PID Chapter 30.2

As soon as he said this, chaos erupted in the previously quiet carriage!

 

The clatter came from Chu Xia accidentally dropping her teacup when her hand trembled; Yan Chun reached out to catch it but missed. The “chicken flying and dogs jumping” came from Mo Zhi letting out a startled cry and jumping around inside the carriage; the crash came from him colliding head-on with Yan Chun as he tried to grab the falling cup. Both of them let out yelps of pain and clutched their foreheads.

 

Xiao Mo took in all the commotion with narrowed eyes and elongated his tone: “—Hmm?”

 

“I—I—” Mo Zhi stammered while clutching his forehead and grabbing a random piece of paper nearby. “I want to practice writing! Shixiong, can we not listen for now?”

 

Yan Chun was on the verge of tears from Mo Zhi’s iron headbutt but held back his pain: “I’ll teach him how to read, Shixiong. We’re busy—we’re not bored.”

 

Chu Xia shrank back toward the carriage door in panic, trying to seek help from someone stronger than them: “M-Master!”

 

On this journey, aside from growing closer as a group and Mo Zhi becoming a cultivator—a significant milestone—another noteworthy development was that the three children fully experienced the destructive power of Xiao Mo’s flute playing.

 

After Chu Jinglan and the system, new victims had finally arrived.

 

When Xiao Mo first played the flute in his physical form, the sound carried far. The first time he prepared to play, Yan Chun, Chu Xia, and Mo Zhi all eagerly gathered around him, waiting for what they imagined would be heavenly music.

 

Xiao Mo took a deep breath under their expectant gazes and began to play—

 

Only to completely shatter their expectations.

 

The sound startled every bird in the forest; flocks of them screeched and flapped their wings frantically as they fled for their lives, darkening the sky above them. It was as if they feared being chased down and devoured by a demon. While the birds could escape, the three children could not.

 

Their ears were assaulted by the piercing sound, and their eyes were wide with shock at the chaotic scene of birds scattering everywhere. For a moment, they thought some great disaster was imminent and that the birds were warning of it. But aside from Xiao Mo’s flute playing, there was no actual danger nearby.

 

Mo Zhi instinctively covered his ears; Yan Chun stood frozen with his mouth agape, wanting to say something but unable to find the words; Chu Xia trembled as she turned to look at Chu Jinglan—only to see him sitting calmly in meditation, unmoving like a mountain or a stone statue.

 

So strong! Truly worthy of being their master!

 

When Xiao Mo finished his piece, he elegantly lowered his flute and sat down with a sweep of his sleeve: “I know my flute playing isn’t very pleasant.”

 

The children’s ears were still ringing when they heard Xiao Mo continue: “But I’ve made great progress. It’s already at a listenable level. Soon enough, you’ll be able to enjoy a complete piece without any off-key notes.”

 

A bit of self-awareness—but not much.

 

The children were utterly shocked: This is after great progress?

 

Then what must it have sounded like before? Something truly world-shattering?

 

Seeing their mouths hanging open, Xiao Mo pointed at Chu Jinglan with his flute: “If you don’t believe me, ask him.”

 

Being called out, Chu Jinglan opened his eyes and calmly affirmed: “Yes, there’s been progress.”

 

And so, the three children were subjected to Xiao Mo’s “greatly improved” flute playing for the rest of the journey.

 

Even Mo Zhi—who had no understanding of music—couldn’t help but struggle through the off-key notes to shout: “It really sounds awful!”

 

Now, inside the carriage at the city gates, Xiao Mo somehow found the courage to suggest playing his flute again!

 

Yan Chun, being the most sensible child in their sect, wasn’t worried about anything else—he was worried that if Xiao Mo actually played here, it might provoke public outrage and get them attacked by everyone around them.

 

After all, every night on their journey so far, when startled birds flew overhead after being scared off by Xiao Mo’s flute playing, their angry and terrified cries sounded suspiciously like curses directed at him.

 

Whether Xiao Mo noticed this or not was unclear—but the children had heard it loud and clear.

 

Outside the carriage, Chu Jinglan sat wearing an iron beast-faced mask. He turned his head slightly toward the carriage and said: “We’re almost there.”

 

Three short words—words of salvation.

