Xin Mountain Range.

On the stairs of the entry mountain of the Xin Range, two silhouettes could be seen climbing the stairs pretty fast.

The one in the lead was a girl whose face was covered with a veil.

It was Rose. 

She was in the lead.

Right behind her, Zhao Luo was trying to catch up to her. But it was harder than he had expected.

Carrying Si Chen while racing against Rose on these rising stairs with the increasing pressure on his legs with every step he took, was proving hard for even Zhao Luo.

Zhao Luo still hadn’t used all of the power in his legs. If he wanted to pass Rose, he could do it easily if he used all the strength in his legs. 

‘I should let her win.’

Zhao Luo thought. It wouldn’t be bad if he owed a request to this beautiful girl.

Zhao Luo who was sure that he was ‘letting’ Rose win didn’t know that Rose was also staying back as she didn’t want to get too far from them. 

So Rose and Zhao Luo continued to climb the stairs while keeping the first and second positions respectively.

Si Chen had fallen asleep while being in Zhao Luo’s embrace. Something he will regret as he awakens from his ‘princess slumber’. 

Soon the walls of the city were in their sight and as they kept on running towards it, they could see the summit that started right after the stairs ended.

“I guess I am the winner. Hehe.”

Rose said to Zhao Luo before speeding up as she saw that the stairs were coming to an end, to ensure her victory.

Zhao Luo also saw that and decided to go a little faster. He didn’t want to win but he just wanted it to be close call to show Rose that he tried his best. As he was putting more power in his legs, without him realizing the shape of the Heaven’s Tomb on his wrist started shining. 

“Thud.”

A crack appeared on the stair where Zhao Luo had his foot just a second ago while he has his body leaping in the air as fast as a bullet.

“Swoosh.”

Rose and even Zhao Luo himself didn’t know what happened as Zhao Luo with Si Chen in his arms passed Rose who was infinitely close to winning.

“What?”

Rose questioned as she saw Zhao Luo passing him right when her win was a stair away. With only one step she could have won the race but at this last second, Zhao Luo had surprised her.

Zhao Luo ended up being the first to reach the summit along with Si Chen who had no idea what was going on.

“Hah, Guess I won.”

Zhao Luo said with a fumbling voice. It was already obvious to Rose that if Zhao Luo wanted to win, with this speed, he could have easily left her behind with this speed.

‘So he kept on being behind me so we could go together.’

Rose thought but she didn’t know that the acceleration shown by Zhao Luo wasn’t intended in the least. Moreover, Zhao Luo didn’t even know that he could do something like this.

‘Hmmm’

Zhao Luo was thinking about what had transpired just now when he heard some voices in his head.

The first voice said,

‘As if we will let our disciple lose in a simple race like this.’ 

Then another very familiar voice was heard.

‘even if the girl is someone you like.’

It was the voice of the eyes that had disrespected Zhao Luo for staring at the ‘eyes in the middle’ when he was dragged into the dark space of the book.

‘Hahaha.’

The sound of laughter erupted in Zhao Luo’s mind as he felt a little embarrassed for being spied on by these oldies.

‘Who is your disciple…’

Zhao Luo questioned in his mind. The question was for the eyes. 

Zhao Luo didn’t have any memory of where he bowed to these eyes and called them his master especially the one who was trying to expose him. He only had one master, the old man.

‘And I don’t like her.’

Zhao Luo tried to explain.

‘Hahaha.’

The eyes started laughing even more and even a slight mesmerizing giggle was heard. It was from the crimson of the Goddess.

Zhao Luo felt even more embarrassed.

The sounds of laughter started dying down and soon he couldn’t feel the presence of the eyes in his mind.

The glow from heaven’s tomb on his wrist had died down too.

‘Whatever.’

Zhao Luo thought while turning towards Rose who was right behind her.

“So I owe you now. Ask me whatever you want.”

Rose affirmed Zhao Luo that she wouldn’t go back on the bet.

Zhao Luo was looking at her very seriously.

“Whatever?”

Zhao Luo turned around while speaking lightly.

Rose blushed a little.

Si Chen had already woken up.

His sleep was disturbed because of a heat source entering his body.

His right shoulder felt extremely hot as he felt the continuous increase in the heat coming from something.

When he opened his eyes he saw that Zhao Luo was standing on the summit then he noticed the weird expression on the face of Zhao Luo. 

‘Why is he making such a creepy face?’

