The First Summoner - Chapter 76

One day later, the white-haired old woman told them, “We’ve reached the outskirts of Western Region City. Take the tunnel on the right. When you reach the end, activate the mechanism and you can leave.”

“Thank you, Great-Aunt.”

“Thank you, Senior.”

Zhuge Youlin was attempting to sneak away when the old woman called his name in a dangerous tone.

“Youlin.”

Rather than stop, he quickened his pace and tried to flee. The next instant, his body went rigid.

The old woman’s mental power locked him in place, leaving him completely unable to move.

She swung her feet leisurely and said, “Pay before you go.”

“Fine.” Zhuge Youlin sighed mournfully, his face filled with heartache. He turned back, walked up to her, and took out gold from his storage space, counting each piece.

“Exactly one thousand taels of gold!”

The corners of the old woman’s lips lifted when she saw his reluctant expression. With a sweep of her hand, she collected the gold into her storage space, then looked at Zhuge Weiran.

Zhuge Weiran dutifully took out two thousand taels of gold.

Shen Yan raised a hand to stop him. “I have my own thousand taels. You don’t need to pay for me.”

“But…” Zhuge Weiran hesitated.

She cut him off. “No buts.”

Zhuge Youlin abruptly leaned over. His bright black eyes were exceptionally alluring as he smiled at Shen Yan.

“Shen Yan, why don’t you pay for me instead? Seventh Brother has money, so he can pay for you. Wouldn’t that satisfy everyone?”

Shen Yan stared at him. “Are you daydreaming?”

The retort did not anger him. He answered with carefree swagger, “Then this young master will stop dreaming.”

In the end, each of them paid their own fare.

Zhuge Youlin waved to the white-haired old woman as she prepared to turn back. Flashing a toothy grin, he called, “Goodbye, Great-Aunt!”

The old woman gave the three of them an indifferent glance.

“Do you need me to wait for you?”

Zhuge Youlin waved confidently. “No need. All three of us will definitely get into Western Region Academy.”

“Then I’ll wait for the good news,” she said. “Old Tortoise, let’s go home.”

The old tortoise began running again. This time, its speed could only be described as teleportation. It vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving billowing clouds of dust behind.

Shen Yan raised a hand to cover her face.

Zhuge Weiran choked on the dust and coughed several times.

Zhuge Youlin took the luminous pearl from his hand and strode to the front. Excitement colored his voice. “Let’s go. We’ll enter Western Region City together and take a look around.”

Shen Yan nodded.

After seven or eight days in such close quarters, the three had grown somewhat familiar and gained a general sense of one another’s temperaments.

Zhuge Youlin walked especially quickly.

Just as Zhuge Weiran was about to ask him to slow down, he saw Shen Yan keeping pace without difficulty. Every step she took landed precisely in one of Zhuge Youlin’s footprints.

Zhuge Weiran smiled wryly. He had worried needlessly.

Shen Yan did not need anyone to make allowances for her. She was already more than capable on her own.

He followed behind her.

They soon reached the end of the tunnel. Zhuge Youlin swiftly located the mechanism and tugged its rope three times with practiced ease.

A noise sounded nearby.

The exit opened, allowing a shaft of natural light to spill inside.

“I’ll go out first and check the surroundings,” Zhuge Youlin said.

“All right.”

He extended his spiritual sense upward. Detecting nothing unusual, he swiftly climbed through the opening.

Outside, he found himself amid a mountain range. The tunnel entrance lay concealed behind a small hillside.

He swept his gaze around the area. There were people in the distance, but none had approached yet.

Withdrawing his gaze, he crouched beside the opening and extended a hand. “Hurry up!”

A slender, fair hand settled into his palm.

The next instant, Shen Yan swiftly emerged from the tunnel.

Before Zhuge Youlin could even register the warmth of her hand, she had already released him.

He paused, wondering how a woman’s hand could be so much softer than a man’s.

He did not dwell on it. Instead, he reached down again to help his seventh brother, Zhuge Weiran, climb out.

Once all three were outside, the tunnel entrance closed on its own.

Shen Yan immediately took out her map and located their current position. They were in the Changyin Mountains, not far from Western Region City.

She put the map away and looked at the brothers. “We need to continue west to reach Western Region City.”

Zhuge Youlin folded his arms. “There’s no rush. We still have more than ten days.”

Shen Yan glanced at him.

“We should arrive early.”

“Second Miss Shen is right,” Zhuge Weiran agreed. Then he turned to Zhuge Youlin. “Youlin, you must not cause trouble in Western Region City. Keep a low profile. Don’t forget, the thing on your person…”

Realizing something, Zhuge Weiran cut himself off and said no more.

Zhuge Youlin immediately looked as if life had lost all meaning. With a long-suffering sigh, he gave in. “Fine. Whatever you say, Seventh Brother.”

Shen Yan suddenly said, “Once we reach Western Region City, we should go our separate ways.”

Zhuge Weiran looked at her in surprise.

“Why?”

Zhuge Youlin laughed and teased, “Because we’re rivals now.”

“Yes.” Shen Yan did not deny it.

Zhuge Weiran said nothing more. He respected her choice. His original thought had been that, since all of them came from small kingdoms in the Pingze Western Region, they could watch out for one another if they stayed together.

As if remembering something, Shen Yan turned to him. “I killed Shen Xue.”

Zhuge Weiran froze, visibly shocked. His expression gradually grew complicated as he recalled how Shen Xue and her companions had tricked and betrayed him in Lingyan Forest. He gave a helpless, bitter smile.

That was the first time in his life he had been driven nearly mad with fury.

Even now, the memory made his chest tighten with pain.

“Thank you.” In a way, the news allowed him to vent some of the resentment in his heart.

Zhuge Youlin asked curiously, “Why did you kill Shen Xue?”

“Because she deserved to die.”

“Shen Yan, that’s a very perfunctory explanation.”

“Is it?”

“It is!”

“Then let it be perfunctory.” Shen Yan could not have cared less.

Zhuge Youlin’s expression darkened, and he could not resist glaring at her.

Just then—

Someone approached in the distance.

The three of them turned toward the sound. A sedan chair draped in white gauze came into view, carried by eight burly men. It seemed ethereal and otherworldly, while the passenger within was obscured by the gauze, their silhouette only faintly visible.

Rows of guards escorted it on every side.

The procession was vast, its display astonishingly grand.

Zhuge Youlin frowned. “Who is that? Aren’t they being a little ostentatious?”