Facing Ning Qianqian's call, Chu Xingchen stopped in his tracks.
He slightly turned his head, his gaze falling on Ning Qianqian, who wore a conflicted expression.
Although Ning Qianqian had called out to him, her wariness likely hadn't diminished.
He needed to handle this carefully to coax the truth out of her.
"What's wrong?" Chu Xingchen asked, then turned around, his calm eyes resting on Ning Qianqian.
Ning Qianqian hesitated, then cautiously inquired,
"Great Immortal, which sect do you belong to?"
Without hesitation, Chu Xingchen replied, "The Central Continent's Wanfa Immortal Sect."
He felt no guilt about lying, as the girl before him had never been entirely truthful either.
Deception was mutual, after all.
Especially since he still didn't fully understand the background of this frail girl before him. Moreover, the name of the Dao Alliance was too grand, and he feared it might frighten her.
Ning Qianqian put on an expression of deep admiration.
But in truth, as a mortal who had never stepped into the world of cultivation, she had no idea what the Central Continent even was.
This world was vast, almost boundless, with even the smallest border nations spanning thousands of miles.
The Southern Jambu Continent was already a massive realm, and the Qingfeng Sect, though located in a remote area, was still a renowned name here.
As for the spiritual veins of the Southern Jambu Continent, they were home to countless sects.
The Central Continent, to her, might as well have been another world.
If it weren't for her Father mentioning the Qingfeng Sect, Ning Qianqian, coming from a humble farming family, would never have known of its existence.
Her question was merely a subtle way of telling the masked man before her that she wasn't as clueless as she seemed.
She didn't want to be fooled, even if her efforts might be futile. Still, trying was better than doing nothing, right?
But... the Central Continent. She had heard her Father speak of it—a legendary holy land for cultivators.
And the name "Wanfa Immortal Sect" sounded incredibly impressive.
Wanfa Immortal Sect!
Now, compare that to the Qingfeng Sect!
Wasn't it obvious which was stronger?
Moreover, the Wanfa Immortal Sect sounded more like a righteous and prestigious sect.
But she had heard that dealing with such noble sects required a bit of acting pitiful.
Only by gaining the sympathy of such an immortal would they be moved to lend a hand.
It was like the beggars on the streets.
Though Ning Qianqian wasn't fond of such tactics—her Father had always said it was a disgrace to their ancestors—she figured that between losing face and losing her life, her Father would probably choose the former.
After all, she would certainly choose that herself. And given her current situation, relying solely on her own strength, she couldn't possibly save her Father. She had no choice but to take this gamble.
Ning Qianqian steadied her emotions, tears suddenly streaming down her face. She recalled the expressions of beggars she had seen before and tried to mimic them, then spoke with a touch of tragic determination, "Great Immortal! Do you know what the Qingfeng Sect has done...?"
As if choked by emotion, she broke into sobs.
However, as Ning Qianqian poured her heart out, Chu Xingchen's face behind the mask twitched slightly...
Her expression was contorted, her sobs resembling spasms, making her look utterly theatrical.
Her crying seemed entirely performative, especially when she glanced at him with a furtive, almost sneaky look.
Snot and tears mixed together on her grimy face.
Perhaps... she thought this made her appear pitiable?
Didn't she realize how bad her acting was?
Who could cry in such an exaggerated manner?
But since Ning Qianqian was going down this path, he might as well play along.
Suppressing his urge to mock, Chu Xingchen took a deep breath and asked in a shocked and puzzled tone,
"What have they done?"
Ning Qianqian let out a mournful wail and began spilling her story like pouring beans from a sack:
"My Father and I lived in Ningjia Village. My Mother passed away early due to illness, and Father worked hard to raise me."
"This year, our village was hit by disaster. We could barely eat one meal every two days. That's when the people from the Qingfeng Sect came, luring Father with promises of cultivation."
"They said that by cultivating, he could have anything he wanted. Father, being naive, believed them. He only asked for food for me and then left with them."
"Father abandoned me, and many of the village men were also deceived and taken away."
Chu Xingchen looked at the dirty, thin girl before him and sighed softly.
Her Father wasn't naive—he likely just wanted to leave some hope for his daughter.
"How did you know they were deceivers?"
Hearing the question, Ning Qianqian quickly reached into her tattered, hole-ridden clothes and pulled out a tightly wrapped cloth bundle. With trembling hands, she carefully unwrapped it.
Inside wasn't anything precious, but a handful of dry, yellow soil.
Chu Xingchen frowned slightly at the sight of the soil.
Ning Qianqian held the soil in her shaking hands, her expression now filled with genuine grief:
"Not long after those immortals left... the food they left behind turned into this yellow soil."
"Aunt and Niuzi ate the white buns the immortals gave them, and not long after, they were killed by this soil."
"So many people in the village died..."
"Father was deceived, and so were the village men."
"They can't cultivate. The Qingfeng Sect isn't good at all. They'll die too... I only have Father left. He might have abandoned me, but I can't abandon him."
"I need to show this to Father so he'll believe me."
Chu Xingchen didn't respond immediately. Instead, he reached out and pinched the soil, sensing a faint trace of lingering spiritual energy.
He hadn't expected the Qingfeng Sect to be so ruthless as to not even provide real food.
Facing Ning Qianqian's hopeful gaze, Chu Xingchen felt a pang of helplessness.
At this point, he could easily slip away after grabbing some spirit stones from the mines. But saving someone from under the noses of the Golden Core cultivators and the Qingfeng Sect's reinforcements wouldn't be easy.
In fact, it was highly unlikely he could protect a mortal in such a situation.
But nothing was absolute, and acting recklessly would only lead to failure.
Chu Xingchen sighed, his gaze sincere as he looked at the frail girl before him.
The girl no longer had proper shoes—only a few vines tied around her feet.
The vines were stained with dried, dark red blood.
Ning Qianqian's face was smeared with dirt, her slender frame looking as though a strong gust of wind could topple her.
The mountain range was treacherous, filled with cliffs and rugged terrain. He couldn't imagine how this young girl had endured such a journey.
What hardships had she faced to get here? How long had she been lost in the maze-like mountains? And with wild beasts roaming about...
Looking at Ning Qianqian, Chu Xingchen spoke earnestly, "Saving your Father isn't something we can rush. I need to go back and make a plan first. Will you come with me now?"
After all, Chu Xingchen still needed spirit stones. With a proper plan, rescuing Ning Qianqian's Father might just be a side benefit.
Ning Qianqian hesitated. She wanted to stay and see if there was any chance of finding her Father, even though she knew the odds were slim. She didn't want to miss even the faintest opportunity.
"Can I wait here for you? I..."
Before she could finish, Chu Xingchen raised his hand to stop her. "You're not foolish. You know staying here might not be the best for your Father."
Ning Qianqian fell silent, then nodded. But she pleaded, "If you decide not to save my Father, can you bring me back here?"
"This path isn't easy for me, unlike for you, Great Immortal."
Chu Xingchen lowered his gaze to Ning Qianqian. At this moment, all pretense had fallen away from her.
Only her eyes remained, filled with endless desperation.