He Qing ignored Yu Ci's attitude and continued in an even tone:
"Transgressions must be punished. From today onward, you need not concern yourself with Juebi City for the time being. You have two choices: one is to go to the newly opened mining area north of the mountain gate and quarry stone for a year; the other is to go to the Mountain-Moving Cloud Boat docks in the west and serve as a guard on patrol, likewise for one year. Choose either one. No matter what you do, you must be diligent and conscientious. You must not slack off in the slightest."
"Quarrying stone, patrolling?"
Yu Ci understood the first option well enough—it was nothing more than hard labor in the mines. But what was the meaning of the latter?
He asked He Qing, and the female cultivator gave a simple reply. "The Mountain-Moving Cloud Boat docks are only two thousand li from Sky-Splitting Ravine. Roaming demons and ferocious beasts often cause trouble there, so people are needed to stand guard."
"Sky-Splitting Ravine!"
So that was it. Yu Ci nodded to show he understood. Recently, the unrest in Sky-Splitting Ravine had already subsided, and most of the Core Restoration demons had been hunted down by cultivators from the Li Chen Sect and Sunset Valley. Yet across those vast mountain ranges and wildernesses, fish that had slipped through the net were the most normal thing in the world. Two thousand li from Sky-Splitting Ravine was already the very forefront of the front lines. It was indeed dangerous!
But compared with the danger, Yu Ci was considering something else. The thought had surfaced suddenly, yet in truth it had been buried in his heart for a long time. He spoke up:
"Immortal He, this disciple has something to ask."
"Speak."
Yu