From the fake emperor to the concubine

"Understood." Zheng Yi nodded, took out a spirit stone from his pocket, and handed it to the shopkeeper. "Thank you for your guidance."

"Enjoy your meal, sir." The shopkeeper pocketed the spirit stones and left with a smile.

Zheng Yi turned to look at everyone: "Did you all hear that?"

"Master, are we really going to go find that old ghost?" Zheng Bowen asked with some worry. "A fake token is against the rules, after all. What if we get caught?"

“There’s no other choice now,” Zheng Yi said. “We have no household registration certificate, no guarantor, and we can’t get anything done through the proper channels. Moreover, the Town Command is investigating us; without the token, we can’t move an inch in the Tianyuan Domain.”

“Fellow Daoist Zheng is right,” Liu Ruyan said. “Let’s get the token first to solve our immediate predicament. We can find a way to obtain a proper token later when the opportunity arises.”

Everyone nodded and decided to go to the dark alley.

Following the directions given by the shopkeeper, they crossed three streets and arrived at an area in the west of the city.

The environment here is noticeably worse than other places. The streets are narrow and dirty, the houses on both sides are dilapidated, and the air is filled with a musty smell. Most of the people coming and going have sleazy expressions and act furtively; they are clearly not respectable people.

"This is it," Zheng Hongzhi said, pointing to a narrow alley ahead.

The alley was narrow and dark, barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side. Several dim lanterns hung at the entrance, casting a faint, eerie glow.

"Everyone be careful, this place is a mixed bag," Zheng Yi warned.

Everyone nodded and followed Zheng Yi into the dark alley.

The alley was dimly lit, and the walls on both sides were covered with moss. Occasionally, a few figures would pass by, but they would all keep their heads down and avoid eye contact.

After walking for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, they arrived at a dilapidated wooden door.

There were no signs on the door, only a small ghost face carved in the corner, which was almost invisible if you didn't look closely.

"This should be it," Zheng Yi said.

He raised his hand and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" a hoarse voice came from inside the door.

"Looking for Old Ghost," Zheng Yi said. "The teahouse owner recommended him."

There was a moment of silence inside the door, then with a creak, the wooden door opened a crack.

A murky eye peeked out from under the door, scrutinizing Zheng Yi and the others.

"How many people?"

Six.

"come in."

The wooden door opened, and everyone filed in.

Inside the door was a small, dimly lit room filled with a strange smell. In the corner sat a gaunt old man, his face deeply wrinkled, looking at least seventy or eighty years old. But his eyes were sharp, revealing a shrewdness.

"So you're the ones who want the token?" the old man asked, his voice hoarse and grating.

“That’s right,” Zheng Yi said. “We’re from another region, so we need identity tokens.”

"From another realm?" The old man narrowed his eyes. "From which realm?"

"Xuantian Domain."

A hint of surprise flashed in the old man's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Xuantian Domain, that poor place, very few people can come to Tianyuan Domain. How did you manage to get here?"

“Go through the domain gate,” Zheng Yi said.

"Through the Domain Gate?" The old man's expression turned strange. "The Domain Gate is guarded by the Domain Control Bureau; you can't get through without a pass. You..."

“We have our own methods,” Zheng Yi interrupted him. “Sir, we just want the token; you don’t need to know anything else.”

The old man was silent for a moment, then nodded.

“Okay, you’re right. In the alleys, no one will ask too many questions,” he said. “What level of token do you want?”

"What's the lowest level you can achieve?" Zheng Yi asked.

“Iron, brass, and silver can all be used,” the old man said. “Gilding can also be done, but it will be much more expensive and take much longer. As for precious jade and black gold, those are beyond my capabilities.”

“We need six silver tokens,” Zheng Yi said.

He had considered it. The black iron and brass tokens were too low-level, and he couldn't go to many places. The silver token, while not high-level, at least allowed him to move around in most places without attracting too much attention.

"Six silver tokens?" The old man nodded. "That's acceptable. However, they're not cheap; each one costs 30,000 spirit stones, so six would be 180,000 spirit stones."

"Too expensive," Zheng Bowen frowned. "The shopkeeper said a legitimate silver token costs only 100,000 spirit stones, and this fake one costs 30,000?"

"If you think it's too expensive, you don't have to," the old man said dismissively. "Official tokens are cheaper, but can you even get one? Without proof of residence and a guarantor, even if you have money, the government won't issue one to you."

Zheng Bowen was speechless and couldn't say a word.

