"We have to go to the city," Lian said, straightening himself.
'I hope that they haven't killed Bao Xao, though I doubt they would have since they need something to lure me out." Lian uttered.
"Now that I think about the fact that they didn't kill her, all this time, it might have been a type of trap." He thought to himself.
"Yeah, you're right." Wang Gu responded.
"But this has gotten out of control. It would be one thing if people from our sect were plotting to kill you, but working with demons? That's something huge. It could shake the entire Murim."
"Can you walk?" Lian asked the girl.
"Yes, I have mostly recovered my Qi. I have to go find my senior sister. I can't just cower and hope for the best," she said, fastening the garments Lian had given her.
"Alright then, let's go—but first, we need to disguise ourselves."
Lian reached into his spirit book and took out a clay-like substance, handing some to the other two.
"What is this?" Lou Yi asked, inspecting the lumpy material in her hand.
"Just place it on your face and mould it. You can change your appearance," Lian said. His voice became muffled as his own face reshaped, his mouth sharpened slightly, and his skin took on a richer, golden hue. He untied his hair, letting it fall roughly over his head.
"Mmpt… mmmpt… mmuu." He cleared his throat.
"Hello, my name is Bia Yung," he said, his voice completely different.
It was raspier like people who came from the south.
"Whoa, that's really something, brother. You look like a completely different person. If I hadn't seen you transform, I'd think you were a stranger," Wang Gu said, already slamming the clay onto his own face.
Lou Yi followed suit.
Within a few moments, they had both taken on different identities, though their transformations looked rough; they were utterly ugly.
"It's not bad for their first time. The material is hard to get used to," Lian thought as he handed Lou Yi a fresh set of robes. She changed into them quickly.
They then began their journey toward the city.
"Brother Lian, where did you get that pill? All my internal injuries are healed it helped me greatly. Thank you," Lou Yi said.
She tiptoed forward and kissed Lian on the cheek.
Lian froze momentarily, watching as Lou Yi moved ahead as if nothing had happened.
They had been walking on grass and dirt, but suddenly the scenery changed. A stone road formed beneath their feet, and in the distance, golden lights came into view. After walking a little farther, they finally approached the city gates.
Two men guarded the entrance. They looked sharp and imposing, dressed in golden garments, clothing one would typically expect members of the royal family to wear.
Da dum, da dum.
Lou Yi's heart sped up as they drew closer. The guards raised a parchment with Lian's likeness painted on it.
"Mmm… it's not him," one of them said.
"There's no way they could be him—look at these fuckers. They're utterly ugly. It makes me uncomfortable the way they're looking at me," the other guard muttered.
"F*ck, I know these are not our actual faces, but why do I want to fucken crush this guy right now? His comments are so infuriating." Lian thought, folding his fist.
"Just state your reason for entering Yùzhàn," the taller one said. His hair was tied back neatly, and his gaze drifted away from them every now and then, as if he already didn't care.
"W-weff… we're just wandering cultivators," Lian said, stammering deliberately. His voice was muffled and awkward, making him sound like a complete fool.
"We came here to f-find shelter."
His act was so convincing that it took everything Wang Gu had not to burst out laughing.
"Just go in," the man said, opening the gate. "You'll die in there anyway."
His voice was low, too low for Lian and Wang Gu to hear.
Inside the city walls, the sight was grand.
The first thing visible beyond the gate was a massive golden castle. A long golden dragon coiled around its towers, frozen in a majestic pose, its head nearly brushing the clouds.
The city itself was bustling. Merchants crowded the streets, stalls overflowing with sweets, trinkets, pills, weapons—voices overlapped in a constant roar of life.
"So, what should we do?" Lou Yi asked. "It'll take far too long if we try to look for them manually."
"Yeah, you're right," Wang Gu replied. "It's best we head to the merchant market. I hear there's an information agency here."
He was already striding off as he spoke.
Lian and Lou Yi followed behind.
"Informants, huh… that would be best," Lian said. "But how are we supposed to find them?"
"Think about it, brother," Wang Gu replied. "There's only one place where money is always flowing—the auction house. I'm sure we'll find them there. But the problem is how to draw them out. They won't even give us the time of day if they think we can't afford their information."
Wang Gu stopped and turned, staring hard at Lian.
"Brother…" he paused, his eyes growing glossy as he grabbed Lian by the shoulder."I'm broke. I have nothing worthy to sell. How about you?"
"Hahaha, you scared me there for a moment," Lian replied.
"I can try refining some pills to sell. We can use that money to bid."
"What?" Wang Gu's voice boomed.
Several people nearby turned to stare before quickly looking away again.
"What you're telling me is… you're an alchemist?" Wang Gu said, his tone dropping into disbelief.
Just how talented is he? No wonder those people are after him, Lou Yi thought to herself.