She’d heard rumors of Bei Chen’s no-nonsense, sword-over-words approach, and seeing it in person was indeed quite something. Bei Chen had barely spoken before drawing his sword, and now he left just as abruptly, thoroughly humiliating Yun Xiao’s reputation.
Seeing Nan Wan’s tense expression, one of the celestial disciples, fearing retribution from Yun Xiao, quickly stepped forward with a placating tone. “Exalted Nan Wan, Exalted Bei Chen’s temperament is indeed a bit blunt. Please don’t take offense. The Foreign City is a dangerous place, so we were just being cautious.”
“This fellow celestial, I am Ming Xin of Yun Xiao. What exactly is going on in the Foreign City? We saw no one on our way here. Have any of you encountered the King of the Others?” Nan Wan remained silent, but Ming Xin asked politely.
As Yun Xiao’s top disciple, Nan Wan regarded only Bei Chen as his equal among his peers, but Bei Chen was notoriously unyielding. With no information about the situation and their mysterious delay, Nan Wan had little choice but to listen to a lesser disciple.
“Ah, Senior Brother Ming Xin,” the disciple greeted, bowing before sighing deeply. “Unfortunately, Senior Brother Ming Xin, we haven’t seen the King of the Others since we arrived.”
“You haven’t seen him?” Ming Xin asked in surprise.
"Indeed," the disciple responded, "We initially thought that since the King of the Others had agreed to hold the Wu Tong Phoenix Tournament in the Foreign City, he would at least show some courtesy. However, when we entered the city yesterday, only Wu Zhao, the King's deputy, greeted us. He informed us that while the Heavenly Mandate had been issued, the King of the Others was deep in cultivation and would not personally welcome the celestial and demon clans. The Wu Tong Spirit Artifact is somewhere within the city, and we must find it ourselves. He also delivered an order from the King: while we may enter the city, we are strictly forbidden from harming a single resident of the Other tribe. If we do, we risk expulsion."
Nan Wan frowned, thinking that the King of the Others showed a blatant lack of courtesy.
"With even the King treating us so indifferently, it’s no surprise that the residents would be similarly unfriendly. As you may know, the people of this city are fierce and harbor some resentment toward both the celestial and demon clans. When we entered yesterday, we nearly got into a fight with them. If not for the intervention from the King’s palace, the locals would have likely thrown us out of the city. And although it’s not yet night, the city’s residents are avoiding us entirely, shutting their doors and refusing to engage. These few inns left open are ones specifically designated for the celestial and demon clans by the King of the Others. This is the brightest inn, so we invited Exalted Bei Chen here, while other disciples from the various sects sought their own lodgings. As for the demon clan, from what I’ve heard, Mu Jiu of the Fox Clan hasn’t shown up. It’s just a ragtag group on their side, so there’s no need to worry about them, Exalted One.”
No wonder the city was so dark—its residents resented the celestial and demon clans’ presence and wanted to stay out of sight. Being a small, lesser-known sect, Piao Miao naturally had no claim to lodgings where Kun Lun’s Bei Chen resided.
Bai Shuo silently mulled it over. If the King of the Others truly disliked the two clans so much, why did he agree to the request from Jin Yao, the Celestial Lord? It didn’t add up.
"The Fox Clan’s Mu Jiu didn’t come?" Ming Xin asked in surprise. He had assumed Yun Xiao’s arrival would be the latest, not realizing that the demon clan’s top contender for the Wu Tong Spirit Artifact hadn’t even entered the city.
"The Fox Clan is cunning—he may well have entered undetected," Nan Wan replied grimly. "The Foreign City has been sealed off from the outside world for a thousand years. The people here act rudely but within the bounds of their own norms. If they stay out of this, it means we can compete with the demon clan directly without risking harm to the residents and complicating matters with the King."
Perhaps it was this neutrality that led Celestial Lord Jin Yao to choose the Foreign City for this unusual tournament.
“The hour grows late. Rest well, everyone, and tomorrow we shall resume the search for the Spirit Artifact. Regardless of which sect claims the Wu Tong Spirit Artifact, as long as it doesn’t fall into demon hands, it will be a victory for us in the celestial realm.”
The words sounded noble, but everyone knew that only Kun Lun could rival Yun Xiao among the celestial sects. With that single phrase, Nan Wan had successfully shifted the focus of the conflict squarely onto the opposing clans.
Having said his piece, Nan Wan turned and headed upstairs. His gaze lingered momentarily on Bai Shuo, and Ming Xin, understanding the signal, ushered the celestial disciples out and led Bai Shuo upstairs.
Fan Yue refused to be left behind, and Bai Shuo had no choice but to let him come along. Hua Hong, still shaken from her earlier fright, clung to her iron hammer and stood guard by the door, refusing to leave Bai Shuo’s side. Ming Xin, irritated by the two tagalongs, would have gladly thrown them out of the inn. However, even Kun Lun’s Bei Chen had found nothing after a full day in the Foreign City, and this eccentric fortune-teller remained Yun Xiao’s only backup plan.
“Let’s begin.” Ming Xin closed the door behind them as Nan Wan revealed a withered branch from the Wu Tong tree, holding it out toward Bai Shuo. “Daoist Bai, let’s see if you truly have the skills you claim.”
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