After leaving the stall, the two walked down the street, still catching glances from all directions.
If anything, they were attracting even more attention now.
Shang Can thought to herself, feeling a bit uneasy as she adjusted the fake Wuyou sword behind her. She regretted it a little.
She should have just picked something else, anything else. Anything would have been better than buying Wuyou. At least then she wouldn’t be stuck walking down the street with a sword identical to the one Yun Duan was wearing.
“It has form but no spirit,” Yun Duan remarked. She seemed to agree that buying it wasn’t the best choice, though for different reasons than Shang Can. “This sword isn’t worth the silver.”
“…Weapons like this, made for fans, can only be this good,” Shang Can replied.
Seeing Yun Duan’s genuine concern that she’d been cheated, Shang Can couldn’t help but laugh. “Wuyou is a spiritual sword made by a renowned master of Tianwaitian. If you could buy a sword with the same form and spirit from a random roadside stall, now that would be strange.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Yun Duan suddenly stopped in her tracks, raising an eyebrow as she looked at Shang Can.
“How does A-Can know that Wuyou was made by Tianwaitian?”
“…”
Can’t let my guard down for a second.
Shang Can kept her expression neutral and calmly responded, “After all, Yun Zhongjun and Tianwaitian are both quite famous. A lot of people should know about this.”
“You see, Tianwaitian’s famous swords are worth their weight in gold. They’re highly coveted by swordsmen because of their rarity. I heard there’s even a famous swords ranking, and Wuyou is at least in the top three—”
She rambled on to cover her tracks but soon realized saying too much would seem suspicious, so she quickly concluded, “This sword is well-known, so it’s not strange that I’d know about it.”
Yun Duan didn’t refute her, but after a moment, she suddenly asked, “Does A-Can know of a sword from Tianwaitian called ‘Feiwang’?”
“—”
Shang Can froze but quickly masked her reaction, shaking her head nonchalantly.
“…I don’t know. Never heard of it.”
Yun Duan didn’t press the matter, and the topic of swords quickly passed.
The bustling crowd of Yan Yang City continued to swirl around them. Perhaps it was because Shang Can’s identity had been exposed and made people wary, or maybe it was the speech she gave for Yun Duan at the inn that had spread. Either way, their walk this time didn’t draw the same over-the-top welcome they’d received when they first arrived in Yan Yang. Aside from some extra glances, everything went smoothly.
Shang Can couldn’t help but appreciate how Yan Yang was a big city with worldly residents. At least no one screamed and ran away from her, which was quite comforting. Yun Duan, on the other hand, seemed satisfied with the situation, commenting, “It’s much easier going out with A-Can.”
“What? Is Yun Zhongjun using me as a shield or something?”
Shang Can chuckled, but seeing Yun Duan’s serious face, about to say something in earnest, she quickly cut in, “Go ahead, use me as you like.”
“There are plenty of people eyeing this spot I’m in, anyway. If anything, I should be grateful for the advantage.”
For some reason, Shang Can could never keep up a serious demeanor around Yun Duan. Not long after her earlier slip-up, her tone had already turned casual again, with a hint of teasing. She raised an eyebrow at Yun Duan. “It’s a win-win, after all. I think I’m quite useful.”
“….” Yun Duan was momentarily stunned, then smiled softly. The sunlight cast a warm glow over her elegant profile and deep, ink-like eyes. “Then I’ll rely on A-Can.”
“Sure, I’ve already received my payment.”
Walking with a beauty was a feast for the eyes, and Shang Can enjoyed the prime view. By now, she had finally set aside her worries about the Ghost Clan and the false Can, fully immersing herself in the fun of showing Yun Duan around Yan Yang.
“Has Yun Zhongjun never been out to wander before?”
As she bought a bag of steaming hot sugar-roasted chestnuts from a street vendor, she peeled one and asked, “Even if you couldn’t walk around freely because you were too famous, you must have been here a few times before, right? Want one?”
“I’ve been here before… Thank you,” Yun Duan accepted the chestnut and softly thanked her. “Before I descended the mountain, I studied at Tianwaitian. I visited Yan Yang then, but I was too busy training to have any chance to play around. Hand me the chestnut shells, I’ll throw them away.”
“There are no shells, see?”
