Sharing a Room

Carp Tide City, Azure Prefecture's most renowned city for viewing the tides, welcomed countless visitors every year.

It was now the bustling peak season, with voices boiling like a cauldron.

The streets were packed shoulder to shoulder, and the cries of hawkers rose without end.

A group of more than ten people moved inconspicuously through the sea of people.

Only one carriage remained with the group.

A young woman with a fine figure, dressed in plain cloth, led the horse at the front. Brimming with energy, she looked eagerly around the streets of Carp Tide City... This was Deng Baiyi's first time seeing such prosperity and liveliness, a sight Northern Prefecture had not seen in eight hundred years.

Deng Baiyi sighed with emotion, envying those lucky enough to have been born within its borders.

Though it was an age of chaos, they could still enjoy peace.

Yet what truly surprised her was something else.

"You seem quite good at running away?"

Over the past few days, she had witnessed Xie Zhen's greatest skill.

From Taian City, they had traveled east toward Carp Tide City. It should have been a straight route, yet the path Xie Zhen chose was extraordinarily bizarre, like a winding serpent. They traveled only secluded trails unmarked on any map...

This fellow must have come here before.

No.

He must have run away often before.

"I was hunted before," Xie Xuanyi said lightly.

He was indeed familiar with Azure Prefecture. Back then, when Great Chu posted a bounty order and cultivators from all four realms set out, he had fled north and spent a long time maneuvering and hiding in Azure Prefecture.

He knew the roads here well, and he knew the Imperial City Bureau's methods even better.

After killing Xu You and Shen Yan, Xie Xuanyi had set several fires, burning down the residence Xu You had arranged. Amid the chaos, he knocked out the city guards and casually erased part of their soul memories... Azure Prefecture was now sealed off. The Primal Chaos Monitor would certainly have detected the anomaly in Taian City. Even if the Imperial City Bureau and the Sandalwood Guard rushed to investigate, there was insufficient witness testimony and physical evidence. With only that tiny sliver of "karmic heavenly insight," finding him would not be easy.

Before entering the Spirit Severing Array and fighting Xu You to the death,

Xie Xuanyi had already prepared this method of cleaning up afterward.

His identity was never suitable for exposure.

But Xu You's death needed at least one "person" to foot the bill...

Since that deputy city lord was a Demon Cultivator hiding his true strength, then this incident could conveniently be pinned on a "Demon Cultivator."

Jiang Huang was a descendant of the true phoenix. Her blood, bones, and hair all contained the demonic aura of a true phoenix.

When Xie Xuanyi had drawn talismans in the carriage earlier, he had taken a few drops of Jiang Huang's blood. He did not need much... The talisman used phoenix blood as its catalyst and did not seek destructive power. Its sole purpose was to ensure that, after careful examination, interested parties could discover the faint "demonic aura" left behind by the talisman's explosion.

The Imperial City Bureau wanted clues—this was the clue he had given them.

They had now entered Carp Tide City safely. Along the way, their route had been somewhat remote and somewhat longer.

But fortunately, there had been no pursuers.

The unease that had constantly wound around Xie Xuanyi's heart gradually faded...

The sensation of someone gripping the thread of his life finally dispersed.

His whole body felt much more at ease.

For the sake of convenience in what came next, Xie Xuanyi had deliberately refined several crude, low-grade simple artifacts along the way.

By boiling resin with Primordial Force and injecting it with soul power, he could turn it into a thin layer of skin.

Placed over the face, it could alter one's appearance.

This "human-skin mask" was not much of a skill, but it was extremely useful when traveling the world.

After returning to life, he had become ten years younger, and the features of this face had changed somewhat as well...

But there was still some risk.

Once he entered a major city, he would inevitably draw attention.

To ensure their "safety," Xie Xuanyi had refined a different human-skin mask for every person in the caravan.

After entering Carp Tide City, they were no longer "refugees" fleeing south from Northern Prefecture.

They were merchants conducting trade while relocating their household.

Several times, Deng Baiyi wanted to stop and look around, perhaps buy some ornaments such as jade hairpins, but Xie Xuanyi in the carriage gave her a "kind reminder."

To avoid attracting attention, everyone from Deng Estate was now posing as the "servants" Xie Xuanyi had hired.

And she was playing Xie Xuanyi's maidservant, responsible for leading the horse, driving the carriage, and doing dirty, exhausting work.

A maidservant... naturally was not worthy of buying ornaments.

Only after they checked into the inn and she finished feeding the horses in the stable did Deng Baiyi finally get a chance to catch her breath. She wiped the sweat from her forehead as she returned to her room.

At last, she had reached a place fit for "people to live in."

Since leaving Jade Pearl Town, they had slept in the open and eaten in the wind, never getting a single peaceful night's rest.

They had finally had a chance to rest for one night in Taian City earlier.

Yet they had run into that sort of trouble.

But the instant she pushed open the door, Deng Baiyi's smile froze. She took two steps back and checked whether she had entered the wrong room...

"Stop looking. This is the room."

Xie Xuanyi sat by the windowsill, pushing open the window to look at the long street nearby. "Tonight, you'll stay in the same room as me."

Although Northern Prefecture was impoverished, the Deng family was still considered a prominent local household. Deng Baiyi was, after all, a young lady who had clothes brought to her hands and meals brought to her mouth.

Over the past few days, she had played a maidservant all the way and been ordered about all the way.

