Although this cultivator's version of a large motorcycle had the appearance of a motorcycle, its internal structure was undoubtedly completely different from those in her world. It was, after all, an imaginary creation from a science fiction world. Since it could fly, there was no need for those conventional mechanisms.
This big motorcycle had no engine and didn't need to burn oil. Xin Xiu didn't know exactly what powered it, but it was certainly something like spiritual energy. Just thinking about it made it seem environmentally friendly.
Her approach to learning to ride was the "get on and figure it out" practical method. From learning to ride a bicycle as a child to using her father's nearly obsolete car to learn driving later on, she always just listened to basic instructions and then explored the rest on the road. This time was no exception.
The master was a very competent service provider. He had over-delivered on all of her requests. For instance, the handlebar controls for speed and steering on this flying motorcycle were Xin Xiu's suggestions, and he had thoughtfully added footrests to prevent the rider from falling off if the motorcycle started spinning in the air.
Xin Xiu had ridden motorcycles before, so she felt confident as she mounted this one. After caressing the sexy vehicle a couple of times, she shouted "Oh ho!" and twisted the throttle.
Go forth, Unit 01!
The cool flying motorcycle burst into the bamboo forest, less like Unit 01 and more like a charging wild boar.
Xin Xiu was pelted by bamboo branches, and suddenly felt she was missing a pair of sunglasses. Her dress was snagged by a branch, possibly tearing it. Well, she probably needed a set of leather jacket and pants too.
At first, she couldn't quite grasp the knack of flying upwards, so she charged through the bamboo forest at a middling height for a while. Xin Xiu figured out a forward twist rotation that finally sent the motorcycle soaring above the dense bamboo sea.
A black motorcycle suddenly emerged from the bamboo sea that roared like ocean waves, like a whale leaping from the water.
The big motorcycle wobbled on the crest of the green waves for a while, then shot straight up into the sky like a sword.
This was far more thrilling than a roller coaster or a drop tower, because there were no safety restraints. The feeling that you might fall off at any moment made her heart race. Someone afraid of heights might die on the spot, and a timid person would be crying to get down by now. Xin Xiu was shouting too, but from excitement.
The sky was different from the ground, with basically no obstacles. She could flip up and down or charge straight ahead without hitting anything. It felt like a vast space of freedom between heaven and earth where she could tumble about unrestrained.
Usually, Xin Xiu could remember her real age of twenty-six and maintain some semblance of maturity, but when she got her hands on something she was interested in, she went wild with excitement.
Shentu Yu, his white hair floating, followed behind his disciple's "motorcycle" spirit tool with his hands behind his back. No matter how fast the spirit tool flew, he maintained a constant distance behind—like a parent following a six-year-old child learning to ride a bicycle, ready to catch them if they fall.
Xin Xiu caught a glimpse of her master following her, which made her even more reckless. She twisted the throttle and shot almost vertically upward. The speed was so fast that her whole body was forced backward, her hair and clothes fluttering wildly, her eyes barely able to stay open.
"Ahhh—awesome—" The whooshing wind infinitely compressed her shouts.
Someone who hasn't personally experienced riding a big motorcycle in the sky cannot understand Xin Xiu's feelings right now. She felt as free as a bird, or like lightning in the clouds. The extreme speed made her feel euphoric. The motorcycle whooshed through one layer of clouds, a cool sensation washing over her body, then whooshed through a second layer, breaking through several layers before finally slowing down. It wasn't that Xin Xiu didn't want to keep flying upward, but the motorcycle automatically slowed down at this altitude.
By now, Xin Xiu could see the bright sun between the cloud layers. It was somewhat similar to the view she had seen before when flying above the clouds in an airplane, but also different. The sun seemed larger now. It was both bright and warm, quickly evaporating the moisture she had picked up passing through the clouds. Up here, she could breathe easily, with no discomfort.
Shentu Yu lightly landed beside her, accompanying her as she slowly rode towards the sun.
Xin Xiu's voice was a bit hoarse from all her excited shouting earlier, but her tone still carried unsettled joy and excitement, "Master, can this motorcycle only fly this high? What's above this?"
Shentu Yu replied: "When your cultivation improves, you'll be able to go even higher."
"Higher up is the endless sky."
He looked at his disciple, full of curiosity and expectation, with a hint of a smile in his eyes. Because of Xin Xiu's wildly flying hair at the moment, she looked just like a fluffy, disheveled little cub.
