The Mirror Master

Upon hearing that Lu Bai was leaving first thing in the morning, Chen Tieshan tried at length to get him to stay.

When he saw that Lu Bai had made up his mind, he had no choice but to drop the matter.

Knowing Lu Bai had a large appetite, Chen Tieshan prepared a grand feast of fine wine and food that evening as a farewell dinner.

After the banquet, Chen Tieshan also brought out a fine horse and gifted it to Lu Bai.

Lu Bai put on a show of refusing before accepting it.

He surmised Chen Tieshan’s intentions.

The previous betrothal gift from the Lu Family had included not only silver taels, but also silk fabrics and valuable medicinal herbs.

The silver taels had been returned, but the other items had not.

This was Chen Tieshan’s way of not taking advantage of him.

In truth, it wasn’t that Chen Tieshan didn’t want to take advantage of the situation; rather, having witnessed Lu Bai’s methods, he simply didn’t dare to.

The next morning, Lu Bai rose long before the sky had brightened and knocked on Xiaodie’s door.

"Ngh... It’s so early. What time is it?"

Xiaodie was still half-asleep and groggy.

Lu Bai said, "The sooner we leave, the sooner we’ll get to Bluestone County."

Xiaodie woke up a bit more. ’He’s right,’ she thought. After a quick wash, she followed Lu Bai out.

"Aren’t we going to say anything to Hall Master Chen and the others?"

Seeing Lu Bai quietly lead the horse away without saying goodbye to anyone at the Chen Martial Arts Hall, Xiaodie couldn’t help but ask.

"I already said my goodbyes last night. Let’s not disturb them this early."

Lu Bai replied.

The main reason was that he found it a hassle. There would inevitably be another round of pleasantries.

With the Cyan Cloud Sword on his back and the Black Dog at his side, Lu Bai and Xiaodie led their horses out of the Chen Martial Arts Hall. Once clear, they mounted up and rode toward the edge of town.

At this hour, the town was deserted. Hardly anyone was awake yet.

The two of them soon left the town behind.

They hadn’t gone far when they saw a figure stumbling toward them in the distance.

At first, neither of them paid it any mind, but as the figure drew closer, they got a clearer look.

"Daoist Li?"

Xiaodie called out softly, her voice filled with startled disbelief.

Lu Bai looked at the approaching person.

After just one night, the young Daoist was in a wretched state.

Her bluish-gray Daoist Robe was tattered and stained with blood. Her eyes were red and swollen as if she had just been crying, and her face was streaked with dirt. She looked utterly distraught, a far cry from the celestial air she had carried the day before.

Seeing the young Daoist return alone, Lu Bai’s heart sank.

Hearing her name, the young Daoist froze for a moment. It took her a while to recognize Xiaodie.

"Daoist Li, why did you come back by yourself? What happened?"

Xiaodie quickly dismounted and rushed to the young Daoist’s side, firing off a series of questions. "Where is Daoist Yu?"

At her words, tears streamed down the young Daoist’s face. Her expression was one of absolute grief as she choked out, "Senior Brother Yu... is dead!"

"What?"

Xiaodie was stunned. Rooted to the spot, she stammered, "D-Dead?"

Lu Bai had already suspected as much, so he didn’t show much surprise, only a sense of regret.

Daoist Yu had been the first Cultivator he had ever met.

Yet he lacked the superior attitude and arrogance common to Cultivators, treating others with a gentle demeanor.

The Ghostly Creatures of this world weren’t just for scaring people; there were clearly different levels of strength among them.

And now, even a Cultivator had been killed by one!

"Daoist Yu’s Cultivation was far greater than yours. How... how could he..."

Xiaodie’s face was a mask of disbelief.

The memory of her first meeting with Daoist Yu yesterday was still fresh in her mind.

His dignified bearing had left a deep impression on her. Just last night, before falling asleep, she had secretly wondered when she might have the chance to see him again.

She never imagined that after just one night, Daoist Yu would be dead!