Deng Baiyi said indignantly, "Was this my father's idea?"

Xie Xuanyi fell silent for a moment.

Looking into Deng Baiyi's furious eyes, he roughly understood why this young lady was angry...

What women valued most was likely their reputation for chastity and an unspoiled body.

"No, it was my idea."

Xie Xuanyi turned his gaze back outside and said calmly, "Since you are my maidservant, naturally you must share a room with me."

Such a calm answer left Deng Baiyi stunned.

"You probably do not understand what sort of existence the Imperial City Bureau is."

Xie Xuanyi gestured for Deng Baiyi to come closer.

From the inn's highest point, they could see seven or eight broad streets running steadily and crossing through one another. Night was approaching, and voices filled the streets and alleys without cease. It was immensely lively: lantern bearers, hawkers, street performers, lion dancers. Deng Baiyi's eyes were dazzled for a moment, and she did not understand what these people had to do with the Imperial City Bureau Xie Xuanyi was talking about.

"At most one hour after Xu You's death, the Imperial City Bureau will notice something."

"If Xu You left a life lamp in the imperial capital, then their response will only be faster... The Sandalwood Guard stationed in Azure Prefecture will act immediately. Once this case involves a Demon Cultivator, the area within a hundred miles of Taian City will be strictly searched. The Primal Chaos Monitor, which oversees the primordial energy of Great Chu's four realms, will capture the culprit's aura at the first opportunity."

Xie Xuanyi spoke leisurely. "In other words, even if we took countless detours and arrived in Carp Tide City, we are far from being able to sleep on a high pillow without worry. See that man selling candied hawthorns in Westpeace Alley? He has stood at the alley entrance for a long time. He has not sold a single thing, nor has he called out to customers. People like him are called Fly Eyes."

Fly Eyes?

Xie Xuanyi did not need to explain... Deng Baiyi immediately understood the meaning of the name.

As the name implied, there were many of them.

"This world is unfair. Things some people can grasp merely by reaching out are things many others can never obtain in their entire lives."

"Fly Eyes are 'special cultivators' under the Sandalwood Guard. Their numbers are enormous, and every city of Great Chu has quite a few... You know as well that not everyone has the opportunity to cultivate."

Xie Xuanyi said meaningfully, "Even if one obtains a cultivation method, not everyone can become a Qi Refiner."

Deng Baiyi silently lowered her head.

Those unable to sense the primordial energy of heaven and earth, unable to absorb primordial energy and ignite their acupoints.

People like that... even if they possessed a cultivation method, it would be useless.

There should be many people like that.

"Most Fly Eyes are people like that," Xie Xuanyi said calmly. "These people have mediocre talent. Even if they obtain cultivation methods, they cannot become Qi Refiners. To earn themselves a future, they willingly sign contracts with the Imperial City Bureau. The Sandalwood Guard has ways to let them 'cultivate,' but they must pay the corresponding price."

"The price... what is it?"

"To become a Qi Refiner, and then be nothing but a Qi Refiner for the rest of their lives." Xie Xuanyi smiled. "That does not sound so bad, does it?"

Deng Baiyi nodded cautiously.

No matter how long they cultivated on their own, they would never have a chance to become Qi Refiners.

By joining the Sandalwood Guard, they gained that possibility.

It truly did not seem so bad.

Even if they could only draw a few Qi talismans, they would still be far stronger than ordinary people. One day, if they went elsewhere, they would be revered by countless people as "immortal masters."

"They will never become the 'immortal masters' others imagine."

Xie Xuanyi said quietly, "The Sandalwood Guard gives them cultivation methods so that they may sell their lives for it... That is the true price. Once these people nod their heads, they will never again have a chance to escape the Imperial City Bureau's control. Whatever task comes, they cannot refuse it."

"And if they die?"

"Then they die."

The words Fly Eyes alone showed just how humble their identities and lowly their status were.

Was this world unfair? No, it was very fair.

Every gift fate offered had its price secretly marked.

"I do not know how far the investigation into the Taian City case has progressed..."

"But I do know that from the moment we entered Carp Tide City, we have already been inspected by Fly Eyes."

Xie Xuanyi changed the subject and asked, "Although I burned down the Taian City residence and fabricated false evidence, do you think Xu You's adopted son will simply dispel his suspicions?"

Deng Baiyi opened her mouth, but was left speechless.

Xu Jing had seen the appearances of their group, as well as the relationship between Deng Estate and Xie Zhen, with his own eyes.

"When traveling outside, if you cannot bear the risk of something being exposed, then do not leave even a one-in-a-thousand chance of exposure."

Xie Xuanyi closed the window and said calmly, "So no matter how unwilling you are right now, honestly be my maidservant. We will discuss everything after the storm has passed."

Deng Baiyi gritted her teeth.

Actually... being Xie Zhen's maidservant was not such a big deal.

If she had truly been unwilling, she would not have nodded and agreed from the beginning.

"But..."

Her gaze shifted, and she said in a mixture of embarrassment and indignation, "There is only one bed here. How are two people supposed to sleep?"

It was the peak season for viewing the tides, and Carp Tide City was packed to the brim. Having an empty room at all was already a stroke of good fortune.

But this guest room was truly too small.

There was barely even enough space left to sleep on the floor.

Not to mention that pitiful, narrow bed, which seemed able to hold only one person.

Xie Xuanyi frowned, as though he had heard a very strange question.

"The bed is so small... of course we sleep holding each other."