Chapter 42: Inside Zhentian Pass

  Because Xi Men Shuai was wanted by the Demon Sect, he also kept a low profile. He pulled Lin Fan down more than 40 miles outside of Zhen Tian Guan and then changed clothes to become a horse cart driver.

  Although the outside of the pass is dangerous, there are still many villages and towns. Moreover, there are wild ginseng and gold in the outside of the pass, so passing through the pass has become a very popular behavior in the inside of the pass. The Western Emperor also exiles prisoners to the outside of the pass to mine for gold, so the number of people outside the pass is not small, and the number of people entering and leaving the town every day is also extremely large.

  Carters are one of them, they pull goods from outside the pass to inside the pass, and then the garrison commander will collect taxes according to the imperial court's regulations before releasing them. Some people inside the pass also sell goods such as cloth to outside the pass, all of which require carts.

  Ximen Chai wore a bamboo hat and gray cloth, Lin Fan wore silk and satin, wearing a young master's hat, the carriage carried fabric, like a young master and servant going out to do business.

  "Since the Demon Sect has the Nine Palace Guardians and they have set up an array at Zhen Tian Guan, they will definitely see through our identities." Lin Fan worried that as a righteous sect disciple, being with Xi Men Shuai would be discovered by the Demon Sect, and if they questioned Yun Qing Shan, although it wouldn't be too serious, but the Sect Master San San Zhen Ren would think he had lost face.

  Ximen Shuai was very unhappy, he had to be the young master, but Lin Fan didn't want to drive the horse carriage either. The two of them pushed a cart with a sign that read "Proclamation", Ximen Shuai's face turned black as he picked up the whip. Ximen Shuai was too lazy to respond, so he used the "Reversal of Heaven and Earth" technique to write a forbidden character on Lin Fan's hand, making it impossible for cultivators to detect them within two hours. At the same time, during these two hours, Ximen Shuai and Lin Fan were unable to mobilize their true energy, becoming ordinary people.

  The Zhentian Pass is very large and majestic. Because the Western Continent is ruled by the Legalist School, the security is extremely good, and the soldiers are all doing their jobs, without any signs of corruption. Inside the pass, many people have set up stalls to do business, buying and selling things that are in demand both inside and outside the pass. On one side of the Zhentian Pass, there were over a dozen wanted posters, and Lin Fan specifically instructed Xi Men Commander to take a look, seeing Xi Men Commander's portrait, with a reward of three taels of silver for information about his whereabouts.

  "Three or two silver coins?" Lin Fan sat by the carriage, laughing so hard his belly hurt.

  Ximen Commander gritted his teeth: "Obviously a cultivator, yet colluding with the imperial court's hawks and dogs. Truly unforgivable. This commander will eventually take back the Demon Sect. Let's go!"

  "I'm hungry." Lin Fan rubbed his belly.

  This overturned heaven and earth method has a flaw, not only can it hide that one is a cultivator, but also possess the various physiological needs of ordinary people. Xi Men Shuai said discontentedly: "Endure it!"

  Lin Fan said: "Endure for half a time, then drink the northwest wind to fullness?" Lin Fan uniformly referred to drinking wind and dew after avoiding grains as drinking the northwest wind.

  "We are cultivators." Just as he spoke, Xi Men's stomach growled and made a noise. Xi Men sighed, "There is a wine house over there, but I have no money."

  "Going out without bringing any money?" Lin was annoyed, but in his heart, he had a bit more goodwill towards Ximen Shuai. Did Ximen Shuai still need to use money to eat? It was easy for him to conjure up a few taels of gold with a sleight of hand. The people of Yunqing Gate had rules that forbade them from cheating ordinary people, and the demonic sect did not bully the weak, it was a kind of pride for themselves.

  ……

  There is a wine house near the pass, the wine house covers a large area, with two floors. The first floor is mostly ordinary travelers and soldiers. The second floor is a luxurious seat, with screens separating everyone's seats from each other. Now it's noon, the wine house is bustling with people, the voices of the first floor make it feel like being in a market. Lin Fan likes this environment very much, before he was nine years old, he liked to go to the market, walking tens of miles just to squeeze into the market and stroll around for a day, without any money to buy anything.

  Ximen Shuai didn't like the commotion and slightly furrowed his brow. At this time, a waiter came forward, bowed low: "Young master, please go upstairs."

  "Ah!" Lin Fan nodded and said: "That, give him a bowl of plain rice and a dish of green vegetables."

  Who? Ximen Shuai was still in doubt, and Xiao Er pointed to a large table with people: "Go over there and join the table."

  Ximen Shuai glanced at his clothes, gritted his teeth and forced a smile: "Young Master, Young Madam has just passed away, we should hurry up and eat, then go out to collect the body."

  Lin Fan slapped Ximen Shuai's face with a loud slap: "Is the young lady you're talking about? Besides, even if one young lady dies, aren't there still ten young ladies?"

  No one dared to slap Xi Men Shuai, Xi Men Shuai got angry and was about to turn his face when two men came down from the second floor, wearing white shirts with knives, seemingly officials, but their collars had a crescent moon, which was the mark of the demonic sect. Behind the two men was an old man, Xi Men Shuai slightly lowered his head, wondering why the protector of the Ninth Palace and the two elite disciples were strolling around the wine tower?

  The Demon Sect members didn't notice Xi Men Shuai and Lin Fan slipping downstairs. A man walked up to a colleague and whispered, "If you see him, immediately report to General Zhang, there will be a heavy reward."

  "Yes." The fellow's attitude was very respectful, the people who wear these clothes change every season, and there are always ten of them. They are the ones sent by the Western Emperor to Zhentian Pass. And that old man should be the imperial envoy sent by the emperor himself.

  Strange, the Demon Sect is looking for something? No, it should be someone. Does he know that I will pass through Town Tian Guan? Ximen Shuai muttered to himself, sitting on a large table.

  The second floor was not crowded, and it was very quiet. The conversations between the diners were all in low voices, and occasionally you could hear the soft laughter of a woman behind the screen. Lin Fan was generous with his money, so he first gave a few silver coins as a tip, and the waiter led him to a nice seat by the window. Lin Fan ordered five meat dishes... For the past few days, he had been drinking northwest wind and was fed up with it, occasionally only having time to boil some wild vegetable soup, his mouth was so dry that birds could fly out of it.

  The first dish was served, and an old man and a young girl sang on the second floor. Since Xizhou is governed by the Legalist school of thought, and Zhentian Pass is a strategic military location, there wouldn't be any arrogant and unruly girls causing trouble, so Lin Fan didn't have the opportunity to play hero and rescue anyone. On the other hand, even with his current skills, Lin Fan wasn't capable of playing hero and rescuing anyone, and the Qingyu Buddha Sword was also "banned" and quietly lay in the horse carriage.

  There was a commotion outside the wine shop, Lin Fan stuck his head out to take a look, and saw row after row of soldiers appearing on the street. Each team of soldiers had a leader who held a portrait in their hand, going from door to door asking questions. Soon, two soldiers appeared at the wine shop, one soldier pushed open the screen and looked at Lin Fan, unfolding the portrait in his hand: "Have you seen her?"

  It's a portrait of a girl with long hair and a face... with very regular features, looking just like an ordinary rich family's daughter. If the person in the painting changed their hairstyle or shaved their beard, it would be difficult to recognize them from the painting. But Lin Fan noticed that the ink on this painting was not yet dry, obviously it had just been painted. Lin Fan shook his head: "I don't know her."

  "If you see it, report it immediately, understand?"

  "I understand." Lin Feng nodded slightly.