**Chapter 165: Here Comes the Bad Luck Star**
Xiao Hu: “So that’s how it is… feeling a bit down… I finally got the swelling on my face to go down and was hoping to show Brother Yun my beautiful self!”
In her mind, the Little Fox’s tail had drooped down, looking all dejected.
Brain! Stop imagining stuff!
But… Daoist Hu’s beautiful self…
Yun Zhonghe really couldn’t picture what that looked like; his impression of Xiao Hu was forever locked in his memory as that pig-headed image he’d seen in the wardrobe.
Not exactly the peak of beauty, now, is it?
Couldn’t imagine it.
Not one bit.
But still, thinking about how he and Daoist Hu were battle buddies, having fought a boss and rescued people together…
He hadn’t even properly thanked her!
With that thought, a wave of melancholy washed over Yun Zhonghe.
Speaking of it, Yun Zhonghe was surrounded by all sorts of beautiful girls, yet didn’t have any good male friends. Daoist Hu, for all her quirks, was the only one he could really chat with, without worrying about gender.
True friendship, huh?
But this Cultivation World was vast, and cultivators lived so long. Many of them often ventured out seeking breakthroughs and opportunities; even those good brothers he once fought alongside could become just whispers of memory after decades.
The chance of running into Daoist Hu again was slim to none.
In a few decades, they might as well forget each other like strangers on the street.
Yun Zhonghe couldn’t help but reflect: back in his past life, many of those close elementary school relationships faded into nothing after middle and high school.
So yeah, he felt a bit sad.
Daoist Hu was his first true friend here based on pure friendship.
As he pondered, he continued messaging with Xiao Hu until they both said they had things to deal with and ended the chat.
Of course, they mentioned wanting to chat more in the future.
But who knows if the chat interface would forever freeze on that one message?
“Young Master, we’ll be at the inn soon; Miss Qin said we can get off and rest a bit.”
Just as Yun Zhonghe wrapped up his convo with Xiao Hu, Tao Jiu’er peeked her head in through the door.
The inn was like a rest stop from his past life, specifically for cultivators, providing various spirit foods and spirit wines, along with comfy guest rooms.
Most cultivators’ spirit boats weren’t as high-end as Qin Hongye’s; most just offered flying capabilities with a few cramped seats—like Feng Ziwei’s model, which was always crowded.
In such tight spaces, the existence of inns was crucial, allowing cultivators to relax, avoid exhaustion, snag a hot meal, and recharge their spirit stones.
After all, who could survive on dry rations every day? Cultivating was about enjoying life’s luxuries; living long should come with wealth and riches. Even if one practiced fasting, they should still eat and drink. Life without delicious food would lose a lot of its joy.
Many mortals had this stereotype of cultivators being above human desires, but the truth was that cultivators simply didn’t overindulge; they still ate, drank, and slept.
…
Ten minutes later, the spirit boat landed next to the inn.
A broad landing pad next to the inn saw other young cultivators disembarking alongside Yun Zhonghe and Mu Jixue, all around the same age, likely on their way to their sects—though not all were headed to the Xuantian Sect.
In fact, many sects emulated the Xuantian Sect’s model, allowing new disciples to make their own way there to save on costs.
Every “new semester,” the inns bustled with activity.
When Yun Zhonghe got off the boat, he was startled to see a medium-sized spirit boat unloading dozens of people!
What kind of magician’s boat is this? How does it fit so many? Don’t they feel squished?
“I heard that some cities have started these passenger services, buying a rundown spirit boat, fixing it up, and charging to transport people. A passenger might be charged about ten spirit stones, with extra for longer distances,” Qin Hongye explained, noticing the shock in Yun Zhonghe’s eyes.
Ten spirit stones! That’s not cheap—equivalent to a low-grade Dan Pill!
Most of these folks had Qi Refinement levels; that fee was no small change.
But how could a spirit boat fit that many people? That’s utterly ridiculous!
As Yun Zhonghe and Qin Hongye debated, Mu Jixue also disembarked, deliberately squeezing between them, seemingly trying to separate them.
Though she was quiet now and not throwing tantrums, her body language still fought back.
Qin Hongye noticed Mu Jixue’s intentions, her gaze sharp.
The tension shot sparks between the two girls.
“I’m tired; I want to wander around a bit.”
With that, she made a pained expression and walked away.
“Xue’er!”
Lin Zhongyu hurried after her but remembered to wave at Yun Zhonghe, “Xue’er is feeling a bit seasick; I’ll keep her company outside for some fresh air. I’ll be right back.”
Yun Zhonghe: ?
Wait, is that so? Mu Jixue gets seasick? She didn’t seem that way when we rode to Qingzhu Town.
“Must be that her spiritual energy is depleted, so she feels unwell,” Tao Jiu’er explained from behind.
Yun Zhonghe’s eyes lit up.
Oh, makes sense! That girl had been fighting so fiercely on the spirit boat, of course, she’d be worn out and feeling woozy! Who wouldn’t?
But does that mean he could feed her some medicine now?
He had stocked up on plenty of cultivation-boosting Dan Pills for this trip—second and third-grade ones, all for Mu Jixue!
Yun Zhonghe feared his buddy would run out of snacks.
Since she felt unwell, time for some medicine! No need to hold back!
Noticing where Yun Zhonghe’s thoughts drifted, Qin Hongye jumped in, “Young Master Yun, let’s head to the inn and order a table full of spirit dishes. By the time Sister Mu feels better, she can dig in.”
She really wished she could snuggle up and link her arm with Yun Zhonghe’s, but with Tao Jiu’er’s scrutinizing gaze behind her, it felt a bit inappropriate.
What a shame! She almost got close to him on the spirit boat!
But she still snagged something: she had officially tasted Yun Zhonghe’s lips—no holds barred!
Just have to wait for the next chance.
Yun Zhonghe, Qin Hongye, and Tao Jiu’er headed to the inn to get things ready.
Meanwhile, on another spirit boat, a bunch of young cultivators disembarked grumbling and cursing.
“What the heck! Whose crummy boat is this? Charging so much, and I had to sit with that bad luck star!”
“Ugh! Just ugh!”
“It’s all her fault! That spirit boat almost tipped over because of some demon bird!”
No one looked particularly happy, all casting dark looks at a girl at the back of the group.
