Recognition

He dragged the two men along with Zi Ji following behind. The four of them exited the City Lord's mansion and headed toward the city gates.

The streets were deathly quiet in the dead of night, and even the occasional patrolling soldiers were frightened away by a single glance from Zi Ji.

They soon reached the city gate, where Xuan Qing tossed the two men onto the ground and pulled a rope from his robes.

He flung the rope up to the gate tower, fashioned a noose, and then hoisted the City Lord by the neck to slip him inside.

The City Lord, terrified to the point of wetting his pants, struggled desperately.

"Spare me! Spare me! I'll give you all my money!"

Xuan Qing ignored him and looked toward the steward. Zi Ji strung him up as well, leaving the two of them hanging at the city gate like two pieces of air-dried cured meat.

Xuan Qing tied the ledger to the City Lord's body, ensuring it would be visible to anyone who passed by.

As the sky gradually brightened, people arrived to open the gates. The guards on duty caught sight of the two hanging figures and shrieked in terror.

Soon, the entire city was in an uproar. People swarmed to the gate, pointing and whispering in heated discussion.

"Isn't that the City Lord? Why is he hanging there?"

"Serves him right! That corrupt official oppressed the people; he deserved to die long ago!"

"Look, the ledger on him! It's proof of the slave trade!"

The crowd surged with indignation.

Some picked up stones to throw, while others spat at them, but the two men could neither hear nor feel anything, for they had already breathed their last.

Xuan Qing stood in the distance, watching the scene unfold.

"Let's go. On to the next place."

Zi Ji followed silently, and the two vanished into the morning mist. The chaos at the city gate continued, but it no longer concerned them.

As he walked, Xuan Qing pondered, feeling as though he had come to a realization.

Although the Azure Dragon and the Qilin were both beasts of auspicious omen, they had never protected a single person or a specific faction, but rather the common people of this world.

Every life is worthy of being treated with kindness.

This aligned perfectly with the philosophy of harmony between heaven and man, and the virtue of benefiting the masses.

He was neither the Qilin nor the Azure Dragon.

He was simply Xuan Qing, an ordinary man with a bit of good luck, and doing what he believed to be right was enough.

He knew he could never kill all the wicked, but he would take them down one by one.

He would continue to walk through this mortal world, seeing what there was to see, questioning his heart—and in doing so, finding his path.

Just as Xuan Qing was lost in thought, two voices, slightly amused and very brief, suddenly echoed in his mind.

[Approved]

[Virtuous]

Xuan Qing froze.

Were those... the voices of the Azure Dragon and the Qilin?

Did they acknowledge him?

Though he still had his doubts, he soon let them go. What did it matter whether they were alive or dead?

As long as he acted correctly and kept a clear conscience, it didn't matter if they acknowledged him or not; he would keep walking regardless.

Xuan Qing turned his head toward Zi Ji and asked casually.

"Zi Ji, how have you been feeling lately?"

Zi Ji thought for a moment.

"It's very strange. I can't quite put it into words, but it's not bad."

Back in the Star Dou Forest, her days had been monotonous—fighting, competing for territory, and sleeping.

Now, traveling everywhere with Xuan Qing, she saw the myriad states of human life, filled with both sorrow and joy, kindness and malice.

Though it was sometimes painful to witness the oppressed commoners, she felt a greater sense of fulfillment.

Xuan Qing smiled.

"That is the nature of the mortal world. Even the most ordinary animals have emotions; they just differ in intensity."

"If you want to distinguish the emotions of humans from those of spirit beasts, it is that spirit beasts are relatively simple and direct, while the human heart is far more complex."

Zi Ji grew thoughtful. She had indeed sensed that human intentions were full of twists and turns.

Sometimes, people could be seething with hatred while still wearing a smile on their faces. Spirit beasts could not do that; if they liked someone, they drew close, and if they hated them, they fought.

Time passed swiftly, like a white horse galloping past a crack in a wall; a year and ten months vanished in the blink of an eye.

