Chapter 29 – Shadows Beneath Longxuan City
Morning came quietly to Longxuan City.
Sunlight spilled across tiled roofs and banners fluttering in the wind. Merchants shouted from stalls, guards patrolled in their polished armor, and cultivators filled the streets with the hum of spiritual energy.
But among all the noise and color, one man walked unnoticed.
Ye Tianlan, now dressed in a simple gray robe and a half-mask, moved through the crowd like any traveler. His presence was perfectly ordinary — too ordinary. Even those who brushed shoulders with him would forget his face the next moment.
Beside him, Mei munched happily on a skewer of roasted spirit meat.
"This city is amazing," she said with her mouth full. "They've got spirit-infused food everywhere! You can literally taste the qi."
"You'll also taste regret if you eat too much," Tianlan said flatly.
She rolled her eyes. "You should try having fun once in your life."
"I'll consider it after revenge," he replied, glancing toward a distant tower etched with dragon sigils.
Mei blinked. "You're serious even before breakfast."
"That's when the world is quiet enough to think."
"Or brooding enough to scare the waiter," she muttered.
They entered a large plaza where countless sect disciples set up stalls selling pills, talismans, and cultivation manuals. The banners fluttered with names like Azure Fang Sect, Twin Serpent Hall, and Iron Spirit Valley.
Mei looked dazzled. "So many sects gathered here... what's going on?"
"A trade fair," Tianlan said after scanning the crowd. "Once every decade, the Azure Dragon Court allows open exchange within the lower realm. It attracts cultivators from across the seven provinces."
Her eyes widened. "Meaning—"
"Meaning it's a nest of spies and power plays disguised as business."
"Can you not ruin everything?"
He ignored her sigh and moved toward a stall selling spirit herbs. The vendor, an old man with sharp eyes, bowed politely. "Honored cultivator, perhaps something to aid in your breakthrough?"
Ye Tianlan examined the herbs, his gaze briefly pausing on a faintly glowing lotus seed. His spiritual sense brushed it—there was a strange pulse within, ancient and faintly familiar.
"This seed," he said quietly, "where did you get it?"
The old vendor hesitated, lowering his voice. "From the Northern Wastes. Found it in an ancient tomb… buried beneath a dragon statue. They call it Heaven's Heart Seed. Supposedly grows only where a fallen star bleeds into the earth."
Tianlan's eyes narrowed. A fallen star... a celestial fragment?
Before he could ask more, Mei tugged on his sleeve. "Uh, Tianlan… we've got company."
He didn't turn. Through the reflection on a glass jar, he saw them — two figures in hooded cloaks, pretending to browse nearby. Their movement was too precise, their posture too disciplined.
"Guards again," he said calmly. "They never learn."
Mei whispered, "What do we do?"
"Buy the seed," he said simply, tossing a few spirit coins to the vendor. Then he turned away, walking down the crowded street as if nothing was wrong.
The cloaked figures followed — but the moment they turned a corner, the street was empty.
A single feather drifted down from above.
One of the guards looked up — and froze. Ye Tianlan stood balanced on a hanging banner overhead, silent as the wind. His eyes gleamed through the mask.
"Tell your masters," he said softly, "the shadow they chase has teeth."
Then he vanished into the morning mist.
Later, back at the inn, Mei threw herself into a chair. "You have got to teach me that disappearing trick."
Tianlan set the lotus seed on the table, watching it glow faintly. "You'd break your neck before learning it."
"Rude," she said. "Also accurate."
He ignored her and placed his palm over the seed. A faint light flickered—within it, he saw flashes of landscapes unknown: mountains floating in fire, rivers of stars, and an ancient gate carved with seven celestial beasts.
He frowned. "This isn't just a herb. It's a key… to something far older."
Mei tilted her head. "You mean like treasure?"
"No," he said, voice low. "A seal."
She blinked. "That sounds worse."
"It usually is."
That night, as the city lights dimmed and wind howled softly outside, Ye Tianlan sat cross-legged, meditating with the seed before him. His aura pulsed faintly, restrained but growing sharper.
Outside his window, a figure lingered in the shadows, whispering into a glowing talisman.
"Report to the command," the voice said. "The masked man has obtained the Heaven's Heart Seed. Repeat—he has the seed."
In the distance, deep within Longxuan City's palace district, a woman cloaked in azure armor opened her eyes. Her voice was like frost.
"So he's here..."
She stood, the dragon crest on her armor gleaming faintly. "If the rumors are true… then the storm begins tonight."