Qin Ying

At a quarter to eleven, Song Yan arrived at the sect gates as agreed.

Quite a few people had gathered on the Dao-Entering Terrace.

Passing cultivators slowed their steps and stole glances in a certain direction. Some disciples simply stopped where they were to admire the scenery nearby.

Song Yan looked up and found a female cultivator standing at the gates on the Dao-Entering Terrace, with a plump, honest-looking disciple beside her.

As though sensing something, the woman glanced back.

Silken sashes and gauzy robes, beauty like a celestial maiden, an otherworldly bearing untouched by the smoke and fire of mortal life...

"..."

Song Yan drew a soft breath.

What a beautiful woman!

He marveled sincerely in his heart.

Women in the cultivation world usually had an otherworldly bearing thanks to nurturing Qi and refining spiritual power. If they encountered an opportunity that cleansed their sinews and marrow, or broke through to a new realm, their skin would become as smooth as congealed cream, radiant and glowing.

Yet beauty lay in the bones, not the skin. Some things could never be changed, no matter what.

Like the female cultivator before him...

The morning mountain breeze brushed past, gently lifting her sleeves.

She really was almost impossibly beautiful!

"Song Yesheng?"

"...Present."

Song Yan answered and hurried over to report.

The woman nodded. "Qin Ying. This is Li Qingfeng, Junior Brother Li."

"Senior Sister Qin, Senior Brother Li."

"Please don't call me that, Senior Brother. I'm only at Qi Refining, fourth layer."

Li Qingfeng did not quite match his name. He was very fat, with a black wok strapped to his back and a Law Artifact shaped like... a kitchen knife tucked at his waist.

Among the other cultivators, he looked quite distinctive.

"Let's go."

Senior Sister Qin's voice was calm, but unlike her cool bearing, it was rather gentle.

Still, Song Yan heard a trace of urgency in it.

"Peach Blossom Hollow, Linxi County."

With a light motion of her fingertip, an ice-blue Flying Sword flew from her sleeve and hovered horizontally at Song Yan's feet.

"Get on."

"Huh? What about Li Qingfeng... Junior Brother?"

"Oh, don't worry, Senior Brother. I've got a flying Law Artifact."

He patted the iron wok on his back. "You two go ahead. I'll be right behind you."

A flying Law Artifact?

Song Yan was startled. Among cultivators' Law Artifacts, besides those flown through object manipulation, such as Flying Swords and Spirit Gourds, there were also some that could carry cultivators through the air.

Unlike Flying Swords, which required cultivators to constantly channel spiritual power into them to carry passengers, these Law Artifacts could be charged with spiritual power beforehand or fitted with Spirit Stones, allowing them to operate continuously without being controlled.

The Spirit Boat he had taken from the sect to Silent Valley last time belonged to this category.

Flying Law Artifacts were fairly precious. This junior brother was quite open about his and made no attempt to hide it.

Seeming to notice Song Yan's surprise, Li Qingfeng chuckled and explained self-deprecatingly.

"This iron wok of mine doesn't look like much, and it consumes quite a lot. Besides... it only seats one person. Even if I tossed it into the square, I doubt many people would want it."

Song Yan thought that was merely polite modesty.

Because he rather wanted it himself.

"All right, Senior Brother Li, then we'll... hey!"

Song Yan had wanted to exchange a few final pleasantries, but a gentle force lifted him onto the Flying Sword.

A delicate orchid fragrance wafted from Senior Sister Qin's sleeves, very pleasant to smell.

A clear, cold sword hum rang out beneath his feet.

In the blink of an eye, the two were high among the clouds, streaking away amid ice-blue spiritual light.

I'm in the sky!

Aside from wonder, that was the only thought left in Song Yan's mind.

He gazed into the distance through Qin Ying's protective Spiritual Qi.

Clear skies and clouds, fierce winds rushing past.

Mountains, rivers, and vast lakes lay before him in an unobstructed panorama.

So this was Swordsmanship in flight!

It was entirely different from his previous Spirit Boat journey. This time, he truly felt the unfettered freedom he had envisioned in his heart.

Riding a sword upon the wind, roaming free between heaven and earth!

Song Yan's heart could not help surging!

