Does the mayor know that such a group of fantaics is gathering there?

Bai Ke always had a remarkably accurate judgment of people, and the results based on his first impressions had never been wrong.

Regarding this "chicken boy," although he initially felt that this young man's thinking was peculiar, akin to someone like Bai Zixu who gave people headaches, he didn't think he was malicious. Even now, with Junxiao uncovering the "amulet" on his "phone," Bai Ke still didn't think the chicken boy and the two abnormal individuals who appeared at his doorstep last night were of the same kind.

The chicken boy squirmed uncomfortably for a moment, stuttering, "Um... Testing others' astrological signs randomly was wrong of me, but... my intentions were good..." After speaking, he looked up hopefully at Bai Ke. But after a couple of seconds, realizing Bai Ke had his eyes closed, he redirected his gaze to Bai Zixu, who seemed more approachable.

Bai Zixu scratched his chin, staring at the chandelier on the ceiling, remaining silent.

The chicken boy was on the verge of tears, reluctantly and somewhat fearfully looking at Junxiao.

Bai Ke observed the entire struggle, finding it somewhat amusing. With just that, even with ten times more courage, he wouldn't believe this guy had instructed those two to bring three monsters to ambush someone.

"What was your intention then?" Bai Ke asked directly.

"Huh?" The chicken boy seemed especially afraid of Junxiao. Merely being stared at by his dark eyes made him wish he had never existed. Though he didn't seem particularly docile, Bai Ke couldn't understand why he had such a tiny bit of courage when facing Junxiao. Thus, when Bai Ke suddenly spoke, he was caught off guard.

"What did you do after determining my astrological sign?" Bai Ke asked more directly this time.

"Well, you see..." The chicken boy hesitated for a moment before speaking, "what I'm about to say may sound a bit fantastical to you, but trust me, these things are all real."

Bai Ke's expression immediately became as subtle as if he had swallowed a hamster: "..."

When you've been tormented by a snake spirit-obsessed lunatic who's always thinking about transcending tribulations since childhood, and you've been ambushed by two abnormal people at your doorstep the night before, nearly bitten to death by three monsters, and then suddenly acquired a disciple from over five thousand years ago out of thin air, what else could be considered fantastical?

But it seemed that when Junxiao and Bai Zixu questioned the chicken boy, they didn't mention last night's incident. Otherwise, the chicken boy wouldn't have said such things.

As the most fantastical presence in the room, Junxiao unconsciously leaned against the door, arms crossed, squinting slightly at the chicken boy, as if waiting to hear how fantastical his methods were.

Even Bai Zixu, who usually wandered outside the normal world and couldn't stay on topic for more than a sentence, straightened up.

The chicken boy's face turned a bit green from being stared at, with a stiff posture he continued, "I overheard your conversation earlier, where you mentioned Taoist friends and knowledge of charms, so I naturally assumed you must be familiar with cultivation."

Bai Zixu immediately nodded solemnly in agreement.

Bai Ke "..."

"As for this Huo... Well, Senior Huo shouldn't be an ordinary person, and his cultivation must surpass us small characters." The chicken boy didn't miss the chance to flatter, his tone tearful, which was not only repulsive but also slightly amusing.

However, Bai Ke couldn't find it amusing; instead, he thought to himself, This isn't good. By describing it this way, the chicken boy has confirmed the matter of cultivation, which will likely make Bai Zixu even more fervent and righteous in the future...

Although he never felt guilty about it."

He turned his head and noticed Bai Zixu listening intently, which only added to his growing headache.

However, Junxiao remained silent, offering no response to the chicken boy's words, maintaining a stoic and unyielding demeanor.

 

The chicken boy couldn't figure out what kind of person Junxiao was. His aura was completely concealed, making him feel both dangerous and unpredictable. But he couldn't determine the extent of it, so he looked at Junxiao, swallowed nervously, and continued, "In cultivating, there are sects, with various traditions and practices."

