SWNOVELXO Chapter 337: Chapter 337: Together
When they had been wandering around Panxiang City earlier, Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu had already scouted out where the talisman masters were staying. They had even snuck around the area a few times, so they knew exactly where to go.
When Liu Chun received Lin Xiao's voice transmission, he was quite surprised. But after hearing Lin Xiao explain that he had brought Jiang Youfu along to witness the once-in-a-century Talisman Master's Tournament, Liu Chun couldn't help but smile and shake his head.
It made sense; after all, their sect leader and other members were still quite young.
Once the voice transmission ended, Liu Chun immediately left his room and headed toward the northern gate where Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu were waiting for him.
The area they were in was a massive courtyard, designed to accommodate the more than fifty thousand participants who had initially gathered for the tournament. But now, with so many people having left, the vast space, even with the remaining talisman masters and staff, felt eerily quiet and empty.
There were four gates in total for this enormous courtyard, and Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu were waiting at the north gate.
As Liu Chun approached, he saw two strangers standing at the gate, waiting. Although their faces and bodies were unfamiliar, their excited but restrained gestures were unmistakable.
As he walked closer, Liu Chun scrutinized the two, hesitating before speaking, "Xiao'er?"
Lin Xiao immediately nodded, "Yes, it's me! And this is Fuzi. Since we're out and about, we thought it best to be cautious, so we've been using a disguise on and off. Today just happened to be a 'use' day. Hehe."
As Lin Xiao spoke, he used his natural voice.
Hearing the familiar tone, Liu Chun finally relaxed and addressed them, "If you planned on coming, you could have just traveled with me from the start."
Hearing this, Jiang Youfu explained, "Elder Liu, it was me who got curious about the Talisman Master's Tournament after hearing about it. I then pestered Xiao'er to bring me along for fun."
Lin Xiao then asked, "Elder Liu, do you have any other plans, or are you heading straight back?"
Liu Chun, who had been in high spirits upon seeing them, sighed lightly and shook his head, "I can't return just yet. I need to find my sister. Recently, I got to know an elder from Tianxuan Sect named Elder Zhang, who promised to help me locate my sister within their sect. We've already arranged to meet in Yuanling City after some time, so I'll need to stay there for a while."
Upon hearing this, Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu exchanged glances before Lin Xiao suggested, "How about we accompany you? If anything comes up, we can lend a hand—strength in numbers, after all."
"This..." Liu Chun hesitated, "I wouldn't want to disrupt your cultivation..."
Jiang Youfu quickly chimed in, "Elder Liu, there's no need to worry about that!"
Leaning in close, he whispered to Liu Chun, "We've brought a spirit-gathering array with us! Even though the spiritual energy outside isn't as dense as in our sect's cultivation rooms, it's still much better than in the mortal world!"
"And besides, I haven't had a chance to explore everything yet! While we're helping you, you could also show us around Yuanling City. You definitely know it better than we do."
And just like that, the three agreed to return to Yuanling City together the next day.
Lin Xiao shared their current address with Liu Chun, telling him to come find them after packing up the following day. Then, he and Jiang Youfu returned to their residence.
With the Talisman Master's Tournament over and their meeting with Liu Chun settled, there was no reason for them to linger in Panxiang City any longer. It was time to make preparations for departure.
But first, they needed to inform Yuan Qing and see what his plans were. After all, they had come here together. Although they hadn't spent much time together in recent days, Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu both thought Yuan Qing was a decent person who had shared valuable information with them.
Even though Lin Xiao had saved him twice, if Yuan Qing hadn't been grateful, he could have kept everything to himself. But he didn't, and that meant something.
When the two returned to their quarters, they were surprised to find Yuan Qing already there.
Lin Xiao glanced at the sky outside. It was just now getting dark.
Seeing his reaction, Yuan Qing smiled and explained, "Today marks the end of the Talisman Master's Tournament, and I've almost finished my own business, so I figured you two wouldn't be out too late, even if you were just exploring. I decided to wait for you here."
Lin Xiao nodded and sat down nearby, taking a sip of tea before saying, "That's perfect. We wanted to let you know that we're planning to head back soon. We came here primarily to support a friend in the competition, and now that it's over, it's time to go. What about you?"
He didn't mention that they planned to leave the next day because he thought that if Yuan Qing wanted to join them but needed a little more time, they could wait a couple of days. After all, it wouldn't hurt to have Liu Chun squeeze in with them for a bit longer.
But instead of answering immediately, Yuan Qing hesitated, then asked, "Lin Daoyou, may I... join you?"
Lin Xiao was about to respond affirmatively when he noticed the seriousness in Yuan Qing's eyes. He paused, realizing that Yuan Qing wasn't just asking to travel with them to Yuanling City—he wanted to follow them to wherever they were going.
With a solemn expression, Yuan Qing continued, "Lin Daoyou, I... can't return to Tianxuan Sect anymore. I had hoped to help my sister at home, but she refused me yesterday. She said I should go out and travel, clear my mind, and think about what I want for the future."
Lin Xiao pondered for a moment before asking, "Then why not just go on your journey? Why ask me?"
Although their sect was indeed in need of more people, Lin Xiao felt it was important to understand the situation before making any decisions. He couldn't just invite anyone into the sect without careful consideration.
Yuan Qing lowered his head and replied, "I don't know... where to go."
Unlike his sister Yuan Zhiyun, who was fiercely independent, Yuan Qing had always been more indecisive and lacked the boldness to venture out on his own. He couldn't muster the courage to embark on a solitary journey to "clear his mind" as his sister suggested.
But he also couldn't refuse her, so he had come to Lin Xiao—the one person he felt he could truly rely on.
He thought to himself that Lin Daoyou didn't seem like a noble disciple or a member of a major sect. Despite having plenty of good things, Lin Xiao's demeanor was different from those he had encountered before in such positions.