CHAPTER 160: CHAPTER 28: STRANGE RULES

"Senior Brother Si’s cultivation level is naturally higher than the Golden Threaded Eagle’s, and with a better cultivation technique, they can easily defeat the Golden Threaded Eagle. Once we reach the ninth tier, we’ll be able to defeat the Golden Threaded Eagle as well," Zhuo Tingqiu stood beside Yun Ran, his eyes fiery as he spoke.

"Although that’s the case, just watching Senior Brother Si and the others fight makes my blood boil. I feel like I want to go out and fight the Golden Threaded Eagle too, except that I can’t beat it!" Yun Ran smiled bitterly, her cultivation level was only at the eighth tier, and against the ninth-tier Golden Threaded Eagle, she could only hold on for a while, but winning was impossible!

"I feel the same." Zhuo Tingqiu turned his head and locked eyes with Yun Ran, and both of them gave a bitter smile at the same time.

Si Lin and the others took about half an hour to deal with the dozen or so Golden Threaded Eagles attacking them and then returned to the ship.

"Alright, Geng Geng, let me." Si Lin put away the Dragon Capturing Sword, walked over to Gu Qingqing’s side, and said softly.

Gu Qingqing withdrew her hand and watched as Si Lin made hand seals with both hands. When he pointed into the air again, the protective shield instantly disappeared.

"This protective shield consumes too much energy, so it can’t be turned on all the time." Seeing everyone looking at him, Si Lin explained.

This protective shield could withstand three full-force strikes from a Half-step Immortal, and the spirit stones consumed were not a small amount. Its usage was limited, which made it better to be used at critical moments.

After hearing Si Lin’s explanation, the others naturally had no objections. Qi Yu and the others went straight back to the cabin, leaving Gu Qingqing and her group on the deck.

"Geng Geng, we’ve collected the bodies of the Golden Threaded Eagles, and soon we’ll pluck the feathers for Senior Brother Rong Ye. If you have a vestment robe style you like, just tell Senior Brother Rong Ye." Rong Ye promised Gu Qingqing to make a vestment robe, and naturally wouldn’t break his word. The bodies of the Golden Threaded Eagles were all collected by them.

"Alright, thank you, Senior Brother Rong Ye, Third Senior Brother, and Fifth Senior Brother." Gu Qingqing had never seen a vestment robe made from the feathers of Golden Threaded Eagles, and upon hearing Rong Ye’s words, her interest was piqued, thinking about what the vestment robe should look like in her mind.

After dealing with the Golden Threaded Eagle, their journey went smoothly, and by the evening of the fourth day, they reached the outskirts of Wuyun City.

They found an open space and controlled the Tower Ship to land. Once everyone had disembarked, Si Lin made hand seals with both hands, throwing several Dharma Seals onto the Tower Ship, which quickly shrank, turning into something the size of a palm model, and was collected by Si Lin.

It was already evening, the sunset had set, and the sky looked somewhat dim. Gu Qingqing and the others walked towards the city gate of Wuyun City.

"The spiritual energy above Wuyun City feels a bit unusual, but I can’t tell what’s wrong," Yue Zhao glanced at the sky above Wuyun City, frowning and speaking in a low voice.

Everyone else looked up at the sky over Wuyun City, feeling similarly to what Yue Zhao described. Something felt off, but they couldn’t pinpoint what it was.

At the city gate, there weren’t many people entering the city, and after a short wait in line, it was their turn. After entering Wuyun City, that strange feeling became more pronounced.

"I don’t know why, but after entering, I have a very oppressed feeling," Zhuo Tingqiu looked at the sky with a frown and said.

"Me too. Does anyone else feel like this city is strange?" Yun Ran looked around and voiced her observation.

"Look at the people around us. Why do their expressions seem numb, lacking any sense of liveliness?" Rong Ye pointed to his face, indicating others to observe the expressions on the faces of the people around them, and spoke incredulously.

Upon hearing this, Gu Qingqing and the others also looked at the townsfolk walking by them and found Rong Ye’s observation accurate. Their expressions were indeed numb, as if they had no feelings, making it eerie!

"What is going on here? What has happened in this city? Why does the entire place feel strange?" Mu Chen stroked his chin, asked in astonishment.

No one else knew what was going on either and couldn’t answer his question. There was a brief silence within the group, as everyone quietly observed the situation in the city.

The streets here didn’t differ from those in other cities. Wuyun City was not a large city, just a medium-sized one. The population wasn’t particularly large, and the economy didn’t seem very prosperous. The sky above it looked overcast, yet not in a way that suggested rain, adding to a sense of oppression.

Since the specific details about the missing disciples were unclear, and it was already late, they thought it would be best to find a place to stay for the night and investigate for clues the following day.

With Gu Qingqing present, Si Lin and the others naturally wouldn’t stay at a small inn; they directly went to the largest inn in the city, booked rooms, and settled everyone in.

