Chapter 70: Courting Disaster?

“Why not just ask a passerby? Why make things so complicated?” Zhou Tian grumbled.

“That would be too embarrassing,” Zhou Zui replied, smiling shyly, but then decisively followed after the man. Zhou Tian, exasperated, had no choice but to trail behind as well.

The burly man ahead didn’t mount the gray wolf beside him, but instead walked alongside the beast. Zhou Tian and Zhou Zui kept their distance, trailing him from afar. The man seemed utterly unaware, striding forward with an air of pride and confidence.

Left turn, right turn—the number of people around dwindled. After rounding another corner, the man suddenly vanished. Zhou Tian had seen such scenarios countless times in dramas of his previous life. He immediately said, “Stop walking. We’ve been noticed.”

Before the still-bewildered Zhou Zui could speak, a deep voice sounded from behind them. “Kid, you’re pretty sharp, aren’t you?”

The two turned to find the burly man standing right behind them. His face was dark, and the gray wolf at his side bared its fangs, emitting a menacing growl.

“Senior, what do you mean by this?” Zhou Zui laughed awkwardly, feigning ignorance.

“What do I mean? Why are you two following me?” the man growled, his muscles trembling and the gray wolf’s eyes gleaming green, its mane bristling.

“How could we possibly be following you, senior? Maybe we just happened to be heading the same way,” Zhou Zui replied with feigned confusion.

“Drop the act. I deliberately changed routes four times, each leading to a different place, and you still followed me. Don’t think I can’t sense you just because divine sense can’t penetrate bodies within the Heavenly Pass!” The burly man, clearly a seasoned veteran of the Heavenly Pass, was far more cunning than Zhou Tian and Zhou Zui could imagine.

Divine sense can’t penetrate bodies? Zhou Tian paused at the man’s words, his mind churning with ideas that needed verification.

Zhou Zui was also stunned; he hadn’t expected someone who appeared so rough to actually be so perceptive.

“Um… Senior… Actually, we were following you only to find… to find… the location of the brothel. Please don’t misunderstand…” Zhou Zui explained awkwardly.

“You’re new to the Heavenly Pass?” The burly man ignored Zhou Zui’s odd purpose and asked directly.

“That’s right,” Zhou Zui nodded.

The man fell silent for a moment, as if something had occurred to him. A wary look flashed across his face, and he waved them off. “Alright, alright, you can go. Exit this road and turn right. At the very end, you’ll see a red building—that’s the brothel.”

Zhou Zui realized from the man’s words that he must have guessed they were from Tianqin. That was for the best. He quickly said, “Thank you, senior,” and dragged Zhou Tian away. As they passed the burly man, the scent of blood wafted into his nose.

Once they left the alley and emerged onto the main street, Zhou Zui let out a sigh of relief. Seeing Zhou Tian still lost in thought, he said, “Don’t be afraid. No one dares make a move inside the Heavenly Pass, but if someone really did, probably no one could save us in time. Luckily, he was wary of our identity.” Even as he spoke, Zhou Zui felt a lingering fear.

“You can’t use divine sense in the Heavenly Pass?” Zhou Tian asked, not out of fear of the man, but deep in his own thoughts.

“That’s right. Due to suppression by the Heavenly Sovereign Formation, it’s almost impossible for anyone below the Emperor level to extend their divine sense. Only a handful of commanders from the Eight States’ stationed forces can do so, and even they can’t maintain it constantly. That’s why there are so many patrol soldiers on the streets.” Zhou Zui gestured toward the armored patrols.

So, it looks like he didn’t have to wait until entering the Land of Forsaken Gods to rack up death counts, Zhou Tian mused. The main reason he couldn’t do so back in the imperial capital was the constant secret protection—wherever he went, someone followed, leaving no opportunity for reckless endangerment. The Undying System also forbade suicide, so he’d been stuck. But now, things seemed different.

“Why are you asking?” Zhou Zui eyed Zhou Tian’s pensive face with suspicion.

“It’s nothing,” Zhou Tian replied halfheartedly.

“Then let’s go! I can’t wait to see how the girls here in the Heavenly Pass compare to those in the capital!” Zhou Zui said excitedly.

Zhou Tian followed, still lost in planning.

No violence was permitted within the Heavenly Pass—a long-standing rule few dared to challenge. He would need to plan carefully.

They arrived at the brothel. Like all such establishments, it was filled with scantily clad women. With their powerful backgrounds, Zhou Tian and Zhou Zui didn’t lack for money; they immediately opted for the most exclusive services—only the highest-ranking courtesans were allowed into their rooms.

Yet the two of them were peculiar in their own ways. Zhou Zui, due to his cultivation technique, couldn’t indulge himself; Zhou Tian, preoccupied with thoughts of courting death, had no interest in such pleasures.

Thus, their extravagant spending just for conversation with the courtesans became a curious anecdote in the brothel.

As night fell—though the void deep within the Heavenly Pass knew neither day nor night—the periodic void storms sweeping through the city cast a gloom, long accepted as the “night” of the Heavenly Pass.

Returning to Tianqin’s residence, they found the main hall brightly lit. Zhou Xunchuan and his group were all present, as were Zhou Yan and the others. A stranger sat among them, catching the two would-be sneaks red-handed as they tried to slip in unnoticed.

“I told you not to wander off. This place isn’t like the capital—you must be careful. If something happened and we couldn’t act in time, it would be too late!” Zhou Yan scolded as soon as he saw them.

“It was Zhou Zui who dragged me out! I couldn’t resist!” Zhou Tian immediately threw Zhou Zui under the bus.

“You…” Zhou Zui looked at him in disbelief, but when he caught Zhou Tian mouthing the word “explain,” he could only hang his head and admit, “Yes, it was me who took him out.”

“Hmph, a dog can’t stop itself from eating filth!” Liu Yan snorted, saying something at odds with her ethereal demeanor.

The atmosphere grew awkward, and no one knew what to say.

“Alright, let me introduce you. This is Marquis Wen, Tianqin’s warden at the Heavenly Pass,” Zhou Ying stepped in to smooth things over, pointing to the middle-aged man seated above.

“Greetings, Marquis Wen,” the two greeted him respectfully.

Marquis Wen, dressed in a blue robe, was thin and unremarkable in appearance—except for his eyes, which shone like golden lanterns, gleaming with divine light in the void. He spoke, “Young men are prone to restless thoughts, that’s normal. But it’s best to remain near the patrols and avoid remote places.” There was a hint of warning in his words, as if this city held secrets beneath its surface.