Guests of the Royal Court

Did cultivators of the Human Domain really play this wildly?

Wasn't it said that the Northern Wilds were more open, while the Human Domain was refined and reserved, with cumbersome etiquette?

Wu Wang forced an ugly fake smile. The male cultivator beside him immediately showed a trace of disappointment, but he was a man of his word and secretly slipped over a small pouch of Jade Currency.

The currencies circulating through the Nine Wilds varied from place to place. The Human Domain had many cultivators, and cultivation consumed Spirit Stones. Once those Spirit Stones were spent, they were uniformly fashioned into Jade Currency and circulated both within and beyond the Human Domain.

Generally speaking, among the currencies of the Nine Wilds, the Human Domain's Jade Coins held the highest value.

Northern Wilds Ore Coin had actually been minted in imitation of Human Domain Jade Coins. It was difficult to circulate elsewhere, and clans mostly bartered goods for goods among themselves.

Wu Wang put away the small pouch of currency and made an inviting gesture.

The male cultivator surnamed Ji waved his hand, saying he had long since achieved Grain Abstinence and did not consume Blood Food. Still, he lifted his bowl and took several large gulps of wine.

"Ha—Northern Wilds wine really packs a punch."

Wu Wang asked in a rough voice, "You came from the Human Domain?"

"Indeed." The cultivator surnamed Ji cupped his hands and smiled. "This poor Daoist is Ji Mo. May I ask this brother's honored name?"

"You people really have a whole set of ways of talking." Wu Wang grinned. "My name is Hou Di, a hunter. You Human Domain folk dressed like this are quite rare around here."

"Brother Hou Di!"

Ji Mo cupped his hands. Ignoring the few somewhat disdainful looks cast his way, he smiled and said:

"May I ask which clan Brother Hou Di belongs to? To be frank, this poor Daoist came to the Northern Wilds to find the two clans primarily composed of humans, in order to discuss some important matters."

"I'm from the Wave Tribe!"

Wu Wang showed a look of "delight" and laughed. "Our clan is the largest in the Northern Wilds, and our Clan Leader is especially hospitable. Let me tell you a little secret: as long as you praise our Young Master a few times, everything is negotiable!"

"What a coincidence. The ones we seek are precisely the Wave Tribe and the Bear Hug Tribe."

Ji Mo cupped his hands, immediately pulled a bulging purse from his sleeve, and said warmly:

"Could I trouble Brother Hou Di for a few hours? This poor Daoist has a Skyward Flight artifact, so the journey will be quite swift.

Please lead us to the Wave Tribe's territory. This is a token of thanks for Brother Hou. Please accept it, please accept it!"

"Oh, no need, no need. I can't go; I have things to do."

Wu Wang repeatedly declined, then added, "Brother, didn't you already give me a pouch just now? I can't help you find a Northern Wilds little waist, and I have business that keeps me from taking you to our clan grounds. It wouldn't be proper for me to take more of your money."

Silence.

Other than the Plain Skirt and Bamboo Hat Woman, all ten-odd cultivators looked over.

One male cultivator sneered. "If Fellow Daoist Ji Mo is in such a hurry, he can go seek flowers and willows by himself and wait here for us to return."

Ji Mo gave Wu Wang a somewhat speechless look, but his expression remained unchanged. He was not angered, and he said with a smile:

"All fellow Daoists know that this poor Daoist enjoys beauty. Since I rarely visit the Northern Wilds, naturally I must experience it for myself.

But idle pleasures cannot delay important matters. This poor Daoist still knows which is lighter and which is heavier."

Another female cultivator sighed. "The Ji Family has produced many loyal martyrs throughout the generations and rendered illustrious service to the Human Domain. Why has the family's fine reputation been so thoroughly ruined in your generation, Fellow Daoist?

Fellow Daoist Ji Mo, you should walk the proper path and not take crooked roads.

If you do not even hold propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame in your heart, would that not betray the teachings of the sages?"

Ji Mo smiled and shook his head. He cupped his hands toward the female cultivator and said, "Thank you for your concern, Fellow Daoist. This poor Daoist has always lived freely and unrestrainedly. My apologies, my apologies."

Wu Wang caught the flash of loneliness in Ji Mo's eyes and unexpectedly felt a little... embarrassed.

He had deliberately brought up the "little waist" to make this fellow lose face, but he had not expected Ji Mo's position within their little group to be so awkward.

The female cultivator in the plain skirt and bamboo hat, who had quietly been drinking tea, suddenly rose to her feet.

When she spoke, it was as though mountain springs tinkled, as though someone had plucked the strings of a zither.