"What's up there, you'll have to explore for yourself in the future. It's something I can't describe to you," he said.
Xin Xiu wasn't disappointed; instead, she became even more excited.
After riding up there for a while, she leaned forward and plunged down. The master and disciple passed through the cloud layers one after another, punching several holes in the white clouds and stirring up a mist.
Riding a flying motorcycle has its thrills at high speed, but also its charm at a leisurely pace. Xin Xiu passed through the last layer of clouds and saw the vast bamboo forest and emerald mountains below. This time she slowed down considerably, able to lean on the handlebars and admire the scenery below.
As she slowed down, a flock of birds flew past her. These birds weren't afraid of her strange-looking big motorcycle; perhaps birds in this realm of cultivation were just more composed. They flapped their wings and flew past her.
Mischievously, seeing their leisurely manner, Xin Xiu followed them and reached out to grab the plumpest-looking one.
She hadn't eaten this kind of bird before, maybe she could make a soup with it.
"Master, can I ride the motorcycle to visit my other junior brothers and sisters?"
"You may," Shentu Yu nodded.
Ever since Xin Xiu had called him "Dad," he had started using more words when speaking. For instance, this "You may," would have just been a "May" at the beginning.
With a talkative disciple by his side, Shentu Yu felt like he was picking up the human speech he had abandoned for several years.
Seeing that his disciple could handle this spirit tool quite well, he figured there wouldn't be any major issues, so he decided not to accompany her on her visits. Xin Xiu was also well aware of her master's socially anxious nature. Guessing that he wouldn't follow her, and seeing that he was about to return to his self-imposed isolation in Secluded Bamboo Mountain, she quickly said to him: "Master, I've made some food for you. It's on the table under the cover."
Shentu Yu looked at her approvingly. Xin Xiu casually handed over the squawking bird she was holding, asking her master to take it back and keep it caged until she returned from her joyride to prepare it. Shentu Yu didn't mind doing some chores and accepted the bird without complaint. As soon as it was in his hands, the bird froze like a quail, disappearing along with him into the sky.
Xin Xiu waved in the direction her master had vanished, then rode her motorcycle forward alone, enjoying the gentle breeze. Suddenly, she realized a problem.
She didn't know where all the kids were located. They had all told her about their places, but she didn't have a map or anything.
Oh well, how could a person be defeated by such a small problem in life? If you don't know the way, just ask for directions. The next problem was that Shuling Mountain was such a vast territory with a sparse population. Not every mountaintop had people, and if they were all as low-key as her master, building a green house in some random cluster of trees, she might not be able to find anyone alive to ask for directions.
Xin Xiu remembered that The Second had said his master occupied a place called Cinnabar Hill Island. Since it was an island, logically, it should be in water. Luckily for her, after flying for a while, she spotted a large lake with a colorful island in the middle.
She recalled Senior Uncle Bo Luan whom she had met before, a romantic figure in a robe with flowers in his hair, which matched well with this vibrant island in the lake.
She flew towards it, stopping her vehicle by the lakeside. If possible, she would have liked to fly directly onto the island, but someone... or rather, a bird stopped her vehicle. The big bird's fluorescent yellow vest really did make it look a bit like a traffic cop.
"Who goes there?" it asked.
Seeing this bird speak human language, Xin Xiu was quite intrigued. She dismounted with a smile, putting one foot on the ground, and said, "I am Xin Xiu, disciple of Secluded Bamboo Mountain. I've come to visit my junior brother. May I ask if this is Cinnabar Hill Island?"
Her master's name worked like a charm. Upon hearing it, the big bird's tone immediately improved, "So you're Shentu's disciple. This is indeed Cinnabar Hill."
It added in a friendly manner: "Our king's disciple, Guo Xiaowang, often speaks of you."
Guo Xiaowang?
Just as they were talking, Guo Xiaowang arrived. Xin Xiu saw the Second riding on two red birds swimming in the lake, as if he was treading on two wind-fire wheels, breaking through the waves to reach the shore.
"Big sis! Hahaha, big sis, what happened to your hair? It's hilarious!"
"Oh, big sis, what's that strange thing you're carrying?"
"These birds can talk, isn't that fun? I was startled when I first came too, haha. Weren't you scared, big sis?"
