Chapter 116

Chapter 116: Shu Shu Meets the Little Hamster

After cultivating through the night, Rong Shu decided to go out for a walk.

She had already spent most of yesterday with Cheng Bu Fan and Fu Yong Kang, and along the way the two had told her quite a lot about Cloud Link City.

Today, Rong Shu wanted to wander the city alone and, while she was at it, sell a portion of the pills she had been secretly refining these past few days.

Because Cloud Link City had an Alchemists’ sub-guild, selling pills here would not risk exposing her identity.

As she walked the streets, Rong Shu held a jade slip containing a map of Cloud Link City.

It had been a gift from Fu Yong Kang the previous night.

The jade slip was an ordinary kind, not one of those high-grade slips inscribed with techniques that recorded their content the moment you tapped them to your brow.

Rong Shu was studying the map inside, confirming the route to the Alchemists’ sub-guild.

In the narrow alley by the corner ahead, a little hamster was scrambling along in a panic.

Behind him, two men were searching every nook with wooden clubs in hand, hunting for the little hamster.

The little hamster was running flat out.

Because he had suddenly lost the ability to turn back into a human and could only remain in his current hamster form.

Seeing the alley’s end ahead, the little hamster veered right at the corner.

Thud!

Rong Shu suddenly felt something bump against her foot.

It did not hurt.

But she clearly felt it.

She looked down and saw a little hamster tumbling head over heels, no bigger than her palm.

After colliding with the obstacle, the little hamster was forced to the ground; his tiny head wobbled as if he had been knocked silly.

Rong Shu blinked in mild surprise.

[Where did this little hamster come from?]

She eyed his orange-tinted fur, soft and fluffy, the sort of coat that begged to be petted, and her fingers itched.

[He looks like an ordinary little hamster.]

Rong Shu crouched and picked him up.

Snatched up into a warm palm with a sudden change of height, the little hamster shivered and came to his senses, his dazed eyes meeting Rong Shu’s.

Rong Shu’s eyes curved as she smiled: “Hello there, little fellow.”

The tiny creature in her palm hooked his paws around her finger, frozen and fearful, as if she might suddenly let go and drop him.

At that moment, curses drifted from the alley: “Where did that stinking rat run off to…” “Damn it, when I catch it I will skin it alive…”

Rong Shu shielded the hamster with her other hand, then glanced toward the two men who had likewise run out of the alley.

[From the looks of it, they are searching for this little hamster?]

…

Elsewhere.

Yu Ruan Ruan, who was determined to secure the heaven-favored one, ran into a bit of trouble.

Someone had attached himself to her.

The street was crowded, and as Yu Ruan Ruan focused on searching for the heaven-favored one, a man suddenly lunged out, clamped her wrist, and exclaimed with delight: “I finally found you, Ruan Ruan!”

Startled and ready to curse, Yu Ruan Ruan froze when she saw who it was, disbelief flashing in her eyes: “Wait, you are… Yan Zi Mo?”

Hearing her say his name without mistake, Yan Zi Mo felt somewhat relieved and said warmly: “Ruan Ruan, so you still remember me. I knew you still had me in your heart, right?”

Yu Ruan Ruan took stock of the current Yan Zi Mo.

More than half a year after losing the position of Scarlet Sun City’s young city lord, much of his former arrogance had faded; he seemed far more subdued.

Yu Ruan Ruan quickly smoothed her look of shock and asked with concern: “Young city lord, why are you here?”

“Back in Scarlet Sun City the sect suddenly called me back on urgent business, I did not have time to inform you, I am truly sorry.”

When he heard her still call him young city lord, a trace of grief flickered in Yan Zi Mo’s eyes.

But then he realized that perhaps Yu Ruan Ruan had been unaware of the upheaval in the city and did not know he was no longer young city lord.

Which meant she had not deliberately avoided him because he had lost his status.

And seeing her look at him with such concern, her smile so warm and lovely, while those who had watched him fall overnight had not only failed to lend a hand, they had tripped over themselves to mock and suppress him.

By contrast, Yan Zi Mo could not help but be deeply moved.

What Yan Zi Mo did not know, however, was this: [Yu Ruan Ruan was already cursing him to high heaven in her heart.]

[With Yan Zi Mo plastered to her like dogskin plaster, how was she supposed to find the heaven-favored one?]

Yu Ruan Ruan quietly asked the System: “System, does Yan Zi Mo still have any fortune left on him?”

Originally, she had approached Yan Zi Mo because he was a chance encounter for Rong Shu, and the System had also indicated that his fate energy was quite high.

That was why she had bothered to get close to him.

[Who knew that just as the fish was about to bite, the entire pond would explode.]

[She had gained nothing at all and wasted so much effort; she had cursed him countless times in her heart.]

But she knew she had to keep Yan Zi Mo steady and could not afford to fall out with him yet.

Even if Yan Zi Mo’s father had died, as the former young city lord of Scarlet Sun City he could not be completely without influence and connections.

The System replied: [Of course he does. It does not compare to before, but his current fate energy is still far higher than that of an ordinary cultivator.]

At this point Yan Zi Mo explained why he was here: “I came with people from a sect. I joined that sect and became the personal disciple of its head of sect.”

In the past, Yan Zi Mo had disdained joining any sect.

And this one was only a second-rate sect.

But after he suddenly lost his greatest backing, his clan hurried him into that second-rate sect for his own safety.

However reluctant he was, he could only accept it.

Yu Ruan Ruan put on a delighted face: “I see, what a coincidence.”

Looking at the beautiful and seemingly kind Yu Ruan Ruan, heat sparked in Yan Zi Mo’s chest.

[Yu Ruan Ruan is a personal disciple. If I marry her, I might gain Immortal Venerable Ze Yu as a powerful patron.]

[Then I could use the chance to transfer to Heaven’s Evolution Sect as an inner disciple. After a few decades of cultivation, perhaps my clan’s former glory would not be out of reach.]

With that thought, Yan Zi Mo’s smile toward Yu Ruan Ruan grew even more sincere.

[This is my chance to climb back up. I must not miss it.]

He was lost in rosy fantasies, not knowing that Yu Ruan Ruan was already impatient.

As Yu Ruan Ruan pondered how to send Yan Zi Mo away so she could go find the heaven-favored one, the System’s cold voice sounded: [I can no longer sense the heaven-favored one. He may already be far away.]

There seemed to be a faint thread of irritation in the System’s icy tone.

At that, Yu Ruan Ruan was taken aback and secretly fumed at Yan Zi Mo.

[It is all this man’s fault for ruining my big plan!]