Red Lotus City.
One of the most prosperous cities within the jurisdiction of the Feather Sword Immortal Sect.
It is rumored to have been an ancient battlefield of otherworldly races.
A heavenly monarch fought fiercely against the otherworldly races until he was exhausted and fell here.
After clearing the battlefield, they discovered the weapon he held. Even though it was broken and its owner had long passed away, it never forgot its mission. It continued to drink the blood of the otherworldly races without respite.
Supported by its immense life force, a red lotus bloomed and swayed in the wind.
To commemorate her contribution to the human race, this place was named the Red Lotus Domain.
Throughout history, the Red Lotus City was established on this land.
...
"What a magnificent city!"
Standing in front of the ten-zhang high city gate, an outsider couldn't help but exclaim.
The city gate was made of sturdy refined steel, with a layer of hard spirit steel that effectively absorbed spiritual energy.
The person added, "Even a cultivator of the Five Realms would probably find it difficult to destroy."
Hearing this, Huang Quan didn't have much of a reaction.
Compared to the Demonic Sect, being called a small city in the mountains was not an exaggeration.
He took a step forward, preparing to enter the city.
The person who had expressed his admiration suddenly had a thought.
Seeing Huang Quan and Gu Qi Ci's dignified appearance and aura, he probably came from some wealthy family, bringing a maid along for a trip.
Immediately, the idea of climbing up occurred to him, and he shouted, "Hey, handsome brother? Is it your first time in Red Lotus City?"
Huang Quan cast a puzzled look.
If someone insisted on adding the word "handsome" before "brother," it was probably referring to him.
"How about going with me to the right side? Pay the entrance fee based on the number of people, receive an entry token, and first-time visitors need to register their names. Otherwise, the guards at the city gate will stop and question you... uh?"
While he was speaking, Huang Quan and Gu Qi Ci had already walked through the five or six zhang wide gate without anyone stopping them.
If someone observed carefully, they would notice that the twelve guards on duty were arranged in an orderly manner, standing one zhang apart.
Their gazes were unfocused, their legs were weak, and the hands holding their long spears trembled. Large beads of sweat slowly dripped from their foreheads.
Dressed in black, exuding unparalleled elegance, and with a purple jade dragon pendant hanging from his waist, clearly engraved with the character "Quan."
Three days ago, they received instructions from the City Lord's Mansion that the Demonic Sect's "Son of the Yellow Springs" would be visiting Red Lotus City in the coming days.
They didn't need to go out of their way to please him, but they must absolutely avoid offending him. Treat him as an honored guest.
The other party most likely came to cancel the engagement, and it was an affront to the Jiang family. In a certain sense, it was also an affront to Red Lotus City. There was no need to try to please and expose themselves to be slapped in the face.
As for offending him? Red Lotus City truly had no qualifications to be the enemy of the Demonic Sect. Once they harbored ill intentions, they would face an inescapable disaster.
At the time, a brave guard had the audacity to ask for a specific portrait to facilitate the management of the subordinates.
The City Lord waved his hand and said, "No need. I'll describe it, and when you see him, you'll recognize him."
Dressed in black, with golden embroidered patterns flowing with radiant splendor, and a purple jade dragon pendant hanging from his waist.
His face resembled the mid-autumn moon, his complexion as refreshing as the spring dawn. His sideburns were like a well-crafted blade, and his eyes had a deep and profound gaze, like stars floating and sinking. He seemed like an immortal banished from the heavens, displaying only a fraction of worldly manners.
Unparalleled in elegance, nowhere to be found. Only a slight breeze and a faint shadow falling into the mortal world.
It's said that one's life is doomed to encounter peach blossoms.
...
Stop?
The distinguished guests appointed by the City Lord's Mansion wouldn't need to pay the fee.
Furthermore, who would dare to offend the Demonic Sect for the sake of a few coins?
The Demonic Sect had been making efforts to cleanse its reputation since the era of great destruction. It was currently in a delicate state of being neither entirely good nor entirely evil.
