### Chapter 59: The Female Lead Wants to Break the Ice
Yun Zhonghe, ever the gentleman, thought about the two young ladies and decided not to mention the little squabble at the back of the boat to anyone else. He casually returned to his previous seat like nothing had happened.
Right after that…
“Xiaoyu, let’s move to the other side; I’m not sitting next to this bad guy anymore!”
The white-haired loli seemed to still hold a grudge about what had just transpired.
Even though Yun Zhonghe had offered a generous compensation of Foundation Establishment Pills for her troubles, she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was doing it on purpose. Her gut instinct told her to keep her distance from him.
That said, she still hadn’t figured out why Yun Zhonghe insisted on sticking around them.
Honestly, she was completely mistaken about him this time. Yun Zhonghe never anticipated he’d end up with Huang Aotian and the female lead again.
Mu Jixue wanted to pull Lin Zhongyu to sit on the other side, and this suggestion made Lin Zhongyu’s head hurt.
Couldn’t Xue’er see that Yun Zhonghe had actually been defending them just now? Continuing to push him away would render all his efforts futile!
Unable to hold back, Lin Zhongyu murmured, “Xue’er, you weren’t this petty before. What happened to you?”
“I-I’m not…”
Mu Jixue’s soul was interrogated by Lin Zhongyu’s words, and she felt a pang of urgency.
She explained, a mixture of grievance and sorrow in her voice, “I’m not being petty! I just…”
Seeing Mu Jixue’s pitiful expression softened Lin Zhongyu’s heart.
“Forget it, I was wrong. I’m sorry, Xue’er. I just thought we could be a bit kinder to Yun-ge.”
“It’s alright, Xiaoyu.”
Lin Zhongyu’s words revived Mu Jixue, and she flashed a charming smile: “I know you’re super gentle, so I admit I was the one being too calculative. Let’s not let our animosity with Yun Zhonghe cause any rift between us! I’ll listen to you, Xiaoyu.”
“Yeah, you’re right, Xue’er~”
Lin Zhongyu smiled faintly, her earlier gloom evaporating, leaving only a peculiar feeling behind.
In the end, the two girls still sat next to Yun Zhonghe, but Mu Jixue strategically placed herself on the outer edge, with Lin Zhongyu sandwiched in the middle.
The trio formed an Oreo cookie setup.
……
After half a day of flying, the Spirit Boat finally reached Qingzhu Town.
Qingzhu Town wasn’t too big and was relatively far from Cangzhou City, nestled at the edge of its territory. Even the Spirit Boat took half a day to get there. If they were riding horses, who knows how long it would have taken!
Because of this distance, the Cangzhou authorities struggled to manage it, making such areas ripe for hiding magic cultivators or dark sorcerers.
The last team sent to investigate the town’s missing persons case had vanished without a trace, which is why the second batch, including Yun Zhonghe, was dispatched.
As the Spirit Boat landed, the group stepped out. Song Ziwei, from Tianjian Sect, waved her hand to retract the boat, which shrank to the size of a palm and was tucked away in her bag.
Flying items were indeed convenient and saved a lot of time. If they had ridden horses all this way, they would have burnt through a ton of stamina and spiritual energy.
This mission was already fraught with danger, and every bit of spiritual energy and stamina mattered—each could change a person’s destiny.
While Yun Zhonghe and the other team members weren’t particularly close, after a brief interaction on the boat, he found them all pretty likable and truly hoped they could all return safely.
Before entering Qingzhu Town, they encountered soldiers guarding the small town’s gate. After showing their task badges issued by the Immortal Alliance, the guards rushed off to notify the town mayor.
Everyone waited at the entrance.
Though small, the town was bustling with activity. People were walking about; some carried goods, some strolled leisurely, and others were selling snacks.
The inns and shops were operating as usual, and it seemed Qingzhu Town was thriving, completely unshaken by the recent disappearances.
“How strange. Everything here seems pretty normal; I don’t sense any dark magic or sorcery,” Xiao Yang and Xiao Yue couldn’t help but comment.
Others remained silent, sharing the same sentiment. This seemingly peaceful town didn’t have a hint of danger about it.
“No, take a closer look.” Yun Zhonghe, however, sharp as always, pointed out a peculiar detail, “There are hardly any young adults on the streets. Most of the folks here seem to be elderly or women and children.”
In general, missing persons cases tend to involve more women and children, yet here it was the complete opposite, with young adults practically nonexistent.
Once Yun Zhonghe brought it up, the others quickly started to notice something was off.
Xiao Yang and Xiao Yue exchanged glances: “It really does seem that way.”
Song Ziwei chimed in, “What Yun-ge says is spot on.”
Luo Qing remained quiet but visibly trembled, as if her body was coated in goosebumps.
“I suddenly have this feeling that this place carries an ill omen.”
Perhaps years of being a rogue cultivator made her instinctively sense danger; she was hesitant about entering this den of dragons and tigers.
Yet, due to the sheer lack of resources for rogue cultivators, she had to take the risk. After all, this task would net them a hundred spirit stones each, which was extremely important for her.
Noticing Luo Qing’s pale expression, Yun Zhonghe understood the plot and didn’t want everyone to take unnecessary risks. But how could he explain his concerns? How could he make everyone believe him without raising suspicion?
With no other options, Yun Zhonghe decided to observe the situation and find a way to uncover the town’s secrets.
He turned to Luo Qing and said, “I feel something’s off here too. If you’re scared, Miss Luo, you can step back now; no one will blame you.”
He spoke earnestly, hoping to spare at least one life.
Yun Zhonghe’s words warmed Luo Qing’s heart a bit. She raised her head, gazing at his handsome face, and felt a surge of strength.
“I…I’m fine! I’ll stick with everyone!”
“Alright…”
Yun Zhonghe nodded silently.
His every word and action earned him the admiration of the others, especially Lin Zhongyu, who thought Yun-ge was incredibly kind and reliable.
She was thrilled, realizing she didn’t misjudge Yun Zhonghe after all. In her fourteen years of life, she had never encountered someone with such a good character!
He was truly a great friend who cared about everyone!
It was this quality that kept him from falling out with Mu Jixue over minor disagreements; he still wanted to spend time with them.
In this world, a man like Yun Zhonghe—broad-minded, reliable, just, and not harboring any special thoughts about them—seemed like a rare gem.
If even he wasn’t worth forging a deep bond with, then who was?
With this thought, Lin Zhongyu’s mind became crystal clear.
She had to ensure Mu Jixue seized the opportunity to bond with Yun Zhonghe and become best friends.
This way, whenever any issues arose in the future, they’d have one more person to consult.
But before that, she had to push Mu Jixue to apologize quickly, as Yun Zhonghe must have sensed their earlier tensions!
Though he seemed unfazed by Mu Jixue’s petty remarks, Lin Zhongyu felt some matters needed to be directly addressed.
After all, relationships often break down due to a mountain of trivial grievances.
