Seeing the Guanyang Sect disciples turn around after being rebuffed, Wutong felt a surge of curiosity. He put down his chopsticks and looked over with great interest. In the corner sat a similarly large table, but only one person occupied it. A plain black cloth garment lay beside a flat bamboo hat on the table. Wutong had not noticed when this man had come upstairs and taken that seat. He only knew that in this direction, it was the only place where he had sensed no gaze cast toward him. Unlike Wutong’s table, which was laden with dishes, the man’s table held only a single teacup resting beside his bamboo hat. At that moment, he sat with his arms crossed, eyes half-closed, leaning his upper body against the wall beside the table in a leisurely posture. The Guanyang Sect group walked up to the table. The tall man tapped the hilt of his sword against the table in front of the man. ‘Were you laughing just now?’ The man opened his eyes, looking as though he had been startled. His features were plain, but his eyes were striking—peach-blossom eyes with slightly upturned corners that naturally drew one’s gaze. He stared blankly at the four imposing cultivators in front of him for a moment before answering, ‘Ah.’ Then he grinned and smiled broadly at the four of them, looking somewhat foolish. ‘Turns out he’s just an idiot,’ the female Guanyang Sect disciple said with disgust. The man continued to smile. ‘You, move aside,’ the tall man said impatiently. ‘You’ve nearly finished your tea anyway, so stop hogging the table.’ Although the waiter who had served them earlier followed them over, this time he only stammered a little and said nothing to defend the guest. By comparison, it was far safer not to offend the Guanyang Sect than an unknown traveler. Hearing this, the man showed no sign of annoyance. He glanced down at his cup as if perplexed and said, ‘But I haven’t finished drinking yet.’ He looked back up at the waiter cheerfully. ‘I want some more. Refill my cup.’ He seemed to have completely forgotten about the Guanyang Sect disciples standing right beside the table. The waiter wore a troubled expression and barged into negotiation. ‘Patron, you’ve already had two cups and ordered no other food. How about you let someone else have the table? This cup of tea is on the house!’ This commotion had already drawn the attention of every diner on the second floor, and people from the first floor were crowding onto the stairs to watch the spectacle. ‘I have money!’ the man immediately protested. He began patting himself down, stopping midway as if a realization had struck him. Sweeping his gaze around the room, he suddenly pointed at Wutong’s table. ‘Bring me the exact same thing they’re having.’ The ignored Guanyang Sect disciples could no longer restrain themselves. The tall man stepped forward, picked up the teacup from the table, splashed the remaining tea onto the floor, and slammed the cup heavily back down. ‘Just a beggar playing the fool here. Now that you’re finished drinking, get lost.’ Unable to stop them, the waiter could only stamp his feet in secret and shoot a warning look at the man, implying that discretion was the better part of valor. Among the four, aside from the somewhat milder-looking woman who wore a worried expression, the other three maintained an air of haughty arrogance. The man gazed down at the empty cup on the table, the smile slowly fading from his face. A sudden chill crept into the air. The Guanyang Sect disciples seemed to sense it as well, their expressions stiffening as their hands dropped to their weapons. Suddenly, an arm draped over the man’s shoulders, and a bright voice rang out: ‘I say, you lot from the Guanyang Sect, since you couldn’t drive me away, you come to bully someone else? You really do pick the softest persimmons to squeeze.’ It was none other than Wutong! The man tilted his head to look at the arm resting on his shoulder. The hand lifted away, only to pat him on the other shoulder instead. The man looked up at the owner of the hand and met Wutong’s smiling face. ‘Ah, Big Brother Black, when did you arrive in Qinglv City? Why didn’t you greet me just now… And why order a whole new table? Let’s share!’ Wutong said with a laugh, turning to the waiter. ‘Go on, move all the dishes from my table over here!’ The waiter was somewhat dazed by this sudden twist, but he quickly recovered, acknowledged the order repeatedly with nods, and rushed off to signal the other attendants to move the plates. Wutong turned back to the Guanyang Sect disciples, his arm casually draping back over the man’s shoulder as he looked at the four of them with a half-smile, practically daring them to do something. The mild-looking female disciple asked somewhat quizzically, ‘You… you two know each other?’ ‘Of course! Big Brother Black here is my good sworn brother!’ Wutong replied without missing a beat, ignoring the sideways glance the man shot him. The tall man had never suffered such humiliation. His face contorted, and he glared with vicious intent. ‘Young Master Ji, don’t think you can throw your weight around just because you have backing. The Guanyang Sect isn’t made of soft clay either.’ ‘Hahaha, the Guanyang Sect isn’t made of soft clay, it’s made of fools eating dirt!’ Wutong quipped instantly, prompting roaring laughter from the diners across the entire second floor. The man seated at the table let out a soft chuckle as well, identical in tone to the laugh that had provoked the Guanyang Sect earlier. At that point, the Guanyang Sect disciples could hold back no longer. With a flurry of metallic rings, they all drew their swords together! Seeing this, the gentle woman hesitated for a moment before drawing her blade as well. A flash of sword light crossed Wutong’s eyes, and he instinctively shrank back. The man sitting at the table, however, maintained an unperturbed expression, slowly resting his palm flat on the table and tapping his four fingers in turn, producing a rhythmic tapping sound as if pondering some deep problem. Seeing the other party remain so nonchalant, the tall man flew into a rage. Just as he raised his sword to strike, he suddenly let out a yelp. Turning around in shock and confusion, he demanded, ‘Junior Brother, what are you doing?’ Another disciple was rubbing his wrist, staring in utter bewilderment at the sword tip that had somehow pricked his own ankle. ‘My wrist just went numb out of nowhere…’ Seeing this, the previously retreating Wutong bounced right back out. ‘No way, you Guanyang Sect folks don’t even spare your own people?’ Another wave of loud laughter erupted. Enraged beyond measure, the two men prepared to lunge forward when a sudden surge of powerful force struck from the side, knocking them back several steps before they could regain their footing. The crowd looked sideways and saw a young cultivator gracefully retracting an unsheathed sword with light and fluid movements. The young cultivator was handsome, delicate, and refined, dressed in snow-white robes with an extraordinary aura. Seven or eight white-robed companions followed closely behind him. An exclamation instantly rose from the crowd: ‘It’s Tianchen Sect’s senior disciple, Feng Yuanchi!’ ‘What is the meaning of all this commotion?’ Feng Yuanchi asked calmly, having just intervened. His voice was as gentle as his appearance, yet it carried an underlying weight of authority. The innkeeper hurried over, bowing obsequiously. ‘Immortal Yuanchi, you’ve arrived just in time. We’re short on tables, and these guests had a minor dispute. Please talk some sense into them… We mustn’t let a fight break out.’ Feng Yuanchi gave a slight nod and swept his gaze across the group. His eyes paused when they landed on Wutong’s face, lighting up with sudden joy as he stepped forward. ‘Wutong? It really is you!’ Startled by his sudden advance, Wutong shrank back again, asking hesitantly, ‘You… know me?’ Realizing his sudden movement had been abrupt, Feng Yuanchi paused with a warm, unwavering smile. ‘You don’t remember me? When the Dowager of the Ji estate passed away, I accompanied my master to offer condolences and met you at the manor.’ Wutong let out an ‘Oh’ and wrung his brain for memories. The Dowager’s ascension had been five whole years ago; back then he was barely thirteen, and with countless sect guests offering condolences, how could he possibly remember who was who? However, having just heard the name ‘Feng Yuanchi’ whispered in the crowd, he recalled hearing his second brother mention him. During last year’s Immortal Alliance trials, his brother had encountered a formidable match of equal strength; the two had forged a mutual respect and subsequently become close friends—seemingly this very Feng Yuanchi from the Tianchen Sect. Thinking of this, Wutong immediately assumed an expression of sudden realization and proclaimed loudly, ‘I remember, I remember! It’s Brother Yuanchi, right? You stayed at my house for quite a few days, didn’t you?’ Figuring that since the other person was a distinguished guest from the Tianchen Sect who acted like they were well-acquainted, he must have stayed at the estate for a while. Hearing himself called ‘Older Brother’ made Feng Yuanchi flush slightly, and upon hearing the subsequent nonsense, he couldn’t help but chuckle softly. Choosing not to correct the fact that they had actually left after only half a day, he shifted topics instead. ‘Yinsang sent word that you had arrived in Qinglv City first and asked me to look after you. Coincidentally, I was leading my junior brothers on patrol in the inner city and heard the rumors, so I came to check. I never imagined it would be such a coincidence that I’d run right into you.’ He gazed at Wutong with sparkling eyes for a moment before offering a heartfelt observation. ‘You’ve grown taller, and you’ve grown up.’ Upon hearing the word ‘look after,’ Wutong’s smile vanished. This wasn’t a chance encounter at all; he was being hunted down. His mind was already racing to plot an escape route. Meanwhile, the Guanyang Sect disciples watched these two exchange pleasantries while completely ignoring them. They had been ready to erupt, but Feng Yuanchi’s casual deflection earlier had shown them the terrifying gap in their power. On the Tianchen Sect’s turf, no matter how aggrieved they felt, they would simply have to swallow their pride and take the loss. The tall man gritted his teeth hard, preparing to flick his sleeve and leave, only to find his path blocked by the outstretched arms of the Tianchen Sect disciples. Feng Yuanchi turned to face them as well. The friendly warmth on his face vanished entirely, replaced by a cold, stern expression. ‘During the Immortal Alliance Grand Ceremony, the drawing of weapons is strictly forbidden within Qinglv City. Does the Guanyang Sect believe they are exempt from this rule?’ ‘They were mocking people first, and that Ji fellow… he was speaking insolently too,’ one of the female disciples argued in a low voice. At that moment, one of Feng Yuanchi’s companions stepped forward and whispered a few words into his ear. Feng Yuanchi gave a cold hum. ‘I am already aware of what transpired just now. Qinglv City is not a place for anyone to run amok, and I trust we won’t need to pull up the recording orbs from this inn to verify the truth.’ He continued coldly, ‘The few of you should pack up your belongings and leave Qinglv City immediately. The Immortal Alliance Grand Ceremony does not welcome those who lack discipline.’ Seeing this, the gentle female disciple hurried forward to bow and plead, ‘Immortal, please forgive us. My senior and junior brothers are truly exhausted from their long journey, and it was only in our haste that we lost our manners. We hope the Immortal, considering how many times the Guanyang Sect has spearheaded the battles against demons, will forgive us this once. From now on, our disciples will strictly mind their words and actions.’ Her words were sincere. Once she finished speaking, she glared fiercely at the other three. Although the tall man remained unconvinced, he knew he was outmatched. Finally, lowering his head, he cupped his fists with bitter reluctance, ‘We have offended you.’ Feng Yuanchi declared, ‘We are ordered to maintain order in Qinglv City. Whether to forgive you is not up to me; you must ask the person you offended.’ With that, he turned his head, intending to ask Wutong. Yet, at the edge of the table, there was no longer any trace of Wutong, nor was there any sign of the man who had been sitting beside him. Both had vanished completely.
Chapter 3 - Grown Taller, Grown Older
After The Demon Lord Became A Beautiful, Useless Accessory