novelraw Chapter 20 : Yun Yazi
Chapter 20 : Yun Yazi
Chapter 20: Yun Yazi
Lin Xiaowan’s steps halted.
She slowly turned around. Her gaze first fell on Zhang Fan’s anxious face, then finally settled on the slightly illusory figure in white.
A strange sense of unreality enveloped her—not fear, but a dazed feeling as if her understanding had been shaken.
A remnant soul, a bound treasure… concepts that belonged to novels in her previous life were now vividly before her.
No wonder!
Many previously vague doubts suddenly became clear.
That occasional confidence Zhang Fan displayed, that almost naïve persistence—so this was the source!
“Little girl, there is no need to be alarmed.” The white-clad figure’s voice echoed in both their minds. “This old man is Yun Yazi, currently residing within this Soul-Nurturing Jade. Fan’er may act recklessly, but his intentions are pure. I reveal myself only to testify on his behalf—there is no malice.”
Yun Yazi’s voice was calm, without any trace of superiority. It matched Lin Xiaowan’s image of an enlightened expert.
Suppressing the turmoil in her heart, Lin Xiaowan performed a respectful greeting. “Junior… greets Senior Yun.”
Zhang Fan also came back to his senses, nodding hurriedly, his face full of urgency and regret. “Miss Xu, I’m really sorry! My master is right—I’m just an idiot! I only thought you were special, wanted to understand you better, to help you—I had no other intentions!”
“Who would have thought you carried such a great secret.”
Lin Xiaowan spoke softly, her voice slightly hoarse, her gaze returning to Zhang Fan. The coldness in her eyes had lessened.
She raised her sleeve, gently wiping the remaining moisture from the corner of her eyes. “So… you weren’t sent by a cultivation family? And you weren’t… secretly following or investigating me?”
“Absolutely not!” Zhang Fan almost swore to the heavens.
The white-clad figure did not remain long. After a brief explanation, he faded away just as he had appeared, merging back into the ancient jade at Zhang Fan’s chest, leaving only a final remark:
“You young people… talk things through.”
The pressure vanished.
Zhang Fan’s shoulders slumped as he let out a long breath, quickly pulling Lin Xiaowan back toward the fire.
The cave returned to calm—but no longer carried the despair from before.
“That Senior Yun… you call him Master?” Lin Xiaowan poked at the firewood, asking softly.
“Yes.” Zhang Fan nodded, admiration in his eyes. “Master was a Golden Core cultivator in life!”
“Golden Core cultivator?”
Lin Xiaowan’s pupils contracted.
In the Cangmang Mountain region, Foundation Establishment was already legendary—Golden Core was something utterly out of reach, almost mythical!
Yet Zhang Fan possessed such fortune?
Zhang Fan’s explanation was simple: his blood had accidentally stained a family jade pendant, awakening the dormant remnant soul, who then guided him and taught him cultivation methods.
There was no embellishment, yet it felt all the more real.
Lin Xiaowan listened quietly, occasionally responding, her gaze lowered toward the flickering flames, as if still processing everything.
Zhang Fan could sense that her subtle distance had not completely vanished.
This made him feel a bit disheartened—but more than that, anxious.
He wanted to prove himself. He wanted her to know he was not what she thought—and that he was not powerless.
“I came to Luoyang City not just to seek relatives, but also for an opportunity,” Zhang Fan said seriously, lowering his voice. “Master told me that in the deepest part of Luoxia Valley, there may grow a heavenly treasure called ‘Pure Water Lotus.’”
“Pure Water Lotus?”
Lin Xiaowan raised her eyes slightly. She had never heard of it.
“Yes!” Zhang Fan’s eyes lit up. “Master said it has a heaven-defying effect—it can improve a cultivator’s spiritual root aptitude with no side effects! I have three attributes—if I obtain it, there’s a good chance I can advance to dual attributes. And if someone already has dual attributes, they could even achieve a single-attribute Heavenly Spiritual Root!”
Spiritual root advancement? Heavenly Spiritual Root?
Lin Xiaowan’s heart trembled.
Such a treasure… existed in Luoxia Valley?
“So, you plan to go to the deepest part?” she asked, frowning slightly. “Even the elders of the three families may not dare go there. It’s full of danger—aren’t you afraid?”
“Of course not.” Zhang Fan clenched his fists, his voice firm. “Cultivation is defying the heavens—how can one fear difficulty? Besides… with Master’s guidance, I may still have a chance.”
Seeing the fire burning in his eyes—
Lin Xiaowan fell silent.
She thought of the “protagonists” from her past life’s stories—those who always survived impossible situations.
Zhang Fan, with a Golden Core remnant soul as his master… his fortune was likely extraordinary.
Could he truly be a “chosen protagonist”?
Zhang Fan suddenly looked at her, his gaze blazing. “So, Miss Xu—can you tell me now? Who exactly do you want to deal with? Can I… finally help you?”
The cave fell into deeper silence.
The flames crackled softly.
Lin Xiaowan lowered her eyes. Her long lashes cast shadows.
She remained silent for a long time—so long that Zhang Fan thought she wouldn’t answer.
Finally, she sighed softly, as if setting down a long-carried burden.
“The Lin Family.”
She spoke two words—clear and cold.
“My real name… is Lin Xiaowan.”
She did not look at him, staring instead into the darkness as if recounting someone else’s story—dead parents, crippled spiritual roots, stolen inheritance, wandering alone…
Her words were brief, yet painted a cold and cruel life.
Revenge and survival were her dual driving forces.
As for the Profound Essence Scripture and the truth of Drunken Immortal Pavilion, she concealed them—replacing them with a more understandable explanation of “innate deficiency.”
Truth and omission intertwined into a flawless narrative.
Zhang Fan’s breathing grew heavy.
All his confusion and pain transformed into pity and righteous anger.
Without hesitation, he blurted:
“Lin Xiaowan! From now on, travel with us in the valley!”
Lin Xiaowan looked at him.
“Master knows many secrets of the valley—more than the three families. If we work together, our chances of finding treasures will increase,” Zhang Fan said earnestly. “You can choose whatever benefits you first. I can’t promise revenge yet—but at least I can help heal your body and make you stronger!”
His promise was direct and passionate, filled with youthful sincerity.
Lin Xiaowan remained silent, weighing her options.
Zhang Fan was emotional and simple—an ideal temporary ally and a useful tool. Traveling with him meant she couldn’t freely engage in Dual Cultivation, but it ensured access to deeper exploration.
After a long moment, she nodded lightly.
“Alright.”
Then she shot him a glare. “Remember—keep the name Lin Xiaowan to yourself. Do not speak it carelessly.”
Zhang Fan’s face broke into a relieved smile. “I won’t!”
They chatted briefly, then Zhang Fan moved to a dry corner, sitting cross-legged to cultivate.
Lin Xiaowan lay on the clothes spread near the fire, her back to him, facing the cave wall.
But—
She bit her thumbnail lightly, a faint smile at her lips, her eyes clear and calculating.
For others, dealing with Zhang Fan would mean worrying about Yun Yazi’s stance.
But Lin Xiaowan understood human nature—and men in particular.
Zhang Fan was already deeply infatuated with her.
She could not give him everything at once.
She had to keep him wanting.
Let him waver between gain and loss.
As long as she maintained her place in his heart, even if Yun Yazi saw through her and spoke ill of her—
Zhang Fan would still defend her.