The more Bai Ke listened, the more he found it increasingly difficult to understand. "Sects?"

"Yes!" The chicken boy looked at him, thinking he didn't understand why there would be sects in cultivation, and said, "After all, each sect has its own way of worship."

"No, I mean, are these sects still around?"

“Of course!”

“Where? In deep mountains; dense forests or no man lands?” For Bai Ke, it was difficult to imagine ‘so many sects hidden right under ordinary people's noses.’ They probably only existed in remote areas.

The chicken boy's answer surprised him: "There are indeed some sects hidden on mountaintops, in dense forests, under restrictions, but not all of them."

"Where else could they be?" Bai Ke had a feeling his worldview was about to be refreshed again.

"Um, as far as I know," the chicken boy tilted his face up, thought for a moment, and then readily divulged information about various sects, "There are three major sects, six factions, and twelve realms. Among the three major sects, apart from the long-fallen Yusheng Gate, the other two are located in cities. For example, the Qingyun Gate (NT: clear skies, also figuratively high position) is in Lin City, and the second-largest faction among the six factions, the Shaoyang Faction, has been in the same place for a thousand years and is now located in Heng City. There's also the Changling Faction in Li City, but it's practically defunct now. The few remaining disciples there are no match for the old Daoists and spirits hiding in the mountains around the city."

Bai Ke: "..."

Lin City and Heng City are bustling metropolises, right? There's a sizable sect there with all the hustle and bustle? Does the mayor know about these fanatics...? Even though Li City isn't a big place, it still harbors a few spirits?

However, with this string of sects, each accompanied by specific cities, Bai Ke began to worry that Bai Zixu might run off to another city during his next bout of madness. After all, this guy may not be right in the head, but he was not lacking in courage either. He was capable of such things.

With these thoughts in mind, Bai Ke glanced at the couch to his right and noticed Bai Zixu seemed absent-minded, as if lost in thought again. But it was not unusual for him to zone out while speaking or doing something. It was probably because something the chicken boy said opened up a new channel of thought for him.

Bai Zixu's absent-mindedness was understandable, but then Bai Ke noticed that Junxiao, who had been standing beside him all this while, also seemed distracted. His gaze, which had been fixed on the chicken boy, had somehow shifted, his eyes now downcast, seemingly focused on his own wrist?

Bai Ke caught a glimpse of a bead peeking out from under Junxiao's sleeve, but he couldn't discern its material or properties; he just felt a sense of antiquity and weightiness about it.

However, as Bai Ke glanced for a moment, he felt Junxiao's wrist move, and then those dark eyes lifted again, coincidentally meeting Bai Ke's gaze.

Despite not doing anything wrong, Bai Ke still felt somewhat embarrassed and awkward, so he quickly redirected his gaze back to the chicken boy and said, "You've gone on quite a tangent and mentioned numerous sects, but it seems you haven't gotten to the point."

"The point is, due to the numerous sects, each one is constantly expanding its influence to gain higher status and more resources. Our sect is no exception. A few days ago, the headmaster said our sect hadn't recruited any disciples for nearly ten years, so he plans to recruit some soon. The emphasis is on quality rather than quantity, and there are specific requirements for the astrological signs. We were told to keep an eye out while traveling. So, I inscribed this talisman in my phone to see if I could find some suitable candidates to bring back."

Bai Ke: "..."

A decent sect recruiting disciples as if they were picking up stray cats and dogs off the street?

"When I met you in that alley, my phone suddenly vibrated. Your astrological sign perfectly matched the requirements set by the headmaster for this batch of disciples, so I wanted to ask if you were interested. But when I turned around, you were gone, and I was in a hurry, so I went back to the sect first."

"Back to the sect?" Bai Ke caught onto those three words accurately. "Is your sect in Yi City?"

"That's right." The chicken boy nodded. "It's not too far from here, just along Xijing North Road."

