Chapter 52: He Yimo, You Wouldn’t Dare Leave Me Behind, Right~?

Turns out, the “shortcut” Jiang Jinyue mentioned earlier was just… taking the Sky-Ferry. Seriously. It wasn’t some big secret, more like she was just messing with Chen Jianxin and the other clueless newbies who hadn’t seen much of the world yet.

For ages now, the Central Plains dynasties had a habit of going big on infrastructure projects. The ancient dynasties loved digging canals and building massive walls. With the recent resurgence of spiritual energy and the popularization of cultivation across the continent, the Great Xia Dynasty had moved with the times, pooling funds to construct colossal Sky-Ferries capable of carrying thousands of travelers at once.

Okay, so the operating stations for these Sky-Ferries weren’t super widespread yet, but they’d at least connected all the major immortal sects and provincial capitals. It’s just that news traveled slow, so many regular folks who didn’t cultivate had no idea these things even existed.

Naturally, the Wuji Sect was already hooked into this Sky-Ferry network.

So, with the ferry route, the trip from Wuji Peak to Snow Village wasn’t actually that far. Riding the Sky-Ferry meant just a few hours of travel time plus waiting. Besides, everyone here was a cultivator; they had their own ways of getting around. Many cultivators, upon reaching their destination’s airspace, would simply leap right off the Sky-Ferry’s deck and fly down themselves.

“Whoa! Bro Chen, look! That guy just jumped off!”

“Does that mean… this thing doesn’t stop mid-air?! B-But how are we supposed to get down later?”

“No way… Don’t tell me we have to jump too?!”

Throughout the journey, Chen Jianxin and the other young disciples were glued to the Sky-Ferry railing, eyes wide with amazement, buzzing with anxious chatter. Some came from poor backgrounds and had never seen such a modern marvel; others had heard vague rumors but had no clue there was actually a station right on Wuji Peak. And the best part? Sect disciples could ride for free just by showing their Immortal Alliance mission token! Sweet!

“The hell?! Am I your DAD?! Why do you ask me everything?!” Chen Jianxin snapped, annoyed, gazing out at the distant snow-capped mountains.

“B-But Brother Chen… you’re the only one who knows Senior Sister Yun Jin and Senior Sister Jiang… We’re too shy to talk to them…” a few of his buddies mumbled pitifully.

Chen Jianxin fell silent, glancing back. He saw the two Senior Sisters sitting comfortably on the second-floor balcony, laughing and chatting while sipping tea and eating snacks with that richly dressed young master.

“Tch. So what if he’s rich…” Chen Jianxin muttered darkly under his breath.

Honestly, he’d been pretty stoked when they first boarded the Sky-Ferry. First time riding such a magnificent flying vessel, and for free! Awesome! He’d planned to thank Jiang Jinyue for showing them the way. But during the few minutes it took to board and get tickets checked, he saw both Senior Sisters follow He Yimo straight up to the second floor.

Chen Jianxin tried to follow, curious, but before he even reached the stairs, several cultivators in Immortal Alliance uniforms stopped him, demanding his identification. Figures. It was only after being questioned that Chen Jianxin found out: when the Great Xia Dynasty built these ferries, the old masters from the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion had invested hundreds of millions. As a result, any VIP carrying a Grand Preceptor Token could go straight to the luxurious suites with big beds on the second floor upon boarding. Ordinary folks? If they wanted second-floor access, they had to cough up a hefty fee!

“Bro Chen, what were you saying about money? D-Do we have to pay to get off?” the disciples around him started asking nervously.

Chen Jianxin smacked one of them on the back of the head in frustration. “Argh! Can you guys stop bugging me?! Seriously! Go ask the ferry staff how to get off if you don’t know!”

“Oh! Oh yeah, right!”

(Up on the second-floor balcony…)

“Heh. Sorry, not sorry. Being rich is pretty great, actually,” He Yimo murmured, catching Chen Jianxin’s resentful look from afar. He gave a small, amused shrug and took another delicate sip of his tea.

Ever since arriving at Wuji Sect, He Yimo had been under Mo Yuyan’s constant, demanding tutelage, almost entirely missing out on the pampered young master treatment he was used to back in Luo City. He’d almost forgotten he was still a young master. Now, on the Sky-Ferry, he could finally savor that Grand Preceptor’s VIP experience again.

Ahhh, bliss. No squeezing through crowds on the main deck. Plus, cute uniformed attendants bringing tea and snacks, catering to his every need. Nice.

“You know…” He Yimo began abruptly, setting down his teacup. “I’ve actually had a question this whole time.”

On the sofas flanking him, the red-haired and white-haired girls both sat up straighter almost simultaneously. They exchanged a quick glance, then both turned their expectant gazes towards He Yimo.

