Chapter 932: Two Identities

Upon closer thought, it wasn't surprising. The Myriad Demon Ridge battlefield mark was exchanged from the Merit Hall. Although it only lasted for two hours, it still possessed all its intended functions. In a sense, it was a genuine Myriad Demon Ridge battlefield mark. Therefore, passing through the supervisory restrictions of Myriad Demon City was naturally not an issue.

The woman must have visited Myriad Demon City many times, as she flew effortlessly towards a certain direction. Moments later, she landed within a small courtyard. She turned to Tong Shuyao and said, "I'll tend to my injuries first; you two can go about your business." As she spoke, she subtly winked at Tong Shuyao.

"Yes, Master-Aunt!" Tong Shuyao respectfully replied, understanding the implicit message.

After the woman left, Tong Shuyao looked at Lu Ye. "Junior Brother Taibai, since this is your first time in Myriad Demon City, I'll show you around." Lu Ye was about to decline, but then, after a moment's consideration, he nodded. "Alright, then I'll trouble Senior Sister Tong."

"Let's go, no need to be polite."

The situation in Myriad Demon City was largely similar to that in Haotian City. At this stage, the number of cultivators within Myriad Demon City was not excessively high; it was within a normal range. Occasionally, the figures of Spirit Sea Realm grand cultivators could be seen flying past.

Tong Shuyao led Lu Ye around Myriad Demon City for a while before finally speaking. "Junior Brother Taibai, although you hail from the Peerless Continent, now that you've come to the Nine Provinces and joined Myriad Demon Ridge, you will eventually need to join the State Guard. Once you join, you can achieve great deeds and earn merit. It's better to do this sooner rather than later."

She had received a hint from the woman earlier. Her purpose on this trip was not only to monitor Lu Ye but also to find a way to persuade him. For her part, she naturally hoped that Junior Brother Li Taibai would join the State Guard and serve under her Master-Aunt. While the woman's abilities and cultivation would allow her to force Lu Ye to join, a forced melon is never sweet. It was always better for someone to join willingly.

"Senior Sister Tong is right," Lu Ye replied, but in his mind, he pondered the predicament. In this situation, it seemed impossible to leave, which was truly troublesome. Tong Shuyao stuck to him like a burr, impossible to shake off. Any slight move on his part, and she would likely immediately send a message to the woman.

He wondered, "Myriad Demon Ridge is full of talented individuals; why would your Master-Aunt specifically fixate on me?"

"Our Master-Aunt has sharp eyes!" Tong Shuyao giggled, her face slightly flushed. She couldn't very well tell Lu Ye that she had pleaded for this. Lu Ye assumed that his previous good performance had caught the eye of the Spirit Sea Realm woman, unaware that ultimately, his handsome appearance had caused the trouble. Although Tong Shuyao called the woman "Master-Aunt," their relationship was more like mother and daughter. Earlier, in the tent, Tong Shuyao had begged her about this matter, and the woman had readily agreed. Furthermore, Lu Ye had indeed performed well previously, and his cultivation was sufficient, making him more than qualified to join the State Guard. The woman had initially expected Lu Ye to be overflowing with gratitude when she personally recruited him, but to her displeasure, he hadn't given her a direct positive reply.

"I'd like to visit the Heavenly Secret Hall to buy some cultivation items. Senior Sister Tong, could you lead me there?" Lu Ye asked.

"This way," Tong Shuyao said, skipping ahead with her hands clasped behind her back, appearing to be in a very good mood. This suggested that the True Lake Realm cultivators who had died earlier probably didn't have a very close relationship with her.

Soon, they arrived at a Heavenly Secret Hall. Lu Ye raised his hand and pressed it onto a Heavenly Secret Pillar, entered the Merit Hall, and then exchanged for another Myriad Demon Ridge battlefield mark to replenish his existing one. Only then did his mind settle.

Stepping out of the Heavenly Secret Hall, he saw Tong Shuyao waiting. Lu Ye approached her and said, "Senior Sister Tong, please also inform your Master-Aunt that I am willing to join the State Guard and serve under her."

He had come to a realization: since some matters were unavoidable, he might as well confront them directly. Moreover, from another perspective, this might not necessarily be a bad thing. If he could truly join the Myriad Demon Ridge State Guard, it would be convenient for him to gather intelligence from their side in the future, potentially playing an unexpected role at certain times. Normally, the Haotian Alliance would go to great lengths to plant a hidden agent in Myriad Demon Ridge, but he already had the perfect conditions. It would be a waste not to utilize them.

"Really?" Tong Shuyao looked delighted. Lu Ye nodded. "Really."

"That's wonderful! But you'll have to wait two days. Master-Aunt is recuperating. As soon as she finishes, I'll tell her immediately."

On the way back, Tong Shuyao's mood visibly brightened. She hummed an unknown tune, a smile never leaving her face.

Back at the small courtyard, they each rested. Over the next two days, Tong Shuyao frequently sought out Lu Ye, which left him feeling quite helpless.

Two days later, the woman emerged from seclusion. As expected, Tong Shuyao immediately reported Lu Ye's willingness to join the State Guard. The woman's gaze softened considerably as she looked at Lu Ye and beckoned, "Come with me."

Lu Ye had experience joining the State Guard in the Haotian Alliance, but he never expected to go through the process again just a few months later, and this time, it was for the Myriad Demon Ridge State Guard. The procedure was almost identical to that of the Haotian Alliance. First, they went to the Recruitment Office to register and receive a guard token, then used a merit disc to calculate his battle merit and determine his rank.

