Detained for Riding a Horse

Quantai Prefecture had witnessed marvels unheard of in a thousand years: a male cultivator turning into a woman, a fifty-year-old cultivator returning to his youth.

Star Sect had gained a hundred disciples with superior single spiritual roots overnight.

Behind every incident stood the shadow of a Little Alchemist of unknown origin.

Yujin Prefecture.

Inside the Prefectural Yamen hall, Ye Zhi Qiu's swordlike brows were tightly furrowed. His chiseled profile carried a trace of gravity as he listened methodically to his subordinate's report, then slowly fell into thought.

This news had swept over from Quantai Prefecture, and it was being told with startling detail. Quite a few cultivators who had come from there had even witnessed it firsthand.

"Could Old Ghost Lin really be that kindhearted?"

Ye Zhi Qiu muttered to himself.

He was a cultivator too. If such a Medicine Master truly existed, it would not be excessive to enshrine him within one's sect. How could anyone possibly let him leave so easily?

Putting himself in their shoes, he would never have done it.

Perhaps it was a rumor.

Or perhaps the rumor was true, but there were other circumstances hidden within it.

He was not particularly interested in the Little Alchemist.

Pies had never fallen from the sky.

He had entered the Dao at sixteen, broken through to the Heavenly Being realm at eighteen, opened his Divine Spring at twenty, built his Divine Bridge at twenty-three, and now, at thirty, reached the Shore Realm. Had he not relied on taking each solid step one at a time?

Such aptitude might amount to little in the Northern Border, but across the entire Southern Border cultivation world, it already placed him among the very best.

Now, if he wanted to seek another breakthrough, he could only commit himself to the Imperial Court.

Since ancient times, the relationship between cultivators and the Imperial Court had been one of ambiguity and conflict. Cultivators like Ye Zhi Qiu, who had reached the Shore Realm, could only break through again by advancing their state of mind.

Beyond the Shore lay the sight of one's true self. The Seeing Self Realm was exceedingly mysterious. Cultivators of this kind either walked the mortal world in search of a breakthrough, or cultivated within the Imperial Court and guarded a region—first to borrow the Court's fortune, second to protect the people and build virtue in pursuit of enlightenment.

There was no pill in this world that could break through the barrier of one's state of mind, because the human heart was alive and impossible to fathom.

But to small sects and factions, or even somewhat larger sects, a Little Alchemist was highly sought after.

With a frown, Ye Zhi Qiu gave his orders. "Tell those sects below to behave themselves. Don't stir up trouble on my turf."

His subordinate reported, "I'm afraid it's too late. The sects large and small throughout Yujin Prefecture have all been paying close attention to the Little Alchemist's whereabouts. I reckon they have all set their minds on him."

Ye Zhi Qiu gave a cold smile beneath his heavy brows. "Then inform them that this Prefect has made slight progress recently. Don't force this Prefect to slap them while he is in his best mood."

At the city gate, a row of armored soldiers surrounded Hanyu and the other two in a corner with spears raised. Two soldiers were searching the carriage nearby.

It had begun when that fool Yixian got carried away and rode his horse straight into the city. This was expressly forbidden in every prefecture: first, because it was dangerous and could injure pedestrians; second, because it guarded against people with ulterior motives forcing their way into the city.

Hanyu waited helplessly for the two soldiers to step down from the carriage. Then their leader approached with a dark face and rebuked them, "Don't you know riding horses through the city gate is forbidden? Since there were no casualties, the carriage will be confiscated, and you will be detained for two days."

Yixian's expression changed. He secretly leaned over and whispered, "Should we run?"

Hanyu immediately stepped several paces away from him, staring at him in utter disbelief.

Coconut likewise cautiously backed away several steps.

Yixian did not understand why, but the leading soldier chuckled. "Try running. Forget the Prefect taking action—even Yujin Prefecture's eight hundred iron cavalry would be enough. Let's see whether you can fly longer or your horse can run longer. And if an Arrest Warrant is issued, there will be plenty of cultivators eager to catch you for the reward."

Yixian hurriedly lowered his head with an awkward smile. "I was just joking. Don't take it seriously."

"Since the joke is over, come along obediently!"

The leader waved his hand, and several soldiers came forward, pushing them toward the prison.

No sooner had Hanyu and the others been taken away than groups of cultivators in all manner of clothing rushed frantically toward the city gate.

"I heard the Little Medicine God has come to our Yujin Prefecture!"

One cultivator cried out excitedly.

"I want to ask for a mouthful of divine water that can change spiritual roots."

Clearly, this was a cultivator dissatisfied with his aptitude.

"I want a pill that can turn a man into a woman."

A cultivator said shyly.

Everyone was instantly stunned as though they had seen a Heavenly Being. With strange looks on their faces, they asked, "You're such a manly fellow. Why would you be so unable to let things go?"

The cultivator lowered his head shyly. "I have a good brother whom I have admired for a long time. I want to feed one to him."

The moment those words left his mouth, the space within a meter around him instantly became a vacuum. The few people who had come with him underwent drastic changes in expression.

Each of them wondered whether they counted as his good brother.

If all else failed, they would just have to knife him! This fiend was far too terrifying; keeping him close was a hidden danger.

Of course, they were destined to come up empty-handed.

Because at that very moment, Hanyu was clutching the wooden bars of the cell door and heaving long sighs.

For convenience, the Prefectural Soldiers had simply locked all three of them in one cell. Before leaving, they casually tossed out another remark.

"Under Lord Ye's rule, nobody in Yujin Prefecture dares cause trouble. These cells have always been empty, so no prison meals were prepared. You can go hungry for two days and eat after you get out."

