Chapter 44: The Hidden Demon King

Three Mountain City was located in the southeastern part of Clear River Commandery, considered rather remote.

The entire city region was covered in layered mountain ranges, among which three peaks were the most famous. Thus came the name Three Mountain City.

These three mountains were called Vertical Brush, Jade Balance, and Flying Arrival.

Because the people of this region were poor and isolated, they were often derogatorily referred to as mountain barbarians.

Many people could not even afford shoes. They traveled barefoot across mountains and ridges as though walking on flat ground.

As long as the people from Three Mountain City arrived, this year’s Three City Dao Discussion could officially begin, because the people from River-Gazing City had entered the city one day earlier.

Geographically speaking, Three Mountain City was somewhat farther away in a straight line, though not by too much.

However, traveling from River-Gazing City to Maple Forest City by water was extremely convenient. Taking a boat downstream along the Clear River, then turning into the tributary Green Willow River, if the wind direction was favorable, one could even depart in the morning and arrive by evening.

But traveling from Three Mountain City to Maple Forest City, at the pace of ordinary people, would take three to four days… and that was only because official roads existed.

It was not as though disciples not participating in the Dao Discussion could simply rest. During the entire event, they still needed to assist the government in maintaining order.

New disciples like Ling He and Zhao Rucheng had absolutely no possibility of slacking off.

Under these circumstances, even a portion of the city guard army had been stationed inside the city, so they had little to complain about.

The delegation from Three Mountain City would definitely enter through the south gate, so after receiving notice, they had been waiting there early to welcome them.

“How much longer do we have to wait?”

Zhao Rucheng yawned endlessly.

“If I’d known I still couldn’t escape work in the end, I would’ve just participated myself. Why’d I give the spot to Third Brother?”

At this moment, Jiang Wang was rightfully resting at home under the excuse of preparing for the competition.

Meanwhile, those of them not participating had already spent three straight days acting as little patrol soldiers.

The treatment gap was truly enormous.

“Hah.” Huang Azhan was also shaking his head.

“I only pitied Senior Brother Zhang because he’s old. That moment of weakness cost me. Otherwise, I should’ve been the team leader myself. Why would I be wasting my youth here with little kids like you?”

As a disciple within the three-year range, even if he exaggerated, he should at most compare himself to Li Jianqiu.

Yet he skipped directly to the five-year category and aimed straight for the leadership position.

One could only say that the path of bragging knew no limits.

Zhao Rucheng and Ling He both turned to look at him, their eyes full of admiration.

“Really?”

Huang Azhan was still confused when a faint, ghostly voice suddenly sounded behind him:

“Am I very old?”

Huang Azhan nearly jumped out of his skin.

“What I meant was… Senior Brother Zhang is highly respected and virtuous!”

Zhang Lincuan stood directly behind him, maintaining a distance of roughly two steps, smiling but not smiling.

“For the sake of Maple Forest City’s greater good, how could you possibly have a moment of weakness? Why not stop yielding and take back the leadership position…”

“Ah! Owwww!”

Huang Azhan exclaimed in exaggerated tones.

“Why does my stomach hurt so much?”

“Please excuse me, seniors and juniors. I’ll be right back.”

Holding his stomach with a pained expression, bent at the waist, he fled in a puff of smoke.

As for coming back—of course he would not come back.

He would rather be punished by the Dao Academy, rather lose merit points.

Zhao Rucheng curled his lips.

He himself only enjoyed some casual trash talk from time to time. But Huang Azhan was the type who truly courted death.

Looks like after Old Tiger Du left, there had simply been too little drinking.

“Senior Brother Zhang.”

Ling He’s personality was upright and proper. He first saluted his senior before asking:

“Why did you come?”

Zhang Lincuan nodded in return.

“With the Dao Discussion approaching, I need to observe the enemy.”

It seemed Dong A really had placed a great deal of pressure on him. Enough that someone who loved cleanliness and comfort was even willing to squeeze into crowds to observe the “enemy.”

