Volume Two, Chapter Twenty-Six: The City of Freedom

He never imagined that Meng Fang was actually the same kind of person as himself. Clumsy and straightforward, with a rough and simple nature—someone who valued action over thought, a sort of fool whose deeds always preceded deliberation.

Yu Mu returned the spirit crystal to Meng Fang, who grasped it and began restoring his spiritual power. Yu Mu, meanwhile, rooted himself to the earth, absorbing the energy of the land.

Once both of them were replenished, they set out again.

At the end of the cave, a broad underground river surged past. Meng Fang wasted no words, pulling Yu Mu with him as he leapt into the water.

“Ah! I can’t swim…” