Chapter 338: The thousand dao city 8.

"Ruyan?"

"Yes."

Su Yubing smiled.

"You are getting attached."

Mo Yuxin was quiet for a moment.

"Maybe."

Su Yubing continued stroking her hair.

"That is not a bad thing."

"I know."

"You only dislike things when they interfere with our peace."

"Yes."

Su Yubing leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"Then we will deal with things if they reach us."

Mo Yuxin closed her eyes.

"Good."

They remained together until the city quieted. The first sign that the situation had become much worse came two mornings later. A shipment belonging to the Battle Maiden Sect was stopped at the southern gate. Ruyan arrived at the gate before the shipment could be confiscated. The problem was not the goods. It was the paperwork. A city official claimed the sect’s trade license had been suspended. Ruyan produced the official approval document showing it had not. The official produced another document saying it had been changed. The two documents carried different seals. Mo Yuxin and Su Yubing happened to be nearby because they were returning from the market. Qinghe and Shuyue were with them.

Ruyan saw them and immediately came over.

"This is getting ridiculous."

Su Yubing looked at the documents.

"Who issued this one?"

Ruyan pointed.

"The Trade Council."

Mo Yuxin examined the formation seal. She did not touch it. She only looked.

"Forgery."

The official’s face changed.

"Senior, please do not make accusations."

Mo Yuxin pointed at one tiny formation line.

"That line is reversed."

The official stared. Mo Yuxin continued.

"A real council seal would have the formation flowing outward. This one is flowing inward. Someone copied the shape without understanding the formation logic."

Ruyan looked at her in disbelief. Qinghe whispered, "How did you notice that?" Mo Yuxin shrugged.

"It is obvious."

Shuyue looked at the seal. She understood only enough to know that she could not understand it. The official became nervous. A senior city administrator eventually arrived and took the forged document away. The shipment was released. Ruyan stared at Mo Yuxin.

"Thank you."

Mo Yuxin shook her head.

"You could have proved it eventually."

"Maybe after losing the shipment." ℴ

"Then it was good we happened to be here."

Su Yubing smiled. Ruyan nodded. Yet Mo Yuxin noticed another thing. The official who had brought the forged document was too nervous. He was not the mastermind. He was a small part of the machine. The machine itself was much larger. That evening, Qinghe and Shuyue invited Mo Yuxin and Su Yubing to dinner at a quiet private restaurant. Qinghe was in a better mood. Shuyue had managed to secure a temporary contract that would restore some of her minor sect’s lost territory. They celebrated. Wine was available, but none of them drank much. Mo Yuxin preferred tea anyway. Qinghe raised her cup.

"To surviving Thousand Dao City."

Su Yubing raised hers.

"To surviving Thousand Dao City."

Shuyue looked at Mo Yuxin.

"You have only been here for a short time."

Mo Yuxin answered, "It has been eventful." Qinghe laughed.

"That is one way to say it."

The dinner was relaxed. They talked about food, cultivation, sect life, and travel. Qinghe asked Su Yubing where they had traveled before the city. Su Yubing mentioned the coast, the forests, and several smaller towns. Qinghe listened with interest. Then she asked, "Where will you go after this?" Mo Yuxin answered, "We have not decided."

"Maybe the Central Continent?"

Mo Yuxin’s eyes flickered for a moment. Su Yubing noticed. She gently squeezed Mo Yuxin’s hand beneath the table. Mo Yuxin looked at her. Then she smiled.

"Maybe someday."

Shuyue asked, "Why someday?" Mo Yuxin replied, "We have plenty of time." Qinghe smiled.

"I like that attitude."

Su Yubing looked at Mo Yuxin.

"You really do want to travel everywhere with me."

Mo Yuxin answered immediately.

"Yes."

Qinghe laughed.

"Not even pretending to think about it?"

"No reason to."

Shuyue quietly smiled. Their dinner ended late. Outside, the night market was still alive. The four women walked together for a while. Then they separated. Qinghe hugged Su Yubing goodbye. Mo Yuxin waited patiently. When they had gone, Su Yubing walked back to her. Mo Yuxin immediately wrapped an arm around her waist.

"You waited."

"Of course."

"Why?"

"I did not want to interrupt your goodbye."

"You are learning patience."

"Only for you."

Su Yubing smiled.

"Come home."

Mo Yuxin’s expression softened.

"Yes, wife."

They walked back together. The following week brought more information about the seven major sects. Mo Yuxin and Su Yubing began exploring the northern district properly. The Heavenly Sword Sect branch was enormous and open to public visitors during certain hours. Mo Yuxin spent most of her time staring at sword inscriptions. Su Yubing teased her repeatedly. At the Azure Cloud Sect, Su Yubing became fascinated by a giant public formation demonstration. At Golden Mountain Sect, Mo Yuxin touched a piece of refined metal and immediately knew the forging temperature had been slightly wrong. At Cangming Palace, they watched a miniature spirit sea inside a glass chamber. Purple Heaven Valley smelled like herbs from several streets away.

Nine Heavens Academy was filled with students from every background. And Battle Maiden Sect stood quietly at the edge of the district. The difference between it and the others was becoming more obvious. The other sect branches had newer walls. More guards. More merchants. More public events. The Battle Maiden compound had fewer people moving in and out. Its formations were visibly older. Yet the disciples they met were disciplined. They trained every morning. They repaired their own equipment. They taught one another. They did not beg. They simply carried on. Mo Yuxin respected that more than she expected. Su Yubing felt the same. One afternoon, she looked at Mo Yuxin while they walked past the gate.

"Do you still think it is not our business?"

Mo Yuxin was quiet.

"I think it is becoming our business."

Su Yubing smiled.

"Because of Ruyan?"

"Because of all of them."

Su Yubing squeezed her hand.

.

.

.

TO BE CONTINUED.