Chapter 24.2:
Lian Wushang nodded. “May I escort these two individuals into the city?”
The gatekeeper nodded repeatedly. “With a distinguished master as my sponsor, there’s no issue at all.” With that, he stood up and pressed a button on the city wall. Wen Heng looked over—there was a button-like device on the wall. After the gatekeeper pressed it, something at the gate seemed to lift open.
How to put it? Earlier, when Wen Heng stood at the gate, he could see the bustling city below but couldn’t hear its sounds. He’d assumed the gate area was simply quieter, but now it seemed that wasn’t the case. After the guard pressed the button, Wen Heng heard the lively chatter of the city below.
“Welcome, welcome!” The gatekeeper didn’t dare lift his head, seeming deeply intimidated by Lian Wushang. Lian Wushang said nothing. He walked over to Wen Heng and smiled faintly. “Let’s go. Into the city.” Wen Heng hurriedly pulled his cart alongside Lian Wushang, feeling quite pleased. “I never knew you were this influential, Wushang…”
“Shh—” Lian Wushang gestured for silence. “We’ll talk about it inside the city.” Wen Heng and the others immediately fell quiet as mice, trailing behind Lian Wushang.
Qingcheng Town was bustling and prosperous. Though late autumn had settled outside the city walls, within the gates, it felt like spring—flowers bloomed everywhere, creating a breathtaking scene. People dressed in splendid attire came and went, chatting and laughing with vibrant energy. Wen Heng felt as if he’d stepped into a whole new world, while Gouzi was utterly dumbfounded.
“Holy cow… Have I arrived in heaven?” Gouzi pinched his own cheek. “There’s actually such a wonderful place in the world, right next to Xiaoyan Town? Why didn’t anyone tell me before?” His voice was filled with disbelief, as if he couldn’t trust his own eyes.
Wen Heng pushed his cart to the side of the road, careful not to block the flow of people. Watching the bustling city, he felt a bit overwhelmed. Lian Wushang seemed to notice Wen Heng’s unease and offered a gentle smile. “It’s okay. It’s normal to feel unfamiliar in a new place. You’ll get used to it.”
Wen Heng managed a faint smile. “Wushang, I think maybe I shouldn’t have come here. I have a bad feeling about this.”
Had Wen Heng said this before, Lian Wushang would have dismissed it as overthinking. But now, he wasn’t so sure. Since Wen Heng had fused with the Heavenly Cauldron Giant Tree, his senses were sharper than any beast’s.
Gouzi was optimistic: “What could be so bad? I think it’s great! You’re just too used to worrying about everything! We finally made it to Qingcheng Town! Ha ha ha ha ha—we won’t freeze to death!” With so many shops and people, he was sure he could beg his way to a fortune!
“Besides, you were the one who suggested Qingcheng Town in the first place, and now you’re the one complaining. Heng, can’t you stop being such a jinx?” Gouzi was overjoyed. He’d only been standing there a moment when two grandmas approached and handed him a steamed bun. Could any place be better than this?
Wen Heng smiled wryly. “You know I’m not used to the world. I just get a little anxious. Everyone feels a bit scared when facing unfamiliar things, right?”
Gouzi rolled his eyes. “You scared? You can even fight tigers!”
Wen Heng straightened up. “Don’t let my strength fool you. I’m actually pretty shy.”
Lian Wushang and Baozi: … Never seen anyone with such thick skin.
After finally dragging the cart into town, Gouzi promptly set about finding a spot to park it. Now in high spirits, he zigzagged through the alleys, nearly making the leopard on the cart vomit from all the jostling. Lian Wushang and Wen Heng trailed behind at a comfortable distance.
“Wushang, could I see your identity document?” Wen Heng hadn’t expected such an advanced artifact that could display itself in midair. “Where do you keep it?”
Lian Wushang smiled and extended his palm toward Wen Heng. A golden bird materialized in his hand—a bird with three claws.
“This is a cultivation credential used by cultivators, serving as proof of identity. After joining a sect, the sect engraves a mark within the cultivator’s divine sense. For ordinary people, it would likely be a paper document.” Ordinary people lacked divine sense, rendering cultivation techniques ineffective for them.
Baozi rolled his eyes in exasperation. Pretending, always pretending. This was the first time he’d heard of Lian Wushang from Qinglian Continent using Sangzi Island’s emblem. If Di Jun found out, who knew what expression he’d make.
Wen Heng marveled, reaching out to touch the golden bird. He smiled faintly. “Impressive. I never imagined you were this skilled, Wushang. Is this your sect’s emblem? It’s truly majestic.” How could it not be majestic? The emblem of the Three-Legged Golden Crow wasn’t something just anyone could use.
Lian Wushang flashed a sly grin. “It’s not my sect’s emblem. I used a diversion to avoid the gatekeeper giving us trouble. Truth is, I’m an independent cultivator—no sect affiliation.”
Wen Heng gave him a thumbs-up, bowing in admiration. “Impressive.”
Leopard: …Bullshit!
Gouzi finally found a dead-end alley on a relatively quiet street. He cheerfully pushed the cart into the alley: “Alright, we can spend the night here tonight. Come on, let’s go explore the surroundings first.”
Wen Heng looked around. He couldn’t help but feel that the people of Qingcheng Town lived too comfortably: ” Wushang, does anything feel off? Since we entered the city, have you seen a single beggar? And what’s that above us?”
Wen Heng clearly saw a transparent dome enveloping the entire Qingcheng Town.
Gouzi looked up suspiciously, puzzled. “Nothing’s there.” Blue skies and white clouds—such a beautiful sight. What could possibly be up there?
Lian Wushang looked up and explained, “It’s a barrier. Cultivators sometimes protect human cities by erecting barriers over them. When something happens within the city or enemies approach from outside, they can sense it through the barrier. It also defends against certain attacks. I just wonder which cultivator clan set this one up.”
Lian Wushang wasn’t familiar with Qingcheng Town, but his assessment was correct—this was indeed a barrier erected by a cultivator clan.
Lian Wushang chuckled, “I suspect your discomfort stems from this barrier. It carries the aura of cultivators and sometimes radiates a slight aura of intimidation to deter outsiders. Your heightened sensitivity likely makes it feel unpleasant.”
Wen Heng finally exhaled in relief, scratching his head. “So that’s it. Thanks, Wushang. If you hadn’t explained, I’d still be clueless. Rest here for a bit. Doggie and I will go beg for some food and money. We need to get those identity papers sorted out ASAP.”
Lian Wushang smiled. “Alright, I’ll watch the cart here. Little Cat will keep me company. I’ll wait for you both to return.”
![Flying Dust [Fei Chen]](https://novels.space/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/9k.png "Flying Dust [Fei Chen]")
