The Lantern Festival, Testing the Waters

Lying in bed, Ling Yun tossed and turned, thinking about his options.

"Tomorrow is the annual Lantern Festival. Maybe this is my chance to escape the Ling Residence."

Usually, during major festivals, his master would allow him to go out and play, but only within the city, and he would always be followed by a group of hidden guards.

"But the Lantern Festival isn't really a major festival, so I'll probably need to lower myself and act cute tomorrow."

In this world, it was normal for men to act coquettishly, but for Ling Yun, it was a little uncomfortable.

Random Teleportation Talisman: A one-time use talisman that activates with spiritual energy. After use, it will teleport the user to a random location 2,000 kilometers away.

Two thousand kilometers! Not even the gods could catch up to him.

As for where he would end up and whether it would be dangerous, that wasn't something he could control.

As these thoughts ran through his mind, sleep gradually overcame him, and by the time he opened his eyes, it was already morning.

With Xiao Chun's help, Ling Yun quickly washed up and prepared to visit his master.

"Xiao Chun, why are your hands so cold?" Ling Yun shivered at the touch of her icy hands as she helped him wash.

"I'm sorry, young master. I've recently caught a cold, so my hands are a bit chilly," Xiao Chun explained with an "apologetic" smile.

"I see. That explains why your voice has changed too. In that case, you should rest and take care of yourself. No need to attend to me."

It was great to send her away, especially since it would make moving around easier.

"Alright, please be careful, young master."

To Ling Yun's surprise, Xiao Chun agreed without any resistance. He had expected more of an argument.

At this point, even if he were an idiot, Ling Yun could sense something was off, but he didn't show his suspicions.

Some things were better left unsaid.

Soon, Ling Yun met Li Rou again. She was lounging in her chair, her smooth, rounded legs crossed, casually sipping wine.

The beautiful scene made Ling Yun glance at her twice.

"My dear disciple, I knew you would come here. You want to attend the Lantern Festival, don't you?" Li Rou said with a faint smile, her red lips barely moving as she sipped her wine.

She had long expected that Ling Yun wouldn't be able to resist the allure of the festival.

"Master, your insight is as sharp as ever. Nothing escapes your eyes," Ling Yun replied with a grin.

Normally, she wouldn't have agreed, but now that Ling Yun only had a few days left to live, there was no harm in letting him enjoy a bit of happiness.

"Hm? Do you think I'm old?" Li Rou frowned slightly and touched her face, looking displeased.

...

It seems that women, no matter the world, care deeply about their age.

"How could that be? Master, you don't look old at all. You're as youthful as a teenage girl!" Ling Yun forced himself to act cutesy, holding Li Rou's arm and speaking in a soft, charming voice.

Li Rou's mood instantly improved, and she seemed to enjoy Ling Yun's coquettish behavior.

"Alright. I've been feeling a bit bored lately, so I'll reluctantly accompany you."

Ling Yun inwardly cursed a thousand times over, his smile stiffening. "Master, you're coming too?"

"What? You don't want me to come?"

"Of course not! It would be even better if you came along!"

...

The Lantern Festival was a traditional holiday in this world. On this day, both men and women would go out to play and release lanterns together.

If they encountered someone they liked, they would give them a sachet. If the other person accepted it, it meant they returned the affection. If not, the interest wasn't mutual.

...

The Zhen Family was the most powerful family in Cloud Sea City, with two strong cultivators at the Cave Heaven stage.

One was the Zhen family head, Zhen Ying, and the other was the family elder, Zhen Rufang.

Zhen Xuejian, Zhen Ying's only daughter, was the sole heir of the family.

"So, any news about the young man from the Ling Residence?" Zhen Xuejian eagerly asked her butler.

"Miss, according to the people keeping watch, the head of the Ling Residence just took that young man to the market. We suspect they're attending the Lantern Festival," the butler reported truthfully, hoping his accurate guess would earn him a hefty reward.

"Good, very good! Someone, prepare my things. I'm going to the market!" Zhen Xuejian was overjoyed and hurriedly left the mansion with her guards, heading straight for the market.

It was a spring festival night when Zhen Xuejian had been wandering around as usual and spotted an extraordinarily handsome young man.

His stunning beauty was unlike anything she had ever seen before.

After inquiring around, she learned that he was the young master of the Ling Residence, and since then, she had been unable to eat or sleep properly. If it weren't for her mother's strict warning not to provoke the Ling Residence, she would have proposed marriage long ago.

...

"Master, I want to eat that! And buy this too!" Ling Yun finally had the chance to go out and naturally wanted to indulge himself a bit.

He had to admit, the food and trinkets in this world were incredibly varied, and everything was so captivating.

His laughter, as clear as silver bells, along with his handsome appearance, made passersby stop and stare, admiring him endlessly.

Little did he know, at that very moment, Li Rou was regretting her decision deeply. She had been dragged around all day since the morning, and the amount of stuff they'd bought could fill a small storage ring.

Just then, a group of people blocked Ling Yun's path, led by none other than Zhen Xuejian.

After arriving at the market, Zhen Xuejian had ordered her people to search the area, and it wasn't long before they found Ling Yun.

"Hm? Who are you?" Ling Yun looked at the white-haired girl in front of him, puzzled. Did this world have leukemia too?

"This beautiful young master, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Zhen Xuejian. I came to make your acquaintance and have no ill intentions. I simply wish to be friends with you," Zhen Xuejian said politely, trying her best to come off as refined and gentlemanly to leave a good impression on Ling Yun.

Ling Yun was ready to dismiss her, but a thought suddenly came to him. Maybe this was a good chance to test Li Rou's reactions.

"Sure, my name is Ling Yun, and this is my master, Li Rou."

Zhen Xuejian had been prepared for rejection but was ecstatic when Ling Yun agreed.

"Young Master Ling, are you here for the Lantern Festival? How about we walk together?" Zhen Xuejian said, suppressing her joy. She didn't care much about Li Rou.

Someone like Li Rou was no threat—Zhen Xuejian could kill dozens of her with a flick of her hand.

"Hmm… what do you think, Master?" Ling Yun asked.

"Since Miss Zhen is being so kind, let's stroll together," Li Rou said coldly, appearing indifferent to the situation.

And so, they wandered from one end of the market to the other, all the way into the evening.

Throughout, Zhen Xuejian's eyes never left Ling Yun, her admiration for him clear as day.

"It's getting late, Miss Zhen. Let's call it a day," Li Rou finally said, unable to bear it any longer. She grabbed Ling Yun's hand and quickly walked off, not giving Zhen Xuejian a chance to say goodbye.

"Wait, wait, Young Master Ling... Be careful on the dark roads tonight," Zhen Xuejian called after them as Ling Yun disappeared into the crowd, her eyes darkening with determination. "Ling Yun, I will have you, no matter what it takes."

...

"Did you have fun today, my dear disciple?" Li Rou asked, her hand gripping Ling Yun's with surprising firmness, though she tried to appear calm.

Indeed, men are like tofu—delicious and soft to the touch.

"I did, thank you, Master." Ling Yun replied with a sweet smile.

On the surface, the master and disciple appeared to get along harmoniously, but both were hiding their own agendas.

"The Zhen family, huh…"

A hint of killing intent flashed in Li Rou's eyes. Tonight would definitely be a sleepless night.