But ultimately, it carried the word "demonic." If anyone thought they were a group of righteous men and virtuous women, the graves would probably be covered in green grass the following year.
Not kneeling on the spot was their last bit of stubbornness.
When they put on the attire of the guards, they had to bear its weight.
It represented the dignity of the entire Red Lotus City.
The guards can kneel, but Red Lotus City cannot.
"Hmm? Did they change the rules? Maybe I haven't been to Red Lotus City for too long, and now they've opened the city gates wide," the inquirer muttered, expressing confusion.
Without wasting any time, he hurriedly stepped forward, not wanting to lose sight of the "wealthy young master" he was following.
Just as he was about to pass the first pair of guards, a sudden change occurred.
"Swish!"
"Clang!"
Two steel spears crossed and clashed in front of him, creating sparks.
The guards now had sharp eyes, straight legs, and a strong grip on their spears as they swiftly pointed them forward.
A short, round-faced guard made a move!
"Where's your entry token? Your surname, your name, where are you coming from, where are you going, how many people in your family, how much land per person, and how many cows do you have? Speak up!"
The inquirer was puzzled. "Uh... didn't those two just now not show their entry tokens?"
Another seemingly experienced middle-aged guard sighed, "Goodness gracious, young ones, can't you just mind your own business? Why do you have to compare with others? Wait, your gaze and expression aren't right. Do you have a criminal record and are trying to sneak into the city?"
The short, round-faced guard quickly chimed in, "Exactly! Well said, Old Xing! You're the most educated one here. No wonder you're the perfect candidate for the position of squad leader."
The experienced middle-aged guard beamed with joy upon receiving the praise. "Ah, Six, learn more from your Uncle. You can achieve great things in the future too."
The inquirer wore a helpless and puzzled expression, unable to make heads or tails of the situation. After a while, he reluctantly paid the entrance fee, searched for his previous identity registration, and obtained clearance from the guards.
He felt indignant and muttered under his breath, "A bunch of narrow-minded people."
One of the guards in the second row had sharp ears and overheard his muttering. Unwilling to bear the unjust accusation along with his other eleven comrades, he explained with dissatisfaction, "What narrow-minded? Don't blame us. Have a look at what's engraved on his jade pendant!"
The inquirer fell into contemplation, recalling the scene just now, but couldn't make sense of it for the life of him. The other person mostly had his back turned towards him, and the one time they passed each other and turned back, the angle was such that he couldn't see the appearance of the jade pendant.
It was rare to find any wealthy young masters in the vicinity of Red Lotus City who could disregard the rules of the City Lord's Mansion. He recognized most of them, but the person just now was someone he had never seen before.
It didn't make sense that the guards could recognize him, but he couldn't. This was his way of survival.
"What character?" he asked unwillingly, refusing to admit that his eyesight was inferior to that of the guards.
The square-faced guard across from the sharp-eared guard replied, "I carefully observed it for a long time and could tell from the jade pendant. It clearly has the character 'Quan' engraved on it!"
The inquirer became even more confused and didn't think in the direction of the Demonic Sect. It was too distant and unattainable.
After thinking for a long time, he couldn't figure out the meaning of the character and became anxious. "What's so remarkable about 'Quan'?"
The guards in the third row seemed to have heard something hilarious and couldn't help but burst into laughter. One of them struggled to say through the laughter, "We've received professional training. No matter how funny it is, we can't laugh, unless... Hahaha, couldn't hold it in."
The guards in the fourth row scolded them sternly, "We've received professional training, and even if it's funny, we shouldn't laugh. Unless... Hahaha, couldn't resist."
The guards in the fifth row said, "It's not that people are narrow-minded, blame the road for being uneven."
The guard in the sixth row had an expression that begged to be punched. He looked at the inquirer with his nostrils and said, "Sorry, but with 'Quan,' one can do whatever they want."