Before setting off, Xin Yi took Wei Sheng Lan to a nearby Immortal Town to buy some things.
The most important, of course, was his outfit.
After all, she would definitely run into old acquaintances at this Immortal Continent Grand Assembly, and not just one.
His master Qing Heng and the object of his secret crush, Qiong Yan, would both be there.
If Wei Sheng Lan really showed up with that face, there would be no need to carry out the subsequent plan; she could immediately declare it a bust.
Because he would definitely be recognized right away.
She only had two choices laid out before her.
The first was to buy a disguise pill from the Spirit Herb Pavilion and have Wei Sheng Lan take it, thereby completely changing his external appearance. The second was to alter his clothing and attire, then add a mask for cover, so that those who knew him before wouldn’t recognize him.
Obviously, the first option would be more convenient.
And there would be no worry at all about him being exposed, so Xin Yi initially leaned toward choosing it.
But the Immortal Town they were in was rather small, and the disguise pills sold at the Spirit Herb Pavilion were the lowest grade.
Their effects only lasted half a day. That meant Wei Sheng Lan would need to take one every half day, or he would be exposed immediately.
Xin Yi thought it over and ultimately decided to buy him a mask instead.
Not only could it be reused, but it was also half the price of the disguise pill.
As for an excuse to convince him, it wasn’t hard to find.
After all, she had been going around as Wei Sheng Lan’s wife for this period, caring for him attentively in every way.
Even his favorability had risen from the initial 10 to the current 30.
Fine.
Though it still sounded pretty low…
But at least they had passed the phase of being strangers with no trust between them.
She just needed to tell Wei Sheng Lan that he had made quite a few enemies in the Immortal Continent before, each one out for his life.
Moreover, his cultivation hadn’t fully recovered yet.
No matter how she looked at it, he should keep a low profile to avoid unnecessary trouble or letting those shameless vermin from past grudges take advantage of his weakness.
And her own level seemed like golden core, but she couldn’t really be counted on.
If they truly ran into cultivators coming for revenge, she wouldn’t be able to help at all and might even drag him down.
The youth fell silent for a moment after hearing this, then asked, “So, this injury of mine—is it related to those people you mentioned?”
Xin Yi: “…”
She was indeed stumped for a moment by the question, as she hadn’t expected him to follow up like that, but she quickly recovered and nodded. “Very possible, so we need to be even more careful!”
And so, the two easily reached a consensus.
Xin Yi put a silver mask painted with plum blossoms on Wei Sheng Lan and changed his usual white robes to a light blue long robe.
She thought it still wasn’t enough, so she also changed his hair style, removing the jade hairpin and tying it back with a slender red silk ribbon.
Only after doing all this did she truly breathe a sigh of relief.
Then she gazed at him with satisfaction: Not bad. Even if Qing Heng stood right in front of him now, he might not recognize him.
The sky was clear with faint clouds, and azure bird carriages occasionally flew by in the distance.
Just as they prepared to take to the skies on their swords, a surprised and delighted voice suddenly rang out from the steps below. “Fellow Daoist A Ling!”
It was a crisp, clear call.
It startled the birds under the eaves into suddenly flapping away.
Xin Yi turned her head toward the source in some confusion and saw that handsome white-robed youth.
It was Zhang Yingqing.
He had a bright, handsome smile and looked like a silly sweet innocent type. “What a coincidence, running into you here!”
Behind the youth followed several other Azure Cloud Sect disciples in white robes, each carrying purchased goods, some still stuffing things into the mustard seed pouches at their waists.
Xin Yi withdrew her appraising gaze, her pink lips curving in a polite smile as she returned the greeting. “It is quite a coincidence. But why have you all been delayed here for so long?”
Under her gaze, Zhang Yingqing’s face reddened slightly. He scratched his head a bit embarrassedly. “The sect had some matters to handle, so we were delayed a few days, but we’re just about to head out now.”
Only after saying this did he seem to notice the blue-robed youth standing beside Xin Yi, his tone hesitating slightly. “Ah… and this fellow daoist is?”
Though his appearance under the silver mask couldn’t be seen, his aura was exceptionally aloof. Just standing there made him seem distant.
He looked very unapproachable.
Xin Yi’s gaze followed over naturally, and she smiled. “He’s called Mu Lan, a loose cultivator without a sect, just like me. We heard there’s a grand assembly in the Immortal Continent, with cultivators from many sects gathering, so we’re planning to go take a look at the excitement.”
When Zhang Yingqing heard they were also heading to the Immortal Continent Grand Assembly, surprise immediately showed on his face, his mouth opening slightly.
He quickly cast aside his earlier doubts and even automatically assumed they were “traveling companions.”
His tone joyful, he extended an invitation without hesitation. “What a coincidence! We’re heading there too. Since that’s the case, why don’t we travel together?”
Xin Yi had originally planned to refuse, but the moment she saw that gigantic whale ship emblazoned with “luxury,” she swallowed her refusal.
How extravagant.
As expected of the top sect in the Immortal Continent.
She promptly thanked him, then boarded the whale ship with Wei Sheng Lan.
The whale ship shuttled through the misty clouds, stirring up long winds.
Xin Yi curiously walked over and leaned slightly over the edge to peer down, seeing only tiny specks like buildings and rolling mountains below.
She sighed once more at the wonders of the cultivation world.
No wonder all those ancient emperors sought immortality. This power that seemed to command all things truly brought immense satisfaction.
Wei Sheng Lan stood quietly beside her. Ever since boarding the whale ship, he hadn’t spoken a word on his own. He seemed a bit unhappy.
But Xin Yi wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination.
Was it because he saw the Azure Cloud Sect disciples and felt envious, or even a bit forlorn by comparison?
He had always been emotionally reserved, his thoughts unfathomable, and now with the mask covering his face, it was even harder to guess what was in his heart.
Xin Yi pondered for a moment, then took out some spirit herb cakes and spirit fruit preserves from her bundle. These were things she had bought specially.
Because the ingredients were quite precious, they cost several times more than ordinary food.
But they were very popular in the Immortal Continent.
Especially among cultivators who wanted to satisfy their appetites but worried that mortal grains would hinder their cultivation progress.
She opened the delicate little food box and offered it to the youth.
Tilting her head to look at him, she said, “Want some? I bought these specially for you. They should be delicious.”
But Wei Sheng Lan still showed no reaction. The slender red silk holding back his black hair was blown by the wind, brushing against his aloof neck.
Under the silver mask, his pupils were dim as he lowered his eyes to gaze at her, his tone inexplicably carrying a hint of coldness. “No need to deliberately curry favor with me.”
Xin Yi: “?”
But the youth seemed to think she was playing dumb and even let out a light chuckle, though the laugh sounded utterly mocking no matter how she heard it. “Since you’ve already made friends with Azure Cloud Sect disciples, why, when I mentioned joining a sect earlier, did you pretend to react that way?”
So that was the reason.
Xin Yi was somewhat speechless. She didn’t understand if all amnesiacs were this sensitive and suspicious, so she explained, “I’m not close with Zhang Yingqing. I only met him once before while digging spirit herbs on the mountain. Counting today, it’s only our second meeting.”