The expression of Zhao Luo’s returned to normal the next instant. It was so freakish that Si Chen closed his eyes and acted as if he had never wakened up.

But now he had no chance but to wake up. He couldn’t enter the city while being carried by some man.

What if someone from the sect saw him like this?

‘I will become a laughing stock.’

Si Chen thought and decided to wake up but in such a way that Zhao Luo wouldn’t doubt him. 

‘I should probably start with a little waking-up call.’

Sadly just when he was going to put his acting skills in motion, Rose started talking about the request and he couldn’t ruin this moment.

He lost his chance to wake up.

Zhao Luo and Rose woke side by side towards the entrance of the city on this summit.

Si Chen’s heart started pounding heavily as he was looking for good timing to wake up.

But he couldn’t find that percent timing.

Then he heard Zhao Luo’s voice.

“If it’s okay with you, you can get down now. I know you are awake.”

Zhao Luo said to the sleeping Chen.

Si Chen felt like his heart had stopped as Zhao Luo addressed.

What a shameful moment for a disciple of the Xin Sect. 

Being carried like a princess and still not getting down when he was already awake.

“Tsk, I just woke up and was going to tell you to let me get down.”

Si Chen fought out of Zhao Luo’s hold and got down.

He brushed his already clear and neat robes.

“Umm, thank you.”

Si Chen thanked Zhao Luo for carrying him to the top.

“What did you say, I couldn’t hear you clearly.”

Zhao Luo wanted to hear the gratitude again as Si Chen had just thrown a tantrum when he was told to get down.

“Let’s go.”

Si Chen ignored Zhao Luo and walked towards the entrance of the city.

Rose and Zhao Luo followed Si Chen.

They reached the door at the entrance between the surrounding walls.

The door was a thick metal door like the ones in old palaces.

Si Chen proceeded to knock on the door.

The knock was more like Si Chen taking his anger out on the door.

“Bang, bang, bang.”

“Who?”

A hoarse voice spoke from the other side.

Yet Si Chen didn’t reply.

‘Slide’

A horizontal metal plate was pulled back from the other side. 

Someone was peeking at them through the door viewer.

He realized that the three were wearing the Xin Sect Robes so he opened the gate before Si Chen could even answer the question of the guard.

“Hello Masters.”

Said the guard as he straightened his back while welcoming the Zhao Luo trio.

Si Chen and Rose ignore the guard and went past him entering through the door.

“Thank you.” 

Zhao Luo said to the guard and smiled at him then followed Si Chen and Rose.

“The”

“The Xin Sect disciple just thanked me.”

The guard exclaimed as he couldn’t believe what had happened just now.

Zhao Luo could see people everywhere around him.

Everyone had bad clothes. They were wearing rags with dirt on them. They looked skinny and as if they hadn’t gotten a good meal in a long time.

“This is making me vomit. Let’s hurry to the Circle.”

Si Chen said while looking at the bad condition of the people around him.

“What is this?”

Zhao Luo questioned as he couldn’t bear the condition of the people anymore.

The more he walked beside Si Chen and Rose, the more of these people he saw. There were even children whose bones were visible because of malnutrition.

“It is bad but there is nothing we can do.”

Rose answered while looking a little gloomy.

“Why? There should be something that we can do for them.”

Zhao Luo argued with the reasoning of rose.

‘How can I leave them here in this condition as if it has nothing to do with me?’

“They are from the other two ranges. That is why they are stuck in the entry mountain with limited food and accommodation provided to them.”

Si Chen explained.

“But still.”

Zhao Luo continued.

A boy was approaching them.

He had ragged clothes just like the others. Dirt covering his face.

Zhao Luo was looking at him and he let the kid come close to him.

‘Stab’

Zhao Luo saw blood coming out of his leg as the kid had stabbed a knife in his leg. Even Bimba wasn’t able to hurt him but just a moment of carelessness caused this.

Si Chen took out his sword to kill the kid who had stabbed Zhao Luo.

But Zhao Luo stopped him. He was still looking at the kid who just smirked while looking at Zhao Luo’s wound and turned to walk back.

“See that’s why they are in this situation. This is the Lawless City.”

Si Chen said.

“So the entry mountain is like this then how will the circle be?”

Zhao Luo questioned with a dejected look.

In a while, Si Chen had bandaged Zhao Luo’s wound.

Then he with Si Chen, and Rose went towards the middle of the City.