Until an hour later, when all the dishes on the table had been wiped clean, did Shen Ying touch her tummy, indicating that she was full. Yi Qing returned next door with the small table, then those female cultivators returned in succession.

But unlike the blind eyes from earlier, in moments, everyone’s gaze towards her was oddly filled with -envy?

Huh?

Shen Ying fell into a daze. Before she could think further, an arm still a talisman on it suddenly came closer and very naturally went around her shoulders. “Hey! Sister! I am Lu Lin, may I know how to address you?”

“Shen Ying.”

“So it’s Sister Shen!” She greeted with cupped fists before continuing to ask, “By the way, the one earlier… is he your disciple?” As she spoke, she even winked teasingly.

“Mm… I guess he is.” Shen Ying nodded.

Her eyes lit up instantly and she said with some excitement, “I see that his cultivation is not bad, I’m guessing he has already perfected the Foundation Establishment phase?”

“Nope!” Accurately speaking, he was above that.

“Stop hiding it, I’m at the foundation establishment level too, would I not be able to tell?” She gave her a look that said ‘your act isn’t even convincing anymore’, then she nervously rubbed her hands together. “Um… I see that your disciple is as good looking as an immortal, I wonder what his name is? Does… does he have a dao partner?”

Shen Ying faltered for a moment then turned and surveyed her from top to bottom. “You want to woo him?”

“Ah! Woo…” Lu Lin was stunned, as if never expecting her to be this direct. Her face was a deep red at once and she stuttered nervously, “Fellow… Fellow Daoist, don’t… don’t spout nonsense! I merely have a slight admiration for him, I would never dare to act so brusquely to the young master. I’m just asking whether he has a dao partner while we’re on the topic.”

“He does!” Shen Ying nodded.

“What?” Lu Lin’s face fell instantly, even the girls eavesdropping beside them also revealed slightly disappointed expressions. She even subconsciously asked, “Who is it?”

“Me!”

Lu Lin: “…”

Everyone: “…”

Shen Ying vaguely felt that the enthusiasm that everyone had for her was extinguished in one go. Their gazes became even odder, besides looking like they couldn’t express themselves in a few words, there was also some: indignation that the good cabbage had been twiddled by a pig!

Shen Ying: “…” Why was she feeling so displeased?

Perhaps seeing that she didn’t look too pleased, Lu Lin patted her shoulders, slightly gritting her teeth. “I didn’t expect that your disciple could go on to become your dao partner. Sister, though you look rather boyish, turns out you still have the game?”

“…” Shen Ying stiffened, what the hell was boyish? She’d specially changed into new pink clothes this morning? Where did she look boy…

Huh?

She subconsciously looked across the room, at the girls who were all dressed in green, her eyes then widened instantly as she was enlightened.

Oh~~~~~~~~ So this was it!

(⊙ o ⊙)

“Shen Ying!” Just as she was about to say something, Father Niu’s voice was transmitted to her, the door was pushed open at once. Sure enough, Lonemoon was leaning on the frame, wearing a solemn look.

The room went silent as everyone’s eyes looked towards the door together, some gasps could faintly be heard.

But Lonemoon did not feel anything much, glancing across the room, his eyes fixed on Shen Ying in the right and he spoke directly, “Come over for a while, there’s something urgent!” Then he turned and walked next door.

“Oh.” Shen Ying responded, about to follow him outside but a grip tightened on her hand.

Lu Lin who was chatting with her was grabbing her hand with a death grip, her eyes wide. “Sister, do… don’t tell me he… he he is… your dao partner too?”

“Oh, he isn’t!” Shen Ying shook her head, Lu Lin sighed in relief then heard her add, “He is my father!”

“Ah? Ah!” Lu Lin faltered, was he that old? She couldn’t tell!

Seeing that she was about to step out, she immediately pulled her back, like she had recovered from a daze again. “Then do you mind… having a stepmother?”

“…”

Do you want to go bankrupt?

o(╯□╰)o

“Shen Ying!” A hastening voice sounded from outside, Shen Ying then walked out quickly, turning to the left.

“Wrong direction, this side!”

Hence, she turned back towards the right…

——————

Inside the room.

Lonemoon conveniently set up several isolating array formations.

“I just went out to get information about the situation of this little world.” Lonemoon recalled the reaction of those people when he went down to ask around and frowned instinctively. “A huge disaster has indeed occurred here, right now the people on this spirit boat were all rescued by the sects nearby and are heading for refuge. There are about a few thousand people on the spirit boat right now. And there isn’t only one boat, I heard all the sects are out on the move, in other areas there are a few thousand more such spirit boats.”

Yi Qing calculated the population mentally and frowned too. “What kind of disaster was it?” That could result in such dire aftermaths, even when the sects worked together, they could only bring everyone away instead of solving the problem.

“They call it ‘Fallen Night’.” Lonemoon continued with a solemn expression. “I’ve never heard of this name before too, but according to the people on this boat, Fallen Night is a type of natural disaster, it is invisible, no one knows how it is formed either. The more they cannot predict when it will occur, but everything in its path are destroyed, only a minority escape death by sheer luck.”

Yi Qing’s expression darkened as he questioned directly. “Invisible?”

“That’s right!” Lonemoon nodded. “They said that the location Fallen Night appears at each time is uncertain, but once it happens, tens of thousands of miles around will be affected. Living creatures that are chosen by Fallen Night will be instantly reduced to ashes, no remains left. Even the earth becomes a barren land where not even an inch of grass will grow.”

“Barren land?” Yi Qing faltered, voicing his thoughts as if he had recalled something. “Could it be that the ‘Fallen Night’ they speak of is related to the ever-expanding darkness in this world?”

“I thought so too!” Lonemoon nodded. “The place where we landed in this little world was the border between light and darkness, the ‘Fallen Night’ they speak of could be this darkness.” He turned and looked around their surroundings that was still gloomy. “But the odd thing is, other than us, it seems like everyone else cannot see the darkness all around.”

“Have they been corroded by invaders?” Chef was suddenly reminded, the manager who invaded back then had used similar means to control Father Niu.

“Nope!” Lonemoon shook his head. “I checked their meridians using my divine perception, from the primordial spirits to the souls, I did not see any problems.”

That was odd then, what exactly was this surrounding darkness then? And not just these people, even after entering for so long, they themselves didn’t sense anything amiss, it was a little strange no matter how they looked at it!

“Shen Ying.” The two of them could only turn and look towards the person nibbling on the fruit beside them. “How about you? Any findings? What exactly is this darkness?”

Shen Ying fell in a momentary daze before cocking her head to a side. “Nothing!”

The expressions of the duo became graver, even Shen Ying did not sense anything?

“But…” She suddenly added, “This darkness doesn’t seem like something external.”

Lonemoon: “…”

Yi Qing: “…”

What?