Setting Out - The City Lord.

"Okay, your assignment has been marked down, we'll look after your token while you're out; Take this identifier in case you need it" The lady standing behind the desk explained to Shu He after he handed over his token, she gave him another type of token in return that was simply adorned with the 'Metal' symbol and pentagonal in shape which he stowed away.

"If you channel your Qi into that identifier it will send out a signal that other identifiers can pick up, so please use it if you are in trouble".

"Got it, thank you" Shu He said as he took it back out to observe it a bit more, apparently since the tokens weren't of use outside of the sect they're kept inside; The identifier he was given has his name and affiliation inscribed on the back and had a simple design, so it was easily recognisable.

"Since you are going on a subjugation mission, if you do kill a spirit beast then please bring the spirit heart back as proof, if it's a normal animal then just bring back an ear".

Shu He nodded, Spirit Hearts were mutated hearts made to pump Qi around a Spirit Beasts body, it has the unusual feature of crystalising soon after the death of a beast so it can be taken and stored fairly easily.

"Please remember, do not purposefully reveal your status as a cultivator to mortals and absolutely do not teach them how to cultivate, when engaging in enemies that are mortal, refrain from using techniques unless they are marked for subjugation".

"Right"

'That rule, it's the reason it's so hard for a normal mortal to become a cultivator, I got lucky… or unlucky, because Green-gate was the centre of such an incident I came across cultivators willing to teach me, I don't know what would have happened to me if I kept cultivating blindly' Shu He thought to himself as he shifted the weight of the backpack he was carrying so he was comfortable.

"Also, if you encounter other sect members, or disciples of the other four of the Five Great Sects, refrain from conflict, if you are found to have caused the death of one of their members without good reason you will be punished according to the sects rules".

"…Got it" Shu He's expression soured slightly.

'I won't encounter such a situation, hopefully'.

"That's all that you should know, be careful and we shall await your return, head down the hall to the right and you can exit the sect" She smiled professionally as she held her hand out to her left.

Shu He nodded and thanked her once again before going on his merry way, his heart began beating slightly and a small smile couldn't help but become plastered on his face.

'Finally, after just over 9 months I can leave the sect'.

It wasn't that he hated the sect, it was great for cultivation, but anyone would get tired of  the same scenery day after day, he craved the idea of travelling especially since he had only really ever seen the village where he lived, Orefine and the Sect's sights.

'Bzzzz'.

"Huh?" Shu He felt a weird sensation pass him like he had walked through a soft wall as he looked back, activating his sight.

"A wall?" He murmured, he could see a large blue wall of Qi with different symbols and text floating across its surface.

'I wonder if that's part of the security system?' He pondered before walking along, before long he was at a simple metal door that he pushed open, the sunlight leaked in from the outside as fresh mountain air swept across his nose, pushing his hair aside.

He stepped out and took in the sights, as far as he could see there was a long winding dirt road that went all the way down the mountain he was on.

*Clang* the door shut behind him and the sound of a lock echoed.

Shu He would need to present the identifier to get back in, apparently.

He stepped out a bit more to get a look at the place he just left, it was embedded in a cliff face and while the door he just walked out was tiny and unnoticeable, just a few meters away was a massive metal gate adorned with similar patterns of a titan with a hammer that he had seen before.

If he had to guess, it must be more than 20 meters high and more than 10 meters in width, easily big enough for a convoy carrying a huge amount of goods to pass through.

To the left and right of the gate were two men covering their faces, they were Sect Protectors and seemed to be the same kind as the one that had brought him to the Sect Master's Palace; Neither of them afforded him a glance, disciples setting out on missions were a common sight after all.

One might think that having such a large gate would make finding the sect easy, but just a single glance could tell Shu He that the entire area was filled with formations, most likely bewildering formations to prevent mortals and low-level cultivators from approaching, the only reason he was fine was that it seemed to know who he was.

