182: Chapter 182 Is there something wrong with your impression of me?

Lu Cheng's internal alarm bells rang instantly.

It's here! It's finally here!

Those dazed expressions from just now were definitely all a ruse to make him lower his guard!

The real objective is only being revealed now!

Lu Cheng remained calm on the surface, but his mind was already analyzing.

What is she going to ask? Information on the Dragon Kingdom's participants? Weak points in the Imperial Capital's defenses?

"Speak."

Jinguji Ayane lowered her head, swiped on her terminal a few times, and then handed the screen over.

Lu Cheng looked down.

[Must-Visit Checklist for a One-Day Tour of the Imperial Capital]

[1. Sky Dome Martial Arts Hall]

[2. Imperial Capital Source Energy Tower Observation Deck]

[3. Dragon Gate Ancient Street]

[4. Central Arena Outer Ring]

[5. Hundred Flavors Snack Street]

[6. Imperial Capital Monument]

[7. Spirit Pet Themed Shop]

[8. Viral Ice Drink Shop]

[9. Night View Suspension Bridge]

Lu Cheng: "..."

He looked at the terminal. Then he looked at Jinguji Ayane.

Jinguji Ayane's eyes were sparkling.

"These places."

"I want to go to all of them."

"But, I don't know the way."

"Is that okay?"

Lu Cheng: ?

He was silent for a long time.

He suddenly felt that all the conspiracies he had imagined earlier seemed a tiny, tiny bit absurd.

Of course. One couldn't completely rule out the possibility that she was using a tourist route to cover up her true intentions.

So, Lu Cheng decided... to take her.

And observe her along the way. If there really was a problem, he would be able to detect it immediately.

If there was no problem... then he would just treat it as helping a foreign friend complete her Imperial Capital checklist.

Besides, Shen Guhong was not far away. With a War King Realm mentor backing him up, and the Imperial Capital being the core region of the Dragon Kingdom, what could possibly go wrong?

As it turned out, martial artists do indeed visit tourist attractions very quickly.

Ordinary people queue for two hours and take photos for ten minutes. Lu Cheng was different. He had academy privileges. Plus, with Shen Guhong's access clearance, he basically didn't have to queue anywhere.

Sky Dome Martial Arts Hall. Jinguji Ayane stood in front of the wall of past martial arts champions, taking photos seriously.

Imperial Capital Source Energy Tower Observation Deck. She stood on the transparent glass platform, looking down at the city hundreds of meters below. Even though she was so scared that her fingers were clenched tight, she still tried her best to maintain the dignity of a shrine maiden.

Dragon Gate Ancient Street. She bought a skewer of candied hawthorn, and when she took the first bite, her eyes visibly lit up.

Central Arena Outer Ring. She stared at the massive Dragon Kingdom battle flag for a long time, her expression becoming unusually quiet.

Spirit Pet Themed Shop. As soon as the Little Spirit Fox entered, it became the center of attention in the store. The staff were so enthusiastic they almost worshipped it. Jinguji Ayane picked out a small silver-blue bell for the Little Spirit Fox. The Little Spirit Fox had been somewhat wary of her at first, but after the bell was put on, its attitude improved significantly.

"Ying."

Jinguji Ayane gently stroked its head. "Cute."

The Little Spirit Fox squinted its eyes. Lu Cheng watched this scene, feeling conflicted.

Throughout the day, Jinguji Ayane had checked off almost all the attractions on the list. Every time she reached a place, she would take photos very seriously.

Until evening. On the night view suspension bridge.

The lights of the Imperial Capital spread out beneath their feet, the light from the Source Energy Tower shot straight into the clouds, and in the distance, the Central Arena lay quietly in the center of the city like a sleeping behemoth.

Jinguji Ayane stood by the bridge, her long hair blowing in the night wind. She looked much quieter than she had during the day. She also didn't look like she was trying so hard to maintain a cold, aloof demeanor as she had when they first met.

She looked down at the photos on her terminal, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly. The smile was faint. But it was genuine.

Lu Cheng stood beside her, holding the Little Spirit Fox. "Checklist complete?"

Jinguji Ayane nodded. "Mm. Thank you."

Her Chinese was still not very fluent, but it was a bit more natural than when she started.

Lu Cheng waved his hand. "Small matter."

Jinguji Ayane was silent for a moment. It seemed like she hesitated for a long time before slowly raising her head.

"Um..."

Lu Cheng looked at her. Jinguji Ayane gently gripped her cuff with her fingertips. After struggling for a bit, she finally spoke.

"Can I... see what you really look like?"

Lu Cheng's eyes narrowed slightly. What I really look like? He looked at Jinguji Ayane. This question was beyond his expectations; how did Jinguji Ayane figure that out?

Just as Lu Cheng was about to speak, footsteps suddenly came from the other end of the bridge. Rhythmic. Suppressed. They carried a well-trained cadence.

