Meanwhile, back at the Kunlun Sect...

Ji Wuye and Song Jia had just descended the long stone stairs. They arrived at the bustling Kunlun Qiuxiu Village, a lively hub teeming with common people going about their daily routines.

However, an awkward silence still hung heavily between the two, the echoes of their last conversation still ringing loudly in Song Jia's dazed mind.

"Sister Song, focus," Ji Wuye's deep baritone cut through the noise, snapping her back to the present. The bustling scene before her suddenly burst into vivid detail.

Looking at Song Jia's distracted state, a slight frown creased Ji Wuye's chiseled features. 'She's not usually like this...' he thought inwardly, recalling the composed and formidable 'Song Jia' from the previous timeline.

Unlike her current flustered self, that version was unflappable, her mind always razor-sharp - never easily distracted, especially not in such a crowded situation.

‘Well... she is only 17 years old after all,’ Ji Wuye reminded himself with a curt nod. He had momentarily forgotten and kept comparing the current Song Jia to Song Jia from the previous timeline.

It can't be helped; after all, one is still young while the other has accumulated many experiences.

As they wove silently through the teeming street, the scents of incense thick in the air, countless curious eyes cast sidelong glances at the young woman at Ji Wuye's side.

After all, Song Jia was quite beautiful, and not only was her beauty superior to that of the other female disciples, but it was also comparable to that of his Senior Sisters and Mu Lan Rou.

Song Jia, on the other hand...

"Ahhh! I can't stand this awkwardness anymore!" she suddenly exclaimed, her voice cutting through the din like a bell.

All eyes snapped to them as Ji Wuye halted beside her. The previous flustered look had vanished from Song Jia's bright eyes, replaced by fiery determination.

Her heart-shaped face seemed the picture of youthful innocence, framed by her long maple tresses hair that danced casually as her piercing gaze met Ji Wuye's directly.

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"Brother Ji!" She squared her slim shoulders beneath the flowing martial robes. "Could you join me tonight to discuss the secrets of the jade flute's gentle whispers?"

The odd phrasing made the gathered onlookers' eyes widen further, even the passing pedestrians halted in their tracks, feet rooted to the dusty road.

The Kunlun disciples who happened to be nearby had their mouths agape in shock, eyes wide as jade plates.

"No! Sister Song! Sister Song!"

"Stop it, Sister Song! This man may seem pure as jade on the outside, but he is hideous within!"

Like moths drawn to a blazing flame, a flurry of disciples rushed over, pleading desperately as if their very lives depended on it. Song Jia blinked, momentarily dumbfounded by the commotion erupting around them.

"W-what are you talking about... m-my," Song Jia stuttered, the words of her Master ringing in her mind. Her Master once said, 'If you need help, or someone's help, especially from a close friend, say those words, they will surely be touched.'

Those were her Master's reminders, but little did she know, her master had never considered her friend as a male one.

Ji Wuye's keen eyes caught the pure, innocent look in her eyes after her bold declaration, so at odds with the scandalous implications. 'This girl...'

A rumble of giggles and murmurs rippled through the gathered onlookers witnessing the unfolding scene.

"Ah, such bold, young heroes! Tales between disciples under the same Master never fail to entertain this old man!" cackled an elderly man wheezing with laughter.

"They say youth is cursed by inexperience, but it is also a blessing! Every adventure is like peeling a peach - sweet and exciting!" Another observer's gravelly tones joined the chorus of amused remarks from the assembled crowd of various ages.

The disciples kept pleading urgently, imploring Song Jia as her expression shifted from confusion to deepening embarrassment, a rosy blush staining her porcelain cheeks.

Ji Wuye's brow furrowed as he noticed the increasingly hostile looks the begging disciples were shooting his way. "Let's discuss this later. We should not delay here much longer," he said, tone clipped.

"Y-You! You already have a fiancée yet still covet our Martial Sister Song?! How shameless!"

"You truly suit your reputation! A man engulfed in pleasure, no different than a cripple!"

Hearing their heated curses and accusations, the severe line of Ji Wuye's frown loosened as a rich chuckle rumbled from his chest. "It's not up to you, Martial Brothers." Just like before, he turned on his heel and strode away without needing to explain the situation further.

They were just minor, insignificant figures who he didn't even remember meeting in the previous timeline. There was no need to satisfy their misdirected anger and baseless curiosity.

…

Arriving at the village outskirts, Ji Wuye's sharp eyes soon picked out a familiar figure among the line of carriages awaiting hire - the same grizzled coachman who had driven him to Tianji Village on that fateful night.

"Greetings, Uncle," Ji Wuye called out, cupping his hands in a respectful greeting as he approached.

The middle-aged man, clad in well-worn yet meticulously maintained hanfu, jumped slightly at being addressed, his weathered features crinkling into a warm smile of recognition.

"Ah, hero of Kunlun!" He dipped his head warmly. "Are you heading to that 'place' again?" His words carried a conspiratorial tone, letting Ji Wuye know he was discreetly referencing their previous late-night journey together.

Ji Wuye's eyes crinkled at the corners as he replied, "It's said the wise are as difficult to find as a needle in a haystack, but by the grace of Heaven, I seem to have met one such rare individual." His abundant praise briefly stunned the coachman before a broad, gap-toothed grin split his craggy face.

"But please, call me Ji," Wuye added, cupping his hands once more. His refined etiquette and gracious manner stunned not only the coachman, but the other coachmen looking on, clearly unused to such courtesy from a young hero of his standing.

But then…

"I didn't expect a man like you to have the manners of an esteemed young master,"

A new voice suddenly rang out from between the parked carriages, cutting through the village's ambient sounds.

A young female disciple emerged, her loose white martial robe with crimson stripes hugging her trim figure and unblemished porcelain skin. "But it seems you pay no heed to my Master's words."