Opportunity

Beside him, Yao Wu was startled. What on earth was that? The other hot spring patrons also turned their gazes toward him. Lu Yan gritted his teeth, wishing he could sink his entire body into the pool.

He was doomed. He knew Hua Er had ulterior motives when choosing this place. There were no private baths here. With her behaving like some Egyptian sun god entering the women's bath—wasn't that like letting a wolf into a flock of sheep?

But it was too late for regrets now. She had already gone in, so what could he do? He could only wait outside like an incompetent husband, praying that Jiang Ci wouldn't fall prey to Hua Er.

Meanwhile, in the changing room on the other side, Hua Er was currently in a standoff with Jiang Ci. Jiang Ci's face was completely flushed. She pointed at the robe, which was made of a pitifully small amount of fabric, her eyes filled with disbelief. “I'm supposed to wear this?”

Hua Er and Hong Jiu had already changed. Their skimpy robes perfectly accentuated their figures. Hong Jiu leaned against the wall with her legs crossed, looking on like she was watching a show. “What else would you wear?” Hua Er tugged at her own robe. The fabric was so sparse that any slight movement would expose her, but she didn't care in the slightest. “This is just soaking in a hot spring, not taking a bath. Taking a bath requires being completely naked, you know~”

Jiang Ci was flushed red from her neck to her ears. Previously, when she was with Lu Yan, it didn't matter what she wore since he couldn't see anyway. But now, everyone around her could see. Even though they were all women, she had never exposed her body in front of others before.

With a blushing face, she slowly untied her outer robe, and then her inner garments, her movements carrying a sense of self-abandoning resignation.

Looking at Jiang Ci's exquisite figure, Hua Er's eyes went wide. Her breathing grew rapid, a goofy grin plastered on her face even as two lines of tears streamed from the corners of her eyes. “Ah, I'm dead.” She fell backward, landing on the floor with a thud. Hong Jiu rolled her eyes, walked over, and kicked her. “Get up. Don't embarrass yourself here.”

Yao Wu and an uneasy Lu Yan soaked in the pool. Amidst the dense steam, Lu Yan leaned against the edge of the pool with his eyes closed, his mind entirely filled with scenes of the women's bath next door. He shook his head to banish the thoughts, but they kept resurfacing. Beside him, Yao Wu was splashing water absentmindedly, stealing glances at Lu Yan from time to time, wanting to ask something but not daring to.

Another person entered the men's bath. He was a young man in his twenties with fair skin and a slender build, wearing a faded scholar's robe. He walked to the edge of the pool, took off his outer robe, folded it neatly, placed it on a rock, and stepped into the water, sitting down right next to Lu Yan. Lu Yan was deep in thought and paid him no attention.

“The Holy Son of the Formation Sect?” The man's voice wasn't loud, but every word exploded in Lu Yan's mind like a clap of thunder.

Lu Yan snapped his eyes open and turned to stare at the man. His vision hadn't fully recovered yet, so he couldn't see the other's face clearly. He could only make out a blurry outline—slender, upright, with what seemed like a faint, fleeting smile playing on his lips.

His pupils constricted, and his hand instinctively reached toward the edge of the pool—but his storage bag wasn't there; it was left in the changing room. He had no weapons, no formation plates, and no pills. All he had was a loincloth and his Foundation Establishment cultivation, which he hadn't fully recovered since waking up.

Yao Wu had also heard the man's words. He sprang out of the water, splashing a face full of water onto Lu Yan. Blocking Lu Yan, he shielded him with his single remaining arm and glared at the young man like a cat with its fur standing on end. Looking at their defensive postures, the young man smiled. It wasn't a mocking or cold smile, but a gentle, apologetic one. “Don't be nervous. I'm not here to cause trouble.”

His voice was very soft, as if soothing two startled small animals. “I only... wanted to confirm something.” Lu Yan stared at him without a word. Yao Wu remained silent as well. The young man wasn't in a hurry either. He leaned back against the pool wall, tilting his head up to look at the wooden grain on the ceiling, which was blurred by the steam.

