Chapter 117: How Can One Be So Innocent?

Liu Yiyi caught the phone Xiao Cheng tossed to her, tilting her head as she examined the strange object with eyes full of curiosity.

"How do you use this thing?" It was clear that because of the phone, Liu Yiyi had already forgotten her concern about the man being a "bad person." After all, she was only a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl who had never seen the outside world and had no experience with strangers, unaware of the potential dangers.

Xiao Cheng smiled, beckoned for her to sit down nearby, and took the phone back to explain. "This is a communication device. If you enter the phone number of someone you know..."

Xiao Cheng gave a brief explanation of the phone's main functions. He recalled a survey he had once seen which noted that while men focused on technical specifications when buying phones, most women cared only about two things: the appearance of the device and its selfie function.

"This phone has a good camera; the photos are very clear!" Xiao Cheng opened the selfie mode to demonstrate.

Xiao Cheng was willing to patiently explain the device primarily because he was searching for the Creation Heavenly Origin Fruit in the vicinity of Shenfeng Mountain. Sooner or later, he would likely cross paths with the Zhongling Sect. Since there was no animosity between them, he was happy to build a good relationship with this sect.

"What is taking a picture?" Liu Yiyi leaned her head in, staring suspiciously at the screen.

The moment she got close, she saw her own face shrunken and displayed on the screen. She was startled, jumping back like a frightened little rabbit. Xiao Cheng pressed the shutter button just as she leaned in, capturing her image. Seeing her reaction, he couldn't help but laugh.

To most people, the idea that there were still those completely isolated from the world might seem impossible, but Xiao Cheng didn't find it strange; it wasn't the first time he had encountered such a thing. Some sects restricted their disciples from contacting the outside world to help them maintain a pure heart and advance further on the path of cultivation. Many spent their entire lives within the confines of their sect, and Liu Yiyi was undoubtedly one of them.

Though initially frightened, Liu Yiyi was eventually overcome by curiosity and leaned in again.

"This is the photo I just took of you. This function is like having a portrait drawn of you instantly; there’s nothing to be afraid of!" Xiao Cheng handed the phone to her and continued, "Here, you just need to look at this spot and press the button below to take a picture."

Liu Yiyi cautiously took the phone. Following his instructions, she looked at the lens and pressed the button. When she saw her own photo appear on the screen, she broke into a smile and exclaimed in wonder, "It’s truly magical!"

Saying this, she began to strike various poses, happily taking selfies. Xiao Cheng watched her in a daze, wondering if women possessed an innate, self-taught talent for selfies—she had barely touched the device and was already posing like a pro.

After taking a few more photos, Liu Yiyi found she couldn't put the phone down. She looked at Xiao Cheng, hesitated for a long moment, then reached for a jade pendant at her waist. Reluctantly, she held it out to him and asked, "This is a jade pendant. Could you give this thing to me?"

Looking into her clear, lovely eyes, Xiao Cheng found it hard to refuse. However, he couldn't just give away his phone; if he did, his sister-in-law wouldn't be able to reach him, and it would cause unnecessary trouble.

"I can't give you this. Besides, there is no electricity here, so you wouldn't be able to use it anyway."

"Stingy!" Liu Yiyi pouted in disappointment.

Xiao Cheng couldn't bear to see her so let down. Having never left the mountains, it was understandable that she would want something so novel. He consoled her, "I can't give you this, but I can give you a tablet. It can take pictures, too!"

He had prepared the tablet before leaving Shanghai; it served no other purpose for him than checking maps. Now that he had found Shenfeng Mountain, he had no further use for it. Giving it to her was no loss, and the device even had a solar charging panel on the back.

As Xiao Cheng rummaged through his backpack to retrieve the tablet, Liu Yiyi became alert. When he tossed out a coil of rope, she suddenly stood up, backed away, and drew the sword at her waist, the blade letting out a soft hum.

"I... I’m warning you! I’m not an ordinary person; I’m a martial artist! If you keep moving like that, I... I’ll kill you!"

Xiao Cheng glanced at her but didn't stop his movements. Seeing her hand trembling while holding the sword, he knew her threat was empty—she probably wouldn't even dare to kill a chicken, let alone a person. Besides, he had already slain someone at the eighth stage of Condensation like Leng Yuchan; he had no reason to fear a girl at the fifth stage who was so sheltered from the world.

"You... wait! A bigger phone?" Liu Yiyi hadn't truly intended to kill anyone; she was just putting on a front. Seeing the larger device in his hand, she immediately sheathed her sword and walked over cautiously, kicking the rope aside as she did so.

"Here, this... bigger phone is for you!" Xiao Cheng sat on the grass and handed the eleven-inch tablet to her.

Liu Yiyi held the tablet, her lips curling into a beautiful arc. In her eyes, this large device was clearly much better than the tiny phone.

"Young Master, you are a good person!" Liu Yiyi was very simple-minded; she considered anyone who treated her well to be a good person.

Xiao Cheng was slightly taken aback. He had only given her a tablet, and she had already handed him a "good person" card. It was fortunate she had met him; if it had been someone else, she might have been sold and still helped them count the money. She was simply too innocent and unaware of the malice in the world.

Liu Yiyi was clearly in a great mood. Perhaps because she had stayed in the sect all her life and never interacted with men, she had no concept of modesty between the sexes. She sat down boldly beside Xiao Cheng, not even bothering to adjust her skirt, revealing two smooth, fair legs.

Xiao Cheng caught the unique, delicate scent of a maiden from her, and seeing those fair legs, he couldn't help but feel a little flustered. Still, he didn't dwell on it; he was merely a passerby in her life and didn't want any entanglements.

However, beyond her delicate scent, he noticed another strange, pungent odor on her. It was faint, but he could distinguish it: it was the smell of realgar. Why would Liu Yiyi smell of realgar?

Xiao Cheng didn't think too much of it; he couldn't very well ask a young lady, "Why do you smell of realgar?"

After they sat down, Xiao Cheng gave her a brief tutorial on how to use the tablet. Liu Yiyi was quick-witted and learned most of the functions rapidly. As they chatted, they grew more familiar; Liu Yiyi learned that the man who gave her the "big phone" was named Xiao Cheng and was here for travel, while Xiao Cheng confirmed her name once more.

After teaching her how to use the tablet and explaining a few precautions, Xiao Cheng walked over to the large Kongming lantern nearby to examine its construction.

The structure was incredibly simple: a large sphere made of bamboo strips, covered in kraft paper, with tung oil used for fuel. A long, thin rope extended from the top all the way up to the summit of Shenfeng Mountain.

Xiao Cheng shook his head. The design was far too crude; it would be quite dangerous for carrying a person.

Just then, Liu Yiyi’s clear voice rang out from behind him.

"Brother Xiao, hurry and save her!"

Xiao Cheng turned back, confused. In this desolate wilderness, where could this "she" be? There were only the two of them. He immediately realized she must be watching a video and was getting anxious for the characters inside.

Finding it rather amusing, he walked over, only to hear a series of suggestive, high-pitched cries coming from the tablet: "Ah... woo... ah... Ya-me-te..."

Hearing the string of sounds, Xiao Cheng’s face darkened, and his head swam. How could he not know what she was watching? The tablet contained files from before his rebirth, including various miscellaneous things—there were several gigabytes of Japanese adult films on it. He hadn't expected her to stumble upon one by accident. This was...

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[Xiaodao has started a book fan group. The group number is in the book review section. I hope interested brothers will join (224*898*349) to share some "seeds" and such, haha. My dignity has fallen to the floor... Xiaodao covers his face and leaves...]