Chapter 250 : Within One Day
Jiang Mo loved to eat. Beyond that morning's pastries, she had bought and sampled every delicious item in Xianyuan Town, and most often did so in Yun Qingyue's presence, always enthusiastically inviting her to join.
Yun Qingyue never accepted, but occasionally when Jiang Mo was eating, she would stare at her, lost in thought.
Jiang Mo had secretly observed this—there seemed to be nostalgia in her gaze, as if she were looking through her at someone else. Cultivators abstained from food early on, most no longer caring for the pleasures of taste. Was Senior Sister thinking of that little gluttonous tiger from years ago?
It must be. Who else could she be thinking of?!
Her invisible tail wagged behind her, but Jiang Mo said nothing, not rushing to reveal more clues.
The two spent several peaceful days in the small town. Jiang Mo no longer went to the ancient locust tree at the town entrance, spending all her time in the small courtyard. Unfortunately, after their long separation, Senior Sister's demeanor seemed colder. Someone who had never relaxed her cultivation was now even more diligent. Despite Jiang Mo keeping watch in the courtyard all day, she rarely saw her open her door, her dedication to cultivation rivaling that of Peak Master Qingyu from years past.
Jiang Mo remained patient, never disturbing her. Seeing her tactfulness, Yun Qingyue gradually softened her attitude, evolving from initial wariness and coldness to nodding in acknowledgment when they met—developing at least a nodding acquaintance.
Finally, after another half month, Jiang Mo suddenly received a System notification—
"Ding! Congratulations, host, you have triggered the main storyline mission one: Ghost Ship.
"The ocean depths have always been forbidden territory for cultivators, a habitat for spirit beasts. But months ago, a ghost ship broke these boundaries, sailing from the Southern Sea depths. It's rumored the ghost ship can take cultivators back to the deep sea, rumored that countless treasures and resources await in the depths... The cultivation world's long tranquility has been disrupted, with sudden turmoil drawing countless cultivators. Being at the Southern Sea shore, you naturally cannot miss such an opportunity.
Mission: Time limit one day. Please board the ghost ship within one day and remain aboard."
At that moment, Jiang Mo was watching a small food stall waiting for fried dumplings. Startled by System's task notification, she quickly grasped the key point: "Time limit one day—is the ghost ship arriving soon?"
Hearing the host's inquiry, System immediately extended its energy tendrils to scan the sea—though the host hadn't earned many points these eighty years, she had cultivated diligently, advancing at a decent pace. Thus, System as her dependent, though not receiving many point shares and still burdened with loans, had accumulated considerable energy and used it more generously than in years past.
Within moments, System provided an answer: "Host, I can't find the ghost ship, but the mission prompt must be correct."
Before asking System, Jiang Mo had already extended her divine sense to investigate. Finding nothing, she had System try instead, hoping a different type of energy might yield different results.
Unfortunately, it didn't. However, System was right—in all these years, mission prompts had never been wrong.
The fried dumplings were just ready. Jiang Mo paid and accepted the hot oiled paper package while quickly turning to hurry back. Upon returning to the small courtyard and seeing that tightly closed door, she walked up without hesitation and knocked.
Within two breaths, the old door creaked open from within.
Yun Qingyue's face showed no displeasure at having her cultivation disturbed, but seeing Jiang Mo outside, her clear crystal eyes inevitably glanced at the oiled paper package in her hand—with cultivators' keen senses, she could smell the fried food aroma even from across the courtyard, let alone this close.
Jiang Mo's mind had been full of thoughts about the ghost ship, intending to notify Senior Sister so they could wait at the seaside in advance. However, that fleeting glance from Yun Qingyue somehow made her feel inexplicably guilty. She instinctively hid the package of fried dumplings behind her back, blurting out: "I didn't come to disturb your cultivation just for some food."
Yun Qingyue withdrew her gaze, responding faintly: "Oh."
Jiang Mo realized she was being somewhat foolish, but having already offered the explanation, she didn't want to make things worse. After storing the fried dumplings in her storage space, she cleared her throat and regained her composure: "The ghost ship is coming soon. I've come to notify you so we can go to the seaside together to wait."
Hearing this, Yun Qingyue finally reacted, instinctively looking toward the Southern Sea and extending her divine sense across the town and sea surface. However, there was nothing on the sea, and the cultivators lingering in Xianyuan Town remained as usual, anxiously yet quietly awaiting the ghost ship's arrival—clearly, apart from Jiang Mo, no one in town knew the ghost ship was coming.
Perhaps seeing Yun Qingyue's doubt, before she could inquire, Jiang Mo affirmed confidently: "It's true. Within one day, the ghost ship will definitely arrive." She continued: "Though we don't know how many people the ship can accommodate, we can see how many cultivators have come to Xianyuan Town. We should go to the seaside first, which will give us an advantage."
Seeing her serious expression that didn't appear feigned, Yun Qingyue finally nodded: "Alright."
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Originally, Xianyuan Town wasn't far from the seaside—a distance of three or four li that would take ordinary people some time to walk, but for cultivators, merely the blink of an eye. However, in crucial moments, even that blink couldn't be overlooked.
