Chapter 3988: Striding The World

“All of you listen up! The city lord has issued a decree. No bug is to attack the south gate for the next three days. If that is accomplished, everyone will be rewarded with one opportunity to join the city lord’s treasure-hunting team,” someone from the city lord’s manor shouted.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

The promised reward stirred the excitement of the independent cultivators, and they immediately launched an attack to exterminate all the nearby bugs.

Ling Guang laughed heartily. “If we pull this off, we’ll have two chances to dig for treasures with the city lord’s team. Fugui, give it your all!”

Lu Yin smiled and nodded. Holding the bugs back for three days was not overly difficult. Between previous battles, it had not been uncommon for three to five days to pass without any attacks, provided that enough had been slaughtered beforehand.

Attacks rained down outside of the city. After half a day, a number of cultivators rushed out, their eyes flushed with bloodlust.

They sought to seize a chance to ascend in one step.

This was no different from the people who dug in the West Domain’s sand. Independent cultivators were desperate to survive. Their cultivation took them on paths that were forever bound to the concept of struggle. The more they suffered and the more oppressed they felt, the greater their yearning to rise up.

Ling Guang, his sister, and Lu Yin all charged out, fighting with great vigor.

Finally, all of the attacking insects were annihilated.

One day, two days, and then three days passed with no insects appearing.

Finally, on the afternoon of the third day, a group arrived at Blackmarsh City’s south gate, and the city lord personally greeted the defenders and allowed them inside.

Ling Guang was surprised. “Is that... Yu Xiang'er?”

Lu Yin arched a brow.

Yu Xiang'er? The fifth of the Seven Fairies?

He had never met the woman, but Lu Siyu had told him that Yu Xiang'er had given him the task of not forcing Liu Li to let the Fifth Night Pillar join the war against the Allsense Megaverse. Essentially, the woman had given up her task.

“Brother, do you know her?” Ling Shu asked, quite curious.

Ling Guang’s expression grew solemn. “I don’t know her, but I once saw Yu Xiang'er’s carriage. Did you forget? That was in Dayi City.”

“Dayi City?” Ling Shu could not remember.

Ling Guang said, “It’s not unusual that you don’t remember. After all, the Seven Fairies simply leave too deep an impression on men.”

“I remember now! She’s the fifth of the Seven Fairies that you mentioned. That Yu Xiang'er?” Ling Shu exclaimed.

The siblings were not alone, as many of the nearby cultivators were whispering about Yu Xiang'er.

She was not a particularly mysterious person. In fact, compared to Lu Siyu or Qiunan Hongye, Yu Xiang'er’s background was much lower. Her father, Yu Mi, was the city lord of Dayi City. The city was not regarded as a great power, though Yu Mi did have some level of skill. He had succeeded in uniting over a hundred surrounding cities, establishing the Hundred Cities Assembly, which he oversaw as its president. He had used that to create his own influence.

It was not exactly a powerful sect, but it was close enough to one.

At least within the local region, Yu Mi’s influence far exceeded that of the Qiunan family or Loneswan Island.

Blackmarsh City was also a member of the Hundred Cities Assembly, and it was regarded as second only to Dayi City.

“The city lord of Blackmarsh City, Yu Sheng, is the younger brother of Yu Mi, the president of the Hundred Cities Assembly. Yu Xiang'er is the city lord’s niece, so it’s no surprise that she’s here. So we were fighting earlier to open up a path for her,” Ling Guang explained, even as he stared obsessively at the carriage that a beast was pulling into the city.

Ling Shu snorted. “Stop staring. She’s a blessed daughter of the heavens. If you’re capable of it, then just marry her.”

Ling Guang showed a bitter smile. Marry her? That was nothing more than a fantasy. The Seven Fairies were not women that men like him could covet. To the Seven Fairies, such people were mere mortals.

Lu Yin also watched the carriage entering the city. It was a surprise to see Yu Xiang'er in this situation.

Upon reaching the city lord's manor, Yu Xiang'er stepped down from the carriage. Even with a bit of thin gauze veiling her face, her beauty could not be hidden. She brought a touch of softness to the killing aura that filled the Blackmarsh, and she even seemed to brighten up the sky.

When Yu Sheng saw Yu Xiang'er disembarking, he pretended to scold her. “Ridiculous! What are you doing, coming to Blackmarsh City at this time? Do you realize how dangerous this place is?”

