Fu Yunmo returned to her room, but sleep eluded her. Every time her mind drifted back to Mo Lixi’s inexplicable kiss, her heart would thunder against her ribs, and her cheeks would burn with heat.
This isn’t right… I… I’ve at least had boyfriends before. Why am I reacting this way to a woman?
She shook her head and tossed and turned. But the moment she closed her eyes, Mo Lixi’s devastatingly beautiful face appeared in her mind, forcing them wide open again.
No, no… I’m losing it…
Feeling stifled, she went outside to get some air, only to find Nan Kunlun there as well. He was sitting solitary on a stone stool beneath a tree. Hearing her approach, he turned to face her.
“Sister Mo, can’t sleep?”
“Yeah… I take it you’re the same.”
They were leaving tomorrow. Nan Kunlun had only been at the Sihai Inn for a short time, yet even he felt reluctant to go, let alone Fu Yunmo.
“I’ve mastered one move of the Ghost Sword and two from the Cangyun Thirteen Swords,” Nan Kunlun said quietly. “I have some ability to protect myself now—and to protect you. I want to… find out the truth behind the massacre of the Nan family.”
This had always been his goal. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to investigate before, but his strength had been too meager. Now that his martial arts had improved and they were forced to leave the inn, he felt it was time to seek the truth.
Fu Yunmo understood his position. In this world of martial arts, power was everything. Nan Kunlun had only just begun his journey, but she knew that as the protagonist, he was destined to become a grandmaster.
“I’ll go with you to find the truth,” she said. “I’m just afraid of becoming a burden.”
“How could you be? Sister Mo, you’re so smart. You’re my best helper,” Nan Kunlun said with a wide, bright grin. Fu Yunmo smiled back; this youth always seemed to maintain that radiant smile, like a child who didn’t want the adults to worry.
“I hope so. But everyone in the Jianghu believes I have the Fengyun Manual. This journey will be filled with hardships. I’ll ask you one last time: are you sure you want to go with me?”
She truly feared implicating him. While clinging to the protagonist’s “plot armor” might be safer, she had come to care for him as a real brother.
“Of course. I, Nan Kunlun, never go back on my word.”
“Alright then. No matter how difficult the path gets, we walk it together. If I accidentally kick the bucket, at least I have you to bury me.”
Fu Yunmo spoke of death lightly, wondering if dying here might actually send her back to the modern world. Nan Kunlun, however, frowned. “We’re working together. No one is going to die.”
The next morning, Fu Yunmo packed her things. Looking at the salted fish under the bed, she gritted her teeth and decided to bring it along. After saying their final, tearful goodbyes to the staff—even the burly Chef Chen grew misty-eyed, while Zhang Pockmark was the only one celebrating—they met with Boss Li.
“Here. Your wages for this month.” Boss Li handed them each a heavy coin purse. It was clearly more than they were owed.
“Young people should be less impulsive and more steady,” Boss Li said with a rare, kindly smile that made his thin face look much softer. “The road ahead is long. Take care of yourselves.”
“Thank you for everything. We’ll take care. We’ll meet again in the Jianghu!”
With those final words, Fu Yunmo and Nan Kunlun departed through the back door. But as they stepped into the alley, they felt a wave of uncertainty. Where should they go?
Just then, three figures approached. It was Mo Lixi and her disciples. Seeing her, Fu Yunmo’s face flushed. Mo Lixi wore a new veil now, her eyes as gentle as ever.
“I came specifically to say goodbye,” Mo Lixi said softly.
“The Tianyuan Sect should take care as well,” Fu Yunmo replied.
“We will. Safe travels to you.” Mo Lixi’s voice was calm, showing no hint of the previous night’s intimacy.
“Senior Sister Mo, we have to go!” Zhuge Tian’er chimed in with a sweet smile. “Your Brother Chu is waiting for us.”
Fu Yunmo felt a sharp pang in her chest. She looked at Mo Lixi and saw a flash of panic on the woman’s face.
She suddenly remembered: Mo Lixi had a fiancé—Chu Hongfei, the young master of the Divine Blade Sect. In the original novel, Nan Kunlun had been devastated when he learned this. But why was she the one feeling dazed and hollow now?
She glanced at Nan Kunlun; he looked perfectly fine. Right… everything changed the moment I arrived in this world.
“Tian’er, call her ‘Sect Leader’!” Wen Ruoxian hissed. “And stop saying ‘yours’ and ‘mine.’ The Sect Leader and Brother Chu aren’t married yet!”
The words only made the ache in Fu Yunmo’s heart worse. She forced a bittersweet smile. “If Sect Leader Mo is in a hurry, please go ahead. Nan Kunlun and I must leave as well.”
As an actress, masking her pain was easy. No one saw the tears she was holding back.
“I… very well…” Mo Lixi started to say something, but hesitated and finally turned away. She would likely regret this parting for a long time—regret not speaking her heart, and regret trying to pretend that the previous night’s kiss never happened.
As they walked, Fu Yunmo was lost in thought while Nan Kunlun seemed pensive. Eventually, the boy spoke up.
“Sister Mo, when I left the Nan family home, I found an old Buddhist scripture. My family didn’t practice Buddhism, so it clearly didn’t belong to us. I thought it was suspicious, so I kept it.”
He showed her the worn book. Again, it was filled with text she couldn’t understand.
“I can’t read this,” she said. “There are no temples in Heavenly Machine City. Why don’t we head to Yue City? It’s nearby and has temples where a monk might be able to explain it.”
It gave them a direction. Fu Yunmo didn’t think much of the book—it could have been a gift or a memento. Little did they know, they had been followed since they left the city.
Ten miles outside of Heavenly Machine City, the follower finally revealed herself. Nan Kunlun sensed movement and turned to see a woman in white, wearing a white jade mask and holding a sword. She stood ten feet away, the road around them deserted.
“What do you want?” Fu Yunmo asked, her heart racing. Nan Kunlun stepped in front of her to protect her. She squeezed his hand, signaling him to step back. If this woman wanted them dead, ten Nan Kunluns couldn’t stop her.
“It should be obvious. You belong to me now,” Ye Xihan said. This was the trap she had set; her goal was the “Fengyun Manual.”
As she spoke, figures wearing Shura masks emerged from the trees and tall grass, surrounding them.
“Sister Mo… who are they?” Nan Kunlun asked, his voice trembling.
“The Yeyue Cult… the ones who spread the rumors about me,” Fu Yunmo replied. Even the common lackeys of the cult were far stronger than two beginners like them.
“Take them back,” Ye Xihan commanded, not bothering to draw her sword. She wouldn’t waste her energy on two “noobs.” “Lock them up.”
Fu Yunmo looked at Nan Kunlun and whispered, “Well, here’s our first real test..