Chapter 42: The Dragon Before the City of Black Curtain

Two miles away, the five of them reunited. The pair coming from one direction and the trio from the other met in a rush. Lin Ya had been half-right; Zhao Qingzhi was indeed among them, but Li Wenzhang was there as well. Li Wenzhang, draped in fine silks and brocades, looked as though he had just woken from a nap, while Zhao Qingzhi’s face was brimming with excitement, casting aside her usual affected air of indifference. Seeing their expressions, Wu Yue felt an involuntary sense of relief.

Yu Fu spoke up first, his face radiant with joy: "Lin Ya is dead. Not a scrap of him is left."

Zhao Qingzhi glanced at him and said, "That’s a trivial matter."

"How can you call that trivial?" Hou Baiyu replied, looking indignant. "You little girl, do you have any idea what a Transcendent cultivator is? Do you even know what that means? Let me tell you, that battle was earth-shattering, eclipsing the sun and moon, sending stones flying—the power of a Transcendent is truly extraordinary." Hou Baiyu looked as though he were still shaken by the memory. The others’ moods brightened considerably, finally moving past the melancholy of witnessing a Transcendent’s death.

Unfortunately, it was destined to be a fruitless discussion. Zhao Qingzhi said with utter disdain, "It’s just a Transcendent. What’s so impressive about that?"

"What do you mean 'just a Transcendent'? You little girl, you know..." Wu Yue gently tapped Hou Baiyu on the shoulder, cutting him off. "Her father is two tiers above a Transcendent. She has the right to say that."

"What do you mean two tiers... heh heh heh."

"What!"

"Cough, cough. Miss Zhao, might I ask who your esteemed father is?"

"Enough, enough." Yu Fu, who couldn't stand Hou Baiyu’s sycophancy, interrupted, "What exactly is going on? What happened?"

At this, Zhao Qingzhi took a deep breath, her face glowing with excitement again. "It’s dragons. Several dragons have arrived outside Black Veil City."

Hou Baiyu scoffed. "Is that all? Dragons? I saw plenty of them when I was on Spirit Turtle Island. I’ve even ridden a flood dragon."

"No, no," Zhao Qingzhi shook her head. "These are true dragons."

Hou Baiyu laughed heartily. "Where in this world are there true dragons? Those are just legends made up by people; they’re all fake."

Li Wenzhang shook his head. "My friend, that is where you are mistaken. The Immortal Spirit Realm is vast and boundless, and the strange and wondrous creatures within it are beyond the comprehension of even the Heavenly Immortals. The existence of dragons is hardly a strange occurrence."

"Oh? And have you seen one?" Hou Baiyu arched his brows; because his eyebrows were so sparse, the expression looked indescribably comical.

"I just did," Li Wenzhang smiled.

"Alright then." Since it was something one could see for themselves, Wu Yue asked, "Did you call me here just to look at dragons?"

"Yes," Zhao Qingzhi nodded, then added, "It was Li Mosquito who said it. He said this matter has a great deal to do with you."

"Me?" Wu Yue looked at Li Wenzhang, a knot tightening in his chest. When had he offended someone else? Enough to draw dragons to his doorstep? Could it be a good thing? Wu Yue didn't dare hope; he had a fair amount of faith in his own luck, which had always been disastrously bad.

"Don't call me Li Mosquito!" Li Wenzhang glared fiercely at Yu Fu. He detested the nickname Yu Fu had given him. He then nodded slowly, tapping his palm with his folding fan, and said, "To be frank, Brother Wu, I am somewhat versed in metaphysics."

Wu Yue and Yu Fu wore looks of utter disbelief. Li Wenzhang felt a deep sense of defeat. He sighed, "The day we met, I introduced myself as such."

"If you're a fortune-teller, why were you captured by bandits that day? Don't you people pride yourselves on seeking good fortune and avoiding calamity?" Yu Fu asked with relentless curiosity. Getting to the bottom of things was his specialty.

Li Wenzhang snapped his fan open, his expression inscrutable. "It was merely a trade-off. See? I’m perfectly fine, aren't I?"

"That’s only because we came for you."

"Indeed, you did come," Li Wenzhang replied shamelessly.

"Are we going to see the dragons or not?" Zhao Qingzhi asked, sounding impatient.

"Let’s go." Since it concerned him, he might as well see it. Either way, it wouldn't change much. If he dodged it now, how could he continue to survive in the Immortal Spirit Realm? Besides, these things were never avoidable, and as for Wu Yue, he didn't want to hide either.

At the city gates, two groups were in a standoff.

One group appeared to be a merchant caravan, numbering one or two hundred. As time passed, more people rushed over from Black Veil City, many of them powerful cultivators.

The other group—or more accurately, the other few individuals—consisted of only four people, led by an elderly man in white. Yet, the aura of these four far surpassed that of the entire caravan, for behind them loomed four massive dragons.

The largest, a frost-blue dragon, looked as tall as the city gate itself, each breath forming a visible icy mist.

The majesty was overwhelming, as if the primal age had descended once more.

Wu Yue and the others watched from a distance. The caravan, as it turned out, belonged to the Hai family. The woman at the front was none other than Hai Qing. Beside her stood a plain-looking man carrying a large book chest—it was Chai Qingshan, a man of little personal fame but with a junior brother, Guo Xiefeng, whose name shook the entire Qin Kingdom as a disciple of the Heavenly Palace who claimed he would defeat every peer of his generation.

Wu Yue couldn't help but marvel; the old neighbor from Lishan was truly extraordinary. He wondered why they had kept such talent hidden for so many years. Most people thought the Heavenly Palace was merely a second-rate sect, as its reputation barely spread beyond a few thousand miles.

Regardless of why Chai Qingshan was here, Wu Yue had made up his mind: he would remain neutral. He wanted to see exactly how this trouble had found its way to him.

"Will you make way or not? Otherwise, we shall not be so polite," a young man in purple robes said coldly.

Hai Qing took a deep breath, knowing she was one step away from major trouble. "Perhaps we should ask that senior to mediate," she suggested, gesturing toward the elderly man in white.

"You think you’re worthy of speaking to Elder Quan?" the purple-robed youth sneered. "We haven't simply flown over you as a courtesy; otherwise, a backwater city like this... humph."

The crowd grew indignant. Black Veil City was in the midst of a vibrant development, and the cohesion among its residents was strong. They were angry, and they grew angrier still.

Hearing the undisguised contempt, Hai Qing’s face darkened. She knew she couldn't back down. This was Black Veil City, the home of the Hai family, and she was a member of the Elder Council. She could not lose face here.

The more onlookers there were, the less she could afford to be submissive, or the Hai family would lose its footing. A century of reputation could be destroyed in an instant, especially at this critical juncture where the heirs to the family headship were already at each other's throats. If she lost face today, she might lose her life tomorrow.

"It’s just moving aside, isn't it? The city gate won't be closing immediately. What is there to argue about?" Chai Qingshan scratched his head, looking sincere and perplexed.