An Encounter with the Tsundere Immortal Lady Chapter 41

The girl was lost in the sea of people. She didn’t try to compete for a spot with the immortals whose cultivation levels were far higher than hers. She only wanted to pass the assessment smoothly and enter the Nine Heavens Immortal Palace.
A voice deep within her kept reminding her that she had to go to the Nine Heavens Immortal Palace.
But now, she was the only one thinking this way. Everyone else was eagerly awaiting the arrival of “That Person.” Before that, no one would bother conducting an unimportant cultivation test for a mere girl.
The girl could only be patient. She returned to Old Sun’s side and asked, “Old Sun, do you know why ‘That Person’ has suddenly come here?”
The old man, also smiling like everyone else, heard her question. His expression turned solemn, and he quickly covered her mouth. “Don’t speak carelessly about such matters!”
It was clear that “That Person” held an extraordinary place in Old Sun’s heart.
This made the girl curious. Even though they had only known each other for a few days, she knew Old Sun was an upright and kind man. She truly wanted to see this person whom even he praised so highly.
They didn’t have to wait for an hour or two as expected. Around early morning, deafening cheers erupted from the city gate. The crowd, which had been waiting quietly on both sides, instantly burst into excitement. The immortals present no longer cared about maintaining their noble and proud demeanor; they all cheered enthusiastically.
“This is not a formal inspection tour. Everyone, there’s no need for such a display.” A light, ethereal female voice, tinged with a faint sigh, came from the city gate.
A slender, plainly dressed figure appeared at the city gate.
The Main City Lord and several immortals immediately stepped forward to greet her respectfully, momentarily blocking the fleeting figure from view.
The crowd quieted. Everyone suppressed their excitement, staring at the city gate with anticipation.
Except for her.
The girl didn’t know what was wrong with her. Ever since that voice sounded, her mind felt like a monstrous wave had crashed through it. Countless voices roared in her head. Before she could think, her body moved on its own. She stepped onto the flawless carpet and ran towards the figure, wanting to push aside the people blocking her view to get a clear look at the owner of the voice.
“Stop!”
She had barely taken a step when guards stationed around the main city stopped her with their weapons. A sharp halberd rested against her neck, its tip glinting coldly with suppressed magical light. If she made the slightest move, she would be killed on the spot.
“Sirs, please show mercy!” The old man, who hadn’t managed to stop her in time, hurriedly said, “This girl is a bit simple-minded. She only acted so rashly out of admiration for the Immortal Lord. I hope you can be lenient and spare her.” As he spoke, he tugged at the girl’s sleeve, signaling her to apologize quickly.
“Senior Sister!” The girl’s mind was in chaos. She had no idea what she was doing, only that there was a name in her heart she had to call out.
The old man had already cast a spell to forcibly pull her away. The girl’s cultivation was lower than his, so she couldn’t resist. She was dragged backward, but her head remained turned towards the city gate, her expression sorrowful. Tears instantly welled up, streaming down her smooth cheeks and wetting her green robes.
“Senior Sister Yu Huang!” The girl bit her lip, trying hard not to cry out, but the mournful sorrow in her voice, carried by words uninfused with any spiritual energy, pierced straight to the heart.
Her mind was a whirl of thoughts. Countless fragments drifted through her brain, too fast to sort out. She only felt an overwhelming sorrow in her heart, a desperate urge to push through the crowd and rush to that person for a proper look.
“Wait.” The voice was as indifferent as before.
The crowded throng parted to make way. The owner of the voice slowly walked over to the girl. Her black hair cascaded down, backlit by the sun, making her expression unclear.
“Senior Sister…” The girl’s eyes widened as she stared blankly at the familiar yet strange figure before her.
There was no surging spiritual energy, no dazzling golden light, not even the oppressive aura typical of powerful experts. Her presence wasn’t the kind that forced your eyes shut from overwhelming power; yet, her very presence made one unable to look directly at her—it was an authority accumulated from long being in a high position.
In her hazy memory, that figure hadn’t seemed so imposing. Though the silhouette was the same, the girl was unsure if this was truly the person she was searching for.
The girl tried hard to see the person’s face, but whether it was due to the sunlight behind them or her own faded memory, she could no longer recall their features.
As if sensing something, the figure paused slightly and asked, “You, do you have a name?”
“My name… Sun Lao.” Although she couldn’t remember her original name, the girl recalled that Old Sun had planned to call her this.
“Alas…” The figure sighed almost inaudibly. “If that’s the case, then live well with this Old Sun.”
The figure finished speaking and turned to leave, but the girl caught her sleeve. “Are you Senior Sister Yu Huang?” The intense emotions in her memory seemed to stem from this very figure. Even now, just standing near her made the girl’s heart beat a little faster.
“My name is Si Yin.” Although she didn’t explicitly refuse, her words were essentially a denial.
When she said this, the woman didn’t turn back but continued walking forward.
The young girl wanted to ask more, but the surrounding guards stopped her. Since that person had already left, they naturally couldn’t let the young girl continue to follow the Immortal Lord.
