Intercepting the Crowd, Hearing the Prohibition, Angrily Going to Punish, Worried About Difficulties, Reluctantly Leading the Way to Peace

On the official road a hundred li outside Wu'an City, dust rose lightly beneath their footsteps, while the old trees lining the road rustled their branches and leaves.

A tall old Daoist walked at the very front, his broad-sleeved robe swaying gently in the wind. Four young men and women in brocade robes followed behind him.

Their pace was neither hurried nor slow, yet they carried an air wholly unlike that of ordinary travelers.

Each of the four youths stood tall and straight, their brocade robes extraordinary. The materials appeared to be treasures exceedingly rare in the mortal world—or perhaps materials that had never existed there at all—imbued with immortal aura and Dao resonance.

Some were embroidered with silver cloud patterns, while others were dyed in radiant, flowing hues.

Beyond that, every pair of eyes shone startlingly bright, and each possessed a distinctly different bearing.

Some radiated frankness, some carried sharpness, some looked cold and stern, while others brimmed with heroic spirit. They were especially eye-catching amid the crowd.

"I'm saying, Dao Brother Beiming—Master clearly told us to hurry to Wu'an and help that Zhao Cheng. Why do you stop every few steps and dawdle about? There's not an ounce of decisiveness in you!"

The black-robed youth at the front strode forward. When he stopped, the jade pendant on the belt of his black brocade robe swayed softly, flashing with an imperceptible trace of Dao resonance.

The youth stood as straight as a pine, nearly half a head taller than the old Daoist beside him. Dark-gold patterns of drifting clouds, dragons, and tigers were embroidered along the collar and cuffs of his black brocade robe. With Beimingzi's discerning eye, he could see that it contained restriction formations—it was clearly a treasure-grade garment.

As he walked, his right hand was clenched