Mingshi Yin was a little confused. He did not understand why he was punished. He had done everything he was told to do in recent days, and he did it dedicatedly. He had defended the mountain, fought the enemies, and even flattered his master. He thought he had performed excellently.
However, he did not dare to disobey his master’s order, so he bowed and said, “I deserve to be punished.” After that, he turned and started toward the Cave of Reflection like an obedient child.
Why did Lu Zhou punish him? It was because he saw Mingshi Yin’s loyalty fluctuate. The fluctuation was not great, and his loyalty still maintained at around seventy. However, as long as it was not above eighty, there was a chance that he would betray him.
Little Yuan’er looked puzzled, so she picked up the letter and read it. After reading it, she scratched her head as if she did not understand the contents and said, “This is not a trap? Fifth Senior Sister was forced because some people want to vent their anger?”
Lu Zhou did not answer her but said coolly, “Come with me to the holy altar.”
When she heard that they were going out, Little Yuan’er blinked her big eyes excitedly and said, “Master, Master…Are we really going out?”
“What’s there to be excited about?” Lu Zhou walked outside and looked at the sky. It was already midday, and the weather was good. They should be able to reach Yu Province before sunset.
He needed to arrive in the city of Runan in advance to make some preparations. Without a peak-form experience card, he would have to use his brains if he wished to bring back Zhao Yue.
He glanced at Little Yuan’er’s clothes, which was an attire she wore to gather information at the station. Thankfully, it was not too attractive.
“Master, do we need to tell Senior Brothers?” Little Yuan’er asked.
“No need.”
It was pointless to tell them. Golden Court Mountain would be safe under the protection of the shield, and the few disciples he left behind were clever enough to protect themselves.
Suddenly, he thought of his new mount Bi An and decided that it was time to see it. He had gotten to know Whitzard pretty well, but he had not tried Bi An yet. So, he waved his hand.
Soon, a strange power appeared in the bright blue sky.
“Whitzard?” Little Yuan’er looked suspiciously at the sky. As soon as she sensed the power, she knew it was a legendary mount.
In this wide world, there were many unknown places that humans could not explore. These places were infested with terrible creatures, but very few of them could be captured and used as mounts.
Before very long, a mighty-looking figure flew over. It appeared like a tiger and was emanating a menacing aura.
ROAR!
Little Yuan’er took a step back in fear. Standing beside Lu Zhou, she muttered, “Why…why does Whitzard look different now?”
Whitzard was somewhat similar to an antelope while Bi An looked more like a tiger: one was gentle and the other fierce. She was not wrong.
The mount landed and crouched, putting away its fierce look. It was showing its loyalty to its master.
Lu Zhou was a little surprised as well. This Bi An was clearly an aggressive creature. He wondered how strong it was and what level of cultivators it could rival.
“Let’s go!” he gestured.
Little Yuan’er approached with tiny and slow steps as she said, “Master, can I not ride it? It looks scary!”
“Not as scary as you.”
“…”
“Don’t be afraid!”
Lu Zhou walked over. Sure enough, the mount lowered its body so much that its stomach touched the ground. At the sight of that, Little Yuan’er summoned her courage and approached it while giving it a good look.
ROAR!
Suddenly, Bi An let out a deep, powerful roar. However, instead of stepping back with fear, Little Yuan’er jumped on its back.
“Master…it scares me…”
Lu Zhou casually waved his hand. At the gesture, Bi An leaped into the sky and disappeared into the distant horizon in the blink of an eye.
To Lu Zhou’s surprise, Bi An was as fast as Whitzard. However, the difference between them was stark. Bi An was fierce and aggressive but not as clever as humans. As for how strong it was, it remained to be tested. Whitzard, on the other hand, was calm and peaceful, and it was comfortable to fly with it. It was unknown at the moment what other abilities the antelope-like mount had.
Half a day later, Bi An slowly descended somewhere near the city of Runan. When she saw no one around them, Little Yuan’er chuckled and said, “I know what Master wants…We need to avoid drawing attention.”
Lu Zhou nodded and said, “Runan is not far away from Divine Capital, where cultivators in the world gather, including almighty experts. We need to stay low.”
“I understand, Master.” Little Yuan’er blinked her big eyes and said, “Master, are we going to Divine Capital after this?”
