On the road in the rain, Lin Zhusheng finally learned that they were getting close to Luodu after passing several relay stations and not knowing how many times it had gotten dark and then slightly bright again.

In the evening, just before the city gates closed, he finally saw the shadow of the city wall. It was a vast and dark gray expanse, with more parts hidden behind the curtain of rain, giving off a sense of oppression.

As they approached the city gate, the carriage stopped by the roadside. His kind-hearted friend got out, holding an umbrella to hand over the pass to the city guards, while Lin Zhusheng waited inside the carriage.

Peeking through the curtain from a distance, he could only see vague silhouettes and hear faint voices amidst the sound of the rain, suggesting that there were quite a few people.

After a while, his kind-hearted friend returned, shook off the umbrella, and sat back down, coughing as he told the driver they could go.

The cold wind blew in from outside, and Lin Zhusheng lowered his hand from the curtain, asking, “What’s going on over at the city gate?”

“Someone is looking for someone,” his kind-hearted friend replied. “They’ve been searching the whole city for a while now, but there’s still no news. I heard it’s a very important person.”

Although they were searching earnestly, the description was really hard to pin down, lacking any distinctive features. No matter how you looked at it, it was impossible to tell who they were looking for. It seemed like no one really had any distinctive traits at all.

Lin Zhusheng propped his chin up and said briefly, “I wish them luck in finding them soon.” He immediately ruled himself out.

It had only been a few days since he came out of the secret realm, and no matter how hard the elders searched, they shouldn’t be able to find him in Luodu, which was quite a distance from the bay. He still had to think of a way to get there himself.

Lost in thought, he heard a cough from beside him, so he turned and patted his friend on the back, saying, “Are you okay, buddy?”

Practicing had its benefits; he had been sitting in the carriage for days and had adapted well, feeling only a bit of pain in his butt and waist. But this kind-hearted friend didn’t seem to be doing so well. He had started coughing since the day before yesterday, and he looked much worse, especially after waking up this morning.

His kind-hearted friend said he was fine.

They still had to go to Nanfeng Pavilion tonight to perform, and even if he was unwell, he had to hold on. As long as they got through tonight, he could rest.

Lin Zhusheng looked at him, clearly not convinced that he was fine, but since his friend insisted, he didn’t press further.

The carriage rolled into the city, and amidst the sound of rain, there was a bit more noise, along with faint calls from vendors. It seemed there were still quite a few people on the road despite the rain.

Nanfeng Pavilion, where his kind-hearted friend was headed, was located near the center of Luodu, on a street known for entertainment, a prime location where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold. It was next to a river that ran through the city, bustling with people both day and night. When they arrived, there were many carriages on the spacious road, and they looked quite luxurious.

“Whoa—”

The driver in front pulled the reins, bringing the carriage to a stop right outside Nanfeng Pavilion. They had arrived.

Lin Zhusheng was also about to get off. He tucked the little cat into his arms and picked up the few belongings he had. Just as he was about to pretend to stuff something into a box of clothes, his kind-hearted friend handed him something.

It was a wide-brimmed hat, much larger than a normal one, just right for keeping off the rain. His kind-hearted friend said, “It’s not as good as an umbrella, but it can at least block the rain.”

It was Lin Zhusheng’s first time wearing such a thing, and he was a bit curious, putting it on somewhat clumsily. Once on, it felt heavy on his head, and it blocked most of his view, but it was kind of fun.

As he fumbled with this new item, his kind-hearted friend began to gather the boxes and bags in the carriage, preparing to get off.

While coughing, he struggled to carry the various items, trying to squeeze out of the carriage. The scene looked quite difficult, and Lin Zhusheng’s eyes twitched. Finally, he reached out to help take some things, saying, “Let me carry these for you.”

Although he still had injuries, he was in slightly better shape than his friend, at least able to stand steadily.

His kind-hearted friend couldn’t refuse, so he thanked him.

The two of them got off the carriage, and as soon as their feet hit the ground, the sound of the rain intensified, drowning out all other noises.

Nanfeng Pavilion had three floors, elegantly decorated, with a constant flow of carriages and people at the entrance. There were attendants holding umbrellas at the door to attract customers. Instead of entering through the crowded main entrance, they went through the back door meant for staff.

Someone was waiting at the back door, and after confirming his kind-hearted friend’s identity, they quickly led them upstairs.

Wearing a large hat, dressed in a simple linen robe, and carrying things, Lin Zhusheng was naturally mistaken for a porter and followed along upstairs.

Nanfeng Pavilion had prepared a room for his kind-hearted friend on the second floor. The manager, a plump man, carried the items up the stairs while saying, “It’s good that you’ve come this time, sir.”

