Chapter 36: My Lord, we are finally free.

Lin Fan cast his divine sense outward, confirming there was no danger around the dilapidated temple before cautiously breaking through the soil and emerging from the ground.

He dusted off his clothes and looked around. The temple had long since been abandoned. Most of the roof had collapsed, leaving behind a pitch-black cavity that stared at the desolate landscape like a giant, solitary eye. Withered vines clung to the crumbling walls, swaying gently in the breeze and rustling like the whispers of ghosts. The temple doors were long rotted away, with only a few broken wooden planks hanging precariously from the frame, ready to fall at any moment. The courtyard was overgrown with weeds nearly knee-high, where unknown insects chirped with a faint rustling sound, adding to the sense of desolation and bleakness.

"Finally, I've escaped," Lin Fan sighed with relief, wiping the sweat from his forehead, feeling inwardly fortunate. He had no desire to get caught up in the Su family’s dangerous schemes, nor did he want to become a pawn for Ji Qingwan.

"I wonder where that girl Xiyue has gotten to?" Lin Fan muttered, rubbing his chin.

Just then, a familiar voice drifted from behind him.

"Young Master!"

Lin Fan turned around to see Bai Xiyue standing not far away, looking at him with surprise and joy. She was dressed in a pale blue gown, her long, raven-black hair cascading loosely over her shoulders, and a faint, excited blush graced her delicate face. A spark of pure delight flickered in her bright, wide eyes.

"Young Master! We’re finally free!"

Bai Xiyue cheered like a joyful little bird and threw herself into Lin Fan’s arms. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and hooked her legs around his waist, clinging to him like a koala. Her petite frame trembled slightly with excitement.

Lin Fan felt a wave of softness against him, and the tip of his nose was filled with the faint, refreshing fragrance of the young girl. He could clearly feel the softness of her chest pressed firmly against his own, rising and falling with her breath, creating a sensation that made his heart race.

"Hey, little Yue’er, are you trying to strangle me?" Lin Fan teased, enjoying the warmth and the vibrant youthfulness of the girl in his embrace.

"Young Master, I’m just so happy!" Bai Xiyue let go and stood before him, her pretty face flushed with a soft pink hue.

Lin Fan could understand her current mood. She had been under the control of Su Xingyue, and if nothing had changed, her life would likely have remained that way forever. Leaving the Su family meant she could finally change her destiny. Especially by following him, her path in cultivation would be smooth, and the Great Dao itself might even be within reach. How could she not be excited?

"Little Yue’er, how did you get here so fast?" he asked. He had used a Earth-Evasion Talisman, and combined with his Foundation Establishment speed, it was surprising that she had arrived before him.

"I spotted an opportunity to leave as soon as the battle with the Liu family broke out. I’m familiar with the terrain of Linjiang City, but I’ve only just arrived myself!" Bai Xiyue paused, then looked at him. "Young Master, where are we going now?"

Lin Fan had already made his plans. In the cultivation world of the Chu Kingdom, there were three major sects, two schools, and seven great clans, and he didn't want to join any of them. His system’s ability required consuming his own lifespan to help others breakthrough; if he went to those powers, he risked being discovered, imprisoned, and turned into a tool for their advancement. It would be better to be a rogue cultivator, keeping a low profile while wandering between various marketplaces, selling his ability to help others breakthrough in exchange for spirit stones. Although this life wouldn't be as comfortable as being surrounded by beauties in the Su family, life was precious, and love was even more so—but for the sake of freedom, both could be sacrificed! Lin Fan did not want to be a bird in a cage, even if it meant being well-fed.

He remembered Su Xingyu telling him that there was a marketplace three hundred miles away.

"I know of a marketplace three hundred miles from here. Let’s head there for now to settle down, learn more about the current state of the cultivation world, and then decide on our next move," Lin Fan said.

Bai Xiyue, however, shook her head quickly. "Young Master, we absolutely cannot! I know that place; it is the only gathering point for cultivators within several hundred miles. If we leave like this, that is the first place my master would look!"

It had to be said that the girl was right.

"Then we shall head in the opposite direction!"

Lin Fan had only half-finished his sentence when his expression suddenly changed.

"Young Master, what’s wrong?" Bai Xiyue asked softly, noticing his change in demeanor.

Lin Fan held a finger to his lips, signaling her to be silent.

A moment later, a sharp, piercing sound ripped through the air as a streak of light shot directly toward the temple. In the blink of an eye, the figures of Ji Qingwan and Su Xingyue appeared in the courtyard.

Bai Xiyue’s face turned deathly pale, and her breathing grew shallow. She clutched her sleeve tightly, her eyes darting between Lin Fan and Ji Qingwan, filled with anxiety. Although Su Xingyue was her master, the terrifying presence of the grand-master, Ji Qingwan, made her feel even more afraid. The fact that these two had tracked them here meant that her and Lin Fan’s plan had fallen through.

Lin Fan put on an awkward but polite smile and scratched his head. "Why are the Senior and Elder Sister here? Little Yue’er and I were chasing a cultivator from the Liu family, and we were just about to head back."

Inside, he was screaming: *How does this old witch stick to us like a ghost? Does she have a GPS tracker on me? I'm done for.*

"Chasing a Liu family cultivator?" Ji Qingwan looked at Lin Fan with a playful, inscrutable glint in her eyes. "Are you joking? Not a single Liu family cultivator escaped their estate. Who exactly are you chasing?"

Su Xingyue stood to the side, her face dark and silent, but the look she gave Lin Fan was filled with undisguised fury.

Lin Fan said with a sincere expression, "Senior, you might not know, but that Liu family cultivator was incredibly cunning and skilled in earth-evasion techniques. Little Yue’er and I chased him all the way here, but he burrowed into the ground to escape. We had no other choice but to end up here."

Lin Fan groaned inwardly; this lie was so poorly constructed that even a three-year-old wouldn't believe it. However, since both Ji Qingwan and Su Xingyue were only interested in his ability to help others breakthrough, they wouldn't easily tear off the mask and confront him, no matter how clumsy his acting was.

"Cough, cough... Since you didn't catch him, my husband, you should return with us!" Su Xingyue’s expression shifted several times before she finally offered a smile.

Return?

Lin Fan’s heart sank. If he went back now, it would be almost impossible to escape again.

"What’s wrong, husband? You don't want to go back?" Su Xingyue’s eyes flickered with a faint, mocking smile.

"I do, I want to go back!" Lin Fan nodded quickly, wearing a smile that looked worse than crying.

Su Xingyue suddenly placed a hand on her flat abdomen and said softly, "My husband may not know this, but I am pregnant. Once you return, the three of us can live a good life together."