Everspring City.
This city, which had brought Lu Yan a modicum of peace, was now forcing him to leave precisely because it was too peaceful.
Under the dotted starlight, did setting off on this journey count as traveling under the stars and moon?
Lu Yan looked up at the sky, which resembled black satin, where the moon shone bright and the stars were sparse.
He walked quickly, channeling a bit of spiritual energy into his feet. In any case, the interior of the city was safe, so leaving posed no problems. He didn't have to worry about someone suddenly popping out to blow up his home.
If the security of the Artifact Sect was that atrocious, they might as well stop defending the Northern Border, sit in a neat line, wash their necks, and let the Ice Spirits slaughter them.
For his exit, Lu Yan chose the very gate through which Jiang Ci had first brought him in. It wasn't because he had some special sentimental attachment, nor was he trying to be “faithful” to a piece of architecture by leaving through the same gate he entered.
It was simply because this was the south gate. For goodness' sake, if you were heading south, which other gate were you supposed to use?
The cultivators guarding the gate were the same two as before. They looked noticeably worse for wear, with dark circles under their eyes.
Out of dozens of refugees, maybe only one could scrape together enough money for a permit, but to survive, everyone was willing to try their luck.
They thought to themselves: What if these two masters suffer a momentary lapse of vision, miss me, and let me slip in?
The disciples of the Artifact Sect didn't kill; at worst, they would deliver a beating if they caught someone. Compared to a life of starvation and mortal peril outside, taking a beating in exchange for a chance to sneak into the city was well worth it.
However, there were no riots. The refugees weren't stupid. If you were caught trying to sneak in, you could just kneel, kowtow, and beg for mercy with a forced smile, and you'd only get beaten at most.
But if you dared to launch a full-on assault on a great city guarded by immortal masters? Your ashes would be scattered to the winds. They were just starving, not brain-dead.
Thus, when Lu Yan declared his intention to leave, the refugees still desperately queuing outside cast envious glances at him. While everyone else was starving, someone was actually walking out of the city that represented warmth, food, and safety.
Seeing him, the two disciples glanced at Lu Yan with surprised looks. “Permit.”
Lu Yan was instantly dumbfounded. What kind of stupid rule is this? Is there something wrong with their heads? I'm leaving the city, not entering. Why the hell do you need a permit?
Flashing back to a few months ago, the permit that should have been handed to them immediately after they paid was lost. All because a certain fellow—whose code name and personality both leaned toward “two,” which is to say, a bit of an idiot—had inexplicably lost two hundred spirit stones and, in a display of grand generosity, declared they didn't want it anymore...
But Lu Yan obviously had no idea about this. He was completely baffled and found the entire situation utterly absurd.
Leaving the city requires a permit. It sounded reasonable, but a useless fellow like him didn't have one—or perhaps he did, but he hadn't brought it...
In short, it seemed he couldn't leave the city without it... Yeah, right.
Two Foundation Establishment disciples holding him back? If they actually could, Lu Yan might as well kill himself by smashing his head against a block of tofu. Still, violence was best avoided.
He was still counting on Fu Feng to forge a heart for him. If he turned around and slaughtered the gatekeeping disciples of Fu Feng's sect, wouldn't he be completely out of his mind?
Therefore, Lu Yan decided to use his status to pressure them. With a flick of his wrist, he produced a professor's identity token from the Molten Heart Tower. This token was originally used to bypass the incredibly tedious security checks at the entrance of the Molten Heart Tower.
The moment this item appeared, the gatekeeping disciple instantly began to stammer.
“Pr—Professor, please... please go ahead. Safe travels.” The disciple who had stopped him to ask for a permit opened the gate in fear and trepidation, letting him through.
The other disciple nearby, who had been beating a refugee like a piece of beef paste for meatballs, looked over when he heard the voice.
In his eyes, Lu Yan's face seemed to overlap with someone from before. He felt like he had once extorted entry fees from this very person...
Cold sweat instantly drenched his back. He had been able to hold onto this cozy, lucrative post for so long not just because of some excellent graduation certificate. In fact, his grades on his certificate weren't even that outstanding.
He relied entirely on his ability to read the room and adapt to the situation. Whether it was paying tribute to his superiors after pocketing bribes, or extorting wealthy but powerless merchants.
It all came down to a sharp eye and a smooth tongue. A professor's token was not something easily obtained; its approval required the personal signature of either the old Sect Master or the Young Sect Master.
Setting that aside, what level of strength and connections must someone possess to be a professor at the Molten Heart Tower? Even a fool could figure out that with just a single word, such a person could have him exiled to the front lines.
You dared to extort a toll from a powerhouse like this? Were you tired of living in comfort?
He quickly stopped turning the refugee into a human meatball and rushed over to Lu Yan, who hadn't yet crossed the gate, shouting,
“Professor, please wait!”
This shout gave Lu Yan a sudden jolt. Damn it, what are you yelling at me for? Don't tell me this token can't be used this way?
“Professor, this is the refund for the permit fee from before. I was blind back then and failed to recognize you. I rashly took spirit stones from your friend. Please forgive me.”
He fished out four banknotes, each worth a thousand taels of silver, and stuffed them into Lu Yan's hand. Along with them, he handed Lu Yan a permit. “Professor, here is your permit. Please keep it safe.”
Only then did Lu Yan realize what was happening. He had put on such a grand show of authority that the guard had voluntarily come to refund him. Well, that was a pleasant surprise.
Lu Yan decided to play the part to the end. He took the pile of items, stuffed them all into his storage bag, gave a curt grunt and a nod, and then marched out of the gate with his head held high.
Leaving behind the disciple, whose cold sweat had turned his blue robe a deep navy, letting out a sigh of relief.
Having survived in the world for so long, he didn't crave the recognition of powerful figures; he only prayed that when those figures were in a foul mood, they wouldn't suddenly remember him.
He thought to himself: I can't go to Huamanlou anymore... And I have to pay off all the wine tabs I ran up on credit. It hurts my heart. The disciple felt like crying.
Meanwhile, Hua Er, who was still sitting on the bar counter swinging her legs while fiercely cursing the food runner's ancestors, had no idea that a debt she had already written off was about to be paid in full.
Rate on N.U.
