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nTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

nIn the early hours of the morning, Jing Jiu and Zhao Layue left Shenmo Peak.

nThey walked more than two hundred miles continuously, leaving the South Pine Pavilion behind, and they ordered a hotpot in Cloudy Town.

nZhao Layue ate seven plates of soft meat and drank three cups of wine, but Jing Jiu merely boiled a few green vegetables in the water.

nIn the afternoon, they resumed their travel, covering about one hundred miles and arriving at the outskirts of the capital city of Shangzhou

nThe city of Shangzhou wasn’t so big, but it was located on the intersection of five official roads, so its geographical position was very important. This was why the city was administered so meticulously.

nThe city gates were overseen by guards, who might take a few coins as bribes to let you in faster, but they still checked all the travelers carefully.

nJing Jiu and Zhao Layue stood under the Farewell Gazebo outside the city gate, looking in the direction of the city gate for a long time.

nThey had a thorny issue that was difficult to resolve.

nHow were they to enter the city?

nJing Jiu recalled travel books and the relevant rules of the Imperial Court he had read before, but he still couldn’t find a way to get in.

n“We simply ride our swords into the city, where they should have the special Immortal House for Cultivation practitioners,” he told Zhao Layue.

nZhao Layue was beginning to get annoyed.

nAt the beginning, she suggested that they should ride their swords, but Jing Jiu didn’t agree, saying that they should take their time since they were traveling, and it was better to keep their identities concealed.

n“Otherwise we need a Travel Permit issued by the government,” said Jing Jiu.

n“Do you have any?” Zhao Layue asked him.

n“We could get some from Xilai Peak before we leave,” said Jing Jiu.

n“Does that mean we don’t have them right now?” asked Zhao Layue.

nJing Jiu looked at the carriages on the official roads. “I wonder if they put your portrait on the Travel Permits,” he said to himself.

n“Green Mountain is humiliated,” said Zhao Layue in a dull groan.

nIt was true. Jing Jiu and Zhao Layue were two people who didn’t have any knowledge of everyday life.

nIn the Green Mountains, they were not so different from others, but this became a serious issue when they were in the real human world.

nThey were focused on Cultivation, spending all their time and energy on practicing Cultivation and on comprehending heaven and earth, so they didn’t pay attention to such trivial matters in their daily lives.

nIn the small village, Jing Jiu had spent nine days learning farm work, house work and handy work, but he hadn’t learned many other things, such as how to deal with people.

nIn all those places, including Liu’s home, South Pine Pavilion, the Stream of Sword Washing, and Shenmo Peak, he was always alone by himself, and didn’t need to deal with people.

nZhao Layue was slightly better off than Jing Jiu, but her knowledge of how to handle daily life was also limited. Before her birth, she was already under the protection of the Green Mountain Sect, and after she arrived in the world, she was always preparing herself for Cultivation, learning all kinds of advanced knowledge. She always stayed in her family’s manor house, never greeting visitors. After she came to Green Mountain, she still spent most of her time alone, like when she was on Sword Peak.

nThey were surprisingly talented whiz-kid disciples in the Cultivation world, but they often appeared clumsy in the normal world.

nThere was no other choice but the direct method.

nOf course, the method wasn’t what Jing Jiu had considered: snatching Travel Permits from other travelers.

nDusk was turning to night, and visibility was getting limited. Jing Jiu and Zhao Layue came to a remote section of the city wall. They disappeared with a flash of sword light.

nThe flying sword landed in a back alley.

n“Where are we going?” asked Zhao Layue.

n“I have never stayed in the Immortal House before, but I hear it’s pretty good,” said Jing Jiu.

n“Since we are traveling, we’d better stay in a local Inn, like the monks of the Fruit Formation Temple in the secular world,” said Zhao Layue.

nThinking of what had been written in those books, Jing Jiu was concerned. “I heard that the Inns are rather dirty, and they stink of feet.”

