Chapter 83 - 82: Xuan Technique Association

Chapter 83: Chapter 82: Xuan Technique Association

Gu Qingyin was exasperated. "What are you talking about? The door’s already open."

Huo Xingchen stared at the unchanged wall and demanded, "Where’s the door?"

"Hmm... Mortal eyes can’t see it." Gu Qingyin grabbed Huo Xingchen’s arm, gave a light tug, and effortlessly pushed him toward the wall.

For a moment, Huo Xingchen completely lost control of his body and shot straight toward the wall. He instinctively squeezed his eyes shut, but the pain he braced for never came.

It felt like hitting a thin membrane. A gentle push was all it took to break through, and then his ears were suddenly filled with a cacophony of noise.

Huo Xingchen froze, stunned. He instinctively opened his eyes, his face a mask of utter shock.

Countless red lanterns drifted in the air, bobbing up and down as they illuminated the night sky. Below was a complex of quaint, traditional buildings. The streets bustled with people, and along the roadside were very down-to-earth stalls.

Stall owners sat on small stools with cloths spread out before them, casually displaying a few strange and peculiar items.

Huo Xingchen glanced at a few but didn’t recognize a single item.

"What are you spacing out for? This way."

Gu Qingyin gave him a push and walked into the crowd with Liu Ergou. Huo Xingchen quickly followed, his head swiveling left and right, his eyes wide with wonder.

Especially when he caught sight of someone flashing past in the sky, riding a sword.

Huo Xingchen’s mouth instantly dropped open into an "O."

"People can actually fly!"

Gu Qingyin shot him a casual glance. "In the entire Xuan Technique community, only a handful of people can fly. You’re pretty lucky to see one."

His eyes sparkling, Huo Xingchen asked, "Can you fly?"

Gu Qingyin rolled her eyes. "Of course not."

Huo Xingchen said, "...Then what are you so smug about?"

Gu Qingyin reflected for a moment. "Was I being smug?"

Liu Ergou nodded impartially. "Just a little."

Gu Qingyin huffed. "What’s so great about flying? You just become a living target."

Huo Xingchen pouted. "Sour grapes."

"You’re mistaken," Liu Ergou said, shaking his head. "In this age of decline, it’s nearly impossible to fly by breaking free of gravity with one’s own power. Those who can fly all rely on heirloom Magic Artifacts. If you can’t control it well, you’re better off keeping your feet on the ground."

"What if they can control it well?" Huo Xingchen pressed, unwilling to let it go.

Liu Ergou replied, "Well... so far, no one has been able to control them well."

Huo Xingchen was skeptical. "The one that just passed by seemed to be flying just fine."

Gu Qingyin couldn’t take it anymore and smacked him on the forehead. "He was flying slower than a person can run. What’s so ’fine’ about that? If you don’t know what you’re talking about, then keep your mouth shut. You’re not just making yourself look stupid, you’re embarrassing the rest of us along with you."

Huo Xingchen sullenly shut his mouth, though he was clearly unconvinced. He followed behind the two of them for the rest of the way without making another peep.

Gu Qingyin also looked around as she walked. "Nothing’s really changed." ’The place is the same, but the people who used to run these stalls are all new.’

Hearing this, Liu Ergou laughed. "It’s been twenty years. Even if they fell on hard times, they wouldn’t come back to run a stall. The owners have been replaced twice over by now." ’Setting up shop next to your grand-disciples’ generation? You’d be laughed to death if word got out.’

After passing through the bustling street, the three of them turned into a narrow alley, only about two meters wide. A few minutes later, they emerged from the alley, and the view before them opened up to reveal a magnificent, modern skyscraper.

Gu Qingyin was stunned. "Wasn’t this supposed to be a courtyard house and an octagonal tower? Who changed it to look like this?" She looked from the futuristic skyscraper in front of her to the quaint, traditional shopping street behind her. "Doesn’t this look incredibly awkward?"

