Chapter 3: Snow-clothed Woman
"Who’s there?"
The Snow-clothed Woman practicing her Sword Skill in the woods let out a low cry. Her beautiful eyes, shining like cold stars, gazed into the distance toward Ye Xing’s hiding spot.
"Hot, hot, hot, hot... You’re my little, little apple, like the most beautiful cloud in the sky! Spring has come again, flowers cover the hill, plant a seed of hope, and you’ll get your fill!"
I have to say, the speakers on domestic phones are just loud. Top-notch. Especially in the quiet of the night, the sound was so clear and piercing. Absolutely fantastic!
’Damn alarm! Why did it have to go off now?’ Ye Xing was so frustrated. He immediately took the phone out of his pocket, and just as he was about to turn off the alarm...
Suddenly—
SWOOSH! A fragrant breeze washed over him. It was the faint, pleasant scent of a woman, refreshing to the heart and soul.
Ye Xing couldn’t help but look up. The Snow-clothed Woman was already standing right in front of him. Her delicate eyebrows were like a painting, and a thin, white silk veil covered her face, giving her a noble and mysterious air. Her ink-black eyes were curiously examining the phone in his hand.
"Sorry, I forgot to turn off the alarm I set yesterday. I’ve disturbed your cultivation, miss!" Ye Xing said quickly, feeling a little anxious.
"Alarm? What’s an alarm?" the Snow-clothed Woman asked, her vermilion lips parting slightly in confusion. Her voice was as crisp and pleasant as an oriole’s song. "That tune is very interesting. What is that you’re holding? Why can it make sounds?"
"Um, this is a cell phone!" An idea sparked in Ye Xing’s mind. ’From her expression and tone, this Snow-clothed Woman seems like a righteous person.’ He relaxed and began to explain, "You’ve probably never seen one before. This phone can play all sorts of beautiful music, from pop songs to classical zither pieces." As he spoke, Ye Xing studied the Snow-clothed Woman and saw a flicker of curiosity in her clear, beautiful eyes.
"Here, let me play another song for you!" Ye Xing immediately tapped the phone’s screen, opened the music player, and selected the zither piece "Guangling Powder."
Instantly, the melodious sound of a zither drifted from the phone, the notes crisp and clear, like the chiming of jade pendants.
The Snow-clothed Woman listened intently, savoring the music. Ye Xing took the opportunity to admire the beauty before him. Her black hair was soft and smooth, tracing graceful arcs in the gentle breeze. A forehead as smooth as jade, long eyelashes, a delicate, straight nose... Through the thin veil, he could faintly make out a stunningly beautiful, oval face, with a hint of soft, red lips.
She was captivated by the music, and he was captivated by the sight, feasting his eyes. As the saying goes, everyone appreciates beauty, and Ye Xing was a young man full of vigor. Of course, he only snuck glances; he didn’t dare stare openly at the young woman. That would be too forward and impolite.
A moment later, the piece ended.
"The melody of this piece is wonderful. I’ve heard many of the world’s famous compositions, but why have I never heard this one? Can you tell me its name?" the Snow-clothed Woman asked.
"Mm, it’s a timeless classic from my hometown called ’Guangling Powder,’" Ye Xing said. "My phone also has ’High Mountain and Flowing Water,’ ’Butterfly Transformation,’ and ’Autumn Moon Over the Calm Lake.’ They’re all very good."
Ye Xing was a fan of traditional styles, so besides pop music, his phone also stored many classical zither pieces and songs.
"This thing is amazing. Can you sell it to me?" the Snow-clothed Woman asked, looking at Ye Xing with hope in her beautiful eyes.
"Sure! Uh... what? ...This... this... I’m afraid I can’t!" Ye Xing froze for a second before refusing. It was hard to turn down a beautiful woman’s request, but he really couldn’t sell his phone. Not to mention the hassle of re-entering all his stored phone numbers. The crucial point was that his photo album had a few pictures of models in bikinis. If someone from a modern city saw them, it’d be no big deal, but this was the Martial Arts Continent! If the Snow-clothed Woman saw them, wouldn’t Ye Xing be branded a pervert and a lecher?
