Chapter 121: Mud Lane

The sun began to crest the horizon, the morning light still thin and pale. At the pier, illuminated by this faint glow, cargo ships and passenger vessels came and went in a steady stream, among them the small passenger boat carrying Xu Zhong.

"Jiankang is home to the Taihe Hall, the former palace of the Jianliang Dynasty, where the Great Emperor of the Dragon Capital once held court," Su Jie explained as they disembarked. "It is the liveliest place in all of Mingzhao."

His tone then shifted, becoming slightly puzzled. "It is usually teeming with people at this hour. Why is it so quiet today?"

The atmosphere on the pier did seem strange. Though the laborers were busy unloading and moving cargo, they worked in total silence. The number of Imperial Guards patrolling the area had tripled; they marched back and forth, and some even lurked in the shadows, their eyes tracking every pedestrian. At the far end of the pier, a checkpoint had been established.

"Something must have happened in the city," Xu Zhong remarked, walking behind Su Jie. "After all, with Mingzhao newly emerged and a mix of dragons and snakes hiding within, it is no surprise that things are stirring."

"True enough!" Su Jie nodded.

They made their way toward the checkpoint. The routine inspections had become much more rigorous. The guards were obsessively scrutinizing identity papers, cross-referencing heights and facial features, and firing off endless questions. It was only after Su Jie handed over a storage pouch that the guard’s tone softened slightly, though it remained overbearing. Su Jie was forced to offer a second pouch.

"It is truly bizarre. Something that would have cost a mere thousand or two thousand Origin Pills is demanding ten thousand today. What profiteers!" Su Jie fumed, his voice full of resentment. "How has a man like that not been arrested yet?"

Suddenly, several figures darted out from various spots on the pier. Amidst the rising commotion, Xu Zhong saw Imperial Guards in brocade robes blocking their path. Behind them, a flash of red light flickered, and the head of the guard who had just taken the bribe fell to the ground.

"Turn back. Go through the process again."

Xu Zhong and Su Jie were forced back toward the pier under guard. The Imperial Guards had taken control of the docks, executing many corrupt officials—and, indiscriminately, a few who were innocent—to strike fear into the hearts of the rest. Panic spread instantly, and those with guilty consciences were frantic. The soldiers detained not only the passengers but also the laborers, checking every identity.

Xu Zhong touched the identity token hidden in his tunic, his expression calm, unlike the others who were clearly panicked. He lowered his voice and asked Su Jie, "The fake identity you made for me—it won't be exposed, will it?"

Su Jie patted his chest, his bravado returning. "Brother Xu, rest assured. My work comes with a quality guarantee; there will be no problems whatsoever." He paused, considering the current situation. "Even if there is a hitch, do not fear. I have my ways in Jiankang City. Getting you out will be no trouble at all."

The Imperial Guards soon reached them. "You two, present your 'Yan' and 'Chuan'."

Xu Zhong handed over his papers. The 'Yan' was the identity card, and the 'Chuan' was the travel permit. Without the former, one could not prove their existence; without the latter, one could not leave their registered district. In the Yu Kingdom, those without identity papers were forced into hard labor, and those caught outside their home district without a permit were left to wander the wilderness, destitute and homeless.

"Officer, may I ask what is happening?" Su Jie asked with a grin. Having learned his lesson, he did not dare attempt another bribe.

The guard looked coldly at their papers, then shouted, "The criminal Su Jie is here!"

The commander of the Imperial Guards issued a detached order: "Arrest him."

Su Jie was shocked, his internal energy centers sealed before he could react. "Criminal Su Jie, your crimes have come to light. You have forged and sold 'Yan-Chuan' documents; your crimes are heinous..."

Su Jie had not expected that he would be the one to fall while Xu Zhong remained untouched. He blinked at Xu Zhong, sending a silent message with his eyes and lips: *Remember to bail me out!*

"Are you his accomplice?" the guard asked, eyeing Xu Zhong.

"No, you have made a mistake. I do not know him," Xu Zhong replied, shaking his head repeatedly as he offered his own papers.

Su Jie’s work was indeed masterful; it was so realistic that even the Imperial Guards could find no flaws. However, the fact that Xu Zhong had been with him cast a shadow of suspicion.

"Arrest him as well," the commander said to the guard, then added after a glance at the prisoner, "But there is no need for the Celestial Prison. Send him to Wani Alley. Verify his identity, and then release him."

"What is Wani Alley?" Xu Zhong asked the guard beside him.

"It is a place for those who have lost their 'Yan-Chuan' or whose documents are under suspicion," the soldier replied slowly. "As long as there is no major issue with your identity, you will be fine. If there is, you will be thrown into the Celestial Prison."

