Fengsui City

That night.

The convoy stopped again.

Having traveled continuously for days since leaving Northern Prefecture, the horses were exhausted, their hooves digging into the ground in resistance... No matter how much they were whipped and urged, they needed to rest and refused to move forward.

"Have we... arrived?"

Deep in thought, Shen Yan reached out and lifted the carriage curtain, looking out into the darkness.

"We're here!"

Deng Baiyi got up, pushed the curtain open, and left the carriage, exhaling a breath of stale air. Her expression was solemn as she said, "Ahead is Fengsui City!"

The convoy rested in place on a small hill.

If one stood on the hilltop and looked into the distance, they would see:

At the end of the long night, a cluster of fires stretched into the distance, illuminating the darkness!

It was a massive border wall, lit by bonfires yet still appearing cold and stern, stretching almost endlessly. Northern Prefecture was desolate, and after its vital energy was exhausted, the Great Chu Dynasty recalled the Garrison Envoy. Countless people wanted to move south, and the most preferred choice was Qing Province, which bordered Northern Prefecture.

Unfortunately, they could leave Northern Prefecture, but they couldn't reach Qing Province.

Fengsui City was like an insurmountable barrier.

Without a travel permit, they would definitely be blocked!

"Can we... get in?"

Deng Chicheng asked softly, his face full of worry.

Xie Xuanyi, wearing a thin shirt over his shoulders, also got out of the carriage. He looked at the distant, towering flames and said calmly, "Actually, the matter of the travel permit isn't as troublesome as you think."

This pass was meant to stop ordinary people, not cultivators.

Even a Qi Refinement cultivator, as long as they declared their identity... would not be stopped.

Of course, this Qi Refinement cultivator who wanted to enter the pass had to accept a thorough inspection by Fengsui City to ensure their identity was correct before being allowed to pass.

Monster troubles occurred frequently in Northern Prefecture, and Fengsui City, as the "iron gate" of the Great Chu's Northern Territory, could never allow suspicious individuals to enter.

Xie Xuanyi glanced back at Jiang Huang, who was sound asleep in the carriage.

In his memory, the ordinary officials in charge of Fengsui City were only around the Qi Guiding Realm in strength. As long as it was a normal inspection, Jiang Huang would definitely not be exposed.

Those with higher realms mostly hid in special residences in Fengsui City on weekdays and rarely showed their faces...

Those above the Qi Guiding Realm naturally wouldn't travel with ordinary people.

With a flying sword, they could travel for miles in an instant!

Although the Great Chu Dynasty had recalled the Garrison Envoy, important passes like Fengsui City would still dispatch extremely strong, high-realm cultivators to silently oversee things from behind the scenes. If a high-realm cultivator passed through, it would be their turn to appear. But even then, it was simple. Most of the time, they would just exchange a wisp of divine sense, greet each other, ensure the identity was correct, and then let them pass.

"I've been to Fengsui City before."

"Later, you take out the talismans you've drawn these past few days to prove your identity as a Qi Refinement cultivator. No one will make things difficult."

Xie Xuanyi instructed Deng Baiyi, then went to the horse that refused to move forward, personally tugged on the reins, patted it expressionlessly, and said softly, "Don't be afraid, it's safe."

The horse, which had refused to move forward no matter what, trembled all over, whined, and obediently lowered its head, following forward.

The group arrived in front of Fengsui City.

Beneath the copper walls and iron ramparts, countless oil lamps burned, making it seem like daytime. The area beneath the iron walls was bustling.

They hadn't encountered many people along the way.

Because the vast majority of "entrants" were stuck in front of Fengsui City's gate!

Soldiers of the city guard, clad in Great Chu copper scale armor, were checking "travel permits" one by one. Behind them, halberdiers held their long halberds horizontally, guarding the city gate. The area before the pass was filled with pleas.

"Sir, sir... I really can't survive anymore, please have mercy and let me go to Qing Province for medical treatment!"

"Sir! I have elderly parents and young children..."

"Sir! Sir!"

Beneath the high walls of Fengsui City, many people were gathered, including elderly people with barely any clothes on their backs and children with unkempt hair and dirty faces.

The weather was too cold.

Most of them had frostbite, some had broken legs, and some limped. From a distance, they looked like withered and emaciated figures.

Xie Xuanyi watched this scene in silence.

He had indeed been to Fengsui City, about ten years ago, but it wasn't like this back then.

Fengsui, Fengsui, abundant rice, widely recruited wheat.

Back then, it was an important pass for north-south trade. Many merchants passed through Fengsui City in carriages, and laughter always echoed above the city gate as documents were checked one by one.

But now, it was a different scene, like a purgatory.

A faint bloody smell drifted in the air.

"In recent years, there has been famine and monster troubles in Northern Prefecture, and many people have died."

Deng Baiyi's expression was complicated, and she lowered her voice, "I heard that many people wanted to go south, but they were all stopped. Many corpses are buried under Fengsui City. They refuse to leave and dig in the soil under the city to eat."

What are people eating when they dig in the dirt?

It goes without saying.

The Deng Estate's caravan wasn't particularly imposing, but it stood in stark contrast to the beggars gathered before Fengsui City.

Xie Xuanyi led the way, holding the reins.

Many eyes were cast their way from both sides of the road—

Countless refugees, each emaciated, seemingly withered, their ribs showing, yet their eyes were extremely fierce, like wild beasts.

For every ten feet the Deng Estate's caravan advanced, their gazes followed ten feet.

The Deng Estate's guards had already drawn their weapons.

