WHOOSH!
Jiang Yi lay flat on the Flying Crane's back, the roaring wind flooding his ears until he could hear nothing else.
His Daoist Robe whipped about noisily, and the streams of air felt like knives against his face, forcing him to circulate his True Qi for protection.
Holding his breath, he mustered his courage and leaned over to look down. He saw the layered peaks and soaring ranges of the Outer Sect Four Peaks, with their orderly buildings. Faintly, he could make out Mortal Servants, scurrying like ants between the various workshops.
'So this is what the world looks like from the sky.'
Being so high in the air filled Jiang Yi's heart with a sense of exhilarating freedom.
It was as if he had broken free from his shackles to look down upon the mortal world, a pure, liberating feeling!
'So this is Wind-Riding Soaring! No wonder those Cultivation Seeds from Upper-Grade Dharma Lineages see Mortal Servants as nothing more than ants or specks of dust... They really are standing so much higher up.'
His heart pounded with excitement, and he gripped the Flying Crane tightly, terrified he would fall to his death and be smashed to pieces.
He had heard that upon reaching the Qi Cultivation Tenth Layer, one could ride the clouds and mists, soaring away from the ground.
But he feared there were few such powerful figures to be found even in the entire Qianji Sect.
Jiang Yi thought to himself,
'One day, without relying on any external aid, I will walk on air... I will become a true Cultivator among the clouds.'
The Flying Crane let out a clear cry. Its wings beat, stirring up an even fiercer wind as it suddenly ascended, leaving the peaks of the Outer Sect far behind.
A moment later, a refreshing, thin mist washed over his face. The pores all over Jiang Yi's body relaxed, and even the True Qi within him grew a little more lively.
He felt a fresh, pure, natural essence, similar to the comfortable feeling he got when he swallowed the flowing moonlight essence.
'This must be the main reason why the Inner Peak is so good for Cultivation.
It's obvious. The Outer Sect is like a barren field. Without the irrigation of Spiritual Energy, how could any good sprouts grow? How could anyone become Dao Material!'
As Jiang Yi rode the crane through the thick clouds, the scenery before him suddenly transformed!
The mist shattered like a barrier, revealing several peaks that shot up from the ground, their forms jagged, towering, and imposingly steep.
Although it wasn't the immortal vista from storybooks—with rosy clouds and ten thousand auspicious rays of light—it still possessed an extraordinary quality.
The Flying Crane Jiang Yi was riding circled several times before descending toward a Bluestone Plaza below.
'I've finally set foot on the Inner Peak.'
He was filled with anticipation, wondering if this expense would be worth it.
...
...
"The Servant was just saying yesterday he was going to teach that Jiang kid a lesson. How come he was so merciful today?"
In the Forging Room, a man with a long, horse-like face knelt on the ground, carefully polishing Zhou Guang's boots.
This Servant Zhou Guang was obsessed with cleanliness and couldn't stand the slightest speck of dirt or mud on his person, so he constantly had someone cleaning for him.
"That kid killed Dong Ba, which cost me a capable man and left a bad taste in my mouth..."
Zhou Guang propped one leg on a Mortal Servant's back, making it easier for the horse-faced man to polish his boot, and leaned back.
Two other people flanked him, one responsible for washing his face and shaving him, the other for holding a basin of water.
If Jiang Yi saw this, he'd have to sigh at how his own cheap godfather didn't know how to enjoy life.
Zhou Guang chuckled and continued,
"But who would turn their nose up at money? Dong Ba, all things considered, was only worth about seventeen or eighteen thousand talisman money. That kid paid twenty thousand. That's more than enough to cover his life."
Among all the attending Mortal Servants, the horse-faced man was likely the most favored; only he dared to speak.
"Marshal Yang has never promoted anyone all these years. I didn't expect that at the very end, he'd put so much effort into cultivating a young master."
Zhou Guang let out a comfortable hum, then sneered,
"What do you know! The closer one gets to retirement, the more one needs to plan an escape route.
"Otherwise, once the Servant position is gone, so are the friends. The tea cools as soon as the person leaves. How could life be good after that?
"The way I see it, Old Yang got lucky. He really managed to pick up a capable one!"
Zhou Guang had a sharp eye; he could tell that Jiang Yi was already at the Qi Cultivation Third Layer and was also cultivating the Little Refining Yuan Fire Control Technique.
Otherwise, with Dong Ba's martial skills, there's no way he would have died so quietly.
"Tsk, for his Merit not to have fallen behind at his age, and to have even mastered a Daoist Skill... he must be aiming for a spot in the Inner Peak."
It was precisely because Zhou Guang had figured this out that he'd dropped the idea of giving Jiang Yi a hard time. Why make an enemy of a potential Cultivation Seed for no reason?
The horse-faced man looked astonished.
"An Inner Peak spot... But Servant, didn't you take talisman money from Luo Tong to recommend him? Now that Jiang Yi is Riding the Flying Crane to the Inner Peak, won't he overshadow Luo Tong?"
A flash of displeasure crossed Zhou Guang's eyes. He said flatly,
"I took Luo Tong's money and only promised to give him a recommendation spot. I never guaranteed he'd actually get in!
