[Ding! Leng Feiyan's affection level towards you +5! Current affection level: 50 points (Heartfelt Connection)]
As Lin Jichen walked out of the bustling city, he received another notification that Leng Feiyan's affection level towards him had increased.
This finally gave him some reward for the pain of stuffing himself with so many pastries and snacks.
It wasn't in vain; he managed to raise her affection level again.
The two of them arrived at the edge of the city, where most of Everwinter City's residents lived.
At this moment, people were releasing sky lanterns.
A large number of sky lanterns floated up into the sky with the help of hot air, one after another, adorning the night sky like stars.
The night was cool as water, the moon setting, and the sky filled with lanterns!
Leng Feiyan slightly raised her head, her eyes leisurely gazing at the lanterns in the night sky, a unique brilliance flowing in her eyes.
"Master, should we release one too?" Lin Jichen asked.
"Do we need to? I can turn night into day with a wave of my hand," Leng Feiyan replied.
Lin Jichen chuckled, "It's different, Master. Releasing a sky lantern isn't for illumination; it's symbolic. It signifies that your wishes will come true. Legend has it that if you write your wish on the lantern, it will be granted."
"Really? Then let's release one, no, two. You release one, and I'll release one," Leng Feiyan said with interest.
Lin Jichen smiled and agreed. He found a vendor selling sky lanterns and bought two, along with two pens.
Leng Feiyan took one and mysteriously started writing on it.
"Master, what are you writing?" Lin Jichen asked curiously.
Leng Feiyan immediately covered it with her hand and scolded, "No peeking, it's a secret."
Lin Jichen pouted and had to write his own wish.
After he finished, Leng Feiyan came over and asked, "Disciple, what did you write?"
"Master, it's my secret, you can't see," Lin Jichen mimicked her, refusing.
But Leng Feiyan acted shamelessly, "You're my disciple, how can you keep secrets from your master? I must see it."
Without giving Lin Jichen a chance to refuse, she took his lantern and openly read it.
"Want to get rich? That's your wish?" Leng Feiyan said with a half-smile.
Lin Jichen awkwardly explained, "I couldn't think of anything else, so I just wrote that."
"Disciple, your wish is too mundane," Leng Feiyan teased.
"Then what's your wish, Master? Let me see."
"No way, a master's wish can't be seen by a disciple. Quickly release it, you release yours, and I'll release mine. Don't come over," Leng Feiyan instructed.
Lin Jichen, feeling helpless, had to comply.
They lit their sky lanterns, and soon, Leng Feiyan's lantern floated up and drifted into the sky.
Leng Feiyan smiled like a flower, savoring this rare moment of romance.
But just then, Lin Jichen's loud and disruptive shouting came from beside her.
"Hey, hey, hey! Why isn't it flying?"
Leng Feiyan turned to see Lin Jichen's 'Want to get rich' sky lantern barely flying a meter before falling down.
The flame inside touched the lantern's wall and it started burning.
Lin Jichen scratched his head in frustration, trying several times to put out the fire. By the time he succeeded, half of the lantern was burnt.
The words 'Want to get rich' were also half-burnt, leaving only 'Want to', with 'get rich' gone.
"Disciple, it seems even the heavens can't fulfill your wish to get rich," Leng Feiyan teased, laughing so hard she almost lost her cool demeanor.
Lin Jichen felt bitter, but he didn't say anything!
After releasing the sky lanterns and strolling through the night market, it was already very late.
The two of them walked out of Everwinter City, ready to head back.
Leng Feiyan took out the sugar figurine and couldn't resist tasting it.
Lin Jichen, feeling a bit envious, said, "Master, can I have a bite?"
Leng Feiyan looked at him, probably recalling the disaster with his sky lantern, and her heart softened. She handed the sugar figurine over.
Lin Jichen took a big bite, right where Leng Feiyan's lips had touched.
Leng Feiyan's cheeks instantly turned red. What was this?
"Mm~ delicious, so sweet, much sweeter than regular sugar figurines. Why is that?" Lin Jichen asked curiously.
Leng Feiyan, extremely embarrassed, glared at him with no real threat in her eyes.
Lin Jichen pushed his luck, "Master, can I have another bite?"
"Not even a small bite!"
"Don't be so stingy."
"Hmph! Naughty disciple! You've already bitten off the fairy's head!"
The two of them chatted as they walked out of the city. The cold wind carried snowflakes, drifting between them.
The bright moonlight spread across the ground, their shadows growing longer and longer in the snow, almost merging into one.
Until they walked out of Everwinter City, it became pitch black outside. The night wind howled, and the atmosphere suddenly turned eerie.
At this moment, many figures suddenly appeared around Lin Jichen and Leng Feiyan in the darkness!
They surrounded the two of them.
These people exuded a powerful aura, all with cultivation levels above the Crystal Realm.
Judging by their appearance and attire, they were all bald, wearing monk robes.
An old but resonant voice sounded. From among the bald figures, an old monk walked out.
The old monk wore a kasaya and held a string of prayer beads, muttering prayers.
Beside him was an old nun of similar age.
"I presume you are Lin Jichen, a disciple of the Tianyan Sword Sect?" the old monk asked as he approached.
"That's me. What do you want?" Lin Jichen replied, thinking these baldies sure came quickly.
He was actually worried that if Leng Feiyan returned to the Sword Sect, they would come looking for him.
He was heading to the Thunder Marsh, and encountering them would make things even more difficult.
The old monk looked kind and compassionate, clasping his hands together, "Lin Jichen, I am Zhiqing from Tianyin Temple, and this is Master Jinghui from Cihang Jing’an. We are here for the 'Rebirth Buddha Seal' you learned."
Lin Jichen had anticipated this and asked, "What do you want to ask or do?"
Master Jinghui frowned and said, "Lin Jichen, the Rebirth Buddha Seal is an exclusive skill of my senior brother Zhiqing, a secret technique of the Buddhist Sect!"
Zhiqing didn't want to waste time and bluntly said, "Lin Jichen, stealing our Buddhist Sect's secret technique is indeed excessive. How about this, Tianyin Temple doesn't want to make things difficult for you. We just want you to come to the temple, let the abbot use a mental secret technique to erase the Rebirth Buddha Seal from your mind, and then reflect on your actions for three days in our temple. This matter will be settled."
Lin Jichen sneered after hearing this, "Are you dreaming?"
Master Jinghui immediately shouted angrily, "You stole our Buddhist Sect's secret technique and still act so righteously? Who gave you the courage?"