'Maybe it's the Blood Oath…' Shu He presumed as he lifted the conical straw hat he had in his hands and placed it on his head, along with the long brown robes he was wearing he now looked like a normal traveller.

'This may not be necessary, but if I'm going to go travelling alone I should look the part!' He chuckled to himself.

The robe also hid his sect robes as well, so it made it easier to hide his status as a cultivator, he could just remove them but in situations where he'd need to show his identity, this would be easier.

He stretched his arms and legs out of habit, glancing off the edge down the mountain, it was a very long way down and he'd definitely hurt himself if he tried to take the fast way down, so walking the dusty trail was the only way.

Right at the bottom of the mountain laid the familiar city of Orefine, not looking a single bit different from the last time he'd seen it.

Before he truly set out on his journey, he had to make a visit to a certain place there!

…

The city really hadn't changed at all since he was last here, thought that was to be expected, it had been just under a year since he left, although he only spent 3 years here it felt like a second home in a way to him.

He passed by a few restaurants as he walked down the pathed street, stopping and then moving as he prevented himself from getting side tracked, he wouldn't have minded stopping for old times sake and tasting the food but if he went to one he'd then want to go to all of them.

'Oh, those buildings are built now' He thought with surprise as he looked at a set of newly built buildings without any residents, the fresh materials that they were made of stood out compared to the older ones around them.

Shu He had done labour work to earn money here and there while living here and he had worked on the foundations of those new buildings, so he was happy to see them finished.

He looked around, playing a game of spot the difference as he looked for changes as he made his way to the south of the city where a large, old building stood overlooking the entire city.

This was where he was heading, it was the City Lord's manor! 

Shu He looked up at the tall building, seeing the aged material that had clearly gone through wear and tear yet was filled to the brim with repairs he could feel its history looking him in the eyes.

'So this is where Wei Yu lived…'.

It was a stark comparison to his old house in Green-gate, let alone the run-down shack he had in this city, it's easy to tell whoever lived a life here lived one filled with luxury.

Shu He walked up to the entrance, stopping just before it; There were two guards giving him the wry eye.

He picked out the identifier and showed it to them.

"Head in" One of them grunted as they relaxed, so Shu He did so.

'Well, at least I didn't have a sword or halberd shoved in my face' He shrugged off the guards gruff attitude as he entered the building.

The lobby had a red carpet and finely furnished wood furniture along with picture frames containing different kind of rocks and ore as decoration.

Without wasting any more time Shu He placed his Identifier on the desk, showing it to the gaudy looking lady sat behind it and said, "I'm here to retrieve a Writ from the City Lord".

The lady jumped slightly as she looked at the identifier and then put on her best act of flattery "Oh! Please go right ahead up those stairs, Lord Cultivator!.

Shu He couldn't help but grimace slightly before he nodded and walked off up the stairs.

'I guess those types of people get that kind of work easily…' He shivered slightly.

The stairwell wasn't too long, the City Lord's office was located on the top floor as it was hard to miss, he reached the hallway that smelled of carpet dust as he waded his way towards the door that should be his office, he prepared to knock.

But just as he did-

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" A voice boomed through the door; Shu He could hear it perfectly despite being behind it.

He paused, considered whether to knock or not but then abstained.

'It would be rude to interrupt, right?' He thought, while also being curious as to what was happening.

"W-we didn't know about such a thing!" A feeble sounding voice replied.

"Father's right! How could we know!" Another, younger sounding voice added on.

"Don't give me that bullshit! Your family should know It's own history clearly!" The first voice spoke with deep anger.

"It's been many generations since we left the clan, we were just supposed to be mortals, so such things weren't passed down!" The feeble voice complained.

"Yes, you were supposed to be mortals, forever! Why did you allow your son to enter the Titanic Steel Sect?!".

'?!' Shu He frowned deeply.

'Are they talking about Wei Yu?'.

"Sir, if him entering is such a problem, can't your clan just ask the sect to kick him out?" The younger voice asked.

*SHATTER*

"STOP TALKING BRAT!".

