She prepared some daily necessities and food.

The carriage she was riding really only had a single seat; apart from that there were no people, only goods.

But she didn’t mind. It was a covered carriage, which suited her better. She could sit inside and cultivate.

She was the only woman in the entire escort agency. So aside from coming out at mealtimes, she spent the rest of her time cultivating in the carriage.

Once she calmed down, she actually felt her cultivation grow a little.

Xiao Ho smiled. There was nothing bad about this. She would just slowly cultivate like this. Even if she couldn’t live forever, she would at least be free of illness and pain, and she would age slower than a mortal.

The mental method given by the senior was so good, the Swordsmanship definitely wouldn’t be bad either. She felt grateful to her once again.

She had been a cultivator for eight years after all. She still knew some basics; this Swordsmanship was far better than the one that so‑called master had given her.

She ran through it in her mind. Once she settled down, she would definitely practice the Swordsmanship diligently.

The escort agency would also enter the city, and Xiao Ho would go out for a stroll with them. It was better to get used to life in the Mortal World as soon as possible.

Her favorite place to go was the teahouse, where she could hear many stories, and she was willing to listen.

Today’s story was about a woman whose husband had died, living alone with her child.

She listened with great interest, thinking that her own identity was also that of a woman whose husband had died.

Xiao Ho was very beautiful; she had already been considered pretty in the Cultivation World, let alone in the Mortal World.

Even though she wore a hat, many people still paid attention to her. She didn’t care about other people’s gazes. You could say that here in the Mortal World, there really wasn’t anyone she was afraid of.

She bought some pastries and continued on her way.

The journey was stop‑and‑go. The leader said they would reach the Capital in ten days.

"Miss, you must have your road permit ready. Only at the Capital will they check it."

Xiao Ho froze for a moment. She really didn’t have a road permit.

"Leader, let me see your road permit."

She took it and read through it once, then decided she might as well make one herself, just copying the leader’s.

It really wasn’t that hard. Once she made it, she felt more at ease. She also fabricated an identity for herself.

That day they arrived at the Capital’s city gate; there really were many people. The escort agency’s inspection wasn’t very strict.

The road permits weren’t examined carefully either. Xiao Ho followed the escort agency into the city.

"Thank you, Leader, for taking care of me along the way."

"Miss, you’re too polite."

After Xiao Ho left, she slung a cloth bundle over her shoulder and strolled the streets. She knew she had to find lodging first.

She saw a medical hall, went in, and sold the ginseng in her hand.

A big place really was different from a small one. The ginseng actually fetched more than 200 taels.

With Silver in hand, she went to Ya’s. She picked a Yaren who looked rather honest and simple.

"Does Miss want to buy a house?"

"Mm, I’ll be living by myself, so I want something a bit better."

"Do you have any requirements for the location?"

"Best if it’s in a relatively quiet and safe place."

"How about this, there’s a two‑courtyard house in the East City. It’s all nobles and high officials there, so safety is guaranteed. The two‑courtyard house costs 230 taels."

Xiao Ho thought for a moment. "All right, take me to have a look."

The Capital also had mountains; if she ever ran out of Silver she could just go wander there.

Xiao Ho followed the Yaren into the house. It was quite out of the way, but it was quiet, and the house itself was fairly exquisite.

"Yaren, I’ll take this one."

"All right, I’ll take you to handle the paperwork. There’s a five‑tael service fee."

Xiao Ho didn’t understand any of this. She simply followed the Yaren’s lead to the government office to do the paperwork.

After paying five taels of Silver, everything went very smoothly, and she even received an identity.

She paid the Silver, took the documents and the key. From now on, that would be the place where she would settle down and make a living.

The house already had all the furniture and such; she would just use it as it was. After casting the Cleaning Technique twice, the place was clean.

The next day she went to Ya’s again and bought a middle‑aged woman and a young girl. With that, her days entered a proper routine.

She cultivated every night. Although the Spiritual Energy was extremely thin, her cultivation was still progressing.

She didn’t have much Silver left, so ten days later she went out of the city.

Going into the mountains to look for treasures was no problem for her.

Very soon she found several kinds of rare medicinal herbs and also brought down two deer.

This time she exchanged them for 300 taels of Silver. With just three women, their days passed quite peacefully.

Two months later, Xiao Ho actually advanced to Qi Refining Sixth Level.

Although she was rebuilding, she hadn’t expected to advance in the Mortal World.

She was very happy. But that night she was no longer happy; she stared in fright at the Taoist with grizzled beard in front of her.

"May I ask why a fellow Daoist would come live in the Mortal World?"

Xiao Ho quickly calmed down. The cultivator in front of her was at Qi Refining Eighth Layer.

"Aren’t you also living in the Mortal World, fellow Daoist?"

"This old man has no hope of advancing further, so I came here to enjoy wealth and honor."

Xiao Ho knew this cultivator couldn’t possibly tell her body was different. Besides, she had never stopped practicing her Swordsmanship. If he really had any bad intentions, she should be able to handle him.

Once she figured that out, she relaxed.

"Fellow Daoist, you’re so young and can still advance even here; your Spirit Root must be very good, right?"

Xiao Ho said nothing. How was she supposed to answer that?

"Fellow Daoist, there are only the two of us cultivators here; we should communicate with each other.

I’m currently under the Crown Prince. Fellow Daoist, why don’t you join us as well?"

Xiao Ho shook her head. "Thank you, fellow Daoist, but I only want a peaceful life. I have no other ambitions."

This cultivator was called Ruan Mingchang. He had previously been a disciple of a small sect. With no hope of advancing and on the verge of sitting in death, he came to the Mortal World.

He had been drawn over by Xiao Ho’s breakthrough.

Seeing this little girl, he developed crooked thoughts. His earlier probing had shown that this girl wasn’t bad.

He was, after all, at Qi Refining Eighth Layer, and he’d experienced quite a bit. Fooling a little girl would be no problem.

The two each harbored their own thoughts. Suddenly, Ruan Mingchang moved.

Xiao Ho had been on guard all along. Seeing the Immortal Binding Rope flick toward her, she knew that if she were captured, she wouldn’t escape the fate of being used for dual cultivation.

She hurled out a Third-tier Trapping Array and used her sword to knock the Immortal Binding Rope aside.

Ruan Mingchang was trapped. He jumped in fright, knowing this was an Array, but he didn’t know what kind it was—and even if he did, it wouldn’t help.

Angry, Xiao Ho stepped into the Array. Since he had said there were only the two of them in this country, who would know if she killed him?

Ruan Mingchang hadn’t expected Xiao Ho to enter the Array as well. He was a Magic Cultivator. Xiao Ho had been practicing her Spells all along; although one was at Qi Refining Middle Stage and the other at Later Stage, the two were actually evenly matched.

"Fellow Daoist, what is the meaning of this?"

Xiao Ho still didn’t answer, and the Spells from her hands flew even faster.

Ruan Mingchang began to feel strained. In the instant he was distracted, Xiao Ho’s Magic Sword also arrived.

Ruan Mingchang closed his eyes in unwillingness. Xiao Ho picked up his Storage Bag and cast a Fireball Technique, watching him burn to ash before she stepped out of the Array.