Her voice was cool and clear, every word round as pearls and smooth as jade.

"There is no use lingering here. Let us first go to the Bear Hug Tribe and inquire about Senior Zuo Dong's beloved disciple. If the Bear Hug Tribe's Young Master truly humiliated a human cultivator, we must demand an explanation from them."

That voice was truly smooth.

The cultivators, Ji Mo included, all stood at that moment. They said no more and headed downstairs.

Before leaving, Ji Mo gave Wu Wang a somewhat helpless look and smiled. "Thank you, brother, for the excellent wine."

"Did I... let something slip?"

"Hahaha! It is of no consequence! This poor Daoist was the one who asked in the first place; it has nothing to do with you, brother."

Ji Mo waved his hand. With a pop, the folding fan in his hand opened. Laughing loudly, he strode away.

"All men love beauty; I seek truth through it. Riotous blossoms and romantic winds pass me by, yet I alone am a man who loves lust."

Wu Wang: ...

He could not say exactly what was wrong with it, but it felt as though this fellow was forcing a twisted argument.

"Get down."

A sudden sharp rebuke came from downstairs.

Wu Wang rose and leaned out to look, only to see the cultivators already standing atop a gigantic sword. The female cultivator in the bamboo hat had spoken, and Ji Mo obediently jumped down from the edge of the giant sword.

The female cultivator at the front brought two fingers together in a sword gesture. Amid the crowd's admiring cries, the giant sword slowly rose into the air, wrapped in a layer of rosy light as it shot toward the northwest.

"Hey! Brother Ji!"

Wu Wang called out.

Ji Mo, standing on the street, shook his head and casually tossed out a Lotus Platform, then stepped onto it with effortless grace.

"Hahaha!"

Ji Mo threw back his head and laughed once more, immediately reciting a poem as he lightly waved his folding fan and leisurely pursued the giant sword toward the northwest.

"An orchid blooms deep within a valley; heaven grants it a serene and lovely form. Brows like kingfisher feathers, skin like snow—how pitiful that no one comes to admire it."

With that, he drifted away, not giving Wu Wang even the slightest chance to comfort him.

To be fair, this brother's skin was truly thick.

But...

You seem to have gone the wrong way. My home is to the east.

Forget it. They could not hear him anyway.

Wu Wang laughed dumbly. He sat there idly for a while longer, looked into the eyes of more than ten young women.

Only after confirming that this group of Human Domain cultivators had flown far away did he rise and leave.

Before leaving the market, Wu Wang casually spent that pouch of Jade Coins as well, buying a large iron hammer as a gift for Old Auntie.

He did not directly tell Lin Suqing that True Man Zuo Dong had come looking for her, intending to make it a surprise.

Wu Wang had actually known all along.

The departure of her junior brother and junior sister back then had left a knot, neither great nor small, in Lin Suqing's heart.

The journey from the Northern Wilds to the Human Domain was long. Without a Cloud Boat, crossing the sea took half a year or more. Lin Suqing had comforted herself with the thought that the letter from her sect must already be on its way.

That letter did not need many words or drawings. It only needed to bear her name and show that the Clear Wind Gazing Moon Sect had not forgotten her. That would have been enough.

—Old Auntie had indeed said as much once when she was drunk.

Wu Wang had not expected True Man Zuo Dong to come personally in search of Lin Suqing.

Of all the Human Domain cultivators in that group, this old Daoist was the one Wu Wang had the best impression of.

"Suqing."

Wu Wang leaned against the soft seat, wiping away the marks left on his face by the mask, and smiled. "How do you think this Young Master has treated you?"

"Very well."

Lin Suqing could not help sitting up straighter. She pursed her lips and changed the subject. "Young Master, I really like the iron hammer you gave me."

"Is that so?"

Wu Wang smiled and gazed at the eastern sky, stained with ink-dark hues, saying no more.

Lin Suqing, beside him... could not help breaking out in a few beads of cold sweat.

Could it be that the Young Master had specifically returned to the market to investigate whether she had taken kickbacks?

She had really only taken two boxes of beauty and complexion cream! And the treasures she chose for the Young Master had all been selected after comparing three different shops—best quality, relatively low price!

She truly had not wronged the Young Master!

Lin Suqing's lips trembled slightly as she hurriedly said, "Young Master, I..."

"It has been five years in the blink of an eye." Wu Wang smiled. "In another year, you can go back. Do you miss home?"

Lin Suqing tilted her head and asked softly, "Could I not leave?"

Wu Wang transmitted his voice, "I will be going to the Human Domain soon."

"Right, then I'll follow the Young Master to the Human Domain and make my way through the world."