"Sorry, I'm sorry!" the voice cried out.

"Please! I sent a message to him but he refused to leave!"

"Then I guess we'll have to do something with that daughter of yours…" The voice said, sounding increasingly menacing.

"NO! Don't hurt Fang'er, please I beg of you!".

"Then get him out of that sect! We'll give you a year!" 

With a audible 'Hmph' footsteps could be heard as the door clicked and swung open as a man stepped out.

He had long dark red hair and his clothes were expensive looking with colours of flames, his topaz eyes widened in shock as he saw Shu He standing in the hallway with his arms crossed, leaned on the wall.

Shu He matched his gaze and thought 'This is the type of a person to start a fight when he thinks he can win'.

Just as he thought that.

"You-!" The man gripped his fist, Shu He could see his Qi beginning to circulate, so Shu He began do so as well, except he sent a pulse of Qi outwards so the man could sense it.

"?!" He looked like he had swallowed a fly.

"Che!" He clicked his tongue as he stormed off down the hall and down the stairs.

'Who was that man…' Shu He frowned deeply; he could faintly pick up the scent of ash from that persons robes.

Shu He could tell that he was only at the 3rd stage – Meridian Awakening, and not a particularly impressive one at that, so sending a burst of Qi from him who was now at Balance Attainment, it was easy to scare him off.

Yes, the Spectral Moon Festival and the following 'Day of the Blazing Sun' were a great boon for Shu He, but it still took another 3 months after that to attain the next stage, so only two months ago.

"It'll be okay Father, little Yu will probably give up soon anyway" A young man, probably in the early 20's stood up and brushed himself off while laughing lightly.

"Wei Zhi you…" An older man with stubble lining his face and long black hair held  his head in his hands before he sighed "Maybe you're right… he never was one to keep at something…".

He pulled out some paper from his draw.

"I'll write a letter to him again, telling him that his sister is in danger" He murmured while dipping his quill in ink.

"Ahem!" Shu He cleared his throat, announcing his presence that they were completely ignoring.

The two jumped in fright before they saw who it was.

"I thought it was the emissary again…" Wei Zhi breathed a sigh of relief before his expression turned angry "Who are you, barging in the city lords office like this?!".

"Wait, Wei Zhi, shut up before you get us in more trouble" The older man spoke with haste.

"Father?!" he exclaimed, aggrieved.

Shu He just shook his head and slammed the identifier on the desk, a displeased expression crossing his face.

"I'm here for the writ" He said plain and simply.

"Another?!" Wei Zhi screeched, his voice turning high.

'Wei Yu's brother… he doesn't seem great' Shu He thought as he waited for the old man in front of him to speak.

The old man was, of course, Wei Chen the current city lord; A mortal.

"Right… Yes I was expecting you, I apologize for the commotion".

"It's fine, but who was that?" Shu He took the chance to ask.

"That…" Wei Chen looked hesitant to answer but as he looked up at Shu He's eyes he flinched and spoke "It was an emissary from the Huo clan, please, don't worry about our problems".

'The Huo clan… as I thought, I don't like them at all'.

Other than Mei Ling, that was the first member he had met, and he was likely a member of the main family based on his looks.

Shu He sighed "Just give me the writ and I'll be on my way".

"Of course!" He pulled out a scroll from his desk and passed it to Shu He who unravelled it, giving it a glance over.

It just contained the city lords signature, stamp and many verses about what the holder can do with it; Shu He was told to obtain it to help whenever he investigated, mortals generally didn't recognise cultivators, but they would definitely recognise a writ from the city lord.

"Good" Shu He nodded and stored the scroll, turning to leave causing the other two to sigh with relief, but just as he reached the door he stopped, making their hearts skip a beat.

Shu He turned his head, his gold eyes glimmering with a cold light as he spoke with an octave lower than he usually would.

"You may be happy to throw away your futures, but… Don't you dare make Wei Yu throw away his!".

He then left, leaving the two with clenched hearts.