Yin Long halted his swings when the first rays of sunlight shone in through his window, reflecting off the drops of sweat running down his toned torso. His sword dissipated and he walked over to the wooden tub, taking out a grape-sized white Spirit Stone and inserting it into the array engraved in the bottom of the tub.

The array activated and spewed forth water that quickly filled the tub, Yin Long removing the Spirit Stone when he felt that the tub was adequately filled. He tore off his pants and hopped into the tub, submerging his body and washing away the sweat and fatigue that accumulated due to his nightlong cultivation. He closed his eyes and rested in the tub for half an hour before he finished washing himself and jumped out of the tub, drying his body and putting on a fresh pair of light yellow robes.

He took out a pear from his interspatial ring and started munching on it as he left his room, heading up to the third floor, which was where Lang Ru had moved her own room. The maids and butlers were already busy with their morning duties, but all of them greeted him with a smile while bowing respectfully.

"Good morning, Young Master, already out and about?"
"Blessings of the sun upon you, Young Master, are you perhaps heading to the market after your sister?"
"Good morning, Young Master, I pray that today finds you well."

Yin Long returned the smiles and greetings, stopping to chat a bit with some of the maids or butlers before continuing with his walk. He reached the door to Lang Ru's room before long, finishing his pear and then knocking on the door. The somewhat drowsy voice of Lang Ru rang out from within the room before he even finished the third knock, telling him exactly what she was doing.

"For god's sake, please stop knocking and just come in, you're going to give me a damn headache."

The corners of Yin Long lips curled up slightly as he stopped knocking and opened the doors, a strong fruity scent assaulting his nose the moment the doors opened. The room behind the doors was actually quite simple, it only contained two bookshelves filled with books, four shelves stacked with earthen jugs, Lang Ru's brewing equipment, and a door that led into another room.

Lang Ru was currently sitting on a chair next to the brewing equipment and was in the process of pressing some grapes and other fruits, she had probably come up with some other type of wine that she wanted to try making. Yin Long didn't interrupt her, carefreely stepping into the room and walking along the shelves filled with earthen jugs, each one filled with different types of wine that Lang Ru was fermenting.

He stopped temporarily at the very end of the first shelf, his finger tracing the only earthenware jug placed on top of this shelf. Lang Ru glanced over at Yin Long, scoffing slightly when she saw the jug he was looking at.

"Give it up, I've already told you that this particular jug is special, it'll only be opened at your wedding. You can be as curious as you want, but that is one fact that won't change. Now, which jug have you come for this time?"

This was the reason Yin Long had come to visit Lang Ru before he headed off to the Underearth Forest, she had become rather adept at making wine so he would pick up a jug or two from here occasionally. His parents had originally been very strict that they couldn't drink before they turned 13, but they loosened that up a bit as their age caught up with them, resulting in Yin Long drinking his first glass of wine on his 10th birthday and growing somewhat fond of it, especially his sister's wines.

He removed his hand from the gourd-shaped jug upon receiving Lang Ru's reminder, his gaze drifting over the other jugs as he answered her question, receiving a swift reply and then giving an even swifter one.

"That elderflower one. I'm going on a bit of a trip so I'd like one that'll replenish a bit of energy."

"Second shelf, third one from the bottom."

"Thanks, love ya."

Yin Long walked over to the shelf she pointed out and picked up the nearly circular jug, popping open the cork and giving it a light sniff. Once he ascertained the familiar scent of elderflowers, he bid Lang Ru farewell and left the room, subsequently also leaving the mansion.

Yin Long had already picked up everything else he could need when heading into the Underearth Forest, getting it out of the way shortly after they finished their family dinner the day before. As such, there wasn't anything stopping him from heading directly to the Underearth Forest, he just wanted to make a quick stop first to check up on someone.

No one tried to stop Yin Long as he walked through the city with carefree steps, his white sword strapped to his waist. He could store it in his interspatial ring but he preferred to just carry it on his person, even if he only used it to cover up the fact that he could create his own weapon. The guards and some of the citizens he walked past would smile and greet Yin Long, some of them stopping to chat with him for a bit.

"Great weather for a morning walk, isn't it, Young Master?"

