Immortal of the Nine Realms

The chubby little girl wore a pendant around her neck similar to the one in the photo Mirror of the Universe had shown him about the Dao Sword Tooth. It contained a faint yet distinct sword intent.

”You all wait for me here. I’ll be back in a moment,” said Fang Chen before flying down.

Several pairs of eyes focused on him. When they sensed the immortal energy flowing within him, they removed their gazes.

The little girl was sitting at a stall, eating a bowl of plain noodles with large bites.

Fang Chen walked directly up to her, confirming once again that the pendant she wore was indeed theDao Sword Tooth. He then smiled kindly at her. ”Little girl, you—”

”Are you a fraud, Uncle?” asked the little girl.

The little girl glanced at Fang Chen cautiously, looking wary. But she didn’t forget to slurp another mouthful of noodles.

”I’m not a fraud.”

”Then why are you talking to me? My brother said anyone who talks to me for no reason is a fraud, and that I shouldn’t respond.”

She took another bite of noodles, her eyes still fixed on Fang Chen.

Fang Chen chuckled. ”You don’t really have anything I can scam you off, right?”

He called out to the stall owner for another bowl of plain noodles and then sat across from the little girl.

The little girl said, ”That’s true. I don’t have any money on me. I’ve been eating on credit here.”

”Little Hua eats on credit, alright. Her brother is a disciple of the Pingyao Pavilion, and he comes to settle the bill every now and then.”

The noodle stall owner casually commented, though his eyes quickly shifted over to Fang Chen, clearly on guard.

”I’m not a fraud,” Fang Chen reiterated.

He then got straight to the point. ”That pendant around your neck is quite nice. I’d like to buy it from you. Would you be willing to sell it?”

”Sell the pendant!? No way, this is the last keepsake from my father before he passed away. It’s the most precious thing I own.”

The little girl shook her head vigorously like a rattling drum. ”You still say you’re not a fraud, but I can tell you’re after my pendant.”

”If I buy it with money, how could I be a fraud?”

”I’m not selling it! No, no, I’m still hungry. Uncle Huang, give me another bowl of plain noodles, I’m not full yet.”

She shouted at the stall owner and then completely ignored Fang Chen, no matter what he said.

”You know, Little Brother, maybe you should just snatch it,” suggested Mirror of the Universe.

Fang Chen chuckled. ”You want me to steal from a little mortal girl? What a rotten idea.”

Even when he hadn’t started cultivating, in the darkest periods of his life, he would’ve never stooped to stealing from a child.

Fang Chen smiled and said, ”I just heard the vendor call you Little Hua? Your name is Little Hua, right? How about you take me to meet your brother? He should be able to make a decision. I’m offering a good price. Gold and silver for mortals, spirit stones for cultivators. Whichever you want, I can pay.”

”You’re a cultivator?!”

The noodle stall owner had been paying close attention to the exchange. When he heard Fang Chen’s words, he couldn’t help but speak up.

The stall owner’s expression shifted, as if something dawned on him. He looked at the pendant thoughtfully, then said, ”But that pendant on her neck is just a regular item. Why would you want to buy it?”

”You’re a cultivator? My brother is also a cultivator, but even if you’re a cultivator, you can’t take my father’s keepsake,” said the Little Hua.

She quickly tucked the pendant into her clothes, staring at Fang Chen as though he were a thief.

Fang Chen was starting to feel rather helpless. ”I told you, I’m not stealing it. I want to buy it.”

He briefly considered calling down Little Immortal Honglian to speak with Little Hua. After all, a little girl was more likely to be coaxed by a woman. But, recalling Little Immortal Honglian’s temper, he dismissed the idea as quickly as it came.

The vendor brought Fang Chen his bowl of noodles. At that point, Little Hua had already finished hers and, upon seeing Fang Chen’s bowl, unconsciously swallowed her saliva.

Fang Chen pushed his noodles toward her. ”You can go ahead and eat. I’ll wait for the next bowl.”

Little Hua hesitated for a moment, then thanked him and started eating. Before Fang Chen could get his next bowl of noodles, she had finished hers, stood up, and darted off in a flash. Fang Chen laughed, tossing a low-grade spirit stone onto the counter before heading after her.

”A-A Spirit stone!?”

The noodle stall owner froze when he saw the spirit stone in his hand, a cold breath catching in his chest. That was far too generous. He was actually given a spirit stone for a single bowl of noodles! He quickly pocketed the stone, trying to act casual while scanning the area to see if anyone had noticed.

***

Little Hua moved swiftly through the crowd, dodging and weaving, but every time she glanced back, Fang Chen was always right behind her.

”Stop following me!”

Little Hua stamped her foot, then continued weaving through the crowd.

Before long, she arrived at a somewhat imposing courtyard. At the entrance stood two statues of strange beasts, both looking exceptionally majestic.

”Pingyao Pavilion? Oh, her brother cultivates here.”

Fang Chen smiled faintly. Seeing that she wasn’t running anymore, he stopped as well.

”You really dare to follow me here? When my brother comes out, I’ll tell him, and you’ll be in trouble,” said Little Hua as she glared at Fang Chen, trying to intimidate him with her words.

Fang Chen smiled. ”I’ll talk to your brother when he comes out.”

”Even if you talk to my brother, it’s no use. That was left to me by my father. I definitely won’t sell it to you, and my brother wouldn’t agree either!” she asserted.

She pouted and then ignored Fang Chen.

The two of them waited for about half an hour before people finally started to come out of the Ping Yao Pavilion one after another.

All the young men and women coming out had cultivation levels around the Qi Refining Realm.

Little Hua immediately stood up with anticipation, craning her neck to look for someone in the crowd.

Suddenly, a figure stumbled out of the Ping Yao Pavilion and was then kicked to the ground by someone else. It was a boy of around fifteen or sixteen. His face was battered and bruised, with blood at the corner of his lip.

The person who kicked him was about to step forward and stomp on him again, but Little Hua shot over like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, blocking the boy and shouting angrily, ”Why are you hitting my brother?!”

”You should ask your brother that. Since he can’t pay the tuition, why is he shamelessly hanging around here and not leaving? Do you really think my father runs this pavilion as a charity? Your brother already owes us a lot in tuition. I advise you to scrape it together quickly, or I’ll come knocking on your door!”

Nearby disciples of the Ping Yao Pavilion pointed and whispered as they watched. The bruised boy felt humiliated. Without saying a word, he stood up and was ready to leave with Little Hua.

Unexpectedly, the one who had attacked seemed dissatisfied and suddenly performed the Five Element Controlling Technique. The power of wood turned into a vine that whipped directly at the two. By the time the boy reacted and hurriedly tried to muster the power of the Five Elements to defend himself, it was already too late. He instinctively pulled Little Hua into his arms, prepared to take the blow himself.

As the siblings watched the vine lash toward them, the vine suddenly split in two and snapped.

Then, Little Hua saw the annoying uncle who had been following her walk over to them.

”How much tuition does he owe? I’ll pay for it,” Fang Chen said to the person who had attacked with a smile.