Chapter 145: Falling Phoenix Town

"Qiu Hanyun, Qiu Li—what lovely names!" Ji Mo’s eyes curved into crescents, her smile growing even warmer.

"Qiu Hanyun and Qiu Li thank you both for saving our lives." Qiu Hanyun, being two years older, regained his composure first. Thinking back on the mysterious death of the spotted hyena, he immediately realized that the man and woman before him were his saviors. With that thought, he quickly pulled his younger sister along to bow and express their gratitude to Ji Mo and Su Ye.

"Saving your lives? When did I ever save you?" Ji Mo’s eyes darted playfully as she teased them.

"If the two Immortals hadn't intervened just now, my sister and I would have already become food for that spotted hyena," Qiu Hanyun said, a slight flush appearing on his face.

"That spotted hyena was clearly killed by your sister's blade. Why do you say we helped you?" Ji Mo continued.

"Fairy, you must be joking. We have tangled with that beast many times before. My woodcutter’s blade couldn't even leave a scratch on it. It is impossible that the blade suddenly became so miraculous as to kill it in one strike..." Qiu Li’s pale face flushed a delicate red. Though she felt quite shy, she still looked up at Ji Mo and spoke.

"Little Ji Mo, stop bullying the poor girl." Little Jin, who was perched on her shoulder, couldn't bear it any longer and rolled its eyes at her. Qiu Hanyun and Qiu Li were startled by the sudden voice. A talking spirit beast? Their gazes locked onto Little Jin, unable to look away for a long time.

"Don't mind this fellow. It’s just a gluttonous, lazy creature that loves to act cute to get attention," Ji Mo glanced at Little Jin, smiling as she explained to the stunned Qiu siblings.

"Fairy, you are too kind," the siblings replied respectfully, hurriedly withdrawing their gazes.

"Haha, don't be so formal. What happened earlier was merely a trivial matter. If you truly wish to thank me, why not take me to your town for a stroll? We are newcomers here and are quite unfamiliar with this place." Ji Mo’s eyes flickered, deciding not to tease the children further. As she spoke, she reached out and brushed the tops of Qiu Hanyun’s and Qiu Li’s heads, infusing a wisp of spiritual energy into their bodies.

The two children felt an indescribable sense of comfort wash over them. Immediately, the injuries they had sustained vanished, and their bodies felt full of vitality—even stronger than they had been before the fight. Overwhelmed with excitement, they looked at Ji Mo with eyes full of gratitude. They wanted to say more, but felt it would be too sentimental. After a moment’s thought, Qiu Hanyun said, "Fairy, if you and the Immortal wish to visit our town, let us go now."

"Wait, since you came to this mountain, you must have been here to hunt, right?" Su Ye, who had been silent until now, suddenly asked. Qiu Hanyun and Qiu Li nodded in unison.

"Since you came to hunt, returning empty-handed wouldn't be right. My junior sister and I have nothing urgent to do in town, so there is no rush. You might as well finish your hunt, and then take us with you," Su Ye added.

"Yes, yes, my senior brother is right. Hurry and catch some game!" Ji Mo patted her head, quickly agreeing. Internally, she scolded herself; back when she lived in Zhao Village, everyone made their living by hunting. How could she have forgotten such things after only a hundred years or so of returning to the mortal realm?

The Qiu siblings, unaware of Ji Mo's thoughts, originally felt it would be disrespectful to leave their saviors waiting while they hunted. However, seeing that both Ji Mo and Su Ye insisted, they hesitated before turning back into the dense forest. This was merely a mountain range in the mortal realm, and the appearance of a spirit beast was highly unlikely; the spotted hyena had been an anomaly.

As long as no spirit beasts appeared, they were in no danger. In just over an hour, the siblings emerged from the forest with a string of pheasants, wild rabbits, and a single black-skinned arrow-toothed boar.

"Two Immortals, let's go," Qiu Hanyun said, his eyes lighting up with joy as he saw that Ji Mo and Su Ye had indeed waited for them.

"Alright." Ji Mo smiled, and she and Su Ye followed the siblings toward the direction of Luowu Town.

"Two Immortals, are you from the Luan Yao Sect?" Fengtong Mountain was dozens of miles away from Luowu Town. On the journey back, the siblings realized that Ji Mo and Su Ye were not at all like the "Immortals" they had imagined. They lacked the cold, distant air of superiority. Instead, both were remarkably easygoing and straightforward. As they talked, the siblings' initial nervousness faded significantly. Qiu Li, emboldened by her youth, mustered the courage to ask.

"Luan Yao Sect? Is that the immortal sect around here? I am not from the Luan Yao Sect," Ji Mo shook her head.

"Oh, the Luan Yao Sect is said to be located at Mount Huoluan, a thousand miles from our Luowu Town. In another six months, they will open their gates to recruit disciples," Qiu Hanyun added.

"Is that so? Do they always send disciples out to select people whenever they open their gates?" Ji Mo asked.

"So it is said. However, the Luan Yao Sect is a third-tier sect, the largest in Qingzhou. They only open their gates to select disciples once every hundred years. For ordinary people like us, it is far too difficult to enter," Qiu Hanyun’s expression darkened slightly as he spoke.

"The two of you have outstanding talent; you will surely be selected," Ji Mo said, looking them over carefully. A flash of surprise crossed her eyes, and she spoke with great certainty.

"Really?" Qiu Li and Qiu Hanyun were overjoyed, both looking at Ji Mo.

"Of course it's true. Why would I lie to you?" Ji Mo laughed. Being a Five-Element Spirit Body, her "Spirit-Observing Technique" far surpassed that of ordinary people now that she had reached the Condensation Realm. At a single glance, she could discern the physical constitution of anyone whose cultivation was lower than her own.

The Qiu siblings’ aptitude could only be described as astonishing. Qiu Hanyun possessed a top-grade Fire-Earth dual-attribute spirit root and a Fire Spirit Body, while Qiu Li had a top-grade Water-Wood dual-attribute spirit root and a Water Spirit Body. Such talent would be considered top-tier in any cultivation realm. They wouldn't just be wanted by a third-tier sect; even a first-tier sect would fight over such seeds.

Hearing this, the two children were ecstatic, casting all their worries to the wind. They chatted happily with Ji Mo for the rest of the journey. From them, Ji Mo and Su Ye learned that Luowu Town was a small town with a population of over a hundred thousand, home to a minor ninth-tier cultivation family, and that the Qiu siblings lived with only their widowed mother.

Both Qiu Hanyun and Qiu Li were low-level body cultivators with decent stamina. The journey of dozens of miles took them less than an hour. Upon entering Luowu Town, Ji Mo looked around at the houses, most of which were simple and humble. It didn't look much different from the Zhao Village she once lived in.

"This is Luowu Town?" Ji Mo asked in surprise. It didn't look like a town with over a hundred thousand people.

"Oh, this is part of Luowu Town, but it is just the slums. The true Luowu Town is still several miles away," Qiu Hanyun explained. Ji Mo and Su Ye suddenly understood. Having lived in the mortal realm for years, she knew the vast divide between the rich and the poor. Seeing these two children having to hunt alone in the mountains at such a young age, it was clear their family circumstances were likely quite dire.