Yu Xiang'er just smiled and offered a small bow. “I’ve troubled you, Uncle.”

The man was not able to stay angry with Yu Xiang'er, and he shook his head. “Child, you’re not usually this willful. Why did you insist on coming here now? You’re hiding from your father, aren’t you? I heard that Little Lotus King visited Dayi City.”

As he spoke, Yu Sheng led his niece inside.

Outside the city lord's manor, many reluctantly looked away.

They had not even managed to see Yu Xiang'er’s face, but even just her silhouette was enough to incite endless fantasies.

Marrying one of the Seven Fairies would allow someone to ascend to the heavens in one step. Sadly, the gap between them and such a person was too vast.

Yu Xiang'er’s arrival had no effect on the fighting. Days later, the insects resumed their attack, though clearly with fewer numbers than when Lu Yin had first arrived at Blackmarsh City.

Lu Yin climbed on top of the city wall. Arrows whistled past him, piercing insects and sending out ripples of shockwaves.

“Hey, did you hear? Yu Xiang'er is here to escape being married,” someone commented. The fighting was not particularly intense at the moment, so many liked to gather in small groups to gossip.

“No way!”

“Why not? These insects are scattered all across our megaverse. The Scion Spire has opened up, and those incredible geniuses are awakening to join the fighting. Little Lotus King went to Dayi City, and so did Ku Zhou and Luo Ning. City Lord Yu Mi of Dayi City wants Yu Xiang'er to marry Little Lotus King, and it’s said that he’s already agreed, but Yu Xiang'er refuses. That’s why she fled here to Blackmarsh City.”

“Don’t talk nonsense! Little Lotus King never agreed either. Yu Mi was just forcing Yu Xiang'er to accompany Little Lotus King around Dayi City, and that’s why she ran away.”

“How do you know?”

“My third uncle’s elder aunt’s neighbor’s younger brother’s master is in City Lord Yu Mi’s manor. How could I not know?”

“You’re insane...”

Lu Yin quietly listened.

Could this be true? Is it possible that none of the Seven Fairies want to get married?

Little Lotus King was Greater Sancte Green Lotus’s most talented disciple, and he had created a legend in his original era, before his master had sent him to enter cryostasis in the Scion Spire.

The man’s legend was so extraordinary that none disputed his title. He was called the second Green Lotus. While he had not managed to comprehend karma, he was still seen as Greater Sancte Green Lotus’s successor.

“Half a body as king, walking the world”—this saying referred to Little Lotus King.

“They say that, for Little Lotus King, cultivation realms don’t mean anything, but I don’t know if that’s true,” Ling Guang said enviously.

Ling Shu commented, “I’ve also heard that. Once, Little Lotus King broke through five realms in a single day, shaking the entire megaverse. That’s when everyone acknowledged him as Greater Sancte Green Lotus’s successor and started calling him Little Lotus King.”

Someone nearby added, “That’s true! There are records about that in my family’s archives. It was one of the greatest events of that era.”

“If it weren’t for Greater Sancte Green Lotus insisting that Little Lotus King go into cryostasis, he might have already become a peak Dukkhan.”

“Little Lotus King sleeps in the eastern pod of the Scion Spire. While there are eight pods there, the four cardinal directions are not the same.”

Lu Yin asked curiously, “Who else is in the cardinal directions?”

“I’m not sure. Even the fact that Little Lotus King sleeps in the eastern pod is just hearsay. The Scion Spire itself has never revealed any information.”

“I know!” a woman spoke up excitedly. “Ku Zhou, one of the Rift of Suffering’s disciples, is in the north pod. I know that for certain!”

Ling Guang was curious. “How do you know that?”

The woman proudly replied, “One of my family members is also a disciple of the Rift of Suffering.”

“Really? Impressive! They actually managed to join that sect?”

“The Rift of Suffering has so few disciples. Your family managed to rise up with one step.”

“I originally wanted to follow along to the Mindscape Megaverse and see if I could cultivate Heartrift, but that plan was ruined by these insects.”

