Chapter 28
Part 5
“Wushang, what does he mean?” Wen Heng whispered to Lian Wushang. “Is he inviting us to his home?” Lian Wushang narrowed his eyes. It seemed his power had indeed been severely suppressed lately—he hadn’t even detected the divine sense of a Golden Core cultivator.
Lian Wushang turned and came to a halt, offering a cool, aloof nod to Old Shen. “You’re too kind.” Oh dear, he was kicking himself now. If only he hadn’t used the mark of Sangzi Island. He should have picked a random mark from a cultivator sect in the Spirit Taming Realm. But he wasn’t familiar enough with the sects there; using the wrong one could have caused trouble.
“Please follow this way, fellow cultivators.” Shen Laoda greeted Lian Wushang and Wen Heng with excessive warmth. Lian Wushang remained composed, but Wen Heng was practically tripping over himself.
“You’re a cultivator from Sangzi Island?” Sure enough, the moment Shen Laoda asked, Lian Wushang knew his guess was correct. Lian Wushang nodded. “Yes, I’m a demon cultivator from Sangzi Island. I came to the Spirit Realm to search for demonic beasts, but my cultivation is too low—I haven’t found any.”
Lian spoke without a hint of embarrassment or breathlessness. Wen Heng stood beside him, silent as a chicken, not uttering a word. Only the sound of the beggar’s staff tapping rhythmically on the stone slab filled the air. Shen Laoda didn’t find this unusual. Demon cultivators naturally carried themselves with an air of superiority. Though Lian Wushang’s tone was cool and detached, his words aligned with the sect’s suspicions.
Yesterday, a cultivator bearing the golden crow emblem of Sangzi Island had appeared at the city gates. The elders of the Qingcheng Sect had surmised this individual was a scout sent to track demon beasts.
“But what about that ferocious leopard that slaughtered the Yuanling Realm’s wolf clan?” Shen Laoda asked. “If it’s that leopard, it certainly wouldn’t be in Qingcheng Town. Our protective barriers are strong, and every cultivator who’s entered the town recently has been recorded. You’d save yourself the trouble.”
Lian Wushang’s voice was measured: “I should have visited yesterday, but I had to repay the kindness shown to me by humans after my injury.” This explained why he hadn’t gone to the Qingcheng Sect but instead followed two beggars around the world.
Lian Wushang’s explanation resolved Elder Shen’s doubts. Elder Shen said, “Of course.”
Lian Wushang had already suppressed his cultivation to the absolute limit. As long as Wen Heng didn’t inject divine sense or apply spiritual energy, he wouldn’t detect anything unusual about Lian Wushang compared to an ordinary person.
Shen Laoda had left Qingcheng Sect today and come to Qingcheng Town specifically to gauge this demon cultivator’s strength. Now that the crisis was averted, Shen Laoda was happy to play the good guy: “Meeting is fate. Since you’ve come to Qingcheng Town, our Qingcheng Sect should warmly welcome you. Why not accompany this fellow cultivator to Qingcheng Sect? Your injuries would receive better care there.”
Lian Wushang stared into Shen Da’s eyes: “I appreciate the kindness, but I’m accustomed to the wild. I find Qingcheng Town’s customs and atmosphere quite pleasant. I wish to stay in the town for a while longer. When my time comes to depart, I shall certainly visit Qingcheng Sect to bid farewell.”
Shen Da’s gaze lingered on Wen Heng. It wasn’t that he looked down on him—it was simply that Wen Heng truly appeared to be a beggar.
As far as he knew, one of the beggars who had entered the city with that demon cultivator yesterday had already gone to Qingcheng Sect to work as a menial laborer. It seemed the demon cultivator had stayed in Qingcheng Town to settle this beggar. The beggar looked pale, emaciated, and terminally ill. In such a state, even if he joined Qingcheng Sect as a menial, he could only be the lowest-ranking one.
Shen Da had his own calculations. Before the demon cultivator left Qingcheng Town, he intended to keep the danger within his own sphere of control.
“I have a residence in Qingcheng Town. If you don’t mind, you’re welcome to rest at my humble abode. Might I ask your honorable name?” Shen Da invited Lian Wushang and Wen Heng to rest at his residence. In truth, his target was only Lian Wushang; Wen Heng was merely incidental.
Lian Wushang’s expression remained cold. “Wushang.” Shen Da nodded. “Daoist Wu.” A name was merely a label anyway. Cultivators like them defied the heavens in their practice, severing ties with the mundane world. A name was insignificant.
Wen Heng bowed his hands: “I am Wen Heng, the Wandering Sage of a Thousand Schemes.” His tone clearly betrayed the manner of a useless fellow trying to elevate his status with a grandiose title. Shen Da’s face stiffened upon hearing this, but he ultimately suppressed his disgust and returned the bow: “Fellow Daoist Wen, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Lian Wushang… nearly burst into laughter, the effort nearly causing internal injury.
But as the saying goes, when one person attains enlightenment, even the chickens and dogs ascend to heaven. Even if Wen Heng were a beggar—the sort Shen Da wouldn’t normally give a second glance—Shen Da now had to look upon him with respect simply because he was by Lian Wushang’s side, suppressing his disgust. If Wen Heng knew how Shen Da truly viewed him, he’d probably want to beat Shen Da to death right then and there.
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