"Such a rare item must be your treasured possession, Sir. I was being forward. Please forgive me." The Snow-clothed Woman gave Ye Xing an apologetic look and turned to leave.
"Wait, miss!" Ye Xing called out. "If you want to listen to music, that’s easy. I can’t sell you this phone, but I can get you a new one."
"Really?" The Snow-clothed Woman turned back, a hint of joy in her usually calm and tranquil eyes.
"Of course, but it’ll have to be tomorrow. How can I contact you then, miss?" Ye Xing asked.
The Snow-clothed Woman hesitated for a moment, then said thoughtfully, "I live at the Immortal Spring Manor, halfway up White Cloud Mountain. You can find me there, Sir."
The Snow-clothed Woman glanced at the moon in the sky and said, "It’s getting late. I’m afraid I must be going. Sir, I’ll take my leave."
As soon as she finished speaking, there was a SWOOSH.
The Snow-clothed Woman’s feet tapped the ground lightly, and her whole body floated up. Her toes danced delicately on the leaves as she moved through the forest like a water-walking fairy, disappearing from Ye Xing’s sight in moments.
"G-g-goodbye!" Ye Xing stared dumbfounded at the departing figure of the Snow-clothed Woman, the shock in his heart taking a long time to subside. ’So beautiful... Could that be the legendary Lightweight Skill?!’
...
After returning to his ancestral home on Earth through the Teleportation Gate in the cave, it was already 10:30 PM.
A gentle night breeze stirred the clouds in the sky, and the crescent moon peeked in and out. Hazy moonlight spilled down, shining into the room of the old house through the glass window.
Ye Xing lay on his bed, his heart pounding with excitement. He wasn’t the least bit sleepy.
’What should I take to the Martial Arts Continent to sell tomorrow? What items from Earth would sell well over there? High-tech electronics are probably out for now; they don’t have electricity. As for guns and ammo... I can’t get my hands on those weapons anyway, and they’d be better for self-defense than for selling. Huh, that’s right. The people on the Martial Arts Continent seem to use flint and steel, which is troublesome and takes effort. What if I sold lighters there...?’ Ye Xing lay in bed, thinking for several hours before he finally drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, as soon as the village store opened, Ye Xing ran over and bought several boxes of lighters. Lighters weren’t very expensive anyway, so he’d take them to the Martial Arts Continent to test the waters. He wouldn’t feel bad even if he took a loss. After buying the lighters, Ye Xing went to an electronics store and bought an MP3 player. He had originally planned to buy a cell phone, but on second thought, there was no way to charge it on the Martial Arts Continent. A phone would probably run out of battery after three to five hours of playing music. So, he simply bought an MP3 player and a few Duracell batteries. When it ran out of power, he could just swap them.
After buying the necessary items, Ye Xing passed through the Purple Light Group and once again arrived on the Martial Arts Continent.
The environment on the Martial Arts Continent was excellent. The air was incredibly fresh, several times better than on Earth.
It was early morning. The sun was slowly rising from the eastern horizon, casting golden rays of light as the world gradually brightened.
「Immortal Spring Manor.」
A maid in a red skirt, about seventeen or eighteen years old, stood gracefully by the gate, a longsword at her waist as she guarded the manor.
When she saw Ye Xing walking straight toward the manor gate, the red-skirted maid’s almond-shaped eyes widened, and she shouted, "You again? I already told you, outsiders are not allowed near Immortal Spring Manor! Are you tired of living?!"
"Uh, miss... it’s like this... Last night I promised... I... I’m here to give—"
SHING!
The red-skirted maid drew her sword, half the blade glinting coldly in the sunlight.
Ye Xing’s heart leaped into his throat in fright. He quickly tossed the MP3 player in his hand to the red-skirted maid. "Miss, this musical instrument is for your lady! I’ll be taking my leave!"
