Chapter 111: Unveiling the True Identity

Those who had initially intended to take advantage of the shop were left stunned by the conversation between Tianming and the shop assistant. The Chu Estate was truly worthy of being one of the three top powers in Blackwater Town, throwing away ten thousand gold coins so casually—a sum that would cover a common family's expenses for nearly an entire year.

The onlookers, whether rogue cultivators or local residents, dared not linger a moment longer, for they could not afford to offend the Chu Estate!

Although Chu Tianlong was only a practitioner of the Void Spirit Realm, the Chu Estate had been officially recognized by the Spirit Lord. Only powers acknowledged by the Spirit Lord could establish their own territory; otherwise, they were merely lawless bandits who could be eradicated by anyone. Such was the reality of Blackwater Town.

"This is no place to talk. Follow me!"

The man in the black robe nodded toward the two who approached, offering no further words to Tianming.

Seeing this, Tianming remained silent and followed closely behind the figure. In truth, he was overjoyed; his reputation points were rising steadily, likely because his recent display had caused those people to re-evaluate Chu Yun.

Reputation +27!
Reputation +63!
Reputation +52... +35!
......

Soon, the rising reputation points broke through the five-hundred mark, reaching five hundred and twenty before coming to a halt.

"Congratulations, Master, for gaining over five hundred reputation points. The Myriad World Meta-Skill category has been unlocked. Would you like to purchase any items now?" As the points climbed, Xiao Ling appeared once again, floating before Tianming and lazily licking its paws.

"Can I... you...!?"

Before he could finish his question, Tianming felt his entire body go limp. Hearing footsteps approaching from behind, his eyelids grew heavy. The moment the black-robed man turned around, both he and Xiaoying collapsed.

"...Brother?" Seeing Tianming suddenly fall to the ground, Xiaoying felt a sinking sensation in her heart, as if the world were collapsing. Before she could let out a hoarse cry, she too fell to the ground.

Watching the two collapse before him, the black-robed man hesitated for a moment before peeling away his disguise.

"I am doing this for your own good. You two should get some sleep for now..."

As he spoke, an icy aura radiated from the man, instantly turning the temperature in the narrow alley into a freezing mist. His long, raven-black hair fell over his ears. With a cold and haughty gaze, he scanned a section of the wall and calmly struck his right hand against it.

Boom!

"Kuang Zhen! Stop staring blankly and carry him."

Following the man's command, two stunningly beautiful women with skin like jade emerged from a tunnel beneath the ground. The one dressed in white like a lotus flower was the one who had spoken.

Kuang Zhen nodded at the woman in white and hoisted the silk-robed youth onto his back. With a calm glance at the young girl beside her, he quickly ducked into the underground tunnel.

"Yue'er, what is wrong?"

Noticing the trace of sorrow on the girl's face, the woman in white looked at the girl with the picturesque features. Her unique gray-blue eyes flickered, but she did not stop her movements, carefully cradling the girl in the light green tunic in her arms.

"...Sister Xue, why do I always feel like I have a sense of déjà vu about this person? It’s so strange." The girl shook her head, her dark eyes blinking as she tried to think hard. Finding no answers, she looked toward the woman in white.

"Alright, don't overthink it, Yue'er! There are so many people in the world; perhaps it is just your imagination. The most important thing now is to return, or it will be troublesome if we are discovered. The identity of this person is not insignificant, you know!"

The woman called Sister Xue smiled, shook her head, and after winking at the confused girl, followed the cold man into the underground passage.

"...Perhaps it was just my imagination!" The girl paused for a moment before following.

Meow, meow~

Watching the last person leave as if nothing had happened, the coffee-colored cat floating in the air yawned, its small paws stretching, before transforming into a golden light and vanishing into the now-sealed underground entrance.

......

"Hey! Kid, wake up!"

The sensation of coldness on his face jolted Tianming from his dazed state. The white, foggy world shattered, replaced by an endless darkness. He pondered for a moment and then struggled to open his eyes.

What greeted his vision were several blurred faces and an unfamiliar environment.

"Who are you? And why return kindness with enmity?"

Looking at the figures before him, Tianming seemed to realize something. A flash of anger appeared in his eyes, and he clenched his fists. Ignoring his current condition, he threw a punch toward the blurred figures.

However, the blow was plain and unremarkable, devoid of any energy!

"My apologies. I did this for your own good; I hope you can understand, Young Master Chu!" Just then, the cold figure flashed over, tightly gripping Tianming's fist and speaking with deep regret.

"Your name is Chu Yun, is it not? As for who we are, you have no right to know yet! We apologize for our previous rudeness, but it was a necessary measure. For now, you only need to listen to us; you don't need to concern yourself with anything else."

Before Tianming could speak, another voice rang out. It echoed in his ears—beautiful and melodic like a flowing spring, incredibly comforting. The voice was so familiar, as were the people before him...

"...It's you?"

Closing his eyes slightly, Tianming recalled the past. He felt as if he had returned to the awkward days when he first stepped onto Heavenly God Star. These people were none other than Xin Yixue, Gao Yue, Le Shi, and Yi Sha—though one person was missing: Hao, who had cared for him later on.

Although he had spoken very little with them back then, the memory was unforgettable.

"Oh, kid, you know us?" The young man beside the woman whose voice had spoken earlier asked, his expression darkening.

"Of course I do! And I have long admired your names! You are Yi Sha, the beautiful sister next to you is Xin Yixue, the little sister is Gao Yue, and you are Le Shi. Hahaha... I wonder if I am correct, Young Master?"

Tianming smiled meaningfully and gestured toward them with his right hand. When he thought of his current identity, he couldn't help but laugh loudly. The world was truly small; such a coincidence was hard to believe.

"...This is strange, my goodness! Kid, how do you know our names?" The burly, rough man Le Shi, standing next to Yi Sha, scratched his head and looked at Tianming with utter confusion, as if trying to discern something.

It wasn't just Le Shi—Xin Yixue and the others were also staring at him in astonishment, as if looking at a monster.

"You are not Chu Yun!"

At that moment, the cold man who had walked away returned, staring at the silk-robed youth with an incredibly sharp gaze. His voice, cold as an ice cellar, echoed in the hollow cavern, leaving everyone present baffled—even Tianming was taken aback.