C2 Ouchen Haoyang

The residents of the small town had undergone some changes, changes that Bai Yu was completely unaware of. After three full days of flight, and having asked for directions numerous times, he finally arrived at the gates of a city known as "Cloud City."

"Cloud City... Surely, the Star Cloud Sect must be here!" Bai Yu mused, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.

He straightened his clothes and confidently strode toward the city. However, at the entrance, he was halted by the city guards.

"Halt!" one of the guards commanded.

Bai Yu looked up, meeting the gaze of the armored soldier who had stopped him, and calmly inquired, "What's the problem?"

The guard scrutinized Bai Yu's humble linen attire with a sneer. "Playing the part of a sage, are we? With those rags?"

"Everyone's here to pay their respects to the Star Cloud Sect. What makes you so special?"

Unperturbed by the guard's condescending tone, Bai Yu had grown accustomed to such attitudes in his previous life. However, the mention of paying respects to the Star Cloud Sect caught his attention.

"Pay respects? What do you mean by that?"

"You're still playing dumb?" the guard retorted, growing impatient.

"Isn't it common knowledge that the Star Cloud Sect's disciple initiation ceremony is in seven days? You're here to try your luck at joining the Sect, aren't you? Enough talk! Hand it over now!"

Bai Yu's expression shifted subtly. This was news to him.

He watched as the guard extended his hand expectantly. "Hand over what?"

"The Spirit Stone!" the guard demanded, clearly annoyed with Bai Yu's apparent cluelessness.

"Do you think you can just waltz into Cloud City? It costs one Spirit Stone! If you don't have it, turn around and leave!"

"This is a requirement?" Bai Yu was taken aback, finding himself in a quandary.

For the last four centuries, his life had been confined to Qing Hui Mountain, where he had devoted himself to cultivation and sustenance. The Spirit Stone was something he had only heard about in passing and had never actually seen.

He hesitated, and just as the guard's patience was wearing thin, Bai Yu realized he needed to make a decision.

From the Storage Ring crafted with the help of an elder, Bai Yu retrieved a palm-sized piece of well-roasted deer leg. He offered it to the soldier with a grimace of reluctance. "I don't have any Spirit Stones. Will this suffice as payment?"

The soldier glanced at the meat presented to him, and his face immediately soured. Bai Yu's gesture made him feel as though he was being mocked like a fool. "Who would want your lousy meat?" he sneered. "If you don't have any Spirit Stones, then get lost!"

Bai Yu's face fell at the harsh words. He hadn't expected to encounter trouble so soon after learning about the Star Cloud Sect, and before even meeting Chen Daoran, it seemed his journey was over before it had truly begun. As he was preparing to leave and devise another plan, a resonant voice suddenly called out from behind him.

"The entry fee for this young man, I'll cover it!"

Bai Yu turned to see who had spoken and was met with the sight of a man adorned with a crown and draped in a silk robe, accompanied by a girl with a cherubic face walking toward him. The man offered Bai Yu a warm smile upon making eye contact.

The soldier, who had been ready to hurl insults, abruptly changed his demeanor upon recognizing the man. His face lit up with a sycophantic grin, and he approached the man with a bow. "Emperor Ouchen, welcome!" he exclaimed. "This must be your esteemed love, surely? She is the epitome of celestial grace and refined elegance—truly the Imperial City's foremost talented lady!"

Bai Yu cast a sidelong glance at the soldier, his face etched with bemusement. The soldier's opportunism had reached new heights, and his skill at flattery seemed almost unattainable.

Ouchen Haoyang responded to the soldier's fawning with a mere nod, nonchalantly producing three Spirit Stones and placing them in the soldier's hand. He then turned to Bai Yu with a friendly smile. "Young man, would you be willing to part with that piece of meat you have there?"

It dawned on Bai Yu then why Emperor Ouchen had offered his assistance—it was the meat he held that had caught the man's interest. Regardless, Bai Yu was grateful for the help he had received.

Bai Yu, though fond of the meat, was not so attached as to begrudge a piece as payment for entering the city. After all, the meat was initially intended to serve as the fee for entry. In this way, it could be said to have fulfilled its purpose through alternative means. He gazed at the deer leg meat in his hand with a pang of sorrow, as if parting with a piece of his own heart. With trembling hands, he extended it toward Ouchen Haoyang.

"You've covered my entrance fee, so naturally, this meat belongs to you..."

"Take it!"

With those words, he clenched his jaw and turned away, even managing to squeeze out a couple of tears from the corners of his eyes. Ouchen Haoyang, with a smile, nodded his head and reached out to take the meat. But after several attempts, he couldn't budge it...

Ouchen Haoyang: ?

What's happening here?

Despite maintaining his smile, Ouchen Haoyang's grip involuntarily tightened, and he finally managed to take hold of the deer leg meat. Standing beside him, Ouchen Mingyue watched her father, whose face was flushed and neck strained, with confusion. She thought to herself that her father must truly be getting on in years if he was struggling against a man in his twenties...

After catching his breath, Ouchen Haoyang looked at Bai Yu with astonishment. It was common knowledge that he was the Royal City Lord, blessed with the Royal Dragon Qi from a young age and known for his rapid cultivation progress. Yet, here he was, sensing a strength in this young man that seemed to match his own. How could he not be taken aback?

Just as Bai Yu was about to turn and enter the city, Ouchen Haoyang quickly intercepted him. When Bai Yu turned back around, his expression had returned to one of cool indifference.

"Is there something else?" Bai Yu inquired.

Ouchen Haoyang silently commended the young man. The soldier had already revealed his own identity, yet Bai Yu remained unflustered, his demeanor unchanged even in the face of the Royal City Lord. His composure alone was enough for Ouchen Haoyang to regard him with respect.

"May I ask your name?" Ouchen Haoyang inquired.

"Bai Yu."

"What a fine name! It seems this is your first visit to Cloud City, am I right?" Ouchen Haoyang observed, seeing Bai Yu nod in response.

"What a great name! But it looks like this is your first time in Cloud City, Bai Yu?" Ouchen Haoyang said, his face revealing an 'I thought so' expression as Bai Yu nodded in confirmation.

"You're dressed simply, yet you effortlessly produced meat from a Transformation Stage Cloud Trail Deer," Ouchen Haoyang observed. "And you sold it to me for the price of a single Spirit Stone."

"By all accounts, I owe you a favor. Would you honor me by sharing a drink?" he offered.

The soldier who had been eagerly watching the exchange was suddenly taken aback. Transformation Stage beast meat? The kind that could elevate someone to the Golden Core Realm with just one bite? And he had personally turned it down?

He stared at the three Spirit Stones in his hand, his face a mask of regret. In a moment of self-reproach, he slapped himself. What was he thinking? That piece of meat was worth far more than thirty thousand Spirit Stones!

Meanwhile, Bai Yu's reaction was quite different. Upon turning to face Ouchen Haoyang, his eyes gleamed with anticipation, causing Ouchen Haoyang to instinctively step back, wary of Bai Yu's intense gaze.

"Got any food?" Bai Yu asked, his tone eager.

Ouchen Haoyang, caught off guard, nodded. "Of course, there's..."

"What are we waiting for then?!" Bai Yu cut him off mid-sentence, licking his lips and patting his stomach, his eyes gleaming as if he were eyeing a succulent feast.

Ouchen Haoyang hesitated for a moment, wondering if he was seeing things clearly. "Is this guy really from a prestigious sect…" he muttered to himself.

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