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"Yo, You Su, where are you headed?" asked a stubbled uncle holding a jug of wine.

"I'm going to the City Lord's mansion for a meal. Uncle Liu, you should drink less."

"Good, good. You've really made something of yourself. Come buy fried dough sticks from me next time, on the house!" Uncle Liu laughed heartily for two more seconds before stepping aside and walking away.

You Su walked down the street, and almost everyone he passed exchanged greetings with him.

He felt a warmth in his heart. Although he was a cultivator, due to being blind, an orphan, and single-handedly supporting the sect, he had naturally become one of the vulnerable groups in the eyes of ordinary people. Now, as he performed this underdog's triumphant comeback, You Su could feel their genuine happiness for him.

In fact, You Su was also very happy. His trip to the Divine Mountain finally had some leads, he had genuinely become stronger, and he had taken a significant step forward on the path to saving his Junior Sister and Mistress.

He took a deep breath and continued on his way. Suddenly, he noticed something flash before his eyes. He tried to catch the fleeting shadow with his eyes again, but to no avail. He released his divine sense to perceive it and realized it was a lantern, its flame flickering erratically in the wind before finally extinguishing.

You Su didn't pay it too much mind. He had become much more sensitive to such sudden changes in light and dark. With the help of that piece of rotten flesh, he believed he would one day regain his sight, and his joyful mood intensified.

Meanwhile, in an unnoticed corner, a dark, bat-like creature was huddled in the shadows of the eaves. It stared intently at You Su's departing back, its two rows of buck teeth grinning ferociously.

The City Lord's mansion was bustling, brightly lit.

Guests invited by Gu Yao arrived in droves, chatting amiably with each other. No one spoke to You Su when he mingled with the crowd.

Upon entering the main hall, a servant led You Su to his designated seat. The banquet had quite a few attendees; including the sect leaders, there were forty-one people in total. Thus, it wasn't a large banquet table, but rather forty-one individual tables were set up in the vast main hall, with seats arranged according to status from highest to lowest.

You Su sensed his position and found it was directly below Gu Yao, City Lord Liu, and the six sect leaders. The seat opposite him was occupied by Wu Cheng.

Before long, Gu Yao and City Lord Liu appeared. Everyone rose to greet them. After City Lord Liu gave the order, everyone sat down, and fine wines and delicacies were served.

You Su was unaccustomed to such occasions. He couldn't understand why these people, who were cultivators, were so enthusiastic about drinking and toasting. For cultivators in the Spirit Platform Realm, even the finest mortal wines were unlikely to intoxicate them, let alone the several individuals in higher positions who were in the Condensing Water Realm, and Gu Yao himself was a mighty cultivator in the Feather Transformation Realm.

If none of them could get the others drunk, what was the point of everyone desperately toasting Gu Yao?

However, he was not an arrogant person who lacked manners. He silently raised his cup and toasted each of the esteemed guests seated above.

You Su had virtually no interaction with these six sect leaders, though he was somewhat familiar with some of their individual disciples. Some of these sect leaders remained silent, merely downing You Su's toast in one gulp, while others were kind-faced, even praising You Su as they drank.

During the banquet, two unfamiliar young cultivators toasted You Su and exchanged a few brief words. You Su sensed that these two genuinely wished to befriend him. As for Wu Cheng's toast, You Su hesitated for a moment before taking a small sip and then stopping.

As the banquet progressed, the conversation naturally shifted to the unassuming blind scholar. However, Gu Yao noticed You Su's awkwardness and quickly steered the conversation away from him, announcing the affiliations of the subordinate sects.

When Gu Yao announced that the Sky Guard Sect would become a subordinate sect of the Xuanxiao Sect, no one was surprised. Only the remaining five sect leaders showed a flicker of disappointment in their eyes. Everyone raised their cups to congratulate Sect Leader Qi, and Qi Daodong responded with a beaming smile.

Next, the biggest suspense of the evening was revealed—the recipient of the auditory disciple qualification for the Xuanxiao Sect.

Only a few people present, who already knew the outcome, did not show expressions of nervousness or anticipation. The rest, like actors in a play, performed a silent drama as this suspense unfolded:

When it was announced that You Su had obtained the auditory disciple qualification, everyone's expressions were varied—some were indignant, some helpless, and only a very few showed approval.

Then, when Gu Yao announced that Wu Cheng had been granted an exception to become a formal disciple, everyone was filled with envy and shock, akin to the entire village celebrating someone getting into Tsinghua University. The gazes directed at You Su carried a hint of schadenfreude.

When Gu Yao then explained that You Su had voluntarily given up the formal disciple position, those people were filled with regret and confusion, unable to believe it. They were angry that You Su, a blind man, was truly short-sighted.

You Su was undisturbed by the outside world. He calmed his mind, refusing to feel the shifting gazes of the people around him. Instead, he was contemplating which dishes from his table he should pack to take back for his Junior Sister to try. While the taste of these dishes wasn't exceptional, they were rare delicacies.

The banquet eventually concluded, and everyone agreed to see Gu Yao off the following morning.

Gu Yao smiled and tacitly agreed. Without the Lotus Sword Venerable's command, he would indeed have returned to the sect. It was inconvenient to go back on his word and deliberately remain in Chuyun City now, so he secretly decided to create the illusion of departure to secretly protect You Su.

As they parted, Gu Yao called out to You Su and informed him about the reporting date.

It turned out that formal disciples had a fixed reporting time, which was at the beginning of spring each year. Auditory disciples, however, had no such restrictions and could report at any time, though they could only study for one year from their reporting date. You Su was happy about this, wishing he could depart the very next day.

However, You Su had dependents to consider, and he still needed to find a way to conceal his Junior Sister and Mistress's possessed state along the way. Issues like transportation and routes also urgently needed to be resolved. This trip to the Divine Mountain was not a journey that could be undertaken on a whim.

But these difficulties were nothing compared to the prospect of establishing a foothold on the Divine Mountain. The Divine Mountain was the pinnacle of the entire continent. As long as he arrived there safely, he was sure to find a way to save his Junior Sister and Mistress. You Su knew he couldn't let his guard down; exposing his Junior Sister and Mistress's possessed state too early would not be a good thing.

Upon returning to the sect, Ji Lingruo seemed displeased that You Su had already grasped Sword Intent while she was still a fool who couldn't freely control Mystic Qi. She had come to You Su early to learn how to circulate Qi. Under You Su's strict orders, she changed into a modest outfit before the teaching began.

After the teaching concluded, the first autumn rain arrived without warning. It poured down like a waterfall from the Milky Way, as if to cleanse the entire world anew.

You Su fell asleep amidst the sound of the heavy rain, his heart filled with hope.

The next morning, the rain had stopped.

As Ji Lingruo called You Su awake, she muttered about the thick fog today. You Su paid it no mind and rushed out, preparing to see Gu Yao off. However, he was stopped by Wu Cheng on West Willow Road.

Wu Cheng harbored no ill intentions. He brought two pieces of news that sent You Su into despair:

1: A strange fog had descended, and Chuyun City was now under lockdown. Everyone was ordered to stay home and not move.

2: Gu Yao was dead.