Lin Suqing's eyes shifted as she transmitted her voice. "The Human Domain is so vast, its powers tangled like threads, its rules a dazzling array. Without a good guide, it is easy to be tricked."

"You can be the guide, but there will be no wages."

Wu Wang narrowed his eyes with a smile, his mood growing much brighter. "You can decide for yourself. Do not rush to a conclusion; give me your answer later."

Why was the Young Master acting a little strange today?

Lin Suqing muttered to herself but did not think much of it.

Originally, the Human Domain cultivators traveled through the air while Wu Wang's group relied on giant wolves on the ground. Even if the giant wolves moved swiftly, and even if the others had gone the wrong way, logically the former should still have reached the Bear Hug Tribe's territory first.

But...

Wu Wang's convoy returned all the way to the Royal Court, yet he saw no trace of that group of cultivators.

He waited specifically in the Royal Court for half a day, then one day, two days, three days, but still no cultivators descended from the sky.

Had they changed their minds?

Had they passed the lair of some ten-thousand-year Fierce Beast and been swallowed whole?

That had to be it. Fierce eagle-type beasts often hunted in the skies above the Northern Wilds. Perhaps they were all already dead.

The next time he saw the group of cultivators from the tavern was five days after Wu Wang had returned to the Royal Court...

A gigantic sword slowly descended from the sky, alarming the Royal Court's defensive forces.

The Giant Wolf Riders swiftly mobilized. Anti-air ballistae were already aimed at the sky, emergency evacuation horns sounded everywhere, and had Wu Wang not issued an order in time, they might have followed the "response protocol for blessings falling from heaven" and lit wolf-smoke signals for aid.

The moment the giant sword landed, a large number of Giant Wolf Riders wielding massive crossbows surrounded the group so tightly that not even water could seep through.

The bamboo-hatted female cultivator at the front slightly turned her head and said, "Please do not speak much of this matter of getting lost."

The cultivators all nodded repeatedly. Ji Mo, standing at the very back, nearly failed to hold back his laughter.

Before the King's Tent, Wu Wang stood with his hands behind his back, having dressed up with particular care. Lin Suqing stood behind him in a new ice-blue long dress. While she could not be said to outshine the entire Northern Wilds, she absolutely had a place on the rankings of older beautiful maidens.

Wu Wang smiled. "Suqing, do you recognize that old Daoist?"

Lin Suqing had been wondering why the Young Master had kept making her dress up carefully these past days. Hearing this, she looked over and found that aged face amid the bobbing crowd.

"Master!"

Her jaw nearly dropped in shock. She immediately cried out in delight, about to run straight over, but then she called to Wu Wang:

"Can I go, Young Master? Can I go see Master, Young Master? That is my Master!"

"Go quickly."

Wu Wang urged her. Seeing Lin Suqing lift her skirt and prepare to run off, he called her back again.

"If you step on the skirt and dirty it, have someone carry her over."

At once, seven or eight guards brought over a fur-covered chair. They had Lin Suqing sit upon it, hoisted it up, and ran off at full speed.

What followed was the tearful and moving reunion of master and disciple.

When Lin Suqing was carried outside the Royal Court, the Giant Wolf Riders had already received Wu Wang's orders. They parted to either side, leaving a passage for the human cultivators to wait there.

Lin Suqing jumped down from the chair and could not help shouting loudly:

"Mas—ter—"

"Huh?"

Daoist Zuo Dong looked over at the sound. Tears instantly streamed down his old face. He took a few steps forward, then somewhat suspiciously examined the female cultivator rushing toward him.

"Fellow Daoist, were you calling this poor Daoist?"

Lin Suqing leaped before True Man Zuo Dong, wiped her tears, and said joyfully, "Master, it's me!"

"You are Suqing?"

True Man Zuo Dong's eyes were filled with disbelief. He took a painted scroll from his robes and held it in his hands for careful comparison.

"Suqing, you... how have you changed so much? Your Master can barely recognize you."

"Hehe, it was my Young Mas—cough, it was Xiong Ba. He found many heavenly treasures for me, and this disciple also took pills refined from Xun Grass."

Lin Suqing pinched her skirt and spun once before her Master. Only after finishing the turn did she notice the more than ten young men and women standing behind him. She instantly became dignified, elegant, and full of substance.

"Master, has your illness recovered?"

"Thanks to you," True Man Zuo Dong said with profound emotion. "Not only has your Master recovered from his illness, my cultivation has also advanced. I formed a Golden Core. It was because I entered seclusion that I delayed my journey and only came to the Northern Wilds to find you now.

Your Master has wronged you, Suqing..."

