âHeh heh, rest assured, with me taking action, not to mention a few mere Princely Heirs, even the entire Great Flame Dynasty will be trampled under my feet!â
âStarting from today, you will be reborn, from now on, the world will know no Yan Liang, only Yan Zhaotian!â
Li Xiaobai said indifferently.
âThank you, Young Master Li, for your righteous intervention and for granting me this name!â
âFrom now on, I belong to Young Master Li. Today, I, Yan Zhaotian, swear to heaven that from now on, I will follow Young Master Liâs lead in all things!â
Yan Liang immediately kowtowed in thanks. He didnât care by what means or who bore his face, as long as he stood out and fulfilled his dying motherâs last wish, he would be content.
For this purpose, even if it meant lending his appearance to someone else and becoming a shadow from now on, he was willing to spare no expense.
âDonât worry, the day I leave, the Great Flame Dynasty will be yours. When you go back, I will call upon you if needed,â Li Xiaobai nodded, quite satisfied with Yan Liangâs attitude. Although he was somewhat spineless, he was for the time being the only one who caught Li Xiaobaiâs favorable gaze, as he understood manners and respectâperhaps only those who grew in adversity attained such insight.
He then took him back into the gourd.
At this moment, several others came closer.
âGeez, I never thought old beggar would see this face again; itâs too exquisite â truly a work of art, identical, donât you think?â
The old beggar marveled, circling around Li Xiaobai with his tongue clacking against his teeth.
âYes, indeed, Young Master Li, I had no idea you possessed such a unique skill. Truly, a man of hidden talents!â
âAmazing, traversing the Immortal Spirit Continent for hundreds of years and never have I seen such a consummate Disguise Technique. This isnât just a simple disguise but a complete transformation. This seat is willing to call it a spectacular skill!â
Liuren and the Kraken also showed expressions of astonishment, their praises unceasing.
âWoof! When can you do one for Lord Ergouzi too!â
âHeehee, I want one as well!â
âItâs just a minor skill. Iâm actually not interested in the Disguise Technique; it was just a casual effort,â Li Xiaobai said with a light smile, waving his hand.
The group was speechless, thinking he was quite the pretender.
âHere are a few sets of clothes that I collected by the lakeside earlier, all from the external disciples of the Great Flame Dynasty. Put these on and follow me into the city!â
âFrom this moment on, I am the eighteenth Princely Heir of the Great Flame Dynasty, Yan Liang. Yan Zhaotian, you will serve as my personal guards. Letâs first settle down under the feet of the emperor and quickly assimilate the gains of this journey!â
Li Xiaobai threw out several sets of clothing and said.
âUnderstood!â
âAlso, here are five fruits that I picked from the Flame Tree Silvery Blossom earlier, one for each of you, three men and two beasts!â
âThank you, Young Master Li!â
The group quickly changed into the new clothes. The cultivator robes were all voluminous, fitting them well when worn.
â¦n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Once past the lava, there was no danger in the surrounding area.
The journey was quiet, and the group followed the route marked on the map out of the Demonic Beast mountain range.
Before their eyes was a colossal structure that obscured the sky. The words âYan Cityâ hung high above the city gates, exuding Fierce Yang Energy.
An endless stream of cultivators bustled in and out of the city gates, all in a hurry, and most of them were cultivatorsâin this place, there were hardly any commoners.
Li Xiaobai adjusted his attire and then strode towards the city gates.
The guard at the city gate immediately knelt down to greet him, âPaying respects to Prince Yan Liang!â
âNo need,â
âFrom today onward, I will no longer be called Yan Liang. I am, Yan Zhaotian!â
Li Xiaobai, with his hands behind his back, spoke indifferently, âNot a word I speak is meant to leave those undisturbed alive,â drawing the nearby commoners to a halt, turning their heads in attention.
âI am Gou Ritian!â Ergouzi also took a bold step forward, shouting aloud.
âI am Ji Batian!â Ji Wuqing elegantly preened his feathers and said calmly.
âUh⦠Prince Yan, you seem to be acting a bit differently today. Did you encounter something outside?â
âIf there is anything that my brothers and I can help with, just say the word.â
The guard at the gate was somewhat skeptical as he couldnât figure out what state his prince was in. Though it was true that he suffered from scorn and oppression on a regular day, he surely hadnât gone mad, had he?
âNo need for that. There is nothing in this world that can stop the stride of Yan Zhaotian!â
âStep aside at once, and let this prince enter the city!â
Li Xiaobai said lightly.
âAnd these few areâ¦â
The guard looked towards the ragged bunch that followed.
âThese are my friends, the eldest among them is my security team captain. Any problem with that?â
âUh⦠no problem.â
âThen why arenât you hurrying to let us pass?â
âUnderstood, right away, sirs, please come inside!â
A sycophantic smile appeared on the guardâs face as he welcomed Li Xiaobai and the others into the city.
With no more drama to watch, the hustle and bustle around the carriages and crowd resumed.
It was only after the group had walked away that several guards gathered together, whispering cautiously.
âHey, did you see that? Prince Yan Liang actually called himself Yan Zhaotian, and heâs made friends with a bunch of dubious characters. That so-called security team captain, I reckon heâs old enough to be his grandfather. What on earth has he been through outside? Whatâs gotten to him?â
âCough cough, from what I see, the prince might not necessarily have been affected by something outside. After enduring so much ridicule and disdain in the Great Flame Dynasty, itâs understandable that he has turned out this way.â
âYeah, after bearing humiliation for twenty years, heâs finally gone completely mad today!â
âAlas, I guess it wonât be long before heâs stripped of his title. After that, our Great Flame Dynasty will be down to just seventeen princely heirs!â
âShh, donât talk nonsense! If someone hears this, it could be an offense punishable by decapitation. Our job is to guard the gate well, thatâs all!â
The guards couldnât help but feel sorry for Li Xiaobai, chattering away for a while before quickly returning to their posts to continue their duty.
Inside the city.
The city was bustling with activity, with vendors and merchants coming and going incessantly. The streets were lined with all sorts of Demonic Beast materials, Magic Treasures, Spiritual Medicines, while cultivators stopped by now and then to discuss and nod in approval.
Li Xiaobai aimlessly led his group around.
He had no intention of staying at Yan Liangâs residence, for it was easy to imagine its desolation, and there would likely be people coming over to pick fights every now and then, which was quite irritating.
Now they needed a quiet residence to digest what they had acquired from the Demonic Beast Mountains.
âLetâs go to the core area of the city. The rooms there are usually reserved for VIPs, with plenty of open space, ample separation, and considerable privacy.â
Liuren proposed, as someone who could be considered the Vice Leader of Aolai Country. She might not have eaten pork but had seen pigs run, so she knew the basic layout of a nation.
âThen letâs head to the inner areas to splurge. We have plenty of Immortal Stones; we can afford it.â
Li Xiaobai nodded and continued to lead his group along the street.
But at that moment, a shrill and grating voice suddenly rang out, causing those who heard it to frown involuntarily.
âYo!â
âIsnât this Prince Yan Liang? Havenât seen you in days. What brings you out for a stroll today? Have you come into money and can afford to eat now?â