In the pitch-dark passageway, the sandalwood gold they had just received came into play as it lit up the area with a purple flame, revealing flickers of illusionary waves occasionally in the tunnel.
Wu Jinliang's booming voice echoed through the passage.
"I heard the ladies outside are as fair as Miss Miao..."
Wu Jinliang, carrying a bag and a sword, walked with his head held high.
Despite his tattered appearance, his excitement and ambition were evident as he eagerly talked about women, dreaming of visiting the pleasure quarters once they got out.
Thinking of the legendary allure of those places, Shi Chun almost joined the conversation but managed to keep his composure.
He reminded himself he was among people from Bowang Pavilion and, being a pursuer of Miss Miao, he should avoid such shameless topics.
Betraying his allies was not an option, especially since they hadn't completely crossed the river yet.
Plus, the women in the Exile Lands were indeed quite dark, just like them, dirty, dark, and equally disheveled.
In front of the Bowang Pavilion group, Shi Chun managed to maintain decorum, unlike the boorish Wu Jinliang.
He emphasized his love for books over himself, stating his first intention after getting out was to buy books, the second, only to buy a decent set of clothes.
Such was his sophistication, valuing books over appearance.
Wu Jinliang secretly despised him but outwardly expressed admiration for the Big Boss, as if respecting his greater strength.
Talking about buying books and clothes made them realize the many necessities they'd need to secure a place for themselves outside, especially the expense of cultivation resources, making their funds seem insufficient.
It was at this point that they realized the small sum given to them when leaving the Exile Lands was a significant gesture of goodwill.
It provided a cushion to prevent desperate actions and offered them an adjustment period.
Though, that money was hard-earned by their own efforts.
As the white light at the exit grew larger and the view outside became visible, both Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang were too overwhelmed to speak, their hearts and hands trembling with excitement, worried it was all a dream that might shatter.
The people from Bowang Pavilion had already exited the cave and turned back to watch.
The armored guards flanking the entrance also looked back.
For them, it was a common sight, nothing new.
The Bowang Pavilion leader called out, "If you don't want to come out, it's too late. They won't take you back in. Even if you commit a crime in the future, you won't be sent there again."
Just as he finished, a guard shouted, "Get out!"
Finally, the two ragged figures of Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang cautiously stepped into the sunlight, visibly uneasy.
Before them spread blue skies dotted with fluffy clouds and a chain of green mountains.
Nearby, waterfalls roared, and the scents of grass and plants assailed their senses, overwhelming them and inducing a slight dizziness.
The dizziness was genuine, as the air in the Exile Lands was thinner, causing those unaccustomed to the outside to feel light-headed upon stepping out.
Fortunately, both were cultivators and quickly adjusted.
Turning back, they saw a fortress embedded in the mountain peak, the cold, blocky characters of "Twelve Cities" engraved atop the stone door, with a group of guards clearly stationed there.
"Are you leaving or not?" the Bowang Pavilion leader urged again.
For them, the scenery was long-familiar and held no allure.
Of course, they had to leave.
The two hurried to follow, trailing behind like destitute wanderers as they descended the mountain.
At the base of the mountain, the pair dawdled, sometimes hugging trees on the roadside with affection, other times chewing on grass only to spit it out from the bitterness, tasting it again and again despite its awfulness.
They also plucked flowers with glee and jumped into streams, laughing wildly.
The distant misty mountains, deer calls, the clear bird songs, insects scuttling about, and bees and butterflies flitting among flowers—all seemed so beautiful to them.
The beauty overwhelmed them to the point of losing control like mad dogs, unfettered by the efforts of the Bowang Pavilion group, who occasionally failed to rein in their wildness.
After a bout of water splashing in a clear pool, a mutual glance led to a heartfelt embrace as they sobbed bitterly in each other's arms.
Wu Jinliang hammered against Shi Chun's back, choking out complaints, "We should've left earlier. How many times have I told you, yet you wouldn't!"
Shi Chun wept, "You could have left by yourself. Nothing stopped you."
