Living steadily in the world of gods and mystery

In the afternoon.

Chen Li was practicing his swordplay in the courtyard when he suddenly heard an urgent knocking at the door.

"Who is it!" Chen Li got up to open the door.

"It’s me, Chen, open the door quick." It was Zhang Yan’s voice.

No sooner had Chen Li opened the door than he saw Zhang Yan, covered in sweat, squeezing his way in.

"Disaster, disaster!" he said, his face flushed with panic.

Chen Li shut the door behind them, "Disaster, what disaster? Take your time and tell me!"

"I just heard in the market... someone from the Green River District killed an important member of the Zhou Family. It’s said the patriarch of the Zhou Family is furious, and they want to investigate all of us from Green River District."

Chen Li’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing this, and he feigned anger on his face, "What are you talking about? Who has done such a massive deed and dragged us all into this mess."

"Exactly," sighed Zhang Yan. "That Foundation Establishment Zhou Family isn’t to be trifled with. Now there are guards at the city gates, scrutinizing and inspecting everyone as they come and go. Anyone who doesn’t have the local accent is now forbidden to leave. I’m not afraid of anything else, just afraid that they will lash out at us in their anger!" 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

...

After chatting for a bit, Zhang Yan left with a heavy heart.

Chen Li, no longer in the mood to practice swordplay, paced back and forth in the courtyard, his brows furrowed.

He realized he had overlooked two problems.

First was the accent!

The Longevity Domain is too desolate, having few inhabitants for thousands of miles is almost the norm, let alone commoners, even the mobility amongst cultivators is quite limited.

Unless there’s organized migration, it’s rare for a Loose Cultivator to move to another market district to live.

Although the Loose Cultivators of Green River District come from various backgrounds and have differing accents, those who have migrated from the environs of Luan Luo City are clearly few in number, and the difference in accent from the local people is marked.

Especially in a society where everyone knows each other, the sudden arrival of a group of outsiders is quite conspicuous. The habituated accents of people like Zhao Lin have given away their origins.

Second, this is a world where the strong prey on the weak with unchecked power.

The meek are as humble as grass, and the strong are unbridled. The Zhou Family isn’t just a Foundation Establishment clan in Luoluo City; they’re part of the ruling class, especially since an important member of the Zhou Family has died. At such a time, even the Longevity Sect could only turn a blind eye and let the investigation proceed.

After all, the Longevity Sect of today is no longer the Longevity Sect it once was.

Chen Li stopped walking and came to a realization.

Rather than sit here idly worrying, it would be better to go and investigate the situation.

He went inside the house, took off his spell robe, and put on a set of ordinary robes. He had several sets of such clothes in his storage bag, a longstanding practice from his days in Green River District.

"Going out again?" Zhou Hong came in to help Chen Li straighten his robe.

"Yeah, I heard from Zhang Yan that the Foundation Establishment Zhou Family is investigating us who come from Green River District. I’m going out to see what’s happening," Chen Li said. Such matters could not be divulged even to a confidant.

For one, it would be of no help, only causing them worry as well.

For another, it could easily lead to exposure.

Chen Li repeated what Zhang Yan had told him, then added, "These next few days, it’s best if you don’t leave the house. If anyone asks where I was last night, just say I was at home the whole time."

"Of course I know that. When they come to investigate, you mustn’t act rashly. Just bear with it, and it will pass," Zhou Hong said, concerned.

"Yeah, don’t worry!" said Chen Li.

After a brief conversation, and with Zhou Hong’s reminders ringing in his ears, Chen Li left the house.

On the street, people everywhere were talking about the affairs of the Zhou Family.

Luoluo City was too small. Any little disturbance quickly became common knowledge.

Chen Li changed his appearance and headed towards the city gates.

Sure enough, there were five or six people at the city gates holding several portraits, interrogating the passersby with an intimidating presence.

"Where are you from?"

"Do you recognize these three people?"

"Where were you last night?"

Upon glancing at the portraits, Chen Li’s tensed heart relaxed considerably.

