Cultivation: I Can Traverse Otherworlds

With a grim expression, Feng Hongda ignored the teasing of the women as he made his way with practiced ease to the back courtyard of Jile Workshop.

Inside the room.

Feng Yue’er was sewing. Hearing a sound, she looked up, a smile touching her face.

"You’re here."

"Mhm."

Feng Hongda nodded.

"Has anyone else in the workshop been bullying you, Sister?"

"Bullying..." Feng Yue’er stopped what she was doing. Her eyes were vacant, her voice faint and ethereal.

"They’re all just Walking Corpses. How could they bully me?"

"Brother."

She sighed softly.

"Stop."

"Impossible!" Feng Hongda’s eyes were bloodshot as he ground his teeth.

"Don’t worry, Sister. I will get you out of this place. We’ll start our lives over."

Feng Yue’er turned her head to look at him, a faint ripple disturbing the vacancy in her eyes as two streams of tears slowly traced their way down her cheeks.

"Brother."

"Stop."

"You send gold and silver to Xing Suanzi every month just so I don’t have to entertain clients, but you don’t realize he’s just using that to bleed you dry."

"It’s endless..."

Feng Hongda didn’t speak, just sat opposite her with a grim expression.

The room fell into a dead silence.

"There’s no hope for me in this life, but there’s still hope for you. You can still have your own life."

Feng Yue’er murmured.

"It’s enough for one person to go to Hell. There’s no need for two of us to go together."

"No!"

Feng Hongda shook his head.

"Without you, Sister, there would be no me."

Their father had died when they were young. After struggling to raise them for a few years, their mother gave up and ran away.

With no one else to rely on, the brother and sister supported each other.

Feng Yue’er, a few years older, had begged, worked, and even sold her body to provide for Feng Hongda as he grew up.

She even made sure Feng Hongda could study and practice martial arts.

In the past, although Feng Hongda knew his sister’s life was hard, he was deeply ashamed of her for selling her body.

He even resented her for it.

They had been estranged for a long time.

"If only..."

Feng Yue’er forced a smile.

"It would have been so much better if I had left after you grew up. I shouldn’t have been so greedy and insisted on staying with you."

’If I had left back then...’

’Maybe my brother would have resented me, but he definitely would have forgotten a sister like me and had a different kind of life.’

In the end,

’I was too greedy.’

’I deluded myself into thinking that after my brother’s life improved, our relationship would heal, and certain things could be put behind us.’

But in the end...

A severe illness struck, and Feng Yue’er collapsed.

It was only then that Feng Hongda realized how indispensable his sister was. He carried her on his back, searching for every famous doctor in the city.

But it was no use.

Not even an Immortal could save her!

He finally turned to Xing Suanzi for help. Using Magic, he separated her from her Physical Body, allowing Feng Yue’er to survive as a portrait.

Ostensibly, Feng Yue’er was Xing Suanzi’s concubine.

In reality,

She was just another prostitute at Jile Workshop. To spare his sister from having to entertain clients and to make her life there a little better, Feng Hongda had no choice but to earn money from wherever he could and give it to Xing Suanzi.

In a flash,

several years passed.

Both of them struggled in tormented agony.

"Sister," Feng Hongda said, his voice heavy.

"When we were young, you were the one who raised me. Now it’s my turn. I can’t be so selfish."

"No!" Feng Yue’er looked at her brother—so young, yet his face was already worn with age. Her delicate frame trembled, and tears streamed down her face.

"It shouldn’t be like this!"

"It shouldn’t be like this!"

’Why?’

’Why did things turn out this way?’

Feng Yue’er’s heart was dead ash. As a person within a painting, she didn’t even have the ability to kill herself.

"Don’t worry, Sister. I’m with a new master now, and he pays very well," Feng Hongda said.

"Once I’ve saved up enough, I’ll buy your portrait. We’ll leave Yidu and start a new life."

"That won’t happen," Feng Yue’er said, her face streaked with tears.

"How many times have you said that? You should know it’s impossible. Xing Suanzi will never let us go."

"He..."

"...has never let anyone go!"

"Stop dreaming these impossible dreams, Brother. I just want you to be able to live a good life."

