Serena Yunxiang steadied herself and looked up, only to see Quinn Shepherd already walking away in the distance: "I will not be weaker than this so-called Overlord Body. The women of the Si family are born Cult Master killers! If the previous Saintess could kill the last Cult Master, I can do it too!"
The next day, they arrived at Hong County, which had already fallen two days earlier. Upon seeing the Imperial Preceptor, a soldier hurriedly reported: "Imperial Preceptor, many people carrying flags have entered the city."
"People carrying flags?"
The Imperial Preceptor was surprised. After pondering for a moment, he looked at Quinn and said, "No need to pay them any mind. How many flag-bearers are there?"
"A dozen or so. All wearing straw hats pulled low over their faces, carrying various weapons tightly wrapped in cloth. They don't look like decent folk."
"You may go."
On the third day, they reached Clear River County, where even more flag-bearers had appeared—now numbering fifty or sixty.
By the fourth day, in Mist-Veil City, several hundred flag-bearers had appeared. Quinn said nothing about their origins or intentions, and the Imperial Preceptor did not ask.
On the fifth day, as they left the yamen preparing to head out of the city toward Daxiang, they had just stepped out onto the street when a strange figure—wearing a straw hat and carrying a cloth-wrapped weapon—stood up at the yamen gate and silently fell in behind them.
A few steps further, another person emerged from a nearby alley—also wearing a straw hat pulled low and carrying a long, cloth-wrapped weapon. Then, another burly man rose from the roadside, straw hat on his head, long cloth bundle in hand, and joined their procession.
Before they even left Mist-Veil City, a few hundred nearly identical straw-hatted figures were trailing behind them—men and women, old and young alike.
Wayne Shen, Claire Yue, and the others glanced back uneasily. The strangers kept their straw hats pulled low, following at a fixed distance, never revealing their faces or intentions.
"Are these the flag-bearers from before? Where are their flags now?" Elias Yun, the monk, muttered.
The Imperial Preceptor remained calm, completely unconcerned by the hundreds of people shadowing them.
Just outside Mist-Veil City, not far from the gate, stood a small shade-awning tea stall run by an elderly couple. As the group approached, the old man and woman looked up and called out, "Travelers, care for a cup of tea?"
Elias Yun, the monk, grumbled, "We just stepped out the door and you want us to drink tea?"
"I'm thirsty," said the Imperial Preceptor, taking a seat beneath the awning and accepting a cup of tea.
Quinn joined him. The two elders sat down as well, each taking a corner of the small table, a cup of tea before each of them.
Wayne Shen, Claire Yue, and the rest tried to come closer, only to find that no matter how many steps they took toward the stall, they were still standing in place. The awning seemed close enough to touch, but after dozens of strides, they hadn't moved an inch.
Alarmed, everyone rushed toward the tea stall with all their strength, moving at top speed—yet they remained a full ten feet away. The stall looked just a few paces off, but it felt as if an endless distance separated them!