During this period, the two traveled through many towns, from remote villages to bustling metropolises.

They witnessed all kinds of human warmth and coldness: couples supporting each other through hardship, and brothers turning into bitter enemies.

They saw merchants operating with integrity and swindlers engaging in deceit, as well as officials who were upright and clean, and corrupt ones who preyed upon the people.

Xuan Qing would intervene whenever he encountered injustice; sometimes he would investigate in the shadows to gather evidence, and other times he would take direct action with thunderous methods.

Many had died by his hand, but even more had been saved. He never deliberately kept count, but he kept a tally in his heart, and that was enough.

The change in Zi Ji was obvious; the worldly aura about her grew heavier, and she was no longer as cold as she once was.

She could laugh, get angry, and feel empathy. Although she still didn't speak much, her eyes had become much more lively.

Xuan Qing's changes were even greater. He was still more than three months away from turning ten, yet his soul power had already reached level thirty-seven.

His height was even more exaggerated, nearing one point nine meters. With broad shoulders and a narrow waist, he possessed an inverted triangle physique with clearly defined muscle lines.

Before, walking with Zi Ji made them look like siblings, but now... they looked more like a couple?

Zi Ji stood beside him, a full half-head shorter, and she would sometimes think the same thing.

Every time she thought of it, her face would flush red, but she dared not speak of it, silently hiding it in her heart.

The two traveled from border villages to small towns, then to major cities, wandering around until they finally returned to the Sunset Forest.

When the two walked into the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, Dugu Bo was stunned for a long while, his eyes widening as he looked them up and down.

He asked tentatively, his tone uncertain.

"Young Master?"

Xuan Qing replied.

"What, don't you recognize me anymore?"

Dugu Bo shook his head.

"I truly don't recognize you. When you left, you only reached my chest; now, you're half a head taller than me."

He gestured with his hands, his face full of disbelief. It had been less than two years—how could he have grown so tall?

Xuan Qing didn't dwell on it, instead asking about serious matters.

"Is the herb garden alright?"

"What could possibly happen to it? Those with sense see the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Venom outside and know this is my territory; those without sense simply dissolve into thick liquid."

"Has anything major happened in Heaven Dou City?"

Dugu Bo thought for a moment.

"Nothing at all, though there is one amusing thing: Yu Tianheng of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family has been pursuing Dugu Yan lately, but he can't even beat her right now."

"After Dugu Yan's Martial Soul Evolution, her strength skyrocketed. There are few among her peers who are her match."

Xuan Qing agreed with this point. At this stage, Dugu Yan's level was at least thirty-eight or higher.

Beyond the more intense toxins compared to the Jade Phosphorous Serpent, the Jade Phosphorous Poison Dragon also possessed powerful physical capabilities, even slightly surpassing the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon in terms of raw physical strength.

Xuan Qing suddenly remembered something and asked with a frown.

"Do you dare let her be out on her own now? That group from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family acts like dogs seeing excrement whenever they spot a dragon-type martial soul."

Dugu Bo waved his hand.

"Dugu Yan is currently out traveling with them for a year. Besides, I've already secured a guarantee from Prince Xue Xing; if anything happens to Dugu Yan, I will turn Heaven Dou City into a dead zone."

Xuan Qing thought for a moment.

"How about this: I'll pack up the precious items here, and you won't have to keep such a close watch on this place anymore."

No sooner said than done; half an hour later, all the immortal herbs and medicinal materials over ten thousand years old had been collected into his storage space.

The Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well felt much emptier instantly, but the remaining common herbs were still enough for Dugu Bo's use.

Xuan Qing clapped his hands.

"Let's go. Take me to Heaven Dou City for a look; I've never been there before."

Dugu Bo's eyes lit up.

"No problem. If the Young Master wants to go, I'll lead the way. It's just Heaven Dou City; I know it like the back of my hand."

The three left the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well and headed toward Heaven Dou City.