The guards led the way, and Xu Zhong followed. They passed the checkpoint, entered the city, turned south, and navigated a few bends until they reached Wani Alley. The alley was lined with walls of yellow earth and clay, the gates standing wide open. Walking along the uneven path, one could hear sounds drifting from the ends of the streets.

"Old Man Li, time to work." At the end of the alley, the guard woke an old man who was half-asleep.

The man yawned, stretched, and looked Xu Zhong over. "Another guest?"

The guard nodded and left. Old Man Li handed Xu Zhong a form to fill out, then gave him a key. "C-137. Report in every three days." With that, the old man yawned again, stretched, and promptly fell back into a deep sleep.

*This man is a master,* Xu Zhong thought, sensing a suppressed power within Old Man Li. It was like a dormant volcano—calm on the surface, but concealing a terrifying, explosive rage.

"This is the most basic housing available?" Xu Zhong stood stunned for a long time. There was a main room, a small side chamber, a kitchen, and an open-air courtyard. What surprised him was not the lack of luxury, but the house itself. In the Ancient Yue Kingdom, everyone was like a dragon, and the entire population practiced cultivation. Yet, their homes were built of nothing but wood, mud, straw, and tiles—no arrays, no spirit plants, no spiritual fields. There was only a half-dead locust tree and a dry, abandoned well. Having seen the dazzling treasures and complex arrays of the cultivation world, this simplicity made Xu Zhong feel like a traveler who had stumbled out of time.

"Did a newcomer arrive next door?" A resonant voice called out from over the wall.

Xu Zhong saw several flying swords circling in the neighboring courtyard. Their power was so perfectly controlled that there was not a single ripple of mana, making the blades appear as light as falling leaves.

"Yes. May I ask, fellow Daoist, is your identity also under suspicion?" Xu Zhong asked.

"Not at all." The man jumped up onto his old locust tree, sitting in the canopy and toying with a wooden sword. "I had my papers, but I drank too much a few days ago and forgot where I hid them." He sighed. "Normally, that wouldn't be a problem; I could just apply for a replacement."

"But who knew that a madman would appear a few days ago and sneak into the Dengyun Pavilion to ambush the Lord? The Lord was furious and vowed to root out the truth." He looked pensive. "The Lord killed many people. Those with suspicious identities or lost papers were all thrown into Wani Alley."

"I arrived yesterday, so I am your senior," he said, abruptly shifting his tone. "According to the rules of the jianghu, you should pay your respects to me first, and then you can..."

Xu Zhong’s heart stirred, and he closed his ears. "What did you say? I cannot hear you..."

The practitioner was left speechless, but there was nothing he could do. The two walls acted as an insurmountable chasm, a forbidden barrier. Xu Zhong pushed open his door and entered.

The interior was simple: a table, chairs, benches, and a bed. Nothing more. Xu Zhong walked through the house and found no arrays, which filled him with curiosity. *If there are no arrays to isolate the sound and energy, won't cultivation lead to chaotic clashes of qi?*

The spiritual energy in the world was finite. If one person inhaled, another would have less. And since Wani Alley housed so many practitioners—enough to require someone like Old Man Li to keep order—how strong must that man be to suppress them all?

By nightfall, the moon was high in the sky. Xu Zhong sat cross-legged on the floor. Even before he began to practice, he could feel the clash of qi. Practitioners in Wani Alley were already competing. Xu Zhong stepped outside and looked up.

In the sky, several tornadoes—like inverted funnels—were descending from the clouds. These were streams of spiritual energy being channeled down. The energy was so thick it was frightening. The swordsman next door sat in his tree, watching the show. Xu Zhong joined him.

From the canopy, one could oversee dozens of houses in Wani Alley. In that moment, thousands of miles of spiritual energy were stirred. It drifted through the air like fireflies, shimmering across the sky. Only a thousandth of that energy reached Wani Alley, yet even that fraction fell like starlight, forming a gorgeous curtain of light above the alley. The practitioners below were all fighting to claim it.

Suddenly, a massive figure appeared in the sky, swallowing the clouds, the moonlight, and the entire curtain of light with one gulp. It was his manifestation of heaven and earth.

"Heh, I won again," the owner of the manifestation grunted.

*Clang!*

A sharp, clear sound of a gong rang out. The owner of the manifestation hurriedly retracted his power, and the neighbor next door jumped down from the tree as if the gong were a deadly curse.

"The show is over. Get back inside," Old Man Li’s voice echoed.

He walked past, but a gargantuan, divine shadow loomed behind him, and behind that, the haunting silhouette of the entire Fengdu. As he walked through the night, he seemed to carry the underworld itself with him.

Xu Zhong stared in disbelief. "Is he... an agent of Fengdu?"