The person in front turned their face slightly.

"You’d better change your appearance as well. Since they love carving statues of deities so much, and your name is so renowned, they’ll definitely make one of you. Although I think the statues look nothing like the real person, you never know if some genius might carve one with your spirit in it. If someone really recognizes you, that wouldn’t be good."

It wasn’t until they exited the long alley, the daylight dazzling for a moment, that Logan Barrett suddenly realized he’d said something unnecessary—

Owen Fletcher was a dignified immortal; even if someone recognized him, so what? He wouldn’t be like himself, making enemies everywhere, with people shouting to hunt him down.

He was about to add something, when he saw Owen Fletcher turn sideways and wait for him, his face clearly already changed.

***

Spring Banner City was no small place; it was said to have six major and minor immortal sects. The most famous, with the most disciples, was the Hua family.

The Hua family was located on Peach Blossom Isle in the middle of the river on the west side of Spring Banner City. First, the sect grounds were secluded, so they didn’t have to compete with other sects for space within the city walls. Second, having such a major sect there helped guard the western side.

After all, on the west side of Spring Banner City was Swallow Port, the place with the most outsiders, a mix of all sorts. No matter how many precautions were taken, evil spirits would occasionally slip in.

And every time an evil spirit got into the city, it was truly a nightmare.

Many evil spirits were originally human. They looked like ordinary townsfolk, spoke the common language of the streets and alleys, and even... before turning to the dark path, they had lived in this very city. So when they mingled among the crowd, it was nearly impossible to tell them apart.

The cultivation methods of these evil spirits were extremely sinister—cunning, unpredictable, able to beguile people, bloodthirsty and murderous.

Some evil spirits were especially troublesome and very hard to catch, because they could change skins.

They fed on living souls and flesh; once they’d consumed one body, they’d attach themselves to the next. And this process was almost silent and unnoticed.

It was said that twenty or thirty years ago, even when it wasn’t at its most prosperous, Spring Banner City had over two hundred thousand households.

By two years ago, only a hundred thousand households remained.

Now, in just two short years, that hundred thousand had dropped to seventy thousand.

The territory of Spring Banner City was still as large as ever, but more and more empty houses stood abandoned, especially near the city walls, where it was deathly silent.

All along the way, Logan Barrett saw these empty houses, thick with cobwebs, doors and windows gaping with holes of all sizes, letting in the deep winter wind, wailing and moaning like the long cry of ghosts.

Only near the immortal sects was there any sign of life.

The inhabited houses clustered around the sects like ants around pine sugar.

There was only one exception—the Hua family.

But this was understandable.

Because the Hua family guarded Peach Blossom Isle and the entire East River alone, isolated front and back, it was a dangerous place, easy to attack and hard to defend. Moreover, with so many disciples, if even a few evil spirits slipped in, the consequences would be unimaginable.

If ordinary townsfolk, unable to use immortal arts and completely defenseless, gathered there, it would be like a feast left uncovered, brazenly exposed, constantly attracting evil spirits to feed.

Then... Peach Blossom Isle would never know a day of peace.

If the sect couldn’t hold out, the people would suffer too.

***

Logan Barrett had heard the rumors about the Hua family and had already written off "Peach Blossom Isle" as a doomed place, thinking he must never go somewhere so dangerous.

Yet an hour later, he and Owen Fletcher were standing at the entrance to the boardwalk of Peach Blossom Isle, staring wide-eyed at the young disciples guarding the bridge.

"Wait, hold on." Logan Barrett grabbed Owen Fletcher and pulled him back to the shore. "Didn’t you say you’d take me to find Ethan Brooks? Why are there twelve banner poles on both sides of this boardwalk, each with the character ‘Hua’ on it???"

"Be honest with me—do you really know Ethan Brooks???"

"Isn’t his surname Yi???"

Owen Fletcher: "…"

He furrowed his brow slightly, looking at Logan Barrett, his expression cold with a hint of speechlessness.

"Who gave you the idea that everyone under the Hua family’s roof shares the same surname, and there are no outsiders?" Owen Fletcher asked.

Logan Barrett: "Why didn’t you say so earlier…"

Owen Fletcher: "…"

Did you ask?

With a calm expression, he jerked his chin toward the distant isle. "Ethan Brooks happens to be someone I’ve dealt with before, so there’s no mistake. He’s one of the four elders of the Hua family, and he’s not unrelated to them."

Logan Barrett: "What’s the connection?"

Owen Fletcher said, "Ethan Brooks’s wife is the younger sister of the Hua family head, Blake Whitman."

After speaking, he glanced at Logan Barrett’s hand still clutching his finger, and after a moment asked, "How long do you plan to cling to me here on the riverbank?"

Logan Barrett couldn’t keep it up, so he let go and followed Owen Fletcher onto the boardwalk, muttering as he walked, "You’re an immortal who once lived in the Celestial Capital—how do you know so much about mortal affairs?"

Owen Fletcher didn’t answer.

It wasn’t until they were almost on the boardwalk that the disciples, still bewildered, saluted them with their swords.

Only then did Logan Barrett hear Owen Fletcher’s voice: "Someone used to like coming here."

Logan Barrett was taken aback.

The next moment, the disciples all said in unison, "Ethan Brooks is in seclusion in the back hall. We have already informed the family head, who has instructed us to escort you both to the Listening Flower Hall to rest for a while. He will be with you shortly."