Whispers of a Lonely City Beyond the Heavens – Chapter 35

Ch 35: Gained and Lost Again

“No, we just don’t have it!” Wei Wei shouted, “On what grounds do you claim we have Rain Spirit Grass?”

“The Sky Howling Falcon spotted you in the mountains. You went into the deep mountains, a place where Rain Spirit Grass grows,” the man in front said.

The man behind added, “This Mountain Jiaolong I’m leading can smell the scent of Rain Spirit Grass. You can’t deny it.”

“I said we don’t have it, so we don’t. Big Brother, ignore them, let’s go.” Wei Wei brandished her Flying Frost Sword, ready to charge forward. Xiao Hei turned around, following her lead. Long Yang gripped his Jiaoya Dagger tightly, sizing up the two men.

The two opponents simultaneously drew their longswords and took a step forward in unison.

Though there were only two of them, their presence felt like two disciplined units drilling with bayonets.

It was clear they were not only highly skilled cultivators—or perhaps martial artists—but also well-trained soldiers—or maybe officers.

They must be Tian Weihu’s men!

They had finally tracked them down.

Long Yang and Wei Wei stood back-to-back, clenching their teeth. Long Yang asked, “Are you from the Tian Family?”

“You’re mistaken! We are His Majesty the Emperor’s personal guards—Heavenly Soldiers stationed at the Imperial Palace,” the man in front replied. He let out a cold snort, seemingly displeased that Long Yang had mistaken them for Tian Family soldiers.

“How did you know the Tian Family sent people?” the man behind demanded sharply.

Long Yang relaxed slightly. “I was wandering in the city and happened to see Tian Family members forcing their way into the Long Family Mansion. It upset me a bit.”

The two men exchanged a glance but remained silent, their faces expressionless. After a moment, the man in front said, “Hand over the Rain Spirit Grass, and we’ll let you go.”

“No way!” Wei Wei yelled. “We’ve already said we don’t have any Rain Spirit Grass. You’re just framing innocent people.” She was far braver facing people than she had been with the Mountain Jiaolong.

“Then we’ll search you,” the man behind said sternly.

“What? You… nonsense!” Wei Wei’s face flushed red with anger.

“Don’t be afraid. We won’t get rough,” the man in front said, his voice sounding odd. He tried to soften his tone, but it still came out stiff and forced, lacking natural warmth.

Long Yang’s heart stirred—these imperial guards didn’t seem entirely unreasonable. Their temperament and character appeared better than those of the Tian Family.

“No, we don’t have it. We’re leaving now.” Wei Wei unleashed a flurry of sword flourishes, stirring up a continuous wave of chilling sword energy.

The man in front paused briefly. “Impressive swordsmanship.” After a moment, he glanced at Wei Wei, then looked at Long Yang and said, “The Emperor is merciful. He only ordered us to restrict the mountains and specifically instructed us not to kill unless necessary. But this terrain is too treacherous, and with your martial skills, if a fight breaks out, I can’t guarantee your safety.”

As he finished, he cast another glance at Wei Wei, a fleeting trace of pity flickering in his eyes.

“Wei Wei, don’t fight. Let’s hear what they have to say first,” Long Yang urged, racking his brain for a plan. But in the heat of the moment, no clear solution came to mind, so he resorted to stalling with words.

“Even if we did pick some Rain Spirit Grass, we’d have to take it into the city and hand it over to Tian Weihu. He’s the imperially appointed Restricted Mountain Commissioner.”

“I’d advise you not to go. Just give it to us,” the man in front replied.

“How can I trust your true identities? For all I know, you could be here to gather herbs yourselves, saw we already had some, and decided to take the easy route…”

“Our swords are proof,” the man behind said coldly. “Enough talk.” He stepped forward again, and the man in front moved in sync. Their swords were now pointed directly at Long Yang and Wei Wei.

“Wait…” Long Yang said, a hint of panic in his voice. “What you’re saying doesn’t add up. It’s obvious Tian Weihu is in charge here, and he’s just a lackey of the Tian Family. You claim to be the Emperor’s personal guards, Heavenly Soldiers stationed at the palace—people of your stature wouldn’t take orders from someone like Tian Weihu.”

To buy time, Long Yang deliberately dragged out his words.

As he spoke, he thought: *What should we do? We definitely can’t fight them—that would just get Wei Wei and me killed for nothing. Could we hand over the Rain Spirit Grass and then sneak back into the mountains to gather more later?*

Maybe it could work. But Zhang Tianxun’s injuries couldn’t wait much longer. And with the Sky Howling Falcon, if they went back to gather herbs again, they’d still be caught.

