Xin Lan followed the two dragons up until they reached the courtyard house of the Zhong family in the Long kingdom's capital. Looking at the white cloth over the doorstep, he narrowed his eyes. It seemed that a death had occurred in this house?
He didn't know which family was living here but if two dragons made their way over, there definitely had to be something more to this. Since he had already come here, Xin Lan felt that it would be idiotic to just leave again. Thus, he jumped over the wall, watching things proceed from inside the house.
A short while after he left, a commotion happened at the gate of the capital city.
The guards were going about their day as usual, taking the identity tokens of the people that were queuing to go inside, as well as their luggage before deciding whether they would let them in or not.
Among the many simple towns and village folk that came by as usual, there was one party that seemed quite conspicuous: Two men standing in front, both of them wrapped in white robes that seemed to glow slightly in the sun. A sword was strapped to their bodies while an elegant, carved jade was hanging from their belts. Behind them came a magnificent carriage drawn by four horses that made people wonder just who the person in there was that they deserved this kind of comfort and such an entourage.
When it was time for the group to enter, the two men in front handed over their identity tokens and nodded at the guards. "Huo Cheng and Huo Hai of the Jian Yi Sect. We are on a mission with our junior martial brother."
The guards looked their identity tokens over and then glanced at the simple sword that was embroidered on the lapel of their ropes, nodding to themselves. It seemed that they really were of some cultivation sect. Unfortunately, they didn't quite know which sect it was.
To be honest, it wasn't too strange. While the Jian Yi Sect was definitely well-known in the cultivation world, the common people didn't know much about the hierarchy of the righteous sects. The sects that didn't have their disciples regularly show their faces around a place pretty often weren't a well-known sect to the people of that place.
In the Long kingdom, the ones they would recognize were the people of the Yun Zou Sect since it was close by and previously, they had also been able to recognize the people of the Chun Feng Sect since the demon hunters traveled regularly and would show up in many different countries over time. With how open the Chun Feng Sect had been about their dislike for the demons and how they would help people in eradicating, they had naturally become famous for that very fast.
Now, the Chun Feng Sect's people hadn't shown up for a good decade though, making people slowly forget about them. Thus, if the disciples approaching the gate of the city weren't of the Yun Zou Sect, chances were that they wouldn't be recognized.
Even though the guards had no idea who exactly these people were, they still respectfully handed their identity tokens back. These were disciples of a cultivation sect, after all, offending them wouldn't do them any good.
Even though they thought like this, they didn't ask them to come in immediately. "Your junior martial brother …" The guard looked from one person to the other and then glanced at the carriage behind them. Obviously, this junior martial brother should be the person inside there. "I'm sorry but we will have to take a look at his identity token as well and also search the carriage." This was the same for everyone, no matter which family or sect they belonged to. Especially if they didn't know the people.
In other towns, the guards always just waved them through based on their own identity tokens so Huo Cheng and Huo Hai were surprised. The two of them exchanged a glance but since these were the rules, they didn't make any trouble. Huo Cheng went to the back and lightly knocked on the door. "Xiao Yu, the guards need to check your identity token and search the carriage. Do you mind?"
The guards' lips twitched. What 'do you mind'? Anyway, if they didn't let them check, then they wouldn't get into the city! And if they didn't want to enter, they wouldn't have come here in the first place. Thus, witnessing this scene, the two guards looked at each other, feeling a bit dismayed. They didn't have all day and somebody that put on such an act might actually have bad intentions. They had to stay vigilant!
The guards already wanted to speak up but they immediately changed their tune when a delicate voice sounded from inside.
"Senior martial brother Huo, you're thinking too much. Since they need to check it, then naturally they should. How could I make trouble for them?" And then, a fair hand emerged from the window of the carriage, extending the same carved jade that his senior martial brothers wore.
Whether it was those guards or the onlookers in the line behind the party, they all held their breath, looking at that fair hand unblinkingly.
Huo Cheng nodded and lightly took the jade pendant, carrying it over to the guards as if it was a treasure. This time, he didn't hand it over and just let them take a look, turning it over once when he was sure that they had seen enough.
Don't kid him! This was the jade of their little junior, Xiao Yu. How could they let just anyone touch it with their filthy hands?! Just thinking of the possibility made the two of them want to draw their swords and cut off some limbs.
Yes, in merely a decade of being in the Jian Yi Sect, Hua Lin Yu had managed to conquer the hearts of all his seniors. Anyone who dared to try and bully him … they should prepare for death!