Linxi County was not very far from the Dongyuan Sect. In what felt like the blink of an eye, a large city appeared before them.

He could already faintly sense that they were descending from the clouds.

A moment later, Qin Ying lowered the sword light beneath her feet and landed steadily on the ground. Song Yan failed to react in time and nearly stumbled and fell.

Fortunately, Qin Ying supported him with spiritual power, steadying him.

"Thank you, Senior Sister."

Song Yan looked up. They were outside the city.

"Linxi County is one of the largest cities in the prefecture, with a great many ordinary residents."

"To avoid unnecessary disturbances, cultivators should not enter the city using Swordsmanship."

Qin Ying walked ahead as she explained to Song Yan.

"It's an unwritten rule."

Linxi County had originally been an obscure little place, and it had not been called Linxi.

Because it was close to Yunxi City, famed throughout the Chu Kingdom, merchants and travelers passing through the area knew it only as "that little county near Yunxi."

Later, a magistrate arrived in Linxi who did not consider this shameful. Instead, he made a name of it, borrowing Yunxi City's prominence to vigorously develop fishing and farming.

In just a few years, it had leaped up to become the largest, most prosperous county town in the area apart from Yunxi City.

They simply renamed it Linxi City outright. Everyone had forgotten what it was originally called.

"Oh, two Daoist masters! Where have you come from?"

To avoid disturbances, Qin Ying had disguised her appearance somewhat and let Song Yan walk in front.

Song Yan handed the city guards the various items Qin Ying had given him for entering the city, one by one, for inspection.

"Shiliang," Song Yan said casually.

"Shiliang?"

The guard conducting the inspection seemed never to have heard of it, but another knew and reminded him, "Over in Yunyang County..."

"..."

The guards exchanged glances, apparently thinking of something, and their hands paused.

"Might you be... immortals from the Dongyuan Sect...?"

"Hmm?"

Song Yan frowned.

"Ah, please don't misunderstand, immortal. News of that matter at Peach Blossom Hollow has spread through every village for miles around. Both the magistrate and the Attendant announced that immortals from the Dongyuan Sect would be invited here..."

"I see."

Song Yan nodded.

"Please enter, immortals."

Without saying anything further, the two walked into the city.

Those beside the mountains lived off the mountains; those beside the water lived off the water.

Traffic streamed through this land of fish and rice.

Vendors brought freshly made midday tofu to the market. A fishmonger beside them sat at his stall cleaning a grass carp and chatting with someone, while children chased one another through the streets.

Song Yan had seen such scenes in Shiliang Town as well.

Their clothing was conspicuously out of place, and quite a few people nearby stopped to watch and whisper.

Just then, a squad of yamen runners dressed as constables approached from ahead.

"Enjoy the bustle, but aunties and uncles, keep an eye on your children. Don't let them get lost..."

Their leader strode over with a clear purpose and cupped his hands in greeting.

"Are you two immortals from the Dongyuan Sect?"

"..."

Seeing that Senior Sister Qin still remained silent, Song Yan nodded.

"Yes."

"Where is Senior Brother Bai?"

The person who had reported this matter was an Attendant from the Dongyuan Sect stationed in Linxi County, named Bai Zimo.

"Lord Bai is handling important business at the government office. He instructed this humble servant to welcome the three of... huh?"

"Oh, Junior Brother Li will arrive shortly."

"Oh, then please follow me, you two. My surname is also Bai, and my given name is Lei. You can just call me Little Bai."

Little Bai?

It sounded strange no matter how he considered it. The two words lingered on his tongue for a long time, but he still could not bring himself to say them.

"Constable Bai, what did you just say? Senior Brother Bai is handling important business at the government office?"

Song Yan asked casually as they walked.

A cultivator...

Why was he doing government work?

Thanks to reader [Mimimengmeng] for the tip! Thanks to [20230519200905407], [A Cultivator Roaming the Mortal World], [20201026125948578], [160814081255312], [Yi Thirteen], [20200228202906836], [Ultimate? Celestial Venerable], [My Name Is Rather Handsome], and [Wang Bingbing Wang] for the monthly votes!

Thanks for all your recommendation votes! Thank you very much!