Chapter 130: Preparations Before Departure

Mu Baiyun was well aware of what Ji Yao was truly worried about. He knew it, and so did Gu Qiu; otherwise, he wouldn't have been the only one to come.

"Junior Sister, don't worry. Junior Brother only notified me, and for now, I am the only one in the sect who knows, not even the Martial Uncle is aware," Mu Baiyun explained, briefly addressing their concerns.

Ling Ru sighed in relief, feeling much less anxious.

Ji Yao, however, was not so optimistic. When Mu Baiyun received the news, he shouldn't have known about her plan to go searching, yet he had come anyway. There must be other reasons behind this.

"Senior Brother Yun, have you come to persuade me against it?"

Mu Baiyun looked at Ji Yao again and shook his head. "I am not here to persuade you, but I do have one requirement that I need you to agree to first."

"Please speak, Senior Brother!" Ji Yao braced herself for what he might say.

"You may refuse to let others go with you, but I will definitely accompany you. Even if you are unwilling, I will still go."

Mu Baiyun cut off Ji Yao’s attempt to interject and continued, "You should know the gravity of this matter. If another sect had encountered this, they would likely have already dispatched a large number of people to investigate."

Ji Yao knew that he was already being very considerate toward her. Otherwise, given Mu Baiyun's status, he could have acted entirely for the sake of the sect, and there would be no room for her to negotiate.

However...

"Senior Brother Yun, do you intend to go out with me looking like this?" Although Ji Yao accepted the reality, she couldn't help but point it out.

Mu Baiyun was stunned; he didn't immediately grasp what she meant.

Ji Yao looked at the other two. Ling Ru was hiding a giggle behind her hand, while Gu Qiu’s gaze drifted back and forth between Ling Ru and her.

Ji Yao sighed, covering her eyes. Indeed, men and women viewed things from such different perspectives.

She finally had to face Mu Baiyun directly. In front of everyone, she rubbed her face, reverting her transformed features back to her original appearance, and then pointed at Mu Baiyun’s face.

"Senior Brother, your face is too beautiful, and too recognizable. If I go out with you, it will be hard not to attract attention. I’m afraid I won't be able to handle the judgmental gazes of others."

Perhaps because the words were too blunt, Ling Ru burst into laughter. Gu Qiu, after hearing this, instinctively touched his own face and then studied Mu Baiyun’s features carefully.

Mu Baiyun’s initial embarrassment was replaced by a sense of being at a loss for how to react to their behavior. Although his face remained expressionless, his eyes were full of helplessness.

Once Gu Qiu finished studying Mu Baiyun’s face, he stroked his chin and offered an idea: "Junior Sister has the Phantom Spirit Leaf, why not just change him into a face that looks even better than Senior Brother’s?"

This remark made Ling Ru stop laughing abruptly. She exchanged a glance with Ji Yao and then began to laugh even more uncontrollably.

Before Ji Yao could explain, Ling Ru spoke for her: "Senior Brother Gu, are you really trying to offer helpful advice, or are you just jealous of Senior Brother Mu’s looks?"

Gu Qiu was not annoyed at being called out. For the first time, he realized that being too handsome could be a burden, and that someone like him was actually better off.

In the end, Ji Yao used the techniques from her past life to transform Mu Baiyun.

"How is it? The effect isn't bad, right? As for his cultivation, there's no need to hide it; it serves as a deterrent against those ill-intentioned minor cultivators."

Using makeup techniques, Ji Yao made Mu Baiyun’s face look more weathered. She didn't comb his hair meticulously, but instead tied it back with a ribbon, letting a few strands fall by his temples, and changed him into gray-toned robes.

Combined with his usual stoic expression, when Gu Qiu and Ling Ru saw him again, they could no longer see his original delicate beauty. He looked like an unkempt wandering cultivator—though his features were still fine, they were no longer overly striking.

With the approval of Gu Qiu and Ling Ru, Ji Yao returned to her own original appearance and changed into simple clothing. She asked Gu Qiu and Ling Ru to remain behind and wait for their return before heading back to the sect together.

On the way out of the city, Mu Baiyun recalled the focused look on Ji Yao’s face as she painted his features and tied his hair. For some reason, he felt his face growing warm.

Walking beside him, Ji Yao noticed Mu Baiyun’s stiff movements and tilted her head, offering what she thought was comforting advice.

"Senior Brother Yun, you might feel a bit uncomfortable at first, but in time, with other things to occupy your mind, you won't pay so much attention to those adornments."

Hearing this, Mu Baiyun squeezed his hands inside his sleeves. "Don't worry, Junior Sister, I will adapt as soon as possible."

Since both had changed their appearances, they could no longer use Ji Yao’s flying boat once they left the city. Just as Ji Yao was hesitating whether to use her sword, Mu Baiyun produced a plain-looking gourd.

"Ahem!" Mu Baiyun said as naturally as he could. "I bought this at the Profound Sword City before coming here. Although it is only a low-grade spiritual tool, it should be enough to carry the two of us."

Ji Yao raised her eyebrows in surprise. She truly couldn't imagine how her senior brother, a sword cultivator who usually carried himself like an immortal, would look piloting a gourd-shaped flying tool.

She glanced at Mu Baiyun’s attire again, watching as he tossed the gourd into the air to expand it. For some reason, she was reminded of the "Drunken Sword Immortal." If he were to hang this gourd at his waist after putting it away, he would look even more like him.

Mu Baiyun, who had never used a flying spiritual tool before, tried to maneuver the gourd using the same techniques as flying a sword. He finally steadied it, only to turn around and see Ji Yao looking at him with a smile.

"What is Junior Sister smiling at?" After asking, Mu Baiyun immediately regretted it.

It was just a casual question, yet it had landed him in an even more awkward situation. He really couldn't fathom what was going on in Junior Sister Ji’s head.

Because Ji Yao replied, "If Senior Brother Yun wore women’s clothing, you would certainly be even more beautiful than any of us."

Mu Baiyun stood at the front of the gourd, motionless. From the back, his silhouette looked like a sturdy, weather-beaten pine tree, which was quite reassuring.

Behind him sat Ji Yao. There was plenty of room, even enough for her to lie down, and Mu Baiyun had thoughtfully cast a protective barrier around her.

"Junior Sister, in which direction shall we head?" Mu Baiyun asked.

Ji Yao still didn't intend to reveal her and Situ Jing’s suspicions prematurely. "Northwest! Let’s head northwest first. The summoning I felt comes from that direction."

Fortunately, Mu Baiyun did not press further. He adjusted their course and headed northwest at full speed.

Every half-day of flight, Ji Yao would ask to travel a stretch on foot. Mu Baiyun acted like a competent guard, following silently by her side and letting her lead without interference.

Once they descended from the flying tool again, Ji Yao spoke to him about her motives for the first time.

"Senior Brother Yun, aren't you going to ask why I’m doing this?"

"Junior Sister must have discovered something, right?" Clearly, Mu Baiyun had his own judgment.

Ji Yao held out a slender, vine-like plant that was wrapped around her finger and presented it to Mu Baiyun.

"Senior Brother, take a look. How does this vine differ from other plants?"

Mu Baiyun looked at the delicate, jade-like fingers held before his eyes, with the emerald-green vine wrapped around them, making the skin appear even more fair and flawless.