Chapter 135: That Her

Traveling by sword, Liu Pan soon spotted a town. His immediate desires were a hearty meal and a long, restful sleep, so leaving immediately was out of the question. Furthermore, having just arrived in the Northern Plains, he lacked any clear sense of direction; to leave now would be to wander aimlessly. To avoid unnecessary trouble, he landed his sword in a secluded spot outside the town and proceeded on foot. As for the "tail" following him, Liu Pan was well aware of its presence thanks to his spiritual sense.

Entering the town, he avoided the crowded main streets and quickly ducked into a clothing store. He was still wearing Li Tu’s clothes, which looked entirely out of place and made his gaunt, skeletal frame appear all the more grotesque. Given the harsh, frigid climate of the Northern Plains, the local attire had distinct characteristics; to avoid drawing unwanted attention, a change of clothes was essential.

Before long, Liu Pan had undergone a complete transformation. Clad in the fur-lined garments and trousers typical of the region, and wearing specialized rat-skin boots, his silhouette appeared twice as broad. Were it not for his sunken cheeks and deep-set eyes, it would be difficult for anyone to tell just how thin he truly was. Besides the set he wore, he purchased seven or eight similar outfits as backups; he was not lacking in worldly wealth, and it was better to be prepared.

After asking the shopkeeper for recommendations on local delicacies, Liu Pan wasted no time and headed straight to a restaurant. He had not eaten in three days—the longest he had ever gone without food. For someone accustomed to three meals a day, he felt as though he could devour an entire cow.

Soon, a startling scene unfolded in the restaurant: a sallow, emaciated youth was gorging himself, with five tall stacks of empty plates piled before him, and a sixth stack already beginning to grow.

While Liu Pan was busy eating, a delicate-looking woman appeared at a window-side table across from him. She watched him with a mix of curiosity and strange fascination. Liu Pan was aware of her attention, but he chose to ignore it for the moment, weighing whether or not to engage with her. Had he encountered her before discovering his own physical condition, he might not have hesitated to approach her and build a rapport. But now... he felt it best to keep certain things buried; to intervene might only bring harm to both of them.

After a long moment of deliberation, his eyes flashed. He abruptly stopped eating and turned his gaze toward the woman who had been watching him. He felt he had to do something, and many of his internal questions required answers that only she could provide.

She was a beautiful woman, at least in Liu Pan’s estimation. In truth, many female cultivators were beautiful; by channeling spiritual energy to regulate their bodily functions, even those who were plain could become striking after embarking on the path of cultivation.

Liu Pan’s lips curled into a smile. "May I ask, miss, why you have been following me?"

At the window, the woman paused. She was not surprised that he had detected her; in her mind, she had revealed herself to him intentionally. She smiled back, saying casually, "I simply noticed that you looked travel-worn and did not appear to be from the Northern Plains, so I was overcome by curiosity. I hope my presence has not disturbed your meal."

Liu Pan was momentarily stunned. The more they interacted, the more he found that her mannerisms, tone, and behavior bore no resemblance to the person he remembered. Could this really be the "acquaintance" from his memory? He felt deeply unsettled.

Seeing his hesitation, the woman seemed to realize something and quickly added, "I am merely curious about the world beyond the Northern Plains and hoped to make your acquaintance to learn more. I meant no offense; please, do not overthink it."

Liu Pan’s confusion deepened, yet her mention of "curiosity about the world beyond" offered a possible explanation. If that were the case, many things might be justified. But how could he explain the rest?

"I am indeed not from the Northern Plains," Liu Pan said after a silence, his thoughts in turmoil.

If she was an "acquaintance" who didn't act like one, were the characters he had written essentially fake? The thought was chilling. And if that were true, how deep was this woman's cunning? After all, even Liu Kuang, the protagonist of his novel, had failed to see through her.

Yes, this woman was linked to Liu Kuang—she was the heroine of his book, a woman named Lin Xin. The archetype for Lin Xin had been based on a real person from his life on Earth. Not just her personality, gestures, and tone of speech, but even her appearance had been modeled after her. It was no exaggeration to say she was the character he had crafted with the greatest care—even more so than the protagonist, Liu Kuang. It was a secret he had never shared with anyone.

What Liu Pan had not expected was that this character would appear so real in this world that, when he first saw her in the pine forest by the sea, he had briefly wondered if that person had transmigrated as well. Fortunately, he had regained his composure, realizing that she was merely the heroine of his book, not the woman from his life on Earth.

Yet, because he knew she was the heroine—the character he had poured his heart into—he remained deeply perplexed. He understood the heroine better than anyone; it was precisely because of that understanding that he doubted whether this woman before him was truly the one he had written.

"If you wish to know about the world beyond the Northern Plains, you may ask me," Liu Pan said, a flicker of light in his eyes. "Of course, I can only answer what I know."

At this moment, his mind was filled with too many questions, and he desperately wanted to confirm whether this woman was indeed the one he had created.