The portraits were quite stylized.

And bore little resemblance to Zhao Lin and the others.

One had a large birthmark added to their face.

Another sported a bushy beard.

...

To say nothing of identifying individuals from these portraits.

Even bringing Zhao Lin in for comparison would yield at best a three-point resemblance.

Indeed, disguise was almost a mandatory survival skill for Loose Cultivators from Green River District.

When trading in the markets, especially when dealing with high-value items like magic artifacts, who wouldn’t change their appearance? With Zhao Lin and the others being so cautious, they naturally wouldn’t show their true faces, or else they’d have been dead and buried long ago.

"Clearly, those who have seen Zhao Lin and the others’ true faces were all killed by me, while the witnesses and some that slipped through the net saw their disguised faces!" Chen Li thought to himself.

Just then, a dispute arose at the city gates.

"What are you doing, why won’t you let me leave the city?" a Loose Cultivator with a Green River District accent demanded, his anger barely contained.

"Slap!"

A Zhou Family cultivator stepped forward and slapped him hard:

"Leave the city, you say? A Green River man wanting to leave the city? I suspect you’re one of the culprits. Take him away for a thorough interrogation."

The Loose Cultivator was left dazed and bloodied at the corner of his mouth.

Before he could resist, he was quickly bound by a rope-like magic artifact, unable to struggle, and acquiesced to his capture. After being searched and stripped of his magic artifacts, he was swiftly taken away.

Chen Li fixed his gaze on the several people at the city gates, committing them to memory.

Then he turned and walked away.

...

After returning home, he placed both storage bags and his Second Order magic sword in the cellar, then sealed the entrance with stone slabs and blocked it with a cupboard.

He continued to practice his swordplay and spells as usual.

The day passed peacefully.

The following day at noon, just after lunch, a commotion could be heard from outside.

Chen Li heard the commotion, opened the courtyard door, and stood in the doorway, only to see a group of people approaching.

"This family here is from Green River District," one person pointed at Zhang Yan’s house and said to the Zhou Family cultivators.

"Bang Bang Bang, open the door! Open it quick!"

Zhang Yan opened the door with a panicked face and kept bowing profusely, "Fellow Daoists, this matter has nothing to do with us."

"Who’s your Fellow Daoist, stop with the baseless familiarities. Hey, whether it’s related or not isn’t for you to decide."

Before Zhang Yan could reply, he was rudely shoved through the door, and the group of people entered one after another.

"Looks like you’re in trouble," Bai Jinwang also came out to watch the excitement, and said with a smile, "You folks from Green River District really are plagued with disasters. I foresee such events won’t decrease in the future."

"What’s it to you? Mind your own business," Chen Li snapped back irritably.

"I’m just kindly showing concern for you!"

Chen Li "hmphed" and couldn’t be bothered with Bai Jinwang anymore.

Perhaps due to having no prospects on the path, or maybe due to familiarity, this old man always spoke with a trace of sarcasm.

Sounds of things being tossed and turned came from Zhang Yan’s house. Were they searching for something?

A full quarter of an hour later.

A group of people walked out of Zhang Yan’s house.

Heading toward Chen Li’s side.

"This one as well," the Loose Cultivator living nearby pointed at Chen Li, a trace of embarrassment on his face.

Chen Li hurriedly put on a full-faced smile to greet them, deftly slipping a gilded talisman into the leading Zhou Family cultivator’s hand, "Those people truly deserve death, not worth pitying at all, causing trouble for us innocents. We’re all just honest and hard-working folks who came to Luoluo City to make a living; I implore you all to see the truth!"

The leader of the Zhou Family cultivators glanced down, a flicker of satisfaction crossing his severe face, before promptly tucking it away into his sleeve, "What nonsense, whether or not it needs to be investigated can only be known later, get inside, and behave!"

Despite his words, his demeanor had softened considerably.

