Chapter 506: The Immortal Fairy Knows More

Lan Ting cast a casual glance at Tao Yaoye before sitting down quietly. Her movements were gentle, like those of a well-bred young lady, as she then picked up a wonton with her chopsticks.

Since Senior Brother Lu Yang had chosen the place, it was a very distinctive food stall... but the food was truly terrible.

Lan Ting looked at the bowl of wontons in surprise. These were the worst wontons she had ever tasted.

In truth, the wontons were only mediocre, not even the absolute worst. However, Lan Ting came from an aristocratic family and had always eaten exquisite delicacies. After joining the Laurel Immortal Palace, although her diet had become lighter, the flavors were still considered unparalleled in the cultivation world.

Wontons that were considered below average even in the mortal world, she naturally found them hard to swallow.

The owner was delighted to see Lu Yang order another bowl of wontons. "Everyone in Yuanhe County knows how bad my wontons are," he thought, "I usually just trick out-of-towners."

He had been selling wontons for nearly thirty years, and his customers were all from out of town.

Lu Yang was lucky; there was a lot of vinegar in his bowl, which masked the wontons' taste.

Regardless, once the wontons were ordered, they had to be eaten. The three of them eventually finished all three bowls.

Lu Yang wiped his mouth. He then remembered he hadn't gotten to the main topic. "Oh, right," he said, "I haven't had a chance to ask, Junior Sister Lan Ting, what brings you here? Are you also on a mission?"

"Yes," Lan Ting replied, "A wealthy gentleman named Elder Song sought help from the Laurel Immortal Palace. He said there's a strange painting in his house that can't be burned, thrown away, or torn. It also makes eerie sounds at night, making it quite dangerous."

Tao Yaoye interjected, "Senior Brother Lu and I are here for the same reason. He was worried I couldn't complete the mission alone, so he came with me."

Lu Yang felt a bit bewildered. What Junior Sister Tao said wasn't wrong, but it felt strange somehow.

"It seems Elder Song has requested assistance from both our sects."

This was a common occurrence. Those seeking help were often unsure which immortal sect was most reliable, so to be safe, they would issue requests to several sects. Consequently, disciples from the Five Great Immortal Sects frequently ended up on the same missions.

For example, Daoist Buyu and Luo Hongxia encountered the same mission when they were young. Lan Ting had heard the story from her master. The two were on a ghost-exorcism mission, and after staying at an inn for three days, they couldn't find the ghost anywhere. It was eventually found directly under Daoist Buyu's bed. While Daoist Buyu slept, the ghost was watching him from directly below, through the floorboards.

Daoist Buyu then insisted the ghost split the three days' room rent with him.

The ghost cited the Great Xia Law, stating that according to legal provisions, it wasn't considered a living creature and therefore didn't have to pay rent.

Daoist Buyu also cited the Great Xia Law, arguing that ghosts had no human rights and cultivators could kill them at will.

The ghost obediently split the rent, and was subsequently apprehended.

"Senior Brother Lu, Junior Sister Tao, have you investigated Elder Song's matter?"

Tao Yaoye recounted the results of her earlier investigation. "This is what Senior Brother Lu Yang and I found together."

"Senior Brother Lu Yang is impressive! He only just arrived in Yuanhe County and has already investigated so much. I'm sure Junior Sister Tao was a great help. I, however, arrived three days before Senior Brother Lu Yang, and my findings are only slightly more than his."

"It's a pity I'm alone. If Senior Brother Lu Yang had helped me, I'm sure I could have uncovered even more."

Tao Yaoye seemed to miss Lan Ting's underlying meaning. She calmly asked, "What did you find, Junior Sister Lan?"

"Elder Song's fortune took a turn twenty years ago. At that time, his family had fallen into decline, with little silver left. He made a desperate gamble, investing all his assets in business, but it ended in complete failure, losing everything. Someone saw him heading into the mountains, seemingly to take his own life. Unexpectedly, half a day later, Elder Song emerged from the mountains, no longer looking dazed. In his hands, he carried a painting."

"You already know what happened next: Elder Song suddenly developed a knack for business, wealth poured in, and his family became happy and prosperous."

Lan Ting glanced at Tao Yaoye triumphantly.

After hearing Lan Ting's account, Tao Yaoye warmly took Lan Ting's hand. "Junior Sister Lan, you're amazing! To investigate so much on your own, it seems you're perfectly capable by yourself."

Lan Ting's face lit up with a smile. She affectionately linked arms with Tao Yaoye. "Oh, come now," she said, "as the old saying goes, 'Many hands make light work.' It's a pity Senior Brother Lu Yang came with you; if he had come with me, the mission would be completed by now."

"Are you implying you're stronger than me, Junior Sister Lan?"

"Junior Sister Tao, please don't misunderstand my meaning. After all, I arrived three days earlier. If Senior Brother Lu Yang had arrived three days earlier with me, given his abilities, wouldn't the mission already be complete?"

"You're right. With Senior Brother Lu Yang's abilities, he could complete the mission by himself."

The two young women linked arms, with smiles like those of long-lost sisters reunited. They seemed as close as sisters.

Lu Yang paid no attention to what the two young women said next. He was preoccupied with the information Lan Ting had gathered. "So the problem is indeed with that painting," he mused.

"Let's go," he said, "let's go see Elder Song."

The man and two women headed towards Elder Song's residence. On the way, Lan Ting frequently glanced at Lu Yang.

"Junior Sister Lan Ting, is there something on my face?"

Lan Ting chuckled, "No, not at all. I just think Senior Brother is so impressive. To become the sect leader's successor at such a young age, and even preside over the sect's grand celebration! As far as I know, that's unprecedented in our history. In comparison, I'm far behind."

"Not at all, not at all," Lu Yang demurred. "My becoming acting sect leader was pure luck." Lu Yang wasn't being modest; his role as acting sect leader was entirely due to the unfortunate luck of reviving the Immortal Fairy.

Seeing Lan Ting's disappointment, Lu Yang comforted her. "Besides, Junior Sister Lan, you're very strong. I watched your fight with Old Meng; you were too nervous and didn't display your true skill."

Encouraged by Lu Yang, Lan Ting's smile returned. "You're right," she said, "I should be more confident. After all, I was representing the Immortal Palace's Golden Core stage at the time."

"Junior Sister Tao and I hit it off immediately. I initially thought we might meet on the arena stage, but unfortunately, it didn't work out, and we didn't get a chance to spar."

Tao Yaoye said softly, "Junior Sister Lan, are you really so fond of fighting? Your usual movements are so gentle, I thought you were a well-bred young lady."

Lu Yang felt a sense of incongruity. He turned to ask the Immortal Fairy, "Fairy, don't you think Junior Sister Tao and Junior Sister Lan are acting a bit strange?"

The Immortal Fairy had also been observing them in the spiritual space for a while. She indeed found the two young women's actions and tone quite odd.

"This scene feels very familiar... Ah, I remember now. The prodigies of the Dragon and Phoenix clans acted just like this in front of me: praising and flattering each other, appearing very united. They did it because they wanted me to take them both as disciples."

"So Junior Sister Tao and Junior Sister Lan are acting this way because..."

The Immortal Fairy said with certainty, "They definitely want you to take them as disciples. After all, you showed off your extraordinary combat prowess at the celebration!"

"That makes sense."