Lu Zhou knocked her head and stroked his beard, “No.”
“Oh!”
After entering the city, Little Yuan’er could hardly contain her excited mood. Fortunately, Lu Zhou had repeatedly told her to not resort to force, so nothing bad happened along the way.
“Grandpa, there’s an inn up ahead. Shall we find a room to stay?”
“Alright.”
Just as they came to the inn’s door, a group of cultivators flew past in the sky. Common people in the streets all looked up and let out shocked cries. Lu Zhou looked up as well and saw cultivators clad all in black surrounding a huge flying chariot.
“That’s the flying chariot of an evil sect! Look, the banner belongs to Fiend Temple…”
“Don’t worry, disputes of the cultivation world will not affect common people.”
“When can I become a mighty cultivator and own a flying chariot like this?”
Little Yuan’er listened to the chatter around them disapprovingly and muttered, “What’s the big deal? My Grandpa has a goat as his mount.”
A middle-aged man next to them heard that and said amusingly, “Little girl, is your goat strong enough to carry you?”
“Hmph! It can not only carry me, but also fly out of Great Yan in just half a day!” Little Yuan’er said.
“You go on with your boasting!”
“You don’t believe me?” Little Yuan’er frowned.
The man said casually, “Do you think I will believe you, little girl?”
“I think you will…” As she said that, she flexed her wrists and cracked her fingers.
The streets calmed down after the chariot flew past in the sky. Right now, Lu Zhou was a little puzzled. He did not expect that a mighty figure like this would come to Runan as well. Could Fiend Temple be holding a grudge against him because of what happened to Zuo Xinchan?
Judging from the number of cultivators and the size of the chariot, the person inside should be at least a Nascent Divinity Tribulation expert. Who would that be, if not the chief of Fiend Temple?
‘Well, it’s pointless to think about that now,’ Lu Zhou thought to himself. Then, he turned around and called out, “Yuan’er!”
“Coming, Grandpa!” Little Yuan’er ran over while flexing her fists. “Hehe! Grandpa, let me help you…”
She ran directly into the inn and said to the innkeeper, “Hey, give me the best room you have!”
The innkeeper said politely, “I’m sorry, my respected guest, the inn is full. As the grand ceremony of the holy altar is about to be held, we have had too many guests recently. I hope you can forgive me…”
“You have no more room?” Little Yuan’er scratched her head doubtfully.
“I’m sorry! You may want to find accommodation elsewhere.”
“Fine!”
Little Yuan’er was about to turn and leave when a faint gust of energy blew into the inn, spreading out into all directions before retreating. It all happened in a flash.
The innkeeper, Little Yuan’er, and Lu Zhou, who just came into the inn, looked toward the source. A man with two exquisite swords in his arms walked inside with a solemn look on his face.
At the sight of him, the innkeeper said excitedly, “A Divine Court cultivator…My…My lord?”
The man’s eyes were slightly closed, and there was a noble pride on his calm face. In a soft voice, he said, “Innkeeper, I will stay here.”
“Welcome, my lord! It’s my honor to serve you! I have only two heaven-grade rooms now, I hope my lord doesn’t mind!” The innkeeper’s voice was so loud that it could be heard even outside the inn.
The man said faintly, “I want two of your best rooms.”
“No problem!” the innkeeper said excitedly.
Right then, two servants ran over with a fawning look on their faces.
Little Yuan’er’s nostrils flared when she heard that. “Old thing, didn’t you just say your inn is full? Why are there still rooms for him?”
“Don’t be rude! This is a cultivator who has opened eight meridians and stepped into the Divine Court realm. Naturally, other guests have to give way to him.”
If it were another time, Little Yuan’er would have had a fit. However, they were at Runan now, and her master had repeatedly told her to not cause trouble.
“Why do you need two rooms? You’re alone!” she pointed at the man.
“Little girl, you…”
The man raised a hand and stopped the innkeeper. Then, he said in a voice that was not fast or slow, calm and soft, “Let me answer your question…”
“I have the ashes of my deceased companion in my baggage. Although he died in battle, I’m deeply inspired by his unyielding spirit. He still lives in my heart…so he should be treated as a living person.”