Bai Ke was truly baffled this time. "Isn't Xijing North Road a financial and commercial street? If I remember correctly, it's lined with office buildings and skyscrapers on both sides!"

"Yes!" The chicken boy was surprised. "You know quite a bit about it!"

Bai Ke: "Then where is your sect located?" Could it be squeezed in between a bunch of buildings, in those little spaces that could barely fit an entire sect?

"Well..." The chicken boy hesitated, twisting his face, "I can give you a general idea, but it's against the rules to disclose the exact location. Please don't put me in a difficult position."

Bai Ke: "..." Would you die if you talk properly?

"Okay..." Since he couldn't get an answer to that, Bai Ke changed the subject, "You said your headmaster has requirements for astrological signs. What are they?"

The chicken boy didn't avoid the question: "He said he prefers people born in Yin years, months, and hours. I'm not sure why there's such a preference, but perhaps the sect's fortunes are not good, so they need disciples born under these conditions to change their luck?" He shrugged his bound shoulders, indicating he didn't know the specifics.

"Born in Yin years, months, and hours?" Huo Junxiao furrowed his brows and repeated it.

The chicken boy, who had relaxed a bit, suddenly tensed up again and nodded, thinking: Oh no! Why is he furrowing his brows again?

"What's wrong?" Bai Ke asked.

Huo Junxiao shook his head and said, "This isn't a particularly auspicious birth. People born under these conditions... it feels like it's not just about changing their luck."

Bai Ke didn't understand these things, so he didn't comment, but directed his inquiry to the chicken boy instead: "Since you didn't manage to locate me, did you subsequently divulge my whereabouts to those two peculiar individuals, one tall and the other short?"

"Two peculiar individuals, one tall and one short?" The chicken boy, upon hearing this, immediately

started trembling and said, "Have you met my senior brother?"

As soon as he said that, he felt three sharp gazes fall on him, even Bai Zixu, who had been absent-minded the whole time, had a grim expression. Although this guy had never been reliable in serious matters and had a poor memory, he couldn't tolerate Bai Ke being threatened.

The chicken boy shivered, feeling like he might have said something he shouldn't have, so he explained hastily, "I didn't tell them about you; I was discussing it with the headmaster. I guess they overheard us by accident. Those two senior brothers have always been a bit... um, unscrupulous. The headmaster mentioned there would be rewards for finding talented new disciples, and they were eager for quick success and instant benefits, so they hurriedly went to find you. It wasn't until this morning that I realized they hadn't returned yet. I was sent out to find them, and when I passed by here, I thought I'd come and ask if you were interested in joining our sect. But then, just as I was organizing my words downstairs, I was brought up here by Senior Huo..."

After he finished explaining, both Bai Ke and Bai Zixu's expressions eased a bit. After all, he didn't seem like the type to lie at a time like this. Since he had no malicious intent, it indicated there was some misunderstanding.

As for why those two so-called senior brothers went from recruiting disciples to killing them, perhaps only they themselves knew.

Thinking this way, Bai Ke wanted Junxiao to loosen the chicken boy's restraints first. Keeping him bound like this might cause serious harm.

But to his surprise, Junxiao's expression remained somber. Suddenly, he asked, "Which sect do you belong to?"

Bai Ke just realized that despite all the talking, the chicken boy had forgotten to mention his own sect.

The chicken boy paused for a moment, then said somewhat proudly, "Our sect is quite well-known too. Among the three major sects, after the decline of Yusheng Gate, our sect, Hengtian (NT: eternal heaven) Gate, should be considered the strongest. I'm from the Hengtian Gate."

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Junxiao, who had been leaning against the door, suddenly straighten up, his eyes seemingly darkening. Expressionless, he raised his hand, and the chicken boy felt a sharp pain in his neck, almost as if he were about to cough up blood. When he realized what was happening, he found himself being held by Junxiao, grasping his neck.

The chicken boy, with a blank stare: "..." Holy crap, help!!!

 

Translator : DarNan