Chapter 411: Little Ling and Xiao Li's First Meeting

The Northern Kingdom and the Central Kingdom were separated by a vast sea. The weather was cold and gloomy, with occasional snow even in midsummer. Now it was autumn, and across the myriad mountains, only green pines and cypresses were visible, no other leaves. On many peaks, last year's snow had not yet melted, still appearing pristine white.

The three walked for a while. Since Ye Changong's Taoist robe was too long, Simaing held the bone chain for her while Ye Changong herself held up her skirt and walked to one side. She kept her head slightly bowed, taking tiny steps, much like a child who had just learned to walk.

Simaing strolled leisurely by her side. If one disregarded the disasters that had already occurred or were yet to come, this moment truly felt like taking a daughter and a cat from home out for a picnic.

Baizang also moved leisurely. She held her head high, tail erect, and walked with graceful, proud steps, looking very proud.

They continued walking like this, through sparse woodlands and fields. Amidst the rustling sounds of their steps on the grass, the clouds in the sky were continuously pushed by the wind. In an instant, the sun was also pushed forward, hanging directly overhead and hiding their shadows.

Simaing was originally a goddess at the peak of the world. But now, leading a divine master by the hand with the Moon Goddess by her side, this seemingly ordinary scene gradually, subtly, became the pinnacle of her thousand-year cultivation journey...

"Should I go to a town to find a shop and help Master change into some fitting clothes?" Simaing asked softly.

"We'll talk about it once we're in the city later," Ye Changong replied.

"Then... Master's hair seems a bit untidy like this. Should I help comb it up?" Simaing lowered her head, looking tenderly at the extremely beautiful young girl, as if a certain radiance was stirred within her, showing great concern.

"..." Ye Changong's voice, always calm, replied, "Hmm, what kind of hairstyles do you know how to braid?"

Simaing pursed her lips, thought for a moment, then hesitated, "I... I know how to braid pigtails."

Ye Changong looked at the fallen wood ahead and said, "Maybe next time."

Simaing felt a little disappointed.

Baizang walked gracefully alongside them, listening to their conversation. Her cat-like eyes narrowed, her ears twitched, and she couldn't help but chuckle. She couldn't imagine Chang'e looking childish with a pigtail. *Ha, what kind of girl dyes her hair colorful? Clearly no taste. If I were Chang'e, I would never tolerate such a follower,* she thought.

"What are you laughing at?" Simaing noticed Baizang.

Baizang ignored her, thinking, *What could you possibly argue about with a... kitten-sized tiger like me?*

Then, Baizang felt a chill run down her spine. She turned her head, looked at Simaing, and saw Simaing squinting at her.

"Oh, Lord Baizang, your fur seems quite long too," Simaing said, clearly eager to try something.

"Meow meow meow?" Baizang was a little confused, then understood, and was picked up by Simaing amidst a whine.

When she was put down again, Baizang's neck was now adorned with a circle of tiny braids, making her look like a white lion wearing a collar of small bells.

Baizang glared at Simaing, gritting her teeth, imagining revenge. As she was led away again, her head was lowered slightly out of shame. With each step, her paw pads furiously stamped on Simaing's shadow, as if by doing so, she was trampling her underfoot.

Simaing watched Baizang's furious and helpless expression, and didn't forget to mock her occasionally, driving the white cat into a rage.

"Oh, Master, is there a way to wash out this hair color?" Simaing was very concerned about this.

"Yes, there is," Ye Changong gave an affirmative reply.

"How?" Simaing asked with concern.

Ye Changong recalled, "Phoenix fire can burn it away... In short, go find Xiang'er."

Simaing's mood immediately sank again.

"Then... are Ning Changjiu and the others doing well now?" Simaing asked again.

"When I left the Moon Palace, they were already in the Southern Wilderness," Ye Changong said. "By now, they should have crossed the Sea of Misfortune and are about to arrive at the Ancient Spirit Sect."

Simaing knew they were safe, and her mind relaxed a little. She hesitated whether to write a sword-letter and send it back, but seeing her Master's calm and detached demeanor beside her, she felt a little more at ease.

"I'm tired."

Beside a clear stream, Ye Changong stopped.

They had walked a long way, but such a distance would not tire immortals. Ye Changong seemed to imagine herself as a human — if she were human, she would be very tired by now.

So she also felt tired.

Simaing did not ask for the reason. She simply led her Master to sit on a patch of dry grass under a large tree, then tied Baizang to a small tree nearby, as if leashing a dog.

Baizang sat like a cat, licking her paws.

Ye Changong, draped in her dark green Taoist robe, leaned against the tree trunk, looking up at the clouds in the sky. "I feel this world is a bit unfamiliar," she said.

Simaing said, "It must be because Master hasn't been to the human world in a long time."

Ye Changong nodded and said, "Perhaps."

"Well, Master, you don't need to worry too much. The Dark Lord's arrival is still many years away, at least," Simaing said. She sat beside Ye Changong, hugging her knees, and smiled gently, "As