Ordinarily, identity verification was required during registration. For cultivators from the Nine Provinces, this was not difficult; a few messages would suffice to ascertain the situation. However, Li Taibai's identity as a rogue cultivator from the Peerless Continent, with no verifiable records, made it very difficult for the Recruitment Office to verify. With the woman's guarantee, the matter was dropped. As the identity of Li Taibai had naturally not accumulated any battle merit, when Lu Ye activated the Myriad Demon Ridge battlefield mark on the merit disc, it displayed a white light.

By rights, Lu Ye should have started as the most basic soldier. However, because Lu Ye possessed True Lake Realm cultivation, he was granted the rank of Fruit Guard. This rule was the same as in the Haotian Alliance: a True Lake Realm cultivator's cultivation level ensured a minimum rank of Fruit Guard. Of course, if Lu Ye wished to advance his rank in the future, he would need to accumulate a certain amount of battle merit.

As he followed the woman out of the Recruitment Office, Lu Ye's emotions were complex. What a turn of events...

He now essentially held two official identities: one, naturally, as Lu Ye of the Jade Blood Sect, and the second as Li Taibai, a rogue cultivator from the Peerless Continent. The Myriad Demon Ridge battlefield mark also contained this record. When Lu Ye immersed his consciousness to check, the battlefield mark clearly provided some information:Name: Li Taibai.Identity: Rogue cultivator from Peerless Continent.Cultivation: True Lake Realm, Third Level.Location: Myriad Demon City.Achievements: Zero.Battle Merit: Zero.Previously, Lu Ye had checked his Myriad Demon Ridge battlefield mark, and it had contained no records. But now it did, clearly indicating that it had been recognized by the Heavenly Mechanism.

"Come, let's return to the pass," the woman called out. This time, she didn't have Lu Ye and Tong Shuyao fly; instead, she summoned a flying spirit artifact and carried them both out of Myriad Demon City.

Normally, when cultivators joined the State Guard, they would be assigned to a specific pass by the Bureau of Personnel. However, as a Spirit Sea Realm cultivator, the woman held a considerable position within Myriad Demon Ridge, so obtaining a person from the Bureau of Personnel was naturally not an issue. Thus, once Lu Ye joined the Myriad Demon Ridge State Guard, he became her subordinate.

"My name is Lin Yue, and I am the Pass Master of Dark Moon Forest Pass, under Bright Jade Pass," the woman announced. "From now on, you will serve under me. When we reach the pass, I will grant you the position of 'Seat Attendant.' In the future, you and Yao'er must help each other. If you have any questions, you can ask Yao'er."

It was only then that Lu Ye learned the woman's name. He mused internally that the "Seat Attendant" position truly existed. When Yiyi had received this position from Nian Yuexian previously, Lu Ye had thought Nian Yuexian had merely assigned it casually. Now, it seemed, such a position genuinely existed.

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior," Lu Ye bowed.

"Call her 'Your Excellency'," Tong Shuyao tugged on Lu Ye's sleeve.

"Thank you, Your Excellency," Lu Ye complied readily.

Tong Shuyao then asked, "Master-Aunt, is that venomous woman still in Liyuan? Will we encounter her?"

Lin Yue shook her head. "She's no longer there. News came a few days ago that she had fought her way out of Liyuan and returned to Fiery Mountain Pass."

"She's truly impressive," Tong Shuyao exclaimed admiringly.

Lu Ye's expression remained calm. He had already contacted Nian Yuexian once before and knew her current situation. Nian Yuexian had also inquired about his location and circumstances. Lu Ye found it difficult to explain clearly, not for any other reason than fearing her worry. He simply told her that he had encountered some opportunities and would return later. Nian Yuexian didn't doubt him; though concerned for Lu Ye's safety, she didn't pursue him further into Liyuan.

They flew swiftly, finding the journey peaceful and uneventful. The previously bustling Liyuan had grown silent with Nian Yuexian's departure. The numerous flying swords that had escaped from the Sword Sect's secret realm had now largely found their owners.

The speed of a Spirit Sea Realm grand cultivator flying with an artifact was very fast. Even without Lin Yue traveling at full speed, it took only two or three hours from Myriad Demon City to reach Dark Moon Forest Pass. In Myriad Demon Ridge, Dark Moon Forest Pass was subordinate to Bright Jade Pass, corresponding to Heavenly Gate Pass on the Haotian Alliance side. The two defensive lines of the two major factions faced each other from afar, locked in perennial conflict.

From a distance, figures of cultivators moving within the city could be seen. Compared to the desolate Fiery Mountain City, this place was undoubtedly much livelier. Among the many passes of the two major factions, each pass had cultivators stationed for defense. Only Fiery Mountain Pass was an exception, somber and lifeless, with only Nian Yuexian, a lone figure, remaining there for decades. Of course, this was also due to Nian Yuexian's formidable strength. Her power was more than sufficient to be a Pass Master, but because she disliked power struggles and had her own conviction, she had always remained at Fiery Mountain Pass. It was only recently, with Lu Ye's arrival, that Fiery Mountain Pass had gained some vitality.

Upon landing inside Dark Moon Forest Pass, cultivators immediately approached to report on various matters, including recent troop movements and defense deployments. Tong Shuyao and Lu Ye followed closely behind Lin Yue, listening silently to the orders. After a while, Lin Yue waved her hand, and the reporting cultivator respectfully withdrew. Turning around, she instructed Tong Shuyao, "Take him down and help him settle in."

"Yes," Tong Shuyao acknowledged.