Chapter 92 - 81: Yongzhou Pass
A simple sentence, yet it caused quite a stir within the convoy.
The previous case of the Innate Sword Heart was one thing; that girl hadn’t even formally begun her Cultivation, so it was understandable she’d be fooled.
But how had a disciple of Yu Sheng suddenly appeared?
The three young Immortal Descendants were somewhat surprised.
’Could it be that the Cultivators in Black Water City can’t find their way to any other Immortal Sect? Or is that malformed child just using the Yu Family’s name to swindle people?’
Many of them lifted their carriage curtains to peer outside.
And what they saw shocked them even more.
The young man exuded the aura of a Lower Three Grades Inner Technique; he had most likely achieved Foundation Establishment through Spirit Liquid.
But regardless, he was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
Moreover, his aura was powerful and stable, clearly not that of someone who had just broken through.
A Cultivation at this level was likely much higher than even Yu Sheng’s own.
"Go down and ask if he is willing to come under my tutelage."
The flamboyant youth from before glanced at a disciple beside him.
He didn’t dare to contend with Aunt Xin for the one with the Innate Sword Heart, but he was about to head to Yongzhou Pass for a trial and was in need of attendants.
Even among his own disciples, this young man’s Cultivation would be considered mid-to-high tier. Leaving him with that malformed child was a waste.
"As you command."
The disciple was about to rise but was frightened back into his seat by Yu Qiheng’s indifferent glare.
Yu Xin observed the young man on the roadside, then turned to exchange a peculiar glance with her husband.
"You see it too?"
"Yes."
"Another one. How many does that make now? Tsk, tsk."
The two exchanged cryptic words.
Finally, Yu Xin looked at the three juniors. "Don’t get involved with this person. There’s no benefit, and you’ll only attract trouble."
With that said, she released her hand from Miss Yun’s. The little girl had gotten a bit too excited, which was not the proper bearing for a Mountain Master Disciple.
Her words were meant not only for the juniors but also as a subtle warning to Miss Yun.
She didn’t give any of them a chance to ask more questions.
She rose gracefully and stepped out of the carriage. A polite, though not particularly warm, smile touched her gentle face. "Sir, please come aboard."
With a wave of her green sleeve, a stream of light wrapped around Lin Shu and delivered him into the last carriage.
The convoy then rose fully into the air.
It soared over Black Water City below.
...
Inside the carriage.
Yu Sheng sensed another person behind her.
But she remained huddled in the corner, her eyes shut tight, eyelashes trembling faintly.
It was unclear if she was sulking or if she was afraid that the person would disappear the moment she opened her eyes.
"It’s gotten a little cold."
Lin Shu sat beside her, slowly untied the cloth wrap, and opened a food box.
Inside was a whole, large pork knuckle, glistening with a dark sauce. The skin was soft and tender, quivering with every movement.
He glanced sideways at her. "Will this do?"
Hearing that familiar voice.
Yu Sheng’s shoulders shuddered, and she spun around like a little calf.
Ignoring the box of pork knuckle, she threw herself headfirst into the young man’s arms, her own arms locking tightly around his neck.
She held on for dear life.
Using every last ounce of her strength.
She was clearly sobbing her heart out, yet she made no sound.
It seemed she didn’t want the nearby members of the Yu Family to hear, and she was even more unwilling to show any weakness in front of them.
The front of Lin Shu’s robe was quickly soaked through.
"I thought you didn’t want me anymore either!"
The little one cried until she was exhausted, her voice a choked, hoarse whisper as if talking in her sleep. She sobbed, "I’m sorry. I’ll never brag again. Please don’t go..."
She wasn’t unaware that her current situation had something to do with this young man.
But she also understood that she had been the one to wake up and block his doorway.
Lin Shu was a heartless person, afraid of death to a fault. If she hadn’t misunderstood, he probably would never have set foot in her side room before he left.
"You should eat something. If you cry for much longer, I think we’ll have arrived already."
Lin Shu glanced out the window, a complicated look in his eyes.
’So much for escaping the city.’
’We only ended up traveling two hundred li... I feel like one lap around the city would cover more distance than that.’
’With a Cultivator’s speed, you could pop back into Black Water City after work for a late-night snack and still make it back in time.’
’All that hard work, and we’re still just loitering on the doorstep.’
But that was precisely what made it all feel even more absurd to him.
’Yan Jin was one thing. After all, she was just a new disciple under her Master, probably not well-known yet, so it made sense they wouldn’t bother searching for her.’
’But this little one was a descendant of the Yu Family.’
’If the Yu Family truly controlled Yongzhou Pass, that meant she’d been stuck right at their doorstep for ten years, and not a single person had come to check on her.’
’How very heartwarming.’
"Crying made me hungry."
Yu Sheng finally pulled her head back.
One hand clutched Lin Shu’s robes, clinging to him, while the other tore off a piece of the knuckle’s skin and stuffed it into her mouth, her face a mess of tears and snot.
"Why... did she... SLURP... call you Sir?"
"I don’t know."
Lin Shu’s gaze grew profound.
He had witnessed the entire exchange. When faced with three different people, the so-called Aunt Xin had shown three different faces.
Her indifference toward Yu Sheng and her protectiveness over Miss Yun could both be explained by their respective value.
But her complicated attitude toward him was one of someone who couldn’t be bothered, yet felt obligated to offer a few polite words.
’I don’t think it’s because there’s anything special about me.’