Shang Can spread her empty hands, then grabbed another chestnut still in its shell. She lightly squeezed it, and when she opened her hand again, only the steaming chestnut remained, the shell nowhere to be seen.
“Heavenfire is really convenient.”
Even though Yun Duan had witnessed her roasting chicken and warming porridge with Heavenfire before, she still watched in awe. Finally, she couldn’t help but ask, “Does A-Can often use Heavenfire like this?”
“Of course,” Shang Can replied honestly. “I use it for things like this much more often than in fights—after all, I don’t have that many fights to get into. It’s handy, so why not use it?”
Yun Duan was silent for a moment before asking, “Did you learn Heavenfire after joining Biluo Huangquan?”
“That’s a trade secret.” Shang Can immediately put on a firm ‘no comment’ face, but she quickly shrugged it off, unconcerned. “Well, pretty much, yeah.”
“A cultivator who falls into the demonic path loses their Dao heart, and at the same time, they awaken powerful abilities, becoming a demonic cultivator—”
She recited the words that all cultivators knew by heart, but her gaze had already locked onto a stall selling milk custard.
“My power is this Heavenfire. I heard it’s pretty rare.”
Shang Can casually shoved the peeled chestnuts into Yun Duan’s hands. “It’s kind of cool, I’m quite pleased with it. Want some custard? I remember that stall being pretty good.”
The sudden change in topic made Yun Duan instinctively catch the bag of chestnuts, and she looked up in a daze, meeting Shang Can’s eager, sparkling eyes.
She stared for a moment, then suddenly smiled, her expression soft like layers of peach blossoms blooming in the spring.
“I’ll have some. But no Heavenfire for the custard.”
“I know, I know. Wait here for a bit, and don’t wander off.”
Seeing Yun Duan smile often today made Shang Can happy as well, and she hurried over to the custard stall.
Yun Duan stood quietly, watching Shang Can’s retreating figure. Shang Can was dressed in a red, tight-sleeved outfit today, embroidered with gold thread. She was tall, and her fitted waist accentuated her long, graceful figure, exuding a kind of playful elegance and charm.
Yun Duan watched for a long time, then plucked a chestnut from the bag and popped it into her mouth. It was still a little hot, and its soft sweetness spread across her tongue.
“…A demonic cultivator, Can-zhe…”
Yun Duan murmured softly, her grip tightening slightly around the paper bag.
Though Shang Can said she was taking Yun Duan around Yan Yang, in reality, they were mostly just eating their way through the street stalls.
Shang Can rolled a sugar ball around in her mouth and, for once, felt a bit embarrassed as she glanced over at Yun Duan.
“…For lunch, do you still want to find a place to eat?”
Yun Duan hesitated as expected, looking at the many unfinished snacks in her hands, then glanced back at Shang Can, who appeared a bit troubled.
“If A-Can wants to, then—”
“No, no, no, I don’t want to. Don’t worry about me,”
Shang Can quickly interrupted Yun Duan, sighing softly with a touch of guilt.
“It’s my fault for letting you eat so many little snacks.”
It was only now that Shang Can realized just how much fun she had been having today. Without noticing, she’d eagerly pointed out all the street food in Yan Yang to Yun Duan along the way. And Yun Duan, being far too accommodating, never said no when asked if she wanted to try something, which only encouraged Shang Can to go overboard, leaving them both a bit overstuffed.
While Shang Can silently reflected on her actions, Yun Duan seemed unbothered. “Is A-Can very familiar with Yan Yang?”
“Not exactly… but I’m definitely more familiar with it than you are.”
After all, she used to sneak out a lot when she was at Tianwaitian for her studies. That’s what Shang Can thought to herself, but what she actually said was, “Because Can-zhe has never shown their face, no one knows what I look like. So when I walk down the street, no one recognizes me.”
Yun Duan’s eyes flickered with understanding, and she asked with intent, “Using this face?”
“…”
Shang Can paused for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, this face.”
After all, even if no one knew her as Can-zhe, if she walked around in public with her original face, people would recognize her as Shang Can.
…Ah, hiding one identity after another is really exhausting, Shang Can thought.
“I thought A-Can didn’t usually leave Biluo Huangquan,” Yun Duan mused, nodding thoughtfully. “So you still come to the city sometimes.”
