The Cultivator’s Unexpected Detour

In the sky, a gentle breeze brushed against her face as Feiluo flapped her wings, soaring towards the base of Blazing Spirit Sect’s mountain.

Below, the lush forests and winding roads unfurled like a verdant ocean, swiftly receding beneath Feiluo’s flight.

After a period of flight, Feiluo discerned a cluster of buildings on the ground, appearing no larger than beans from her vantage point. This was the marketplace nestled near the foot of Blazing Spirit Sect’s mountain, the very place where she and Moxi had come to buy cake just days ago.

With the market buildings now clearly in sight, Feiluo gradually reduced her speed, altering her course towards the nearby city that flourished under the protection of the Blazing Spirit Sect.

Before long, a sprawling urban landscape, far grander than the marketplace she had just passed, came into view. This was the city itself, constructed in the vicinity of the Blazing Spirit Sect and thriving under its vigilant protection.

With a powerful beat of her wings, Feiluo began her swift descent towards the earth.

Just as she was about to make contact with the earth, Feiluo executed an abrupt ’emergency brake,’ settling gently and steadily onto the ground.

The moment her feet touched solid ground, Feiluo eagerly reverted to her form as a small loli with fiery red hair and captivating golden eyes.

The familiar sensation of her human body returning prompted Feiluo to indulge in a satisfying stretch. While her phoenix form indeed granted her a profound sense of liberation, a shedding of all shackles, she still found it rather unfamiliar. Having hatched from her egg and subsequently mastering her human transformation, she had rarely, if ever, adopted her phoenix guise. Her daily life was spent in the guise of this small loli, rendering her phoenix form quite alien by now.

The instant she resumed her loli form, Feiluo began to brush away the dirt and grass blades that clung to her clothes, remnants from her time spent crouching in the sect’s bushes.

It appeared a bath would be her first order of business upon entering the city.

A soft sigh escaped Feiluo’s lips as she surveyed the persistent grime—mud, ash, and grass fragments—that stubbornly clung to her night clothes, refusing to be dislodged.

‘Why has no one ever developed a cultivation art that could instantly cleanse all grime from one’s body?’ she mused.

‘Honestly, such a technique would be incredibly necessary, wouldn’t it?’

‘After cultivators finish a battle, covered in blood and dust, or when they find themselves in situations like mine, needing to hide in bushes and getting caked in mud and leaves, a cleaning art would prove immensely useful.’

Feiluo was certain that, should such a cultivation art ever emerge, it would be fiercely contended for by all the major sects and even rogue cultivators alike.

‘Perhaps the one who develops it would become rich overnight.’

‘Hmm…’

‘In that case, should I try to develop one myself?’

‘Once I make money, I’ll eat ten… no, a hundred strawberry cakes a day!’

‘Not only that, there will be puddings, chocolates, milk tea… so many desserts! I’ll devour every single one to my heart’s content.’

The thought of indulging in a different dessert every day filled Feiluo with an irrepressible joy.

‘How utterly wonderful~’

Feiluo’s happiness lasted only a fleeting moment before she was abruptly struck by a realization. ‘Wait, I haven’t even developed the cleaning art yet,’ she thought, ‘what’s the point of fantasizing about this?’

‘Hmm… I’ll simply make a note of the plan to develop the cleaning art for now.’

‘I’ll develop it later, when I have more time.’

Silently, she added this new endeavor to the growing list of plans she harbored in her mind.

Feiluo surveyed her immediate surroundings, then cast her gaze towards the city in the distance. She currently stood on the main road outside the city, a direct path leading straight into its heart.

Feiluo set off, her steps carrying her towards the city.

Luoxi City, as it was named, was the urban hub nestled beside the Blazing Spirit Sect, thriving under its protective aegis. Rumor had it that Moxi herself had bestowed this name upon the city when it was founded, though Feiluo couldn’t ascertain the truth of the claim.

As Feiluo traversed the streets of Luoxi City, she took in her surroundings, observing the vibrant tableau of its prosperity. Countless buildings and shops, both grand and modest, were scattered like constellations across the landscape, making it easy to envision the sheer prosperity and clamor that would fill these streets during the daytime.

