Chapter 56: Sprint!

The moon was large and round. Yufan, accompanied by Xingchenzi and Fangyu, strolled in small, hesitant steps near the thatched cottage. They paid no attention to Jian Yichen, who was cowering inside the hut, too afraid to come out lest Yufan actually beat him up. Under the round moon, the three of them made their way to a flight of stone steps not far from the cottage.

The three of them leaned against each other's backs, gazing up at the bright moon.

"What kind of pathetic outfit is this Talisman Sect? It doesn't look legitimate at all; it feels like a scam to cheat people out of their silver. Let's see what kind of monsters and ghosts these people really are," Yufan murmured, looking up at the bright moon.

"Haha, once we finish the task you mentioned, we'll leave this place and not linger here a moment longer," Fangyu said, glancing sideways at Yufan before looking back at the moon.

"It's taking so long, I don't want to stay here anymore either," Xing Yichen pouted and said.

"This Talisman Sect—Xiao Shan, Niu Xiaodan, Niu Dazhuang, and that womanizer Jian Yichen. He's all talk and no substance; the only real skill he has is deceiving young girls. People always say joining the Talisman Sect requires layer upon layer of strict selection, but this doesn't feel like it at all..." Yufan muttered to himself, his tone laced with a hint of disdain.

He turned his head to look at Fangyu and saw a playful smile curling the corner of Fangyu's lips, his gaze piercing through the night.

"You're right," Fangyu said, setting aside his long sword and speaking gently. "The Talisman Sect has a resounding reputation, but in reality, it's a mixed bag of good and bad. Look at Niu Xiaodan—he never works hard at his martial arts practice, but when it comes to cutting corners and acting sly, he's second to none. Niu Dazhuang has boundless strength but lacks common sense, and he's constantly being used by others without even realizing it. As for Jian Yichen—hmph, apart from his glib tongue, how is that fellow even worthy of being a disciple of the Talisman Sect?"

"Yufan, neither of us belongs to the mortal herd; why bother bickering with these scoundrels? Once we finish our mission, we will naturally find a realm that truly belongs to us." Fangyu's words were gentle yet firm. He lightly patted Yufan's shoulder, and the tacit understanding between the two needed no words.

"Hey, what are you guys saying about me? Say it to my face!"

As Yufan sat on the steps, a nearby tree branch began to sway and rock back and forth...

Yufan stood up, furious, and shouted, "Who's there? If you have the guts, get down here and stop playing ghost!"

With a sudden thud, a figure tumbled down from the tree. "Damn it, stupid tree branch, how dare you trip me!"

Bathed in the moonlight that slowly illuminated his fallen form, Jian Yichen asked, "Can you guys give me a hand?"

Yufan cursed angrily, "Damn it, this pest followed us!"

Xing Yichen wore an expression that clearly wanted to beat Jian Yichen up.

Fangyu spoke up softly, "Junior brother, go help him up."

The moonlight, clear as water, washed over Jian Yichen's rather disheveled figure. He was half-lying on the grass, his limbs sprawled out in an exaggerated manner, as if he were truly trapped by that invisible "tree." His pleading expression was comical yet helpless.

Seeing this, the corners of Yufan's mouth twitched upward involuntarily, but he immediately tried to suppress his amusement, forcing an expression that said, "I'm not falling for your tricks."

"Jian Yichen, it's a crime you aren't working in a theater troupe with acting skills like yours," Yufan said as he slowly approached, his tone teasing yet carrying a trace of genuine concern.

He squatted down, gently poked Jian Yichen on the forehead with his finger, and said with feigned seriousness, "If you keep being this dramatic, I might actually leave you here to feed the mosquitoes."

Despite his words, his hands had already reached under Jian Yichen's arms, preparing to pull him up gently.

At that moment, Yufan looked down at Jian Yichen—who was wedged in the tree—with a dark expression.

"Hey, hey, big brother, are you going to save me or just stand there grinning like an idiot?" Jian Yichen asked, still wedged in the branches, his voice returning to normal.

Jian Yichen's voice rang out clearly in the night breeze, carrying a hint of grievance and helplessness. His usually eloquent mouth could only open halfway, revealing an awkward smile.

His slightly disheveled appearance added a touch of dark comedy to the scene.

Hearing this, Yufan caught the corner of his mouth curving into a subtle smile. He deliberately slowed his movements, pretending to tug hard on Jian Yichen's arm. In reality, he only gave a light pull, yet Jian Yichen let out an exaggerated cry of "Ouch!" and tumbled sideways, perfectly avoiding the tangled branches and landing steadily on his feet.

"See? You still need me in the end." Yufan dusted off his hands smugly, his face beaming with childlike innocence, as if he had just accomplished a magnificent feat.

Jian Yichen rubbed his bruised back and rolled his eyes. Though his tongue remained sharp, the flash of gratitude in his eyes betrayed his true feelings.

Dusting off his long robes, Jian Yichen retrieved a small bronze mirror from his sleeve. The mirror reflected his somewhat disheveled face, which quickly regained its radiance. A cunning smile touched his lips as he produced a small wooden comb from between his fingers, deftly running it through his hair. A few stray locks instantly fell into place, restoring his usual dashing and debonair appearance.

Witnessing this sudden "transformation" from the side, Yufan rolled his eyes, a helpless smile hanging on his lips. He thought to himself, *This guy never forgets to look cool, no matter where or when.*

Jian Yichen put away the mirror and comb with a look of satisfaction, then turned his gaze to Yufan. His eyes gleamed with a mischievous light. "Let's go! Take me to see those legendary beautiful junior sisters. Maybe they can add some fun to my life here in the Talisman Sect." With that, he deliberately straightened his posture, his stride brimming with pride and anticipation.

Stepping forward, Jian Yichen offered Yufan a gentlemanly bow. "Hi baby, allow kissing your hand while sleeping."

Xing Yichen immediately rolled his eyes, completely unable to understand this foreign gibberish.

The corners of Fangyu's lips curved slightly upward.

Jian Yichen continued, "Are you ok?"

Unable to hold back any longer, Yufan kicked Jian Yichen and scolded angrily, "Stop speaking bird language! Did you swim across the ocean to study abroad, or did you go on a pilgrimage to the Western Paradise?"

Twirling his fingers in an affected orchid gesture, Jian Yichen turned to face Yufan and said, "So crude, such a bumpkin."

"Have you ever read the Bible? Have you ever studied foreign talismanic arts? Do you know what Satan is outside? Illiterate!" Jian Yichen turned slightly, smiling at Fangyu.

Yufan kicked Jian Yichen again as a warning not to bother his senior sister.

Jian Yichen flirtatiously lifted his orchid-shaped fingers, the tips lightly brushing across the night sky as if dancing with invisible notes. The posture was both comical and strangely elegant.

He turned around, mischief and provocation flashing in his eyes. With a playful smirk, he said to Yufan, "Crude and unpolished bumpkin, do you have any idea how vast this world is and how profound its culture? Though I haven't traveled across the sea myself, my heart has already sailed with the wind to explore unknown exotic lands. As for the Bible, it is not only a chapter of faith but also the crystallization of wisdom—how could a mortal like you easily comprehend it?"

With that, he paced slowly forward, each step seeming to follow some mysterious rhythm. In the moonlight, his shadow was stretched long, forming a sharp contrast with the ancient scenery of the Talisman Sect around him, making it seem as though he had truly traveled through time and space from another era. Yufan was amused by this sudden display of "intellectualism." His mouth twitched as he fought the urge to laugh, and in the end, he could only shake his head helplessly, thinking to himself, *This guy really knows how to put on an act.*