Yun Qingyue was decisive. After agreeing with Jiang Mo, she immediately set off, with Jiang Mo quickly following, still carrying the scent of fried dumplings.
When the two arrived at the seaside, it was early afternoon. The sun hung high overhead, casting dazzling light. Perhaps because this beach was exposed and humid, the cultivators who had rushed to Xianyuan Town hadn't stationed themselves here, remaining instead near the town. Now, apart from seawater and fine sand, there wasn't a single person on the beach.
Jiang Mo raised her eyes to scan the sea surface. The water was fairly calm, without even a shadow of the ghost ship in sight. Her gaze then swept across the beach, immediately spotting several tall, straight trees at its edge.
The trees were laden with head-sized fruits that Jiang Mo recognized instantly as coconuts.
Flashing over to pick two and returning, Jiang Mo shook them, hearing the water inside. She handed one directly to Yun Qingyue: "The ghost ship will arrive within a day, but the exact time is uncertain—we still have to wait. Would you like to try this?"
Even at such a time, she didn't forget about food. Yun Qingyue gave her a helpless look and, as usual, shook her head in refusal: "Thank you, but no need."
Jiang Mo could only store one coconut back in her storage space, then flashed a golden light from her fingertip to open a hole in the other. She immediately brought the coconut to her lips for a couple of sips, but unfortunately, the taste wasn't as good as imagined—the fragrance carried a hint of sourness and astringency, suggesting it wasn't fully ripe. She discarded the barely-tasted coconut with disdain, her brows furrowing.
Meanwhile, Yun Qingyue observed her actions and reactions closely. Watching her frown in displeasure, her eyes unconsciously held a hint of amusement. However, this amusement was quickly concealed—even after spending several days together, this was still just a nodding acquaintance, a stranger. Even if her mannerisms were somewhat similar, she wasn't the tiger Yun Qingyue had known.
Yes, Yun Qingyue saw shadows of the little white tiger in the person before her. Despite comparing a human to a tiger, Yun Qingyue still felt an inexplicable familiarity. It was precisely because of this familiarity that she had followed Jiang Mo back to Xianyuan Town.
When Jiang Mo sensed Yun Qingyue's gaze and turned her head, the latter had already withdrawn her gaze.
She stood straight on the beach, her eyes fixed on the sea, still gazing into the distance.
Jiang Mo wasn't concerned about missing anything. After withdrawing her gaze, she also looked toward the sea. Standing with her hands behind her back, she appeared quite proper, and took the opportunity during this idle time to attempt casual conversation with Yun Qingyue: "That ghost ship's origins are mysterious, as are its movements. Of the twelve locations predicted by that powerful expert, who knows how many it has visited, or whether Xianyuan Town will be its first or last stop."
Yun Qingyue's temperament was cool but not socially inept. When spoken to, she would respond: "What difference does that make?"
Jiang Mo blinked, saying matter-of-factly: "Of course it matters. If the ghost ship has already picked up people elsewhere, who knows who might be aboard now. I've sneaked away, and if I encounter acquaintances, I might be taken back."
Hearing this, Yun Qingyue finally gave her a longer look, her eyes revealing some surprise—in terms of appearance, the young woman before her looked genuinely young, yet her cultivation was even higher than her own, suggesting she wasn't so young in years. In ordinary families or sects, once clan members or disciples achieved some cultivation success, they would be sent out for experience. Those with their current level of cultivation could already lead a region and had no constraints, certainly not needing to sneak away.
In an instant, numerous thoughts flashed through Yun Qingyue's mind, all guessing at Jiang Mo's identity. However, after much consideration, she couldn't draw any conclusions, and the confusion in her eyes was evident.
Jiang Mo noticed but showed no intention of clarifying. Instead, she asked: "What about you? Seeing how effortlessly you killed those Nine Abyss Sect members, you must have deep enmity with them. Who knows how many Nine Abyss Sect experts might be on that ghost ship—they might recognize you and surround you as soon as you board. Aren't you worried?"
Hearing this, Yun Qingyue fell into silent contemplation, not out of fear of encountering Nine Abyss Sect members aboard. She suddenly recalled that the ghost ship affair had stirred both righteous and demonic paths—if Nine Abyss Sect members were coming, the Three Righteous Sects would surely send people too.
What if she really encountered them... No, if she boarded the ship, she would meet them sooner or later.
After eighty years without seeing each other, what would happen when old acquaintances met again?
Yun Qingyue lowered her gaze, her thoughts suddenly becoming somewhat disordered, until a white jade mask appeared before her.
Meeting Senior Sister's gaze that followed the mask, Jiang Mo, who had offered it, said magnanimously: "You look like someone who doesn't want to face certain people. Here, take this mask—even a Grand Achievement realm cultivator couldn't see through it."
Yun Qingyue didn't accept it, instead frowning and shaking her head: "Such a valuable item shouldn't be given to me. Keep it for yourself."
Jiang Mo naturally didn't take it back. She nonchalantly bought another identical one from the System mall and placed it over her face. Under the white jade mask, her eyes blinked: "It's really not that valuable."