"Suqing, bring your honored Master in to catch up."

Wu Wang's voice carried from afar. Lin Suqing immediately said, "The one speaking is... is my Young Master. He gave us that Spirit Core. Master, let us go inside."

True Man Zuo Dong glanced at the cultivators behind him upon hearing this, then asked softly:

"Suqing, have you perhaps given yourself to this man?

Your Master came this time to bring you back to the Human Domain. If you have suffered any grievance, do not keep it bottled up in your heart."

Lin Suqing muttered, "I wish I could give myself to him..."

"What?"

"Um, Master, you misunderstand!"

Lin Suqing clasped her hands behind her back, cleared her throat, glanced at the cultivators, and said to her Master:

"Our Young Master has lofty aspirations, a pure and noble temperament, and an upright, open character. He truly possesses the air of a gentleman.

He kept this disciple in the Northern Wilds only because he was quite curious about the Human Domain, asking this disciple to remain here for six years and tell him of all manner of things she had seen and heard in the Human Domain.

This disciple has not suffered the slightest grievance these past years. On the contrary, everyone in the Bear Hug Tribe has treated this disciple with great courtesy.

Master, the six-year term has not yet ended, so this disciple will not return with you.

Once this disciple fulfills the promise made back then, I will naturally return to the Clear Wind Gazing Moon Sect and reunite with Master, junior brother, and junior sister for a time."

Daoist Zuo Dong nodded repeatedly at her words. Looking at his disciple, now so radiant and graceful, his eyes held nothing but relief.

Just then, a somewhat grating voice came from beside them:

"What kind of bewitching potion had the young chief of the Bear Hug Tribe fed Senior's disciple? After serving them for years, had she forgotten where her roots lay? Did she still want to remain here?"

Lin Suqing's pretty face turned cold at those words. She looked up at the male cultivator who had spoken, only to immediately feel the pressure of his cultivation realm.

Hold it in. She couldn't beat him.

Daoist Zuo Dong looked somewhat awkward, but he still turned and cupped his hands toward the male cultivator with an apologetic smile.

"Please forgive the amusement, Fellow Daoist. My disciple keeps her promises, and this poor Daoist is quite gratified.

Besides, my disciple has said that young chief is no jackal or savage beast, but rather possesses the bearing of a gentleman..."

The male cultivator shook his head without saying more, though his expression carried no small amount of mockery.

"Fellow Daoist Wang Lin."

Ji Mo, who stood at the very back, suddenly spoke, drawing every gaze toward him.

Ji Mo frowned, tapping his folding fan against his palm. After pondering briefly, he asked:

"Could it be... that you're ill?"

Wang Lin's eyes widened. For a moment, he did not know how to react.

Ji Mo's face turned cold. Casting aside his usual flippant grin, he tore into the male cultivator without preamble:

"Have you forgotten what you came here for? Don't you have even the slightest idea of your own situation?

You are asking favors of others, yet you deliberately put on airs. Could you be the spy rumored to have infiltrated the Human Domain?

Hmph! If you don't know how to speak, then shut your mouth. If you delay the important business of this trip, even the sect behind you won't be able to protect you."

After speaking, Ji Mo turned to Lin Suqing. His gaze was open and forthright as he cupped his hands in a Daoist salute. "This man has always been pampered and arrogant, looking down on everyone. Please be magnanimous and forgive his offensive words."

Wang Lin snapped furiously, "Ji Mo, you—!"

Clang!

Amid the cry of a sword, the hat-wearing woman flashed forward and appeared before Wang Lin. The tip of her longsword rested against his throat; it needed only the slightest push to pierce it.

"Shut up. Retreat a hundred li."

Without even turning his head, Ji Mo smiled at Lin Suqing. "Might I ask if Fellow Daoist would be willing to introduce us to this young chief?"

Lin Suqing forced out a smile, though a trace of anger still lingered in her eyes.

Before the Royal Court, Wu Wang watched the Crystal Ball in his hand with great interest. He lightly tapped it with one finger, his gaze fixed on Wang Lin.

He closed his eyes, then opened them. Silver-white radiance filled Wu Wang's eyes as he pointed a finger at the Crystal Ball.

The Crystal Ball trembled lightly, and the group from the Human Domain immediately transformed into clusters of mist. To Wu Wang's slight surprise, the mist around the hat-wearing woman was almost pure white, nearly devoid of stray thoughts.

And Wang Lin, who had been mocking Ji Mo since the inn...

White mixed with black, blood hidden within the black. As expected, there was something wrong with him.

Why was it over 4,700 characters again... I just couldn't control the word count. The free period was so long too, sob...