Rain

"Eighteen Wheels, you owe me my life, you owe my entire family our lives, and you owe the whole City of Fools! And now you still want to trap me?" A top-tier Scry Cultivator could find the weakest point in a person's consciousness. Previously, as merely an artisan cultivator, Old Train's mind had been like a solid sheet of iron, but the complete Old Train was vastly different. The City of Fools and the lives of A'yu's family were the most vulnerable parts of Old Train's consciousness. The complete Old Train was nearly impervious, yet his own consciousness had developed a severe looseness. And as his consciousness loosened, the train doors loosened once again. An ordinary person couldn't see the crack in the train door, but A'yu could. "This crack is enough—enough for us to switch to another place." A'yu stroked the Heavenly Maiden's arm. Resting on A'yu's back, the Heavenly Maiden's fingertips twitched ever so slightly. A'yu took the woman's hand and smiled. "We're going to find Little Train. I know how to get inside. Lai Wuju told me that if you use Extending the Wide Bridal Chamber, we can get right in." Inside the main room, Jiu'er sensed impending danger and immediately activated the array within the room. At the doorway stood six bamboo poles, all trimmed for Jiu'er with Zhao Xiaowan's help, each carefully measured in length and thickness. These six bamboo poles formed a variation of the Bewildering Blossoms Array; if an ordinary person took a single step toward them, they would immediately lose all sense of direction, unable to tell front from back or left from right. *Whoosh—* As if a gust of wind had swept into the main room, Jiu'er couldn't help shivering. Could she already be here? Why couldn't she be seen? She had almost forgotten—A'yu was carrying the Heavenly Maiden on her back. The Heavenly Maiden was a Dwelling Cultivator, someone easily overlooked. *Yet my mother is only carrying the Heavenly Maiden—is she being overlooked too?* While Jiu'er was still searching for traces of A'yu, a crisp snap suddenly sounded from the doorway. *Crack—* One of the bamboo poles snapped. The Bewildering Blossoms Array had been broken. Jiu'er was startled. She hadn't even seen how the bamboo pole had broken. A'yu let out a chuckle. "Little girl, is this trifling trick all you have to welcome your mother?" Jiu'er could hear A'yu's voice, yet she could not see her figure at all. Relying on the incoming menace, Jiu'er roughly pinpointed A'yu's position. A'yu was likely still by the door, standing near the desk and watching. She hadn't dared advance further into the room, which showed she still harbored some wariness. By determining the general direction, Jiu'er could deploy a stronger array, but this array had to be tailored specifically to the opponent's position. She pulled nine bamboo poles from her pocket, each three feet long and an inch in diameter. The nine bamboo poles flew in circles around Jiu'er. Under her control, they drove into nine spots, tracing out a nine-palace grid within the main room. Though this nine-palace grid appeared unremarkable, it was an ultimate art Jiu'er had created herself within the companion dwelling, called Nine Palaces Ten Thousand Years. Ten thousand years might be an exaggeration, but if someone charged into the grid without knowing how to break it, they might not escape for eight or ten years. Leaning against the doorframe of the third room, Jiu'er observed the shifts in the array. A wave of laughter reached her ears. "Girl, this array is quite novel. Did you invent it recently?" Jiu'er said nothing. She was certain A'yu did not know how to break the array; this was indeed a technique she had created after entering the companion dwelling. She just needed to stall for one minute. The task Zhao Xiaowan had given Jiu'er was merely to hold out for one minute. A'yu spoke again: "Girl, this array of yours is far too similar to the games you played as a child. Your mother saw through it with a single glance." *Don't listen to her nonsense. She definitely can't tell.* "Girl, the marks you left are far too obvious." *The bamboo poles were planted through the air—what marks could there be? Even if I accidentally left a trace, she couldn't spot many flaws.* "Girl, I'm coming. Once your mother walks out of here, I'm going to give you a good slap." *She actually thinks she can walk out? As if—as if it were that easy... Where has she reached now?* Cold sweat broke out on Jiu'er. *Could she happen to be walking along the path that breaks the array? She knows me too well!