"A good dog doesn't block the path!"
Chu Hanyang shot Ren Yi a venomous glare, then kept running forward without a moment's pause.
A group of Divine Spirit Sect disciples followed closely behind him, streaking past like a gust of wind.
Ren Yi flipped Chu Hanyang the middle finger as he watched the man's retreating back, shouting defiantly, "What are you acting so high and mighty for? Why the rush? If you've got the guts, stay and fight me one on one! Hahaha…"
His taunts weren't particularly loud, but he'd forgotten one crucial thing—cultivators had exceptional hearing and eyesight. At this distance, not to mention across a whole street, a cultivator of Chu Hanyang's level could hear every word clearly if he focused his attention.
Without any visible movement, Ren Yi's laughter suddenly cut off mid-howl.
He clutched his throat, his mouth hanging wide open as if he wanted to say something, but not a single sound escaped his lips. Panicked, he scratched his head and waved his hands at the passersby, begging for help.
"What do you think you're doing? S-Stay away from me!"
"Get lost! You filthy beggar! Keep your distance from me!"
"Don't bother me, or I'll beat you senseless!"
The passersby, clueless about what was going on, were terrified by Ren Yi's frantic gestures. Before he could even get close, they snapped at him and scattered like frightened birds.
The transparent girl could no longer stand watching this farce. She rolled her eyes and sighed in exasperation, "Hey! You big dummy—can't you even break a lousy tongue-tying spell?"
Unfortunately for Ren Yi, he was now more mute than a real mute. He couldn't even make simple sounds like gasps or whimpers, let alone retort to the girl's teasing.
But just because he couldn't talk didn't mean the transparent girl would leave him alone.
"Hey! I'm talking to you! If you beg me nicely, maybe I'll be in a good mood and teach you how to break the spell!"
She folded her arms across her chest, looking utterly confident. For her, undoing the spell was child's play—just a snap of her fingers, and it would be gone in an instant.
Ren Yi tilted his head and thought for a moment. Do I need to beg? Do I really? Hmm… Maybe not that badly.
Once he calmed down, he turned around and walked away without a second glance.
Being a mute wasn't so bad, he figured. The world would be much quieter and more peaceful. Why bother begging for anything?
Snubbed again, the transparent girl's temper flared. She darted after him and gave his arm a sharp tug. "You big fool! Would it kill you to beg me just once?!"
Strangely enough, she'd secretly tested her abilities earlier—she couldn't touch anything, whether it was people or objects.
Only when she'd crashed into Ren Yi had she felt that jolt of impact, a solid, tangible sensation that told her she wasn't completely insubstantial.
This strange feeling was unlike anything she'd ever experienced before. Moreover, this world looked nothing like the one she remembered.
Everything around her was alien and unfamiliar. Like a newborn baby, she felt an inexplicable sense of dependence on Ren Yi.
He wasn't the least bit handsome—in her eyes, his looks were barely passable.
He was dirty and ragged, a far cry from the ethereal, imposing gods and immortal kings she knew.
He was weak and pitiful, with zero fighting skills, someone anyone could push around.
Yet despite all his flaws and shortcomings, she still chose to cling to him.
Somewhere deep in her heart, she knew she couldn't leave this man. Just like how she'd been inexplicably pulled back to him earlier, she was now bound to him for reasons she couldn't fathom.
Ren Yi rubbed his sore arm, then tried to gesture helplessly. But he had no clue how to communicate with sign language. To the onlookers, he just looked like a fool flailing his arms around, completely incomprehensible.
"Ugh! This is so frustrating! Why are you so stupid? You're hopeless! My head is killing me!"
The transparent girl clutched her head, shaking it back and forth in sheer exasperation.
Ren Yi scowled, too annoyed to waste any more energy on her. He turned and walked toward the nearby steamed bun shop.
The silk pouch turned out to be a real treasure. The shopkeeper readily agreed to trade it for five steamed buns.
Even though Ren Yi's gestures had left him utterly exhausted from guessing, a customer was a customer—making money off a beggar was still money in his pocket.
Besides, even though the seller was a grubby beggar, the pouch itself was surprisingly pristine, as if it had just been made. It was undeniably charming and appealing.
The bun shop owner couldn't help daydreaming about giving the pouch to the beautiful courtesan at the brothel across the street. Who knew? It might just be the start of a wonderful romance.
Lost in his fantasies, he completely forgot about his business, his mind drifting far away.
Just then, a pair of slender hands snuck into the steamy bamboo steamer when no one was looking. In the blink of an eye, a large bun was snatched and stuffed into the thief's bosom—they didn't even flinch at the scalding heat.
"Yes! Finally got one!" The thief grinned to himself, ready to slip away unnoticed. But the bun shop owner finally snapped out of his reverie. He charged forward in one swift stride, yelling, "Thief! Stop right there! Give me back my bun!"
"Hahaha! You fat pig! You'll never catch me! Come on—I'm right here!" The thief taunted over his shoulder as he ran.
Too busy mocking the shopkeeper, the thief failed to watch where he was going. With a clumsy thud, he crashed headfirst into Ren Yi's back. The big meat bun that Ren Yi had just taken a bite of went flying through the air.
"AAAAH! My bun! You owe me a new one!"
Ren Yi's mouth opened and closed repeatedly, but no matter how hard he tried, the words wouldn't come out. Frantic with rage, he flailed his arms and lunged at the thief.
But the thief was quick and nimble—short, lean, and as agile as a monkey. He dodged and weaved effortlessly, slipping through Ren Yi's fingers every single time.
Ren Yi, the one who'd set out to catch the thief, ended up looking like a bumbling clown, stumbling around in circles and providing endless amusement for the passersby.
The transparent girl, ever the avid spectator, stood by the side, wishing she had some melon seeds to crack and a little red flag to wave. Unfortunately, she'd already tried grabbing a bun earlier—her hand had just passed right through it. Otherwise, watching the chaos unfold while munching on a bun would have been perfect.
"Big dummy! Left! Elbow back! Push him hard!"
Even though Ren Yi was confused by the girl's shout, he followed her instructions instinctively.
There was a muffled thud—his elbow had struck something solid behind him, something that hadn't been there a second ago.
"Ouch! That hurt like hell!"
The thief clutched his stomach, wincing in pain.
That split-second delay was all the chubby bun shop owner needed. He finally caught up, gasping for breath so hard that he had to brace himself with his hands on his knees, his whole body hunched over.
"Huff… Huff… Pay me back… Pay me back for the bun, you… you little thief! Huff huff…"
There was only one bun, and it was already long gone, devoured by the thief's stomach. The thief's eyes darted around quickly. He straightened his back, puffed out his chest, and put on a righteous, martyr-like expression. Then he pointed at the half-eaten bun lying on the ground.
"Look carefully, boss! This guy is the one who ruined your bun! And for the record—I'm with him! We're in this together!"
As soon as the thief finished speaking, Ren Yi felt like he'd swallowed a mouthful of bitter herbs, unable to voice his grievances. The words of protest stuck in his throat, and he could only stand there, his veins throbbing on his forehead in frustration.
He had no idea how long this tongue-tying spell would last. Helplessly, he shot a glance at the transparent girl.