"It is awkward, but there was nothing to be done." Liu Ergou sighed. "During the presidential selection three years ago, the two candidates got into a fight and brought the entire octagonal tower down. After the new president took office, he had the headquarters rebuilt like this."

Gu Qingyin’s mouth twitched. "Who’s the new president? Would I know him?" ’Talk about self-indulgent.’

"He’s a young man who only started making a name for himself ten years ago, so you probably don’t know him," Liu Ergou said. "The president’s name is Tuoba Yan. He’s only in his early thirties, but he’s incredibly powerful."

Gu Qingyin indeed didn’t recognize the name. She smiled and said, "With a name like that, he sounds a bit like a Long Aotian."

Liu Ergou was confused. ’Who’s Long Aotian?’

Huo Xingchen scoffed. ’As if just anyone is worthy of being compared to Long Aotian.’

As they spoke, the three of them entered the building.

Just as they entered the lobby, a white figure drifted toward them.

Huo Xingchen’s body tensed reflexively. His fingers instinctively formed a hand seal, and wisps of lightning began to coalesce at his fingertips. Just as he was about to strike, Gu Qingyin grabbed his hand, stopping him.

Liu Ergou also chimed in hurriedly, "Relax, it’s just the receptionist."

A look of confusion crossed Huo Xingchen’s face. ’What the hell?’

"You scared me to death," the white figure said in a thin, echoing voice. "I thought I was going to have to change bodies again."

Huo Xingchen immediately grew wary again. ’This has to be a damn ghost!’

Gu Qingyin had no choice but to hold his hand down again. "Behave. Don’t get your hackles up. The Xuan Technique Association doesn’t usually have ghosts. If there are any, you can be sure they were raised by a Heavenly Master."

Liu Ergou nodded repeatedly and explained with a smile, "This is the president’s pet, Little White. When it gets bored, it moonlights as the first-floor receptionist, helping Heavenly Masters who aren’t familiar with the layout find their way."

Gu Qingyin studied Little White, and after a few seconds, her eyes lit up with understanding. "Ah, so it’s a soul beast."

A soul beast is the term for a beast that has died and embarked on the path of cultivation in its spiritual form.

"Ah!" Little White cried. "You actually saw through to my true form! I knew this paper body wasn’t cutting it. I’m going to find Tuoba Yan and ask for a new one." With that, a sudden gust of wind blew from nowhere, and Little White rode it away.

Gu Qingyin rubbed her chin. "You don’t see many life-sized paper puppets. President Tuoba is certainly... thoughtful."

"We should head up, too," Liu Ergou said. "President Tuoba is on the top floor."

Inside the elevator, Gu Qingyin asked in confusion, "Why are there so few people here?"

"It’s the wrong time of day," Liu Ergou explained. "Everyone is busy at night. The peak hours for business are during the day."

When they reached the top floor, the elevator doors opened to a completely empty corridor.

"Don’t tell me the president is the only one on this entire floor," Gu Qingyin guessed jokingly.

To her surprise, Liu Ergou nodded. "The entire floor is for the president’s use. He lives here, too."

Gu Qingyin couldn’t help but click her tongue. ’I really don’t know whether to call the president dedicated or just wasteful.’

’The president’s office twenty years ago wasn’t even twenty square meters. Things really are different now.’

The corridor was carpeted in red, with warm, yellow sconces lining the walls. A set of grand double doors stood prominently at the far end. Anyone who didn’t know better would think they had walked into a luxury hotel.

Gu Qingyin frowned slightly. ’What is all this tacky, mismatched stuff?’

"Your president really knows how to live it up," Huo Xingchen said bluntly, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "He didn’t actually decorate his living quarters to look like a palace, did he?"

Liu Ergou froze. He thought back on the decor of the president’s office and was left utterly speechless, unable to think of a single thing to say in rebuttal.

Huo Xingchen was astonished. "No way. Is it really that over-the-top?"

Gu Qingyin pressed her lips together. Any good impression she might have had of this new president was now completely gone.