 

Because Xiao Mo said: “Oh, then I won’t play.”

 

Crisis averted!

 

Mo Zhi quickly held up a piece of paper to cover his face so no one would see how smugly he was smiling. Yan Chun let out a sigh of relief. Chu Xia silently cheered in her heart: Master is amazing.

 

As they entered the city gates, everyone had to undergo inspection—primarily to check whether they carried any traces of demonic energy.

 

Demonic races naturally exuded demonic energy—a pure and innate type of energy. However, demonic cultivators practiced sinister techniques that left their energy impure. If someone was identified as a demonic cultivator during inspection, righteous cultivators were allowed to execute them on the spot.

 

In recent years, conflicts between human cultivators and demonic races had intensified. If this weren’t Lin’an Academy hosting open lectures but another righteous sect’s territory, even members of demonic races might have been barred entry.

 

This growing tension was largely due to the current Demon Sovereign—a bloodthirsty madman who openly welcomed demonic cultivators and other sinister beings into the Demon Realm. He had committed numerous horrific atrocities that shocked the world and seemed intent on breaking the fragile balance between realms by inciting large-scale conflict between human cultivators and those from the Demon Realm.

 

Before stepping out of the carriage, Xiao Mo conjured a mask to cover his face.

 

Like his clothes, his mask was also created by the system. The system provided various designs and styles, allowing him to choose freely.

 

Pale fingertips extended from the carriage curtain, and then, like a painting slowly unfolding, a jade-like youth stepped out from the picture.

 

Xiao Mo wore a silver-threaded floral mask, adorned with intricate honeysuckle patterns. The flowers were not quite flowers, entwining like vines, as if blooming directly on his face. Strikingly beautiful and mysterious, the vines seemed to follow the elegant lines of his jaw, reaching straight into one’s heart. The silver color was pure and noble like moonlight—distant and unattainable.

 

It was both a toxic flower that captivated the soul and a pure lotus blooming in snowy mountain peaks.

 

Contradictory yet harmonious.

 

Chu Jinglan looked at Xiao Mo through his iron mask. Even with his face concealed, the Inner Demon’s beauty remained undiminished.

 

To Chu Jinglan, Xiao Mo’s peach blossom eyes became even more captivating when his face was hidden behind the mask. It felt as though the features beneath the mask were no longer similar to his own but had transformed into an entirely different visage.

 

What kind of face would it be? Chu Jinglan couldn’t quite imagine it yet, but he was certain it would be breathtakingly beautiful—vivid, flamboyant, and strikingly gorgeous.

 

Also, he had noticed something: it seemed the Inner Demon had a bit of vanity in him.

 

Every time he saw Xiao Mo, he was dressed differently. Chu Jinglan hadn’t paid much attention before, but today even his mask was meticulously crafted down to every detail. Finally, Chu Jinglan understood.

 

Perhaps the Inner Demon naturally cared about appearances and attire?

 

The three children couldn’t help but sneak glances at Xiao Mo’s mask. Chu Xia’s little face even blushed slightly—it was unclear whether she was stunned by its beauty or simply liked pretty things and wanted to try wearing one herself.

 

Mo Zhi stared at Xiao Mo’s mask with sparkling eyes for a long time before quietly sidling up to Chu Jinglan and saying: “Master, if I had to choose, I’d say your mask suits you better.”

 

“It’s scary, imposing—very… uh… intimidating!” He stumbled over his limited vocabulary and ended up fumbling through with a thumbs-up. “In short—it’s awesome!”

 

Chu Jinglan didn’t comment.

 

For those who knew Mo Zhi well, they’d understand that calling something “scary” was actually his way of complimenting it.

 

The group stepped out of the carriage. From behind, the children’s figures were just barely hidden by the vehicle. Xiao Mo and Chu Jinglan simultaneously noticed some gazes directed their way and turned around.

 

It was people from Xiao Qing Sect peering at them through the queue.

 

This was where Chu Jinglan’s iron mask proved its worth—the cold beast-like patterns on it turned sideways with an icy glare. Half of his face alone startled Zi Jiao so much that he nearly mistook him for some hideous monster. Only when Chu Jinglan fully turned did he realize it was just half of a fierce beast mask.

