"..."
A quarter of an hour later, Su Yueli stepped out of the dark alley.
The night rain was still falling, and the muddy water outside the alley mouth rose over the soles of her shoes.
Han Yu stood straight-backed in the muddy water, both hands gripping the broad greatsword, her arms trembling slightly from exhaustion and cold.
Her eyes remained fixed on the alley mouth. Only when she saw that white-haired figure emerge did her taut body relax a fraction.
Han Yu's heartbeat quickened...
Countless terrible thoughts had flashed through her mind while Su Yueli was gone.
She feared that this mysterious, powerful white-haired senior had merely spoken on a whim. She feared that, once her business was finished, she would leave Azure Cloud City and abandon Han Yu alone in this cruel mire.
In Azure Cloud City's outer city, a gravely wounded mortal martial artist with no backing was no different from a weed by the roadside.
When Su Yueli's gaze fell on her, Han Yu immediately reined in every emotion, clenched her teeth, and lowered her head, terrified that the slightest display of weakness would earn the senior's disdain.
"Come with me."
Su Yueli gave that simple instruction and headed toward a street corner in the outer city.
Han Yu had already spoken to her father. Not daring to ask any questions now, she carried her greatsword and followed.
Azure Cloud City was a major stronghold in the southern Great Xia Immortal Dynasty. The inner city housed dignitaries and high-level cultivators, while the outer city was a ruin where lowly mortals and destitute martial artists gathered.
The houses lining the alleys were dilapidated, and a jumble of odors hung in the air.
Su Yueli stopped at a secluded street corner.
A small courtyard stood there, with a