Volume One: Youths Meet in Their Humble Beginnings Chapter Fifty-One: The Visitor Outside the Town

Seven years had passed, and Tianmen Town had changed in subtle ways—the most obvious being the increased flow of people through its streets. In these years, outsiders had arrived from the ferry at intervals, settling in for months or years at a time, folding themselves into the bases their sects or clans had long ago established in the town. Perhaps it was the air of the outside world clinging to them, but these new arrivals carried with them an unconscious sense of superiority, as if they were the moon in the sky and the townsfolk nothing more than mud beneath their feet.

After coming ashore from the sea, Li Yu intended, as usual, to pass through the East Gate on his way home. As he passed the ferry there, he saw, carried on the sea breeze, six enormous sailing ships approaching. Each vessel bore its sect’s insignia—he looked closely and recognized them: a tomb, a divination disk, a mountain, a fiery furnace, a beast’s head, and a stretch of the Yellow Springs. A crowd disembarked from each ship, their faces alight with curiosity and delight at Tianmen Town, though a closer look revealed in many eyes a barely concealed disdain for all they saw.

Members of these sects who had already been stationed in Tianmen Town had caught wind of the arrivals and were waiting at the docks to receive them. These stationed men and women, sent by their sects to reside in the town, were not of particularly high standing; had they any prospects at home, they would not have traveled so far to this outpost to gather intelligence and relay news.

Yet it must be admitted, it was their presence that allowed new arrivals to so swiftly assimilate into the life of Tianmen Town, smoothing over countless troubles and inconveniences.

Over these years, Li Yu had seen many outsiders come and go. Each time, he watched, wondering if he would at last see Brother Lu Ming from the Great Sword Green Mountain, or those two from the Divine Water Palace and the Blazing Fire Sect—but every time, he was disappointed. This time was no different.

Seeing the throng, Li Yu had no desire to compete with them for passage. Yet it seemed pointless to simply wait. Glancing aside, he caught sight of a teahouse near the ferry and the city gate, where townsfolk were sitting and drinking tea—locals, by the look of them, likewise waiting for the crowd to pass before entering the town. He made his way there, thinking he could lend Old Zhang a hand.

Old Zhang, the teahouse keeper, saw Li Yu approach and called out, “Little Yu, I’m afraid there’s no seat for you today—you might have to stand if you want tea.”

Li Yu smiled. “Uncle Zhang, I’m not here for tea. Is there anything you need help with? I can lend you a hand.”

Old Zhang’s face brightened. “That’s wonderful! I won’t stand on ceremony then. Things are a bit much for me today. If you can help, I’ll be able to catch my breath.”

Li Yu said nothing more, simply rolling up his sleeves and helping to serve tea, clear tables, and wash cups, moving with the ease of habit among his neighbors.

He did not notice, as he busied himself, that three men and two women were watching the teahouse from a distance.

For some reason, the Beast Sect’s people had not come early to the docks like the other sects. Instead, they were trying to contact their fellow sect members already in Tianmen Town. One of the women, upon disembarking, sensed a presence from the teahouse by the ferry that made her heart race. She immediately reported this to her senior brother.

“Junior sister, are you certain you sensed the aura of a powerful spirit beast?” asked the man, a burly, square-faced giant with eyes like a panther’s and the build of a moving mountain.

The woman, slender and quick, dressed in a pale blue gown with a bell at her waist that chimed as she walked, nodded. “I’m sure. The aura is wild and domineering. I can’t be mistaken.”

Another woman, in a pink dress, added, “If Junior Sister Zhang Yue says so, it must be true. Her cultivation method allows her to sense the aura of any spirit beast within ten miles. If the aura here is so fierce, at the very least it must be a king beast. Such a treasure must not be missed.”

They reported their findings to Elder Lian, who, after a moment’s thought, said, “Since our hosts have yet to come for us, you might as well investigate. But be cautious—Tianmen Town may be lawless, but there are hidden dragons and crouching tigers within.”

The rest of the group offered no objections. After all, the burly man was their senior brother, the blue-gowned woman the sect’s cherished prodigy, and the pink-clad woman the sect leader’s daughter.

Meanwhile, Li Yu was pouring tea and chatting with the townsfolk, paying no mind to the approaching group. When the disciples of the Beast Sect reached the teahouse and saw no one there to greet them, and no vacant seats, they immediately barked at Li Yu, “Hey, boy! Get over here and find us a table—can’t you see we have nowhere to sit?”

Li Yu turned, surprised they would choose such a humble place for tea. As he walked over, he noted the beast-head embroidered on their robes, quietly committing it to memory.

