After Gufeng's Master left, Gufeng quickly slipped into Shuji Hall. After a bit of struggle, he could now be considered an official member of the ranks of cultivators. At that moment, the Scholar woke from his daze.
"Gufeng, are you alright? How am I still alive? And I don't even have a single injury on me. This isn't right. I clearly remember I was about to die, so how am I still standing here safe and sound? Ah, could it be that you died too, and we've entered the Oblivion Mirage? I've heard that after people die, because all things in heaven and earth have spirits, the Power of Laws can cause the spirit to gather instead of scatter, thus allowing it to exist in an endless cycle. This place where spirits exist is called the Oblivion Mirage, though it's only something people talk about—I've never actually seen it. Could I have ended up in the mirage today? Oh, poor, poor little brother Gufeng."
Gufeng stepped forward and reached out to touch the Scholar's forehead. "Strange, he doesn't even have a fever. Why is he talking nonsense in broad daylight?"
Seeing that the Scholar was fine, Gufeng turned away on his own and walked deeper inside, heading straight for a bookshelf. This particular bookshelf was where books of bizarre anecdotes and strange records were kept.
Seeing Gufeng walk away on his own, the Scholar wore a look of utter disbelief. "Why is he acting so distant? Could people's personalities change after death? It must be." In his fantasy, he firmly believed that he was definitely dead.
Gufeng's Master, Ruqu, was flying toward a location in the city, stepping on two pearls. These pearls were nurtured by heaven and earth, bursting forth from stone. The red one was called Fu, and the green one was called Lai. These pearls possessed an innate ability for flight and carried the Power of Laws, allowing them to ignore the earth's gravitational pull.
"Who dares to fly over our City Guard Gang? You've got some nerve not putting us in your eyes!" Dozens of magical tools flew toward Ruqu. Ruqu leaped and plummeted downward. With a muffled, earth-shaking crash, and once the dust cleared, the scene was revealed: a man stood with his hands behind his back in the center of a deep crater, surrounded by blasted earth mixed with shattered rocks. Ruqu lightly patted the dust off his clothes. "Which of you will go and fetch your guild master over? I have something to discuss with him."
"Ha! What a joke. You didn't bother to ask around—is our guild master someone just anyone can see? If you know what's good for you, get lost right now and stop asking for trouble, you stinking old man."
"Young man, you'd better clean up your mouth when you talk to people. That's good for your height."
"Hmph, this is the first time I've ever heard that having a dirty mouth affects my height. Hahaha, what a joke!"
"It will definitely affect your height. If you don't clean it up, I'll break your legs, and that will make you shorter. Understand?"
Before the word "understood" could even leave his lips, the Power of Laws erupted instantly, forming a large sphere centered on Ruqu that burst outward in all directions. After the explosions died down, the few individuals who had been so arrogant a moment before instantly lost all their bluster. Each of them looked at their tattered clothes and the countless gravel-sized wounds covering their bodies, falling into a state of utter shock.
"How many times do I have to say it? Bring your guild master here. I have questions for him. Why aren't you going? Do you really think you won't end up getting shorter?"
"Ah, spare us, old master! We were blind and failed to recognize a true cultivator. Please raise your hand and spare us this once! We'll go find our guild master right now, but we must trouble you to wait a moment. Our guild master should be attending a banquet at the Liu family estate right now, and even if we rush there at top speed, it will still take a while."
"Hmm, in that case, the two of you needn't go. Just point me in the direction of the Liu family, and I'll go find them myself. But don't you dare pull any tricks—like pointing me in the wrong direction and sending me on a wild goose chase. If you do, I'll be very displeased, and that will definitely have an impact on your height. Remember that."
"We remember! The Liu family is in that direction. With your speed, old sir, you'll arrive in no time. Please go carefully; we wouldn't dare deceive you."
Ruqu leaped into the air and flew toward the Liu family estate. Looking at the scenery before him, he recalled the style of his youth. Scene after scene flashed before his eyes, until the image of an elderly man finally anchored his memories in place. Lost in thought, a courtyard suddenly appeared in the distance. It was quite grand, complete with pavilions, terraces, artificial hills, ponds, blooming flowers, and covered walkways connecting every courtyard. Truly magnificent.
Just as Ruqu approached the courtyard, a dozen people in identical attire suddenly popped up in the air. They appeared to be guards of the household, glaring with grim expressions and gloomy eyes.
"What do you want? Why have you come to the Liu family? Flying is forbidden above the Liu family estate. Land at once!"
"Oh, alright. I've come to the Liu family to find someone. Someone said he's here at the Liu family, so I've come to take a look."
"Who are you talking about? Regardless of whether he's at the Liu family or not, no one is allowed to fly above our estate. Did you know that?"
"Sorry, I'm new to these parts and don't know the rules. This is the first time I've ever heard that the sky has an owner."
"Cut the crap! What are you really here for? Keep running your mouth and don't blame us for being impolite!"
"I already said I'm here to find someone. If you keep obstructing me, I'll have to complain about how polite you're being."
"What a strange old man." With that, a guard's palm lashed out toward Ruqu. Air rushed through his fingers, emitting a buzzing sound. Ruqu stood completely still, simply waiting for the blow.
With a crisp *crack*, the scene everyone was hoping for did not happen. Instead, the exact opposite occurred: not only did the slap fail to inflict any injury on the old man, but all the flesh on the guard's palm vanished into thin air, leaving behind nothing but a bare skeletal hand. It looked terrifyingly gruesome.
With a cry of "Ah!", the guard violently jerked his body back, putting distance between them. The remaining guards were terrified to their core; their previous arrogance completely vanished. Where they had stood high above a moment before, they were now humbled to the dust.
"Who on earth are you, and what are you doing here?" The person who spoke stepped over the threshold from inside the courtyard into the street. Beside him stood a powerfully built man with upturned eyebrows, wolf-like eyes, two mustaches, and hair that stood on end like a bird's nest. These two were none other than Patriarch Liu, Liu Fufeng, and the Guild Master of the City Guard Gang, Ji Tailang.
The guards retreated to either side and shouted in unison, "Patriarch!"
"Old man, how did the Liu family offend you? Why treat my guards like this?"
"Your Liu family hasn't offended me, but this little bastard here certainly did. Since you're so closely associated with him, treating your Liu family guards this way is no more than he deserves."
"So you're the guild master of those little punks from the City Guard Gang? Looks like your cultivation is around the level of Dominance. This old boy from the Liu family is about the same. Killing the two of you would indeed be a bit of a pity, but who told you to offend my disciple? As his master, it is only right that I vent his frustrations for him."
"What's this? Are the two of you playing dumb with me? Didn't you send people to deal with two kids, and with murder on your minds at that?"
"Let me tell you, the people you sent to handle your dirty work aren't coming back. And I've already been to the City Guard Gang—a bunch of scum not even worth my lifting a finger. But seeing the two of you has given me some drive. It's not often I run into two Dominance-level figures, and it's hard to suppress the urge to make a move."
"Well? Are the two of you going to come at me together?"
"Old sir, what are you talking about? When have we ever caused trouble for you? Besides, we've never troubled any children either, right, Guild Master Ji?"
Their eyes met, and they understood instantly. *Of course! We never caused trouble for you, nor have we ever troubled your disciple. Those were just things our subordinates did behind our backs. I'll go sort out that score for you in a moment.*
"Anyway, I'm standing right in front of you now, so you don't need to make a fuss looking for me. Come on, let me do some housekeeping for my disciple so he can train in peace. What's this? Still not making a move? Then I'll make the first move."