"You wouldn't go, so how could I leave without worry?"
"Pah, do I need you to worry about me? I still..."
Before Shi Chun could finish, two figures abruptly appeared, dragging them out of the water and whisking them away.
Their leisurely pace and idle talks only served as background noise to the Bowang Pavilion group, impatient enough to take matters into their own hands, carrying the pair to speed up the journey.
If not for Elder Tan's instructions before departure, they might have left the pair behind.
In an instant, the group felt the world fall into peaceful quiet.
But not for long, as a voice from behind complained, "Why carry such a big sword? It's like lugging a beast!"
The person carrying their luggage at the back griped about having picked up a burdensome item, Wu Jinliang's sword, heavier than two or three men.
Unable to mix it with Bowang Pavilion's own cargo as per rules, enduring the weight throughout the journey was wearisome, prompting loud curses they couldn't hold back—placation lay solely in Elder Tan's regard.
Wu Jinliang kept his silence, ducking his head.
Shi Chun, however, asked the leader holding him, "Where are we going?"
"Just to drop you off at the nearest city, where our task ends," said the leader.
Shi Chun probed further, "Where are you headed?"
"To complete our duties at Bowang Pavilion," replied the leader.
Shi Chun blinked, "I've heard Bowang Pavilion spans the worldly realm; is it not within the nearest city?"
"The nearest city is too small to handle our goods. They need to be sent to where they're needed," the leader explained.
Shi Chun pondered for a moment and said, "We'd like to accompany you and see the world while learning from you as promised by Elder Tan. Didn't he mention this to you?"
The truth being, Shi Chun was apprehensive about leaving Bowang Pavilion's protection without ensuring the Qi Family hadn't yet acted on news from the Exile Lands.
After haggling and repeated assurances they wouldn't misbehave or run wildly, the group finally agreed to alter their route.
A posse of Advanced Martial Realm cultivators could leap two to three miles in a single bound through forested terrain, leaving Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang in admiration.
They stopped occasionally, traveling until the next morning.
Suddenly, a sprawling complex of pavilions and towers emerged within the mountains, nestled between valleys and lakes.
Smokes rose, and the shimmering lake mirrored ethereal hazes as people moved through the scenic landscape—some soaring through the sky, spirit birds fluttering from above.
It was a sight that left Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang awestruck.
This was the destination of the Bowang Pavilion group, Sky-Illuminating City.
Stupefied, Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang were tugged along, flown into the canyon, landing by a pavilion near a waterfall and pond.
"Here we are," announced the leader before taking his leave.
Clanking noises accompanied the dropping of the pair's weapons and baggage, with everyone turning away, unwilling to engage with the burdensome duo any longer.
They hadn't even shared their names with the pair, perhaps out of indifference or some other reason.
Nonetheless, Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang didn't mind, unconcerned with such matters, eager as they were to satisfy their boundless curiosity, gathering their meager belongings and setting off.
Numerous rivers meandered through the canyon, with many arched bridges connecting several towering structures.
Cliffside stairways wound their way up to countless abodes.
The canyon was filled with bustling shops, splendid palaces intermixed with shabby wooden huts, and people occasionally flying overhead.
A girl on a terrace suddenly flipped over, transforming into a colorful snake basking in the sun.
A giant rat climbed the eaves, tinkering with a bell.
The diversity was vibrant and bustling.
BAM! A loud rapping sound from a roadside building startled the two, what was going on?
Turning their heads, they saw an elderly man seated within a hall, releasing a wooden clapper on a table, addressing a leisurely audience with a theatrical cadence, "The Ten Yama Kings formed their own realm, sealing the underworld for eight hundred years. The Wardens of the Twelve Cities mock the heavenly rules, ruling the Exile Lands with autonomy. Furthermore, powerful factions develop in the four continents, pledging fealty yet disobeying. The Empress, having ascended illegitimately, strives to restore the heavenly order, yet her grand ambitions meet with frustration..."
(End of Chapter)