“At least nine days,” Jiang Hao answered.

During these nine days, he planned to look for clues while also comprehending the third style of the Heavenly Saber.

To be prepared to deal with Zuo Lan.

According to his plan, he would defeat Zuo Lan before he could obtain Nascent Soul-level power, but things rarely go as one imagines.

So, it’s important to be well-prepared.

Hong Yuye didn’t say anything, simply stepping outside.

“Senior, are you going to see the lanterns?” Jiang Hao followed and asked.

Hearing about the lanterns, Hong Yuye glanced at the man beside her, silent.

Jiang Hao was somewhat surprised; in that glance, he detected mockery.

Or rather, the words ‘childish’ and ‘naive.’

It seemed that Hong Yuye had her own thoughts about going out, and it wasn’t to see the lanterns.

When they reached the street, Jiang Hao noticed that the lights were bright tonight.

People were coming and going, talking to each other, creating an exceptionally lively scene.

It was like a golden age on earth.

This reminded him of his childhood when his stepmother seemed to have taken him to such festivals.

Back then, before he started chopping wood, his father would carry him, and his stepmother would often complain.

In that moment, he felt as if he saw the fireworks of the human world, and something stirred within him.

This outing made him feel a lot.

These were things he couldn’t experience or understand within the sect.

It was as if his half-year of tempering his mind in the Spiritual Medicine Garden couldn’t compare to one trip home.

He had a feeling that once he found his stepmother and the others, his state of mind would transform again.

Would he be able to let go then?

He didn’t know.

But it was this uncertainty that he needed to confront, to feel, to understand.

Hiding alone in the sect was just empty enlightenment.

Only by engaging with the world could he transcend it.

At that moment, a clear and pleasant voice like birdsong came from beside him:

“Do you often space out?”

“No, I was just thinking about how crowded it is tonight and how to help senior navigate through the crowd safely.”

Jiang Hao quickly returned to normal.

“You encountering the Mythical Beast Rabbit wasn’t by chance,” Hong Yuye said with a light laugh, stepping forward.

Indeed, it wasn’t by chance because I cultivate the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower, Jiang Hao sighed inwardly.

Raising a rabbit isn’t a bad thing; if there are similar creatures, I could continue to raise one.

When it can no longer awaken its bloodline, I’ll release it.

It’s better than causing trouble for myself.

At first glance, the rabbit doesn’t seem calm, full of lies and bound to cause trouble eventually.

“What do you think is the fundamental difference between you and your rabbit?” Hong Yuye asked along the way.

She continued walking forward.

Although the street was crowded with people coming and going, for some reason, the path they walked was very spacious.

It seemed as if the people around were actively making way for them.

Jiang Hao didn’t care much; it would be strange if it weren’t like this.

“The difference should be quite obvious,” Jiang Hao replied.

He was human, and the rabbit was a demon.

“Let’s assume it’s quite obvious,” Hong Yuye didn’t argue, and at that moment, she stopped in front of a mask stall.

“Senior, do you want this?” Jiang Hao asked curiously.

Hong Yuye shook her head and continued walking forward.

There were various noises around, and children were running all over the place.

“You can’t catch me, you can’t catch me.”

“Naughty boy, don’t run off, or you’ll cry if you get lost.”

Jiang Hao watched as a woman scolded a little boy.

Too mischievous, I wasn’t like this when I was young, Jiang Hao subconsciously compared himself.

Shaking his head slightly, he mocked himself, thinking it was childish to compare himself to a kid.

He followed Hong Yuye until they finally left the crowd and arrived at a pavilion by the river.

Lanterns hung around, and river lanterns could be faintly seen floating by.

Since they didn’t bring any tea utensils, they couldn’t make tea.

With nothing to do, he could only look around.

After hesitating, he turned to Hong Yuye and said,

“Senior, would you like to release a river lantern?”

As soon as Jiang Hao finished speaking, he saw the beautiful woman beside him glance at him, her eyes exactly the same as before, conveying just one word: childish.

And so, the two of them sat in the pavilion, watching everything around them.

No longer conversing, just quietly observing.

A gentle breeze blew by.

The corners of Hong Yuye’s fairy-like dress fluttered with the wind.

A faint and familiar fragrance entered Jiang Hao’s sense of smell.

It was the same scent he had subconsciously remembered from the first time he smelled it.

That was one evening...

At this thought, he immediately interrupted his train of thought, not daring to continue reminiscing.

“How did you introduce me?” Hong Yuye suddenly asked.

Jiang Hao was surprised and didn’t understand the meaning of her question.

“Didn’t you say someone asked you about me?” Hong Yuye looked at Jiang Hao with a cold gaze.

“How did you introduce me?”

For a moment, Jiang Hao thought of that little girl; had this matter been discovered?

Remembering the girl’s question, he broke out in a cold sweat.

“I haven’t introduced you yet,” Jiang Hao replied.

He indeed hadn’t answered anyone.

“How do you plan to answer?”

Hong Yuye’s voice seemed to carry a hint of a cold laugh.

“How does senior think I should respond?” Jiang Hao tossed the question back.

However, just as he threw the question back, he felt an overwhelming power that seemed capable of obliterating the entire city in an instant, let alone a Golden Core cultivator like himself.

Under such pressure, Jiang Hao quickly spoke up,

“I’ve thought it through, just waiting for them to ask.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the presence completely vanished.

Hong Yuye didn’t ask anything further.

“Master Chen, look over there, there’s a pavilion that seems perfect for watching the river lanterns later,” a light laughter came from not too far away.

Jiang Hao turned his head and saw a group of people approaching. Leading them was a man and a woman, followed by some attendants.

The one who spoke was the woman in front.

She was fairly attractive, and that was about it.

“Ah, there are people up there,” the woman said with some disappointment upon seeing Jiang Hao and the other person.

“What a pity, we can’t go up.”

After saying this, she looked expectantly at the young Master Chen beside her.

Jiang Hao also looked at this Master Chen, who turned out to be no ordinary person, with a Qi Refining level of fifth level; his strength was quite decent.

When Master Chen saw Jiang Hao, he instinctively wanted to have someone drive them away, but after getting a clear look at Jiang Hao’s face, he froze for a moment, then slapped the woman’s face with the back of his hand.

A loud smack echoed.

This was followed by Master Chen’s angry voice:

“Knowing there are people here, you still come to disturb?”

The slap left the woman dazed, and the attendants behind her were equally stunned.

Jiang Hao sighed inwardly, suddenly feeling that these people were less interesting than those on the streets.

“Let’s go,” Hong Yuye stepped away from the pavilion.

Jiang Hao nodded and followed:

“Where does senior want to go?”

“To release river lanterns,” Hong Yuye said offhandedly.

Jiang Hao: “...”

Isn’t that childish?