It was white, immaculately so. She looked a bit closer and thought she saw a small black stain on one of them. She only noticed it because the sheet itself was so white.

  Yet, when she really peered in on it, it didn’t seem like a stain. It seemed like a part of its design.

  ****

  “Why would he die!?” Sun Mei instantly sped up despite not knowing why such a thing might happen.

  “Humans are greedy,” Long Di stated.

  Shen Ling, Mina and Xiannu Liang found themselves nodding in agreement. Long Di wasn’t even speaking based on his experience in this cultivation world, it was just general knowledge by this point.

  His old world provided evidence of this in spades, and the numerous cultivation novels he read corroborated this.

  “Now what do you think will happen when a mortal has something protected by a beast that I reckon not even the sect master of Golden Lion Gate would dare to take on?”

  Hearing this, Sun Mei’s heart clenched. They were too careless!

  Before this, cultivators would sneer at them, jeer them or shoo them away as they were seen as lesser-than. Sun Zixin had even been beaten up several times. Not even she was spared from this. They didn’t hold back because she was a girl either. To them, she and her brother were ants, so there was no need to pay attention to such things.

  Nevertheless, this was as far as it would go. They never had something that cultivators wanted. Now, however, it was different. Sun Zixin was walking around with a valuable spiritual treasure. It was like a beacon of trouble for a mortal like him.

  After all, the old saying goes, ‘it’s a sin to be wealthy while weak.’

  They hurried through the slums they were in to get back to the main parts of the city.

  Along the way, Long Di saw the revitalised mien of the residents he saw not long ago. It was like a completely different community.

  People were moving about out and about and whoever was sick before was operating with renewed vigour.

  It was like new life and fresh blood was injected into this previously listless place. However, he couldn’t pay attention to this any longer and simply gave it a passing glance before he sped past it, going back the way they came.

  Before long, they came to the main street and followed Sun Mei as she made her way through the crowd.

  She didn’t possess her older brother’s skill, and as such, she drew countless insults from the cultivators’ but Long Di stepped forward to stop them from doing anything further.

  Long Di looked up and could see Lord Whiskers and Pebbles the Wondercat jumping from building to building as they kept an eye on him and the others.

  Feline guardian angels indeed.

  He wondered if they kept tabs on him as well and saw the woman he’d spoken to.

  As they made their way forward, Shen Ling tugged on his robes and he looked back to see her Auspice Gaze at work. She was looking in one particular direction and he looked over to see a restaurant where a few cultivators were engaging in fresco dining.

  In particular, he saw one cultivator he recognised. It was the one who tripped Sun Zixin in the line outside the city.

  But Shen Ling wouldn’t have called him for that. So he followed her gaze carefully and saw her looking at the alleyway beside the restaurant where he saw a battered and listless body lying on the ground away from the view.

  His eyes became cold and his demeanour underwent a subtle change that both Shen Ling and Pebbles, even from a distance, were able to see.

  He stopped Sun Mei, prompting her to look back at him in confusion when she also saw Sun Zixin’s body. Her eyes widened in shock before her hands shakily went to her mouth to stop herself from screaming.

  “Is he dead?” Long Di asked calmly.

  Shen Ling shook her head. “His karmic fate line hasn’t been cut yet. It’s getting there though.”

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Shen Ling wasn’t able to tell Sun Zixin’s karmic line differently from anyone else. She just used her common sense as Long Di often told her to do.

  They were heading to a part of the city that was extremely packed with nothing but cultivators. Her auspice gaze was in full effect, and she could see bright karmic lines all over.

  One in particular among this tangle was a faint line that was dimming as time went by. It immediately caught her eye, and following it to the end she saw Sun Zixin’s body.

  “Xiannu Liang.”

  “Got it!” The Nymph didn’t need to hear anything and immediately rushed over to see if she could save his life.

  The cultivator who had previously caused trouble for Sun Zixin was enjoying himself amongst a crowd of people.

  “Zhanshi Yong is truly blessed by the heavens!” one person said.

  ‘Right! For such a thing to happen is clearly a good omen!” Another chimed in.

