Chapter 401: Summer Dynasty Song

Following his gaze, they saw a middle-aged man dressed in dark robes, with a Seven-Star Sword on his back. He walked with a powerful, imposing stride, emanating an extraordinary aura. Leading a group of disciples down the street, he caused passersby to quickly make way, not daring to obstruct them.

"The Supreme Sect Master?"

Jiang Fan had a peculiar expression. He remembered this Sect Master vividly, the one who, by himself, had sparked the wave of denunciations among the nine sects.

However, he turned his head to glance at the carriage and asked with confusion, "Do you have a grudge against the Supreme Sect Master?"

It wasn't that Yue Mingzhu had a grudge against him; she was afraid of being recognized!

"No, but I don't like him."

Yue Mingzhu secretly peeked through a slit in the carriage curtain. Only after seeing that they had gone far did she sigh in relief. Immediately, she became worried again:

"I wonder how many Sect Masters have actually arrived in this city. If I'm spotted by even one of them, I won't be able to explain myself. It's not advisable to stay long in this city."

She jumped off the carriage and said, "I'll go prepare dry rations and water, and you arrange for new horses. We'll meet back here afterward."

Jiang Fan nodded. Working separately would save more time, and he was happy to do so. He immediately drove the carriage alone and returned it to the local branch of the carriage rental company. What caught him off guard was this: there were no horses for sale in this place.

When he explained his intention, the branch manager smiled, accustomed to such questions, and said, "This is your first time in Sunset City, young master, isn't it? If you wish to enter the Northern Territory for a mission, horses simply won't do. Ten miles outside Sunset City, the snow is neck-deep. Even the tallest steed would disappear head-first if it took a single step into it."

Jiang Fan was astonished. Was the environment deep within the Northern Territory truly so harsh?

Seeing that Jiang Fan paid readily, the manager was happy to elaborate: "To journey into the Northern Territory, you can only travel on large spirit beasts. If your sect hasn't provided one for you, you'll have to go to the command post and see if you can apply for one."

Among the nine sects, only the Spirit Beast Sect had any spirit beasts. Where would the other sects get mounts for their disciples? Most of them could only apply at the command post.

After asking for directions, Jiang Fan thanked him and hurried to the command post. The command post was located in the center of Sunset City Square. Even before arriving, he could see enormous creatures from afar, several or even a dozen zhang tall. They were bizarre and varied: six-zhang tall white horses with pointed horns on their heads, deer-like spiritual creatures neighing skyward, and two-headed camel-like beings bickering amongst themselves. In short, they were all massive in size, yet appeared docile.

"Martial Uncle?"

A surprised gasp of disbelief reached his ears. Jiang Fan was slightly startled. Only a handful of people in the nine sects would address him as such. He glanced sideways, and a stunning silhouette met his eyes. Who else could it be but Xia Chaoge?

She was wearing a sky-blue, water-patterned long dress, her impossibly slender waist gently tied with a white silk sash. Her face was a perfect oval, her skin delicate and fair as jade, warm and lustrous. Her nose bridge was high, and her cherry lips resembled rose petals adorned with morning dew. A gentle breeze stirred her beautiful hair, creating an air of effortless grace. Sunlight caressed her slender figure, casting a soft, hazy silhouette.

She stood there. The distant sky and snowy mountains all faded into the background, frozen into a timeless, enduring painting.

Jiang Fan was momentarily stunned, then smiled and said, "It's been a long time, Martial Niece."

On Xia Chaoge's elegantly ethereal and stunning face, traces of surprise bloomed. Under the astonished gazes of onlookers, she jogged over to Jiang Fan:

"Martial Uncle, you must write a letter to criticize Junior Sister Yan! She treats that handbook you gave her like a treasure, only letting me read one page at a time. She's so stingy!" She gazed at Jiang Fan with a hint of grievance, stamped her foot, and huffed playfully. Her meaning was clear; it was as if the words "Martial Uncle is biased" were practically engraved on her forehead.

Jiang Fan was taken aback. This girl actually knows how to act spoiled? Finding himself a little overwhelmed, he hastily replied, "Alright, alright, when I return after finishing my mission, I'll write one for you too."

