My Enemy Became My Cultivation Companion

The petite figure, no matter how you look at it, couldn't be mistaken. After searching for many days, Chen Yi finally found the lost little fox.

She is here...

Chen Yi was very surprised, but more unexpected than this was,

with a shallow glance, Yin Weiyin shivered, realizing in a panic that she had slipped in what she said.

"You know her?" The tone was quite ordinary, seeming not to notice anything unusual.

Yin Weiyin's scalp tingled, but she quickly reacted. She forced herself to stay calm, showing a troubled expression and said, "I, I have some impression, there are many strange memories in my head."

Chen Yi glanced at Donggong Ruoshu a few times, not knowing if what she said was true or false. If it was the residual memories captured from the body, it would be reasonable, but if it was something else, even related to this illusion dream...

His mood became more serious than before. Looking again at the petite girl walking from afar, he felt a bit more vigilant.

The road still needed to be walked.

Chen Yi subtly led Donggong Ruoshu down the mountain, the latter breathing a sigh of relief, looking around curiously as she walked.

Along the long mountain path, flanked by snow-covered sides, the red cotton jacket climbing slowly was particularly conspicuous, highlighting how she wasn't very tall. The basket swayed precariously, and it seemed as though she put effort into every step.

Soon, she was in front of Chen Yi, slowed down her steps, raised her head, and was about to speak.

The person led the lady beside him and brushed past by.

Snow scattered gently, covering the ground, mixing with the muddy smell of trampled dead grass. The girl stood still for a while before turning back, seeing the people gradually walking away.

She didn't chase after them, just hugged the basket, deep in thought.

Chen Yi quickened his pace.

He walked so fast that several times Donggong Ruoshu almost stumbled and barely kept up by nearly running.

Once the girl had turned into a tiny black dot in the distance, Chen Yi finally slowed down, occasionally looking back, his expression slightly complicated.

In normal circumstances, he would have long gone forward to pick up the little fox and recognize her, pretending to be angry while blaming her for hiding and not finding him, hugging her tightly, ruffling her hair, kissing her forehead, and patting her bottom. If she felt aggrieved, then she'd have reasons to...

But...

Donggong Ruoshu's words could not be ignored, their implications inscrutable, affecting his judgment. Considering the complexity of the illusion dream before him, any small mistake could lead to disaster, making it... a situation full of apprehension.

Indeed, apprehension... While bold and prudent, he never dared to be reckless regarding the safety of his loved ones.

As for now, what else could be done? Chen Yi turned his head, returning to the path ahead, he could only take it one step at a time.

Following the path extending from the mountain, the flecked snow grew thicker, the ground covered in silverwhite, the trees on both sides stood solitary and tall, piercing into the sky, dissecting it into fragments.

It was a scene of cold desolation.

A county town appeared at the end of the road.

No guards defended the city along the way, and inside and outside the city, were people rushing in, hands tucked in pockets, faces showing aloof indifference that seemed to hang in the air. In this bone-chilling weather, everyone hurried back to the warmth of their beds.

This county town looked somewhat similar to the Capital City, with streets carved from the same mold, but its scale was much smaller. Chen Yi went to find an inn, and just as he entered, the door was about to close on him. He wedged his hand in the door slit.

"Innkeeper, I need lodging," he said.

The innkeeper glanced at him, disdain evident in his eyes, "Do you have documents?"

"I have a monastic ordination certificate."

As he was about to take out the certificate, the door slammed shut as he withdrew his hand.

"Are you kidding? Where would a filthy beggar get an ordination certificate? Scram back to where you came from!"

Chen Yi was momentarily stunned. He turned to his reflection in the puddle on the ground and found himself inexplicably looking ten times more bedraggled than before, his clothes tattered, with unkempt hair, a dirty face, and black extremities—looking every bit the part of a Beggar Gang member.

With that gaunt look, it would take years of hunger to be so.

If people weren't accepting him here, there would be other places. Chen Yi turned back, seeking accommodation elsewhere, but without exception, met closed doors. Initially, some people were willing to listen to a few words, but gradually, seeing someone approaching, windows closed and doors shut. He then turned his gaze to the passing pedestrians, but each one avoided him as if he were a viper. People cursed under their breath, fleeing faster than the wind.

It was as if the entire county had grown restless, repelling his presence.

Unable to find accommodations anywhere in the city, Chen Yi led Donggong Ruoshu toward the city gates only to find patrols of guards he had previously never seen, armed with waist blades, marching through the streets, accompanied by people beating drums—curfew, prohibition of open flames, sealing of city gates.

He couldn't leave, nor find a place to stay...

As night slowly descended, stepping into this county town felt like walking into a gaping mouth of blood. When it closed, the dark chaotic sky pressed down, sending shivers down one's spine just by looking.

Yin Weiyin couldn't help but feel flustered, tightly clutching Chen Yi's hand.

With the sky growing ever darker, the county town fell silent, the high eaves casting black shadows.

Chen Yi looked around, after some thought, decided to stay on the street for a while, observing the changes quietly.

Unconsciously, the night had become deep black.

Chen Yi stood for a long time, yet no demons or monsters appeared, deepening the sense of eerie strangeness within him.

He relaxed his legs, crouching down against the wall in an alley just wide enough for one person to pass. The depths were pitch-black, as if waiting to devour a person, with shadows occasionally flickering past.

Chen Yi fixed his gaze on the alley's entrance, his hand on the hilt of his sword. With just a little force, the cold blade could cut across the alley.