n“You really are inexperienced,” thought Zhao Layue. “If we can find a decent inn, then that’ll be fine. Do mortals really not wash their feet?!”

nJing Jiu wanted to say something, but before he could, Zhao Layue snapped, “I am the Big Sister here, so listen to me.”

n“Okay.”

nThe two of them left the alley, heading toward the well-lit street.

nZhao Layue suddenly stopped. “Wait here for me,” she said.

nSoon, she came back from the street with two conical hats in her hands.

n“Why?” asked Jing Jiu after taking the conical hat.

nZhao Layue made a gesture on her face with her hand without saying anything.

nThis gesture had already become a regular behavior on the nine peaks of the Green Mountains, anybody who saw this gesture would know it meant Jing Jiu.

nThough Jing Jiu had never seen this gesture himself, he soon realized what Zhao Layue meant.

nJing Jiu put the conical hat on his head. “Can we still see?” he asked in a low voice.

nThe light from the street fell on Jing Jiu. Though the conical hat covered most of his face, the exposed part was still too visible.

nZhao Layue pulled down his conical hat forcefully, nodding her head satisfactorily after seeing the result.

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nThe Disgraced Immortal House was the best restaurant and inn in Shangzhou.

nZhao Layue found this out after summing up the courage to ask a few passers-by.

nThe Inn was well-lit, with clean windows and tables. The ambience was quite nice, though it was a bit noisy.

nZhao Layue was quite satisfied with it, but Jing Jiu didn’t like the three words on the plaque so much.

nThey entered the Inn and arrived at the front counter, behind which an Innkeeper stood. Zhao Layue suddenly fell silent.

nJing Jiu didn’t understand at first, then realized she must have forgotten to bring money.

nHe hadn’t forgotten. He remembered that money was very important, as his status in the small village had, to a great extent, depended on how much money he had.

nHe took out a golden leaf and gave it to the Innkeeper. “We want the best room,” he said in a serious tone.

nUsually people didn’t come in asking for a room with conical hats on, and nobody paid for rooms with golden leaves… but still, it was a golden leaf.

nWho cared what kind of weirdos you were, as long as you had the money?!

n“Heavenly Room 1! Look at the title, it was saved just for you two.”

nThe Innkeeper offered a genuine smile, asking a porter to take the guests to their room.

nComing to the door of the room and seeing “Heavenly 1” on the wooden sign, Jing Jiu and Zhao Layue felt rather satisfied.

nEntering the room and looking around, Zhao Layue thought the furniture and decorations were pretty good, even when compared with her home in Zhaoge City.

nJing Jiu had a sudden thought. “How did you buy the conical hats without any money?” he asked.

nZhao Layue was startled a bit, but she didn’t answer the question. She sat on a clean spot on the floor with her legs crossed and eyes closed, recuperating.

n“Green Mountain really is humiliated!” said Jing Jiu with a smile, shaking his head.

nZhao Layue still didn’t respond.

nA streak of white fog arose from the top of her head, as straight as a pencil or a sword.

nJing Jiu untied the iron sword on his back, activating his mental will slightly. A faint blue fire appeared on the black shaft of his sword.

nHe rubbed his face a few times with a handful of the blue fireballs. All the dust he had accumulated during the thousand-mile trip disappeared from his face, showing skin as spotless as jade.

nAfter a short while, Zhao Layue finished recuperating and opened her eyes, which looked very beautiful, with distinctive black and white parts.

nLooking at Jing Jiu and thinking for a moment, Zhao Layue reached her hands out, collecting a handful of water from the air using magic and washing her face clean.

nAfter knocking on the door, the porter came in with a pot of hot water and two clean white towels on his elbow.

n“Dear guests…”

nSeeing Zhao Layue’s face, the waiter was stunned.

nHe put down the pot and looked at Jing Jiu. “Would you like…”

nHis voice suddenly halted again.

nThe porter rubbed his eyes. He couldn’t believe what he had just seen.

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