Before Xin Xiu could speak, she heard the Second's rapid-fire chatter. It seemed this chatterbox hadn't improved; if anything, he'd gotten worse.
Xin Xiu didn't answer his questions, instead asking, "What's Guo Xiaowang?"
The Second fell silent, glancing at the sky. "It's the name my master gave me. He said my old name was too rustic and ugly, so he wanted to give me a more impressive one."
Xin Xiu: "Guo Xiaowang, hahaha!"
The Second explained seriously, "It's not Guo Xiaowang, it's just Guo, a single character. 'Xiaowang' is what everyone on the island calls me. They call my master 'Dawang' (Big King), so they call me 'Xiaowang' (Little King)."
So, the master and disciple were Big King and Little King. His explanation made Xin Xiu laugh even harder. The character 'Guo' wasn't bad, but it was a pity it was pronounced in the second tone. If it were in the fourth tone, the Second would have truly become "Guo'er" (Little Guo).
The two entered the island. The Second seemed very familiar with the place now, leading her to see his master's chicken coop and letting her pick a basket of fresh eggs to take away.
Xin Xiu: "I'm not in postpartum confinement, why are you always thinking about giving me eggs?"
The Second looked innocent and enthusiastic: "I've seen people giving eggs as gifts before, and besides, these eggs are the best thing to eat here."
Xin Xiu went to look at the so-called chicken coop and remarked, rubbing her chin: "I don't think this can be called a chicken coop, and these aren't really chicken eggs."
There were no chickens in the world this beautiful. They were entirely gold and red, without a single stray feather, graceful in form. One look and you knew they weren't ordinary creatures. And they were kept in large jade plates, so extravagant. How could the Second call this a chicken coop?
The Second suddenly exuded the carefree air of a rich family's foolish son: "It's all the same, isn't it? The eggs they lay are all edible, why bother about the details?"
He then took her to see the palace where he lived. This palace, surrounded by thousands of scarlet flower trees, was truly magnificent, with a base that seemed to be made of red agate.
The Second: "My master is too particular. He can't sleep unless he's in this agate palace. Oh, if he's not out wandering around, he must be sleeping again."
Xin Xiu: "Senior Uncle has been cultivating for so long, does he still need to sleep?"
The Second: "Not needing to sleep doesn't mean not wanting to sleep, just like not needing to eat doesn't mean not wanting to eat."
Xin Xiu: "What you say makes sense, so are you telling me you want to eat something delicious?"
The Second immediately hugged her legs, took a deep breath, and shouted with all his might: "I really want to eat hot pot!"
Back in their previous world, Xin Xiu had made hot pot before. She used an old iron pot, boiled some broth, and threw in all sorts of ingredients. Everyone ate merrily and heartily.
Xin Xiu pulled him up, "Hot pot is better with more people. Come on, let's go find the Third and the others to eat together."
As they were planning to go to the Third's place, a bird on the island came to ask if they needed a ride. Xin Xiu waved it off, showing off her own vehicle, and drove the Second over.
Not long after getting in the car, the Second was conquered by this strange vehicle. He couldn't sit still, like a monkey, constantly shouting, "Big sis, let me try driving it, let me try for a bit!"
Xin Xiu got annoyed by his fuss and got out to let him try. As a result, he drove them straight into the lake. After climbing out, she immediately revoked his driver's license.
The Second: "I know, our third sister is at the highest point of Shuling Mountain in the West Ridge!"
The West Ridge was a majestic peak, covered in unmelting snow, white and bitterly cold. The two who had just taken a dip in the water went up there, shivering from the cold, and were fortunately brought back by the Fat Senior Brother who was breaking ice on the peak.
"Junior Sister, come out quickly and see, someone's here to play with you!" the Fat Senior Brother called out cheerfully.
Their dwelling was a Taoist temple on the ridge, with front and back halls. The Third ran out from the back hall, saw the two of them, and smiled. She took Xin Xiu's hand, looking a bit worried: "Big sis, why are you in such a mess? Come with me quickly, I'll get you some clean clothes and help you freshen up."
The Second, also sniffling, reached out his hand: "...Hey, aren't you going to take care of me?"
The Third turned back and glared at him: "Go change clothes with my Senior Brother yourself. Do you expect me to help you change?"
Then she turned back to Xin Xiu and said: "The Second is unreliable. You two ending up like this must be because of his antics again."
Xin Xiu: "Right, right, it's all the Second's fault!"
