An Immortal Touches My Head

Shi Qijiang stared at the guarantee letter, suppressed the urge to drink blood, and slowly smiled.

"Very good, I've got it."

He tossed the guarantee letter back onto the table.

"Walk."

Only after these words were spoken did the guards dare to move.

Two people went up to help him, but he shook them off.

Shi Qijiang stepped off the stage himself, his steps steady, but each step was heavy, the soles of his boots grinding over the gravel, making a soft sound.

Finally, they boarded the carriage they had come in, and the soldiers hurriedly went up to lift the sedan chair. The black-topped official carriage slowly turned around.

Shi Qijiang sat in the car, his face gradually darkening.

The carriage curtain blocked the view from outside, and he coughed up another mouthful of blood.

The trusted aide walked beside the young lady and whispered, "My lord, are we really leaving like this?"

Shi Qijiang wiped his lips with his thumb: "You want to stay?"

The confidant's throat tightened: "That's not what I meant, but... even if Lu Guang recovers his strength, he still can't stand up to reason, and Bao Xin also has loopholes. We can keep blocking the mountain gate and force him to hand over the person."

Shi Qijiang did not reply, and his confidant immediately lowered his head and remained silent.

The official carriages returned in a grand procession until they reached the city gate, at which point Shi Qijiang ordered them to stop.

He lifted the carriage curtain and looked back at Zhaoye Mountain, where the distant mountain shadows were illuminated by the sun.

Shi Qijiang observed for a long time and said, "There's a master here."

The confidant, puzzled, asked: "A master?"

"They're not friends, they're enemies; there are too many variables."

Shi Qijiang lowered the curtain, and his voice came from inside the car, "Lu Guang's injury suddenly healed today. He addressed everyone as 'senior' in public. Do you think he was just being mysterious?"

His confidant's expression changed.

"Who is that person?"

"I didn't see it clearly," Shi Qijiang said.

The confidant lowered his voice: "Could it be that gray-clad assassin on the wanted poster?"

Shi Qijiang didn't respond immediately; after a short while, he said:

"Don't investigate randomly. Send a message back to the capital, clearly stating what happened today. Only write that Lu Guang defied orders and took action, and that Zhao Yezong protected the unscrupulous demon. Don't add anything else."

"Yes."

"As for that arrest warrant, keep posting it."

Shi Qijiang closed his eyes. "But we shouldn't investigate too deeply."

The official carriage entered the city gate.

The shadow of the city gate fell on the roof of the carriage, as if blocking the lights of Zhaoye Mountain from the outside.

......

In front of the mountain gate.

It was only after the soldiers had retreated for a long time that the crowd could finally catch their breath.

A grand ceremony to accept disciples was disrupted by a government investigation and the witnessing of two powerful cultivators fighting. Even the most composed person lost the excitement they had when they first arrived.

After receiving Lu Guang's benefit, the steward came to the broken stone steps and shouted loudly, "The second round of assessment will proceed as usual. Those who pass the initial test, please come back tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM)."

The assessment did not end due to an accident, but far fewer people remained.

After all, there is more than one sect in this world, and before long, a large area in front of the mountain gate was empty.

Hu Zhaoying remained rooted to the spot, watching the dispersing crowd, and asked, "Uncle, what are our plans?"

"The Zhaoye Sect has won today, but going forward will likely be even more difficult," Hu Yanshan said with certainty. "The prefectural city will not give up, and Sect Master Lu's old injuries have healed. These are all good things, but also troublesome. If you want to join the Zhaoye Sect, young master, you should observe for another three years."

Hu Zhaoying did not refute.

Half an hour ago, he might have been unconvinced, thinking that the Hu family's children shouldn't be afraid of these complicated matters.

But after experiencing what just happened, he realized why the entire Hu family was willing to go to any lengths to cultivate someone at the City Destroyer Realm.

However... even Sect Master Lu of the Destroying City Realm seems to be unable to exercise his freedom under the pressure of the imperial court.

A mountain breeze blew by, causing the lanterns at the mountain gate to sway gently, which dampened the spirits of this proud son of the Hu family.

"Uncle, what level must one reach to truly protect those they want to protect?"

"Above the destruction of the city."

"What lies atop the destroyed city?"

Hu Yanshan did not answer immediately.

He glanced back at the direction the crowd had gone and said, "You asked me why I didn't leave earlier, and now you ask me what's above the city walls? I can give you the answer right away."

Hu Zhaoying raised her head, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Hu Yanshan said, "I'm staying here not to wait for the second round of assessments, nor because I'm reluctant to leave Zhaoye Sect."

He lowered his voice: "It's because... that senior might not like being high-profile, and I was afraid that if I went up to him rashly, I would offend him, so I waited until the crowd had gone far away."

"Uncle, are you talking about the one that Sect Master Lu referred to before?!" Hu Zhaoying reacted instantly.

Hu Yanshan nodded.

Hu Zhaoying's tail tip snapped straight up.

