It was exactly as Mingshen described. The people started changing when Anji left the area under the Celestial Dragon Sect's protection. It did not matter how far the people were within the sect's protection. Anji had only ever met kind and nice people. The towns were regulated, and the villages were secure. However, after leaving the boundaries of the forest that marked her sect's territory, Gu Ying had to leave frequently to scout ahead. The roads were not safe, and criminals roamed freely.
"Why can't we help them?" Anji asked. "We're already here. It's not difficult to handle petty bandits."
Shaking his head, Mingshen remained firm.