He reached up, touching the damp front of his robe and pressing it against his empty chest.
’A more likely possibility is that the adult Immortal Descendant saw the phantom hidden here.’
’But she didn’t seem particularly surprised, as if it were a common sight.’
’Could it be that I’m not the only one like this?’
A thought crossed Lin Shu’s mind.
He shook his head. ’My status is still too low. I have no way of accessing the affairs of the Immortal Families.’
’It’s all just guesswork. Even if I rack my brain, how much could I possibly figure out?’
The most important thing now was how to continue raising his Cultivation.
Over the past few days, Lin Shu had talked a lot with Gu Nanzhi and Yan Jin, so he was no longer as clueless as before.
Take these Immortal Descendants, for example.
Those who looked like teenagers were the true young Immortal Descendants, and all of them had a Foundation Establishment Cultivation.
Those who appeared to be in their twenties were adult Immortal Descendants, beings comparable to the Core Formation Stage.
As for the couple escorting these Immortal Descendants, the man had clearly reached his prime and had likely touched upon the Golden Core realm. The woman was slightly younger, but she was at least a powerhouse at the Core Formation Stage.
Across all fifteen carriages, besides Yu Sheng, there were only five Immortal Descendants. The rest were all their disciples.
An Immortal Descendant’s Cultivation and Divine Techniques not only represented their strength but also determined the kind of Formulas their disciples could comprehend from them.
If the Immortal Descendant had not reached Core Formation and did not possess Core Formation-level Divine Techniques, then no matter how talented their disciple, it would be impossible for them to comprehend a Cultivation Technique of that tier.
’But I’m actually in a decent spot.’
’After all, I’ve already used Merit Coins to form a Cyan Bird Jade Carving. At the very least, I won’t need to seek out others for a Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivation Technique.’
’Even after earning over ten thousand Merit Coins, my Cultivation is still not quite enough.’
Although Lin Shu had only given them a cursory glance.
He could tell that even when compared to this group of disciples, his own Cultivation was far from the top.
Of course, Cultivation was one thing; actual combat ability was another matter.
If he included the Ink Flood Dragon Sword Bracelet, that was another story entirely.
’All in all, I can still manage.’
Lin Shu reined in his thoughts. As long as it wasn’t a hopeless situation, there would always be a solution.
Since she could only use one hand, Yu Sheng couldn’t apply her full effort. She had just finished half of the large pork knuckle when the entire convoy suddenly began to descend.
She quickly wobbled the lid back on. "I’ll save the rest for tonight."
"Can you get off me first?"
Lin Shu grabbed her by the collar and pulled her aside.
To him, the biggest advantage of having Yu Sheng around was that he would no longer be constrained by others.
With this "Master" as a front, he would have much more freedom to act.
"Okay."
Yu Sheng grinned foolishly through her tear-filled eyes, then sucked the sauce from her fingers.
"We’ve arrived."
Along with the announcement.
The dozen or so magnificent carriages dissolved into wisps of wind and scattered. They weren’t physical objects, merely a kind of Formula.
Aside from Yu Xin and Miss Yun, who had vanished, everyone else stood in place, slightly awestruck.
Majestic mountain ranges stretched into the distance, with a great river winding between them, forming a natural barrier that spanned thousands of li.
A small, bustling city lay below, looking exceptionally lively.
As far as the eye could see, there were dozens of such cities in view.
Occasionally, flashes of Spiritual Light would leap up, darting between the mountains.
There were mines, medicinal fields, markets, and even river docks where massive merchant ships gathered.
All of these things, taken together, formed that name.
Yongzhou Pass!
Lin Shu took a deep breath, admitting he had underestimated this place.
Just as he was captivated by the distant view.
At the very edge of his vision, a blazing inferno suddenly erupted, like a cloud of fire sweeping over and engulfing a city.
Even from such a great distance, Lin Shu could feel a stinging sensation on his skin, as if seared by intense heat.
In that instant, from the highest point among the cities in the mountains, a golden radiance suddenly bloomed.
It was a mirror.
Golden Light pulsed from it, carrying the power of roaring thunder as it pierced through the cloud of fire.
In a flash, the sky and earth became clear once more.
A gaunt figure fell from within, only to be intercepted by several streaks of Spiritual Light.
"You’re all quite lucky. To see the Mountain God Mirror right after arriving at Yongzhou Pass," Yu Qiheng said with a proud smile.
"Uncle Qiheng, was that a Demon General trying to break through the pass and escape?" The three young Immortal Descendants were clearly well-informed, having sensed that the blazing flame carried the aura of the Core Formation Stage.
"Correct. Judging by that aura, it must be the Red Cloud Demon General. He just broke through from the Foundation Establishment Stage and earned his title, but he caused some huge disaster and was trying to flee to the neighboring country."
Yu Qiheng nodded. "Later, you will all receive a registry from the Demon-slaying Bureau. It records the names of the Great Demons of Yongzhou. If you can obtain any relevant clues and report them, the rewards will be substantial."
"As for any Little Demons not listed in the registry, capturing them will also earn you significant rewards."
As they chatted idly.
Yu Sheng tugged on the young man’s sleeve and asked in confusion, "Did you see something tasty?"
"No, just looking around."
Lin Shu licked his dry lips and, without a change in expression, shifted his gaze away from the mirror.
’Seeing a Great Demon right after arriving is not a good omen.’
’I’ll only feel a shred of security if I can get some more protective Treasures.’