“I’m sorry, honored guests,” he said politely. “We have no free seats at the moment. If you wish, I can bring tea to you where you stand.”

His words were tactful and firm, but the others showed little understanding.

One disciple said roughly, “Kick them out and there’ll be seats, won’t there?”

The woman in the blue gown stared at Li Yu, her shock growing as she quietly messaged her senior brother, “Brother, that’s the aura I sensed—it’s coming from him.”

The senior brother fixed Li Yu with his panther-like gaze, eyes predatory. “Very well. Bring the tea to us, then. Over there, where the banner has a beast’s head—understand?”

No one else understood why he relented, save the blue-gowned woman. The pink-dressed girl wanted to ask more, but her junior sister tugged at her sleeve, and she let it go. The group, fierce as they had arrived, left just as fiercely, leaving the locals puzzled.

Old Zhang fretted, “There won’t be any trouble, will there?”

Watching them go, Li Yu quickly guessed their true intentions—tea was an excuse; they had come for him.

He could not explain much to Old Zhang, so he simply reassured him, “Don’t worry, Uncle Zhang. It’ll be fine. Brew some tea for me, and I’ll take it over to them.”

Soon, he was carrying a pot of tea to the Beast Sect camp. When he arrived, he saw an elder with a long beard in a golden python robe, exuding wealth and status, flanked by the three disciples.

The elder asked the blue-gowned woman, “Nephew Zhang, is this the one?”

Zhang Yue bowed her head. “Yes. The aura I sensed comes from him.”

The elder stared at Li Yu for a long moment. “Step forward.”

Li Yu could only smile wryly—he had always relied on his Dragon God Art to live peacefully in Tianmen Town, but the moment outsiders arrived, it had brought him nothing but trouble.

Feigning calm, he stepped forward and placed the tea on the table, making no other move.

Just as he wondered what they intended, the elder suddenly struck, unleashing a powerful pressure and grabbing Li Yu’s arm, channeling his own spiritual power into Li Yu’s body.

Suddenly, Li Yu felt a domineering force rampaging through his meridians, threatening to tear him apart. Instinctively, his Dragon God Art activated, and a mighty dragon’s presence swept over the area. Those with meager cultivation slumped to the ground, while only the three disciples could barely remain standing.

The elder was astonished—Li Yu was of dragon blood, and apparently on the verge of forming his dragon pearl. For a dragon, the pearl was the foundation of its path to enlightenment; only with a dragon pearl could a dragon hope to become a true dragon.

It had been many years since he’d seen a dragon on the verge of forming its pearl—in fact, he had only ever read of such beings in ancient texts. Now, seeing a descendant of the dragon tribe before him, his gaze burned with greed.

Li Yu used all his strength to resist the elder’s invasive power, unable to break free.

Just as the elder was about to force Li Yu to reveal his true form, a rainbow feather drifted from Li Yu’s collar, transforming into a shimmering phantom that cried, “Enough!”

With the help of this force, Li Yu broke free from the elder’s grip, leaping back out of the Beast Sect’s encampment.

Those nearby, who had yet to enter Tianmen Town, did not know what had happened—only that a terrifying pressure had settled over the area, followed by an even greater force descending from the sky.

In that instant, everyone understood: the Beast Sect had provoked someone they should not have.

The phantom took the shape of a resplendent phoenix, looking down on the crowd with disdain. “Is this how you welcome yourselves to Tianmen Town? Have you forgotten the treaty set by the Five Lords?”

The bystanders, who had been gleefully awaiting drama, now stared in shock; no one expected that the youth would be protected by a divine beast—let alone a phoenix.

A thousand years ago, phoenixes and dragons had nearly vanished from the earth. Dragons were nowhere to be found, and only phoenixes, with their innate art of rebirth, had managed to preserve a sliver of their bloodline through the ages.

The elder, shaken by the phoenix’s furious rebuke, lost control of his spirit and spat blood; had he not shielded his disciples, their minds would have shattered, leaving them ruined.

The phantom, seeing Li Yu unharmed, cast one last cold glance at the Beast Sect before vanishing.

Once his breathing steadied, Li Yu addressed them coldly, “Thank you for your lesson. But let me warn you—this is Tianmen Town, not a place where you can act with impunity. If you wish to misbehave, you’d best leave now.”

Though his words were quiet, Li Yu infused them with the power of his Dragon God Art. All those present felt the weight of draconic authority in his voice. Those who had planned to stir up trouble thought twice; if they wished to act recklessly, they would now have to consider whether they were truly up to the task.