This report startled both Xiang Laner and Feng Chi on the spot.

The term "slovenly old man" was a bit provocative to both of them, and Feng Chi immediately inquired what the slovenly old man looked like.

After a brief description from the attendant, mentioning the wine gourd and the bright red rosacea nose, not only did Feng Chi's face turn pale, but so did Xiang Laner's.

"That thief must be in league with that old man, Miss, this place isn't safe anymore, we need to evacuate quickly," Feng Chi said in a panic, with a hint of once bitten, twice shy.

Xiang Laner was also a bit flustered, but she believed her close-range assessment should have been correct, so she probed the attendant for more detailed information.

When they heard from the attendant that Shi Chun turned to leave as soon as he saw the slovenly old man and that it was the old man who noticed him and ran after him to pull him back, not only did Xiang Laner feel relieved, but so did Feng Chi—both realized they had overreacted.

After calming down and thinking it over, they realized that even if the attendant hadn't mentioned the subsequent conversation, just from the initial report, it was clear there was an issue—if Shi Chun had really been in with the slovenly old man, they wouldn't have pulled each other around in the street, nor would they have sat together to drink so openly. Do they think we on the Demon Path are blind?

Realizing that Shi Chun was in a tough spot, Xiang Laner asked the attendant, "That slovenly old man didn't give him a hard time, did he?"

The attendant replied, "They seemed to be getting along fine, sitting in the tavern's main hall, eating, drinking, and laughing together."

"Alright, you continue to watch, and report back to us with any changes," Feng Chi motioned with his hand.

"Yes," the attendant accepted the order and left.

Once the door closed, Feng Chi said, "The problem shouldn't be too big. Based on the new detailed information we've just learned about that guy, he's not a pushover. He became the leader of his own territory in the Land of Exile at just twenty years old—very cunning. The charades he's been pulling, like ransoming people off, since he came out are evidence enough. He should be able to deal with that slovenly old man. However, to be on the safe side, Miss, we should still evacuate and lay low for a while."

After all, a judgment is just a judgment; there are no absolutes, and when there's a choice, there's no need to take unnecessary risks.

Xiang Laner nodded.

With that, the two of them evacuated the area.

At the entrance of the tavern, the attendant nodded and bowed his head respectfully to the departing guests.

The satisfied slovenly old man didn't forget to look back and curse the attendant for looking down on him before he left.

Then he bid farewell to Shi Chun, claiming he was full and wanted to go to sleep, and Shi Chun naturally didn't urge him to stay.

After watching the old man walk away, Shi Chun touched his own stomach; his guest might have been full, but he had only eaten half his fill. He turned to look at the tavern sign, considering going back in for another meal?

Seeing the smirking attendant, who knew what he was thinking—forget it, no need to lose face of the Land of Exile.

He exhaled a breath tainted with alcohol and continued to stroll down the street with a cultured demeanor, wary of going straight back in case the old man was watching.

After wandering aimlessly for a while, he turned a street corner and came across a beautiful girl.

The girl wore a purple silk dress, had clearly defined eyebrows and bright, expressive eyes without artificial enhancement, her tall nose curved like jade, natural red lips, a slight double chin, and distinct, clear features; her skin was fair and flawless. She had an unsullied, noble air about her.

Her hair was simply tied in a ponytail, neat and without any jewelry.

She was tall for a woman, with curves in all the right places and slender where it counted; she was absolutely beautiful, her nobility and spirit mingling to create a distinct charm.

Yet this girl's eyes were fixed intently on the swaying back of Shi Chun.

A pretty and efficient young maid walked up to her and whispered, "Miss, that's him, that's Shi Chun, it's said he's just come out of the Land of Exile."

As soon as she finished her sentence, another round-faced maid approached quickly and reported in a low voice, "Miss, Mr. Bian has been denied entry to the Sect and is now kneeling outside the mountain gate."

The girl in the purple silk dress sneered disdainfully and turned to say, "Don't follow me, go check out who that slovenly old man drinking is."

"Yes," both maids replied in unison.

The girl in the purple silk then stepped out and followed the direction Shi Chun went.

As Shi Chun passed through a large trading area, he noticed that the merchants were buying and selling a type of drought-looking blue shrubbery, clearly dried and processed, with considerable trading volume appearing on the scene.

He walked in and came closer to one pile, sniffed and caught a faint, indescribable scent of decay.

Seeing that there was no heavy protection around, he picked a dried leaf to inspect, when suddenly a clean, clear, and pleasant female voice spoke up, "This is called 'Yulan Bamboo,' it grows in the Ice Field's canyons and emits a faint blue light at night. Wukang Mountain often uses it to craft talismans."

Shi Chun turned his head upon hearing the voice and sized up the person who spoke, seeing that she was a purple-dressed woman, speaking as plainly and naturally as she appeared.

Seeing that she was attractive, his eyes lit up, and he then gave a polite bow in thanks, "Thank you for the information, Miss."

At the same time, he noticed something amusing; the nearby merchants all stopped talking and showed respect at the sight of this woman.

He pointed at the reaction around them and inquired, "May I ask who the Miss is?"