Lu Cheng turned to look. A group of people dressed in black robes appeared in the night. Their robes were embroidered with the patterns of a Sakura Island shrine, white paper talismans hung from their cuffs, and their expressions were cold and stern. Leading them was a middle-aged man with a long sword hanging at his waist and sharp eyes.

The group walked up to Jinguji Ayane and stopped in unison.

"Shrine Maiden-sama." The middle-aged man bowed his head slightly, his voice respectful but carrying an undeniable tone. "It is time to return."

The slight softness on Jinguji Ayane's face vanished instantly. She put away her terminal, and the somewhat dazed, natural temperament she had possessed was wiped away in that moment as if by an invisible hand.

Replacing it was the coldness and pressure that truly belonged to a shrine maiden. It felt as if invisible paper talismans were unfolding in the air. She stood there, her black hair blowing in the night wind, her eyes indifferent, and a tiny, faint spiritual light lit up deep within her pupils.

In this moment, she no longer resembled the young girl from earlier in the day who had gotten lost holding a photo of douzhi. She was the young generation's shrine maiden of Sakura Island.

Jinguji Ayane didn't even look at the middle-aged man a second time, only coldly spitting out one word. "Go."

The group in black robes bowed in unison. "Yes."

Before she turned to leave, her footsteps paused slightly. Then she looked back at Lu Cheng. The coldness in those eyes dissipated slightly, returning to the somewhat clumsy earnestness from earlier in the day.

"Today. Thank you."

Lu Cheng looked at her. "Don't trust strangers so easily next time."

Jinguji Ayane was stunned for a moment. Then she nodded gently. "Mm. Douzhi..."

She paused, seemingly still struggling with how to describe it. Finally, she said very laboriously: "Very powerful."

Lu Cheng: "..."

That assessment was actually quite accurate.

Jinguji Ayane left with the people in black robes. Her silhouette became cold and dignified once again. It was as if she had truly walked out of a shrine painting.

Only when she reached the end of the bridge did she secretly glance down at the checklist photos on her terminal. Then, the corners of her mouth curved up, ever so slightly.

Lu Cheng stood where he was, the Little Spirit Fox in his arms wagging its tail. "Ying?"

Lu Cheng looked down at it. "You don't think she's a bad person either?"

The Little Spirit Fox licked its paw. "Ying."

Lu Cheng was silent for two seconds. "True."

After saying this, he looked up in the direction Jinguji Ayane had left. However... how exactly did she see through his disguise?

The night wind blew across the suspension bridge, and the Imperial Capital was ablaze with lights. The exchange tournament hadn't started yet, but Lu Cheng had a vague feeling. This trip to the Imperial Capital might be even more troublesome than he had imagined.

...

Shen Guhong's voice rang out while Lu Cheng was watching the direction Jinguji Ayane had left. "It's time to go back."

Lu Cheng turned around. He didn't know when Shen Guhong had walked up beside him; he was still blindfolded, holding that plain-looking white cane. But Lu Cheng knew very well that if that thing were to be used in earnest, it would be more dangerous than most people's weapons.

"Have the others arrived?"

"Mm." Shen Guhong nodded. "The Dragon Kingdom's freshman representatives for this time, apart from you, the other six have already arrived at the hotel."

"Alright then."

Lu Cheng reached up and removed his mask. The next second, his face, which had been disguised, slowly returned to its true appearance.

Although Shen Guhong couldn't see, he still spoke calmly. "Your disguise is very crude."

Lu Cheng's mouth twitched, and holding the Little Spirit Fox, he followed Shen Guhong back to the top floor of the hotel.

This hotel was worthy of being a place specifically meant to host geniuses from all sides; the top-floor suite was ridiculously large.

Pushing the door open, to the left was a long dining table that could seat over twenty people, with hot tea and refreshments already set out on the table. To the right was a spacious living room; outside the floor-to-ceiling windows was the night view of the Imperial Capital, the light of the Source Energy Tower flickering in the distance like a galaxy suspended above the city.

Six people were sitting in the living room. As soon as Lu Cheng entered, six gazes landed on him simultaneously. The atmosphere went quiet for a moment. It was a group of young beasts seeing another monster, rumored to be even more absurd, for the first time.

Sitting in the very center was a tall, large youth. He leaned against the sofa with his arms crossed, and a black giant axe, more exaggerated than a door panel, was placed by his feet. The youth looked up, his gaze direct, and his aura as heavy and imposing as a mountain.

"Heavenly King Lin." He spoke, his voice not loud but steady. "The eldest grandson of the Lin family."

Meridian Opening Realm peak, his vitality was so thick it didn't seem like a normal freshman, and there was a faint, pale gold sense of oppression within his body. Lu Cheng could tell at a glance that this guy wasn't some flashy poser built up by resources alone. The Heavenly King Tyrant Body of the Lin family really had something to it.

"Lu Cheng." Lu Cheng nodded. Heavenly King Lin looked at him, then at the Little Spirit Fox in his arms. He was silent for two seconds. "When you fight War Generals, do you also hold a fox?"

Lu Cheng: "..." Little Spirit Fox: "Ying?"

