Ye Ling never expected the receptionist to be Leng Qingqiu.
Given the sheer scale of the Righteous Path Alliance, the odds of running into her again were so small they were practically nonexistent.
And yet, they had met once more.
Was it coincidence? Or…
Watching the slightly foolish look on Leng Qingqiu's face, a thought took shape in Ye Ling's mind.
In any case, running into Leng Qingqiu was a fortunate turn of events. It would make gathering information much easier.
On the other side, Leng Qingqiu's expression was far more complicated.
Everything Ye Ling could think of, she had thought of as well.
Coincidence? Or…
No matter what, she still had to do her job first.
"Please present your identity token."
Leng Qingqiu spoke coldly, extending her hand toward Ye Ling.
"Here."
With a thought, the Heavenly Gate Token flew out of Ye Ling's Storage Ring and landed in Leng Qingqiu's hand.
"That's correct. It bears the contract seal of the Righteous Path Alliance."
After checking the token, Leng Qingqiu nodded. She added a new mark to the seal and immediately handed it back to Ye Ling.
Once the official business was done, she continued, "So what exactly is going on with this child?"
Since Ye Ling was an examiner, his presence here made sense.
Though she still couldn't completely rule out his involvement, Leng Qingqiu felt that everything would become clear once the little girl woke up.
To be honest, it wasn't that they couldn't wake her. It was just that seeing the adorable creature sleeping so soundly made both of them unconsciously lower their voices.
The little girl slept deeply in Ye Ling's arms, utterly undisturbed by their conversation. She looked completely at ease.
"I don't know either. Should we ask at the Garrison Guard headquarters? Maybe she's a child who got lost," Ye Ling said.
Holding the little girl, Ye Ling could tell she had no notable energy. The System also showed no response. If he didn't know her name, it wouldn't display anything.
Yet that was precisely what made her extraordinary.
Was she carrying some kind of treasure?
That was the only conclusion Ye Ling could reach.
"Oh?"
Leng Qingqiu looked Ye Ling up and down suspiciously. She had originally assumed he planned to take the little girl back to his lodging.
If Ye Ling really was willing to bring her to the Garrison Guard headquarters, she would be more inclined to believe he was innocent.
"Don't look at me like that. I already told you, I have nothing to do with her."
Ye Ling understood what Leng Qingqiu was thinking. He had a clear conscience and nothing to fear. As long as the System wasn't deliberately messing with him, he would be fine.
And the fact that the System still hadn't given him any prompts reassured him even more.
After all, when Leng Qingqiu had been assigned the "broken engagement" setting, the System had notified him immediately.
But this little girl, who had nothing to do with Leng Qingqiu, hadn't triggered any notification at all. That alone was strange.
So unless the System was glitching, this little girl couldn't possibly have anything to do with him.
"The lodgings are on the way to the Garrison Guard headquarters. I'll take you there first so you can settle in, Senior Brother Ye," Leng Qingqiu said.
Seeing that Ye Ling was serious, her expression softened noticeably.
She formed a quick hand seal to signal the assessment assembly that she had received the person, then continued, "Once you're settled, I'll take her to the Garrison Guard headquarters to register."
"Mm."
Ye Ling had no objections to her arrangement.
Although the little girl in his arms smelled sweet, she would still need to wait a few more years before… No, wait!
In any case, if fate allowed it, they would meet again someday. Exchanging contact information was hardly a big deal.
With that thought, Ye Ling followed Leng Qingqiu as he took in the sights of the ancient city known as Tianqiong.
...
The Cultivation World was divided among four imperial dynasties.
The Xuanwu Imperial Dynasty of the Northern Domain Ice Plains.
The Vermilion Bird Imperial Dynasty of the Southern Frontier Great Marsh.
The White Tiger Imperial Dynasty of the Western Desert Hills.
The Azure Dragon Imperial Dynasty of the Eastern Wilderness Isles.
Yet at the very center of the Cultivation World lay a neutral state—Ying Prefecture.
Ying Prefecture was governed by the Righteous Path Alliance, and all cultivator examinations were held there. This was done to prevent the four great dynasties from cheating on their own turf.
Tianqiong City was one of the seventy-two cities of Ying Prefecture.
Its ranking was neither high nor low, solidly middle-tier. Even so, it gave Ye Ling a taste of ancient customs and local culture.
Compared to the ancient world he came from before transmigrating, this place felt far more open.
As he walked through the streets, he saw many young women coming and going, most of them not cultivators.
Their clothing was form-fitting and flattering. It seemed that Bai Yiyi and the others weren't just unusually bold at home—this world's fashion sense was simply refined.
Of course, compared to the peerless beauty of Bai Yiyi and Ai Yueli, these girls were far inferior. Still, perhaps due to the presence of spiritual energy, every girl Ye Ling saw was at least above average in appearance. Even those who were less attractive usually only fell short because of their figures.
Truly, this land produces remarkable people. The ancients weren't lying.
Although Leng Qingqiu walked ahead, her attention remained firmly on Ye Ling.
Oh, men.
Relying on a woman's intuition, she could clearly feel Ye Ling's gaze wandering all over the place. Given her relationship with him, though, she had no real grounds to call him out.
