Lichao City, the most famous city for viewing tides in Qing State, attracts many tourists every year.
At this moment, it was the bustling peak season.
The streets were crowded with people, and the cries of vendors were incessant.
A group of about a dozen people moved through the crowd in an extremely low-key manner.
The group had only one carriage left.
A young woman with a graceful figure, dressed in simple cloth, led the way at the front, her eyes lively as she looked around the streets of Lichao City... This was Deng Baiyi's first encounter with such a prosperous and bustling scene, a sight unseen in Northern County for eight hundred years.
Deng Baiyi was overwhelmed with emotion, envious of those lucky enough to be born here.
Though it was an era of chaos, they still had peace.
However, what truly astonished her was something else.
"It seems you are quite adept at fleeing?"
Over these past few days, she had witnessed Xie Zhen's expertise.
Starting from Tai'an City and heading east to Lichao City was supposed to be a straight route, but the path Xie Zhen chose was extremely convoluted, like a winding snake, taking unmarked and secluded back roads...
This guy must have been here before.
No.
He must have often been on the run before.
"I've been hunted before," Xie Xuanyi said nonchalantly.
He indeed knew Qing State well, as back when Da Chu issued a bounty, cultivators from all four regions came out, and he traveled north, having stationed himself in Qing State for a long period.
He was familiar with the roads here, even more so with the methods of the Imperial City Office.
After killing Xu You and Shen Yan, Xie Xuanyi set several fires, burning down the residence arranged by Xu You. Amidst the chaos, he knocked out the stationed soldiers and incidentally erased part of their Divine Soul memories... Now that Qing State was sealed, the Primordial Instrument would definitely have detected the anomaly in Tai'an City. Even if the Imperial City Office agents hurried to handle the case, lacking both witness and evidence and relying only on that slight "causal mechanism," finding him would not be easy.
Before stepping into the Broken Origin Array and facing Xu You in a life-and-death duel,
Xie Xuanyi had already prepared this aftermath method.
His identity was always tricky to reveal.
But Xu You's death necessitated a "person" to take the blame...
Since this deputy city lord was a deeply concealed demon cultivator, then this incident would conveniently be blamed on the "demon cultivator."
Jiang Huang was a descendant of the True Phoenix, and her blood, bones, and hair all contained the essence of True Phoenix demonic aura.
Xie Xuanyi had previously drawn talismans in the carriage and extracted a few drops of Jiang Huang's fresh blood, not much was needed... This talisman used Phoenix blood as a primer, not aiming for lethality, but to ensure that upon careful inspection, the residual weak "demon aura" from the talisman's explosion could be detected.
The Imperial City Office wanted a clue—this was the clue he left for them.
Having successfully entered Lichao City, although the route was a bit off the beaten path and longer,
fortunately, there were no pursuers.
The "unease" that had been entwined around Xie Xuanyi's heart gradually dissipated...
The feeling of being held by the thread of fate finally faded away.
He felt much more at ease overall.
To facilitate his actions moving forward, Xie Xuanyi deliberately crafted several inferior, simple magic artifacts along the way.
By boiling resin with Primordial Power and infusing Divine Soul Power, it was transformed into a thin facial skin.
Applied to the face, it could alter one's appearance.
This "Human Skin Mask" was not a great skill, but it was extremely useful for moving incognito.
After being revived, he was ten years younger, and the features of his face had slightly changed...
But there still were risks.
Once he entered a large city, it was inevitable to draw attention.
To ensure "safety," Xie Xuanyi crafted different human skin masks for each person in the carriage group.
Upon entering Lichao City, they were no longer "refugees" fleeing from Northern County.
But merchants on business, incidentally relocating households.
Deng Baiyi tried several times to stop and look around, intending to buy items like jade hairpins, but was "kindly reminded" by Xie Xuanyi inside the carriage.
To avoid attracting attention, everyone from the Deng Family was now disguised as "servants" they had hired.
And she was playing the role of Xie Xuanyi's maid, responsible for leading the horse and doing the dirty and tiring chores.
A maid… naturally was not entitled to buy ornaments.
It was only after settling in the inn and feeding the horses in the stable that Deng Baiyi finally could catch her breath; she wiped the sweat from her forehead as she returned to her room.
Finally, they were at a "human dwelling".
Since leaving Yuzhu Town, they had been sleeping in the open and had not had a good night's sleep.
They barely had the chance to rest for a night in Tai'an City,
but unfortunately, they encountered that incident.
However, as soon as she opened the door, Deng Baiyi's smile froze; she stepped back two steps, checking if she had entered the wrong room...
"Don't look any further, this is it."
Xie Xuanyi sat on the windowsill, pushing the window open to observe the long street nearby, "Tonight, you'll stay in the same room as me."
Although Northern County was impoverished, the Deng Family was considered a well-known local family, and Deng Baiyi, after all, was a pampered young lady used to having everything handed to her.
For the past several days, she had played the role of a maid, being ordered around.
Baiyi asked indignantly, "Is this my father's idea?"
