Chapter 26：Ziying

After numerous trials and tribulations, Tianfan and his companions finally vanquished the Zombie King, successfully completing their mission. Of the villagers, apart from the already deceased Zhang San, everyone else returned to their original state. Amidst the villagers' heartfelt gratitude, the trio departed from the quaint little village and found themselves in a bustling town.

"Here comes the candied hawthorn, delicious and sweet!" 

"Fresh rice cakes, delectable and delightful!" 

The street resonated with a symphony of various vendors' calls. At a nearby tavern, Tianfan and Li Yunyang glanced at the meager meal before them, their mouths twitching in dismay—a small plate of pickles, a dish of dried radish, and two bowls of clear soup with a few scattered green onions floating within. This constituted their lunch.

"Let's eat, so we can hit the road," urged Sun Yueying, her left hand propping her chin while her right rhythmically tapped on the table, still visibly upset.

"But, little junior sister, look at us—two grown men! This isn't enough. Can't we... uh, you scoundrel, put down that dried radish!" 

Li Yunyang's expression turned pitiful as he hoped Sun Yueying would order some better dishes. However, he suddenly heard a series of crunching sounds beside him and turned to see Tianfan shoving the plate of dried radish into his mouth.

"Uh..." 

Upon hearing Li Yunyang, Tianfan took a big gulp of the clear soup. Li Yunyang snatched the plate from Tianfan's left, his eyes welling with tears—there was only a single shred of radish left. After a fierce internal struggle, he lifted the plate of pickles and began shoveling it into his mouth, washing it down with soup.

Sun Yueying couldn't help but laugh at the sight of the two in such a predicament, but quickly adopted a serious expression: 

"Hmph! I'll let you off this time, but next time, you'll both be eating carrots for six months!" 

Tianfan and Li Yunyang nodded vigorously, recognizing the authority of someone who wielded the financial reins.

As they strolled through the street, immersed in the lively crowd, a woman in white suddenly collided into Tianfan's embrace, appearing flustered. 

"Please help me!" 

Tianfan was about to pull the woman from his grasp, but she clung tightly to his clothing, her voice filled with urgency. This was the sweetest voice he had ever heard, even more melodious than Long Tengyueying's.

At that moment, a group of cultivators rushed in from the distance, each radiating an aura of immense power, unlike ordinary individuals. One of the men in black stepped forward, bowing politely to the trio: 

"May I ask if any of you have seen a woman dressed in yellow, approximately this tall, holding a string of bells and possessing striking beauty?" 

The man gestured for emphasis. 

"I'm sorry, but I haven't seen such a woman," Sun Yueying replied with a smile.

"Oh, I see. I apologize for disturbing you. We have urgent matters to attend to, so we shall take our leave." 

The man in black looked somewhat disappointed but bowed once more and prepared to depart.

"Hey? Who is this young lady?" 

One of the men glanced curiously at the woman in Tianfan's arms.

"Oh, this is my little sister. It's her first time out, so she's a bit shy. Please forgive her," Tianfan explained with a smile.

"Ah, that makes sense. Third brother, let's not meddle in their affairs. No offense, sir, my brother here means no harm." 

The man in black offered his apologies and led his companions away.

"Big brother, the woman in that guy's arms looks a lot like the one we're searching for!" 

After they had walked quite a distance, the man who had inquired about Tianfan expressed his confusion to the leader in black.

"She merely resembles her. Besides, the person we're looking for is wearing yellow. And do you really think she would be leaning on a stranger like that?" 

The man in black replied calmly.

"You're right; you're always so sharp. How did I not think of that?" 

The third brother scratched his head, a bit embarrassed.

"Sometimes, you can be too careless. Now, let's move on and catch up!" 

The leader commanded, prompting the group to quicken their pace.

...

"Alright, you can come out now." 

Feeling that the group had finally moved away, Tianfan tugged gently at the woman in his arms.

"Are they really gone?" 

The woman remained with her head bowed, refusing to rise.

"Really." 

"Don't lie to me!" 

"I promise, I'm not lying!" 

Tianfan could only smile wryly at her childlike demeanor. 

Slowly, the woman in white lifted her head and, upon confirming that no one was around, she leaped from Tianfan's embrace, exclaiming with joy: 

"Ha-ha! They're finally gone! Now we're safe, hee-hee..." 

The trio finally got a good look at this peculiar stranger. Her hands were delicate as flower petals, her skin smooth as fine cream, her body perfectly proportioned as if crafted by the heavens. However, the only flaw was that her face was obscured by a thick layer of dirt and grime.

"Miss, why have you smeared your face like this?" 

Li Yunyang asked in bewilderment.

"I don't want anyone to see me, silly!" 

The woman replied with a childlike innocence.

Li Yunyang: "..."

"What were those people just now?" 

Tianfan inquired, suppressing a chuckle at Li Yunyang's flustered state.

"They're the ones chasing me! You're not very bright either!" 

The girl tilted her head, gazing at Tianfan with a slight frown, her lips pursed adorably.

Tianfan: "..."

"Ha-ha, little sister, you're truly adorable! Come here to your sister!" 

Seeing the two struggle, Sun Yueying seemed quite pleased and waved for the woman in white to come closer.

"Hello, sister! What should I call you?" 

The girl jumped over to Sun Yueying's side, sweetly inquiring.

"Hee-hee, you're such a cute little girl! I'm called Sun Yueying, and you?" 

Sun Yueying beamed at the girl, her smile unwavering.

"Um, I'm Ziying. You can call me Ziying, Sister Ying." 

Ziying took Sun Yueying's hand, chirping sweetly.

"Alright, Ziying, why were those people chasing you just now?" 

Sun Yueying asked, holding Ziying's tiny hand and smiling.

"Hmph, they're all bad guys! They want to capture me for a reward, but I won't let them catch me so easily!" 

Ziying pouted adorably, shaking her delicate little fist.

"What will you do now? Where do you plan to go?" 

Sun Yueying asked, gazing at the little cutie.

"I don't know. I have nowhere to go right now." 

Ziying blinked her beautiful eyes, looking pitifully at Sun Yueying.

"How about this: Ziying can stay with me! I'm the granddaughter of the headmaster of Tai Fu Sect. You can come with me to Tai Fu Sect!" 

Feeling softened by Ziying's pitiful expression, Sun Yueying gently patted her head and smiled.

"Okay! Sister Ying, you're so nice! I'll follow you from now on!" 

Ziying beamed, her eyes crescent-shaped with joy.

"Hehe, but first, let's wash your little face." 

Sun Yueying teased, giving Ziying's nose a playful poke before leading her toward a nearby inn. When Ziying emerged from washing up, Tianfan and Li Yunyang were left utterly speechless.