Several days later, as the sun was sinking in the west, a figure slowly appeared outside Qingchuan City.
The figure drew nearer, gradually becoming clearer. It was Mu Yun, who, after some healing and rest, had finally arrived at the outskirts of Qingchuan City.
The sky was growing dark. His shadow stretched long behind him. Before the massive city gate built of bluish stone, he looked exceptionally lonely and small.
Inside the city, lanterns blazed brightly. Streams of people bustled to and fro. From time to time, the sounds of boisterous laughter and chatter drifted out from inns, taverns, and other shops along the streets.
"Qingchuan City…"
Mu Yun walked through the streets, taking in everything around him.
Faint spiritual patterns were faintly visible on the bluish stone pavement. Every ten or so paces hung a琉璃 palace lantern, its wick burning with eternal flame, casting the carved railings and nearby shops in a glow that made them look like jade palaces.
"So this is a mortal city in a cultivation civilization. Though the architectural style leans toward the ancient, neither the scale of the city nor the form of its buildings can be compared to ancient civilizations on Earth. And this is merely a mortal city…"
"'Little Mu Yun' doesn't seem to know where the Jubao Pavilion is either. I'll have to ask passersby…"
…
Clearly, after the earlier chase and fight, the Earth-origin Mu Yun had awakened.
"Though I don't understand exactly why, from the current signs it seems that 'my' emergence is linked to 'Little Mu Yun's' emotional fluctuations."
"Whenever his emotions swing violently, I awaken—like the fear when facing a mortal crisis, or the anger over the massacre at the inn."
"And 'Little Mu Yun' naturally awakens when I enter biological sleep."
"Mm… there must be some logical pattern, but I haven't discovered it yet."
"Moreover, 'he' and I share one body. When one of us awakens, we both retain the memories of the other's waking period. That is also quite peculiar."
Mu Yun looked up at the sky. The star-filled night here, like Earth's, seemed to hide countless secrets.
"The defensive weapon systems are functioning normally. As long as I don't encounter a powerful enemy, my survival is basically guaranteed."
"Judging from the words of that cultivator surnamed Leng, the current combat power of the armed systems should be roughly equivalent to that of a Golden Core cultivator."
"But Golden Core cultivators also have early, middle, and late stages. How much the strength differs between each stage, I don't know."
"Mm… given my lack of understanding of this world, for now I'll set the risk threshold at early Golden Core cultivators and below."
As he pondered, Mu Yun walked toward a shop. Entering, he used the Zeus Creative Neurological System to easily mimic the language and speech patterns of some other region, conversing with the shop assistant to inquire about the location of the Jubao Pavilion.
Qingchuan City was large. Disguised as an ordinary mortal, traveling on foot through the city, it would take quite a while to reach the Jubao Pavilion.
The night had grown deep. Hunger gnawed at his stomach, so Mu Yun slowed his pace, intending to find an inn to rest and set out again in the morning.
What Mu Yun did not know was that by asking around about the Jubao Pavilion, he had already stirred up trouble—like a stone tossed into dark, churning waters.
…
Somewhere in Qingchuan City, a young man with the appearance of a scholar wore tattered clothes and disheveled hair, but his eyes were sharp and piercing. His fingertips rubbed against the chipped edge of a coarse porcelain bowl. The wine left in the bowl had frozen into ice crystals. The ragged scholar tipped back his head and drained the last of the wine; the ice crystals on the rim fell in a shower, blossoming into frost flowers on the bluish stone floor. He flicked a finger, and the remaining ice crystals formed a small sparrow that flapped its wings and flew away.
The Jubao Pavilion, Suichong Pavilion… coming at this moment—how timely. I wonder if friend or foe, blessing or curse.
In a dark alley in the distance, a short-shirted man stood. The ice sparrow landed on his shoulder. When the cold mist dissipated, a faint green light had appeared in the man's pupils. He turned and melted into the crowd.
…
Meanwhile, inside a certain inn in Qingchuan City, beneath gilded beams and pillars, the space was unusually empty. A few scattered individuals sat around the inn, seemingly drinking tea at leisure, but in truth observing everything around them. They all wore the same style of鸦青 close-fitting robes, with dark iron tokens at their waists.
On the tokens were carved several bold characters:
"Yinsu Sect"
At that moment, outside the Tianzi room on the second floor, the crisp sound of a man kneeling on the wooden floor shattered the silence.
His voice was urgent and trembling.
"Young master!"
"Mm?" A lazy voice came from within the room, tinged with displeasure. The man kneeling outside shuddered and said humbly, "Forgive me for disturbing the young master's peace. I deserve death… but I have urgent news to report!"
After a moment, the voice inside said:
"Come in…"
The kneeling man quickly rose and pushed the door open. Inside, a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old youth sat adjusting his robes. His features were delicate, but his narrow, elongated phoenix eyes gave him a sinister air. Beside him stood a young woman of striking beauty, her posture seductive. The entering man dared not look too long. Dry-mouthed, he quickly knelt, not daring to raise his head.
"Speak…" The youth's voice carried a chill. As he fastened his collar, he said casually, "If the news does not satisfy me, you know the consequences."
The kneeling man's face paled instantly. He replied, "Sir, just now Lord Yumo discovered someone in Ren Street inquiring about the Jubao Pavilion. He has sent men to follow him secretly."
The youth sat down on a wooden chair, tapping the armrest with his right index finger. "Why did Yumo not go himself?" he asked slowly.
"Sir, Lord Yumo said… he… he hadn't drunk enough wine. When he has drunk his fill, he will naturally go."
The man was drenched in sweat. He could clearly hear his master's displeasure and prayed inwardly that the interrogation would end quickly.
The room fell silent for a long time. The fair-faced youth remained quiet, as if suppressing his anger.
Finally, the youth spoke: "Since it concerns the Jubao Pavilion, you may withdraw."
The kneeling man, as if pardoned, hurriedly kowtowed and backed out.
"Wait!" The youth's voice came again, and the man immediately turned and knelt.
"Do you know Xu Yu's movements?"
"Young Master Xu Yu returned to Qingchuan City not long ago, but…"
"But what?"
"Young Master Xu Yu slaughtered some common folk on his way back…"
The kneeling man spoke quickly, reporting the whole matter truthfully.
The youth's expression turned cold. After a moment's thought, he said, "Handle the aftermath. Also, tell that boy not to stir up trouble, and especially not to interfere in mortal affairs. Otherwise, once we are exposed, the sect cannot protect him."
After his subordinate left, the youth's expression shifted abruptly. The chair beneath him shattered instantly, as though he had been suppressing a surge of fury for a long time.
"Yumo!" The youth gritted out the two syllables.
"Relying on his own skills, he utterly disregards me. Once we return to the sect, I will find a way to have my father deal with him!" The youth's eyes were cold and fierce as he spoke.