The young Daoist said through her tears, "Last night, Senior Brother Yu and I followed the trail of Ghost Qi to the base of a cliff about ten li away. We finally found the Ghostly Creature’s lair.

"But that Ghostly Creature was too strong. It killed over a hundred people last night and absorbed countless Yin Spirits. It was on the verge of transforming into a Great Ghost.

"Senior Brother Yu wasn’t confident we could beat it. He wanted to retreat and return to the temple to ask for help from our other senior brothers. But I accidentally gave us away. The Ghostly Creature spotted us, and we had no choice but to fight."

At this, the young Daoist began to cry even harder. "It’s my fault Senior Brother Yu is dead!"

Xiaodie’s expression was complex, her mind in turmoil.

In fact, Daoist Yu had already realized how powerful the Ghostly Creature was yesterday and had intended to leave.

But because of those three Spirit Stones, he decided to investigate after all, and it led to disaster.

Xiaodie couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt.

If she hadn’t insisted on getting the Spirit Stones on behalf of her lady yesterday, maybe Daoist Yu wouldn’t have died at the hands of that Ghostly Creature.

"And then what happened?"

Lu Bai pressed.

’If that Ghostly Creature was powerful enough to kill Daoist Yu, who had a higher Cultivation, how did this young Daoist manage to escape?’

The young Daoist said through her sobs, "Senior Brother Yu tried to cover my escape, but the creature’s Ghost Fire and Illusion Techniques were too powerful. I should have been the one to die."

At this, she broke down completely, her words coming out in ragged sobs. "It... It was Senior Brother Yu... To save... me... he was struck down by that Ghostly Creature.

"Senior Brother Yu gave his life to gravely wound the creature. It fled, injured, and only then was I able to escape."

Xiaodie had gradually calmed down by now and accepted the reality of the situation. She asked, "Daoist Li, why didn’t you return to Danding Temple? Why come back here?"

"The Ghostly Creature killed our horses, too. I managed to escape with Senior Brother Yu’s body, but I completely ran out of strength, so I had to hide his body."

The young Daoist sniffled and continued, "I was hoping to buy two horses here so I could take Senior Brother Yu’s body back with me. I can’t just leave his body exposed in the wilderness."

"Of course, of course."

Xiaodie nodded repeatedly. Then, a thought occurred to her. "It’s still too early; the town’s horse market won’t be open yet. Daoist Li, if you don’t mind, you can ride with me. We’ll go retrieve Daoist Yu’s body first."

"Okay."

The young Daoist agreed between sobs. She had clearly never experienced anything like this and was at a loss for what to do.

Xiaodie then turned to Lu Bai and said, "We can put Daoist Yu’s body on your horse for now."

"Sure."

Lu Bai had no qualms about such things and agreed immediately.

The three of them, plus the dog, set off in the direction where the young Daoist had hidden the body.

After a while, a question welled up in Lu Bai’s mind, and he couldn’t help but ask, "Daoist Li, can’t Cultivators like you use Sword Flight? Why do you need to ride horses?"

’She could have just carried Daoist Yu’s body and used Sword Flight to return to her temple,’ he thought. ’Why go through all this trouble?’

Tear tracks still wet on her face, the young Daoist lowered her head slightly and said, "My Cultivation is too low. I’m only at the Third-Layer Qi Refining realm, so I don’t have enough Magical Power. I can’t even fly very far on my own using Sword Flight, let alone while carrying another person."

Xiaodie couldn’t help but shoot Lu Bai a glare. ’This man is so cold,’ she thought. ’Not only has he not offered a single word of comfort this whole time, but now he’s asking these pointless questions.’

They rode for a few more li. Then, following the young Daoist’s directions, the trio left the main road. The path grew rugged and overgrown, making it difficult to traverse.

The three had no choice but to dismount and proceed on foot.

As they walked, a sense of familiarity gradually grew within Lu Bai.

’This direction... it seems to be Black Tiger Stream.’

It was the very place where the body’s previous owner had fallen from a cliff—and where he had awakened in this world.

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