Atop the Sky Terrace, no few individuals gathered to witness the presence of the colossal beast. Many even scaled nearby rooftops, yet the majority were clearly outsiders. Jiang Wang noted that the local populace seemed quite accustomed to the spectacle, some brewing tea, others enjoying meals, most conducting their affairs with unperturbed order.

“Ah!”

A sudden, resonant sigh drew Jiang Wang’s attention. He turned to see a man of ordinary stature, with a remarkably high forehead, clad in Confucian robes. The man was shaking his head as he gazed out at the gargantuan beast beyond the city walls. It was often said that scholarly gentlemen, upon reaching great heights, were compelled to compose poetry. Perhaps this cultivator of the Confucian sect, beholding the magnificence of the beast and the city, had been moved to poetic inspiration. Though Jiang Wang held no particular interest in verse, the man’s demeanor piqued his curiosity.

Then, the high-foreheaded Confucian-robed man’s excessively dramatic sigh echoed forth: “Upon entering Youguo, my eyes are truly opened! This massive turtle beast! Oh, how immense!”

After his theatrical sigh, he glanced left and right, seemingly seeking applause and admiration. But casting a glance around, he found only retreating gazes and expressions of weariness or disdain. Only Jiang Wang, weathered by hardship, remained unmoved by such amateurish poetic endeavors.

The man cleared his throat, and without a hint of embarrassment, approached Jiang Wang. “This elder, from a single glance, possesses an air of profound experience, quite unlike the common folk. May I presume this is your first visit to Youguo?”

An elder?

Jiang Wang was taken aback for a moment before realizing the address was directed at him. A wry smile touched his lips inwardly. Had he finally reached the point of being considered an “old” man, like Du Laohu?

Outwardly, he showed no reaction, nor did he argue. He simply replied calmly, “Yes.”

His journey thus far had been solely for travel, solely for cultivation. He sought no conflict, nor desired contact with others.

Yet, the high-foreheaded man seemed utterly oblivious to his indifference, instead launching into enthusiastic chatter: “Remarkable! This elder’s voice is so youthful! Save for the hair, there’s nothing aged about you! You truly possess the secret to maintaining your appearance!”

This flattery Jiang Wang chose to ignore, deliberately fixing his gaze upon the colossal beast outside the city walls, hoping this person would sense the coldness and depart. He noticed a contingent of officials within the city, scrolls in hand, hurrying towards the city gates. The city situated atop the giant beast’s back then slowly lowered a colossal staircase. Each step of the staircase was wide enough to accommodate dozens of people.

The descending officials ascended the stairs, which then automatically contracted, drawing them up onto the city atop the beast’s back.

“The entirety of Youguo has but one ‘Upper City,’ which is their capital. Their kings and ministers all reside there. This turtle beast carries the capital as it traverses the entire territory, surveying the land. It never stops moving, and a complete circuit of the territory takes roughly half a year. Upon arriving at each city, the local officials must ascend to report.”

The high-foreheaded man explained, seemingly well-versed, at Jiang Wang’s side. “You see, those turtle sons look so wretched and cautious. If their evaluations rank among the worst in the various cities, they will be dismissed… and eaten!”

Youguo was the third country Jiang Wang had traversed on his journey, and its ecology and mode of operation were unlike any he had encountered. It truly opened his eyes. Jiang Wang noticed the disapproving glances of some of the bystanders. Thinking of how they were in Youguo itself, calling their officials “turtle sons” was indeed improper. He subtly signaled the high-foreheaded man with his eyes, indicating he should mind his words.

Unexpectedly, the high-foreheaded man misinterpreted the warning as encouragement, his spirits immediately soaring. “Elder, you think so too, don’t you? I don’t know how the ancestors of Youguo managed to associate with this turtle beast and build a city upon its shell. From then on, they claimed to be a Heaven-Blessed Country. Hahaha, it’s too amusing!”

He laughed heartily for a while, but seeing that Jiang Wang did not join in, he felt somewhat deflated and stopped.