The waiter leading Gu Qingqing and the others was quite talkative, seemingly different from the numb expressions outside, and Zhuo Tingqiu chatted with him as they walked.

"Little Brother, are you a local of Wuyun City?" Zhuo Tingqiu walked beside the waiter, kindly asked.

"Of course, I grew up here." The waiter loved to talk, and seeing Zhuo Tingqiu’s impressive presence yet hearing such a friendly tone gave him a sense of respect, prompting him to share more with Zhuo Tingqiu.

"Do you know if any unusual things have happened in the city recently?" Zhuo Tingqiu, prompted by Yue Zhao, curiously asked.

"Unusual things?" The waiter seemed a bit puzzled, then after some thought, he opened his mouth, "No strange things really, but there is one rule: after nightfall, please do not light any lamps, stay inside your room, and do not open the door if someone knocks, as it could spell trouble."

Upon saying this, Zhuo Tingqiu noticed the waiter’s expression becoming very serious, even holding a hint of warning.

"What kind of rule is that? Do things come out after dark?" Zhuo Tingqiu asked in surprise.

"I don’t know; I never dare to light a lamp or go out at night. Just recently, a guest who lit a lamp at night disappeared the next day. His companions searched the entire Wuyun City and couldn’t find him!" the waiter shrugged, speaking nonchalantly.

Gu Qingqing and the others exchanged a look, aware that something was amiss.

"Apart from this rule, is there anything else we should be aware of? We’re new here, and don’t want to break any rules unknowingly!" Zhuo Tingqiu asked, pulling out a high-grade Spirit Stone from his storage ring, handing it to the waiter.

The waiter, feeling something in his hand, looked down to find a high-grade Spirit Stone and gleefully relaxed his expression, "Other than what I’ve mentioned, there are no other rules."

Once he’d finished speaking, they arrived at the rooms for Gu Qingqing and the others, who each chose a room and went in to rest.

On the ship, it was impossible to bathe, and Gu Qingqing had endured until now, finally taking the opportunity to freshen up now that they were in Wuyun City.

Once she was done, Si Lin and the others came to her room. Nan Hua set down an array to ensure no outsiders could hear their conversation, and only then did they begin discussing.

"What do you think about the rule that waiter mentioned?" Yue Zhao looked around before speaking up.

"Wuyun City is certainly strange. I recall passing through Wuyun City a few years ago, and there was no such rule. It all sounds very odd," Mu Chen reacted first, expressing a displeased look.

"I also sense something off about this place. I’m unsure whether what the waiter said is true, and the townsfolk are also bizarre. At a glance, they seem to display emotions, but on closer inspection, their expressions are numb—not normal!" Rong Ye added.

"It is clear Wuyun City isn’t normal; the issue at hand is what should we do next?" Nan Hua waved the fan in his hand and directly asked.

"If there’s a Demon Cultivator involved, it’s likely the townsfolk are under control, and those missing persons might also be the work of a Demon Cultivator. Tonight, we might as well follow the rule, and after exploring the city tomorrow, we can try to test it at night to see what occurs!" Jun Wu poured a cup of Spiritual Dew for Gu Qingqing, offering his rare opinion.

Seeing Jun Wu’s suggestion was quite sensible, Yue Zhao nodded in agreement, "Jun Wu makes sense; since we’ve just arrived, it’s not wise to act rashly. Everyone is a bit weary from the prolonged time on the ship, so it’s best to take it easy tonight and follow the waiters’ advice, and look into it tomorrow."

"If there is danger, immediately crush the talisman so that everyone else will know, and don’t try to be a hero!" Si Lin looked around, cautioning everyone.

Everyone nodded, indicating they wouldn’t act recklessly and would protect themselves.

As darkness continued to envelop the sky, having finalized their plan, Gu Qingqing and the others refrained from further conversation. Yue Zhao went to inform Lin Xian’er and the others of their plan, and Si Lin, along with the rest, retired to their rooms.

For safety reasons, Gu Qingqing and Yun Ran shared a room. After Si Lin and the others left, they did not light any lamps, and in the dark returned to the bed, sitting up instead of sleeping, beginning to cultivate.

"Geng Geng, are you afraid?" Yun Ran suddenly opened her eyes and quietly asked Gu Qingqing.

"Afraid of what?" Gu Qingqing turned her face towards Yun Ran. Although the room was dark, it didn’t significantly affect them. Cultivators’ night vision wasn’t much hindered.

"This place feels eerie, and if there really is a Demon Cultivator, it would mean facing a formidable opponent. I’m unsure if we’ll cope!" Yun Ran said, moving closer to Gu Qingqing to express her worries.

"Don’t worry, the Senior Brothers are very capable, and besides, I’ll protect you too!" Gu Qingqing was surprised to learn Yun Ran was scared and quickly held her hand comfortingly.