A Guide to Self-Rescue in the Cultivation World - Chapter 32

A few uneventful days passed. Zhou Suyao finally sneaked out of her mountain peak, only to jump in surprise when she saw Second Senior Brother and Third Senior Brother right in front of her.

“What are you two doing here?” she instinctively asked.

Third Senior Brother’s eyes darted away, seemingly afraid to look at her directly.

Seeing both of them silent, Zhou Suyao’s heart sank. She immediately suspected something bad was afoot.

Sure enough, Qu Mingwu (Second Senior Brother) cleared his throat, wearing an expression that said, “Don’t ask me, I don’t know either.” He said helplessly, “Your dear Master figures your injuries are mostly healed, and you must be bored cooped up on the mountain all day. He had a brilliant idea: since the Grand Sect Assessment is still a while away, he wants your Senior Brothers—that’s me, Zonglan, and Eldest Senior Brother—to accompany you down the mountain for a bit of ‘sightseeing and fun.'”

Sightseeing and fun?

Zhou Suyao was stunned. Her gaze bounced between the two of them, and then she recalled Eldest Senior Brother’s demeanor, instantly getting goosebumps.

“Didn’t Master think about the sect gate if all of us leave the mountain?” Zhou Suyao tried to protest.

No matter how small the Chengxian Dao was, its daily operation and receiving the occasional visiting Daoist still required someone to manage things.

“We asked that, too,” Zhou Zonglan (Third Senior Brother) sighed. He then mimicked Master, who was puffing out his beard and glaring, waving his hand grandly: “‘What is there to manage on this mountain peak? I’m here! You all just relax and enjoy yourselves!’—that’s what your good Master said.”

Zhou Suyao rubbed her head in frustration at hearing this.

Just as she was about to open her mouth again to fight for her freedom, a light, floating figure slowly landed beside her.

Even in her peripheral vision, Zhou Suyao could sense his silk-like robes, as soft as a cotton flower.

She could even feel the clear fragrance carried on his clothes as they brushed past.

She couldn’t help but sniff, taking a couple of noticeable whiffs.

Eldest Senior Brother turned his head slightly, his lowered gaze falling on her. A faint smile and a hint of expectation seemed to pass through his deep eyes. Zhou Suyao was startled by his look and quickly turned to face him.

Noticing his Little Junior Sister’s gaze, Zhou Shan Yuan curled his lips.

Then, he blinked quickly.

“Don’t worry,” he said.

His voice fell on her ear, just two simple words, yet they were instantly reassuring.

It was as if with his one sentence, there truly was nothing to worry about.

An inexplicable sense of trust welled up. Before Zhou Suyao could even process it, she heard a short sound escape her throat:

“Mm.”

The sound seemed to startle her as well. He watched Little Junior Sister instinctively raise her hand to cover her mouth, as if confused by her own reaction.

Seeing her like this, even the usually restrained Zhou Shan Yuan, who constantly warned himself not to indulge in mortal feelings, felt his heart inexplicably tremble.

Zhou Suyao was shocked by her own utterance. When she recovered, she was met with the even stranger expressions of her Second and Third Senior Brothers, and she felt a belated sense of embarrassment.

She had been so easily persuaded by a single sentence from Eldest Senior Brother!

She felt a wave of annoyance, her face still hot, but she couldn’t direct her temper at Eldest Senior Brother. Instead, she vented her frustration on the two Senior Brothers, punching them both fiercely. Then, she quickly turned, shoved open the bamboo hut door, and tossed over her shoulder:

“Wait for me while I pack!”

Muttering sounds were cut off by the closing of the bamboo door. Inside the hut, Zhou Suyao didn’t start packing as she had declared. Instead, she leaned against the door and slowly slid to the floor.

She raised a hand to cover her slightly burning face, but her heart was uncontrollably pounding from that simple phrase: “Don’t worry.”

Even Zhou Suyao didn’t understand why her heart was beating so fast.

It must be because the Eldest Senior Brother put some charm on those words!

Otherwise, why would I have such an absurd reaction?

Only by thinking this way was she able to soothe herself.

Just as her heart calmed down, she looked up at her messy room and suddenly felt a wave of fatigue.

She regretted agreeing to this “sightseeing” plan the moment Eldest Senior Brother spoke.

Now she had to pack her bag and clean up the dog’s den she had made for herself.

Just as she was about to tackle her “dog’s den,” a knock suddenly sounded on the door.

The knocking was unhurried and calm, carrying an immortal-like ease that immediately told Zhou Suyao that the visitor was her Eldest Senior Brother.

She quickly covered her face with her hand, making sure her cheeks weren’t still hot and red, before tiptoeing to the door and opening it.

It was indeed Eldest Senior Brother. He held a piece of tattered cloth in his hand. To Zhou Suyao’s eyes, the cloth looked no different from the Master’s foot rag.

Confused, she pointed at the cloth, mumbling for a long time, unable to figure out what to say.

Eldest Senior Brother handed her the cloth, his lips slightly parting: “This Cosmic Bag is something, Master specifically instructed me never to forget to give to you. With this, no matter how much you pack, it won’t be heavy. It will make your journey much easier.”

“Really?” Zhou Suyao’s eyes widened.

She took the “treasure” from Eldest Senior Brother and examined it closely for a long time, still unable to link the high-class concept of a Cosmic Bag with the tattered cloth in her hand.

