The two city guards had long since seen Li Zongbao step out from the crowd. They exchanged a glance, then hurried forward a few steps to block the path of Li Zongbao and the other two.
"This fellow Daoist from the Joyful Sect..." The guard in front raised a hand and said coldly, "Though you are a disciple participating in the war, according to the rules of Xuntian City, you must still queue up in the back! Please do not overstep your bounds."
Li Zongbao lifted his hand and held the Council Hall's special permit before the guard.
"What is this?" The guard was slightly startled.
"This is a special permit from the Council Hall of our Yanxi Mansion. We need to leave Xuntian City; please accommodate us, fellow Daoist!" Knowing that Li Zongbao had no patience for these Xuntian City guards, Xiao Mao hurriedly cupped his hands and spoke.
The guard frowned. Sweeping his spiritual sense over the special permit, he said flatly, "Your Council Hall's special permit is accepted throughout the cultivation sects, and naturally it can be used within Xuntian City as well! However, the City Lord of Xuntian City has now issued a ban. In order to find the swordsman who assassinated our Senior Tu Hong, we must strengthen inspections of cultivators entering and leaving Xuntian City. This fellow Daoist should return and queue up!"
"Insolence!" Xiao Hua rebuked him. "Is Xuntian City not under the jurisdiction of our Council Hall? Do the city guards of Xuntian City not obey the Council Hall's special permits? If that is the case, this Xiao will return at once and ask the elders of the Council Hall when Xuntian City slipped out from under its jurisdiction!"
"Don't—" The other guard beside him jabbed that guard, then said with an