Chapter 30: Two Palaces, Six Sects, and One Pavilion

The next morning, just as the sky began to pale, the large ship gave a few lurches and resumed its journey southward.

"Good morning, Senior Tong," Su Tan greeted as he saw Tong Jin emerge from the cabin.

Tong Jin stretched and nodded, "How did you sleep last night?"

Su Tan spread his hands and pursed his lips, "The deck was cold and hard; otherwise, I certainly would have slept until high noon."

Tong Jin chuckled, feigning a rub of his lower back, and said, "Alas, at my age, it’s truly miserable. My old bones are practically falling apart." The raspy voice he affected made the statement seem seventy percent convincing.

Su Tan immediately asked with concern, "Is everything alright, Senior Tong? Would you like me to massage your back?"

Tong Jin suppressed a laugh, declining the offer, "Oh, how could I trouble you? It’s fine; I’ll just move around a bit, and I’ll be right as rain."

In truth, if Su Tan had stopped to think, he could have easily seen through this clumsy lie. A martial artist, especially one who had reached the Qi-Refinement realm, would hardly be sore from sleeping on a deck for a single night.

The previous night, the two had lounged on the deck, each nursing a bottle of fine wine. Both men possessed a tolerance that was like "peonies embroidered on the soles of shoes"—all for show and no substance. One bottle down, and the ship wasn't the only thing swaying. In his excitement, Tong Jin had nearly peeled off his disguise. Had it not been for a sudden downpour that sobered them both up, prompting them to scurry into the cabin for shelter, they might have ruined the important matters scheduled for the next day.

Su Tan’s only gain was finally learning that the ugly "senior" before him was named Tong Jin.

This day, the two were clearly much better behaved. From the sunrise in the east to the sun climbing high; from the scorching midday heat to the sunset painting the clouds, the two spoke little. With the lesson from the night before, they dared not act recklessly with so many eyes and ears on the ship.

Finally, as evening approached, a magnificent, bustling scene appeared in the distance.

"Senior Tong, we are almost there," Su Tan said, gesturing toward the horizon.

"Don't be impatient. Once the ship docks, we will take advantage of the chaos to slip into the water and act according to the situation."

With that, they parted ways without a word, blending into the crowd.

"The ship is in!" Following a loud call, the vessel finally eased against the dock. Merchants and travelers, cooped up for two days, rushed toward the gangway. Seeing his chance, Tong Jin darted toward a pile of cargo. Finding a spot shielded from view, he vaulted over the railing and dove into the water with a splash.

Tong Jin held his breath and swam slowly downward. Suddenly, a figure dove into the water ahead of him; looking closely, it was Su Tan.

He waved at the newcomer, signaling him to swim closer. Tong Jin gestured frantically with both hands, but Su Tan only shook his head desperately, looking utterly confused. Tong Jin, anxious and unable to speak while holding his breath, angrily shook his fist a few times. This time, Su Tan understood, gave a cheerful thumbs-up, and turned to dive toward the hull of the ship.

Tong Jin followed, bewildered. He watched as Su Tan reached the bottom of the ship and began to pound the wooden hull with his fists. Tong Jin wanted to stop him, but it was too late; he couldn't call out, and he found himself both crying and laughing inside.

"You idiot, is this what you understood?" If they had been on land, Tong Jin would have cursed out loud in frustration. Resigned, he swam to Su Tan’s side and began pounding the hull with all his might.

*Crack!* After their frenzied assault, large sections of the wooden hull shattered. Now it was the two of them who panicked as water rushed into the cabin, pulling them into the vortex.

"Mm-mm..." Tong Jin muffled a cry, pointing toward the surface. Su Tan nodded immediately. Using both hands and feet, they kicked with all their might, finally breaking free from the suction and surging toward the surface.

"Hah! Haaah!"

"Hah! Haaah!"

They surfaced one after the other, gasping for fresh air. Tong Jin looked at Su Tan, whose face was flushed red, and burst into laughter. But when the latter looked back at Tong Jin, he could no longer laugh at all!

"Senior Tong! Your face!!" Su Tan exclaimed.

Tong Jin touched his face, thinking, *It’s over; the game is up.* He scratched his head awkwardly and smiled, "The old man's skin has come off, heh heh heh." As he spoke, he retrieved the disguise that was floating nearby and tucked it into his robes.