"If anyone gets close, attack immediately."

Even with Xie Xuanyi present, everyone was still very nervous.

Deng Baiyi, clutching talismans, was no exception.

These people… were all desperate individuals, and no one wanted to clash with them.

"Miss Shen, have you considered it carefully?"

Xie Xuanyi wasn't in a hurry at all, deliberately walking slowly.

There were simply too many refugees in Fengsui City, and Shen Yan had remained hidden in the carriage.

She was finding it difficult to decide about the Azure Origin Pill.

Her concern was that if she agreed to this Xie Zhen's request, then after Xu You returned the pills, it would be a genuine favor owed. Would this friend of her father's still be willing to help the Shen family rebuild Lingluo Mountain?

She asked pitifully, "Young Master Xie is a great philanthropist. If I don't agree, will I be thrown off the carriage?"

"A gentleman should have a heart for beauty and cherish jade."

Xie Xuanyi said, "Although I can't be considered a gentleman, I won't 'throw' you off the carriage… Without compensation, I'm afraid I'm powerless to help you enter the pass. I can only ask Miss Shen to disembark and seek other solutions."

"..."

The carriage fell silent.

Deng Baiyi tried hard to suppress her laughter, and the way she looked at Xie Xuanyi changed.

When Xie Xuanyi brought Shen Yan into the carriage, Deng Baiyi was puzzled, wondering why this guy was being so kind. She didn't think of him as a great philanthropist before!

Now, before delivering her to the Fengsui City garrison, the true purpose was revealed.

She had finally witnessed the scene she wanted to see.

"Alright."

After some hesitation, Shen Yan's resentful voice came from the carriage, "If Young Master Xie has the ability to send me to Taian City, then I, Shen, will definitely get you three Azure Origin Pills!"

"Not three."

Xie Xuanyi shook his head and said, "It's five now."

Shen Yan was stunned: "???"

"I told Miss Shen earlier that this matter required a prompt decision."

Xie Xuanyi said calmly, "The price is different now than it was before."

Shen Yan had never seen such a "shameless" person.

She said angrily, "Xie Zhen, are you really a gentleman! What if you continue to raise the price after I agree?"

"I said I wasn't."

Xie Xuanyi mocked himself, "You're right, but you have no choice. If you don't trust me, you can get out of the carriage now."

Shen Yan completely quieted down.

After a moment, a faint sigh came from the carriage, "Five it is, then. I agree, I can't possibly get any more."

"Deal."

Xie Xuanyi said expressionlessly, "I guarantee you'll see Xu You, the Deputy City Lord of Taian City."

With the deal made, Xie Xuanyi quickened his pace.

An invisible aura spread out—

Those refugee vagrants who were wandering in front of Fengsui City gate and silently surrounding the caravan, all felt an indescribable and powerful pressure!

The white-clad youth leading the horse seemed to emanate an invisible domain!

This aura made them feel fear!

Pairs of scarlet eyes dimmed, and they retreated back.

The last stretch of road was very peaceful.

The towering iron walls of Fengsui Pass exuded a chilling aura.

"Who goes there?"

A rough and majestic voice boomed in the sky.

Xie Xuanyi raised his head, his gaze passing over the two Copper Scale Guards who stepped forward to check his identity, going straight to the top of the city wall.

There, a tall figure had appeared at some point, hands pressed against the stone wall holding the beacon lamps. Even just leaning slightly forward, he gave off immense pressure.

The lights flickered, dazzling the eyes, but failed to illuminate the face of that massive figure.

"Garrison Envoy, we are cultivators traveling south from the Northern Prefecture."

Xie Xuanyi spoke politely, bowing slightly in greeting.

The tall Garrison Envoy propped his elbow up, sizing up Xie Xuanyi, unable to sense any Yuan Qi from the latter. He asked blandly, "Quite the entourage, but only at the Qi Refining Realm?"

Xie Xuanyi also smiled and said, "Realm isn't everything."

With a look.

Deng Baiyi quickly offered the talismans she had drawn.

Xie Xuanyi didn't take them, but instead casually waved his sleeve.

Whoosh!

A strong wind suddenly arose. The countless talismans Deng Baiyi offered didn't fall into Xie Xuanyi's hands, but were instead carried away by the wind with this casual wave of his sleeve!

Strands of Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi gathered in front of the city gate, sending these dozens of talismans to the top of the city wall. The tall Garrison Envoy, whose face was hidden in the dim light, didn't say anything, but stretched out his broad arm, as if scooping for fish, his fingers slightly hooked, and plucked a talisman from the storm.

He rubbed it with his fingers.

"Oh?"

The Garrison Envoy, after receiving the talisman, looked a bit more serious. "A Daoist's 'One Qi Talisman'... are you people from the Daoist sect?"

The Daoist sect... Deng Baiyi, who had remained silent from beginning to end, blinked her beautiful eyes at this moment.

Although she hadn't asked about his identity.

In her heart, "Xie Zhen" should be a cultivator from the Great Grain Sword Palace!

"That's right. We're here on behalf of the Daoist sect to bring a disciple back to the Central Province."

Xie Xuanyi didn't deny it.

He waved his sleeve again, and countless Yuan Qi rolled down the talismans. Except for the one the tall Garrison Envoy had snatched, the remaining talismans, without missing a single one, were neatly stacked in Deng Baiyi's hands.

"Interesting. It's been a long time since any Daoist cultivators have come here. You actually venture out? It seems this girl is a good seed."

The Garrison Envoy chuckled, this time his laughter sounding completely different from before, with three parts more kindness.

"z."