‘This little girl was right when she said we were at the edge of the forest. I didn’t expect the exit to be so close. I should’ve pushed myself to keep walking last night; if I had, I’d be out of this dangerous forest by now. Fortunately, my carelessness last night didn’t end with me being attacked by monsters or wild animals while I slept. Thankfully, Gu Dandan found me and woke me up in the forest.’

‘But what puzzles me is why this little girl dared to enter the forest in her condition. Wasn’t she afraid of getting lost or being attacked by monsters? And how did she know her way around? I want to ask, but I’m worried it might offend her. Oh well, I should drop it. Asking such questions just to satisfy my curiosity wouldn’t be right.’

“Little Dandan, we’ve both managed to get out of the forest thanks to your guidance, but the problem is that the exit you showed me leads directly to someone’s backyard. Is it alright for us to enter without permission? Also, could you show us another way to reach the village? I don’t want us to get in trouble for trespassing on someone else’s property.”

“It’s fine, Big Sister! Actually, the house with the garden you see ahead is Dandan’s home. And the Mist Village you’re looking for isn’t too far from here. You can follow the small path in front of Dandan’s house to get there.”

“Oh, I see. Besides, I wanted to thank you once again for showing me the way out of the forest. I’ll always remember your help. Now it’s time for me to take you home.”

“Big Sister, you don’t need to thank Dandan so much. It’s embarrassing… Dandan just showed you the way out from the forest’s edge.” Gu Dandan replied, blushing at Vheena’s sincere gratitude.

“Haha, don’t be shy. Your help was truly invaluable to me. Let’s go to your home.”

"Yes, Big Sister. Also, before you head to the village, would you like to visit Dandan’s home? Dandan would like to make you some tea to thank you for helping Dandan in the forest. It wouldn’t feel right not to repay your kindness—would you be willing?"

‘Ugh, this little girl is so sweet! She’s the one who helped me, yet she feels indebted to me! And she helped not because she was deceived by my appearance, but out of pure kindness. Such a rare, good-hearted child in this world of cultivation! She deserves to be protected, not taken advantage of! I should turn down her offer to avoid being a burden to her and her family… Wait a moment! My goal in coming to the village is to gather information. Since I met this little girl, why not ask for information from her and her family? And with her inviting me to her home, I’d have a chance to ask the questions I need to while I’m there. Alright, let’s go with that plan.’

“Of course, Little Dandan. Besides, I’d like to see the home of the sweet girl who helped me.” Vheena replied cheerfully, placing her hand on Gu Dandan’s head, gently patting her.

“Hehehe, that’s embarrassing, Big Sister.”

After their conversation, Vheena guided Gu Dandan, whose face was flushed, back to her home. Upon arriving, Gu Dandan invited Vheena inside. As Vheena stepped into the little girl’s home, the quiet emptiness of the place left her puzzled. Curiosity got the better of her, and she asked Gu Dandan a question that she would soon regret.

“Little Dandan, why is your house so quiet? Where is your family? Are they at work?”

“Dandan never had a family. I’ve lived with Grandpa Healer since I was little.”

“Oh… I see. Then, where is your grandfather? Let me thank him for raising such a kind-hearted girl.”

“Thank you, Sister… but Grandpa Healer passed away two years ago.”

“I-I’m sorry… I didn’t know.”

“It's okay, Big Sister. After all, you don't know and don't mean any harm when you say that. In that case, Dandan would go to the kitchen first to put away the firewoods that Dandan had brought from the forest. Dandan will also make you tea, sister. Sit here and wait for Dandan to make it.”

“O-okay, p-please be careful.”

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

‘Ugh! I wanted to help her with the tea, but now I’m too embarrassed after making that blunder. She doesn’t seem angry, does she? I hope I didn’t hurt her feelings.’ Vheena thought, holding her head in regret.

Lost in remorse, Vheena didn’t realize how much time had passed until Gu Dandan returned with tea.

“Big Sister, here’s the tea. Sorry for taking so long.”

‘What? I didn’t even notice she was back! Was I too lost in regret? Anyway, I should answer her.’

“N-no problem. Thank you for the tea you made.”

“You’re welcome, Sister.”

Slurp…

Slurp…

Slurp...

‘Ugh, this is so embarrassing and awkward. For some reason, even though the little girl in front of me has her eyes closed, it feels like she’s watching me. S-should I ask her the questions I need answers to now? B-but after what I said earlier, I feel too embarrassed to ask. What should I do? Should I just go for it? No, I can’t let myself get flustered. I’m a woman! I need to be brave. It’s time to ask!’

