"Little girl, are you all right?" Seeing her pale face, as if frightened, the young man said, "The path of cultivation is inherently bloody. Such villains cannot be allowed to live. You'll need to get used to it."
Mo Tiange came back to her senses, struggling to calm herself. This Senior was right. Such a person, if left alive, would only scheme against others. Besides, he had intended to harm her. Killing him was the right thing to do.
She looked up at the young man and asked, "Senior, are you a friend of my father's?"
The young man smiled, leaning down to speak to her. "My Martial Uncle is the one who was friends with your father. It was my Martial Uncle, entrusted by your father, who sent me to fetch you."
This person really was connected to Father! Did that mean she could leave this place and live with Father?
Thinking of this, she was overjoyed. "Senior, will you take me to where my father is? Can I see Father?"
The young man, however, faltered. This child clearly missed her father deeply. How should he break the news of his death? After much thought, he finally spoke. "Little girl, your father... has already passed away. On his deathbed, he couldn't let go of you and your mother, which is why he entrusted this matter to my Martial Uncle." Seeing the child's joyful expression freeze, he felt a pang of pity and comforted her, "Don't be sad. You still have an uncle alive..."
He couldn't finish his sentence. The little girl grabbed his sleeve and suddenly burst into loud sobs. Flustered, he stammered, "Little girl, don't cry, I..." He was truly inept at comforting children and inwardly regretted it. He should have told her later. Now, with no other option, he could only let her cry her heart out.
His gaze shifted to the side. The mortal carriage driver was cowering beside the carriage, trembling with fear as he stared at him. Frowning, the young man said, "You may go. We do not harm mortals."
Hearing this, the driver felt a weight lift from his heart. Profusely thanking him, he hurriedly drove the carriage away.
Watching the carriage recede into the distance, the young man looked down. The child had stopped wailing and was now sniffling.
Though he wasn't good with children, he pitied her for losing both parents at such a young age. He spoke gently again, "Don't be sad anymore. I'll take you to Kunwu to find your uncle, alright?"
Mo Tiange lifted her tear-streaked face. "Senior, I... I've never even known what my father looked like. I worked hard at cultivation just so I could go find Father, but..."
The young man patted her head. "We cultivators must see through matters of life and death. Your father has passed on. He wished for you to be well. Don't let him down."
Mo Tiange shook her head, then nodded.
Seeing she had finally stopped crying, the young man smiled. "Then I'll take you away now, alright?"
Mo Tiange hesitated. "Won't I ever come back?"
Seeing her expression, the young man thought she was reluctant to leave. Indeed, even though this girl was already a cultivator, she was still a child. Having grown up in the mortal world, perhaps she couldn't bear to part with her mortal relatives.
"Once you've stepped onto the Immortal path, it's best to sever mortal ties. Little girl, if you're reluctant to leave and cultivate in this mortal world, it will be very difficult to progress further."
Mo Tiange shook her head. "I don't want to stay here. Apart from Tian Qiao, none of them like me."
"Oh?" The young man hadn't expected that. This child seemed so well-behaved, yet wasn't loved? "Then why do you still want to come back?"
Mo Tiange said, "Tian Qiao is good to me. I was wondering if I could come see her in the future."
Hearing this, the young man chuckled. "So that's it. That's easy to manage. Once you reach Foundation Establishment, you'll be able to fly. Then you can come back whenever you want."
Fly? Like he did, soaring through the sky? Mo Tiange's eyes lit up. "Really?"
The young man nodded with a smile, then said, "I'll fly with you now. We can reach Kunwu in a few days."
Mo Tiange nodded, then shook her head again. "Senior, can I go home for a look before we leave?"
"Of course." With that, the young man waved a hand. The sword on his back flew out automatically. He took Mo Tiange's hand and stepped onto the flying sword. "I'll take you home first."
With a 'whoosh', the scenery before her eyes suddenly changed. Mo Tiange was startled, then saw she was suspended in mid-air. The surroundings were pitch-black night, and below, mountains and rivers were faintly visible. Her legs instantly felt weak.
Seeing her like this, the young man laughed. "Don't be afraid. With me here, you won't fall."
Mo Tiange's face was pale, her heart filled with fear. Hearing his reassurance, she managed a nod.
Seeing this, the young man slowly engaged her in conversation to distract her. "Little girl, your surname is Mo. What's your name?"
Mo Tiange stared unblinkingly at the ground below and answered, "My name is Tiange. 'Tian' as in heaven, 'Ge' as in song."
"Mo Tiange," the young man repeated, then smiled. "That's a good name. I share your father's surname, Ye. My name is Jingwen. 'Jing' as in scenery, 'Wen' as in writing. You don't need to call me Senior. Just call me Brother Ye." Then he asked again, "How did you start cultivating? From a cultivation method your father left?"
Mo Tiange hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, I found it by accident." After the incident with Li Yushan, she had grown even more cautious. You couldn't judge a person's heart by their face.
Ye Jingwen's gaze fell on her hand, lingering for a while before he said, "That bead on your hand isn't ordinary. It contains Spiritual Qi. It's a treasure, isn't it?"
Mo Tiange was startled. So this was the power of Foundation Establishment. Li Yushan had seen it too but hadn't suspected anything. This Brother Ye had discerned it at a glance.
Seeing her frightened look, Ye Jingwen smiled. "Don't worry. If I weren't trustworthy, my Martial Uncle wouldn't have sent me. I also sensed earlier that you've indeed inherited your mother's Pure Yin Constitution. If I had ill intentions, I would have simply kidnapped you already."
Hearing this, Mo Tiange relaxed slightly and said sheepishly, "Senior—oh, Brother Ye, this bead was left by my father for my mother. I don't know what it is either. I only discovered it can gather Spiritual Qi."
"Oh," Ye Jingwen took another look and asked, "May I see it?"
Mo Tiange thought for a moment, slipped the bead off, and handed it over.
Ye Jingwen took it, turned it over in his hand, then sent a wisp of Divine Sense inside to probe it. Finally, he returned it to her hand with a smile. "If I'm not mistaken, this is a string of Spirit Gathering Pearls. There's a Spirit Gathering Array carved inside. For low-level cultivators, it is indeed a treasure, though it becomes useless at higher cultivation levels. Presumably, your father left it for your mother hoping to protect her from illness and disaster, prolonging her life. A pity..."
Mo Tiange silently put the bead away. She knew Mother's illness was incurable. It could only prolong her life.
Looking up at Ye Jingwen beside her, she thought for a moment and asked, "Brother Ye, was my father really an Immortal? What about you?"
"Of course. Your father was a Core Formation cultivator, a famous figure in West Kunwu." Seeing the light in Mo Tiange's eyes, he laughed. "As for me, I'm a disciple of the Xuanqing Sect. My Martial Uncle is Perfected Lord Shoujing, an elder of the Xuanqing Sect. My Martial Uncle is extraordinary, a rare genius who achieved Core Formation within a hundred years. Your father was friends with my Martial Uncle, so of course he was remarkable too."
Mo Tiange felt a bit confused. "Brother Ye, since my father was so powerful, why did he still..."
Ye Jingwen couldn't answer this question. He only sighed. "The path of cultivation is truly perilous. Not only are human hearts inscrutable, but we also have to contend with heaven itself for rare treasures and Opportunities. No matter how great a genius, no one can guarantee they will live forever..."
Seeing Mo Tiange didn't understand, he couldn't help but laugh at himself. How could a child who hadn't experienced these things comprehend them?
As they spoke, Mo Village had already come into view.