Chapter 21: Enjoying the Town

A distance of over ten li would have taken the former Yun Hao roughly one hour to walk.

If he had to carry Lin Shengyu on his back as well, it might have taken him two hours or more.

However, Yun Hao was now a mid-Qi Refining cultivator.

With each leap, he covered dozens of meters.

Even with Lin Shengyu on his back, he felt no burden at all.

Supported by his spiritual power, he moved as light as a swallow, completely at ease.

In just a short while, he brought Lin Shengyu to the western town.

……………

At the gates of Chuiyuan Town.

Yun Hao found a spot with fewer people and gently set Lin Shengyu down.

“Are you alright, Junior Sister?”

“I’m fine, Senior Brother.”

After receiving her reply, Yun Hao led Lin Shengyu forward slowly.

As they drew closer to the main road, more and more people appeared around them.

Along the way, the blind Lin Shengyu accidentally bumped into others several times.

Simply holding onto Yun Hao’s sleeve was becoming inconvenient.

Seeing his junior sister stumble multiple times, Yun Hao thought to himself,

Junior Sister’s eyes aren’t good. I need to find a way to help her.

But for the moment, he couldn’t think of a good solution.

He couldn’t just carry her on his back the whole time.

Not only was it improper, but as a man and woman, entering the town while he carried her would likely embarrass her.

Yun Hao’s gaze slowly shifted to Lin Shengyu’s small hand clutching his sleeve.

Looking at his junior sister, who was biting her lip with a hint of stubbornness, he found her rather adorable.

A sudden idea came to him, and he quietly covered her small hand with his palm.

This way, holding her hand will keep her from being bumped into by others.

Lin Shengyu had been feeling somewhat dejected.

They had only been out for a short time, yet she had already collided with people several times.

Who knew what else might happen once they entered the town.

I’m still causing trouble for Senior Brother…

While she was quietly tasting the bitterness of that thought, she suddenly felt her hand being completely enveloped by another.

Startled, she thought someone was trying to take advantage of her blindness and immediately tried to pull away.

But then Yun Hao’s voice reached her ear.

“Junior Sister, there are many people in town. Let me hold your hand. If you get bumped or hurt, both Elder Lin and I would be heartbroken.”

Hearing his words, the strength left her arm.

A blush flew across Lin Shengyu’s small face.

She gave a soft “Mm” like the buzz of a mosquito and quietly lowered her head, not wanting Senior Brother to see how red her face had become.

It’s Senior Brother holding my hand… not someone else…

Senior Brother said he would be heartbroken for me…

That sentence kept swirling in her mind.

The bitterness that had flooded her heart earlier melted away like snow under sunlight.

Feeling the warmth of Senior Brother’s palm and knowing their hands were tightly clasped together, she felt light-headed and simply kept her head down, following Yun Hao obediently.

Yun Hao glanced at Lin Shengyu, who was walking with her head lowered.

He wasn’t entirely sure what she was thinking, but he was worried that in his excitement he might accidentally lose her in the crowd.

He gently but firmly pulled her a little closer, making it easier to take care of her.

The two of them walked into Chuiyuan Town looking slightly intimate in the eyes of ordinary passersby.

“Steaming hot sesame cakes! Two wen each! Crispy and fragrant!”

“Hey, come take a look over here! Rare red-glazed vases from the Langya Dynasty palace. Very rare indeed!”

“Tea! Come have some tea! Traveling guests, come inside and rest a while before continuing on your journey.”

…………

Cries of street vendors filled the town.

Although Chuiyuan Town wasn’t as crowded as Yun Hao had imagined, there were still quite a few people.

One careless moment could easily lead to them getting separated.

He unconsciously tightened his grip on Lin Shengyu’s hand slightly and turned his head with a smile in his voice.

“Hold on tight, Junior Sister. Let’s go find something fun.”

Yun Hao had already made up his mind.

Since Junior Sister’s eyes weren’t good, he would take her to listen to storytelling—something that didn’t require sight, only hearing.

Then he would find her some delicious snacks, and perhaps take her to see some fluffy little animals like rabbits for her to touch.

As long as he could make his junior sister happy, that was enough.

For himself, he could just look around along the way.

Oh right, if I see anything interesting, I can bring it back for Senior Sister.

With that thought, Yun Hao gently led Lin Shengyu forward by the hand.

………….

After losing her sight, Lin Shengyu had become very afraid of walking.

She was constantly bumping into things.

In the beginning, she hadn’t accepted it.

Her pride was still strong.

Even when she collided with objects, she held back her tears, lifted her head high, and continued walking with her chest out.

Until the day she overheard other disciples in the sect gossiping about her.

At first she had been furious and lashed back with sharp words.

But no matter how sharp her words were, they were powerless against cold, hard reality.

She was crippled.

Not only had her spiritual power dissipated, but she had also lost her sight.

She had become a complete good-for-nothing.

“Stop arguing with her. She’s a cripple now. It’s not worth wasting time on her.”

One day, she had still walked out with her head held high, ready to fight back against the gossip.

But that one sentence had completely shattered the last of her forced pride.

The disdain in those words left her furious yet powerless, in pain and in despair.

From that day on, Lin Shengyu stopped going out.