  The cultivator who went by the name Zhanshi Yong revelled in the praises he received from those around him.

  “Hahahahaa, it’s only natural, it’s only natural!” Zhanshi Yong laughed.

  “It’s a sign of you going far in the martial competition.”

  Zhanshi Yong’s expression was very good at the moment. He would soon be able to get his hands on a yin-yang dragon-breaking pill. This was something that could be considered a life-saving treasure and he luckily came upon the last ingredient he needed for such a thing.

  His hand landed leisurely on a rather large brocade treasure box on the table.

  “So he’s a thief and you all praise him for it? Interesting… my name is Long Di. How are you all doing today?”

  A voice void of any feeling or inflection echoed out, causing the people around Zhanshi Yong and Zhanshi Yong himself to see a young boy reverse-sitting on a chair right beside them.

  “!”

  They were shocked! When did he get here!?

  How did he get here without being noticed!? How come they only realised this when he finally spoke!?

  Mina slapped her forehead in frustration. “Did this foot forget he had to use the name Di Long!? Well, it’s not like there’s anyone officiating this match, so I’ll let it pass this time.”

  “Who are you!?” Zhanshi Yong was aware that the boy’s earlier words were aimed at him.

  Long Di wasn’t looking at any of them in particular and simply sat there staring blankly into their midst at the table.

  Still, after hearing this, he chanced a glance at Zhanshi Yong and replied. “I literally just said that my name is Long Di. Did you steal your own ears by accident?”

  Zhanshi Yong’s face turned red upon hearing this. Who was this fool to needlessly offend him?

  “He has short-term memory loss! His real name is Di Long!” Mina yelled from the sidelines.

  When Zhanshi Yong saw who it was that shouted Long Di’s name, he saw a beautiful young girl. Just then, enlightenment dawned. He recalled Mina and Long Di’s faces from outside the city.

  At that time, Zhanshi Yong sneered at him as he was clearly hanging out with some…

  Zhanshi Yong’s shock quickly transformed into that of sneering contempt at Long Di.

  The other cultivators at the table got the signal and stood up in a rush and surrounded Long Di.

  “Brat apologise to the Zhanshi Yong!” one Of them roared.

  “I’d rather not. Where did I go wrong, I wonder?” Long Di’s expression told them he cared little for their little intimidation tactic.

  “You went wrong by insulting the personal disciple of the sect master of Myriad World Ravine!”

  “Never heard of it.” Long Di didn’t even flinch upon hearing this name.

  Zhanshi Yong frowned at Long Di’s behaviour. This brat thought that Myriad World Ravine was a sect he could disrespect!?

  They were one of the top sects in their region. They were in no way inferior to Golden Lion Gate. As a matter of fact, the only reason why he even bothered to come all the way here was because of the rumours of there being a peerless genius being invited as a guest.

  Once word of who the guest could possibly be leaked, cultivators came running from all over to, one, prove if it was true and second, try to, if they could, win the acknowledgement of this person.

  “A frog in a well indeed!” another cultivator spoke up.

  These experts were all average in background and status and knew that they weren’t able to beat someone as powerful as Zhanshi Yong.

  Since that was the case, they chose to follow him instead and remain on his good side. This way, they could build a good relationship with him and benefit in the future if he won the martial competition.

  “This is pointless.” Long Di couldn’t keep up the pretence at this point. He then turned his gaze to Zhanshi Yong. “Give me Sun Zixin’s light-shroud evil durian. You can keep it if you’d like, but I’ll beat you up if you try to. Well, in truth, I’ll beat you up regardless, so you may as well try. Moreover, if Sun Zixin is dead because of you, I will kill you. So pray for good luck that he lives.”

  Zhanshi Yong looked up to the sky and roared with laughter as if he just heard the funniest joke in the world.

  Passersby realised there was a conflict here and stopped what they were doing to watch, thinking there would be a good show.

  “Brat you’ve gone too far!”

  Shing!

  A nearby expert drew his sword, but the minute he did, a finger flicked the sword out of his grasp before a fist pierced his chest in an instant!