Xuanyi was silent for a moment.
Looking into Baiyi's angry eyes, he probably understood why this young lady was so furious...
What women value most is likely their reputation and their intact virtue.
"No, this was my idea."
Xuanyi continued to look out the window and calmly said, "Since you are my maidservant, it is natural that you share a room with me."
Such a calm response, however, stunned Baiyi.
"You probably don't know what 'Imperial City Office' really is."
Xuanyi gestured for Baiyi to come closer.
From the highest point of the inn, one could see the orderly and intersecting seven or eight long streets. As night approached, the streets bustled with people's voices continuously; there were those carrying lanterns, shouting vendors, performers, and lion dancers. Baiyi was somewhat dazzled and did not understand what these people had to do with the Imperial City Office Xuanyi mentioned.
"After Xu You's death, it will take at most two hours for the Imperial City Office to notice."
"If Xu You left a life lamp within the Imperial City, their response will be even quicker... Tan Yi Guards stationed in Qing State will act immediately. Once the case involves demon cultivators, the area within a hundred miles of Taian City will be heavily inspected, and the 'Primordial Instrument' responsible for monitoring the Primordial Energy in the four territories of Da Chu will capture the perpetrator's energy trail at the earliest opportunity."
Xuanyi spoke leisurely, "In other words, even if we took countless detours to reach Lichao City, we are by no means safe. See that person selling candied hawthorn in 'West Ping Lane'? He's been standing at the corner of the alley for a long time, not selling a single item nor shouting. Such people are called 'Fly Eyes'."
Fly Eyes?
There was no need for Xuanyi to explain... Baiyi understood the meaning of this term.
As the name implies, there are many of them.
"The world is unfair. Some can easily grasp what others cannot attain in their whole lifetime."
"Fly Eyes are 'special cultivators' under the command of Tan Yi Guards, extremely numerous, present in every major Da Chu city... As you know, not everyone gets the chance to cultivate."
Xuanyi said meaningfully, "Even if one receives the cultivation method, not everyone can become a Qi Refining Master."
Baiyi silently bowed her head.
Unable to sense the Primordial Qi of Heaven and Earth, unable to absorb Primordial Energy to ignite their points.
Such people... even with a cultivation method, are helpless.
There must be many such people.
"Most Fly Eyes are such people," Xuanyi said calmly. "These people have mediocre talents. Even if they receive the methods of cultivation, they cannot become Qi Refining Masters. To secure a future, they willingly sign contracts with the Imperial City Office. Tan Yi Guards have a way to let them 'cultivate', but they must pay the corresponding price."
"The price... what is it?"
"To become Qi Refining Masters, and then to only ever be Qi Refining Masters," Xuanyi smiled. "Doesn't that sound rather unproblematic?"
Baiyi nodded cautiously.
To cultivate on one's own for a lifetime with no chance of becoming a Qi Refining Master.
To join Tan Yi Guards offered that possibility.
Indeed, there seemed nothing wrong with it.
Even if it was just drawing a few Qi Refining talismans, it was far superior to ordinary people. Should one day they go elsewhere, they would be revered as "Immortal Masters."
"They will never become 'Immortal Masters' in the eyes of others."
Xuanyi spoke somberly, "Tan Yi Guards give them the methods of cultivation so they can sell their lives for them... That's the real price. Once these people agree, they can never escape the control of the Imperial City Office. They cannot refuse any tasks assigned to them."
"What if they die?"
"Then they are dead."
The term Fly Eyes sufficiently shows their lowly status and humble position.
Is this world unfair? No, it's very fair.
Everything fate offers comes with a hidden price tag.
"I'm not sure how far the investigation of the Taian City case has progressed..."
"But I am very certain that from the moment we stepped into Lichao City, we've already been checked by 'Fly Eyes'."
Xuanyi changed the subject and asked, "Although I destroyed the residence in Taian City and fabricated evidence, do you think Xu Jing, Xu You's adopted son, will just let go of his suspicions?"
Baiyi opened her mouth but was at a loss for words.
Xu Jing had seen both the appearances of her group and the relationship between the Deng family and Xie Zhen.
"When you are out and about, if you cannot bear the risk of exposure, then don't leave even a one-thousandth chance of being exposed."
Xuanyi closed the window and calmly stated, "So, no matter how unwilling you are now, be my honest maidservant until this storm passes."
Baiyi gritted her teeth.
In fact... serving Xie Zhen was not such a bad deal.
If she was really unwilling, she wouldn't have agreed from the start.
"But..."
She shifted her gaze and said with a mix of shame and anger, "There's only one bed here; how can two people sleep?"
It was the peak season for watching tides, Lichao City was overflowing with people, and having a vacant room was already lucky.
But this guest room was just too small.
There was barely enough space even for laying out sleeping mats.
Not to mention the pitifully narrow bed which seemed to only fit one person.
Xuanyi frowned, as if he had heard a very odd question.
"This bed is so small... of course, we'll sleep by holding each other."