“Sir” referred to his kind-hearted friend.

Nanfeng Pavilion followed a refined and leisurely route, with performances of music and dance every day, earning money from cultured scholars and wealthy young masters who came to enjoy tea and give tips, thus establishing its reputation. However, recently, several neighboring establishments that primarily offered nighttime services had also started to feature dancing and music, competing for customers.

This couldn’t go on, so they decided to take a different approach. Originally, they planned to invite a famous dancer from the entire South Sea region to boost their popularity and visibility, but the dancer caught a cold just before leaving and was bedridden. They had sent out invitations for excellent dancers, but couldn’t find a suitable person in Luodu, which made them anxious. Fortunately, they eventually found someone.

His kind-hearted friend smiled a bit, his eyes drooping with fatigue, and he coughed softly.

“…”

Lin Zhusheng glanced at his kind-hearted friend and then at the manager, who was still celebrating their good fortune. He objectively felt that this newly found dancer might also be in trouble.

The relieved manager was lost in joy and didn’t notice anything wrong. After a few steps upstairs, he opened the door to the room first.

The room prepared for his kind-hearted friend was quite large, with various props and costumes for dancing displayed neatly. Seeing the two enter, the manager said, “Please rest for a moment, sir. Someone will bring tea shortly. I’ll go find a girl to help with the costume change.”

There was only about half an hour left until the scheduled performance, so time was tight, and there was still a lot to do. After saying this, he closed the door and hurried off.

Once the door was closed, Lin Zhusheng set down the items he was carrying and stuffed a few things inside. He took off the hat from his head and turned to say, “I’ll take my leave now. Take care of yourself, friend.”

What responded to him was the sound of his friend collapsing onto the table with a loud thud.

Startled by the noise, Lin Zhusheng’s footsteps halted instantly. He turned around and rushed over to check on his kind-hearted friend.

He crouched down beside him, helping him up without even asking how he was doing. As he got closer, he could already feel the heat radiating from his friend’s breath.

There must be something wrong with Nanfeng Pavilion; both people they were looking for had caught colds.

It was clear that he needed not only medicine but also rest. Lin Zhusheng stood up, preparing to find the manager to explain the situation quickly, but his sleeve was tugged.

With some red veins in his eyes, his kind-hearted friend said, “I can manage.”

Although he said he could manage, it would be more convincing if he could catch his breath. Lin Zhusheng incredulously replied, “You clearly can’t!”

His kind-hearted friend propped himself up to sit and said, “I can’t let the manager down.”

The manager was very serious about today. When he came to them, he not only prepaid the deposit but also gave extra money for emergencies, so that the younger brothers at home could get more medicine. He couldn’t let down the manager’s good intentions, and he absolutely couldn’t mess up tonight.

【Side Quest: Help Nanfeng Pavilion successfully fill the vacancy】
【Quest Reward: 200 gold, random orange-level bracelet x1】

What a timely quest. The moment the quest notification popped up, Lin Zhusheng was first taken aback, then incredulously pulled the little cat out of his clothes, saying, “Didn’t you tell me to go find someone to fill in?”

Professional matters should be left to professionals. If the professional manager couldn’t find anyone, how could an outsider like him, who was completely inexperienced, possibly find someone at the last minute?

The little cat, pulled out from his clothes, sincerely and casually offered its suggestion, “There must be someone out there.”

Then its gaze fell on his face, quickly shifting to the side, saying, “If you can’t find anyone, you can go up.”

What a bold and utterly irresponsible suggestion! Since it wasn’t going up itself, it spoke so lightly, just like when it dealt with nightmares.

With a swift motion, without a hint of hesitation, Lin Zhusheng directly gave the little cat a light smack on the head, saying, “Am I supposed to perform a dance for them?”

It wasn’t that he was being modest; if he went up and flailed around, the reputation of Nanfeng Pavilion would surely be shattered.

After smacking the little cat’s head, he turned to ask his kind-hearted friend, trying to gather some information, “By the way, how did the manager promote you?”

“He… I…”

His kind-hearted friend, who claimed he could manage, was already slumped over, his tone drifting, and his words came out in fragments. To sum it up, he was talking about a renowned dancer from a neighboring region who had been specially invited.

Dancing was great, and white hair was great. But that had nothing to do with him, or rather, just the white hair alone made it clear that it had nothing to do with most people.

His kind-hearted friend had white hair due to illness, a rare condition that not everyone had. This quest seemed even more abstract than dealing with nightmares. Lin Zhusheng turned to the little cat, his mouth twitching, and said, “Do you think it’s possible to find someone like that?”