"If Luo Tong can't compete with Jiang Yi on his own, then he can have his sister, Luo Qian'er, whisper some more sweet nothings in Counselor Zhou's ear over at Sewing Peak and get him to pull some strings!"
The horse-faced man, realizing Zhou Guang's displeasure, quickly lowered his head and sped up his work.
Before long, the pair of Ruyi Cloud Pattern Boots, with their coiled gold threads and blue satin trim, were polished spotless.
"In the entire Forging Room, your work pleases me the most."
Zhou Guang was quite satisfied. He gazed at the spotless surfaces of his boots, then felt his own smoothly shaved, round cheeks.
"Dong Ba is dead, leaving the Inspector position vacant. Who do you think should fill it?"
The horse-faced man's prostrate body trembled, and he suppressed his excitement.
"Servant, your perception is sharp as an eagle's eye, and you know how to use people well. I trust you have already made your decision!"
Zhou Guang chuckled.
"Go on, raise your head."
The horse-faced man's face flushed red. After toiling for so long, he was finally about to win the Servant's favor!
He looked up at Zhou Guang, his eyes full of anticipation, only to be met by the sight of a boot sole rapidly growing larger!
BANG!
Blood spurted from the horse-faced man's mouth and nose as if from a fountain. He was sent flying like a kite with a snapped string, tumbling several dozen feet away!
"Servant, please calm your anger..."
The horse-faced man saw stars, rolling outside like a dead dog. Though he didn't know what he had done wrong, the fact that Zhou Guang had kicked him meant he must have been at fault.
When Zhou Guang stepped out of the Forging Room, his clean boots stepped into the mud as he walked over to the horse-faced man.
The man staggered to his feet and began slamming his forehead into the ground repeatedly, which in an instant became a bloody mess.
Zhou Guang asked in a cold voice,
"How much talisman money did you take from Luo Tong?"
The horse-faced man replied with a trembling voice,
"This lowly one truly hasn't taken a single talisman coin from him! I've only had drinks with Luo Tong a few times!"
Zhou Guang raised his boot and stomped on the horse-faced man's head, pressing his face into the mud.
"Then you're a complete idiot! You didn't even take his money, yet you still went out of your way to speak for him!
"Do I need you to teach me how to do my job? Huh?!"
After stomping on him a few more times to teach the horse-faced man a lesson, Zhou Guang turned and went back into the Forging Room.
He hadn't dealt a killing blow. Why spend ten thousand of his own talisman money on such a worthless life? It wasn't worth it!
Without waiting to be summoned, one of the Mortal Servants who had been working diligently came scrambling over, pouncing before Zhou Guang like a wild dog fighting for scraps.
He deftly took off his own cotton Daoist Robe and meticulously wiped clean the Servant's Ruyi Cloud Pattern Boots, which were once again covered in mud.
He had wanted this job for a long time!
The horse-faced man had "monopolized" it before, but now that he had angered the Servant, it was his turn!
Zhou Guang narrowed his eyes and asked,
"What's your name?"
The Mortal Servant said with a fawning smile,
"This lowly one is Qi Wei. I've been a Mortal Servant for ten years."
Zhou Guang nodded.
"From now on, you'll be the one to polish my boots."
The Mortal Servant named Qi Wei was overjoyed and began polishing the boots with even more vigor.
"Luo Tong is here. He says he wants to borrow the Flying Crane to attend a lecture in the Inner Sect."
Once the boots were sparkling new again, a Mortal Servant attending nearby came closer and said.
Zhou Guang lifted his eyelids, his tone flat.
"There's only one Flying Crane. Jiang Yi from the Quenching Room has already borrowed it. There aren't any left.
"Tell Luo Tong to wait for the next one. Besides, the lectures from the Inner Peak Elders don't have much substance anyway."
The Mortal Servant nodded and went to deliver the message.
Outside the Forging Room stood a heroic-looking young man in his early twenties. He happened to see the horse-faced man lying on the ground, ignored by everyone. His narrow eyes flickered, but he didn't move to help.
Compared to the many Mortal Servants of Red Flame Peak in their dusty grey Daoist Robes, this man's Celestial Blue Robe made him stand out like a crane among chickens, exceptionally eye-catching.
'The Flying Crane was borrowed by someone from the Quenching Room... Jiang Yi? That name sounds so familiar.'
Hearing the reply, the heroic-looking young man frowned deeply. The Inner Peak's Preaching Elder only held a forum once every ten days.
If he missed today, he'd have to endure another long wait!
The heroic-looking young man glanced at the horse-faced man he had shared drinks with. Knowing that Servant Zhou Guang was likely in a bad mood, he didn't press the issue.
He just asked casually,
"Brother, may I ask how he offended the Servant?"
The messenger replied,
"The Servant found him too meddlesome and talkative. In case you weren't aware, Young Master Luo, our Servant Zhou Guang hates nothing more than troublemakers who create problems for him!"
Luo Tong's face twitched, but he quickly returned to normal.
"Then he brought it on himself. He deserved it!"
Luo Tong clasped his hands in a salute toward the Forging Room, then strode away.
He didn't spare a single glance for the horse-faced man who was still down on the ground.
'Jiang Yi? I think I heard my sister mention him. Isn't he just some useless, good-for-nothing Mortal Servant?'
Puzzled, Luo Tong pondered for a moment before heading straight for Sewing Peak.