244: Chapter 242 Girl Ayuan

When the void-piercing boat took to the sky again, the horizon was already showing the pale white of dawn.

The young girl, Ah Yuan, sat huddled in a corner of the cabin, wrapped in Yun Ming's oversized outer robe like a young bird drenched by the rain.

Her head was bowed, her hair obscuring most of her face, making it impossible to see her expression.

Her hands gripped her collar tightly, her knuckles turning white.

Yun Ming stood at the bow with his back to her. The fox lay on his shoulder, its nine tails hanging down and swaying gently.

The flying boat moved at a steady pace as clouds surged beneath them. The morning glow spread from the east, dyeing the entire sky a pale gold.

After flying for about an hour, Yun Ming finally spoke.

"I've heard about what happened with your grandfather."

Ah Yuan looked up at his back.

The morning light shone on him, casting a long shadow. He didn't turn around, and his voice was flat, as if he were discussing something ordinary. "Qingyao City, East Market, Willow Lane No. 17, 'Guiqulian' Coffin Shop. Your grandfather was a remarkable man. He divided his Lifespan into more than a dozen portions, giving you one each year, using his own life to extend yours."

Ah Yuan's tears fell silently. She didn't wipe them away or make a sound; she just wept quietly while staring at Yun Ming's back.

"I've seen you before. Inside your coffin. You were closing your eyes then, breathing steadily as if you were asleep. Your grandfather said you were the only person he couldn't let go of." Yun Ming paused. "Later, he used a Grade Four Spiritual Vein to trade for an eternal longevity pill from me. That Medicinal Pill can increase one's Lifespan by ten thousand years."

Ah Yuan's hands let go of her collar and clenched into fists. Her nails dug into her palms until blood seeped out, but she felt no pain.

"My grandfather... he exhausted all his family's assets just to save me." Her voice was hoarse and choked with tears. "Medicinal Pills, Cultivation Techniques, Lifespan—everything. He said he had nothing left to pass on to me. He told me to live well, to live for ten thousand years, until I no longer wanted to live." She lowered her head, tears dripping onto the robe and forming a small, dark stain. "But I don't know what use there is in living so long. Alone, with no family, no friends, and no one to care about. What's the point of being alive?"

Yun Ming didn't respond immediately. He let her cry for a while, and only after her emotions had settled slightly did he speak. "What happened to your grandfather afterward? Did he pass away?"

Ah Yuan nodded, an oppressed sob escaping her throat. "He went peacefully. That morning, he got up to clean the shop, wiped down every coffin, and then burned the ledger. He said that what needed to be repaid had been settled. He told me not to cry, saying he had lived a long time and it was enough. Then he sat in the rocking chair by the door, soaking in the sun, and just... left. I called him, but he didn't answer. I pushed him, but he didn't wake up. I knew then he would never wake again."

Yun Ming was silent for a moment. "And then?"

"Afterward..." Ah Yuan wiped her tears. "Afterward, I continued to run the coffin shop. There was a war in Qingyao City, so there were many dead; business was better than ever. I thought I could go on like that forever, keeping the shop and the things grandfather left behind, living my life alone." Her voice grew lower. "But then, people came to seize the shop. They said the land had been requisitioned to be converted into a military camp. They gave me a sum of Spirit Stones and told me to leave. When I refused, they started smashing things. The coffins were destroyed, the ledgers were burned, even grandfather's rocking chair was chopped into firewood." Her voice began to tremble. "I couldn't fight them. I'm just one person, a Mortal with no cultivation, no backing, nothing. I had no choice but to leave."

Yun Ming turned around and looked at her. "And so you left Qingyao City?"

Ah Yuan nodded. "I followed the refugees out. I didn't know where to go, only that I should head south. Some said the south was safe, some said there was food in Tianyuan City, others said there was war everywhere and no place was safe. I walked for a day and a night without food, and my water ran out. Then I met that man." She didn't continue, but Yun Ming knew who she was talking about.

"I am going to Tianyuan City," Yun Ming said. "Are you willing to come with me?"

Ah Yuan looked up at him. Her eyes were still red and tear tracks remained on her cheeks, but her gaze was brighter than before—no longer that desperate, hollow light, but a cautious glimmer of hope.

"You can settle down in Tianyuan City, find a job, and live your life slowly. Once you've thought it through, you can make your choice." Yun Ming looked at her. "Your grandfather wanted you to live ten thousand years not so you could suffer. He wanted you to see that there are still many beautiful things in this world that you haven't seen yet."

Ah Yuan's lips moved as if to say something, but she swallowed her words. She lowered her head, remained silent for a moment, and then nodded. Yun Ming turned back to look ahead. "There is clean water in the cabin; wash yourself. Also, your clothes are torn; change into something else." He took one of his own robes from the map of mountains and rivers and handed it to her. Ah Yuan took it, glanced at it, then looked at her own tattered rags, her face flushing slightly.

"I don't have any women's clothing." Yun Ming didn't look back. "Wear mine for now. When we reach Tianyuan City, we'll buy new ones."