Feiluo passed by a diverse array of buildings: some showcased the brightly colored, distinctly individual architectural styles prevalent in the Northern Isles, while others exuded the classical and solemn charm of ancient Eastern design. Her steps remained unhurried as she passed by bustling markets adorned with various signboards—steamed bun shops, ramen noodle stalls, barbecue vendors, and more.

Finally, Feiluo paused before an inn.

“Yuelai Inn…” she murmured. “Do all inns really share this name?”

Gazing at the inn’s signboard, Feiluo recalled how frequently she encountered this particular name in the comics and novels she read, and couldn’t help but voice a playful complaint.

Without lingering outside for long, Feiluo stepped into the inn.

“…Customer, are you stopping for a meal or staying the night… Hmm, why is it a child?”

Startled by the sound of approaching footsteps, the drowsy waiter, who had been leaning sluggishly on the counter, jolted awake. Seeing someone enter the inn, he instinctively posed the question.

Upon seeing Feiluo’s diminutive figure, he scratched his head in confusion, then peered behind her. “Little girl,” he inquired, “where are your guardians? Why have you come to the inn all by yourself? Is no one accompanying you?”

“……I am not a child! I came to stay at this inn by myself!” Mistaken for a child, Feiluo’s expression froze. She then clenched her fists, shot a fierce glare at the waiter, and slammed a spirit stone onto the counter.

“Stop messing around, little miss… Oh, esteemed cultivator! My humblest apologies, this lowly one was blind and failed to recognize your eminence. Please do not blame me.”

The waiter had initially intended to scold Feiluo; after all, her appearance was utterly deceptive. It was simply impossible not to perceive such a tiny, adorable loli with fiery red hair and golden eyes as a mere child.

However, the moment his gaze caught the spirit stone Feiluo had slapped onto the table, his expression underwent an abrupt transformation, shifting instantly from reproach to fawning obsequiousness. It was common knowledge in this world that anyone possessing spirit stones could not possibly be an ordinary person. Mortals, being unable to harness the spiritual energy within them, regarded spirit stones merely as expensive rocks, valuable only for collection or as a form of currency.

Therefore, anyone who could so casually spend a spirit stone was undoubtedly someone who possessed an abundance of them.

‘And who, but a cultivator, would possess such a surplus?’

‘That must be a cultivator!’

“It’s fine,” Feiluo said, waving a dismissive hand. “Just prepare a room for me, and some bathwater.”

“Yes, this humble one will go prepare it for you immediately. Please wait,” the waiter replied, bowing respectfully before scurrying away.

A short while later, the waiter returned, panting, and addressed Feiluo, who was seated on a chair, swinging her small feet in anticipation. “Esteemed cultivator,” he announced, “your room and bathwater are both prepared.”

“Then lead the way,” Feiluo said.

Feiluo hopped off the chair and, as she spoke, began to walk towards the staircase.

After walking for a moment, she noticed the waiter hadn’t moved to lead her. “What’s wrong?” she asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice. “Is there something else?”

“Uh… Esteemed cultivator…” the waiter stammered, “this humble one cannot make change for the spirit stone you’ve provided. I wonder if you might…”

‘Does he mean he wants smaller currency?’

Feiluo mentally inventoried the contents of her spatial ring. Fresh clothes, essential snacks, and spirit stones… ‘Hmm, I don’t seem to have brought any silver coins for ordinary people.’

Feiluo pondered for a moment, then picked up the spirit stone from the counter. With a ‘snap’ as she broke it in half, Feiluo directly snapped off a small piece, all while the waiter watched, mouth agape in utter shock.

She placed the smaller piece of spirit stone back on the counter. “This should be enough, right? If there’s any extra, consider it a gift for you.”

“Take me to my room now,” Feiluo instructed, glancing at the still-stunned waiter.

“…Yes, please follow me,” the glance jolted the waiter back to reality, and he led Feiluo to her room with an ingratiating and respectful demeanor.

Outside the Yuelai Inn, Moxi peeked inside, then looked up at the stairs Feiluo had just ascended, an intriguing idea sparking in her mind. Moxi’s lips curved into a mischievous grin, and she turned to leave.