My Enemy Became My Cultivation Companion-Chapter 834 - 514: Sword Immortal and the Little Fox (Three-in-One) (Part 2)

He started with a series of contradictory remarks, but finally managed to make some sense. Yin Tingxue nodded compliantly and took the money into her purse. Seeing that it was still quite thin, Chen Yi pulled out more silver coins to enrich it.

Yin Tingxue cradled the bulging purse and smiled brightly, saying, "I'm so rich now."

"Ha, from now on, if I'm ever broke, I'll borrow from you," Chen Yi said, ruffling her hair.

...

Since the time of the Yuan Dynasty's founding emperor, Wuchang Prefecture has been the capital of Hu-Guang and one of the central hubs supporting the Capital City's three main canal routes. Located in the midstream of the Yangtze River, its terrain is perilous and easy to defend yet hard to conquer, making it strategically significant. For this reason, passenger ferries are forbidden from docking directly at Wuchang Port to prevent the infiltration of White Lotus Evil People.

Chen Yi and Yin Tingxue disembarked at a nameless port and set off towards Wuchang.

The sky was gloomily dark as rain began to fall, compelling Chen Yi and Yin Tingxue to quicken their pace. Although both were Golden Core cultivators, capable of dispelling rain effortlessly, they were both too accustomed to ordinary life to think of it in the moment.

In the chilly drizzle carried by the wind, umbrellas opened among the shadows of trees on both sides.

Chen Yi was walking ahead, breathing steadily through the rain and wind, when something suddenly nudged the back of his head. Goosebumps instantly rose as his instincts warned him of an attack, unaware of what had struck him.

Turning around, he saw Yin Tingxue standing on tiptoe, strenuously lifting an umbrella to shield him.

"Shorty," Chen Yi sighed in relief and teased her.

Yin Tingxue was not angered. She pushed the umbrella towards him, saying, "You hold it."

He accepted without objection, pulling the little fox under the umbrella with him.

Though they were a couple, sharing an umbrella was a first for them.

As they walked under the umbrella, ascending a hillside, the rain intensified, making the walk frustrating. After another twenty steps, they spotted a broken stele at a bend in the mountain path, inscribed with "Qiuhuai Mountain's Temple." They followed the path into the Mountain God Temple to shelter from the rain.

The temple was small, just an ordinary dilapidated shrine. Chen Yi looked around; the corridor pillars were covered in a layer of mildew, and wild grass grew in the crevices.

The wooden threshold had eroded in the middle, leaving mottled footprints, suggesting that it once thrived with incense offerings but had long been neglected, with no one visiting for some time. The statue's official robe adhered to the ceremonial style of a previous dynasty, indicating it had been granted imperial notice back then but not re-consecrated in the current one.

Strangely enough, there were no spider webs on the altar.

Neither of them paid attention to this detail.

Yin Tingxue simply hadn't noticed due to her limited Jianghu experience, whereas Chen Yi simply didn't care and couldn't be bothered.

Rainy days were especially chilly, causing Yin Tingxue to sneeze. Seeing this, Chen Yi quietly pulled out a brazier, tossing in a few bits of charcoal to light a fire, spreading a warm glow that was comforting.

Yin Tingxue glanced at Chen Yi, storing this kindness in her memory.

This was not only due to the little fox's inherently good nature but also because she had learned a trick or two. While he was gentle now, unchanged habits persisted, and there would inevitably come a day when he'd try to bully her. If he did, she would remind him, "You were really kind to me before; I remember that. So this time... don't bully me too harshly," or perhaps, "You've always been nice to me, so why bully me without reason now?" In such cases, Chen Yi would feel embarrassed and hesitant, and even if he did bully her harshly, he'd compensate significantly afterward.

At some point, Yin Tingxue had become vaguely aware of how to deal with her husband.

Yin Tingxue pulled out two buns to eat.

Chen Yi sat close to her, eyes closed, waiting for the rain to stop.

The rain grew heavier, forming dense curtains outside the temple.

As she finished one bun, Yin Tingxue suddenly perked up her ears, catching hurried footsteps amidst the rain.

The footsteps grew louder, reaching Chen Yi's ears as well.

"Quickly, quickly, I remember there's a Mountain God Temple ahead. Let's hurry and offer incense to the Mountain God," urged a voice.

"It was light rain just now; how did it turn so heavy? Could it really be as the fortune teller said, that something bad has latched onto us?" The voice, seemingly that of a woman, carried a hint of anxiety.

"Ahem, ahem... stop inviting misfortune!" a man chided.

Before long, a couple in appearance approached the Mountain God Temple, startling nearly out of their wits when they saw the two figures silhouetted by the flames within. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"What kind of deity have we stumbled upon..."

The man, appearing to be a merchant and shivering under a straw hat, asked tremulously.

Those who frequently navigated the treacherous north knew not to directly identify a ghost when encountered. It was not only disrespectful but also risky because, while people have their fates, ghosts have theirs too, and some ghosts are unaware of their own ghostly state. Identifying them as such could indeed turn them into ghosts.

"Just travelers resting a bit," Chen Yi remarked casually.

The couple exchanged glances, seeing nothing unusual inside the temple while a tempest roared outside. Unconsciously swallowing, the merchant allowed his wife to enter first and only entered after scanning behind him.

"Brother, may I borrow some fire?" Noticing the brazier in front of Chen Yi, the merchant pulled out three incense sticks and asked softly.

By the firelight, the merchant's face appeared exceptionally pale, with his wife's head closely aligned beside his, as though sharing a single torso.

Chen Yi gestured his consent with a wave.

The merchant's coarse hemp clothing was stained and filthy, his gaze evasive and slightly dull.

Yin Tingxue's ears perked up slightly, her eyes shifting between the couple and then onto something else.

The merchant borrowed the fire to light incense, pulling his wife to respectfully bow thrice toward the Mountain God's statue, finally kneeling and murmuring incantations.