It would be better to let Wuqi come over and transform into his original form so everyone could touch him to their heart’s content; after all, he was also white-haired, in every sense of the word.

“Hair is quite simple,” the little cat said. “There’s a monthly card for hair color experience in the shop, originally priced at 388 gold, but this time, due to the quest, I can give it to you for free.”

It was surprisingly proactive. The moment it finished speaking, its eyes turned white, and Lin Zhusheng looked down at his hair, which had instantly changed color, exclaiming in surprise, “Is it really that amazing?”

“No, wait, what’s the use of changing my hair? Shouldn’t it be saved for someone else?” Realizing that this wasn’t the time for amazement, he wiped his face and quickly ran out to find the manager, saying as he ran, “Keep an eye on my friend’s condition for me.”

Logically, he could choose not to take the quest and just leave, but if it weren’t for this kind-hearted friend, he would probably still be stuck in the fields, and his small conscience wouldn’t allow him to just run away.

And he didn’t even need to find the manager anymore.

“Whoosh—”

The moment the door swung open, he hadn’t even jumped out yet when he bumped right into the manager, who was bringing a few makeup and hairstyling girls.

The scene became a bit chaotic for a moment.

The shocked makeup girls, the puzzled manager, the tense Lin Zhusheng, and inside the room, his kind-hearted friend, who was either asleep or had fainted at the table, along with the little cat beside him, trying to use its paws to wipe the sweat off his friend’s clothes but failing, and outside, a servant carrying tea who was walking up the stairs and saw a crowd standing at the door.

After a brief silence, the manager looked at him with wide eyes, then glanced at his kind-hearted friend, who had collapsed on the table, and struggled to speak, “This, this…”

Before the manager could finish his sentence, Lin Zhusheng quickly informed him of the unfortunate fact that both of the people they were looking for had caught colds.

Upon hearing the bad news, the manager sat down on the floor, looking quite devastated.

His lips moved continuously, as if he wanted to say something important. Lin Zhusheng listened closely, only to hear him hesitantly say after a long pause, “Was your hair always like this?”

Leaning against his clothes, the manager barely recognized that this seemed to be the person who had just been carrying things. Although he hadn’t paid much attention, he vaguely remembered that the person should have black hair.

At a time like this, still getting caught up in such an inconsequential issue, the manager seemed quite relaxed.

“…” Shifting his gaze to the side, Lin Zhusheng replied, “I’ve always looked like this.”

What mattered now wasn’t that; what mattered was his kind-hearted friend’s health and the issue of tonight’s performance being canceled. He asked, “Is there anything I can help with?”

There was less than an hour left until his kind-hearted friend was supposed to go on stage, and an hour wasn’t too much of a problem. If the manager needed help coming up with a solution, he could do his best to assist.

The manager looked up and asked, “Anything you can do?”

Lin Zhusheng issued a disclaimer: “As long as it’s within my capabilities.”

The manager then asked if he had any special skills.

“Sleeping… uh, just ordinary sleeping,” Lin Zhusheng answered honestly. Then he remembered that he was now somewhat of a sword cultivator and added, “I can use a sword, I guess.”

After saying that, he added, “But I’m injured right now, so I can’t be a fighter. I should be able to run errands.”

He couldn’t use spiritual energy, and with his hands and feet hurting, if he tried to be a fighter, he might end up being chased and beaten by others.

“…”

The manager didn’t want him to be a fighter, nor was he so heartless as to send someone out in the rain to run errands.

In an instant, a flurry of thoughts raced through his mind, and without any hesitation, he quickly bent down and made a pleading sound.

“?”

Not understanding what he was pleading for, Lin Zhusheng asked, “Hmm?”

The manager said, “Sword dancing is still dancing. Please, young friend, help us out and take the stage for the sir. The reward is negotiable!”

What a shocking statement from the manager! Lin Zhusheng was so startled that he instinctively retreated, trying to determine if the manager was joking.

The manager was not joking, and everyone else present seemed to think it was a feasible idea, treating it like a last-ditch effort; as long as it was a person, they could go up.

Things began to take an unexpected turn, making it hard to see that he was originally just a regular passerby who came to help his kind-hearted friend carry some luggage and was supposed to leave to find his fellow disciples and elders.

“…”

His usually talkative mouth moved, but for a moment, he couldn’t think of a reason to refuse. Facing the pleading gazes of everyone, Lin Zhusheng’s mouth twitched.

One person couldn’t withstand the pleading looks of a crowd, and his only ally, the little cat, was enjoying the chaos, standing beside the manager. In the end, he succumbed.

