"Pfft!..."
Outside the Immortal Gourd Grotto-Heaven, inside the White Steed Inn, Prefect Liu Chuxuan sprayed out the mouthful of wine he had just poured into his mouth.
It gave Huang Que, sitting opposite him, a thorough face washing.
"Prefect, the boy does have some strength, but surely there's no need to get this excited?"
Huang Que wiped his face with one hand and looked at Liu Chuxuan with a deeply aggrieved expression.
"Y-you look for yourself!"
Liu Chuxuan wiped his mouth with a handkerchief while pointing at the bronze mirror on the table.
"He's only climbed a few steps. What's there to see?"
Muttering under his breath, Huang Que leaned his head toward the bronze mirror in front of Liu Chuxuan.
"Eek!..."
Almost the instant his eyes met the image in the bronze mirror, his whole body recoiled, as though he had seen something utterly terrifying.
"The boy-there's a p-perfectly good path, so why has he started chopping down trees?!"
Huang Que's face was filled with astonishment.
"You're asking me? I'd like to ask you!"
Liu Chuxuan rolled his eyes at Huang Que.
"But this doesn't count as breaking the rules, does it?"
Huang Que put the question to Liu Chuxuan tentatively.
"The Nine Prefectures' rules don't actually prohibit it, but if the venerable Jade Azure Venerable takes offense, I'll have no choice but to remove him."
Liu Chuxuan reached up and rubbed hard between his brows.
"Why is each of these Azure Profound Sect fellows stranger than the last? Could that patch of land on Cloud Cottage Mountain be some accursed place?"
He continued muttering under his breath.
"You mustn't say that, Prefect. If Junior Martial Uncle finds out, we'll be in trouble again."
Huang Que pointed up at the sky.
The corner of Liu Chuxuan's mouth twitched at