On the third day after leaving the village, Lin Yaochen finally asked,
"Mozi, do you actually know where to find the Gold Yao bearer? You're not just making this up as we go, are you?"
Mozi strolled ahead lazily.
"The Yao Disc will guide us. As long as we get close to Gold Yao energy, it will react."
Yaochen glanced down at the disc at his waist. The crystal bead in its center glowed faintly gold, with needle-thin strands of light subtly drifting toward the northwest.
"We've been walking for so long and there's not a single town in sight. Don't tell me we're camping again tonight?"
He kicked aside a dead branch as he complained.
"You've asked that three times already," Mozi replied without looking back, his tail swaying calmly. "The direction's right. The disc keeps reacting. You should be glad we're not climbing mountains this time."
"Easy for you to say… Last time you said 'just a small slope,' I fell into a river and even lost a boot."
"That was because you chased after a butterfly and slipped down yourself," Mozi shot him a glance.
"That butterfly was weird! It was glowing gold!"
"That was a small Gold-element spirit insect, not a butterfly."
"…Couldn't you have told me before I slipped?"
"You didn't ask!"
"I don't care, I can't walk anymore. Isn't there some kind of transport here?" Lin Yaochen plopped down on the ground.
Mozi looked at him and muttered to himself, This kid really must be at his limit. Back when he first came to the Yao Realm with that pampered, noble-boy attitude, he wouldn't even have lasted half a day.
Lin Yaochen picked up a dead stick and waved it around aimlessly.
"Seriously, how tragic. This young master used to ride in luxury cars, and now I have to use my precious feet. And ever since I got here, the food's bad, the sleep's bad…"
"All right, all right, you little brat, I can't stand you." Mozi grumbled, shifting into his spirit-beast form. "Get on. I'll carry you for a bit."
Yaochen's eyes lit up. He tossed away the stick and hopped onto Mozi's back.
"You should've done this earlier! My feet are about to blister!"
"I'm a spirit beast, not a horse. Don't you think I have any pride?" Mozi muttered, swishing his tail.
"Oh come on, we're out in the wild—no need to be so picky." Yaochen patted the fur on his neck. "Wow, this feels great. Your fur's really smooth."
"Hold tight. If you fall off later, I'm not responsible."
"This young master won't—AAAH!"
Before he could finish, Mozi kicked off with all four legs and shot forward. Yaochen nearly flew off, screaming as he clung desperately to Mozi's neck, eyes squeezed shut while the wind howled past his ears.
After some time, Mozi suddenly stopped.
"Why'd you stop?" Yaochen opened his eyes, rubbing them dry from the wind.
"We're here." Mozi gazed ahead, his voice low and steady. "That… is Fengyan City."
Yaochen followed his gaze. The mountains opened up, revealing a city built along towering rock walls. Tall towers rose in the distance, chimneys belched smoke, and the sounds of hammering rang out intermittently, mingling with the wind and the low rumble of furnaces, as if the entire city were breathing.
"Get down already!" Mozi urged.
"Okay, okay." Yaochen jumped off, brushing dust from his clothes. "What is this place? Why's it so smoky? It feels like a forge from hell."
"Fengyan City. The closest city to Gold Yao Valley. Rich in minerals, it's the largest hub for weapons and armor in the Yao Realm. Smiths from all over compete here."
"Do they have good food? Inns? Can we buy a carriage?"
Ignoring his chatter, Mozi strode toward the city gate.
At the massive gate embedded in thick stone walls, Yaochen stared in awe.
The gate was nearly three stories tall, its doors made of obsidian-iron wood, carved with interwoven Yao sigil arrays. Time had worn away its original gold-red luster, leaving only cold metallic gleams flickering through the wood grain.
"That's one hell of a gate!" Yaochen exclaimed.
Above it hung a battered yet sturdy bronze shield bearing Fengyan City's emblem—two crossed giant hammers over a mountain-shaped ore pattern, symbolizing the city's foundation of iron and stone.
Mozi glanced at him with mild disdain.
"You look like a total country bumpkin."
Yaochen, dressed in the village chief's altered clothes, with sleeves and hems a bit short, looked like someone too poor to afford new garments.
Two guards stood on each side of the gate, their armor solid and practical, swords at their sides, one even carrying a heavy axe-spear. Their sharp eyes and rigid posture showed they were well-trained.
One guard extended a hand. "Yao Card."
Yaochen whispered to Mozi, "What's a Yao Card?"
"An ID." Mozi nodded to the guards.
"He's an outsider. I'm bringing him in to apply for a temporary travel permit."
As he spoke, a silver-white Yao mark flashed on Mozi's forehead—the special insignia of a royal spirit beast.
The guards stiffened. The one who had spoken withdrew his hand and bowed slightly.
"So you are a bonded spirit. Our apologies. With your guarantee, there's no need to stop him. Please proceed inside to register."
"Outsiders must register before entering the inner city," the other added quickly. "Go to the Yao Registry on the east side to obtain a permit."
Yaochen whispered, "Wow… you're pretty important, huh?"
"Royal spirit beasts rank high. Did you forget who your father is?" Mozi snapped as he walked through the gate.
"Oh… right…" Yaochen nodded, then hurried after him.
Inside, red stone roads stretched straight ahead, lined with shops and crowded with miners, mercenaries, and robed Yao mages. The city was bustling yet orderly.
Yaochen gawked like a tourist.
"Whoa! That forge is on fire! What're they selling? Roasted beast legs? Swords? And carriages!"
Mozi didn't stop.
"Do you remember why we're here?"
"Oh right, right—ID, the temporary thing…" Yaochen hurried back, his face smudged with soot.
They arrived at a gray stone building marked Yao Registry. Inside, clerks in gray robes sat behind wooden desks with crystal lamps and ledgers.
Mozi went straight to one.
"He's applying for a temporary travel permit."
The clerk eyed Yaochen. "Outsider? Which rift did you come through?"
"Southern wild rift," Mozi replied.
"No household, no master, no record… must be filed." The clerk took out a gray Yao card and began engraving it.
"Name?"
"Lin Yaochen."
"Age?"
"…Eighteen, I think."
"Affiliation?"
"None."
"Yao element?"
"Uh… not sure. Maybe Earth?"
"Guarantor?"
Mozi pressed his palm to the copper plate. The Yao sigils flared.
"Very well. Temporary permit granted. Valid in Fengyan and the Northern Region only."
He handed over the card.
Yaochen examined it.
"Wow, it's like a glowing pass. That's cool."
"Put it away. Losing it costs five Yao Silver."
"Right, right." He tucked it away. "So… can we eat now? I'm starving."
"Do you have money?" Mozi asked.
"I've got gold beans. Can those be used?"
"Come on. I'll take you to an exchange shop."
"We don't use silver ingots. We use Yao Copper, Yao Silver, and Yao Gold…