In truth, quite a few common people had also crowded around the south gate.

Compared to the wealthy elites from River-Gazing City, they were far more interested in these so-called mountain barbarians.

“They’re here!”

A commotion rose from the front.

The disciples from Three Mountain City Dao Academy had finally arrived.

Unlike the cultivators from River-Gazing City, who traveled with servants in tow like they were on vacation, Three Mountain City had only brought six people.

Exactly six—the same as the number of discussion participants each city fielded.

They entered through the south gate in a formation of one-three-two.

Almost immediately, people’s gazes dropped toward their feet.

Rumor had it that mountain barbarians only owned one pair of shoes per family, reserved solely for whoever needed to travel far.

And indeed, they did not disappoint.

The girl walking at the very front of the Three Mountain City group was barefoot.

This kind of gaze, tinged with discrimination, would naturally make people uncomfortable.

So Ling He immediately stepped forward.

“Fellow Daoists from Three Mountain City! I am Ling He from Maple Forest City Dao Academy. We have awaited you for a long time. Please come with me. Let’s first head to the academy to rest and eat. Later, I’ll guide you around the competition grounds.”

By rights, Huang Azhan, being within the three-year cohort, should have been responsible for welcoming the Three Mountain City guests.

But the supervising teacher had designated Ling He instead, citing Huang Azhan’s “unsuitable image.”

And Ling He’s sincerity truly did make him perfectly suited for the role.

The people from Three Mountain City had not even had time to become unhappy before they were already following behind Ling He.

What surprised Zhao Rucheng was that the common people crowded around the city gate paid far more attention to the rotund figure walking in the middle of the Three Mountain City group.

Unlike the others’ clean and practical combat attire, he wore a hooded black robe that concealed his entire face beneath the hood, making him especially strange and eye-catching.

Zhao Rucheng could even hear people whispering:

“That’s probably their strongest expert, right?”

“Obviously! Standing in the center like stars surrounding the moon. Just look at that aura!”

“He looks terrifying.”

“Maple Forest City needs to stay on guard!”

“What’s there to fear? Zhang Lincuan of the Zhang family isn’t some vegetarian!”

“He actually does eat vegetarian… Last time he came to our restaurant, he didn’t even touch the bear paws. Only ate a few bites of greens. I served the dishes myself!”

The conversation gradually drifted off-topic…

As for the little girl walking at the front of Three Mountain City’s delegation, she simply looked far too harmless.

Yes, she was beautiful, petite, and adorable.

But the world of cultivators was a cruel one.

Only true strength earned respect.

As one of the greeters, Zhao Rucheng casually chatted now and then with the Three Mountain City cultivators, but these people spoke very little.

Moreover, they carefully maintained their formation, firmly protecting the black-robed fellow in the center, as though afraid someone might uncover the secrets of some hidden magical artifact.

Young Master Zhao deliberately tried squeezing inward several times, pretending it was accidental, but failed every time and eventually gave up.

Still, he noticed that as the common people continued discussing them, the expressions on the faces of the Three Mountain City cultivators… all became rather strange.

Zhang Lincuan did not stay with them.

He merely blended into the crowd, observed for a few moments, and then left.

Under Ling He’s warm introductions and the barefoot girl’s sparse responses, the group turned right and headed toward the Dao Academy.

Suddenly, the barefoot girl stopped and turned her gaze toward a restaurant by the roadside.

On the second floor of the restaurant, a refined-looking young man stood by the window.

One hand behind his back, the other holding a cup, he raised it remotely toward the barefoot girl in greeting.

A flawless smile hung on his face.

The barefoot girl looked straight ahead and continued walking.

But Ling He recognized him.

That was the leader of River-Gazing City’s delegation, and the number one ranked disciple on River-Gazing City Dao Academy’s merit list—

Lin Zhengren.

(End of Chapter)