48: Chapter 44 The Hidden Demon Lord_1 48: Chapter 44 The Hidden Demon Lord_1 The Three Mountain City is located in southeastern Qinghe County and can be considered remote.

The whole city is shrouded in rolling hills and is most famous for three peaks, hence the name Three Mountain City.

These three peaks are called, respectively, Vertical Pen, Jade Balance, and Flying Arrival.

The people in this city, due to poverty and isolation, are often derogatorily called mountain barbarians.

Many even cannot afford shoes, barefooted as they traverse mountains and ridges as if walking on flat ground.

As long as the folks from Three Mountain City arrive, this year’s Conclave of the Three Cities can officially begin, as the delegates from Wangjiang City had already entered the city the day before.

Geographically speaking, the direct distance to Three Mountain City is slightly farther, but not by much.

However, the water route from Wangjiang City to Fenglin City is extremely convenient.

Traveling by boat down the Qing River and then veering into the tributary, Green Willow River, with favorable wind, one could even arrive from morning to evening.

And from Three Mountain City to Fenglin City, for common folks on foot, it would roughly take three to four days…

and that is only because there are official roads.

It’s not that students who aren’t participating in the Conclave can rest; throughout the event, they also need to assist the government in maintaining order.

Newcomer disciples like Ling He and Zhao Rucheng especially have no chance to slack off.

In such circumstances, parts of the City Guard Army were deployed into the city, and they didn’t have much to complain about.

It was certain that the team from Three Mountain City would enter through the south gate, so after receiving the notification, they waited at the south gate entrance early to welcome them.

“How much longer do we have to wait?” Zhao Rucheng yawned incessantly, “Had I known I wouldn’t get out of this, I’d have entered the competition myself, why did I give my spot to third brother.”

At this time, Jiang Wang, under the guise of preparing for the competition, was legitimized to rest at home.

Yet those who did not have to compete had already been patrolling for three days.

The difference in treatment was extreme.

“Sigh.” Huang Azhan shook his head too, “I also saw elder apprentice brother Zhang getting on in years and went soft for a moment.

Otherwise, I should be leading the team.

Why am I wasting my time with you kids!”

Even with all his boasting, as a third-year student, Huang Azhan should only command as far as Li Jianqiu.

Yet he jumped at the chance to lead the five-year students, aiming for the team leader position.

It just goes to show, the art of bragging is endless.

Zhao Rucheng and Ling He both turned to look at him, casting admiring glances his way.

“Really?”

As Huang Azhan was lost in doubt, a faint voice continued from behind him, “Am I that old?”

Huang Azhan nearly jumped out of his skin, “What I meant to say was…

Apprentice brother Zhang is of high virtue and great prestige!”

Zhang Linchuan was right behind him, maintaining about two steps’ distance, with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, “For the greater good of Fenglin City, how can you afford to go soft?

Perhaps you shouldn’t have given up the position; take back the team leader spot…”

“Ah!

Ouch!” Huang Azhan’s tone fluctuated wildly, “Why does my stomach hurt so much?”

“Please excuse me, brothers, I’ll be right back,” he said with a pained expression, clutching his stomach and hunching over as he ran off in a hurry.

Return, he naturally would not.

He’d rather endure punishment from the academy, even if it meant losing merit points.

Zhao Rucheng sneered.

He was just making offhand remarks for fun, but Huang Azhan wouldn’t survive without stirring trouble.

It seems he just can’t hold his liquor as well as Old Tiger Du.

“Apprentice brother Zhang,” Ling He, who was earnest by nature, first bowed to his elder brother and then inquired, “What brings you here?”

Zhang Linchuan nodded and returned the greeting, “The Conclave is imminent, I need to assess the ‘enemy situation’.”

It seems Dong Ah really put pressure on him, prompting even someone who loves cleanliness like him to willingly squeeze in among the crowd to observe the ‘enemy situation.’

In fact, the common folk gathered at the south gate were also not few.

As opposed to the wealthy gentry from Wangjiang City, they were more interested in the so-called mountain barbarians.

“They’ve arrived!”

A commotion arose upfront; the students from Three Mountain City’s academy had finally arrived.

Unlike the practitioners from Wangjiang City, who brought a host of servants as if out for an excursion, Three Mountain City only brought six people.

Exactly the number of spots each city gets for participating in the Conclave.

They entered from the south gate in a formation of one at the front and three in the second row.

Almost immediately, people’s gazes fell to their feet, for it was said that each family among the mountain barbarians owned only one pair of shoes, reserved for those who had to travel far.

And indeed, they were not disappointed; the girl walking at the forefront from the Three Mountains City was barefoot.

This sort of scrutinizing look, tinged with discrimination, was undoubtedly unpleasant.

Therefore, Ling He stepped forward to meet them without delay.

“Fellow Daoists from Three Mountains City!

Fenglin City’s Daoist Institute’s Ling He has been waiting for a long time.

Please, follow me.

We will first rest and dine at the Daoist Institute, and later I will show you around the debate venue.”

Normally, it would be Huang Azhan, who was in charge for a three-year term, who should have greeted the guests from Three Mountains City.

However, the commanding instructor appointed Ling He due to his subpar image, and Ling He’s sincerity indeed made him quite suited for this job.

The people from Three Mountains City hadn’t even had the chance to feel displeased when they had already started following behind Ling He,

To Zhao Rucheng’s surprise, the townspeople crowded near the city gate were focusing their attention more on the portly figure in the middle of the Three Mountains City group.

Different from the simple and sharp attire of the others, he was draped in a hooded black robe, with his entire face hidden in the hood, making him appear all the more bizarre and eye-catching.

Zhao Rucheng could even overhear some of the spectators’ discussions.

“That must be their strongest member, right?”

“Isn’t that obvious?

Standing in such a flattering position, just look at that presence!”

“He looks quite frightening.”

“We in Fenglin City need to be on our guard!”

“What’s there to fear?

Zhang Linchuan from the Zhang Family is not a vegetarian!”

“He seems like a vegetarian… The last time he was at our tavern, he didn’t even taste the bear’s paws and only ate a few chopsticks of green vegetables.

I served them the food!”

The conversation gradually went off track…

As for the little girl at the front of the Three Mountains City group, she appeared too harmless, even if she was indeed beautiful, petite, and cute.

But after all, the world of cultivators is a cruel one, and only the true strong are given regard.

As part of the welcoming party, Zhao Rucheng of course was chatting with the cultivators from Three Mountains City every now and then, but they were rather reticent, and they paid great attention to their formation, tightly protecting the man in the black robe at their center, as if fearing someone would lay their hands on their secret magic artifact.

Zhao Rucheng pretended to squeeze through a few times without success, and then let it be.

However, he noticed that with the talks of the townspeople by the roadside, the expressions on the faces of these Three Mountains City cultivators…

were somewhat strange.

Zhang Linchuan was not with them, just glanced a few times from the crowd and then left.

Amid Ling He’s enthusiastic introductions, and the barefoot girl’s sparing replies, the group turned right, heading in the direction of the Daoist Institute.

The barefoot girl suddenly stopped, her gaze shifting toward a tavern on the street.

On the second floor of the tavern, a refined-looking young man stood by the window.

With one hand behind his back and the other holding a cup, he saluted the barefoot girl from afar, revealing an impeccable smile.

The barefoot girl looked straight ahead, continuing on her way without a sideways glance.

And Ling He recognized him.

It was Lin Zhengren, the team leader for Wangjiang City this time for the debates, as well as the first atop the Daoist Institute’s List of Daoist Merits in Wangjiang City!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep