Breaking Away

"Fairy Lu, Taiping City is just ahead!"

The caravan slowed, and Dugu Sheng rode forward to speak to Lu Mingyue, who had lifted her carriage curtain.

Hearing this, Bai Zishan, who was farther ahead, lifted his curtain and glanced back at Lu Mingyue before looking toward the enormous city crouching on the wilderness ahead.

Lu Mingyue paid no attention to Bai Zishan's gaze, for at that moment, all her attention was drawn to Taiping City ahead.

"So this is a city ruled by cultivators..."

Although she had already "seen" Taiping City many times in Guo Yang's memories, Lu Mingyue still could not help feeling awed when she witnessed it with her own eyes.

A towering city had appeared on the otherwise boundless wilderness. From a distance, it looked like a primordial behemoth crouching upon the earth, its walls alone reaching a hundred zhang in height!

The city walls stretched over ten thousand meters to either side. One could well imagine how much manpower and material had gone into building this city.

"No wonder this city can house over a million people, including more than ten thousand cultivators. If its city lord's cultivation hadn't fallen short of the Foundation Establishment Realm, he could probably have founded a sect and become its master!"

That said, Lu Mingyue knew perfectly well that the Taiping City Lord probably stood little below those Immortal Sect masters in status!

"Among the major Immortal Sects, few cultivators possess alchemy as profound as this city lord's. And those Immortal Sects hold one another in check, so none can 'invite' this city lord back to their own sect and monopolize his alchemy..."

"Moreover, among the rogue cultivators living here are powerful cultivators of the Foundation Establishment Realm. They need the pills supplied by the Taiping City Lord even more than those Immortal Sects do!"

"Precisely because so many factions are involved, each wary of the others and holding them in check, this Taiping City Lord, who is only at the Qi Refining Stage Peak, has actually managed to maintain his transcendent standing among the major Immortal Sects and those Foundation Establishment Realm rogue cultivators!"

As Lu Mingyue pondered this, the caravan continued forward. Since the mortals and cultivators visiting Taiping City came not only from the Great Ye Dynasty but from other dynasties as well, a long queue had formed outside the city.

"Brother Dugu..."

Seeing the caravan inching forward, Lu Mingyue beckoned to Dugu Sheng. Once he drew close, she made sure Bai Zishan had not extended his divine sense to observe her, then secretly made a series of gestures to Dugu Sheng.

"...Understood!"

Dugu Sheng gave Lu Mingyue a somewhat surprised look, nodded solemnly, and silently led his horse alongside her carriage.

A full half hour passed before the caravan reached the gates and proceeded into the city in an orderly fashion.

Having secretly alighted from her carriage and made her way to the rear of the group, Lu Mingyue was somewhat surprised. Looking at the unguarded gates, she felt a few degrees more reverence for the legendary Taiping City Lord.

"I thought there would be guards at the gates. Now it seems Taiping City has its own rules entirely because of that city lord's authority, rules even cultivators have no choice but to obey!"

She silently followed at the rear, and only after the entire caravan had entered the city did Lu Mingyue quietly break away and disappear into the crowded streets.

The merchant caravan was delivering grain and oil to a restaurant in the city. After all, even Qi Refining Stage cultivators needed to eat grain, so restaurants did good business in Taiping City.

The caravan did not stop until it reached the restaurant's rear courtyard, where the grain and oil were unloaded under the caravan leader's direction.

No one disturbed Bai Zishan as he sat in his carriage.

Only after quite some time did Bai Zishan, who had been sitting with his eyes closed in concentration, open them with a trace of puzzlement.

"May I ask... where is Fairy Lu?"

Stepping out of the carriage, Bai Zishan glanced at the busy workers, and a faint sense of foreboding rose in his heart.

Only then did he release his divine sense without restraint, searching for traces of Lu Mingyue.

But!

Lu Mingyue had already parted ways with the caravan back at the gates!

Bai Zishan's expression instantly darkened.

"Immortal Bai, Fairy Lu left on her own as we entered the city..." Bracing himself, Dugu Sheng approached, saluting Bai Zishan with clasped hands from a considerable distance as he said with utmost respect, "There were so many people at the gates then that Fairy Lu felt it inappropriate to disturb you, Immortal Bai. She therefore instructed me to pass along a message-"

At this point, Dugu Sheng stole a glance at Bai Zishan's gloomy expression, and his tone grew a little more solemn.

"Fairy Lu said that she had no way to repay you for saving her life. If fate allows you to meet again someday, she will certainly repay your kindness, Immortal Bai!"

Of course, in Dugu Sheng's opinion, Fairy Lu probably did not particularly want fate to bring her together with Immortal Bai.

If she really wanted such a connection, why wait until they met again someday?

Still, this was the immortals' business. Though he enjoyed considerable renown in Cangzhou Prefectural City and possessed swordsmanship that inspired awe in the people of other escort agencies-

He... was only a mortal!

Dugu Sheng was not so arrogant as to believe he could meddle in immortals' affairs.

"I understand."

Bai Zishan was positively seething inside. Along the way, he had long since noticed Lu Mingyue's elusive attitude toward him.

He had thought his behavior had been too abrupt and frightened her.

Thus, he had not even dared release his divine sense again to keep constant watch over Lu Mingyue's movements.

Who would have thought!

That little girl had actually dared sneak away as they entered the city!

"Sorry for troubling you along the way. Here is some silver. Until we meet again."

Bai Zishan did not believe a word of what Lu Mingyue had said, but he did not want to reveal that he truly harbored ill intentions. Thus, rather than taking his anger out on Dugu Sheng and the others, he even raised a hand and tossed a money pouch into Dugu Sheng's arms.

With that, he turned and left, unwilling to remain here a moment longer.

He was truly afraid he would lose control. If the anger in his heart flared up, he might slaughter this whole bunch of damned mortals!

"Ah, those two immortals really are extraordinarily kind!"

Only after Bai Zishan left did the caravan leader come forward, stroking his beard as he spoke with a face full of feeling.

Kind?

Dugu Sheng glanced at the man and kept his thoughts to himself, afraid he would frighten him if he spoke them aloud.

Though he was only a mortal, Immortal Bai's expression just now had hardly looked kind.

Especially that icy aura-as an expert who had practiced martial arts for years, Dugu Sheng was certain his senses had not deceived him.

Had this not been Taiping City, Immortal Bai would probably have slaughtered them all in his fury!

Yet he dared not resent Lu Mingyue. Though Fairy Lu seemed to have acted somewhat unfairly in this matter... she was a fairy too, after all!

"We'll go get some rest first. Once you've settled on a departure date for the return journey, come find us at the Clear Wind Inn!"

Dugu Sheng bade farewell to the caravan steward and left with the people of the Zongjian Escort Agency.

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