Another World Trip: Journey with My Cat and an Otaku Loli Goddess Chapter 359 - Wei Yun

Qin Ling and I made our way through the different lanes of the Ren’duan Dwelling. I had never personally come here before but I was taught by my master the kind of attitude I must hold should I ever come here.

It did surprise me at first that there was an existence my sect didn’t dare to offend. I wondered how far their power ran.

As we walked, we drew many looks, most likely due to our countenance and appearance. No one dared to approach us, though.

There would normally be those who thought too much of themselves to surround me and follow after us but it wasn’t the case this time.

Most likely because I was travelling with the Divine Daughter. Her status was at such a height that not even they could thicken their faces enough to follow after us.

Well, it was that and the fact that the cold air that she continuously gave off, rendered such a task… difficult. Not that I’m complaining.

We were both silent for the most part and whilst Qin Ling wore a mask of icy indifference, I knew that mine—as held down as it was—was afflicted by constant despondence.

We used to talk all the time before this.

‘You don’t seem all that happy to see your supposed friend.’

A voice out of nowhere rang in my mind, causing me to reel around in pure fright.

“W-Who’s there!?”

Qin Ling stopped and looked back over her shoulder at me with slightly furrowed brows.

“What is it?” she asked.

It took a while, but I forcibly calmed myself down and looked around once more, and not seeing anyone, I refocused my gaze on Qin Ling.

“I…” I was about to tell Qin Ling what happened before a strange struggle to do so erupted. “I—I”

When she saw me stutter it caught more of her attention, causing her to fully turn around.

“Out with it,” the Divine Daughter ordered.

Seeing the look in her eyes, the coldness that frosted over it, I made up my mind. “I-It’s nothing. I just saw a Ren’duan pass behind me and… it frightened me.”

Qin Ling didn’t say anything in response to this and simply held her gaze on me, her best friend. Nothing was said for what felt like an eternity even though it was in truth a few seconds.

I could feel my cheeks burning under the Divine Daughter’s scrutiny, but since I already gave her my story, I stuck by it. Qin Ling then closed her eyes before she turned around and continued on her way.

I let out a breath of relief when I saw that no more questions came my way. I quickly followed after just like before.

We were heading to a certain Ren’duan in this place that the Hall Master had advised us we could visit if we ever made our way here. As one of the Ten Great Sect, Ice Phoenix Hall was affiliated with many parties, so we were using one of these contacts.

Of course, that was all it was… a contact. Not even Ice Phoenix Hall could force a Ren’duan to work with someone if they didn’t want to. That Ren’duan had to be willing. The reason why this Ren’duan was singled out was because they specialised in creating ice-base artefacts.

Since it was a fair distance, we simply took our time and silence quickly settled in once more.

My bad habit of chewing on my bottom lips reared its ugly head as we went along. As if in anticipation of something.

Then, as I expected, the voice returned with a somewhat mocking tone.

‘Dishonest aren’t we? Interested in what I have to say?’

‘Who are you?’ I don’t know why I didn’t tell Qin Ling about this voice despite its dubious intentions, whatever they may be, but maybe I was searching for something I didn’t know I wanted.

This was, of course, because they mentioned something regarding Qin Ling. This was the only reason why I was even entertaining the voice to begin with.

‘Does it matter who I am? What I want to know is whether you are satisfied with the current state of your friend or not,’ the voice didn’t waste time in getting down to the meat of the matter. Truthfully, I was thankful for that though I still hesitated in giving an answer.

Who knows what it truly wanted.

After all, though certain circumstances were put in place that allowed me to get close to Qin Ling, I truly did come to care for her, and seeing her like this turned my stomach.

After thinking about it, I figured there was no harm in at least answering the question.

‘So what if I’m not? This isn’t something that can be fixed. It’s the natural state of things,’ I answered back more sharply than intended.

‘Hohoho…’ the voice chuckled into silence before it continued. ‘There is nothing natural about that girl and what she has become. You… know this don’t you?’

I didn’t want to admit it, that I knew she would practise that mantra, that I knew what it would do to her.

But it was before I cared. It was before I was simply on a mission that needed to be completed. This voice sounded as if it knew this and it annoyed me because of it, but I wouldn’t give it the satisfaction of knowing.

‘It doesn’t matter. There is nothing–’

‘That’s a lie.’

This was true, it was a lie, but it didn’t wait for me to admit to it, not that I would.

‘You sense it don’t you?’ It continued in a tantalising whisper. ‘The boy… he can help her.’

Him!?

‘What can he do!? We only want the cultivation technique from him. He’s not some great sage!’

The voice exploded in her mind. ‘Fool! His power at his age, do you not find it odd!?’

I felt fury in the voice for the first time and I didn’t know why, but something within me told me that the owner of this voice wasn’t an existence I should anger too much. ‘I’m not a fool! He’s an outlier at his age, sure, but what does that have to do with anything? What can he do against one of the Ten Great Sects!? What can he do against the power backing us!? What guarantee do I have that he is able to stand unassailable against such a power!?’

‘…’

The voice went silent, but for the first time since I heard it, I wanted its answer.

‘Tell me!’

‘…’

So it left me, didn’t it?

Right, all this was, is but a fleeting hope. There was nothing to–

‘He will. Make use of him.’

The voice went silent after this, and I knew that it was truly gone this time. However, this time, it didn’t leave me in want of something but left me with more instead.

It carried great conviction in the last few words it left; conviction so abundant and corpulent that I desperately wanted to hew from it some of my own.

Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to trust ‘him’ a little… at least in this.