Lu Yin then remembered that he had also made an agreement with the Rift of Suffering to try to learn Heartrift in the Mindscape Megaverse, but the departure time for that journey had already passed. Even if the Nest civilization had not invaded the Nine Odysseys Megaverse, he would not have been able to go. Instead, he would have either returned to the Tianyuan or gone to reinforce the Allsense Megaverse.

For several days, everyone chatted about Yu Xiang'er and the rest of the Seven Fairies, as well as Little Lotus King.

There were a few times when someone or another would mention Lu Yin. There were tales of how he had helped the East Command Sword Sect’s Lu Sizhan become the Four Commands Grand Swordmaster, how he had destroyed the Autumnspring Slip supposedly for Ming Xiaolong’s sake, and how the Sixth Night Pillar’s leading of the expedition to the Allsense Megaverse was somehow connected to him.

Lu Yin had no idea how the stories had spread, but most were surprisingly accurate.

Of course, there were other rumors that left him speechless.

“I’ll tell you something, but you have to keep this quiet. You can’t spread this,” a short, shifty-eyed man whispered while pulling a group of people down below the city wall. With a sly grin, he said, “Reliable sources say that Lord Lu rejected the Seven Fairies. Originally, one of them was set to marry him, but he refused.”

“What? Someone actually rejected the Seven Fairies?”

“Keep your voice down! What’s strange about that? We’re talking about

Lord Lu!

He’s on the same level as the Greater Sancti! No matter how extraordinary the Seven Fairies might be, they still can’t compare to that.”

“But the Seven Fairies are so beautiful...”

“That’s true.”

“Shut up! Do you want to hear about this or not?” The short man’s eyes darted about. “Do you know why Lord Lu refused?”

Lu Yin leaned in.

Why is this about me again?

Seeing everyone staring at him, the short man coughed, and then proudly proclaimed, “It’s because...” Under the various eager gazes, his voice dropped even lower. “He likes Si Jiushi.”

Pfft!

Lu Yin spat out a mouthful of water.

The others who heard the short man’s claim were dumbfounded, and they stared at him blankly.

Ling Guang was stunned. “Hey! Don’t spout nonsense, or else you’ll be struck by lightning.”

The short man pulled a few booklets out from his tunic. “See for yourselves. Someone personally saw Lord Lu sneak into Si Jiushi’s carriage on multiple occasions. Is that fake? When Lord Lu first entered the Nine Odysseys Megaverse, he wasn’t nearly as powerful. There was a certain elder who had an eye on him and wanted to accept him as a disciple, and so he watched him. Who would have thought that Lu Yin actually cares for Si Jiushi! That made the elder give up.”

Hands reached out from the crowd and snatched the books. The titles left people stupefied.

“The Little Affairs of Lord Lu and Si Jiushi”

“A Study on the Sturdiness of Carriages”

“The Five-Palm Sect ‘Welcomes’ Lord Lu”

Every book was by the same author: A Certain Elder.

“There really is a Certain Elder!” Ling Shu gasped. “Who would have thought Lord Lu was such a person?”

Ling Guang slapped the back of her head. “What are you thinking? Don’t spout such nonsense, or else you’ll make trouble for yourself!”

He promptly threw the booklets back to the short man. “Brother, don’t go too far, or else you’ll eventually suffer for it.”

The short man sneered. “Believe it or not.”

At that moment, a hand reached out and picked the short man up. Someone from the city lord's manor had arrived, and upon seeing him, the short man panicked. “My lord, what’s wrong?”

The official glared at the short man. “Boy, do you even understand what you’re doing? Lord Lu isn’t someone whom you can slander! Arrest him and take him away!”

“My lord, no! Please, my lord! I don’t dare continue! I’ll never do it again! I was foolish and wrote those under the name of a Certain Elder! I just wanted to gain a bit of empty fame. I don’t dare to do it again...”

The crowd watched as the short man was dragged away, and then they quickly dispersed.

The official sternly shouted at the scattering people, “It looks like all of you are too idle. Be careful that you aren’t ambushed by a Scrollbane Centipede.”

With that, he left.

Lu Yin leaned against the city wall, still speechless by all that he had just seen.

He had not expected such fictions to be written about him, but it was true that such things were common. There was no doubt that such stories had also appeared in the Tianyuan; he simply had not seen them there.

The world of cultivators also consisted of human interactions. At its core, it wasn’t really any different from the world of ordinary humans; both were equally full of gossip and rumors.