The words had barely left his mouth before Ye Xing, carrying two large bags of lighters, fled down the mountain as if on wings. There was no other choice. That girl was too fierce. ’Can’t mess with her, so I’d better hide.’
The red-skirted maid caught the MP3 player Ye Xing had thrown. Her brow furrowed, and her almond-shaped eyes filled with confusion. ’What is this thing? It feels like it would shatter if I squeezed it. And it’s for my lady?’
"Hmph, what is this piece of junk! All the famous young masters who try to curry favor with my lady either give her Innate Spirit Pills or Upper-Grade Treasure Swords. The worst gift she ever got was a Cyan Lake Pearl, and she didn’t even care for that! Where did this punk come from today, giving her a piece of scrap metal? How bizarre!" The red-skirted girl wore a haughty expression. She glanced disdainfully at the strange-looking MP3 player in her hand, then casually tossed it into the grass in front of her as if it were trash.
"Sister Xia—"
Just then, a sweet voice called out from within the manor. A Little Maid in a green skirt, about fourteen or fifteen years old, came running out.
"little Chunyu, what are you doing out here? Go help the lady bathe and change!" said the red-skirted girl.
"The lady has already finished bathing!" the green-skirted girl said. "She told me to come out and tell you, Sister Xia, that a gentleman might be delivering a musical instrument today. She said to keep an eye out and not to be rude to him!"
"A musical instrument?" The red-skirted girl froze. ’Oh no, it couldn’t be him, could it? I think that punk said something about what that thing was...’ she thought to herself.
"little Chunyu, did the lady say what the gentleman delivering the instrument looks like?" the red-skirted girl asked hurriedly.
"Mhm, he’s a gentleman in his twenties, wearing a cyan robe. His hair is very short, and he doesn’t wear a topknot, so he should be easy to recognize!" said the green-skirted girl, little Chunyu, repeating her lady’s description.
"Short hair? A cyan robe? It really was him!" The red-skirted girl’s pretty face twisted as if she had eaten a bitter melon.
"What’s wrong, Sister Xia?" The green-skirted girl, little Chunyu, looked at the red-skirted girl with confusion in her big, dark eyes.
"Ah? It’s nothing. Sister Xia is thirsty!" The red-skirted girl’s almond-shaped eyes darted around. "little Chunyu, could you go get Sister Xia a cup of water?"
"Oh, okay!" The green-skirted Little Maid nodded obediently and immediately ran back into the manor.
After little Chunyu was completely gone, the red-skirted girl hurried toward the patch of grass and picked up the MP3 player she had thrown away.
"Phew, thank goodness it’s still here!" The red-skirted girl carefully examined the unknown instrument in her hand, which she had never seen before. ’Strange. Musical instruments are just things like strings and woodwinds—flutes, lutes, zithers, and so on. This thing isn’t even as big as my palm. Is this weird-looking thing really a musical instrument? How do you even use it?’
"How on earth do you use this?" The red-skirted girl turned it over and over, even putting her cute, pouting lips to the MP3 player’s earphone jack and blowing into it. No sound came out.
"What is this? It’s not a flute or anything like one. Is it really a musical instrument? Too bad I scared that punk away by drawing my sword! Ugh, whatever! Since the lady said it’s a musical instrument, she must know how to use it. I’ll just take it to her!" The red-skirted girl tucked the MP3 player away, then leaped into the air. Using her Lightweight Skill, she transformed into a red shadow and shot toward the manor.
(PS: Alarm clock, alarm clock, alarm clock! How many times do I have to say it’s a phone alarm? Before you start flaming, please read carefully. Are you sure your alarm clock needs an interdimensional signal to ring??? Don’t be so conceited. Also, some readers said blind dates aren’t like what I wrote at the beginning. That’s because you’ve only seen normal, ordinary blind dates. The ordinary ones are the majority, but you can’t deny that a few weirdos exist. When you actually encounter one, you’ll find that reality can sometimes be more dramatic than a novel!)
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