Feng Hongda didn’t answer, just stared at Feng Yue’er, his face a mask of stubbornness.

’For my sister...’

’I would die for her!’

’Give up?’

’Never!’

......

「Yingxian Residence.」

「The Second Floor.」

"Haha..." Watching the figure step onto the second floor, a drunken Xing Suanzi roared with laughter.

"Young Master Zhu, you’ve finally arrived."

"Come!"

He pulled Zhu Ju over and gestured for an introduction.

"Allow me to introduce you. This is Young Master Wan Zian, the only son of General Wan, the General of Yidu. Not only is General Wan a high-ranking official, but he is also a Great Mage who has perfected the Slaughter Technique."

"So you’re Zhu Ju?" Wan Zian was about seventeen or eighteen years old. He carried an air of nobility and wasn’t bad-looking, though his face was a bit pale, showing the exhaustion from a life of wine and women.

He pointed at Zhu Ju and chuckled.

"I’ve heard of you. The rich young master from the Capital City. So much gold and silver you... HIC... don’t know what to do with it."

"You’re too kind," Zhu Ju said, cupping his fist.

"A pleasure to meet you, Young Master Wan."

"Young Master Wan, you’ve never seen Young Master Zhu’s generosity. Today, I’ll let you witness it." Xing Suanzi waved over a waiting tavern attendant.

"The bill!"

"Yes, sir."

The attendant bowed and scraped as he approached Zhu Ju, simpering.

"Young Master Zhu, the total is a humble three hundred taels of silver."

"Of course." Zhu Ju took a silver note from his robes and handed it over, then turned back to Xing Suanzi.

"Senior, how was that?"

"Good!" Xing Suanzi laughed loudly.

"Well done!"

"As long as you’re pleased, Senior." Zhu Ju took out a piece of paper.

"Time to settle your account."

"What do you mean?" Xing Suanzi froze.

"The gold and silver you’ve taken from me these past two months are all on this ledger. By my count, the time is up." Zhu Ju raised an eyebrow.

"You’re a transcendent master, Senior. Surely you wouldn’t refuse to pay your debts?"

"Hm?" Wan Zian, sitting opposite them, was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing, slapping the table wildly.

"Haha..."

"Excellent, excellent!"

"Xing Suanzi, to think a tightwad like you would finally meet your match."

"..." Staring at the IOU thrust before him, the smile on Xing Suanzi’s face slowly vanished.

"Young Master Zhu, this isn’t very amusing."

"Not amusing?" Zhu Ju narrowed his eyes.

"You eat and drink your fill, then call me over only when it’s time to pay the bill. Is *that* amusing?"

"Xing Suanzi!"

he roared in a low voice.

"Today, you either pay me back or you show me the Visualization Image. Pick one!"

"You..." Xing Suanzi’s cheek twitched, fury surging within him. He suddenly let out a low roar.

"You’re courting death!"

SHWFF!

Several sheets of white paper shot out from his body like lightning.

Hm?

Zhu Ju’s eyes flew wide. The Cross and Vertical Saber at his waist sang as it left its sheath, and a sharp, murderous intent instantly flooded the area.

Ghost God Limit!

Limited Ghost God!

SHWISH!

A single slash split the air!

The sheets of paper froze mid-air, then each split in two and fluttered lightly to the ground. Behind them, Xing Suanzi’s brow twitched violently. A wave of fear washed over him, quickly followed by a surge of rage.

’Fear?’

’I’m a dignified Mage, and I’m actually afraid of a Magician who hasn’t even cultivated any Magical Power?’

But with the two of them so close, he truly didn’t dare to make a move. Rage and fear warred in his heart, twisting Xing Suanzi’s expression into an even uglier mask.

"Good!"

"What a fine Saber Technique!"

He gritted his teeth, then abruptly flicked his sleeve and snapped.

"You just want to see the Visualization Image, don’t you? Fine, I’ll show you! But don’t blame me for not warning you—looking at the Visualization Image comes with its own dangers."

"No matter." Zhu Ju sheathed his saber, his expression casual.

"Where is the Visualization Image?"