Chapter 92

Chapter 92: Nanming City
Those in it are lost, while onlookers see clearly.

Fang Cheng Lang had never felt that he treated Yu Zhao and Ye Cong Xin any differently.

In his heart, both of them were his Junior Sisters. If anything, because Yu Zhao had joined the sect earlier, he felt closer to her.

Only when Yu Zhao angrily drew a clear line between herself and them and asked to leave the sect did he realize that, without knowing it, his behavior had become unfair.

But even then, he still did not truly wake up. At times he even blamed Yu Zhao in his heart for overreacting.

It was countless nightmares that finally jolted him awake from his self-deception.

Wrong was wrong.

They might not have had any ill intent, but the harm Yu Zhao had suffered was real and could not be erased.

The clearer Fang Cheng Lang became, the more he suffered.

What was even sadder was that the others could not understand his pain. Instead, they blamed him the same way they had blamed Yu Zhao.

For Yu Zhao, and for fairness, Fang Cheng Lang no longer wanted to stay silent.

Lan Zi Yu was stunned by Fang Cheng Lang’s question and instinctively defended himself: “I… I have always called her that.”

“Just because you have always done it, does that make it right?” Fang Cheng Lang pressed him.

Lan Zi Yu could not answer. Feeling both ashamed and upset, he said in a cold voice: “First Senior Brother, why didn’t you say anything before? It shows that you were thinking the same as I was.”

He felt bad, so he wanted Fang Cheng Lang to feel bad too.

Fang Cheng Lang felt as if his heart were being sliced by a knife, but his face stayed calm. He said: “You are not wrong. That is exactly why I am here, to atone for my sins. Have you ever thought about why you are here?”

Lan Zi Yu was speechless.

Cui Jue and Su Ming also lowered their eyes.

Their thoughts might all be different, but in the end their goal was the same.

They wanted to persuade Yu Zhao to return to Lone Moon Peak.

The Seven Sons of Lone Moon Peak could not be missing even one of them.

It was just that the words “atone for sins” felt far too heavy.

They could not agree with that.

Ye Cong Xin’s eyes were hazy with mist, the tip of her nose slightly red as she looked at everyone pitifully and said: “First Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, please don’t fight over me anymore. I am willing to stay!”

Lan Zi Yu snorted and turned his head away.

Ye Cong Xin’s words had given him a way out.

Fang Cheng Lang’s expression stayed cool, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Su Ming lowered his head in dejection, his eyes full of confusion.

Would the days when the few of them, senior brothers and junior sisters, sat by the creek and drank together be gone forever?

…

The Nanming Sea, also called the Southern Sea, had demonic beasts in its waters and islands scattered across its surface. Every year countless cultivators came here to hunt demonic beasts and obtain demon cores, or to board ships to the islands and search for treasures.

The city of Nanming, which sat right next to the Nanming Sea, had therefore become a bustling place. It even gained another nickname, the First City of the Southern Region.

The clue Yu Zhao had received said that the Ruins of the Water Cloud Palace were outside Nanming City and gave a rough direction, but there was no more detailed information.

So she decided to go to Nanming City first and ask around to see if she could get a more useful lead.

Whether it was because the assassins of the Shadow Pavilion had been frightened off or because they could not find her trail, Yu Zhao did not encounter any ambushes on her way to Nanming City.

She did run into a few cultivators with bad intentions who tried to block the road and rob her. But when they realized they could not see through Yu Zhao’s cultivation level, they wisely hid themselves and did not show their faces.

Yu Zhao did not bother with them and hurried straight toward Nanming City.

Perhaps because Nanming City was by the sea, its walls were decorated with many shells, fish scales, fish bones, and other things. If you sniffed carefully, you could even smell a faint salty tang of the sea.

Yu Zhao entered the city together with the cultivators waiting in line. She was curiously looking at the streets full of seaside charm when a crisp voice sounded in front of her: “Senior, do you need a guide? It is very cheap, only five low-grade spirit stones for a day.”

Yu Zhao lowered her head and saw that the speaker was a round-faced young girl with slightly dark skin.

The girl was gripping the hem of her clothes with both hands. She looked very nervous, but she spoke in an organized way.

Yu Zhao asked: “Are you a local cultivator?”

There was a faint flow of spirit power in the young girl’s body. She was probably at the second layer of Qi Refining, so it was not wrong for Yu Zhao to call her a cultivator.

The young girl instead looked a little embarrassed. Her cheeks turned slightly red, though it was not very obvious, and she mustered her courage and nodded.

Yu Zhao asked: “What is your name?”

“I am called Little Red.”

“Little Red?”

A trace of surprise flashed through Yu Zhao’s eyes. She glanced at Little Red’s clothes again and said: “This is my first time in Nanming City, and I just happen to need a guide. I will hire you.”

“Thank you, Senior! Thank you, Senior!” Little Red was so happy that she kept bowing to Yu Zhao.

Yu Zhao used her spirit power to lift her up and said: “Let’s go. Tell me about Nanming City.”

“Okay, Senior.”

Yu Zhao walked in front, and Little Red followed closely behind her, softly explaining the customs and special features of Nanming City.

Nanming City was built by the sea. In the shops along the streets, besides basic cultivation tools like magical artifacts and spirit talismans, most of what they sold were all kinds of sea beast bodies.

Yu Zhao saw one ugly sea beast with a body taller than a two-story building.

It looked like a fish, but it had a pointed beak full of sharp teeth. Its forehead and lower jaw bulged out, like two lumps of flesh squeezed together. It was so ugly that one extra glance at it would be enough to give a child nightmares.

Seeing that Yu Zhao seemed interested in that ugly fish, Little Red took the initiative to explain: “Senior, this sea beast is called a Blubber Sea Monster. Do not be fooled by its ugly looks. In the sea, its strength is no less than that of a mid Foundation Establishment cultivator, and it can easily overturn a sea ship.

“Also, its meat is very fine. It is said that eating it often can make the skin beautiful and smooth.”

When she heard that, Yu Zhao could not help looking at the Blubber Sea Monster again.

Then the corner of her eye twitched, and she quickly turned her gaze away.

Little Red grinned, then at once realized this was not proper. She quickly covered her mouth and put on a serious, solemn look.

Yu Zhao pretended not to notice her little action and kept walking forward.

In the middle of the street stood an impressive five-story building. A dark blue banner hung from the flagpole outside its doors. There were no words on it, only a picture of a merfolk with a human body and a fish tail.

Yu Zhao stopped and asked: “What place is that?”

Little Red looked over and her face at once showed pride. She said: “Senior, that is our Nanming Sea’s most famous Merfolk Pavilion. All the treasures sold inside come from the Nanming Sea.”

Yu Zhao became interested and walked straight toward the Merfolk Pavilion.

Little Red’s steps were light, and she could not hide the excitement in her eyes.

Although she was proud of the Merfolk Pavilion, in truth she had only gone inside once, and she had only walked around the first floor before leaving.

It was not that the Merfolk Pavilion’s attendants had driven her out. It was because she was covered in dust from head to toe and felt that she did not fit in at all. She simply could not stay there thick-skinned.

But this time was different. She was going in with a Senior, and that Senior was her confidence.

As soon as Yu Zhao stepped into the Merfolk Pavilion, a cool breeze greeted her. It felt like a sea breeze but carried no fishy smell, only a fresh scent that cleared the mind and lifted the spirit.

Everything in sight was a sea of blue and white. The walls were set with countless shining pearls. It was pleasing to the eye and had a special charm.

—