I am just being cautious, not shy

“Sixth Princess?”

Xuan Mo tilted her head, sizing up Shangguan Yunzhu who was sitting at the bow of the boat.

“Go back. You need not trouble yourself for my sake.”

Shangguan Yunzhu said to the man in an exceptionally cold tone.

“Your Highness!” The general, clad in black armor, his aura as deep as an abyss, stood ten zhang from the boat. Upon hearing her words, his tiger-like eyes reddened slightly. He bowed and clasped his fist, his voice like a great bell: “This humble general has come on the orders of His Majesty! The enemy kingdom has been making restless movements of late, and the flames of war have been rekindled on the border. His Majesty worries for Your Highness’s safety day and night and can neither eat nor sleep in peace! If this humble general were to return now… it would be truly, truly difficult to report back!” His words were earnest, carrying the straightforwardness of a soldier and a barely perceptible trace of anxiety.

Hearing this, a sense of helplessness washed over Shangguan Yunzhu.

Beside her, Qingfeng offered his counsel, “The journey to Beiju Luzhou is long and fraught with peril. The astral winds in this region are already rising, and great demons roam ahead. With an expert of the Integration realm like General Qiong guarding us, we will all be a little safer. Though Martial Aunt Xuan’s powers are vast, there will be times when she needs to rest and recuperate. It is a good thing to have someone share the burden of vigilance.”

Lu Qiancha suddenly spoke, her voice calm and steady, yet carrying a certain piercing quality. “Junior Brother Qingfeng knew this general beforehand? I didn’t hear the general announce his name just now.”

“Yes, that is correct.” Qingfeng glanced at Lu Qiancha and smiled. “Junior Sister Yunzhu and I grew up together, and we joined the Tianyuan Sect together.”

“This general’s name is Qiong Gong. He is the most trusted commander of Yunzhu’s father, the king, and usually never leaves His Majesty’s side. For him to be able to leave his duties at court and travel so far… It seems the situation is indeed dire.”

‘So the ice queen and the warm-hearted gentleman are actually childhood sweethearts?’

‘Hoh, the plot thickens.’

Lu Qiancha pushed aside these messy thoughts and cupped his hands at Qingfeng. “I have spoken out of turn.”

“Senior Brother Qiancha is too modest.”

Qingfeng returned the smile and the gesture. “This journey is unpredictable. Senior Brother is meticulous in his thoughts; an extra bit of vigilance means an extra measure of safety.”

“Your Highness, the Sixth Princess!”

General Qiong’s thick brows furrowed, his anxious gaze falling once more on Shangguan Yunzhu, a hint of urgency in his eyes.

Shangguan Yunzhu looked towards Xuan Mo, who was lounging at the bow, a pleading look in her eyes.

“It’s no trouble, no trouble.”

Xuan Mo’s voice was a little languid. “Since he’s one of your family’s guards, he can come along.”

In Xuan Mo’s eyes, a minor character at the Integration realm couldn’t cause any real trouble.

“Thank you, Immortal Elder.”

Qiong Gong cupped his hands, relieved. He bowed deeply with a clasped fist, then retracted his oppressive aura and transformed into a steady black light, landing gracefully on the side of the boat’s stern. He stood as firm as a pine tree, his gaze fixed forward, as if he had truly become a silent, guardian stone statue.

‘Tsk tsk, these mortals. No matter what stage of cultivation they reach, they just love to play these games of emperors and generals, of life and death. They fight and scheme, and in thousands of years, they haven’t come up with anything new.’

Can Xin remarked with a sigh, then asked Lu Qiancha, ‘Little Qiancha, what do you think?’

“As long as it doesn’t affect me.”

Lu Qiancha shook her head and uttered these words.

She glanced at Qingfeng and Qiong Gong out of the corner of her eye, feeling a little helpless.

She had originally thought that since so few people were going to Beiju Luzhou, and with an immortal guarding them, her safety would be guaranteed, regardless of whether she could obtain the herb.

But she never expected such a situation to arise midway…

‘If this person were to suddenly turn violent… I’m afraid even Can Xin wouldn’t be able to save me.’

At this thought, Lu Qiancha nonchalantly took two steps to the side, then circled around to the very front of the boat and cupped her hands. “Martial Aunt Xuan, may this disciple sit behind you?”

Xuan Mo didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “What, you’re already at peak-Nascent Soul, one foot into the Spirit Transformation realm, and you’re still shy? Fine, come and sit. It’s spacious enough here.”

“Senior Brother Lu, please take this seat.” Shangguan Yunzhu stood up, offered Lu Qiancha a slightly apologetic smile, and took two steps back.

“Thank you for the trouble.” Lu Qiancha nodded, completely ignoring the two sharp glares from behind him, and calmly sat down where Shangguan Yunzhu had been.

Those two glares clearly came from Bai Yan and Zhuang Yang.

They were obviously displeased with Lu Qiancha’s exclusionary behavior, feeling it was beneath the dignity of the Tianyuan Sect.

Lu Qiancha naturally chose to ignore them.

‘Heh, when I saw you provoke that hornet’s nest, the Yin Soul Sect, and even dared to snatch food from the tiger’s mouth for that wolf king’s essence blood, I really thought you were some brave, fierce, and audacious character.’ Can Xin’s voice was filled with the playful glee of someone who had just discovered a new continent. ‘But looking at you now… the name ‘Little Qiancha’ was truly a stroke of genius.’

Lu Qiancha’s eye twitched uncontrollably.

She simply closed her eyes and focused on regulating her breathing.

However, the slight flush on the tip of her ear seemed to betray that she was not as calm as she appeared on the surface.

Half a day passed in silence.

The sun set in the west, twilight faded, and the sky was now filled with a myriad of stars.

Sitting on the ten-meter-long boat, surrounded by a faint, ethereal immortal glow, Lu Qiancha took a Spirit-Recovering Pill from her storage pouch and held it under her tongue, slowly digesting it while mentally calculating how long her supply would last.

“What are you thinking about?”

A large hand waved in front of Lu Qiancha’s eyes.

She turned to see Xuan Mo sitting beside her, staring at her.

“Nothing, just thinking about the journey.”

Lu Qiancha shook her head and spoke slowly.

“Is that so…”

Xuan Mo looked up at the sky and asked, as if casually, “Qiancha, your master… she’s about to become an immortal, isn’t she?”

“Yes, her tribulation should be within the next year or two.”

Lu Qiancha put down her Jade Signet and looked at the Martial Aunt Xuan before her.

Xuan Mo was, in fact, one of the few people who had visited Tianquan Peak in the sixty years since she had joined the sect.

“Sigh.”

Xuan Mo sighed and, with her back to Lu Qiancha, deliberately adopted an old, world-weary tone. “Back in the day, the few of us were good friends. It’s a pity your master’s soul was damaged in an accident… and she still hasn’t been able to fully heal it.”

“Qiancha, don’t look down on your master just because she hasn’t become an immortal yet. In truth, her understanding of all the Daoist arts of our Tianyuan Sect is second to none among the thousand-year-old immortals.”