You want me to play the Foehn wind? Are you kidding me?

Fu Xuan frowned.

"In that case, come with me to the Apostolic Palace. You'll have no choice then."

Kafka looked at her, not replying immediately, the faint smile still on her lips, but the fingers holding the edge of her coat twitched slightly.

"The Grand Diviner wants to take me to the Grand Divination Office, and I can go... but what you can find out after you get there depends on how you ask."

Fu Xuan's gaze remained fixed on her, not looking away.

"I have my own way of doing things, so you don't need to worry about it."

Kafka chuckled.

"Let's go then."

Jing Yuan stood in front of the main seat and did not stop them.

He glanced at Fu Xuan, who nodded slightly, as if he was ready.

He glanced at Kafka again.

"The Star Core Hunters have appeared in Luofu. I hope this is just a short stay."

Kafka had already turned around and was walking towards the door.

Fu Xuan followed beside her, keeping a distance, neither like an escort nor a fellow traveler.

……

The morning light of Changletian fell on the bluish-gray stone road.

Yanqing had just returned from Liuyun Ferry, and her pace was a little faster than usual.

He had heard that Kafka was already at the Shence Prefecture, but he did not rush there immediately.

As he passed the entrance to a quiet alley in Changletian, he suddenly stopped.

A woman stood at the alley entrance, her white hair flowing like a waterfall, a black veil covering half her face.

"Hmm? Hello? This... big sister."

Jing Liu was facing away from him and was stunned when he heard Yan Qing's words.

Big sister?

She turned her head, her gaze falling on him from beneath the black veil.

A moment later, Jingliu spoke.

"...What did you call me?"

Yanqing stood there, unsure why she was reacting this way, but still answered honestly.

"Big sister?...Is there a problem?"

Just as Jingliu was about to say something, she suddenly noticed the sword hanging at Yanqing's waist, and her attention was successfully diverted.

"You use a sword too?"

Yanqing was stunned.

"Yes, is there a problem?"

However, Yanqing reacted quickly and immediately changed the subject.

"Oh, right, I was asking why you're here. It's dangerous here. Let me take you to Chang Le Tian first."

Just as Jingliu was about to reply, he suddenly sensed an extremely faint fluctuation coming from the other end of the alley.

She turned her head to look.

At the end of the alley, a figure emerged from around the corner, walking slowly, as if just passing by.

That person's attire was just strange.

Bandages wrapped around his body, the left half pure white, the right half jet black, the rest of his clothes black trousers and black combat boots.

Yanqing noticed it too, her gaze falling on the person. She looked him over and her brows furrowed slightly.

However, he did not feel any threat.

The man appeared to be strolling around, and he didn't exude any hostility.

But for some reason, he always felt that there was something wrong with this person.

He looked at Jingliu, about to ask, "Do you know him?", but then he noticed that her posture had changed.

She was originally facing sideways to the alley entrance, her body slightly tilted.

She had now completely turned in that direction, a sword had appeared in one hand, and her other hand had instinctively reached back to block Yanqing.

Her voice was very low, several decibels lower than when she spoke earlier.

"...Stand behind me."

Yanqing paused for a moment, then didn't move.

"who is he?"

Jingliu didn't answer; her gaze was already fixed on the figure at the end of the alley, even though they were dozens of steps apart.

She couldn't see the person's face clearly, but she could sense something extremely large pressing down beneath that deliberately restrained aura.

Lu Feng paused at the other end of the alley.

He was just passing by, looking for a quiet way to bypass the main street, when he saw the two people facing each other at the alley entrance. But he didn't pay much attention to it and just slowed down his pace.

"Hmm? Are those Jingliu and Yanqing?"

However, Lu Feng's gaze did not linger for long; he merely looked at it curiously.

Then he looked away. He wasn't a fan of Kagami-ryu, so whatever they were doing had nothing to do with him.

Lu Feng continued walking forward, preparing to go around them.

But he had only taken one step when a voice called out to him.

"stop!"

Yanqing darted out from behind Jingliu, her sword already half-drawn.

He couldn't see the person's face clearly, nor could he sense any threat, but his master had taught him that if someone can make you feel nothing, then that person is a problem in themselves.

He stared at the figure wrapped in bandages.

"Who are you?"

Lu Feng stopped and turned his head to look at him.

Then he looked away and continued walking forward.

"I said stop right there!"

Yanqing's voice was a little more steady than before. He had completely drawn his sword, and the tip of the sword was pointing in the direction of that figure.

"Any unregistered non-civilians in Changletian must be questioned. I think you've come here illegally!"

The land wind did not stop.

Yanqing took a step forward, about to catch up, when Jingliu's hand suddenly pressed down on his shoulder. The force wasn't strong, but it was enough to stop him.

"...Don't go."

Yanqing turned her head to look at her, her brows furrowed tightly.

"What are you doing? There's something wrong with him! Don't stop me."

Jingliu remained silent for a moment. She could sense that figure's aura fading away.

She looked away, her voice calmer than before.

"That person... you'd better not provoke him."

Yanqing sheathed his sword, but not completely, and looked at her.

"Do you know him?"

Jingliu did not answer, because she herself could not answer the question.

She withdrew her hand from Yanqing's shoulder, turned and walked towards the other end of the alley, then stopped after a few steps.

"Remember... if you see that person again, do not draw your sword."

Then she continued walking forward.

Yanqing stood there, watching the departing figure, then glanced in another direction.

The figure wrapped in bandages had completely disappeared at the end of the street.

He stood there, completely sheathing his sword, stood for a while, then turned and walked towards the Shence Mansion.

He actually had many more questions he wanted to ask, but now he could only choose one direction.

However, after walking for a while, he suddenly realized what was happening.

"No, why should I listen to that older sister?"

Yanqing thought about it and realized that being alone in such a dangerous place... she probably wasn't an ordinary person, right?

Then he remembered the strange bandaged man.

"It seems... neither of them is normal..."

Yanqing shook off her thoughts.

"Never mind, I've already roughly memorized their appearance and clothing. I'll ask the general if he knows who those two are."

(P.S.: If you want to see Lao Yang and the protagonist clash, it might be after Huanlong with the Jianmu Divine Body vs. the Seven Heavenly Generals of the Emperor Bow, Part 5, possibly the reincarnation of Akivili? Wulou Jingzi, Yang Chaoyue)