The woman in the purple silk said, "Bian Weiyin, Bian Weikang is my brother, and I'm temporarily in charge of Lankang City. You are Shi Chun?"

"..." Shi Chun was taken aback, having heard of Bian Weikang along the way, and then bowed again, "It turns out you are the City Lord. My apologies, I am Shi Chun."

Bian Weiyin said, "I can tell it's your first time here, and I happen to be inspecting the area, I can walk with you and answer any questions you may have."

"Alright, when in Rome, do as the Romans do," Shi Chun thought. Besides, he was curious about what the other party wanted to do. It would be better than causing a baffling ruckus later on.

The two of them walked and talked, drawing the attention of many bystanders.

Bian Weiyin was clearly doing more than just playing the gracious host. She did not beat around the bush, directly asking why Shi Chun wanted to help purchase the freedom of the top performer from the Cloud Building and their purpose for being there.

Shi Chun had no idea what to say. He could only mumble vaguely and push everything onto Bian Weikang, saying that Bian Weikang had asked him to come.

Soon, the news of their meeting spread to a tower in the city, which was the temporary hiding place of Xiang Laner and Feng Chi.

"What's up with this guy? He's a stranger here, and he's only just arrived, so why is he busier than us? Why did Bian Weiyin go looking for him too?" Feng Chi expressed her astonishment.

Xiang Laner also frowned in confusion.

In fact, Shi Chun himself was unclear about what exactly Bian Weiyin wanted. He went along with her, playing it by ear. He remained uncomfortable, although he managed to keep his composure.

Just when both thought there was no need to keep the conversation going, Shi Chun abruptly stopped at the entrance of a shop. He had seen the words "whitening products" on the promoter's board outside and then went in to take a look.

Upon asking, he found out that the so-called whitening items included pearl powder mixed with some Spiritual Medicine.

"Are they really effective? Lord Bian is here; you can't fool me," Shi Chun said without hesitation, using Bian Weiyin to intimidate the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper gave a wry smile, "We wouldn't dare deceive you; they definitely have some effects to some extent."

Bian Weiyin couldn't help but ask Shi Chun, "You want to use this whitening product?"

Shi Chun waved his hand, "Don't get me wrong, it's for a friend of mine."

Bian Weiyin glanced at his dark complexion subconsciously but said no more.

After finding out the price and how to use it, Shi Chun immediately made a decision, "Shopkeeper, I'll take two pounds."

Bian Weiyin's mouth twitched slightly. Well, he was buying this stuff by the pound.

Naturally, the shopkeeper was pleased and not only weighed out a generous amount in haste but also gave a little extra for the face of the City Lord.

The transaction was finally completed with a large amount of Sandalwood Gold.

Shi Chun wasn't troubled about the expense; he still had a banknote worth 50,000 cash.

After leaving the shop, Bian Weiyin lost interest in accompanying him any further and excused herself, claiming she had matters to attend to.

Watching her leave, Shi Chun held back the words that almost slipped out of his mouth. When he had been spending money generously, he actually wanted to ask if she would be willing to help her brother repay his debts.

He didn't go anywhere else afterward, returning directly to the inn.

He had intended to warn Xiang Laner to be careful since the unkempt old master had arrived; however, when he knocked, no one answered, and the inn attendant said they had gone out.

"Let me know when they return," Shi Chun instructed before retiring to his own room.

As soon as he closed the door, he opened the pearl powder he had bought, mixed a portion with water, and then sat down in front of a mirror. He smeared the paste onto his face while muttering something about "the whiter, the more refined."

After applying the paste, he found his ears too darkly conspicuous and didn't spare them either.

Having nothing better to do, he took out the "Mountain and Sea Lantern" from his luggage to browse through.

After reading for a while, he suddenly stood up, excited by something he'd read, and murmured, "I wish to meet with you for a hunt at the edge of the sky... So that's how you should say it to sound grand, I wish to meet with you for a hunt at the edge of the sky..."

After pacing back and forth in the room several times, he went back to the mirror and practiced saying to his whitened reflection, "I wish to meet with you for a hunt in a certain place, do you dare?"

The words had hardly left his mouth when the door was magically opened, and two figures burst in, swiftly closing it behind them.

It was Xiang Laner and Feng Chi.

Shi Chun, holding the book, was stunned. He wanted to ask why they didn't knock upon entering. Wasn't it said that foreigners had higher standards?

The two women, upon seeing him, first instinctively adopted a defensive stance, then froze, staring at Shi Chun's whitened face.

"Madame, you're truly still alive; you have to be careful..." Shi Chun quickly stepped forward to inform her of the unkempt old man's pursuit, hoping to divert attention from the current focus.

Alright, his proactive explanation seemed to have eased the women's concerns.

But what they were most interested in was his face. Feng Chi asked, "What happened to your face?"

Shi Chun: "Nothing much, just applied some medicine."

Xiang Laner questioned, "Did that old man hit you?"

Shi Chun: "No, I had some cracks on my face, and I happened to run into someone selling medicine in the city. Ah, never mind me. What's happening with Bian Weikang? I just got interrogated by his sister."

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