More than ten days had passed in the blink of an eye since Tang Qiu's return.
As usual, Yang Kai spent each day dragged around the marketplace by the little girl, unable to tear himself away.
One day, after treating her to steamed buns and buying her a few sticks of candied hawthorn, the little girl who had been bouncing along ahead suddenly stopped and turned to face Yang Kai.
"What's wrong?" Yang Kai asked, puzzled.
"Close your eyes."
Yang Kai chuckled. "What are you up to? Being all mysterious."
The little girl pouted. "Don't worry about it. Just close your eyes first."
"Fine, fine." Yang Kai shut his eyes as instructed.
"Hold out your hand!" The little girl's voice reached his ears.
Yang Kai extended a hand, and moments later, he felt something suddenly appear in his palm. Opening his eyes, he saw — a single copper coin!
Yang Kai couldn't help but laugh. "What am I supposed to do with a copper coin?"
The little girl tilted her head and thought for a moment. "You've been taking me to eat this and that these past few days, and you even bought me a hair clip. I don't have anything to give you, so take this."
Well, at least she had a conscience! Yang Kai felt a warmth in his chest. It was just a single copper coin, but it was the thought that counted.
"Then I'll accept it with gratitude." Yang Kai smiled and was about to pocket it when he suddenly noticed that this coin looked different from the ones circulating in the marketplace — it was clearly far more ancient.
"Where did you get this?" he asked curiously. The little girl never had a single coin to her name, and he had no idea where she'd managed to find one.
"I took it from the Ancestor." The little girl spoke through a mouthful of candied hawthorn, her words muffled.
Yang Kai nearly jumped. "You took it from the Ancestor?"
"Mm." The little girl replied carelessly. "Keep it safe. If you ever run into danger, toss this ancient coin out — it might just save your life."
Yang Kai suddenly felt the ancient coin in his hand grow unbearably heavy, and he hurriedly said, "No, no — this is far too precious—"
"If I give it to you, just take it. You're a grown man — stop being so long-winded." The little girl waved him off. "That's enough for today. I'm a bit tired; I'm going back for a nap." With that, she strode off ahead.
Yang Kai was about to chase after her when a figure descended from the sky, blocking his path. It was none other than Xu Linggong. Upon seeing Yang Kai, he said urgently, "The time has come — follow me!"
Yang Kai glanced in the direction the little girl had gone, hesitated for a moment, then followed Xu Linggong away at a brisk pace. The ancient coin was carefully tucked away.
In the marketplace, the little girl who had been skipping along suddenly stopped and stood perfectly still.
With her stillness, the entire marketplace seemed to freeze in place.
After a moment, a gentle breeze swept through, sending the flags lining both sides of the street fluttering noisily.
In an instant, every pair of eyes in the marketplace turned toward the little girl.
And the little girl, who had shown only Void King realm cultivation in Yang Kai's perception, now had an aura that surged like collapsing mountains and roaring seas, climbing rapidly to the Open Heaven realm — and it seemed to have no end in sight.
As her aura and cultivation soared wildly, the little girl's form began to change rapidly. Within a haze of luminous light, the small figure grew at an astonishing rate.
In less than half the time it took to finish a cup of tea, the little girl — who moments ago had exuded only a Void King realm aura — had transformed into a bright-eyed, beautiful young woman who appeared to be in her twenties or thirties.
And the formidable aura swirling around her clearly far surpassed the Eighth Order.
"Welcome back, Ancestor!"
"Welcome back, Ancestor!"
"Welcome back, Ancestor!"
From every corner of the marketplace, voices rang out in congratulation, rising and falling in an unbroken cascade.
The young woman opened her eyes slightly, and her clear, melodious voice carried outward. "You've all worked hard these past few days. Dismissed."
"As the Ancestor commands!"
At her word, shops closed their doors one after another. In less time than it took to finish a cup of tea, the bustling marketplace fell utterly silent, with not a soul in sight.
The young woman turned her gaze toward the pass, her expression as still and unfathomable as an ancient well. Her sleeves billowed, and her figure vanished without a trace.
Meanwhile, in the void beyond the pass, aboard a squad-level palace Artifact, Yang Kai and Xu Linggong stood upon the deck.
Xu Linggong was the captain of this squad. Including himself, the entire squad consisted of thirteen members: two Seventh Order, eight Sixth Order, and three Fifth Order cultivators.