Still, for some reason, it irritated her.
Can't you just look at me?
The thought suddenly popped into her head.
It wasn't entirely unjustified. In terms of looks alone, she was more than capable of turning heads wherever she went. Even dressed in men's clothing, she still stood out effortlessly.
Yet the moment she walked beside Ye Ling, the crowd's attention shifted. Compared to her straightforward beauty, Ye Ling's more ethereal presence drew eyes far more easily.
And he had an even greater advantage. A cute little girl slept soundly in his arms, making him impossible to ignore.
More importantly, even the girls who had been too shy to look at Ye Ling before now had a perfect excuse. They could glance at the little girl and, in the process, "accidentally" meet Ye Ling's eyes for a brief second.
As a result, Leng Qingqiu's spotlight was completely stolen. No wonder she felt unbalanced.
People were like that. What you couldn't have was always the most unsettling.
Normally, Leng Qingqiu was already sick of standing out in a crowd. The constant attention only made her feel bored and numb.
Yet now that the spotlight was gone, she felt uncomfortable instead.
After what felt like an unbearably long walk, the two finally arrived at a resplendent inn, its exterior gleaming with gold and jade. The sign above the entrance read: Mortal Realm Hall.
"The Righteous Path Alliance really does own a lot of property," Ye Ling remarked, immediately spotting the Alliance's emblem on the plaque.
"Is this your first time going out?" Leng Qingqiu shot him an annoyed look. "The entire Ying Prefecture belongs to the Righteous Path Alliance. Isn't it common knowledge that inns like this are prepared for judges like you?"
"Funny you should say that. It really is my first time," Ye Ling replied.
He didn't mind her tone at all and stepped straight into the inn.
To be honest, the experience felt strangely novel.
In the novels he'd read, protagonists usually arrived at major gatherings to show off. That often came with scenes of people throwing their weight around or being forced to stay in terrible accommodations.
That initial humiliation was there to set up the payoff. Only after being suppressed could the protagonist truly shine, giving readers that satisfying high point.
But for him, it was the opposite. He showed up as an examiner, got personally received, and was put up in a high-end place right away. It was dull to the point of being boring.
Maybe that was just life.
A faint, knowing smile tugged at Ye Ling's lips. If he weren't still holding a child, he'd almost be tempted to raise his wrist and check the time.
What?
No watch?
Then how about taking a look at my Small Formless Sword instead?
"What are you standing there grinning for? Hurry up and come in."
Leng Qingqiu had no idea what Ye Ling was smiling about. After finishing the check-in at the counter, she walked over and called out to him.
For some reason, despite knowing exactly how strong Ye Ling was, and despite having been beaten badly by him before, she felt no fear at all. In fact, the way she spoke to him was becoming more casual by the moment.
Was this… fighting your way into familiarity?
The thought made her shiver.
"Sorry. It's my first time in a place this upscale," Ye Ling said openly. He glanced around and added, "It's nice."
As expected of a Righteous Path Alliance property. From the outside, it looked flashy to the point of vulgarity.
But once inside, the decor revealed a refined elegance, carrying a subtle sense of spiritual harmony.
There were no guests in the main hall, yet gentle currents of wind flowed through the space. That was the effect of a Spirit Wind Formation installed within.
Such formations kept temperatures stable, warm in winter and cool in summer.
Unless someone was absurdly wealthy, though, no one would use them so casually. A single day of operation consumed an entire mid-grade Spirit Stone. It was pure extravagance.
"Hm."
Leng Qingqiu glanced at Ye Ling, clearly unconvinced. She said nothing as she continued walking inward.
With your background, how could you possibly be unfamiliar with a place like this?
Who were you trying to fool?
Information about Heavenly Gate was scarce even within the Leng family. Most likely, only the decision-makers knew the full truth.
With her status, she simply didn't have the authority to access that level of intelligence.
From her perspective, Ye Ling was clearly being sarcastic, expressing his dissatisfaction in a roundabout way.
"Recently, the demonic cultivators have been showing signs of regrouping," she explained. "The Righteous Path Alliance doesn't have much funding to spare on hospitality right now. You'll just have to make do."
That said, Ye Ling was undeniably a powerhouse. His current treatment really was beneath him, which was why Leng Qingqiu rare softened her tone to explain.
"Hmm?"
Ye Ling frowned slightly. He didn't pay attention to the latter part of her words.
Instead—
"You're saying the demonic cultivators are on the move again?"
It wasn't that he wanted to uphold justice or wipe out evil. The real problem was that once the demonic cultivators stirred, there would be more people taking advantage of the chaos to strike at the Heavenly Gate Sect.
Who knew how many enemies the Nine Heavens Immortal Maiden had brought upon the Heavenly Gate Sect? She probably couldn't even count them herself.
Once things turned chaotic, those hidden enemies would likely band together and attack the Heavenly Gate Sect outright.
He wasn't worried about Bai Yiyi and the others failing to hold their ground.
The problem was that he himself might not be able to.
Tch. Was he really going to be this unlucky?
Just after coming down the mountain, he ran into—
BOOM!!!
Before Ye Ling could finish the thought, a string of deafening explosions erupted from outside the city walls.