Chapter Nine: Identity

So that’s how it is…

Tu Lu finally understood. Though his face betrayed nothing, his heart trembled slightly. After refining the token, he instantly mastered the Heavenly Dragon Order, comprehending why his sister had insisted he barter for it, and even glimpsed… the vast storage space within, rivaling the entire Heavenly Dragon Pavilion in size!

Just the space alone was enough to shake one’s soul.

As for the resources presented by Steward Wang, they seemed plentiful at first glance, but within this immense space, they barely filled a corner.

Moreover, through the Heavenly Dragon Order, he sensed two similar auras: one so distant it was impossible to discern its exact location, and the other… seemingly right within Divine Wind City.

“So these three Heavenly Dragon Orders can sense one another. The one in Divine Wind City must belong to the city lord. Luckily, its exact position remains hidden; otherwise, I wouldn’t dare carry it openly.”

At this thought, he snorted inwardly.

In retrospect, Wang Daozong was no virtuous man, merely exploiting his identity as a mortal. The true value of the Heavenly Dragon Order could only be understood after refining it; as long as he remained below Mountain-Moving Realm, he couldn't refine the token, nor access its resources. Even his status as guest elder would be void—Heavenly Dragon Pavilion could reclaim it at any time!

“Too bad I’ve been a cultivator all along…”

He let out a cold laugh, finally grasping why his sister had him practice that breath-hiding technique—not to endure humiliation, but to disguise himself as a mortal. That way, he could secure the Heavenly Dragon Order from Wang Daozong.

Reflecting on this, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and mentally replayed the events until, after a long moment, he reopened them.

“What needs to be done is done. Time to leave.”

He sighed, casting a sidelong glance at Zhao Yuyang, feeling a faint regret.

That fellow was truly insufferable!

Though he longed to teach Zhao a lesson, his strength was lacking; aside from stuffing a few flies into his mouth to disgust him, there seemed little else he could do.

At that moment, many within the Heavenly Dragon Pavilion were silently watching Tu Lu, puzzled. Moments ago, he’d been eloquent and infuriating, yet suddenly he’d gone quiet.

While they wondered, Tu Lu rose from Zhao Yuyang’s inscribed platform, brushed off his pants as if dusting away debris.

“All right, now that I’m at least a guest elder of Heavenly Dragon Pavilion, I won’t stoop to your level. But I’m bored—so I’ll take a stroll outside.”

He deliberately put on a smug expression, addressed Zhao Yuyang with an air of superiority, then strode purposefully toward the pavilion’s exit.

A hush fell over the hall; tension mounted.

“Is he mad? Courting death!”

“Hmph! He’s just full of himself. If he’s so reckless, he can’t blame us for what’s to come!”

“Foolish! Doesn’t he know an open attack is easy to dodge, but a hidden one is hard to guard against? Even as guest elder, he’s not safe! He should use his position to stay inside and strengthen himself, that would be the wise choice!”

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In an instant, countless gazes converged upon him!

Tu Lu walked to the threshold, then suddenly halted.

“Just kidding. Why would I leave? Fooled you all!” He turned, grinning broadly.

“What?!”

Everyone was momentarily stunned, then nearly spat blood in rage—he almost drove them mad!

But in that instant, Tu Lu giggled, exerted force beneath his feet, and shot out like lightning!

“……”

All those who’d harbored designs against Tu Lu were momentarily dumbfounded, but soon someone reacted.

“Not good! Pursue him!”

A voice rang out, and about half the crowd sprang into action, rushing after him. Most were cultivators, but even those who stayed behind showed intent—though, after more careful consideration, they abandoned the idea.

“Master, that guy’s gone too far. Should we chase him?” Hu Tu approached Zhao Yuyang, speaking fiercely.

Zhao Yuyang’s eyes narrowed, tempted, but he shook his head. “No. Officially, he’s still a guest elder of Heavenly Dragon Pavilion. Don’t be fooled by the crowd chasing him—few will dare actually attack. If we act, we’ll just be someone else’s pawn.”

He glanced at a corner of the pavilion with the edge of his vision.

“So what then? Just let him go?” Hu Tu’s eyes widened.

“Hmph! Let him go? Impossible!”

Zhao Yuyang sneered, turning his back with an air of confidence.

Even if Tu Lu hadn’t been so brazen, just the fact he could spot flaws in inscriptions meant he couldn’t be allowed to walk free!

“Hu Tu, set off at once. Report everything that happened here to the City Lord’s Mansion—especially the matter of the Thunder Stone. Leave nothing out!”

He smiled slightly. “Now that he’s lost that Thunder Stone, his value has plummeted. Those who might attack him don’t care to, and those who want to are deterred by his guest elder status. But the City Lord’s Mansion is another matter!

Heh, I may not know how he obtained that Thunder Stone, but I’m sure our city lord will be interested. After all, he’s the kind who’d offend every cultivator in the city just to monopolize the Thunder Stone with the Heavenly Array atop Thunder Mountain!”

At those words, Hu Tu slapped his thigh.

“Brilliant! Truly masterful, teacher—such a strategy is unparalleled. Even the legendary heirs of the Dao of Fate would pale in comparison!”

“Enough flattery! Go!” Zhao Yuyang frowned.

Hu Tu patted his chest. “Yes!”

And dashed out.

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Meanwhile, Zhao Yuyang narrowed his eyes in contemplation.

Truthfully, with such commotion, the City Lord’s Mansion would find out soon enough. Sending Hu Tu was merely a way to curry favor in advance. What he truly sought was Tu Lu’s method for detecting inscription flaws—or, perhaps, some treasure.

But to get a share from the City Lord’s Mansion, mere reputation and a little goodwill wouldn’t suffice. He needed to prepare. If he could leverage Lord Lin’s influence…

He rubbed his hands and smiled, hurrying into the inscription shop.

At the same time, outside the slums, in a place unknown to all.

Lin Fengtian brushed his face; his square features twisted, shifting in a blink to become that of a young maiden.

This was no longer Lin Fengtian, but Lin Ru herself!

She gazed in the direction of Heavenly Dragon Pavilion—perhaps watching Tu Lu, perhaps something else—tapping her Spirit Scroll lightly. Soon, she smiled softly. “Never mind. The seed is sown; how it grows is his own affair. It’s time I left.”

She reached behind her, and from the void, dragged out an unconscious middle-aged man, tossing him to the ground. She cast a lingering look at Divine Wind City, then turned to leave.

Glancing at the man’s face, it was clearly the real Lin Fengtian!

Elsewhere, after bursting out of the Heavenly Dragon Pavilion, Tu Lu didn’t head for the slums. Without hesitation, he unleashed his vital energy, racing eastward!

With the breath-hiding technique suppressing his aura to its limit, the moment he released it, his energy erupted—his speed exceeded all bounds, outpacing even late-stage Mountain-Moving cultivators!

Within an instant, he vanished!

“What happened?!”

A few late-stage Mountain-Moving cultivators, who’d managed to chase him to the eastern district, lost his trail in a narrow alley.

“Damn it, he played the fool—he’s actually a Mountain-Moving Realm cultivator!” someone snarled.

Now, some were already reconsidering. After all, a Mountain-Moving cultivator carrying vast wealth was nothing like a mortal with the same. Especially since he was a guest elder of Heavenly Dragon Pavilion.

That status… they dared not provoke!

But having chased this far, it was hard to just give up!

“Hey! What are you—stop!!”

Just then, a shrill cry sounded not far away.

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