It took a moment for Su Tan to collect himself. Then, the two looked at each other and broke into fits of laughter.

Not far away, the dock was in total disarray, filled with shouting, curses, and wails.

"Senior Tong—ah, no, Brother Tong, haha, why not come back to my sect with me first?" Su Tan said, suppressing his mirth.

Tong Jin nodded readily, "Good! Since Brother Su extends the invitation, how could this old man refuse?" They laughed again before diving toward a secluded part of the shore. Once they climbed out, they headed under Su Tan's guidance toward the Holy Capital, which was enclosed by walls a hundred feet high.

The Holy Capital was the largest city in the south. It was renowned not only for its massive population but for its thriving commerce; it was said that if it existed in the world, you could buy it in the Holy Capital, provided you had the money. Beyond the people and trade, every other industry flourished there; no shop that opened in the Holy Capital ever failed.

Perhaps only a city of such staggering scale could support behemoths like the Two Palaces, Six Sects, and One Immortal Pavilion.

Tong Jin had learned of the Two Palaces, Six Sects, and One Immortal Pavilion through Su Tan’s introductions along the way. The Two Palaces were Su Tan’s own Divine Rest Palace and the Imperial Palace, which shared equal fame. The six sects were the Zhengyang, Tianchen, Chihuo, Shenzong, Zhenlei, and Longyou sects. The final One Immortal Pavilion was the mysterious and unfathomable Guardian Immortal Pavilion.

When Tong Jin heard the name "Imperial Palace," Su Tan did not notice the moment of stiffness in the body moving rapidly beside him, but Tong Jin quickly regained his composure and continued listening to Su Tan describe the city.

The person the Ghost Doctor Bai Yunbian had instructed Tong Jin to find was from the Imperial Palace. According to Bai Yunbian, the Imperial Palace was not located within the Holy Capital. *It seems that quite a few changes have occurred in these past few years,* Tong Jin thought to himself.

After Su Tan displayed a gleaming golden token, they entered the city with ease. Tong Jin felt like cursing himself for being such a bumpkin; the magnificent scenes that had left him sighing in wonder when he reached Water-Lower City were nothing compared to the Holy Capital.

On the wide main thoroughfare, street vendors were not even permitted to set up stalls. The towering wooden buildings were opulent and grand, with colorful tiles shimmering in the light. The dragons and phoenixes carved into the massive gate pillars were so lifelike that their scales seemed to be decorated with real gold and silver. All of this left Tong Jin secretly clicking his tongue in amazement.

Passing through the main road, they turned under Su Tan's lead and headed straight ahead. After passing countless shops, the surroundings grew quiet. All sorts of plants began to appear, and the road, once paved with giant slabs of bluestone, turned into a tranquil path.

Looking up, a mountain peak appeared abruptly right in front of them. It was not particularly tall, and its footprint was pitifully small, yet it stood alone in the middle of this vast, bustling city, causing every passerby to marvel at it.

"That is the Divine Rest Palace ahead," Su Tan said, wiping sweat from his brow after their long trek.

Tong Jin looked at the mountain in astonishment and muttered, "The Divine Rest Palace is actually on a mountain inside the city?"

Su Tan smiled with a hint of pride, "Legend has it that this mountain was moved here from a thousand miles away by our first Palace Master, using only his own strength. It was from that point on that the Divine Rest Palace was able to develop here in the Holy Capital."

"What? One person moved this entire mountain? And from a thousand miles away?" Tong Jin’s eyes widened in disbelief. He curled his lip, looking for all the world like he was being told a fairy tale.

Su Tan said earnestly, "My Master told me this himself; it cannot be wrong."

Tong Jin rubbed his nose, "Is your first Palace Master a deity, to be able to move such a mountain a thousand miles?"

Su Tan’s face filled with admiration as he looked ahead, "My Master said that our first Palace Master was indeed a person who had attained immortality."

Tong Jin decided to take it as a legend and didn't argue. He patted Su Tan on the back, "Let's go, Young Master Su. If we are any later, the people from the Thunder Sect and the Qingcang Gate will be upon us..."

Su Tan stuck out his tongue and continued to lead the way up the mountain.