* "Girl, don't let your thoughts wander. Your big sister can hear them." *I can't think about the path to break the array, and I can't look at it, or she'll notice.* *Yet just now, I already thought about it—* *Smack!* Amid her panic, Jiu'er suddenly felt a stinging slap across her bottom. "Impudent girl, you just won't stop acting up with me, will you? Instead of helping me, you side with outsiders—where's your loyalty? Go stand to the side. I'll deal with you later." A'yu had walked out of the Nine Palaces Ten Thousand Years Array! It hadn't even been a minute. Barely half a minute! Jiu'er pulled more bamboo poles from her pocket, wanting to set up another array, but the door to the third room suddenly swung open, and an invisible force yanked Jiu'er inside. "Don't fight her anymore." The one who had pulled Jiu'er in was the Old Master. Judging by the companion dwelling's perception, if she continued tangling with A'yu, Jiu'er might lose her life. Jiu'er bit her lip and hung her head. "I'm useless. I couldn't hold her back!" The Old Master chuckled. "To accomplish this much was already quite a feat. Rest here for a moment—*cough, cough, cough!*" The companion dwelling broke into a fit of violent coughing. In the fifth room, Red Lotus's leaves had carved dozens of gouges into the walls. Such a critical opportunity was something Red Lotus would never let slip. Squatting amid the flowers, the maiden of the fifth room was picking blossoms. Compared to Red Lotus, she seemed in no hurry at all, almost indifferent to the situation before her eyes. Red Lotus brandished her leaves, brushing against the maiden. "What are you waiting for?" The maiden looked up. "What's the use of wasting your energy like that? Better to gather your means and succeed in a single strike." The companion dwelling laughed. "Succeed in a single strike? I'd like to see if you have that capability!" The picture on the wall shook violently like an earthquake. The maiden fell to the ground, then scrambled back up and went on picking flowers. The Old Master praised her: "'Mountains crumble and earth splits, yet she smiles and takes it all; fears no newcomer, remaining calm and poised.' Lai Wuju, your temperament hasn't changed a bit—" *Rumble!* The Old Master exerted his strength again, and the walls shook violently. Yet though the walls trembled, the picture did not move; Red Lotus spread her lotus leaves, steadying the image. She was protecting Lai Wuju, and she was also waiting for Lai Wuju's crucial strike. "Not putting on an act anymore?" the Old Master chuckled. "After following A'qi and eating so many good things, gathering your strength for all these years, it looks like you're playing for keeps now?" *Bang, bang, bang!* Red Lotus didn't reply. Her lotus leaves slammed against the door. *Clang!* The room shook violently, sending Red Lotus tumbling across the floor. The fighting in the fifth room was fierce, and A'yu, having just entered the second room, heard it with utter clarity. She walked slowly toward the fifth room when she suddenly felt someone grab her ankle. A'yu looked down at the floor, then raised her head to survey her surroundings, smiling slightly. "To think Little Train harbored such a skilled Shadow Cultivator. Could you give me a name? We might be acquaintances." "We're not acquaintances. You are a senior; I've only heard your name in legends," the Shadow Cultivator of the second room spoke. A'yu smiled. "Why speak so politely?" "These words come from the bottom of my heart, Senior. I admire you greatly." A'yu peered into the Shadow Cultivator's inner voice. What he had just said was actually the truth; his mind right now was completely filled with words of praise. "What a seasoned Shadow Cultivator!" A'yu marveled. Piling irrelevant information into one's mind was a tactic used to evade mind reading. The shadow gripping her ankle looked like a shackle. A'yu blinked, spotted a seam in the shadow, and effortlessly pulled her ankle free. A rope flew toward A'yu's neck. Having anticipated it, A'yu dodged with a light sidestep, causing the rope to miss. A lamp burned in the center of the room. The rope cast layered shadows on the wall, and the overlapping shadows transformed into tiers of crisscrossing cords, forming a net meant to trap A'yu in the second room. A'yu darted back and forth between the cords, unfailingly finding the gaps between them to slip away with ease time and again. A song drifted to her ears: *"To the ends of the earth, searching, searching for a kindred soul,* *The little sister sings, the gentleman plays the lute,* *Dearest gentleman, we two share one heart~"* "My, my! Whose