“…Yeah. But I don’t come to Yan Yang often.”
Shang Can wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but she felt like Yun Duan had just coaxed some more information out of her again. Adding that last bit about not coming often seemed like a weak cover-up now. She bit into the shrinking sugar ball with a crunch, chewing it with a sense of resignation.
Just as Shang Can was thinking about changing the subject, she suddenly noticed a round, plump bird flying towards them from the horizon. It flapped its wings and landed unceremoniously on Yun Duan’s shoulder.
If Shang Can hadn’t recognized the bird just before it arrived, she might have stopped it. The two of them looked at the bird, which, despite its appearance, maintained a dignified and graceful demeanor. Under their watchful gazes, it elegantly opened its beak.
“Junior Sister Yun Duan, I passed by Tianwaitian and heard that you and Can-zhe are in Yan Yang, so I’m sending a message. Could we meet?”
“Ah, of course, it’s Chu… I mean, Lord Yushan,” Shang Can raised an eyebrow knowingly.
The voice of Chu Ming had emerged from the bird’s mouth. This was a typical Tianwaitian messenger bird, a spirit summoning often used by the cultivators of Qingyu. For some reason, the birds summoned by Chu Ming were always particularly fat, making them easily recognizable. Shang Can had seen it many times when she was at Qingyu, so seeing it now brought a bit of nostalgic amusement.
After the bird finished relaying the location, it nodded to Shang Can with a measured air, then, without a hint of shame, flapped over to perch on her shoulder. Despite the message being meant for Yun Duan, the bird showed no intention of avoiding Shang Can.
…Just like its master. Could this bird recognize her too?
It seemed likely. Shang Can glanced at Yun Duan, who was equally unconcerned by the bird’s presence, and couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of defeat.
…It was only thanks to Yun Duan’s memory seal that she could keep up this charade. Her disguise was practically useless.
Suppressing her frustration, Shang Can turned to Yun Duan and said, “Since Lord Yushan is here today, why don’t you go meet him?”
Yun Duan frowned. “Aren’t you coming with me?”
“…That wouldn’t be appropriate.”
Though she had half expected Yun Duan to say this, Shang Can couldn’t help but marvel at how little wariness the woman had. She let out a dry laugh and compromised.
“How about this: I’ll go with you but wait outside. I won’t go in and chat with Lord Yushan.”
She politely indicated that it wouldn’t be suitable for her to join the conversation between Qingyu cultivators and reassured Yun Duan, “Don’t worry, I won’t sneak off.”
To ease Yun Duan’s concerns, Shang Can added with a playful look in her eye, “I’m still waiting for Lord Yun Zhong to find someone to help me explore the Underworld entrance tonight.”
As soon as she said this, a sudden thought struck her—could Lord Yushan be the so-called helper?
Why else would Chu Ming appear right at this moment? The timing was just too perfect.
The more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Shang Can began to feel uneasy, her head starting to ache.
Working with both Chu Ming, who had already figured out her identity, and Yun Duan, who was still suspicious of her?
Ugh, give her a break. Could she blow her cover any faster?
Feeling weighed down by the situation, Shang Can glanced at the plump messenger bird preening its feathers on her shoulder, as if it were a heavy burden.
The constant overthinking was getting to her, so Shang Can decided to ask Yun Duan directly, “Is Lord Yushan the helper you mentioned before, the one who couldn’t come during the day?”
“…” Yun Duan seemed to hesitate, but soon shook her head. “No.”
Thank goodness! At least the situation hadn’t become more complicated! Now she only had to deal with Yun Duan, who was suspicious of her!
…That still felt pretty complicated, come to think of it.
Shang Can furrowed her brow in a mix of relief and lingering anxiety, saying with a bittersweet tone, “So he really just came to see Lord Yun Zhong. I thought…”
Yun Duan looked at her for a moment, then averted her gaze, speaking faintly, “It might not be me he’s here to see.”
After tossing out this cryptic remark, Yun Duan seemed to grow a little frustrated, pursing her lips and saying softly, “Let’s go.”
She turned and started walking away, leaving Shang Can behind, still confused.
…Maybe it was just her imagination, but Shang Can had the feeling that Yun Duan’s mood had taken a turn for the worse.
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