Holding the robe, Ah Yuan huddled in the corner of the cabin with her back to Yun Ming. She shed her rags and put on his robe. It was very large, wrapping around her like a quilt; the sleeves were far too long, and the hem dragged below her knees. She tightened the belt around her waist and rolled up the sleeves a few times, revealing her pale, delicate wrists. She stood up, walked to the side of the boat, and leaned against the railing as the wind blew through her damp hair. She washed her face with clean water, removing the dust and bloodstains. It was a very delicate face with fair skin and refined features; though she was somewhat thin, it was clear she was a budding beauty. Her eyes were large with long lashes, her nose was high, and her lips were naturally red. With proper nutrition and health, she would not even be inferior to Xue Ji.

Yun Ming glanced at her, his gaze lingering on her face for a split second before shifting back to the front. He took out a Jade Slip and handed it to her. "This is the most basic Breathing Technique. Practice this for now."

Ah Yuan took the Jade Slip and pressed it to her forehead. Her Divine Sense entered, and rows of golden characters reflected in her mind. Her eyes lit up—the curiosity of seeing something new mixed with the joy of finding a direction. She removed the Jade Slip from her forehead, closed her eyes, and began to breathe according to the method. Her breaths went from shallow to deep, from short to long. Between each breath, Spiritual Qi faintly seeped into her body from the world around her.

Yun Ming was stunned. He had taught many people to Cultivate—Qin Wan, Yun Xi, even Xue Ji—but he had never seen anyone sense the traces of Spiritual Qi on their very first attempt. Some people practiced for months without even touching the threshold; she had taken less than fifteen minutes.

Ah Yuan closed her eyes and continued her breathing. This time it was even faster; in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, she opened her eyes, which were filled with pleasant surprise.

Yun Ming reached out and placed his hand on her wrist, sending his spiritual power into her Meridians. After his power made a full circuit through her Meridians, he withdrew his hand and remained silent for a long time.

Ah Yuan's talent far exceeded his expectations. A single-attribute peak-grade Water Spiritual Root—a one-in-a-million Heavenly Spiritual Root. Spiritual power flowed through her Meridians without any obstruction; this was the manifestation of an Innate Dao Body and a pure Spiritual Root. Her Comprehension Ability was even more Heaven-Defying; sensing and guiding Qi on her first contact with a Breathing Technique, learning by analogy and teaching herself without a master. Such talent would be treated as a precious treasure in any Sect.

Yun Ming thought of himself. A Five Elements Mixed Spiritual Root, a Trash root despised by the world. He had reached this point not through talent, but through luck, the System, and escaping death time and again. If he had talent like Ah Yuan's, perhaps he would have already achieved a Breakthrough to Nascent Soul, Soul Transformation, or even higher. Looking at Ah Yuan, a thought suddenly surfaced—taking her as his disciple.

The thought only flashed in his mind before he suppressed it. He didn't mention it; this matter depended on her. Was she willing to Cultivate? Was she willing to take him as her master? Was she willing to follow him? He couldn't make those decisions for her.

"Your talent is very good," Yun Ming said. "Practice hard and don't waste it."

Ah Yuan nodded without asking questions. She continued to practice the Breathing Technique over and over, untiringly. Each time she opened her eyes, her aura was steadier and her spiritual power more abundant than the last. Yun Ming watched this with internal sighs of admiration but said nothing more. The void-piercing boat continued northeast. Yun Ming pushed the boat to full speed, traveling by day and meditating to recover spiritual power by night. Ah Yuan sometimes Cultivated in the cabin, sometimes leaned on the railing to watch the scenery, and sometimes held the fox, talking to it. The fox ignored her, eyes closed as it pretended to sleep, but its tail would occasionally flick as if it were listening.

Along the way, they encountered no more bandits or refugees. The wasteland grew flatter, trees became scarcer, and the wind grew stronger. Yun Ming knew they were getting closer to Tianyuan City.

On the evening of the seventh day, Yun Ming stood at the bow, gazing into the distance. A blurry black line appeared on the horizon—long, straight, and spanning across the land, dividing heaven and earth in two. That was no mountain; that was a city wall. The city wall of Tianyuan City.

Yun Ming did not accelerate; the flying boat maintained a steady speed as it slowly flew toward that black line. Ah Yuan stood beside him, her hand on the railing, staring at the increasingly clear silhouette with eyes full of wonder.

"So high..." she murmured. The city wall was incredibly tall, piercing into the clouds, its surface covered in dense formation patterns that shimmered with pale golden light. Every hundred feet along the wall stood an archery tower with patrolling soldiers whose armor glinted in the setting sun. Behind the wall were layers upon layers of palaces and pavilions—magnificent imperial palaces, Buddhist pagodas reaching the sky, rows of shops, and dense residential areas. The streets within the city were wide and straight, bustling with carriages and people. Even from this distance, one could feel the aura of prosperity.

Yun Ming looked at the city and fell silent for a moment.

"We've arrived," he said.