Outside Wutan City
Xiao Yu brought Zi Yan with him, paid the entry tax, and entered Wutan City without trouble.
However, he did not head straight to the Xiao Clan. Instead, he took a stroll around Wutan City.
Wutan City was far more prosperous now than before, and its crowds were beyond comparison. Shops lined the streets, vendors were everywhere, and the whole city bustled with life.
Along the way, he learned that Wutan City now ranked among the Jia Ma Empire's foremost cities, one of its most prosperous outside the Imperial Capital.
The Xiao Clan had also become Wutan City's sole overlord. Even in the Imperial Capital, the Xiao Clan's name carried weight.
The longtime residents of Wutan City knew best how much it had changed over the past few years, and they never tired of talking about it.
Whenever they discussed the reason behind Wutan City's tremendous transformation, they could not help recounting a certain legend. As they told his story, admiration and longing spilled across their faces.
Naturally, Xiao Yu knew who that legend was.
"It feels pretty strange hearing other people talk about my exploits."
Most outrageous of all, practically every inn had a storyteller vividly describing how Xiao Yu had risen step by step from a small-clan boy in Wutan City to the pinnacle, wreaking havoc in the Misty Cloud Sect.
Of course, most of it was pure fabrication. Nothing of the sort had ever happened.
After making his rounds, Xiao Yu finally headed toward the Xiao Clan.
The route was familiar. The Xiao Clan had not moved despite its elevated standing; it still occupied the same residence as before.
The Xiao Clan's main gate stood at the center of the quietest street.
There was hardly anyone here. After all, the Xiao Clan was now