“Uhum, L-little Ruan—I mean, Little Dandan, the tea you made is delicious. I really like it. By the way, may I ask you something?”

“Thank you, Sister. What would you like to ask?”

"Um, actually, I wanted to ask if you know the way to the Death Forest?"

"Death Forest? I'm sorry, big sister, Dandan has never heard of it, so I don't know where the Death Forest you're talking about is."

'Huh? F-for some reason, I have a bad feeling about this. I hope it’s not as ominous as I sense.'

"T-then, do you know the Fallen Kingdom?"

"The Fallen Kingdom? Hmm... Once again, I'm sorry, big sister, Dandan has never heard of it. Really, Dandan is very sorry for being so useless; it’s probably because Dandan has never traveled far from the village, so Dandan's knowledge of the outside world is very limited."

"No, it's not your fault. Besides, I was just asking. If you don't know, there's no need to apologize. Just answer like usual; if you don’t know, that’s okay. In that case, I’d like to ask you one more thing—do you know of the continent of Fellow Sun?"

"Alright, big sister. As for the continent of Fellow Sun… Ugh, I’m sorry, big sister, Dandan has also never heard of the continent of Follow Sun that you mentioned."

'Oh no...'

"T-then, do you know which continent we are on right now?"

"Are you asking about the continent where Dandan lives? Hmm… hmm… hmm… Dandan remembers! I think I once heard about it from the grandpa healer when I was little. The grandpa healer once said this continent is called the Great Continent."

'Oh, damn! I didn’t expect I’d be teleported to another continent! And where is this Great Continent anyway? Is it far from the continent of Fellow Sun? Ugh, how am I supposed to get back! …Wait a second! Now that I think about it, I ended up here because of a bright light that enveloped me in the Death Pit, transporting me to an ancient structure in the Misty Forest. There must be some kind of teleportation device or something that brought me there. The problem is, how do I get back to that ancient structure when I don’t remember where it is? Should I just try asking Gu Dandan? Yeah, it’s probably best if I ask her—maybe she does actually know the location.’

“Little Dandan, I’m sorry to ask again. But if you can, I’d like you to answer this question. Do you happen to know the location of an ancient structure in the Misty Forest?”

“An ancient building in the Misty Forest? Sorry, Sister, I don’t know. I’ve never explored that deep into the Misty Forest. But if you’re looking for its location, why not ask one of the hunters in the village?”

“…”

'It’s pointless; now that I think about it, the distance to the ancient structure in the Misty Forest must be incredibly far. It took me six days just to get here from that place. And even if I knew the exact location, how would I get there? Considering how dangerous that forest seems, there’s no way I could explore it alone—unless I had a cultivator to help guide me there. Ugh, too bad my disciple isn’t here. If they were, it would be easy for me to return to that ancient structure. Or should I try to trick a cultivator into taking me there? No, that’s too risky if I get caught. It might be better to consider taking on a new disciple, but who? Should I make Gu Dandan my new disciple? But I don’t want her to—'

"Big Sister, why are you silent? If I remember correctly, you got lost in the Misty Forest… maybe you’re thinking hard about finding a place to stay since you don’t have a home? In that case, you could stay here with Dandan. Dandan will definitely help you."

'Ugh, this little girl is so kind. Should I just make her my disciple? No, I don’t want anything bad to happen to her because of my schemes. I can’t guarantee that this little girl has the same unusual talent as RuanRuan or Xianxiu. It’s better if I find another way. Since she’s willing to take me in, I should use the time while I’m staying with her to think of a better plan to get back home.’

"Thank you so much, little Dandan, for letting me stay with you. You’re right that I don’t have a place to live. Since you’ve welcomed me, I promise as your guest I won’t be a burden to you."

“Of course, big sister, you’re not a burden to Dandan. In fact, Dandan is happy to be able to help someone in need.”

Seeing this little girl’s pure, angelic smile as she helped her made Vheena feel deeply moved; she was truly grateful to have met her when she was teleported to this unfamiliar place. Perhaps if she hadn’t met this little girl, her life here would have been much harder—unless she resorted to using her deceiving face… maybe?

For now, Vheena decided to stay with Gu Dandan, not knowing how long she would remain by her side, leaving behind her disciples, pet, and maid who were likely worrying about her whereabouts.