“He has no authority to command us,” the man in front said with another cold snort. “He’s only stationed in the city, handling interrogations, arresting those who defy imperial decrees, managing daily affairs, and storing spiritual medicine to send to Kyoto. We’re the ones in charge of restricting the mountains and gathering herbs.”

When Long Yang heard him mention “storing spiritual medicine,” a spark ignited in his mind. A bold idea suddenly emerged.

That idea still carried immense risk, but it offered a glimmer of hope. Before acting on it, though, he needed more information—he’d have to pry a bit more out of them.

But how could he get the details he needed?

The man in front was clearly sparing with words, and the one behind was even less talkative. Both were decisive, battle-hardened soldiers who preferred action over conversation.

Sure enough, the man behind barked, “Hand over the Rain Spirit Grass now!” The man in front sighed, and both shifted into an attack stance. Wei Wei let out a sharp cry and raised her sword to strike.

“Wait…” Long Yang hurriedly interjected. “I still can’t trust you. Even if we hand over the Rain Spirit Grass, you might kill us anyway.”

“Right, Big Brother, we can’t trust them,” Wei Wei said. “Let’s fight them!”

“I swear on the honor of a Heavenly Soldier that if you hand over the Rain Spirit Grass, we’ll let you go immediately,” the man in front said solemnly.

He’d mentioned honor—Long Yang thought he might be able to use that.

“Have you ever considered that without us, you’d never even guess where to find Rain Spirit Grass? You’re just pampered lords from the capital who only know how to enjoy yourselves.”

“We’re Heavenly Soldiers, not lords,” the man replied.

“I’ve heard the Emperor’s personal guards are just a bunch of spoiled, hereditary young masters,” Long Yang said, deliberately lacing his tone with mockery. “I bet you haven’t gathered a single stalk of Rain Spirit Grass yet, and that’s why you’re so eager to steal ours for credit.”

“You’re wrong,” the man said, his brow furrowing slightly at the taunt. “We’ve already gathered several stalks of Rain Spirit Grass. With this year’s heavy rainfall, we’ll harvest more than the Long Family ever managed in previous years.”

Long Yang breathed a sigh of relief. He’d finally gotten the information he wanted—and the answer was just what he’d hoped for. It might not be everything, but it was as much as he could extract for now.

“Wei Wei, give it to them,” Long Yang sighed, leaning close to her ear. “I’ve got another plan. For now, we can’t throw our lives away.”

“No, I won’t…” Wei Wei’s eyes reddened, tears welling up again.

Long Yang patted her shoulder, took the knapsack from her back, pulled out the Rain Spirit Grass, and handed it to the man in front. With them watching, he couldn’t pull any tricks to hide a stalk. Besides, they’d said the Mountain Jiaolong could smell it.

As the man reached for the Rain Spirit Grass, Long Yang suddenly plucked off a leaf. The man behind immediately shouted, “What are you doing?”

“My little sister likes these two plants. I want a leaf as a keepsake,” Long Yang said.

“But without the Long Family’s storage box, it’ll turn to water within a day and night,” the man behind said, both shocked and angry.

“I don’t believe it. Do you have a storage box? Show it to me.”

“Tian Weihu handles the storage. He’s the one with the boxes.”

Long Yang suppressed his excitement. Now he had enough information—everything he needed to know. Time was critical; they couldn’t afford to linger here.

He tucked the leaf into his pocket. “Doesn’t matter. Like I said, we’re just here for fun. Wei Wei, let’s go.”

The man in front stepped aside. Long Yang jumped onto a rock ahead, followed by Wei Wei and Xiao Hei.

“Wait,” the man suddenly called from behind. Long Yang’s heart jolted. He resisted the urge to bolt and stopped. His light body skill was too poor—he couldn’t outrun them.

“What? Going back on your word?” Long Yang turned, raising an eyebrow.

“Before we came, the Emperor instructed us to pass on a message: The border wars are relentless, and the soldiers at the front need spiritual medicine. The court had no choice but to restrict the mountains. If you wish to continue cultivating in the future, you can go to the Feng Family on Phoenix Mountain. They need cultivators there, and the area is rich with spiritual medicine. Besides, Rain Spirit Grass is only useful for healing injuries—if you follow the law, you won’t need it. Please pass this on to other cultivators.”

“Got it,” Long Yang replied coolly, eager to leave. But the other man spoke up again: “The Eldest Prince also has a message: Any capable or extraordinary individuals willing to serve the country can join him. He’ll find ways to ensure they have the spiritual medicine needed for cultivation.”

“I’ll tell the others,” Long Yang said quickly, then turned and dashed toward Dragon’s Roar Valley.