Mo Dao Zu Shi: Astray

Ashes, Part Three

Searching for Baoshan Sanren was as hard as ever.

The Sunshot Campaign was still raging on so Pan Wukun steered clear of any approaching armies and important cultivation sect territories.

Pan Wukun wore a straw hat to hide her identity. She decided to go with the alias of Linghu Chong, who was her dad's favorite Jin Yong protagonist. The thought of her father saddened her. Other times, she went by Qi Yan.

Pan Wukun found out that the Xuhou villagers were staying in a war refugee camp. She saw that they were all alive. But she didn't reveal herself. Attaching herself to them would only put them in danger.

While traveling around Zhongguo, Pan Wukun listened to gossip about the war and herself.

"Did you hear what happened to that traitor Pan Wukun?"

"That guy who killed the Eight-legged Spider Demon along with Wei Wuxian?"

"Yes, him!"

"Wei Wuxian killed Pan Wukun himself! He said so!"

"Serves him right! Wei Wuxian dealt justice upon Pan Wukun!"

Pan Wukun shut her eyes and sighed. It was better that everyone believed she was dead. If they believed she was a villain, they would definitely make sure to steer clear of her. That was exactly what she wanted.

The gossipers switched topics to Wei Wuxian.

"Wei Wuxian's taken down so many of the QishanWen sect's forces with his corpses!"

"That's a forbidden dark art though."

"Frightening, yes! But they're being used to take down a tyrant so it's all right!"

Judging by the rumors, Wei Wuxian seemed to be doing just fine without the Yin Tiger Tally.

But what about the Xuanwu of Slaughter?

Wei Wuxian didn't fight the Xuanwu of Slaughter so he didn't create the Yin Tiger Tally like he did in canon. There was no word of him creating it now either. Pan Wukun would rather keep it that way.

Would the descendants of the Xuhou villagers be in danger if Pan Wukun didn't warn anyone?

In several centuries, the Xuanwu of Slaughter would only be rampaging through Qishan and its surrounding areas. It would mostly focus on cultivators. Xuhou was far away and safe.

Pan Wukun sighed. Getting involved in this world's affairs only brought her pain. She needed to stop thinking about them and move on.

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"Excuse me, mister?"

Pan Wukun turned to see a young girl looking up at her nervously. Why was a little kid going up to a stranger in a small town?

Pan Wukun crouched down to ease the girl's anxiety. "I'm a cultivator. What is it?"

"My friends! They've been gone for several days! I don't know where they went! I've heard stories that cultivators help people! Can you help me, mister?"

A common street thief wouldn't dare try to rob a cultivator. So this kid must be telling the truth.

The girl's pleading puppy eyes weren't helping Pan Wukun's heart either.

"What is your name, little girl?"

"Bao!"

Pan Wukun and the girl went around gathering info from the townspeople. Seeing that Pan Wukun was a cultivator with Weifeng visible, they cooperated.