"150,000 spirit stones," Zheng Yi said. "Six tokens, 150,000 spirit stones."

“No,” the old man shook his head. “Eighteen thousand, not a penny less.”

"Sixteen thousand," Zheng Yi said. "We're a long-term client, and we'll have other needs in the future."

The old man pondered for a moment, and finally nodded.

“Alright, since you're new customers, 160,000 it is,” he said. “However, you need to pay half upfront.”

Zheng Yi nodded, took out 80,000 spirit stones from his storage bag, and handed them to the old man.

The old man carefully examined the spirit stones and put them away after confirming they were correct.

“Come back in three days to collect your token,” he said. “Remember, the rules of the alleyways are: no questions asked about origins, no questions asked about destinations. I won’t tell anyone about your affairs. But if you get caught, don’t even think about implicating me. Otherwise…”

He didn't finish, but the threat was clear.

“Understood,” Zheng Yi said.

They left Old Ghost's place and returned the way they came.

Once they emerged from the dark alley, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. That place was too eerie; staying there for too long made one feel extremely uncomfortable.

"Master, is that old devil reliable?" Zheng Bowen asked. "Can the tokens he makes really be mistaken for genuine ones?"

“It should be fine,” Zheng Yi said. “He does this kind of business in the back alleys, so he must be quite skilled. Besides, he took our deposit, so if there’s a problem with the token, it won’t benefit him either.”

"I hope so," Zheng Bowen sighed.

For the next three days, the group searched for information throughout Qingyun City to learn about the situation in Tianyuan Domain.

They learned that the Tianyuan Domain was many times larger than the Xuantian Domain, with hundreds of large cities and tens of thousands of smaller towns, and a population exceeding ten billion. Powerful individuals were everywhere; while Mahayana stage experts were rare, there were still several hundred. Integration stage cultivators were ubiquitous, and Nascent Soul stage cultivators were considered merely ordinary.

The power structure in the Tianyuan Domain is also very complex. The most powerful are the three holy lands—the Heavenly Sword Sect, the Myriad Laws Sect, and the Taixu Palace—all top-tier forces possessing several Mahayana stage experts. Next are the nine great families, each with one or two Mahayana stage experts. Below them are countless small and medium-sized forces. "The waters here are too deep," Zheng Hongzhi sighed. "We have some reputation in the Xuantian Domain, but here, we're nothing."

"Let's take it slow," Zheng Yi said. "We're new here; let's get established first."

Three days later, they returned to the alley and found Old Ghost.

Old Ghost has already prepared six silver tokens and is waiting for them to come and collect them.

The tokens were exquisitely crafted, almost identical to genuine silver tokens. Each token was engraved with a unique number and intricate runes, making them look remarkably lifelike.

"Good stuff," Zheng Yi exclaimed. "The old gentleman's craftsmanship is truly excellent."

“Of course,” the old man said proudly. “I’ve been in this business for forty years and have never made a mistake. These tokens are absolutely undetectable unless you encounter someone who specializes in checking tokens.”

Zheng Yi nodded, paid the remaining 80,000 spirit stones, and then distributed the tokens to everyone.

"Remember, when using the token, act naturally and don't show any sign of guilt," the old man advised. "Also, try to avoid the people from the Town Guard; their methods for checking tokens are quite sophisticated and they might spot something amiss."

"Understood, thank you very much, sir," Zheng Yi said.

After everyone left the dark alley, they carefully put away their tokens.

With these tokens, they could finally move freely within the Tianyuan Domain. Although they were fake, at least they could resolve their immediate predicament.

"Where to next?" Liu Ruyan asked.

Zheng Yi pondered for a moment, then said, "Let's stay in Qingyun City for a few days and continue gathering information. Then, we'll go check out the core area of ​​Tianyuan Domain."

"The core area?" Everyone was surprised.

“That’s right,” Zheng Yi said. “Since we’ve come to Tianyuan Domain, we should go to the best places. Only there can we access the top-tier resources and opportunities.”

There was a gleam in his eyes.

The mystery of Xiaoyue's origins, the inheritance of the Hunyuan Jade Pendant, and his own cultivation—all of these require answers to be found in the Tianyuan Domain.

The answer likely lies in the core area of ​​the Tianyuan Domain.

“Let’s go,” Zheng Yi said. “A new journey has just begun.”

Everyone nodded and followed Zheng Yi into the city.

Shortly after they left, a figure quietly appeared in a corner deep in the alley.