Someone nearby chuckled softly. It was a youth wearing a white martial arts uniform. He sat very upright, with a cyan longsword leaning against his back, his whole person like an unsheathed sword.

Shen Guhong introduced him calmly. "Gu Changqing, Imperial Capital Martial Arts School."

Gu Changqing raised his eyes to look at Lu Cheng. "Long heard of you."

Lu Cheng nodded. "Hello." Gu Changqing's gaze lingered on Lu Cheng for a second. "I would like to ask for your guidance when there is an opportunity."

Before Lu Cheng could speak, a girl nearby spoke up. "Do you sword cultivators want to fight everyone you see?"

The speaker was a short-haired girl, sitting very casually, twirling a silver rune pen in her hand. She was wearing the uniform of the Demon Capital Martial Arts School; her eyes were very bright, and faint light-cyan patterns shimmered deep within her pupils.

"Xu Xinglan." The girl waved the rune pen in her hand at him. "Demon Capital Martial Arts School, Source Array Master."

She paused, her gaze falling on the Little Spirit Fox in Lu Cheng's arms, and she raised her eyebrows slightly. "By the way, your fox's bloodline is very abnormal~"

The Little Spirit Fox immediately shrank back into Lu Cheng's arms, revealing only half an eye to glare at her. Xu Xinglan laughed. "The little guy is quite smart."

Lu Cheng looked at the light-cyan light patterns in her pupils and had a rough idea in his mind. This girl's talent should be of the Spirit Pupil type, able to see the flow of Source Power, and combined with the methods of a Source Array Master, it was no wonder she was selected.

"Don't scare it." Lu Cheng patted the Little Spirit Fox's head. Xu Xinglan spread her hands.

By the window sat a very quiet youth. He wore a black combat uniform, had broad shoulders and cold eyes, and a cup of hot tea was placed in front of him, but a thin layer of frost had already formed on the edge of the tea. In the entire suite, only the temperature near him was noticeably low.

"Ye Beihan." When he spoke, his words were very brief. "Northern Frontier Martial Arts School." After that, he said nothing more.

Lu Cheng waited for two seconds. "And?" Ye Beihan thought for a moment. "Meridian Opening Realm mid-stage."

What a simple self-introduction. Shen Guhong added from the side. "SS-rank talent, Profound Frost Battle Bone, the freshman most valued by the Northern Frontier Martial Arts School this year."

Lu Cheng nodded. The remaining two were sitting on the other side of the sofa.

One was a girl who looked very gentle. She wore a light purple coat, her long hair was pinned up with a silver hairpin, her complexion was somewhat pale, and a string of tiny silver bells was tied around her wrist. At first glance, she looked like a sickly beauty. But Lu Cheng only glanced at her once and felt that there were at least a dozen subtle Source Power fluctuations hidden in her cuffs. Hidden weapons. Poison. And some kind of extremely obscure, dangerous aura.

The girl raised her eyes and smiled gently at Lu Cheng. "Tang Zhiwei. Shu Region Tang Family." Her voice was very soft, like the gentle rain of Jiangnan. "Classmate Lu, long heard of you."

Lu Cheng silently pressed the Little Spirit Fox further into his arms. This one was more dangerous than Heavenly King Lin; at least Heavenly King Lin put his axe out in the open. This one looked weak and gentle, but perhaps in the time it took to say hello, she could slip three poison needles into your sleeve.

As for the last person, his presence was completely different. He was a youth with wheat-colored skin, sitting in a very relaxed posture, with a hearty smile and a beast bone pendant hanging from his collar. Beside him lay a small, crimson beast; it wasn't very big, but it already had a hint of ferocity.

After seeing the Little Spirit Fox in Lu Cheng's arms, that crimson beast immediately raised its head. The Little Spirit Fox also looked over. The fox and the beast stared at each other. The air went quiet for a moment. Then, the Little Spirit Fox turned its head away very haughtily.

Crimson beast: "..." The youth immediately laughed out loud. "Jiang Xuance. Southern Wilderness Jiang Family."

He patted the head of the crimson beast beside him. "This one of mine is called Red-Armored Zheng, its temper isn't very good, but it looks like your fox has an even bigger temper."

Little Spirit Fox: "Ying."

Lu Cheng looked down at it. "You're quite proud?" The Little Spirit Fox flicked its tail, acting righteous.

Jiang Xuance's eyes lit up as he watched. "Your spirit pet's bloodline isn't low at all, want to sell it?"

Before Lu Cheng could speak, the Little Spirit Fox had already bared its little sharp teeth at Jiang Xuance. "Ying!"

Jiang Xuance raised both hands. "Fine, fine, not selling, not selling."

Heavenly King Lin watched this scene, and his originally serious expression softened slightly. He looked at Lu Cheng again. "We were just guessing when you would arrive."

Xu Xinglan leaned back on the sofa and added. "To be precise, we were guessing whether you would stir up some trouble before the formal exchange started, but it looks like there's no problem for now!"

Lu Cheng: "..." Is there something wrong with your impression of me?