At that moment, an angry voice from behind them rang out: “What turtle beast? Our guardian divine beast is Baxia! The Dragon begat nine sons, and Baxia is the sixth! It brings auspicious fortune to the nation and grants longevity to the people!”

“What is this ‘Baxia’ business? The dragon clan is extinct in this world, and you speak of the dragon’s nine sons?” The high-foreheaded Confucian-robed man retorted loudly, his voice filled with righteous indignation. As he spoke, he turned around: “Dragons are all gone! With whom were they begat… ah.”

His voice grew softer and softer until it was inaudible. This was because he discovered that at some point, the tavern rooftop was filled with people, all glaring at him with fury. Looking at their attire, which bore the distinctive fragmented armor of Youguo’s popular tight-fitting garments…

“Aiya! This humble one suddenly has unbearable abdominal pain!” The high-foreheaded man clutched his belly with one hand, his face contorted in agony, while the other hand gestured towards the stairs, urging him to descend. “Excuse me, excuse me, just passing through, just passing through.”

The crowd surged forward, and his miserable cries gradually faded into the distance.

However, a group of people remained, surrounding Jiang Wang. One of them pointed a halberd and declared, “They are a group!”

Jiang Wang quickly explained, “I absolutely do not know that high-foreheaded man!”

From a distance, the voice of the Confucian-robed man carried: “Still dare to say you don’t know me, Xu Xiangqian! Ah!”

His voice was again cut off by a miserable cry.

Jiang Wang secretly gritted his teeth. That brat’s words were truly damaging enough. Even while being beaten, he hadn’t forgotten to try and implicate him, likely as revenge for Jiang Wang not warning him in time. Seeing the crowd drawing closer, their emotions inflamed, there was no room for further explanation.

At this moment, Jiang Wang was standing at the edge of the Sky Terrace. He took advantage of his position, deliberately falling backward onto the long street below. Darting left and right, he weaved through the crowd.

“Catch that white-haired old man!”

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

Several cultivators within the crowd leaped down in quick succession, but Jiang Wang had already disappeared from sight. He crossed several long streets, squeezing through the crowd a few times, conveniently snatching a cloak from a stall and leaving behind a silver ingot. When he emerged again, his long hair was tied up, and the cloak was draped over him.

Concealing that striking youthful white hair, Jiang Wang became like a drop of water, merging into the human sea. The operation of his Minor Zhou Tian was his yearning towards the sun, moon, and stars. As for constructing the Great Zhou Tian, that required him to further comprehend the affairs of the world and understand his original heart. Only then could he achieve a fundamental elevation of his realm.

He sought no trouble, desiring only to quietly experience the atmosphere of this city. Thus, he did not mind being called an old man and chased, nor did he plan to seek out that cheap Xu Xiangqian for retribution.

A colossal turtle beast, likely a descendant of Baxia, protected the stability of this small country. Consequently, they did not need to maintain an overly large army, and the cultivators of Youguo did not need to strive too desperately. The peace and tranquility, hard-won by other countries, they enjoyed naturally. Calling themselves a Heaven-Blessed Country was indeed not inaccurate.

Feeling the harmonious atmosphere within the city, Jiang Wang pondered silently. Eating a type of spun candy called “Fire Burn Cloud” as he strolled through the streets and alleys, he savored the slightly scorching sweetness that melted on his tongue. He began to understand why An An was so fond of sweets.

He started to think of An An again.

Suddenly, he heard muffled sobs, coming from behind a high wall. Originally, Jiang Wang had no intention of interfering. But the voice gradually rose, laced with a strange and unsettling quality—

“Wuwuwu, my cousin is about to die… I’m so uncomfortable… so uncomfortable… I curse you… I curse you all!”

Jiang Wang’s hand rested on his long sword. He had already leaped over the high wall. This kind of cursing and witchery felt very much like the work of an evil cult. Since the White Bone Dao, Jiang Wang had become highly sensitive to evil cults and malevolent deities. He could not pretend not to see or hear. He never wanted something like what happened in Maple Forest City to repeat itself!

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