly is this Maid of yours?" Princess Huiye was very interested in Xiao Yin, the one who had broken her Illusion Technique.
Yet, at first glance, this little girl seemed unremarkable. As for her Cultivation, she was only at the Warrior 6th Stage.
"I don’t know either," Ling Chen said truthfully. "I just purchased her from the Cui Yu Building. As for her origins, I’m afraid even the people there don’t have a clue."
"Just like that? This young girl... is she the Flower Goddess?" Princess Huiye paused slightly. She had indeed heard that Ling Chen had engaged in a bidding war with Ying Wuqing over the Flower Goddess at the Cui Yu Building, but she hadn’t expected the Flower Goddess to be this young girl before her.
"You’ve guessed correctly," Ling Chen nodded.
"Then you’ve truly struck gold." Princess Huiye was somewhat envious of Ling Chen’s luck. With this young girl by his side, Ling Chen would be the bane of Illusionists. At least, Illusionists of her caliber would be utterly useless against him.
"Ling Chen, let’s leave matters as they are for today. I won’t trouble you anymore, and I hope you won’t trouble me either." She was very worried Ling Chen would hold a grudge because of this. The young girl’s ability was too unique, and she didn’t want to make such an enemy.
With that, Princess Huiye clutched her Illusion Sound Piano and leaped out the window. Utilizing her Light Skill, she quickly disappeared down the alley.
Hearing this, Ling Chen chuckled and shook his head. As long as she didn’t bother him, why would he possibly bother her?
Leaping out of the room, Ling Chen landed back at the inn’s entrance.
Xiao Yin was still waiting where he had left her. At this moment, her eyes had returned to normal.
"Xiao Yin, your eyes... What was that?" Ling Chen was curious. Just moments ago, a mysterious pattern had seemed to emerge in Xiao Yin’s eyes; they were not the eyes of an ordinary person.
"I don’t know." Xiao Yin shook her head, her expression still somewhat wooden.
Or perhaps my guess isn’t wrong, Ling Chen mused, stroking his chin. She really is a member of that mysterious Family from Zhongtu.
"Home..." A flicker of light appeared in Xiao Yin’s otherwise vacant eyes. She looked at Ling Chen. "Do you know... where my home is?"
"I don’t know; it’s just a guess," Ling Chen shook his head. "As for Zhongtu, it’s a place that only exists in books. I’m afraid not many people know its exact location." He was very interested in the Zhongtu described in those texts, but they were, after all, just records. Hundreds of years had passed since the era of that predecessor. Whether that mysterious Family, or the place called ’Zhongtu,’ still existed was a serious question.
Hearing this, Xiao Yin lowered her head again, the light in her eyes dimming once more.
At this moment, Ling Chen gently placed his hand on the girl’s black and white hair. "But you don’t need to lose heart," he said softly. "I will help you find your family."
"If you’re willing to stay by my side, your name will be Ling Yin from now on. You’ll be my family, and I’ll treat you as my sister." Ling Chen then took out Xiao Yin’s Slavery Contract and tore it to shreds. "If you’re unwilling, you can leave now and be a free person from this day forward." He felt a natural closeness to Xiao Yin; they were kindred spirits in their misfortune. Moreover, Ling Chen found himself fond of Xiao Yin’s quiet, somewhat slow nature—it was a fondness akin to protectiveness.
Ling Chen’s words didn’t receive an immediate response. He didn’t want to force her, though he felt a pang of disappointment. He decided to give her some time to consider.
"Alright, let’s get going," Ling Chen said, shaking off his disappointment and starting to walk outside.
But just then, a pair of slender, fair arms suddenly wrapped around him from behind. A somewhat wooden voice followed,
Feeling the girl’s warmth, a smile touched Ling Chen’s lips. He turned and drew her into his embrace. Finally, he had family to rely on...