sister is looking for her sweetheart?" A'yu laughed. "Haven't you got the wrong person? How could a woman like me be your sweetheart?" Zhao Xiaowan sang and spoke at the same time, her voice carrying through the door into the second room: "Sister, only a woman understands a woman's heart. Don't be in a hurry to leave. Let's have a heart-to-heart." "Singing such a delightful tune—you must be Zhao Xiaowan. Your sister here would love to have a heart-to-heart with you, but where are you?" "Don't worry, Sister, I'll be right there." Footsteps came from outside the door, sounding as though Zhao Xiaowan were about to enter any second. Inside the second room, candlelight suddenly streaked across the space. Bed, table, chairs, bookshelf, vase, old newspapers—the shadows of every furnishing looped across the walls and pounced toward A'yu in an instant. The bed's shadow blocked her front, the table's shadow loomed overhead, chairs tangled around her feet, and newspapers fluttered all around her. Zhao Xiaowan had played the song to prevent A'yu from overhearing the second room's thoughts, and had spoken to A'yu to divert her attention. All prior arrangements had been made to create an opening for the second room to strike. Now, with this move, the second room was ninety-nine percent certain he could trap A'yu. Even if he couldn't hold her for long, surviving for one minute would mean his task was accomplished. A'yu swayed, dodging past all the shadows. Having failed to trap A'yu herself, the shadows lunged toward her feet, attempting to trap her shadow instead. "Shadow Binding Woven Prison!" A'yu chuckled. She was very familiar with Shadow Cultivator arts. The third-tier Shadow Cultivator technique, Shadow Binding Woven Prison, used shadows to trap the enemy's shadow; once the shadow was caught, the enemy themselves could not move. At such a moment, one must never try to dodge. No matter how much one shifted, the shadow remained glued to the floor, and against a veteran like the second room, the shadow would surely be ensnared. Unflustered, A'yu rubbed a ball of flame into existence in her hand. Under the flare of firelight, A'yu's shadow shifted position, causing the second room's technique to miss once more. The flames surged instantly, and beneath the glare, the room's shadows were driven into the corners. A'yu seized the chance to walk toward the door. In a desperate gamble, the second room gathered all the shadows together, forging them into a longsword that thrust straight for the back of A'yu's heart. A first-tier Shadow Cultivator technique: Shadow Blade Piercing the Heart. Though the technique's tier was low, the cultivator's own cultivation level was high enough that the burst of power was astonishing. This longsword concentrated the vitality of every shadow; not only was it exceptionally sharp, but it also actively sought out vital points. If it truly struck home, A'yu wouldn't be able to withstand it. *Thud!* The sword struck, but it did not pierce A'yu—it hit the Heavenly Maiden on her back. The blade shattered on the spot. A'yu, manipulating the Heavenly Maiden, had utilized the technique of A Dwelling's Benevolent Heart. "Junior, be more careful next time you strike. Your heart was practically screaming out loud—did you really think I couldn't hear it?" Despite all of Zhao Xiaowan's interference, A'yu had still heard the second room's inner voice. Having the shadow under his control suffer heavy damage caused the second room to be injured as well—this was a Shadow Cultivator's greatest weakness. By the time he wanted to launch another assault, A'yu had already vanished. She hadn't left through the door; she had disappeared abruptly, which proved she had used Extending the Wide Bridal Chamber. "How is this possible?" the second room muttered. "This is Li Qi's house. How could she use Extending the Wide Bridal Chamber here?" Zhao Xiaowan was nervous as well. According to Jiang Ling'er's guidance, the highest realm of Extending the Wide Bridal Chamber was applying the technique within another person's home. Letting A'yu inside earlier had been Little Train's deliberate choice; otherwise, there was no telling where A'yu might have fled. Yet now, the Heavenly Maiden could use the technique within the companion dwelling, proving that to a certain degree, she had already established control over Little Train. Little Train's level was so high that ordinary methods certainly couldn't control him. Had she used Dove Occupying the Magpie's Nest? That technique couldn't be used so frequently, especially in the Heavenly Maiden's current state, which