 

The Golden Core Martial Uncle, realizing he had been noticed, was startled and quickly lowered his head to show that he meant no offense.

 

Xiao Mo and Chu Jinglan had no intention of making an issue out of it. After all, this world had its own way of teaching the ignorant how to behave. The two turned their faces away indifferently, completed the inspection, and entered the city with the children and their carriage.

 

—

 

With so many people coming and going, they had assumed that all the inns would be fully booked, leaving them without a place to stay. They had even prepared for the worst. However, upon arriving at an inn, they were surprised to find that there were plenty of rooms available.

 

And they were cheaper than expected.

 

The innkeeper’s assistant, hearing their confusion, laughed warmly and explained: “This must be your first time coming to listen to Lin’an Academy’s lectures, right? Our city is still five miles away from the academy. Most rogue cultivators and disciples from small to mid-sized sects only stop here briefly to rest before rushing off early to secure spots near the academy.”

 

When the academy’s instructors give lectures, they use spiritual energy to transmit their voices over a two- or three-mile radius. Anyone within this range can listen. However, being further away means you can’t appear in front of the instructors. For many cultivators, opportunities must be seized—if they can stand before an instructor and gain their favor, even if it doesn’t lead to instant success, at least their days of hardship might come to an end.

 

“As for members of major sects, they’re never in a hurry. When they send people over, it’s usually just to maintain their relationship with the academy.”

 

Chu Jinglan asked: “Is competition for spots intense?”

 

First-come-first-served arrangements might work for honorable people but not for opportunists.

 

The assistant nodded enthusiastically: “Oh yes! When the academy first started holding lectures, people often fought over spots—even to the point of death. It was chaotic, and no matter how many disciples were sent to maintain order, it didn’t help. Later on, the academy came up with a solution: one low-grade spirit stone buys a temporary academy token. When you buy it, you register the number of people in your group. Then you find a spot, and the token generates a barrier that protects your registered group.”

 

“If someone tries to take your spot by force, it’s seen as disrespecting the academy. You can use the token to transmit a message directly to academy disciples, and someone will come deal with it immediately.”

 

Xiao Mo asked curiously: “If I bring a hundred people with me, would I still only need one token?”

 

The assistant chuckled: “That’s right! Some small sects bring their entire group and still only need one low-grade spirit stone.”

 

Lin’an Academy wasn’t trying to make money—the small fee was more about establishing accountability. By accepting payment and issuing tokens, they could intervene if disputes arose. If a major sect bullied others, the academy could step in directly and say: You’re challenging us.

 

Although this system wasn’t perfect and couldn’t prevent every issue, it was already quite effective.

 

Chu Jinglan nodded and handed over six spirit stones: “One room.”

 

The assistant blinked in surprise—two young men and three children sharing one room?

 

Judging by their attire, they didn’t seem like they were short on money. Choosing his words carefully so as not to offend, he probed: “We still have plenty of rooms available.”

 

Chu Jinglan responded with a simple “Mm,” not changing his request.

 

The assistant was perceptive enough not to press further. Keeping his expression neutral, he accepted the spirit stones: “Alright then—one room. Here is your key; please take care of it. By the way, sir, for an additional spirit stone per day, we can provide three meals. While it’s not gourmet food, it’s filling—steamed buns, flatbreads, rice, noodles, and some side dishes. Would you like that?”

 

Even though five people were squeezing into one room, simple meals wouldn’t cost much. Letting them eat as much as they wanted wouldn’t be a loss for the inn.

 

Chu Jinglan nodded again and placed another spirit stone on the counter: “Bring some food now.”

 

The assistant grinned widely: “Right away!”

 

They settled in the inn’s main hall. Nearby teahouses and restaurants were bustling with people, packed to the brim, but the inn itself was relatively quiet, with business not as lively. The innkeeper’s assistant quickly brought over a basket of white steamed buns, six bowls of vegetarian noodles, and three or four plates of side dishes. One of the dishes even had shredded meat, making it the only non-vegetarian option.

 

Recently, they had been camping outdoors and occasionally hunted wild chickens, rabbits, or caught fish to improve their meals. While they hadn’t been eating poorly, it had been a while since they’d sat at a proper table to enjoy a meal. The three children held their bowls and ate heartily.

 

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1 Kofi = 1 Extra Chapter