She had been thinking the Grand Commander stayed with them because he knew they needed him, not knowing that he had no choice but to stay. She almost felt her world crumble in front of her.
"Yes, he doesn't. You might know that the Azure Sky Kingdom lies in the north, but if you enter the Heiwood Forest and head straight north—well, in simpler terms, you're walking to your death. Because of the multiple terrifying abominations who hold territories in that direction. But there is a hidden path, one only known to those who have traveled the route occasionally, avoiding the territories of the fiends. Now, how often do you see a Heavenly Realm expert going exactly where you want to go?" Jing Tu explained.
But Chi Xianyan only vaguely listened, still dazed by what she had heard. Jing Tu understood what she was thinking so he continued, explaining in detail so there would be no confusion.
"As for the Grand Commander, even in Azure Sky Kingdom—and in other kingdoms too—the Heavenly Core Realm is not a common occurrence. They are deeply respected. I am sure the Grand Commander had chances to leave the Azure Alliance before. He might have taken it if the opportunity had come when he had just broken through to Heavenly Core. But now? Millions of people adore him across the Alliance. They even host a festival in his honor. He cannot simply abandon them."
"I understand what you are saying, but there is still one more important problem: the beast waves. Though it has been a while since the last one, we cannot be sure they have ended. And I cannot leave if those people are not safe." Chi Xianyan's voice was filled with an aura of noble justice.
"So, you have decided to tag along… Good. Since he is from the southern mountains, he should probably know what is causing the beast waves. And if he lets me come with him, I will try to stall as long as possible until we solve the matter." Jing Tu stated.
"I can't believe we made all these preparations and arrangements on an if." Chi Xianyan looked slightly downcast, realizing their lives might be decided by someone else's whim.
"Anyway, why did you come here? You obviously didn't plan for the conversation to go this way," Jing Tu asked as he continued packing a few of his personal belongings in the office.
"Oh, that. Well, there was a sighting of the Lightning God in Silvercrane Village. Something to do with one of the major families." Chi Xianyan said awkwardly, finally fulfilling her purpose for coming to his office.
"Shit! And you couldn't start with that?" Jing Tu shouted, already halfway to the door.
"Just the two of us will go this time, so as not to draw attention. We don't want him to disappear again," Jing Tu said as he led them to the building's back entrance, one rarely used.
---
Reaching the inn where the Lightning God was last seen, they asked the lady at the front desk for his room number, which she happily gave. After collecting the number and directions, they made their way upstairs.
"Are you sure about this?" Chi Xianyan asked solemnly. She felt there would be no turning back if they went through with this.
"No," Jing Tu admitted honestly. He knew the consequences. If they followed this stranger, they had no idea what he would do to them or how they would end up. But the Lightning God letting him live all these years—despite being disturbed yearly—had to mean something, right? From what he knew, experts were eccentric creatures, especially the secluded ones. They could kill someone simply for being in a bad mood.
"And you still want to go through with this?" she asked again.
"Yes," he replied. His heart was filled with internal struggle, but it was too late—they were already at the door.
Just as he raised his hand to knock, the door swung open. A fat man stepped out with a black cat in hand. Jing Tu had heard countless rumors about him but had never seen him before. He looked utterly ordinary, almost like a mortal, with no visible cultivation. But Jing Tu, even at the peak of the Grandmaster Realm, could not see through his cultivation. That could only mean one thing: either he was very weak or impossibly strong. And it was obvious he wasn't weak.
For the first time, Jing Tu felt relief. At least the man he had chosen to follow was powerful—by his definition, very powerful. He was almost smiling when he was met with a faint sense of hostility.
"Oh, it's the boy scouts," the pot-bellied man said in a low tone as he stepped out. His words carried slight irritation, but they heard him clearly.
Chi Xianyan glanced at Jing Tu, her eyes asking if he knew what "boy scouts" meant. He shook his head. While they exchanged looks, the pot-bellied man grew more annoyed by the second. Finally, unable to bear it, he snapped.
"What do you want? I don't think we have any business with each other," he asked in a less-than-pleasant tone.
Sensing that they had gotten off on the wrong foot, Jing Tu quickly tried to mediate. "We just want to talk," he said, trying to ease the tension.
"Talk? If you wanted to talk, you would have followed a few simple steps. You enter the inn, give a name or description to the innkeeper—or receptionist, or whatever she is—who would then inform the said guest. That guest would then decide whether or not he wanted to meet you. Not barging into someone else's room. Don't you people have a sense of privacy?" the pot-bellied man lectured.
"We would never have barged in. We would have just knocked and waited for you to come out," Chi Xianyan countered firmly. She was still a member of the Azure Guards, and if word spread that they treated others without respect or privacy, their reputation would be damaged. Though none of the other customers had stepped out of their rooms, it was clear they were listening. She had to defend the name of the Azure Guards.
"Wow. So the room key you're carrying is just decoration? Who would have thought," the man said, his voice laced with sarcasm.
Chi Xianyan's face tightened. She had never met someone so hateful. Even her superiors treated her with respect. Others showered her with praise for her beauty and talent. Across the Azure Alliance, millions of men admired her, and many could not even speak to her without stammering. Not that she enjoyed being objectified, but it was still better than being dismissed outright as though she were nothing.
And this man? He had only glanced at her once since she got here—not because he was shy, but because he simply didn't care. To him, she wasn't even worth looking at.
Her anger trembled beneath her skin. Even as she tried to hide it, her body visibly shook.
"I make it a habit not to talk to strangers," the pot-bellied man said flatly, signaling the conversation was over as he ignored Chi Xianyan's drama.
"Strangers? I'm Jing Tu, and she is Chi Xianyan. See? We're not strangers." Jing Tu tried to lighten the mood with a smile.
The pot-bellied man stared at him as though he were a rock. Even the fuming Chi Xianyan shot Jing Tu a strange look.
"What now? Am I supposed to tell you my name, then we go across the street, get drunk, and become friends forever?" the man replied with another sarcastic remark as he slipped off the inn's slippers and changed into his sandals, preparing to leave.
"Are you leaving already? What about your room?" Jing Tu asked, desperately trying to stop him from.
"Keep it," the man replied without care.
They heard him mutter something about poor security, zero privacy, and that it was better to sleep on the street. Finishing with his sandals, he started down the hallway toward the exit.
"I'm sorry, sir, but you can't leave until we fulfill the purpose of our visit today," Chi Xianyan said calmly. Yet her early-stage Grandmaster aura flared as her hand tightened on the hilt of her sheathed sword.