The girl who had once feared nothing about falling began to fear it.

Without spiritual power, she was no different from an ordinary person.

If she got scraped, she would bleed.

If she hit her head, she could die.

Her personality slowly changed as well.

She had once been proud, willful, and quick to throw tantrums at anyone.

After two years of tempering, she had gradually become sensible, gentle, and graceful—like a well-bred young lady who rarely left her boudoir.

Her heart became as calm as still water.

She understood that those who still stayed by her side truly cared for her, and she could no longer hurt them.

So she stopped going out to avoid hurting herself further.

She couldn’t bear to hear her grandfather’s voice hiding his heartache, nor did she want to hear people talking about her behind her back.

It was as if she had suddenly disappeared, staying on Western Peak for two whole years without stepping out once.

That was why she had also become afraid of walking.

Until Senior Brother took her hand.

She was still afraid, but she was willing to try.

Because deep down, she believed that the Senior Brother who had pulled her out of the abyss of demonic poison would not let her get hurt.

Lin Shengyu followed Yun Hao in a daze until he suddenly stopped.

She bumped into him and only then lifted her head in confusion.

But a slightly teasing voice reached her ears.

“Junior Sister, shall we go eat some sesame cakes?”

“Why does Senior Brother suddenly want to eat sesame cakes? Is it already noon?”

She was a little puzzled.

Had the day passed that quickly?

Was it already noon?

Had Senior Brother already gotten hungry?

“It’s not noon yet.”

Yun Hao’s voice continued, barely suppressing his laughter.

“But your stomach seems to think it’s time to feed it something.”

“Eh?!”

When did my stomach start growling?!

Lin Shengyu realized what had happened.

Her small face instantly turned crimson.

Her ears burned so hot they felt like they might melt.

A surge of shame rushed to her heart.

Too embarrassed to speak, she could only let Senior Brother lead her to a seat.

“Uncle, two sesame cakes please. Make them extra crispy.”

“Coming right up!”

A short while later, two piping hot sesame cakes were placed in front of Lin Shengyu and Yun Hao.

Yun Hao tested the temperature with his hand and, finding it suitable, picked one up and placed it in Lin Shengyu’s small hands.

Lin Shengyu held the cake and nibbled at it bit by bit.

She really didn’t know when her stomach had started rumbling.

She only became aware of her hunger after Senior Brother mentioned it.

How could I be so embarrassing… Senior Brother must be laughing at me.

She felt more and more ashamed.

The more embarrassed she became, the more likely she was to make mistakes.

Yun Hao looked at Lin Shengyu, who had sesame flakes on her face without realizing it, and found his little junior sister increasingly adorable.

She was a bit airheaded and easy to tease.

He reached out and gently wiped the flakes off her face.

Feeling Yun Hao’s gentle touch while she was still eating, an ominous guess formed in Lin Shengyu’s mind.

“…Senior Brother, was there something on my face just now?”

“Mm, just some flakes from the cake. I already wiped them off for you.”

“Um…!”

Hearing Yun Hao confirm her suspicion, Lin Shengyu felt so ashamed she wanted to crawl under the table.

She was acting like a small child who couldn’t even eat properly by herself…

Yun Hao, however, only thought she was incredibly cute.

Looking at her flushed little face, he spoke from the bottom of his heart.

“Junior Sister, you’re really adorable!”

His words struck like a finishing blow, completely breaking through Lin Shengyu’s mental defenses.

She no longer cared about anything else.

She dropped the sesame cake in her hand and turned to run, but as soon as she stood up, she tripped.

“Ah!”

She was about to fall and had already closed her blind eyes on instinct.

But what greeted her was not the cold ground, but a warm, firm chest.

Yun Hao was both confused and concerned.

Why did Junior Sister suddenly stand up? She’ll get hurt if she falls.

He asked anxiously,

“Junior Sister, what’s wrong? Why did you suddenly get up?”

Lin Shengyu, already startled, heard Yun Hao’s worried voice and felt wronged.

She buried herself in his chest, refusing to come out.

“Senior Brother, you’re bullying me!”

Bullying her?

Yun Hao was stunned.

Where had he bullied his junior sister?

He thought he had been taking good care of her.

Assuming his earlier words had made her uncomfortable, he explained,

“Senior Brother really does think you’re very cute. How was I bullying you?”

Hearing him continue, Lin Shengyu grew even more embarrassed and anxious.

With her small head buried in Yun Hao’s chest, she mumbled,

“You’re still saying it! You clearly are bullying me, yet you’re pretending to be innocent.”

Yun Hao was truly lost.

He had no idea what he had done wrong, so he could only go along with her.

“Alright, alright. It’s Senior Brother’s fault. I bullied you. I’m sorry, Junior Sister. I won’t do it again.”

“Really?”

“Really!”

Only after receiving Yun Hao’s promise did Lin Shengyu slowly calm down.

Then, realizing she was still in his arms, she quickly stood up with a red face.

With Yun Hao’s support, she sat back down and continued eating her sesame cake.

Yun Hao watched Lin Shengyu resume eating with a faint, helpless smile.

So this is what Junior Sister is really like. She’s just like a child who loves to act spoiled.

He thought to himself as he waited for her to finish the sesame cake.