was no different from a living corpse. Fortunately, the companion dwelling pushed back with all its might, preventing A'yu from switching straight into the fifth room; she had landed in the fourth room instead. Zhao Xiaowan and Hong Ying were both waiting in the fourth room. A'yu looked at the door to the fifth room and smiled. She could sense that Red Lotus was right inside. "Little sisters, I don't want to hurt our friendly ties. Move aside, and once I take Red Lotus, I'll be on my way." Zhao Xiaowan barred the doorway. "Sister, saying that has already hurt any friendly ties. Red Lotus belongs to our family—you think you can just take her because you say so?" A'yu laughed. "In just a few short years, your Li Banfeng went from a greenhorn to his current cultivation—isn't he satisfied yet? He's profited off Red Lotus long enough. She was crafted by the Heavenly Maiden to begin with; shouldn't she be returned to her rightful owner?" Zhao Xiaowan nodded. "Sure. Isn't the Heavenly Maiden right behind you? Have her say the word, and we'll return Red Lotus to her rightful owner this instant." The Heavenly Maiden couldn't speak. The corner of A'yu's mouth curled upward. "Sister, you're making things difficult on purpose." Zhao Xiaowan said, "If asking her to say a word counts as difficult, isn't it you who's being unreasonable, Sister?" A'yu wanted to keep talking reason. She didn't expect to talk things out; she just wanted to stall for a little more time to let the Heavenly Maiden use Extending the Wide Bridal Chamber once more. To her surprise, Hong Ying suddenly charged forward, spear in hand, thrusting straight at A'yu. The spear pierced straight through A'yu's chest, the tip emerging through the Heavenly Maiden's back. Her chest turned icy cold. A'yu stared at Hong Ying in horror. She hadn't made any anticipation, nor had she heard Hong Ying's thoughts. A'yu stared in horror at Hong Ying and asked, "General Hong, before striking, do you not think at all?" "What's there to think about?" Hong Ying delivered a heavy kick to A'yu. Though cushioned by A Dwelling's Benevolent Heart, A'yu still crashed to the floor, unable to get up. Hong Ying stepped forward to follow up with another spear thrust. A'yu saw Hong Ying's footwork clearly and inferred her path of movement, but she wasn't as fast as Hong Ying, and could only use the Heavenly Maiden on her back to block it. Hong Ying's strikes grew faster and faster. A'yu had no chance to dodge at all, able only to clutch the Heavenly Maiden and take the hits. No signs, no inner voice—Hong Ying was A'yu's nemesis; she only fought, thinking of nothing else. The Heavenly Maiden was truly sturdy, taking over a dozen blows without uttering a peep! *Boom!* The door to the fifth room shattered, and a lotus leaf poked out through the gap. "*Cough, cough!*" Little Train hacked repeatedly, the entire carriage trembling in tandem. *Phoo—* The lady exhaled a cloud of steam, scalding right onto Red Lotus's leaf. The tip turned scorching red, on the verge of melting. Red Lotus pulled the leaf back, while her other leaves continued tearing at the door. Zhao Xiaowan sneered, "My husband fed you far too well. What great skill you have, even hurting the Old Master! Yingying, put a little more force into it!" *Squelch!* Hong Ying thrust her spear again, piercing straight through the Heavenly Maiden's belly. This blow could have been blocked with A Dwelling's Benevolent Heart, but Hong Ying was too swift for A'yu to react. *Boom!* Hong Ying raised her foot and unleashed Treading Across Ten Thousand Rivers, but her foot suddenly slipped and lost traction; the stomp went wide, cracking the floor. "*Cough, cough...*" the companion dwelling wheezed. "Gently!" Hong Ying found it strange. With a technique as familiar as Treading Across Ten Thousand Rivers, how could she miss? Just now, it felt as though she had stepped into a puddle of water. It wasn't water—it was blood. Bloodstains covered the floor. The Heavenly Maiden's bloodstains. Zhao Xiaowan saw the puddle of blood as well and cried out, "Yingying, be careful!" A'yu stumbled up from the floor, her speed suddenly far greater than before. Hong Ying didn't quite understand what was happening. The Heavenly Maiden was a Dwelling Cultivator. With her blood spilled on the floor, she was bound to deepen her infiltration into Little Train—Hong Ying knew this well. With deeper infiltration, the fourth room fell under the Heavenly Maiden's control to some degree, so it made sense for the Heavenly Maiden's speed to increase. *But why did A'yu's speed increase? What exactly is the relationship between A'yu and the Heavenly Maiden?