“When we get there… how exactly are we supposed to get down?” Thinking about the ten-thousand-foot drop below, He Yimo couldn’t help but look troubled. In his past life playing the game, he’d taken the Sky-Ferry too, but it was basically just a fancy teleport. Screen fades to black, loading circle spins for a few seconds, bam! Character appears in the Northfall Snow Mountains. Now, actually sitting on a real Sky-Ferry high above the clouds, He Yimo keenly felt the pain of not knowing how to fly on a sword.

“Don’t worry!” Yun Jin smiled gently, rolling up her sleeve to reveal a faint, glowing Blue Feather Seal on the back of her hand. “I have a contract technique! I can have my Blue Crane carry Young Master He down!”

“Ah! Senior Sister Yun Jin, you’re the best! So reliable!” He Yimo clapped appreciatively. But then, a disturbing memory surfaced. “Wait… this Blue Crane… you ride it, right? It doesn’t… like… carry you in its beak or something?”

“Of course you ride it! Hah! What kind of spirit beast carries its master around in its beak?” Yun Jin giggled, covering her mouth slightly.

But as she said that, the golden spirit seal on the back of He Yimo’s hand pulsed faintly, twice. Meeeaaah?!

He Yimo quickly covered the seal, forcing a dismissive laugh. “Right, right! Being carried by the beak is just ridiculous! What kind of kind-hearted, loyal spirit beast would be annoyed by its own lifesaver, huh?”

“Hm?” Yun Jin tilted her head, faintly hearing what sounded like an indignant little deer baaah-ing angry protests somewhere nearby.

Meanwhile, Jiang Jinyue shot He Yimo a peculiar, knowing look, clearly suspecting he was taking a jab at her too.

“However…” Yun Jin continued, her smile fading slightly, “My Blue Crane is still young… It can carry two people at most, that’s really its limit…” She trailed off, looking subtly towards the red-dressed girl across the table with a helpless expression. “But Miss Jiang, please don’t worry! We’re all here for the Immortal Alliance mission. When we reach the airspace above Northfall Snow Village, the Sky-Ferry will dispatch a smaller shuttle boat to safely land any Wuji Sect disciples who can’t fly…”

“It just means… Miss Jiang might have to squeeze onto the small boat with Chen Jianxin and the others!”

“?” Yun Jin’s words landed, and Jiang Jinyue’s smile instantly froze. She looked like she’d just been challenged. Biting her lip lightly, a faint, cold smirk touched her lips.

“My, my. Didn’t realize Miss Yun was so kind-hearted. How thoughtful of you to worry about little old me~♡,” Jiang Jinyue purred, her voice deceptively sweet. She scooted her chair closer, leaning forward and decisively grabbing He Yimo’s wrist.

“But… I think Miss Yun might find herself riding her Blue Crane alone shortly,” Jiang Jinyue declared.

“Why?” Yun Jin asked, tilting her head innocently.

“Because~♡! I’m sure Young Master He wouldn’t dream of being separated from me!”

“—?!” Being brought into it, He Yimo turned, frowning. He tried to pull his wrist away, but while Jiang Jinyue’s arms were slender, her grip was surprisingly strong. After struggling for a moment, not only did he fail to break free, but Jiang Jinyue deftly intertwined their fingers, locking his hand firmly in hers. Trapped.

However, with Yun Jin watching, both He Yimo and Jiang Jinyue tacitly kept their little power struggle subtle.

“Young Master He~♡ Are you really going to abandon a poor, defenseless girl like me on that little boat~?” Jiang Jinyue whined pitifully. “What if… what if Chen Jianxin and those boys try to… abduct me… or something…? Sob…”

He Yimo almost laughed out loud. Her? Get abducted by Chen Jianxin? Yeah, right. He’d count himself lucky if she didn’t end up screwing over both Chen Jianxin and Yun Jin like in the original story! No way did he want to be stuck alone with Jiang Jinyue.

“If we get separated…” Jiang Jinyue continued, her innocent, enchanting eyes holding a deeply meaningful glint, “then for the rest of this Snow Village mission… Young Master He might never see little me again~!”

As she finished speaking, seemingly whining pitifully, she secretly guided He Yimo’s captured hand under the table, pressing his palm firmly against her thigh. Beneath the soft fabric of her red skirt, amidst the smooth skin of her leg, He Yimo could clearly feel a hard, unyielding lump.

Ah. He instantly understood the unspoken threat. His token. Still tied to Jiang Jinyue’s leg. Damn it.

“Actually…” He Yimo cleared his throat, forcing a smile. “Y-You know what? I think we really should take Senior Sister Jiang along. Safety in numbers, right?”

“And… I just remembered! That little deer I keep… Wangxue…? I think… I think she can fly too, actually…”

{Meeeeh?!}