Meng Luoluo: "Don't worry, Sister. If I run out of spirit stones, I can always ask you and my senior sisters."
He Manting thought: This little quilted jacket is letting in a bit of a draft. Maybe I should swap it for a new one.
However, she didn't say this aloud and only kept it to herself.
He Manting had no choice but to agree readily: "Alright. Once we get back from the Snow Mountain and have enough materials, I'll make you a Flying Boat of your very own."
"Have you thought of a design?"
Meng Luoluo: "Aren't Flying Boats all a standard design?"
He Manting: "Of course not. It's just that different designs consume different amounts of materials, so most people choose the most basic design—the kind of Flying Boat we're using now—to save on materials and spirit stones."
Upon hearing this, a bold idea popped into Meng Luoluo's head.
She couldn't wait to rush back to her room, take out paper, brushes, and other tools, and embark on her grand drawing project.
At that moment, He Manting, who was steering the Flying Boat, didn't stop her, little knowing that her consent today would end up creating a weapon of mass destruction in the future.
...
Traveling from the Chaoyun Sect to the Snow Mountain, they would pass through Xiangping City. They planned to rest there for a few days, take care of some business, and then fly on to the Snow Mountain.
Before setting out, Fourth Senior Sister had told Meng Luoluo that their fifth brother, Xia Jingsong, had been sent here on a mission and hadn't returned in half a year. However, his disciple token back at the sect hadn't shattered, which meant he was still alive and not in immediate danger, so no one had bothered to check on him.
Since Meng Luoluo happened to be passing by on her experiential journey, she decided to drop in and look for him. If he was in trouble, she could help sort it out while she was at it, and perhaps even pick up some treasures along the way.
The two of them landed the Flying Boat not far outside the city walls and walked inside.
Outside cultivators entering the city were required to pay ten low-grade spirit stones, but those who could prove they were natives of Zhanzhou could enter for free.
Once inside, the two of them headed straight for the local branch of the estate. To make things easier, He Manting directly flashed her black card and ordered a spread of delicious food: braised pork belly, roasted rabbit, sweet and sour pork ribs, meatball and vermicelli soup...
Noticing that He Manting's card was a different color from her own, Meng Luoluo asked, "Sister, your card is different from mine. Is there something special about it?"
He Manting was momentarily stunned and slapped her forehead. The child still didn't know the ropes regarding the estate; flashing her black card like that was far too careless.
Without wanting to explain further, He Manting brushed it off with a vague answer, and Luoluo, trusting her sister implicitly, didn't dwell on it.
Last time, preoccupied with her own thoughts, Meng Luoluo had eaten in a daze and hadn't really remembered the taste. This time, savoring it carefully, she found the culinary skill easily matched the wonders of modern technology.
After eating and drinking her fill, the two rested in a room prepared by the estate. It wasn't large, but it was fully equipped. Seeing there was only a single bed, Meng Luoluo looked up at He Manting.
"Sister, do you mind if I cuddle with you while we sleep?"
Meng Luoluo: "Ah, sure! Though I might toss and turn a bit. I hope you won't mind."
...
Just past the first watch of the morning.
Meng Luoluo woke up sluggishly, taking almost the time it takes to burn a stick of incense to fully "boot up."
Opening her eyes wide, she finally realized what she was doing.
She was clutching her sister's arm, her teeth clamped right onto her sister's finger, leaving behind two rows of tooth marks and a puddle of drool.
Meng Luoluo's face instantly changed color, turning as red as an apple. She pulled the quilt over her head and refused to come out.
Actually, He Manting always woke up precisely at the rabbit hour. But seeing Meng Luoluo hugging her arm and fearing she would wake her, she had simply sat up, watched quietly, and let the girl hold her.
Halfway through, Meng Luoluo had moved. He Manting thought she was about to wake up, but she hadn't. Instead of waking, she had guided He Manting's finger right into her mouth.
He Manting had nearly burst out laughing, but managed to hold it in so as not to wake her junior sister.
"Alright, time to get up. Didn't you still need to find your senior brother? Come on, eat something first, and we'll go out for a walk later to look for clues."
Meng Luoluo asked weakly, "Sister, you didn't just sit there watching me the whole time after you woke up, did you?"
"I sure did. Our Luoluo is just the cutest."
Meng Luoluo: "......"
Thanks for the compliment. Maybe I should just restart my life now; dignity completely lost.
"Alright, only your sister saw it, you don't need to make such a face. A little kid doesn't need to overthink things."
Meng Luoluo: "Sister, maybe we should sleep in separate beds from now on. I keep making you wake up early..."
Before Meng Luoluo could finish, she was interrupted: "It's fine. Next time, Sister will just hold you a bit tighter. Stop thinking about it and hurry over to eat."
...
"How does Luoluo plan to find clues?"
Meng Luoluo: "When a fellow sect member is nearby, our disciple jade tokens will react. But ever since I entered this city, the token's reactions have been coming and going. I suspect Senior Brother might be in serious trouble or has been captured."
"Most people on the ground floor of the estate are ordinary folks or rogue cultivators drinking tea and wine. I figured we could sit down there and listen to what they're discussing; we might pick up some clues."
"Does Sister have any other ideas, or something you want to do yourself? Don't worry, I'll stay right on the first floor and won't wander outside."
"I do have some things to attend to. It's not that you can't go outside, but take this with you. With this thing on you, no matter where you are, I'll be able to sense it."
With that, He Manting handed over a red string, from which hung a small, hollow-carved jade ball.
Meng Luoluo took the red string, slipped it straight onto her wrist, and then waved as she turned to head out the door.
Seeing that Meng Luoluo wasn't wearing shoes, He Manting called out, "Come back."
Meng Luoluo spun around quickly and asked weakly, "What's wrong? Is there something else you need me to do?"
He Manting helplessly pointed at her feet: "Shoes."
What is wrong with this child? She hates wearing shoes. Originally she had only planned to go out to buy some herbs, but it looks like she'll need to buy more materials.
Meng Luoluo smiled, put her shoes on properly, and then headed downstairs.
He Manting rubbed her temples in defeat. The child was just a bit short; otherwise, purely judging by her thoughts and temperament, she was no different from an adult.
First Floor.
Imitating the rogue cultivators, Meng Luoluo had changed into a black outfit and donned a mask capable of altering her features, which she had obtained from He Manting. She ordered a pot of tea along with some bean pastries and candied peanuts.
"Sigh, have you heard? Someone else went missing a few days ago."
"Fellow Daoist, could this matter be related to what happened half a year ago?"
"The exact connection isn't clear, but judging by the methods used, it should be the work of the same person."
"Watch your tongue, Fellow Daoist. I recall that help was sought from the three major sects back then, and I even saw people from the Chaoyun Sect arrive in person. It shouldn't have gone unresolved."
"Sigh... people did come indeed, but no news of a resolution was ever released. I suspect the ones who came might have already... haha, drink up, drink up."
Hearing this, the jade token inside Meng Luoluo's Storage Bag suddenly gave a prompt.
Right at that moment, an unfamiliar man in black finished paying his bill, walked past Meng Luoluo's table, and headed toward the exit.
After a brief moment of thought, Meng Luoluo channeled some spiritual power into the hollow jade ball on her wrist to let He Manting know she was heading out, and quickly followed after him.
Little did Meng Luoluo know that after she left, three more figures trailed closely behind her.