“The day the Formation Sect fell, I was there,” the young man said, his voice so quiet it was like he was talking to himself. “I saw with my own eyes the Great Wall breach, the Ice Spirits flooding in, and the disciples of the Formation Sect falling one by one. I saw Lu Buqi detonate his Life Formation Plate, saw him look back, and saw him smile. Back then, I wondered... if I were in his shoes, would I have done the same?”

“Did you come all this way just to say that?” Lu Yan's voice was cold and laced with hostility. The young man shook his head. He patted Lu Yan's shoulder. “Let's talk outside.” Lu Yan pondered for a brief moment before following him out.

“I thought you wouldn't come,” the young man said, looking back at Lu Yan, who stood a few paces behind him.

“Who are you?” Lu Yan asked. Instead of answering, the man pulled a token from his sleeve and tossed it over.

Lu Yan caught it and looked down. The token was forged from black iron, heavy in his hand. The character for “Artifact” was engraved on the front, while the back was carved with mountain and river patterns. The details were intricate, and he could feel the ridges as his fingers brushed over them. His fingers paused. “The Artifact Sect?”

The man nodded.

“I am the Young Sect Master of the Artifact Sect, surnamed Fu. Fu Changfeng.” He leaned against the railing, crossing his arms as he looked at Lu Yan. “Since the fall of the Formation Sect, the defense system of the Northern Border has been entirely supported by us. We built the walls of Everspring City, we laid down the city's defensive formations, and we constructed the dharma ships and flying vessels in the sky. But compared to the effects of the Formation Sect, it still falls quite short.”

Lu Yan frowned. The Formation Sect was already gone. Was this man saying this to imply that Lu Yan owed the Artifact Sect?

“I'm not here to collect a debt.” Fu Changfeng waved his hand, as if reading Lu Yan's mind. “I'm here to invite you.” He turned around to face Lu Yan, shedding his playful demeanor.

His gaze shifted from casual to dead serious. “After the destruction of the Formation Sect, almost more than half of the formation inheritance was lost. The Artifact Sect knows how to refine artifacts and set up formations, but we don't know how to design them from scratch. We can only patch up those ancient city-protecting formations, but every repair inevitably causes damage. Each time we fix them, it's like robbing Peter to pay Paul—we patch one spot, only for another to leak.” He paused slightly, looking at Lu Yan.

“We need you.”

Lu Yan stared at him, looking into his eyes. His gaze was earnest, free of scheming or calculations, holding only a pure desire for technical mastery.

“I need to think about it,” Lu Yan said.

Fu Changfeng showed no disappointment, anger, or even a desire to press further. He merely smiled, pulled another slip of paper from his sleeve, and handed it over. “This is my address. Come find me when you've made up your mind.” Lu Yan took the paper and glanced down. The handwriting was neat, each stroke sharp and defined, like tempered steel.

He folded the paper and slipped it into his sleeve. Fu Changfeng patted his shoulder and turned to leave. After a few steps, he stopped, not turning back. “That little girlfriend of yours is quite pretty.” Lu Yan clenched his fist but said nothing. Fu Changfeng chuckled and walked away.

Standing in the corridor, Lu Yan watched his silhouette disappear down the stairwell. A chilly breeze blew past, making him shiver. Only then did he realize he was wearing nothing but an outer robe, and his body underneath was still wet. He quickly turned and headed back.

Back in the men's bath, Yao Wu was still soaking. Seeing him return, he poked his head out of the water. “Who was that?” Lu Yan took off his outer robe and stepped back into the pool. The water rose to his chest, offering some warmth to his chilled body. “The Young Sect Master of the Artifact Sect.”

Yao Wu blinked in surprise. “What did he want with you?” “He wants me to provide them with technical support.” Yao Wu was stunned again. “Technical support?” He looked as if he was listening to a foreign language. Lu Yan leaned against the pool wall and closed his eyes. “Basically, helping them set up formations.”

“Are you going?” Yao Wu asked. Lu Yan didn't open his eyes. “We'll see.”

But Lu Yan knew he was short on money, and this was an opportunity—a rare one at that...