The thought of avoiding disaster and escaping tribulation made Lin Shu instinctively want to leave this place.
But when he looked around, he discovered that the sky in the direction of Yongzhou was shrouded in an even thicker fog.
The fog in the direction of the Great Shun Dynasty was slightly thinner, but not by much.
The only clear place...
’Was actually the mountain range where that group of demon fiends had gathered?’
"Like hell I believe that!"
’I need to build up my strength and status quickly so I can get out of here.’
Lin Shu could be greedy, but what he wanted right now wasn’t much.
He wasn’t expecting the little fledgling to have a meteoric rise. He just wanted her to be like the other adult Immortal Descendants and secure a territory stable enough for them.
The two of them could find a temporary haven, and then they could figure out what to do next.
He shook his head, clearing his mind of such thoughts.
He reached out, marshaled his last two strings of Sin Coins, and fed them to the wolf cub, helping it increase its Magical Power by a small amount.
「The next evening.」
Yu Sheng stood grinning on a stool, helping a servant clear the leftovers from the tables.
She had probably been cooped up for too long in Black Water City, because she actually loved to chat and make small talk.
She was just a bit shy around strangers, but she warmed up once she got to know them.
Unfortunately, aside from the laborers and the inn’s staff, no one else was willing to pay her any mind.
Lin Shu packed his things, preparing to leave for his guard duty at the pass.
With his Wind-Riding Mountain Patrol divine technique, he could reach any of the thirty-odd beacon towers near Shihu City in an instant, so he didn’t need to walk over slowly.
But in a place like this, there was no need to be conspicuous.
Every secret he kept could one day be the key to his survival.
Just as he stood up, the sound of approaching footsteps suddenly echoed from outside the inn. Even the Spiritual Power in the surrounding air grew much denser.
"From now on, you no longer need to go stand guard at the pass."
The first to step into the inn were a dozen or so cultivators, both men and women, each with an imposing bearing and an extraordinary aura.
They wore matching plain white magical robes, jade tokens hanging from their waists, and their powerful auras pulsed faintly.
Just standing there in silence, they were already a world apart from the disciples who came to Yongzhou Pass for the trial.
Fan Qingyang, who had seemed so calm and composed just moments before, now appeared somewhat ill at ease among them, his status clearly in the lower-middle tier of the group.
He stepped forward and looked at the young man behind the counter, his voice much quieter than before. "The family has a new assignment for the Little Mountain God."
Lin Shu stood silently, his gaze sweeping over the group of disciples.
His eyes lingered for a moment on a few of them.
He was secretly amazed.
’Excluding the Immortal Descendants, these must be the first Core Formation Cultivators I’ve ever seen.’
’To have Core Formation Cultivators as disciples... the identity of their leader was obvious.’
Soon, a magnificent feathered robe swept in.
A handsome young man in his early twenties strode into the inn.
The many Plain-Clothed Disciples’ expressions tensed, and they all stood ramrod straight where they were.
"This is my Master. The twelve cities surrounding Shihu are all his domain."
Fan Qingyang introduced him in a low voice, a flicker of pride on his face.
He made no move to have Lin Shu pay his respects.
Since Lin Shu had not yet completed the trial, he wasn’t considered a true Yu Family Disciple and thus lacked the standing to do so.
Lin Shu had heard Fan Qingyang mention him before; this adult Immortal Descendant was named Yu Duchuan.
"You must be Yu Sheng."
Yu Duchuan looked for a place to sit, but after his gaze swept across the room, he dismissed the idea.
He looked at the petite figure standing dazedly on the stool.
His gaze fell on the little girl’s greasy hands, then to her mouth, which was still instinctively chewing on a large pork knuckle even as she stared blankly.
Yu Duchuan frowned instinctively.
Yu Sheng was shy by nature.
In the past, faced with so many strangers—all of them looking so arrogant—she would have already scurried off to hide behind Lin Shu.
But now, she held his words firmly in her mind.
’Yu Sheng, you have to step up!’
The little girl wiped her mouth with the back of her greasy hand and mustered her courage. "Yes, that’s me."
"I am not the one in charge today. Go and wash up. An elder will be here shortly."
Yu Duchuan simply couldn’t bear to look at her any longer.
’If something hadn’t happened to the other two little ones, it never would have been her turn.’
"Oh."
Yu Sheng hopped off the stool, took a cloth that a nearby servant furtively handed her, and wiped her face haphazardly. "Thank you!" she said sweetly.
"Not at all, not at all..."
The servant was so frightened his legs nearly gave out. He kept his head down and scurried back to the rear courtyard.
Seeing this, the disciples in the inn all had faint, peculiar expressions.
’Can an Immortal Descendant like this really take charge of those territories?’
Before they could give it much more thought, however,
a familiar figure swept into the inn.
"Greetings, Elder Qiheng!"
"Duchuan greets you, Uncle Qiheng."
The disciples bowed in salute, and Yu Duchuan also cupped his fists respectfully.
Only Yu Sheng froze for a moment before looking away with a pout.
’She hadn’t forgotten. It was this husband and wife who had not only given her the cold shoulder back then, but had also taken Miss Yun away from her.’
"Heh."
Seeing the little girl’s reaction, Yu Qiheng merely raised an eyebrow, not bothering to get angry.
’To be honest, her current state was only a marginal improvement over before.’
’Compared to the other young Immortal Descendants, she was still unlikely to ever amount to much.’
’A creature like her wasn’t even capable of stirring his emotions.’
"Your siblings have run into trouble, and Yu Lin is overwhelmed. The White Teeth Mine is currently unmanaged, so it will be handed over to you to oversee for the time being."
"The family will help dispatch the laborers, but the associated costs will be deducted from your merits."
’A mine that was mostly destroyed, its concentrated Blood Spirit Stone essence stolen by a demon... Its value had plummeted.’

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