Wait a minute, where is my master?

Dawn broke, and the morning light was faint.

The South City Gate of Shangjing City.

Jin Xu and his three companions appeared here after traveling through the night.

Days had passed, and the collapsed city wall had been repaired, but the color difference between the new and old sections was starkly obvious.

It was clear that the repair of the city wall had been rushed.

Now, the control at the gate was not as strict as when Xu Qian had first arrived. At this hour, scattered merchant caravans and cultivators were already lining up at the gate.

The four Taoists naturally walked to the back of the queue and followed suit.

The queue moved forward in an orderly yet slow manner, and since there were not many people, it took less than fifteen minutes for Jin Xu's group to reach the front.

"During this special period, please present your token to enter the city. Also, demon beasts that cannot shape-shift must be registered at the town crier's office in the city to prevent incidents of harm caused by demon beasts,"

a gate-guarding soldier said officially as he saw the few approach. The latter part was obviously directed at Little White, who was in the form of a Husky.

Jin Xu heard this and asked softly, "What about demon beasts that can shape-shift?"

"Nascent Soul Stage demon beasts do not need to register."

Hearing the soldier's response, Yu Yaoer gently patted Little White's leg, and the Husky instantly transformed into human form.

The soldier then said, "Please present your city entrance token or travel permits issued by other cities."

The young Taoist turned to look at Xu Qian, then secretly transmitted a message, "Brother Xu, do you have a token? Miss Yunzhao did not mention that these were needed to enter Shangjing City."

Xu Qian thought to himself, Wasn't it precisely because I didn't have a token that I was thrown into the dungeon?

He then transmitted back, "Ahem, Taoist, why don't you contact the Seventh Princess? I left in a hurry and didn't bring anything with me."

He had scrambled over the wall back to the temple the previous night, and hadn't even gone to replace his standard magical treasures; now he was truly alone.

Realizing he couldn't rely on this seventh-grade officer from Great Xia, Jin Xu had to take out his communication jade token, preparing to contact Xia Yunzhao.

The gate-guarding soldier, seeing that the four couldn't produce a token, scrutinized them carefully while subtly signaling his comrades behind him.

"This young Taoist has a tall physique, handsome features; he looks like an immortal descended to earth, and doesn't seem like a bad person.

The two women behind him, one is a Nascent Soul Stage great demon, and the other also looks to be from a prominent family.

The last man...

Oh!? Is this not the spy that the Seventh Princess mentioned the other day? I heard he escaped from the dungeon two days ago, and he dares to come back!"

The soldier gripped his spear tightly, ready to shout for an attack and apprehend him again.

Promotion and wealth were within reach today!

This was actually Xia Yunzhao's fault; after her chat with Taoist Jin Xu that day, she had half-forgotten about Xu Qian, and then her mother came to visit and talked about some matters.

Thus, she completely forgot about Xu Qian's escape from the dungeon.

So, to the army soldiers in Shangjing City, this prominent seventh-grade officer of Great Xia was still a fugitive.

"Ready..."

Before he could finish speaking, the gate-guarding soldier found that he couldn't open his mouth or move; several of his comrade soldiers were the same.

From the shadows of the South Gate, a large bellied monk dressed in loose robes, bare-chested, with long ears touching his shoulders and a smiling face walked out.

He was wearing a Qiankun Cloth Bag at his waist and adorned with a necklace of one hundred and eight Buddha beads.

Stepping out of the gate, the jolly monk first approached the soldiers with a cheerful voice.

"Benefactor, these four are connected with Buddhism; the monk will take them into the city now."

Having said that, he signaled Jin Xu and the others to follow him.

The young Taoist, seeing someone taking the initiative to lead them into the city, put away the jade token he was holding.

The four of them followed the great monk into Shangjing City.

A moment later, several soldiers regained their ability to move.

The soldier who began to question Jin Xu and his companions had a strong look of reluctance on his face, clutching his spear as he said to his superior, "Captain Teng, that monk disregarded the laws of Great Xia, I…"

Before he could finish, the small military officer called Captain Teng kicked him in the small of his back.

"Do you even know who that man is? Just guard the gate properly and don't cause trouble for me."

The soldier staggered from the kick, and although he still appeared unconvinced, when his superior spoke like this, he could only agree verbally.

Seeing the soldier still bearing that expression, the gate-guarding captain randomly picked two people from behind to take over his duty.

He then walked past, put an arm around the soldier's shoulder, and while walking back, he whispered, "Kid, you're new here. Just remember this if you're working under me, I'll only tell you once.

Our Great Xia Dynasty is not what it used to be. Always keep your eyes sharp; if you provoke someone you shouldn't, no one can save you.

And do you know who that monk was?

Just a few days ago he saved Emperor Xia Xuanmin, the founding emperor of Great Xia. Based on that alone, let alone taking a few people from you, even if he wanted our heads, we would have to cut them off and deliver them obediently!

The laws of Great Xia are also based on the foundation of power."

The words left the gate-guarding soldier shocked, afraid, and a bit confused. He was officially selected by the Great Xia imperial authorities to join the city defense force. Throughout his journey, whether it was cultivation or trials, he was taught that the laws of Great Xia were not to be challenged. It was said that this was exactly why within the two provinces directly controlled by the Great Xia Dynasty, mortal cultivators could coexist.

He never expected to be harshly taught by reality just a few days into his gate-guarding duties.

Furthermore, what the Teng-surnamed military officer said was not wrong; the laws of Great Xia really were established on the basis of power.

Emperor Xia Xuanmin of Great Xia, one of the few in the Nine Provinces Realm at the Tribulation Crossing Realm. His presence forced the cultivators entering the territories of the two provinces of Great Xia to adhere to the law!

However, recently there has been a rumor in Shangjing City—Xia Xuanmin is dying.

And this rumor is not just circulating among the common folk; although Shangjing City had just experienced an attack by the Demon Sect a few days ago, because Xia Xuanmin had timely shifted the battlefield and the Xia family had high prestige among the common people and loose cultivators, the impact in the city was quickly mitigated.

Instead, this rumor became widely circulated among the officials, nobles, and cultivation families in Shangjing City, and even had a tendency to intensify.

Captain Teng belonged to the Teng family, a mid-sized cultivation family in the city. Being a direct descendant of the family, he had just heard this rumor.

That's why he said that the "Great Xia Dynasty is not like before."

...

In Shangjing City

Jin Xu and others followed the great monk to a tea house.

After everyone was seated,

The young Taoist finally had a chance to thank the portly monk, but the monk did not even look at him.

He turned to Little White, who was dressed in a dark cyan Taoist robe, and said, "I didn't expect Tianxing Lao Dao to take a female disciple. How is your master doing?"

As soon as these words came out, everyone was taken aback, their thoughts fluctuating.

Yu Yaoer: "Isn't the successor of Xuanxu Temple the young master?"

Little White: "Who am I, where am I, what is this bald head talking about?"

Jin Xu: "This man really is the portly monk, but why did he assume Little White was the master's disciple?"

Xu Qian: "Who is Tianxing Lao Dao, and who is this monk?"