Seeing her disbelief, Zhou Shan Yuan was slightly amused. He took the Cosmic Bag back from her and produced a small gourd from his sleeve. With a flick of his finger, the small gourd dropped into the Cosmic Bag.

Zhou Suyao peered inside the bag. The small gourd was gone; only endless emptiness remained.

She gasped instantly.

But at the same time, she didn’t forget to ask the most important question.

“How do I… take things out of this thing?”

“It’s simple, isn’t it?”

Zhou Shan Yuan said, reaching his arm into the Cosmic Bag. In no time, the small gourd reappeared in his hand.

Zhou Suyao’s face immediately lit up. She took the Cosmic Bag from Eldest Senior Brother, laughing happily: “Eldest Senior Brother, you must thank Master for me!”

With that, she retreated into her room like a snail, closing the door and leaving Zhou Shan Yuan alone again.

He stared at the closed door, first stunned, then letting out a faint, slightly bitter smile.

He could sense that Little Junior Sister had been intentionally avoiding him for the past few days.

Especially since returning from the Underworld.

Although he didn’t know exactly what had happened to Little Junior Sister in the Underworld, the terrifying demonic power she had exhibited a while ago had given him bad premonitions.

He gently closed his eyes.

Memories surged like a tide.

In his memory… it was a long, long time ago.

Yet, it was also one of the few past events he could still recall.

He opened his eyes, loosely clenched his fist, and looked up at the sky.

The weather was beautiful. The sun behind the clouds was bright enough to pierce through them, the halo of light shining through the clouds as if the Heavenly Palace had manifested in the mortal world for a moment.

To an ordinary person, it would undoubtedly be a beautiful sight.

But as he stared at the clouds, he suddenly found it hard to breathe.

A pressure.

A pressure descending from above.

This pressure made it difficult for him to catch his breath.

He leaned against Little Junior Sister’s bamboo door, covered his heart, and slowly sank.

The pain brought clarity, but also many impossible fantasies.

If only the days at Chengxian Dao could be longer… a little longer…

As dusk approached, the three Senior Brothers sat on the bamboo swing crafted at Little Junior Sister’s peak, chatting casually while waiting for their perpetually lagging Junior Sister.

Seeing the bulging bag on Eldest Senior Brother’s shoulder, Qu Mingwu asked in confusion: “Eldest Senior Brother, where is your Cosmic Bag?”

Zhou Shan Yuan smiled softly, then replied slowly: “I gave it to Suyao.”

Zhou Zonglan, who had been squatting on the ground having a staring contest with a frog, immediately jumped up, his eyes wide. He tumbled next to Eldest Senior Brother, making a fuss: “Eldest Senior Brother! That’s not fair! The last time I went out demon-slaying with you, I carried a mountain of stuff, and you wouldn’t let me use your Cosmic Bag! Eldest Senior Brother!!! You’re playing favorites!!”

Qu Mingwu frowned, picking up Zhou Zonglan by his collar and tossing him aside. He then turned to Eldest Senior Brother: “In that case, Suyao should have packed quickly. Why is she taking so long?”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Zhou Suyao’s bamboo door opened. The three stood up together, seeing the large bag she was carrying on her back. Zhou Shan Yuan’s eyebrows involuntarily rose.

“Why didn’t you bring the Cosmic Bag I gave  that Master gave you?”

“Aiya,” Zhou Suyao swayed as she closed the door, then answered Eldest Senior Brother’s question: “Doesn’t carrying a pack make it feel more like a real trip? As for the Cosmic Bag, I used it to store the stuff in my room that I didn’t have time to tidy up! That way, when I come back, I won’t have to worry about the room being full of bugs!”

She lifted her head, looking quite pleased with her cleverness.

Zhou Shan Yuan was speechless, but he didn’t say much, only quietly offering: “I didn’t bring many things. You carry my pack, and I’ll carry yours.”

“No!” Zhou Suyao shook her head. “I wanted to experience how mortals travel without spiritual power. Wouldn’t giving my bag to Eldest Senior Brother count as cheating?”

“The way you talk,” Second Senior Brother drifted over, “makes it sound like Eldest Senior Brother is your magical artifact.”

Zhou Suyao froze for a moment at this. She looked up at Eldest Senior Brother, who was quietly watching her, and pouted, seemingly giving serious thought to what her Senior Brothers had said.

Perhaps Second Senior Brother was right, or perhaps the pack was genuinely heavy and hurting her shoulders. Her eyes darted around. Upholding the belief that it’s foolish not to take advantage of a good deal, she immediately and obediently took off her pack and accepted Eldest Senior Brother’s bundle.

“Thank you, Eldest Senior Brother!”

Watching her skip down the mountain, Zhou Shan Yuan sighed faintly, smiling as he shook his head.

Without using their flying magic, they didn’t walk very quickly. It was already dark by the time they reached the town at the foot of the mountain.

Zhou Suyao had intended to walk a little further to the outskirts of the town to borrow a night’s stay from a farmhouse, but Eldest Senior Brother, as if performing a magic trick, pulled a bulging money pouch from his sleeve.

The three other disciples’ eyes all widened at the sight.

Let’s go into town,  Eldest Senior Brother said calmly. Find a decent inn to stay at. We can leave early tomorrow.