"Heading to the 4th market, Young Master? I believe I saw Young Miss Huo and Miss Fen there, you should be able to meet up with them before they head to the next one if you speed up a bit."

"Good morning, Young Master! The boys in the 9th division have pestered me to bring you over again, Ding Ge isn't satisfied with his loss and wants to spar again, the others have even placed their bets already."

Just as he did with the maids and butlers, Yin Long would smile and return each greeting, chatting with some of those that called out to him. He may not have received the title of clan leader, he might not be able to cultivate any of the manuals that the clan had, but no one looked down on him due to that, at least not openly. They still treated him kindly and with respect, especially the soldiers and guards of the city, several of them had gotten to spar with him before so they knew just what he was capable of.

It took him nearly an hour, but Yin Long eventually reached the 4th market, the same market where the attack had taken place six years ago. Yin Long didn't enter the market, he stopped by the edge of it and leaned against one of the wooden poles that you could tie your horse to before entering the market. His eyes quickly found their targets, Tang Fen and Lang Huo.

The two girls were scurrying around the market hand in hand, excitedly looking at the various wares that the new peddlers were selling. Yin Long had no intention of interrupting them, only watching them from a distance with a soft and gentle smile. Lang Huo had been receiving strict training on how to take over the position as the clan leader once her parents perished, so these trips to the market with Tang Fen served as an escape and a way to relax, he would not take that away from her.

He silently watched as Tang Fen pushed Lang Huo's attention onto one stall, quickly using this chance to buy an emerald-colored bracelet from a different stall and gifting it to Lang Huo. Tang Fen had been terrified after the attack in the market, staying close to Lang Huo, her savior at the time, had helped her get over that fear and brought them closer. Now there were even days where they were inseparable, the entire city already considered them actual sisters.

Yin Long didn't linger around for too long, only quietly observing his sister and Tang Fen for a few minutes before he continued moving. He quickly reached the closest transmission station, the name given to the areas where the spatial arrays were gathered. The soldiers guarding the area quickly stood at attention and saluted Yin Long, their bodies easing slightly after Yin Long returned the salute. The leading guard standing at the entrance of the circular plaza that was the transmission station grinned at Yin Long, pointing at the arrays behind him using his thumb.

"Yo, you've come for another visit. Where can I send you this time? Also, will it be a long or a short trip, gotta know what I can report to your overlords."

Yin Long didn't often leave the city, including the one trip his family made to the mountains six years ago, he had only left the city twice. But as he got older and they were allowed to move around a bit more he started using the various spatial arrays in the city to move from one end of the city to the other, exploring the vast city he had grown up in. Yin Long returned the grin, gesturing towards the spatial array located on a peach-colored patch of stone.

"South end of the city this time. And while they should already know, you can report that it'll be a long trip, but I should be back in time for dinner. Maybe, possibly, hopefully."

The guard let out a chuckle, patting Yin Long and the shoulder a few times and escorting him over to the spatial array and starting it up for him. Yin Long immersed himself in the comfortable feeling of traveling through space for the few seconds that it lasted, arriving at the southern end of the city, only a few kilometers away from the city gates. He chatted a bit with the guards standing at this transmission station as well, they didn't come from the Lang clan but from one of the four villages that they governed, but even so, they had a good relationship with Yin Long.

He left the area once he finished chatting with them, hopping into a small back alley and removing an exceedingly normal brown robe from his interspatial ring. He switched into the brown robe, stored away his sword, hid his interspatial ring and then put on a straw hat that was popular among the farmers and fishermen, leaving the alley through one of the other ends and heading for the city gates.

An untold number of people entered and left the city at every waking moment, Yin Long simply became another number as he mixed in with the other people and quietly left the city. The southern gates led directly to a long and somewhat elevated road that skirted along the edges of Underearth Forest, following the road would bring you to one of the four villages governed by the Lang clan, the Four Valleys Village that was responsible for most of the farming in the area.

The sides of the road were covered in very faint markings that gathered together to form a massive array that surrounded the entire road, repelling any weaker Demonic beasts that might wander out from the forest. Yin Long didn't bother following the road for too long before he stepped off of it and slid down the small incline at the side, officially entering the very edges of Underearth Forest.