It was a man dressed in black robes, with a gloomy face and an unfathomable aura. He looked in the direction Zheng Yi and the others had left, a cold smile curling at the corner of his lips.

"From the Xuan Tian Domain? Or did they force their way through the domain gate? Interesting."

He took out a communication jade talisman from his robes and whispered, "Sir, I've found our target. They just bought a fake token in a dark alley and are now heading towards the city."

A cold voice came from the jade talisman: "Very good. Continue to monitor them, but don't alert them. Wait until I arrive before making a move."

"Yes, sir."

The man in black robes put away the jade talisman, and with a flash, disappeared into the shadows.

After leaving the dark alley, Zheng Yi and the others found an inn in Qingyun City to stay at.

The inn, named "Yuelaiju," is one of the more famous inns in the city. Although it's quite expensive, the environment is tranquil, and there's a special protective array to safeguard guests' privacy, making it perfect for people like them who need to keep a low profile.

"Six superior rooms, one month's rent," Zheng Yi said to the manager.

The shopkeeper was a shrewd middle-aged man. Seeing Zheng Yi's generous spending, he immediately became enthusiastic.

"Alright, please follow me, sir."

They were put in the backyard of the inn, where six rooms were next to each other for easy look after.

After settling in, everyone gathered in Zheng Yi's room to discuss the next steps.

"Master, what do we do next?" Zheng Bowen asked.

Zheng Yi pondered for a moment, then said, "Let's stay in Qingyun City for a while. Firstly, to allow my injuries to fully heal, and secondly, to gather more intelligence about the Tianyuan Domain. Once we're fully prepared, we'll head towards the core area."

“The patriarch is right,” Zheng Hongzhi nodded. “We know nothing about the Tianyuan Domain, and it would be too dangerous to venture in rashly. Moreover, although the patriarch’s injuries have mostly healed, they are not fully recovered and he needs proper recuperation.”

"So what should we do during this time?" Xiao Tianxing asked.

“Cultivation,” Zheng Yi said. “The spiritual energy in the Tianyuan Domain is much richer than that in the Xuantian Domain, making it an excellent place for cultivation. Everyone should seize the time to improve their cultivation so that we will have more protection when we encounter danger in the future.”

Everyone nodded and returned to their rooms to cultivate.

Zheng Yi stayed alone in the room, took out the Hunyuan Jade Pendant, and began to study the cultivation techniques within.

The jade pendant contained the lifelong learning of an ancient master, its contents as vast as the ocean. Each time Zheng Yi studied it, he gained new insights. In particular, the part concerning the laws of space and time was of great help to him.

Time passes day by day.

Zheng Yi was immersed in cultivation, his injuries gradually healed, and his cultivation level steadily improved. He could feel that he was getting closer and closer to the threshold of the late stage of the Integration Realm.

Outside the inn, the man in black robes kept a close watch on them.

The man in black robes was named Zhou Han, a secret agent of the Town Command. He was at the early stage of the Integration Realm and was responsible for tracking down various violators.

This time, he was ordered to track down those who had forcibly entered the domain gate. Unexpectedly, he was lucky; he found his target as soon as he arrived in Qingyun City.

“These people are definitely suspicious.” Zhou Han, hiding in the shadows, coldly watched the direction of Yuelai Residence. “They even went to a dark alley to buy fake tokens; that's an even bigger crime.”

He has already reported the situation to his superior, and now all he needs to do is wait for his superior to arrive so that they can all be apprehended in one fell swoop.

Three more days passed.

On this day, Zheng Yi was cultivating in his room when he suddenly felt a pang of heart palpitation.

This was his intuition warning him that danger was approaching.

Zheng Yi opened his eyes and quietly probed outwards with his divine sense.

Although the inn had a restrictive array, his divine sense could still penetrate it and perceive the situation outside.

He noticed many unfamiliar auras surrounding the inn. These auras were all very powerful, the weakest being at the late Nascent Soul stage, and several having reached the Integration stage.

"We're surrounded." Zheng Yi's heart sank.

He immediately used a sound transmission talisman to notify the others and tell them to prepare.

A moment later, everyone gathered in Zheng Yi's room.

"Master, what's going on outside?" Zheng Bowen asked alertly.

“We’re being watched,” Zheng Yi said in a deep voice. “There are many experts outside, and they’re probably after us.”

"Are they from the Town Guard?" Liu Ruyan's expression changed. (End of Chapter)