With less than half an hour until the performance, the room instantly became busy.

The makeup girls responsible for dressing and styling hair kept smiles on their faces the whole time, for the first time loving their profession so much. They enthusiastically matched beautiful clothing and accessories, strongly recommending a bright red golden robe, but the person trying it on politely declined. In the end, they settled for a bright red undershirt with a moon-white outer robe and a simple red hairband.

Lin Zhusheng, unable to voice his refusals, stood there like a lifeless clothes hanger, while his kind-hearted friend, suffering from a cold, was taken to another room to see a doctor and rest. The little cat watched the outfit change from the side, objectively commenting, “You finally look like a person.”

Even though they had reached the stage of changing clothes, Lin Zhusheng still felt that things were incredibly unreliable, and his eyes twitched, “Is this really okay?”

At this point, whether it was okay or not, it had to be done.

The manager, who had gone out, returned in a short time with a blunt sword, wiping sweat as he handed it to Lin Zhusheng, saying, “There’s about a quarter of an hour left. Don’t be afraid, young friend. Just make sure you don’t throw the sword at the guests’ heads.”

Looking at the young man, who seemed to have just started learning the sword, the manager could roughly guess his skill level.

He had already thought it through; most of the idle scholars and young masters who came here were just there to enjoy the music and watch the dance. They didn’t understand swords, and as long as he didn’t throw the sword away, everything would be fine. Once the sir in the other room was rested, they could figure things out in a few days.

What a low requirement.

Using a blunt sword was probably also to avoid causing irreversible harm to the guests if the sword flew out. Lin Zhusheng gained a new understanding of the unreliability of the situation.

As he pondered, the makeup girls continued to work, tying up his full head of white hair and securing it with the bright red hairband, declaring, “All done.”

The room was intentionally designed to not be soundproof, and he could faintly hear the sounds of string and bamboo instruments from outside, which were nearing their end. The manager patted his shoulder and said quietly, “Thank you for your help, young friend.”

Lin Zhusheng stood up, holding the sword, his long sleeves hanging down as he slowly walked out of the room. The noise around him gradually grew louder, and his entire figure exuded a sense of a hero going to his death.

The heavy rain couldn’t stop the idle people and young masters who had carriages from going out. Nanfeng Pavilion had prepared for this night for a long time. Despite the rain, the hall and the second and third floors were filled with people, bustling with noise.

On the third floor, in a private room, several young masters were seated, with their attendant quietly pouring tea beside them, while laughter and conversation flowed continuously.

Luodu was rich in resources, and it was never short of wealthy people or young masters. With endless money at home, their daily activities mostly revolved around cockfighting, dog walking, and coming to places like this for fun. The person dressed in green sitting at the innermost part took a sip of the tea poured by the attendant and said, “Why hasn’t anyone come yet?”

The person next to him tossed a nut into his mouth and replied, “The previous group just left; what’s the rush?”

“I just want to see what kind of person has been so popular at Nanfeng Pavilion these past few days,” the person in green said. “Aren’t you curious?”

He added, “It would be great if Chen Jinghao were here.”

“Don’t. I heard it’s a man they invited, and he’s not interested in men,” another person chimed in. “He’s still lying at home; even if he wanted to come, he couldn’t.”

Once this topic was brought up, the others perked up, sitting up straight and asking, “He still hasn’t woken up? Did he get hurt badly this time?”

“Of course! I heard that all the disciples from the sects that went to the secret realm this time have had problems, and they’re all recuperating now.”

Glancing around, the speaker lowered his voice slightly and said, “I heard that Tianzong even lost a disciple, and he was the personal disciple of some elder.”

The others had heard a bit about Tianzong’s recent search for disciples, but they didn’t know it was a personal disciple. A personal disciple was no small matter, especially one from the first major sect, Tianzong. If nothing else, he would be one of the pillars of the future cultivation world, so it was no wonder they were searching high and low. The person in green asked, “Is that true?”

“They’ve been searching for so long without finding him,” he said, making a small gesture with his neck, speaking quietly, “Could it be that he’s already…”

“No, they said the life token is still lit; they just can’t find him.” The informed person, who knew a bit more, said, “Even Wen Bozhou has come. I ran into him outside the city last time.”

The others were surprised. “That Ling Xujun? How could he come all the way here from Tianzong?”

“Yep, that Ling Xujun.”

The informed person rubbed his arms and said, “He’s been searching for someone almost to the point of madness. I heard he hasn’t slept for several days. His eyes are all bloodshot; it’s really scary. When I locked eyes with him outside the city, I thought I was going to die.”