* A'yu heard Hong Ying's inner thoughts and smiled. "General Hong, curious about our relationship? Don't be in a rush—I'll tell you." Zhao Xiaowan shouted, "Don't let her stall! She's going to use Extending the Wide Bridal Chamber!" Before her words finished echoing, a shower of rain poured down, drenching Zhao Xiaowan. Inside the companion dwelling, where could rain come from? Could A'yu make it rain? What kind of technique was this? A Water Cultivator? Steam began to rise where the rain hit clothing; the rainwater was intensely corrosive. Not only was Zhao Xiaowan's body corroding, but the floor and walls of the companion dwelling were being corroded as well. Zhao Xiaowan could hear the Old Master grinding his teeth. *"Aiyaaa—"* Zhao Xiaowan let out a high, resonant operatic cry. The water droplets on her body, the floor, and the walls vibrated relentlessly. Under the high-frequency vibration, the droplets evaporated into steam. *Gurgle, gurgle—* Zhao Xiaowan spat out a large phonograph horn, sucking up every bit of steam in the room until not a trace remained. *Boom!* Weakened by corrosion, Little Train couldn't withstand Red Lotus's heavy pounding; a hole was smashed through the door. Catching sight of Red Lotus behind the door, A'yu carried the Heavenly Maiden and bolted straight for it. Just as she reached the threshold, the room's tables, chairs, bed, and books gathered together to block her path—Hong Ying had used Sever Path to Open a Road. Though it looked like a mere pile of furniture, this was a technique unleashed by Hong Ying; anyone who didn't know the trick and rammed into it blindly would find it no different from crashing into a mountain. Yet this posed no obstacle to A'yu. With a single glance, she knew where the crux lay. Beneath one of the chair legs rested two books. A'yu zeroed in on the spot, kicked the two books away, and the entire barricade collapsed on the spot. As A'yu rushed the door, Zhao Xiaowan suddenly let out a deafening roar: *"Waa-ya-ya-ya!"* At this shriek, even Little Train shuddered. Hong Ying felt her ears ringing violently, dizziness making her stumble. And she was merely caught in the crossfire; Zhao Xiaowan's Sound Cultivator technique was directional. The one taking the brunt of the strike was A'yu. Blood flowed from both of her ears, and her whole body slumped limp to the floor. "Sister, if you had this kind of skill, why didn't you bring it out earlier?" A'yu didn't forget to banter with Zhao Xiaowan. "Had I used it too early, I feared you wouldn't accept it, Sister." Zhao Xiaowan had no inclination for idle chatter. She sang measuredly, keeping strict rhythm: *"Rising in early morn, I gaze into the water-caltrop mirror,* *Combing an oiled coiffure fragrant with sweet osmanthus,* *Dusting peach blossom powder upon my face,* *Dotting my lips with rouge red as apricot blossoms."* This was an aria from *Selling Water*, a piece popular in Puluo Province for who knew how many years. The familiar melody echoed over and over in A'yu's mind, making it impossible for her to concentrate. It wasn't just A'yu who was affected; Red Lotus, who was on the verge of smashing through the door, halted for a moment, her leaves trembling uncontrollably. Zhao Xiaowan's only worry was whether the Heavenly Maiden would be affected. If the Heavenly Maiden remained unaffected, she would use Extending the Wide Bridal Chamber to force her way into the fifth room. Fortunately, Hong Ying had good rapport with her; like a gust of wind, she appeared in front of them and leveled her spear at the Heavenly Maiden. She intended to pin the Heavenly Maiden to the floor. *Thud!* The spear struck true, but failed to pin her down. With her guard up, the Heavenly Maiden's A Dwelling's Benevolent Heart was completely impenetrable. Hong Ying gritted her teeth and exerted all her might, the two locked in a stalemate, when the lady suddenly heard Li Banfeng's voice beside her ear: "It's done." Before Zhao Xiaowan could rejoice, she saw the corners of A'yu's lips curl upward. "It's done," A'yu said. *Why did she say "it's done" too?* *Did she hear my husband's words?* *Her hearing shouldn't be working that well anymore.* *What does she mean by "it's done"?* *Thwack!