Bluestone Town was small. A main street paved with bluestone ran from east to west, with all kinds of shops on either side.
Hammers rang in the blacksmith's shop, customers haggled outside the general store, and children chased one another along the street. Everything seemed peaceful.
Li Yun walked with his hands behind his back, unhurried. His gaze seemed to drift casually over the street, but he took in the town's layout, its people, and their auras.
Most passersby were ordinary townsfolk. The occasional practitioner was only at the Houtian Realm of Body Tempering, not even Innate.
Halfway down the street, he spotted a tavern with a banner hanging outside. Three characters were written on it: "Drunken Immortal Inn." The place was small but clean, and the scent of wine drifted from within.
An idea stirred in Li Yun's mind, and he stepped inside.
Only a few tables were occupied. The patrons were townsfolk, drinking and chatting.
Li Yun sat by the window, ordered a pot of wine and two small dishes, and poured himself a drink.
Through the window, he had a clear view of the gate to the Xing Lineage estate at the eastern end of the street.
After several rounds of wine, the street gradually emptied.
Li Yun was considering how to approach the Xing Lineage when someone staggered into the tavern and dropped into the seat across from him.
The young man was in his early twenties, with disheveled hair, a scruffy beard, and rumpled clothes. Several grease stains marked his cuffs.
He reeked of wine, plainly a drunkard who spent his life pickled in the stuff. Yet his eyes were bright—far too bright for a drunk.
"Brother, drinking alone is no fun. Let me join you." He grinned, showing a row of white teeth.
Li