"A cultivator won't starve to death after two days without food."

After muttering that, they left.

Hanyu leaned against the bars and sighed helplessly. Fortunately, the sentence was only two days. If it had been ten days or half a month, he would have had to consider fleeing to the ends of the earth.

The Glazed Bottle would not reason with him or suspend its medicine spraying just because he was serving a sentence.

Yixian thought Hanyu was worrying, so he came over and patted him on the shoulder in consolation.

"It's fine. It's only two days without food. Coconut and I often go without knowing where our next meal will come from."

Following you could be this miserable?

Hanyu was amused at once. Laughing, he asked, "No matter how bad things get, surely you can't go without knowing where your next meal will come from?"

Coconut's expression turned grave, and she nodded firmly. "He isn't joking. Just this month alone, while following him, we got lost in the Dense Forest, got caught up in cultivators fighting because we joined the crowd to watch, and were mistakenly arrested by the authorities as members of an evil sect..."

"In short, every time he gets carried away, something happens."

Hiss!

He was actually terrifying to such a degree.

Being that unlucky yet still cheerful every day—Hanyu looked at Yixian, who was currently chatting and laughing beside Coconut as though nothing had happened, and could not help admiring his mentality.

Outside, the small sects looking for Hanyu were nearly going mad. The good news was that someone had seen him heading toward Yujin Prefecture. The bad news was that he had suddenly vanished from the face of the earth.

Once night fell over Yujin Prefecture, large groups of people could still vaguely be seen wandering in and out of the streets, major intersections, taverns, inns, and other places.

When the matter was reported to Ye Zhi Qiu, the anger in him was immediately ignited. "Those bastards dare flaunt themselves about and disturb the people over nothing but a vague rumor. Have they truly taken my words for wind in their ears?"

Then he suddenly asked, "Did that Little Alchemist really come to Yujin Prefecture?"

The subordinate who had come to report shook his head. "Quantai said they did see him heading this way, but whether he entered the city, this subordinate does not know."

As though recalling something, he hurriedly added, "However, the brothers below stopped a carriage riding through the city gate today and arrested three people. Could he be among them?"

Ye Zhi Qiu's swordlike brows twitched. "Take me to see them."

Inside Yujin Prefecture's prison, Yixian was vividly recounting all the strange incidents of his treasure hunts—how he had searched for treasure and ended up in Blind Bear Cave, how he had gone exploring in someone else's tomb only for it to collapse and nearly bury him alive, and how he could even encounter a pair of evil cultivators practicing Beastmaking just by going out for a meal.

Hanyu clicked his tongue in amazement. This fellow's life truly was vibrant and colorful. Trouble did not come looking for him; he specialized in looking for trouble.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside. Hanyu looked up and saw several soldiers escorting a resolute-looking man in his thirties, dressed in a blue brocade robe, toward them.

He was looking at Ye Zhi Qiu, and Ye Zhi Qiu was also sizing him up.

"Are you a Medicine Master?"

Ye Zhi Qiu asked in a deep, booming voice.

Hanyu did not react at first and blanked out for a moment.

"Are you the Little Alchemist from the rumors, the one who turned men into women and raised the aptitudes of a hundred people to supreme-grade spiritual roots?"

Thinking Hanyu had not understood, Ye Zhi Qiu carefully asked again.

This time, Hanyu nodded.

"Good!"

Ye Zhi Qiu nodded as well, then said to the jailer on duty, "Open the door. Throw him out of Yujin City for me."

Not only Hanyu, but even the soldiers beside them froze.

"Did none of you hear clearly? Throw him out of Yujin City."

Seeing that his subordinates had not reacted, Ye Zhi Qiu barked in a low voice.

"My lord."

A subordinate who usually accompanied him leaned close and called softly, saying, "Everyone outside is looking for him and treating him like a prized delicacy. If you throw him out there, won't all those small sects start fighting?"

Ye Zhi Qiu fell silent upon hearing that.

The subordinate continued with a suggestion. "He happens to be imprisoned for two days anyway. Two days should be enough to make those people outside give up their search. Wouldn't it be better for the brothers to secretly throw him out afterward?"

Those words struck straight at Ye Zhi Qiu's heart. He was delighted, his face breaking into a smile. "A good method. Then throw him out in two days. Remember—quietly!"

Having said that, he led his people away in a rush.

Hanyu and the others were left staring at one another. What sort of person was that? He came in, asked a few questions, and immediately wanted to throw someone out of the city. What an imposing manner.

Yixian and Coconut looked at Hanyu in bafflement. Only after Hanyu turned back did Yixian ask with a strange expression, "Are you really that terrifyingly capable?"

Hanyu shook his head and explained, "The rumors have been exaggerated."

He then clearly explained the side effects of those miraculous effects. Even so, Yixian continued staring at him with the eyes of a little fanboy.

"The moment I entered and saw you tied up like that, I knew you weren't an ordinary person."

Hanyu rolled his eyes at him, unsure whether that was praise or mockery.

Coconut's eyes shifted slightly as she lightly mentioned, "Tiandu Peak Spirit Medicine Sect?"

Hanyu looked at her in surprise and asked blankly, "What did you say?"

Seeing that Hanyu seemed not to understand, Coconut shook her head and smiled. "Just a place that specializes in making strange pills."

Just as Ye Zhi Qiu and his group left Yujin Prefecture's prison, several figures hidden in the street corners stirred and swiftly disappeared into the night.

Wouldn't it be nice if the heavens dropped some monthly votes or recommendation votes today? Even favorites would do.