* Hong Ying's spear struck empty floorboards. The Heavenly Maiden and A'yu had vanished together! The technique of Extending the Wide Bridal Chamber had succeeded! Zhao Xiaowan was shocked and turned to look toward the fifth room. Red Lotus excitedly flared her leaves, searching high and low for A'yu and the Heavenly Maiden. A mere few steps apart, yet Red Lotus had waited so long. She had waited all this time within the companion dwelling, and finally, this day had come. In truth, A'yu didn't matter; what mattered was the Heavenly Maiden. Where had the Heavenly Maiden gone? She was a Dwelling Cultivator, not easily detected. Red Lotus carefully probed every corner of the room, yet could not sense the Heavenly Maiden's presence anywhere. "Heheheh~" the companion dwelling chuckled. "A'qi did it first!" Red Lotus asked, "What did he do?" No one answered her. The Old Master was chuckling, Zhao Xiaowan was smiling, and Hong Ying shook out her sore wrists, turning back to look for her barbecue grill. The maiden of the fifth room was still picking flowers. Red Lotus asked, "When are you going to finish picking those flowers?" "I'm almost done. I just wanted to make a flower basket—our home could use some decoration." The maiden looked at Red Lotus with an innocent smile. Just moments ago she had talked about succeeding with a single strike, and now it had become a flower basket. Red Lotus thrust a lotus leaf through the wall, right up to the maiden's face. "You tricked me?" "I didn't trick you," the maiden said, dodging the leaf with an innocent look. "I was just picking flowers. I never said a thing." "Hahaha!" the companion dwelling couldn't hold back hearty laughter. "The door to the fifth room never opened—did you really think she'd help you? If she were the kind to stubbornly follow one road to the end, her soul would have been scattered by the peddler long ago." Had the door to the fifth room opened, no one could say for sure what the fifth room maiden would have done. Since the door didn't open, she was merely picking flowers. Hong Ying brought over the barbecue grill. "Red Lotus, should I lift you onto it, or are you going to climb up yourself?" Red Lotus's leaves flailed about. She was still searching for A'yu and the Heavenly Maiden. *Where on earth did they go?* A'yu opened her eyes and looked around. *Is this the fifth room?* *This fifth room is far more spacious than the earlier rooms.* A'yu steadied herself for a moment. Thinking back on the vicious struggle just now, lingering fear still gripped her. Everyone had assumed she was going to force her way through the door; only Zhao Xiaowan had realized that the Heavenly Maiden was using Extending the Wide Bridal Chamber. Unfortunately, Zhao Xiaowan hadn't been able to stop the Heavenly Maiden. She couldn't delay. She needed to get to business quickly; Zhao Xiaowan and Hong Ying might come charging in at any moment. *Where did Red Lotus go?* *I saw her clearly just a moment ago.* A'yu's hearing was impaired, but her sight remained sharp. She swept her gaze over every corner of the room, searching for Red Lotus. *Something isn't right with this room. The smell is different from Little Train's. Little Train smells of steam and machine oil, so why does this room smell only of dust?* A'yu sat up and touched the floor. A thick layer of dust clung to her fingertips. *How long has it been since this room was cleaned?* She turned her gaze to the wall and saw a window. *How could a window on Little Train be so prominent?* *Where is this place?* Gazing out through the window, A'yu saw woods, a stream, and the edges of clouds that ordinary people could not see. *How did we end up on the clouds?* Amid her bewilderment, someone opened the room's door and walked in. "When heaven wants to rain, a mother must wed," Li Banfeng said as he arrived behind A'yu. "Ah?" A'yu started. Her hearing wasn't working well, and she hadn't heard Li Banfeng clearly. Li Banfeng did not repeat himself. That single "Ah?" of hers was already enough. "You answered." A'yu was stunned for a moment. She couldn't hear Li Banfeng's inner thoughts, but from the previous and current circumstances, she deduced what he meant. "Did you call my name just now? Did A'yi tell you my name?" A'yu laughed aloud. "You're quite good at bluffing people. So what if I answered? You think you can just pick any random place, call my name, and turn me into your dwelling spirit?" "This isn't just any random place. This is my house, and I have a deed for it." Li Banfeng produced the house's covenant deed. A'yu saw it clearly: it was indeed the house's covenant deed. *Creak, creak, creak—* A'yu felt the floorboards beneath her feet trembling, and voices whispering. "You answered, hehe!" an old man chuckled. "You answered." A chorus of voices rose and fell, echoing endlessly in A'yu's ears. P.S. Li Banfeng promised to send A'yu to Hulu Village, and he didn't break his word.