Only then did Xia Chaoge smile, her eyes curving into crescents. "Thank you, Martial Uncle," she said, "I knew you wouldn't be biased."

This scene left countless disciples utterly dumbfounded.

"Is that... is that Xia Chaoge?"

"I was wondering the same thing. Isn't Xia Chaoge known for being quiet and rarely speaking to anyone?"

"And she's acting spoiled? Am I seeing this right?"

Xia Chaoge had always given off an impression of serene tranquility and detachment from worldly concerns. She rarely even smiled. This lively, even coquettish side of her completely overturned everyone's perception. It sparked discussions, and even envy, among many male disciples.

"Junior Sister Xia, who is this Junior Brother? Why do you call him Martial Uncle?" A youth in a light gold robe, with black hair draped over his shoulders and an incomparably handsome appearance, walked over. He asked, his face full of curiosity.

Xia Chaoge looked at him, her face returning to its usual placid expression. "He is my Martial Uncle Jiang," she said. She then turned to Jiang Fan, her eyes once more twinkling with amusement. "Martial Uncle," she asked, "are you also here to apply for a spirit beast? Have you registered your mission jade slip yet? The command post allocates spirit beasts based on mission difficulty; the harder the mission, the superior the allocated spirit beast."

So, one couldn't just choose any spirit beast they liked? But on second thought, spirit beasts were essential transportation and extremely scarce. Without rules, disputes and fights would inevitably arise. Allocating spirit beasts based on mission difficulty left no room for complaints.

"Who do I register with?" Jiang Fan asked, looking around.

Xia Chaoge enthusiastically offered, "I'll take you, Martial Uncle."

The golden-robed youth's face flushed crimson and then paled. In broad daylight, Xia Chaoge was so indifferent to him. If she had always been that way, it would be acceptable, but her face completely changed towards Jiang Fan, becoming full of smiles and warmth, as if flipping a book. The stark contrast made many disciples nearby snicker.

"He's just pressing a hot face against a cold backside!"

"He thinks just because he's the chief disciple of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, Xia Chaoge will look up to him."

The golden-robed youth suppressed his rising anger. He refused to believe it. Could this Azure Cloud Sect disciple, younger than himself, possibly have some major background to make Xia Chaoge treat him so differently?

Adopting a genial expression, he quickly caught up and said, "Junior Brother Jiang, I am Liang Feiyan of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect. May I ask which esteemed elder's disciple you are from the Azure Cloud Sect?"

Upon learning he was a disciple of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, Jiang Fan became a bit more polite. After all, Senior Xu Qingyang of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect had treated him kindly. He stopped, cupped his hands, and said, "Senior Brother Liang, you're too kind. My master is the Azure Cloud Sect Master, and I am his most unremarkable disciple, Jiang Fan."

Liang Feiyan paused, "Jiang Fan?" Even though he often remained in seclusion, the name sounded somewhat familiar. It took him a moment to finally remember who he was. He couldn't help but be astonished. Isn't this fellow without spiritual roots? Why would an unparalleled talent like Xia Chaoge treat such a person so differently? Liang Feiyan could barely accept losing to others, but losing to someone like this made him truly uncomfortable.

He glanced at the displeased registrar at the entrance of the command post, not far away. His eyes flickered with an idea. "Junior Brother Jiang," he said, "what's your mission rank? If it's not too high, you might want to avoid provoking her for now. That registrar is a disciple of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. She seems to have been highly annoyed and is currently taking her frustrations out on anyone she finds displeasing. If your mission rank is low, she'll scold you for wasting her time. Just now, several people were thoroughly humiliated by her scolding."

Hearing this, Xia Chaoge also remembered and said, "I almost forgot, Martial Uncle, what mission are you on? Spirit beasts are in short supply right now and are only provided for those undertaking high-difficulty missions."

Jiang Fan wasn't sure if his own mission was considered difficult or not. However, he looked towards the command post entrance at the girl with her arms crossed, cheeks puffed out, looking as if someone owed her money. He paused, stunned.

"Strange, I just parted ways with Deputy Pavilion Master You, and now I turn around and meet his disciple."