Seeing that their superior seemed to recognize this person, the soldiers stopped their movements. The others looked on with confusion.
Lu An himself was also somewhat puzzled. He stepped forward and saluted, asking:
"I am indeed Lu An. May I ask who this esteemed senior is?"
The middle-aged man seemed quite familiar and grasped his shoulder, saying joyfully:
"It really is you. Brother Ji instructed me to notify him immediately if I found you arriving via teleportation."
Lu An realized that Brother Ji referred to his senior brother, Ji Xidong. He hadn't expected his senior brother to be so thoughtful, anticipating his arrival through the teleportation array and asking this middle-aged man to keep an eye out.
He smiled and replied:
"I see, Ji Xidong is indeed my senior brother."
The middle-aged man laughed heartily and was about to say something when he suddenly felt something was off.
Senior brother? This young man calls Ji Xidong his senior brother?
Everyone in the capital knows who Ji Xidong's master is; it is the current National Master. Could this Lu An be the disciple of the National Master?
But why had he never seen him before?
Lu An was unaware of his thoughts and asked:
"I've never been to the capital before. How did you recognize me?"
The middle-aged man, upon hearing this, took out a scroll from his hand.
Unfolding the scroll revealed a picture of Lu An.
"Brother Ji had given me this scroll a long time ago, fearing that I might miss you," said the middle-aged man. "Now that I've found you, my task is complete. I'll notify Brother Ji; he owes me a drink now."
Lu An understood the situation and smiled.
"I apologize for troubling you for so many days, and I feel quite indebted. Once I see my senior brother, I'll host you both for a hearty drink."
Seeing that Lu An was of extraordinary status but had no airs about him, the middle-aged man felt a good impression forming in his heart.
"Alright, in that case, Brother Lu, you're very generous."
"Let me introduce myself formally. I'm Situ Shang. Just call me Situ Ge."
Lu An clasped his hands in greeting and said, "Situ Ge."
Then, Lu An's mind seemed to move as he recalled something and asked, "The surname Situ is quite rare. If I remember correctly, the current Prime Minister of Da Qi has this surname."
Situ Shang shook his head with a wry smile and said slowly, "Yes, the Prime Minister is indeed my ancestor. However, I'm just a branch member of the Situ family. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here guarding the teleportation array."
Lu An knew this was modesty. With a Core Formation cultivation, whether from a direct line or a branch, he was a key figure in the family.
The others were also surprised to hear Situ Shang's surname. Seeing Lu An and him conversing for a while, they all had their own thoughts.
After chatting for a while, Lu An pointed to Lu Jinqiu's corpse and said, "Situ Ge, look at this…"
Situ Shang dismissed it with a wave of his hand. "It's a trivial matter. You've just arrived and probably don't have a place to stay yet. Quickly proceed to the capital. I'll handle things here."
Lu An cupped his fists in thanks and then flew towards the capital with the others.
On the way, everyone tried various ways to find out his relationship with the Situ family.
Lu An could only smile wryly. He had never even seen the Prime Minister, so there was no connection.
The others didn't believe him and became more respectful. Even Li Li flew nearby, subtly closing the distance.
By evening, they could barely make out the outline of the capital. Though still far off, the towering city walls on both sides were visible, indicating the city's enormity.
Arriving at the city gate, they discovered the city's unique feature. The enormous city was built atop a great mountain, with the lowest terrain at the city gate and rising towards the center, where the palace was located at the summit, giving a commanding view.
The city walls outside were towering into the clouds, clearly constructed by cultivators. Ordinary people could never build such walls.
The walls sparkled, with countless formations mixed in. It was clear that any beast attack or foreign invasion would be deterred by such walls.
Seeing this, Lu An and the others felt a surge of pride and a sense of accomplishment.
This was the capital of Da Qi, Wu'an City!
However, their pride quickly faded, replaced by helplessness. The queue at the city gate was incredibly long. At this rate, they feared they might not get in until tomorrow.
Especially since the guards at the gate were extremely meticulous. Everyone had to pass a heart-checking test to screen out any evil beings. If they passed, they then had to walk through a demon-revealing mirror. No matter how clever the disguises, demons had to show their true forms under this mirror.
Only after passing both checks could they enter the city.
The Hall Master pondered for a moment, took out the invitation for the Shui Tian Fa Conference, and approached the gate.
"Friend, we are here to attend the Shui Tian Fa Conference. Can we be allowed to enter?"
The soldier at the gate, with only Qi Refining cultivation, showed no fear before the Core Formation cultivators.
"Many people are here for the Shui Tian Fa Conference. Everyone must go through the inspection to enter. Please go to the back of the line."
The Hall Master's face darkened. How dare a mere Qi Refining cultivator speak to her like this?
Just as she was about to lose her temper, she suddenly felt a chilling aura lock onto her.
Looking up, she saw an old man with white hair sitting behind the gate, with a strong warning in his eyes.
The Hall Master's heart sank. Anyone who could make her feel this alert must be a Nascent Soul cultivator.
She dared not delay and quickly led the group to the end of the line.
At that moment, a young man with Foundation Establishment cultivation walked out from the city. Seeing the old man, he was not afraid and approached him.
"I was wondering why my master kept complaining about not finding you. It turns out you were stationed here."
The old man cursed inwardly but did not speak.
The young man continued, "My master asked me to inquire when the few bottles of Liyuan Pills he lost to you will be delivered?"
The old man puffed out his beard and stared for a while before replying loudly, "You little brat, just like your master. Tell him that Nie will keep his word. I'll send them as soon as they are refined."
The young man was satisfied and nodded. He casually scanned the area and spotted Lu An and the others who were preparing to leave.
His eyes suddenly lit up, and he called out, "Junior Brother Lu!"
Lu An paused slightly. When he saw the person's face clearly, he also smiled.
"Senior Brother Ji, long time no see."
Ji Xidong was quite pleased. He quickly took Lu An's hand and said, "I received a message from Brother Situ and guessed that you were arriving soon, so I came over. I didn't expect to run into you just in time."
"Come with me into the city. I've arranged accommodation and have been waiting for you."
Lu An showed a hint of hesitation and glanced at the old man sitting cross-legged, his meaning clear.
Ji Xidong immediately understood and addressed the old man, "Senior Nie, this person is my junior brother. We can skip the city inspection, right?"
The old man frowned slightly and spat on the ground. "Hmph, does your master have several disciples? How could I not know?"
"I've never seen this person before."
Seeing this, Ji Xidong's lips moved, and he began to transmit a message to the old man.
After a while, the old man showed a look of surprise. "Is that true? He's really his disciple?"
"Of course, otherwise, how could I call him my junior brother?"
After pondering for a while, the old man waved his hand and said, "Alright, if that person knew I was making things difficult for his disciple, it would be troublesome."
"There's not a single good one among your group. Quickly go into the city."