“I want to join the Nine Heavens Immortal Palace,” the young girl said firmly.
When the young girl returned to the grand event and said this, it undoubtedly gave the official in charge of screening quite a fright.
“Let alone the fact that your cultivation is far from reaching the Immortal Realm, just based on the Immortal Lord’s actions earlier, you should be glad the Immortal Palace didn’t expel you. And you still dare to dream of joining the Nine Heavens Immortal Palace?” The official looked at the young girl as if she were a fool. Remembering that the old man who came with this young girl had said she had some mental problems, the official somewhat believed it.
“I have a rare treasure!” The young girl slightly circulated her true energy, and a purple lotus that seemed to bind her limbs appeared before the official.
“A rare treasure!” Indeed, if one possessed a rare treasure, they would have priority selection anywhere. A rare treasure choosing its master not only represented that person’s background but also their potential. Such a person, regardless of their actual strength, would be a target for various factions to fight over. Possessing a rare treasure, if according to past practice, this person could indeed smoothly be accepted by the examiners – even if, well, she had some mental problems.
“But it’s still not possible.” The official refused without hesitation. The Immortal Lord had already spoken and had no intention of letting the young girl join the Nine Heavens Immortal Palace, so they had to refuse.
In the Immortal Palace, the Immortal Lord’s words were the ultimate decree.
“I heard that if a master of a rare treasure reaches the Nascent Soul realm, they can ascend to the Nine Heavens Immortal Palace, strike the Heaven-Piercing Drum, and use the rare treasure as a condition to exchange for a promise from the Nine Heavens Immortal Palace within a specific scope. Is this true?” the young girl asked. She had unintentionally overheard this from passersby.
“There is indeed such a saying, but few people use such an extreme method these days.” The scope of promises set by the Nine Heavens Immortal Palace was rather small. Unless one was truly desperate, no one would resort to such means.
The young girl nodded and left without saying another word.
Looking at the young girl’s somewhat resolute departing figure, the official was truly unsure if she would actually strike the Heaven-Piercing Drum.
The young girl walked up to the old man, smiled faintly at him, and said, “Let’s go back.” The young girl seemed to have regained her composure.
Even though the old man was experienced and had seen much, he couldn’t quite discern the young girl’s true thoughts at this moment. Seeing her earlier state, he had truly feared she might do something reckless and irreversible. But now, her calm demeanor made it difficult for him to connect her with her previous self.
“Let’s go.” Regardless, the old man still hoped the young girl could return to a peaceful life. Some matters, for a young girl like her, were indeed things she shouldn’t get involved in.
Returning to the village where she first met the old man, the young girl was as usual – eating when she should eat, drinking when she should drink, and working when she should work. She almost completely blended into the village, making one forget her unusual behavior in the main city.
“Oh, working again, are you? Tired? Have a fruit to quench your thirst,” a plump auntie from the village greeted the young girl with a smile.
“Oh, dear, rest for a while. Eat some eggs to replenish your strength. Little miss, please don’t overtire yourself.” A white-haired old woman, seeing the young girl sweating profusely while working in the fields, offered her eggs held in her hand.
Everyone in the village saw how hard the young girl worked. The men and women, old and young, all advised her to rest more. But as soon as they turned away, the young girl would return to the fields to continue working. Even though cultivators wouldn’t truly collapse from exhaustion, seeing such a thin and pitiful young girl deplete her spiritual energy day after day – people’s hearts are made of flesh, after all. No one could truly enjoy the fruits of her desperate labor with a clear conscience.
Some villagers asked the old man to persuade the young girl too, but it only earned a sigh from him: “Let her be. Perhaps this way, it will be easier for her.”
Time passed quietly. In the blink of an eye, half a year went by. The peaceful and serene little mountain village remained as tranquil as ever, with nothing special happening. The young girl simply packed her belongings and stood at the village entrance to bid farewell to everyone.
“You’re still leaving.” It wasn’t a question; the old man used an affirmative tone. He had guessed long ago that the young girl wouldn’t stay here, but when this day truly arrived, the old man still felt a little wistful.
“Thank you for your care for so long. Now that my business is done, please forgive Wu Xi for not being able to stay by your side. Wu Xi will definitely keep your great care in mind, but Wu Xi has things she must do. I hope you, elder, will have everything go smoothly and meet someone who understands gratitude better than I!” Towards the old man, Lin Wuxi indeed felt guilty. She knew the old man hoped she would stay in the village, but she could only disappoint this elder who had helped her at the most critical moment.
Lin Wuxi turned to leave. Behind her was the tranquil and peaceful village, a very beautiful place, but it was not her destination, at least not now.
“Will you come back?” the old man finally asked.
A gentle breeze brushed Lin Wuxi’s hair by her ear. The fine strands lightly tapped her face. She smiled faintly and replied, “I will. If, after everything is settled, I am still alive, I think I will come back.”
The quiet village was eventually left behind by Lin Wuxi. Her slender, youthful figure, illuminated by the pale sunlight, walked further and further away, towards that unknown distance.