"Heaven's White Jade Capital. Are you two disciples of the Kunlun Sword Sect?"
The burly man's heart gave a thump. I've never heard of any Aristocratic Clan surnamed Bai in Kunlun. Could it be...? At the thought, he jolted in alarm.
Then he turned to the young man and asked with a smile, "You're from the Eastern Phoenix Clan?"
In his eyes, a Sword Sect disciple paired with a prodigy of the Eastern Phoenix Clan didn't seem like anything remarkable.
The girl smiled and replied, "My surname is Bai. I come from the depths of the great desert, and I'm not a disciple of the Kunlun Sword Sect... Yulou, however, is from the Eastern Phoenix Clan."
Then she murmured in a lilting voice, "I'd follow the Master to the Heavenly Altar, and idly help the immortals sweep fallen flowers."
The burly man praised her. "I never expected to meet a refined scholar like Miss Bai in this godforsaken place. What a rare find! Come, come, let's have a drink."
Before the wine was served, the burly man poured himself a cup of tea and downed it in one gulp.
He sighed deeply. He wanted to ask about someone's whereabouts, but after a moment's thought, he kept the question to himself.
Instead, he asked, "Where are you two headed?"
The girl, Bai Yujing, replied, "We're going to the imperial capital of Jinling."
Donghuang Yulou lowered his head further and answered softly, "I've heard the imperial capital is bustling. I want to go and see it with Miss Bai."
The burly man was taken aback. "That's true. If you're talking about splendor, the imperial capital of Jinling is certainly the place."
Suddenly, a hurried clatter of hooves sounded outside the inn. More than a dozen horses thundered past, and a pair of