"Does your uncle know who it is?"

"I have a general idea, but I'm not sure."

After Hu Yanshan finished speaking, he led Hu Zhaoying towards the mountain gate, which was the direction he had been keeping an eye on.

"Be careful what you say and do in the future."

"Yes."

The two walked along the side path.

This road is secluded and is usually used by the disciples of the Zhaoye Sect to transport firewood. The stone steps are narrow and muddy after rain.

Not long after walking, Hu Zhaoying saw a thin figure ahead, with black hair flying wildly in the wind, looking like an ordinary person.

The man wasn't walking fast; he was accompanied by a little demon, the same toad that had been on stage earlier.

It was no longer the cowardly creature it had been when the guards grabbed it by the scruff of its neck; it was now jumping and hopping around the man in gray.

"Senior Shen, did you know I just flew up? Whoosh! I flew from under the table to your feet. I thought I was going to die, but it didn't hurt at all, quack."

The man in gray lowered his head and replied with something.

Hu Zhaoying was too far away to hear clearly.

Hu Yanshan quickened his pace, stopped when he got close, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed.

"Hu Yanshan of Qingqiu, along with his family members, pays respects to his elders."

Even though Hu Zhaoying knew he was there to find a master, he still felt a sudden jolt in his heart.

My uncle is a high-ranking official in the Wangyue Realm, and he is a person who can sit in a leading position in the Hu Clan of Qingqiu.

Hu Zhaoying had seen her uncle bow to the Prefect and to the Sect Master, but she had never seen him lower his posture so much.

Fortunately, he reacted quickly and immediately bowed, saying, "Junior Hu Zhaoying greets senior."

Hu Zhaoying instantly conjured up all sorts of responses in her mind, but the reality was...

No one replied.

The only sound on the path was the wind rustling through the grass.

Hu Zhaoying couldn't help but look up.

He saw the man in gray lightly kick the toad beside him, whose expression was blank, and then say, "Gone."

The human and the demon continued walking forward.

From beginning to end, the man in gray didn't look back even once, let alone give any other response.

Hu Zhaoying's ears slowly burned. He, the young master of the Hu clan of Qingqiu, didn't even have the weight to make the other party stop and listen to a single sentence.

Hu Yanshan showed no annoyance whatsoever, and still clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Then this junior will not trouble you any further, senior."

Only the toad glanced back, mimicking the humans, and clasped its short arms to the Hu couple, saying, "Well, goodbye."

As Hu Zhaoying watched, a strange feeling suddenly welled up inside her.

On what grounds?

He was praised for his talent from a young age, and was born with a spiritual essence, even Zhaoyezong was willing to give the Hu family face.

But the gray-robed senior didn't even glance at him, while this wild demon, who couldn't even ring the demon bell, kept talking nonstop beside him.

Once a young man's temper flares up, it's impossible to suppress it.

How did you gain the favor of your seniors?

Hu Zhaoying shouted, "Are you hiding your talent?"

"Quack?" The toad scratched its head and thought about it seriously. "No."

After saying that, seeing Shen Gui walk away, it quickly put down on all fours and scurried after him.

"Senior Shen, wait for me! My legs are short!"

Only the Hu family uncle and nephew remained on the path.

Hu Yanshan glanced at Hu Zhaoying, but did not reprimand her. He simply said:

"Remember this discomfort you experienced today."

"Why write it down?"

"From now on, when you look at others, don't make them feel uncomfortable."

Hu Zhaoying's eyes widened, as if she had realized something.

Hu Yanshan had already turned around: "Let's go back too."

Ahead, Lai Ge Bao finally caught up with Shen Gui.

It took a couple of breaths and couldn't help but speak again: "Senior Shen, you're actually this strong! No wonder you're not afraid of the city's wanted poster."

"It's alright," Shen Gui said.

"This is acceptable?" Lai Gebao's eyes widened. "The Hu Clan of Qingqiu, such a powerful force, all call you 'senior'!"

After it finished speaking, it laughed at itself and started muttering to itself all the way.

He said he was lucky to have met Senior Shen, and that he could brag about it for the rest of his life.

It was also said that Sect Leader Lu looked really imposing wielding the axe, and that it would use an axe when it transformed into human form.

As it walked, it suddenly slapped its head.

"Croak, that's right!"

The toad leaned closer and lowered its voice, "Sect Leader Lu suddenly became so strong, was it because you helped him, Senior?"

Before Shen Gui could answer, a deep voice rang out from the road ahead, already providing the answer.

"I, Lu Guang, have come to express my gratitude."

The toad's eyes widened. It was too short to see clearly ahead, so it had to jump with all its might.

With that leap, it saw a dozen or so people kneeling on the muddy road.

There are men and women, old and young.

The man at the very front, whose blue cloth robe was still stained with blood, was none other than Lu Guang, the sect leader of Zhaoye Sect!

Immediately afterwards, another chorus of voices fell.

"The entire Teruno sect bows in gratitude to our senior!"