Chen Li kept nodding in agreement, his face showing an apologetic smile as he invited the people into his home. Zhou Hong hurriedly came over, her face fraught with concern as she stood by Chen Li’s side.

Some rummaged through boxes and overturned furniture while searching.

Others separated and interrogated Chen Li and Zhou Hong.

"Do you recognize these people?"

"Where were you the night before?"

"What were you all doing?"

"Be honest! Do you have any suspects in mind?"

...

A few Zhou Family cultivators took turns interrogating them, their tones stern, threatening and intimidating without pause.

Fortunately, no serious issues arose.

Even Zhou Hong, who had some faint suspicions about Chen Li going out the previous night, maintained a composed face, covering for her husband.

After the fruitless inquiry.

The Zhou Family cultivators quickly left.

After all, there were not a few Loose Cultivators from Green River District living in Luoluo City.

Chen Li and Zhou Hong, looking at their chaotic home, both heaved a sigh of relief simultaneously.

This predicament had finally passed, at least for the time being.

"You clean up first; I’ll go see how Zhang Yan is doing," Chen Li said as he stepped out and knocked on Zhang Yan’s door, "Fellow Daoist Zhang, are you alright?"

"I’m fine! It’s really inconvenient right now, so I won’t invite you in. Let’s talk in a day or two," a muffled, pained voice came from inside.

He must’ve suffered, just uncertain how severely.

"Shuniang, what happened to your father?" Chen Li asked.

"Uncle, those people were so fierce, my dad got slapped several times, and his face is all swollen, wu wu wu..." Zhang Shuniang said with a crying voice.

Chen Li didn’t know what to say.

There’s a saying, don’t hit the face when you strike a person!

Sigh, it was all because he got them involved.

"Shuniang, quick, open the door, I’ll come in and treat your dad’s injuries."

"Ah, it’s just a small injury, no need to trouble Fellow Daoist, I’ll recover in a couple of days," Zhang Yan hastily said.

...

At night.

After the incident!

Chen Li stared at the ceiling beams, his brow furrowed in thought, "This isn’t right, the danger hasn’t passed. The Zhou Family probably won’t let this go so easily. Including those living at the foot of the mountain, there are only two to three hundred people in Green River District, and because of the different accents and being newcomers, we’re quite conspicuous. One casual inquiry would reveal everything.

"They’ll be able to conduct a thorough investigation in a short amount of time.

"Zhao Lin and the three others happened to go missing last night, they will be the prime suspects.

"And once they start investigating Zhao Lin and his group...

"I will surface as well, my connection with Zhao Lin and his group wouldn’t escape the notice of those with intentions!"

Zhou Hong snuggled up in Chen Li’s embrace, seeing him heavily preoccupied and his eyebrows knitted together. She hesitated several times, wanting to speak but held back, and ultimately said nothing. Even if she had gotten an answer, what good would it do? She thought there might be an inevitable reason for it, and as a couple united in heart, why seek clarity?

She let out a hardly noticeable sigh, embracing Chen Li, silently comforting him.

Feeling Zhou Hong’s behaviour, Chen Li snapped back to reality and reassured her, "Don’t worry, it’s alright. If worst comes to worst, we’ll leave this place and go to another district."

The tunnel he had spent over a month digging was prepared for such times; they could leave anytime they wished.

"As long as you are safe and sound, anywhere is fine," Zhou Hong said softly.

Though Chen Li’s words spoke of departure, his eyes were growing colder.

Heh, Foundation Establishment family.

He did indeed dread the Foundation Establishment family.

But the dread was only for the Foundation Establishment cultivator alone; strong as he was, he was just one person. As for the other Zhou Family cultivators, they were nothing more than insignificant creatures.

Now the Zhou Family was fixated on scrutinizing the Loose Cultivators of Green River District.

Then he would make them change their target, stir the waters, and make it impossible for them to continue their search!

With so many Foundation Establishment families in Luan Luo City, and even the colossal entity of the Longevity Sect, there were many possible suspects. Why should the Zhou Family stubbornly cling to investigating the people of Green River District!