Lin An had been to Grey Wastes City before.
That was a long time ago.
Yan Yi needed to purchase some goods and brought him along.
He remembered that back then, Grey Wastes City didn’t have this White Tower, and the landing platform outside the city was much smaller than it was now.
They stayed at a small inn.
Yan Yi went out during the day to discuss business, and he wandered around the city.
Grey Wastes City was much bigger than their small town, so he couldn’t get lost.
But when Yan Yi found him, she put on a stern face and said:
“Next time you don’t behave, I won’t bring you along.”
But she still brought him the next time.
Later, Yan Yi learned to order goods using a Communication Device, so she never came to Grey Wastes City again.
Lin An looked up at the white tower.
He craned his neck, trying to see how tall it really was, but even when his neck grew sore, he couldn’t see the top.
Clouds flowed around the tower, and its peak disappeared into the white mist, like a pillar holding up the sky.
“What’s that?”
Qu Hongling stood beside him, following his gaze, and answered casually, “That? It was built by the Imperial Court a few years ago. There are eight more of these towers, distributed among the major cities in the Central Province.”
Lin An nodded.
He wasn’t surprised that they were only in the Central Province.
The world was divided into nine provinces, but only the Central Province was fully under the control of the Canglong Dynasty.
As for the other places, the Imperial Court’s control was relatively weaker.
“What’s it used for?”
“The Imperial Court issued a notice saying it’s for monitoring the Spiritual Qi of heaven and earth, and something about gathering Fortune. All official nonsense, vague and incomprehensible.”
Qu Hongling curled her lips, clearly disdainful of those notices.
Lin An immediately understood her meaning.
“Then… unofficially?”
Qu Hongling looked around, leaned close to his ear, and lowered her voice.
“According to our people’s investigation, all the materials used to build these towers came from an ancient mountain range in the south. The ore mined there is the best material for making sealing-type Artifacts.”
Lin An frowned slightly.
“Sealing?”
“Mm.”
Qu Hongling nodded.
“But that’s all we found out. We have no idea what that Emperor wants to do. I thought there would be some big commotion after they were built, but nothing happened.”
Her disappointed expression made Lin An sigh inwardly once again.
This woman really was a Demon Cultivator.
She was either causing trouble or on her way to causing trouble.
The Heaven Origin Sect group was led by the Imperial Court’s reception staff to a dedicated guesthouse.
The guesthouse occupied a large area, with over a dozen courtyards, each housing one group.
The Heaven Origin Sect disciples were assigned the largest courtyard, while the Servant Disciples from various sects stayed in a row of side rooms on the westernmost side of the guesthouse.
Lin An got a small room in the corner.
It wasn’t much bigger than the compartment on the airship, but at least it had a window overlooking the courtyard.
After settling in, the disciples began their own activities.
As a Servant Disciple, Lin An and the others actually had free time.
Meetings with other sects, exchanges among sect disciples, various ceremonies and activities—none of that had anything to do with him.
Of course, he was free to go out as long as he didn’t cause trouble.
Quite free.
At that moment, Qu Hongling stuck to him again, following Lin An around, asking if he wanted tea, then if he wanted to go out for a walk.
The surrounding disciples were already used to it.
Not only had they seen it several times, but there was also Qu Hongling’s reputation as a senior sister…
So seeing her cling to Lin An, they just smiled and sighed, thinking Lin An was probably going to be toyed with by her.
Lin An chose to reserve his judgment on that, and Qu Hongling couldn’t care less.
She was a Demon Cultivator after all.
The opinions of Righteous Path disciples were no different to her than stones on the roadside.
They could think whatever they wanted; she wouldn’t lose a piece of flesh.
The two walked in the guesthouse courtyard.
Qu Hongling chattered away, while Lin An occasionally grunted “mm,” staying silent most of the time.
But there was a gaze that made him feel like needles pricking his back.
Mu Qinghan.
She stood under the eaves on the other side of the courtyard, holding a sword, wiping it.
Her gaze seemed to be on the sword, but Lin An could feel that her attention had never left him.
It made sense.
Mu Qinghan was worried he might say something careless, so she had to keep an eye on him.
But she couldn’t stick by his side like Qu Hongling.
She was the Sword Chess Pavilion Chief, with her own matters to attend to, and couldn’t appear too concerned about a mere Servant Disciple.
Putting himself in her shoes, Lin An could understand her dilemma.
She wanted to watch him but couldn’t do it blatantly.
She wanted to act but couldn’t.
And she had to worry that he might reveal too much to Qu Hongling.
It was already impressive that this woman hadn’t gone crazy.
Night fell.
Lamps were lit in the guesthouse.
The lights from the various courtyards merged together, illuminating the entire guesthouse brightly.
After dinner, Lin An returned to his small room, closed the door, and lit an oil lamp.
He sat on the bed, leaning against the wall, staring blankly at the flickering wick.
Lu Mingyue had said that at the Demon Extermination Assembly, Ling Cang, the Master of Yuming Sect, would also attend.
She would take him to see Ling Cang to help with his body’s problem.
But since arriving at Grey Wastes City, Lu Mingyue hadn’t sent any news.
‘Probably busy. Or did she forget?’
‘Or… was that woman just talking offhand, with no intention of actually taking me?’
Lin An shook his head.
The latter possibility seemed unlikely.
Lu Mingyue was strange, but so far she had kept her word.
‘I’ll wait a little longer.’
Thinking that Lu Mingyue wouldn’t come today, he blew out the oil lamp and lay down.
Moonlight leaked through the crack in the window, drawing a thin white line on the floor.
Just as he was about to fall asleep, a figure silently appeared in the room.
With his eyes closed, Lin An heard no sound of the door opening, no footsteps, not even a change in the air’s flow.
That person simply appeared, as if born from the moonlight.
“Young Master Lin.”
The voice was indifferent, calm, devoid of any emotion.
Lin An’s eyes snapped open.
His hand had already reached for the talisman under his pillow.
“It’s me.”
A faint light illuminated the person’s face.
Indifferent eyes, slightly curled lips, an expression still as strange as ever.
Lu Mingyue.
She was still wearing that black Daoist robe.
Her hair, instead of being tied up with a jade crown like before, was simply gathered at the back of her head, loose and casual, which somehow softened her face.
Lin An let go of the talisman and sat up.
His pounding heart gradually calmed down.
He took a deep breath and said with a hint of dissatisfaction,
“Pavilion Master Lu, I said… can you please not just appear out of nowhere without a sound next time? It’s really scary!”
If an outsider saw him speaking to Lu Mingyue like this, they would probably have dropped their jaws in shock.
But Lu Mingyue tilted her head slightly, as if seriously considering the issue.
“Alright. Next time I will inform you in advance.”
“…”
Lin An opened his mouth, wanting to ask how she would inform him, but in the end he didn’t ask.
“So, Pavilion Master Lu, why are you here now?”
Lu Mingyue was concise.
“Ling Cang has arrived. We’re going now.”
“Now? At this hour?”
Lin An still couldn’t quite keep up with this woman’s train of thought.
“Then… do I need to prepare anything?”
“No need. That person,” Lu Mingyue paused briefly, an unusual occurrence, “you’ll understand when you see her.”
Lin An stood up and suddenly remembered, “Oh, right. How is your injury?”
Lu Mingyue walked over, raised her hand, and pressed it on his shoulder.
“It’s fine.”
Lin An pursed his lips.
He felt the question was a bit redundant.
He wouldn’t ask next time.