Ling Yun unfolded the map and began walking along the marked path toward the nearest official road.
As he approached the road, the sounds of fighting and shouting filled the air.
Upon closer inspection, he saw a group of bandits attacking several carriages, with bodies already strewn across the ground.
On the roadside, some female bandits were "playing games" with young, delicate men beneath them.
"Maybe I can hitch a ride with them into the city."
Walking to the city would be too risky, especially since he was new here and unfamiliar with the area.
Ling Yun assessed the situation. The strongest among the bandits was only at the first level of Foundation Establishment, posing no threat to him.
With that, Ling Yun drew the sword he had taken earlier and charged into the fray.
"Hey! Someone's coming!" one of the female bandits noticed Ling Yun and hurriedly warned her comrades.
"Such a handsome young man! Leave him to me," the bandit leader said, delighted, as she saw Ling Yun approaching.
In the sunlight, Ling Yun's bare legs gleamed enticingly, making him all the more appealing.
"Look at me…"
Before the bandit leader could finish her sentence, she was staring at her own back as Ling Yun swiftly took her down.
Seeing their leader fall so quickly, the other bandits scattered, even the ones "playing" with the young men hastily pulling up their pants and fleeing into the woods.
The guards defending the carriages took the opportunity to chase down the remaining bandits, driving them off in no time.
"Young master, I am Mei Tao, the steward of the Mei family in Moon Spirit City. Thank you for saving us," said a middle-aged woman as she hurried over to Ling Yun.
"Steward Mei, there's no need for thanks. It's only natural to step in when someone is in danger," Ling Yun replied, cupping his hands politely.
Cough, cough. "Without your help, young master, we'd be finished. Here are 1,000 low-grade spirit stones, a small token of appreciation. Please, accept them."
Mei Tao handed over a storage pouch to Ling Yun.
Without hesitation, Ling Yun accepted the pouch.
"May I ask where the young master is heading?" Mei Tao, noticing how easily Ling Yun accepted the gift, felt her caution melt away. As long as he was fond of money, everything would be fine.
"I am headed to Moon Spirit City as well, but I'm new here and don't know the way. Could I trouble you for a ride?" Ling Yun asked.
"Of course! Having someone like you with us would be an honor."
Mei Tao was overjoyed. After the bandit attack, many of their guards had been killed or injured, and having Ling Yun with them meant the journey would be much safer.
"Thank you for the help."
Mei Tao found Ling Yun a comfortable seat in one of the carriages and even provided him with a set of clothes.
She then went to another carriage and respectfully spoke, "Miss, the bandits have been driven off."
The curtain of the carriage lifted to reveal a delicate face. "Oh? What happened?"
She knew that with the strength of their guards, they couldn't have fended off the Black Mountain Bandits.
Mei Tao recounted the entire story to the young woman.
"So, this Ling Yun is no ordinary person," the woman said, stroking her chin thoughtfully.
"His appearance is absolutely stunning, the most beautiful I've ever seen," Mei Tao marveled.
The woman's eyes showed a hint of disdain. How good-looking could he possibly be? She had seen hundreds, if not thousands, of handsome men at her sect.
"Very well. I'll pay him a visit tonight."
...
Since replacing his technique, Ling Yun's cultivation speed had drastically increased, and the circulation of spiritual energy was now ten times faster than before.
"At this rate, I should be able to reach the third level of Foundation Establishment within a month."
Next, he planned to find a sect. After all, having a strong backing was essential. Being a rogue cultivator offered no future prospects.
In a sect, not only would there be martial arts and secret techniques, but also access to exclusive secret realms—things that rogue cultivators could never experience.
"Daoist Ling, I am Mei Xue. May I come in?"
The voice came from outside the carriage.
Mei Xue? She must be from the Mei family.
"Please, come in."
A young woman in a green dress stepped into the carriage.
Mei Xue's eyes lit up as she saw him. His delicate features, his bright, star-like eyes, and his long, crossed legs with flawless skin made it impossible for her to look away.
"Please, have a seat, Daoist Mei."
Ling Yun shifted aside to make room for her.
Unbeknownst to him, in this female-dominated world, when a woman entered a man's carriage, she was supposed to stand to avoid gossip. Sharing a seat was considered improper.
Mei Xue, however, assumed that Ling Yun was simply unbothered by such formalities and didn't mind.
"Thank you, Daoist Chen."
The fragrance from Ling Yun's body made Mei Xue feel restless, her mouth suddenly dry.
"I'm grateful for your help today. Without you, we would have been in serious trouble," Mei Xue said.
"You're too kind. Even if I hadn't stepped in, you were more than capable of handling it."
From his perception, Ling Yun could tell that Mei Xue's cultivation was higher than his—at least at the fifth level of Foundation Establishment.
"Impressive insight, Daoist Ling." Mei Xue didn't deny his observation.
"Then why didn't you act earlier?" Ling Yun asked, puzzled.
If Mei Xue had acted sooner, many of the guards would have been spared, perhaps avoiding any casualties altogether.
"A few mortals? If they die, they die. We can always hire more. Why should we, as cultivators, lower ourselves to protect ants?"
Mei Xue's face was full of arrogance, her tone dismissive. She didn't value human lives in the slightest.
Ling Yun merely smiled, lowering his head without saying a word.
Though he found her attitude distasteful, his relationship with the Mei family was purely transactional. There was no need to start a conflict.
"May I ask, Daoist Ling, which sect are you from? Or who is your master?" Mei Xue was probing for information.
"My master lives in seclusion deep in the mountains. I've come down this time to broaden my horizons," Ling Yun replied smoothly. He had already prepared an answer for such questions.
"Oh, I see."
Mei Xue didn't doubt him. Though rare, such cases weren't unheard of.
In fact, reclusive masters were often highly skilled.
She had once heard of a mountain recluse whose disciple was killed, and in his fury, the master descended from the mountains and annihilated the entire sect responsible.
He even tried to massacre a whole city before being "persuaded" by high-ranking members of the Sword Sect and Clearwater Sect to stop.
Thinking of this, Mei Xue's attitude became more respectful.
"Since you're new here, Daoist Ling, you might not know much about the current situation. Allow me to explain."
"In the Phoenix Dynasty, the most powerful forces are known as the Five Sects, One Platform, and One Pavilion. The five sects are the Sword Sect, Clearwater Sect, Heavenly Joy Sect, Beast Master Sect, and the Corpse Puppet Sect."
"The one platform is the Limelight Immortal Platform, and the one pavilion is the Star-Moon Pavilion. Beyond them, there are many other second-tier forces."
"There are also the more unique Buddhist and Daoist orders, which, though ancient, rarely involve themselves in worldly matters. They only intervene in cases of mass slaughter or catastrophic events."
After this long explanation, Mei Xue took a deep breath and poured herself some tea.
"If I wanted to join a sect, do you have any recommendations?" Ling Yun asked.
"The Sword Sect and Clearwater Sect are the strongest. The Heavenly Joy Sect only accepts male disciples, but I think you know what that implies."
"The Beast Master Sect and the Corpse Puppet Sect are mostly dominated by female cultivators, with few men."
"Therefore, I recommend you join the Clearwater Sect," Mei Xue said.
"Oh? Why's that?"
"Because I am an inner disciple of Clearwater Sect. If you join, we can look out for each other," Mei Xue replied, her tone full of pride. After all, being an inner disciple of the Clearwater Sect in Moon Spirit City was something to boast about.
It was also why, despite the Mei family's relative weakness, no other forces dared to provoke them.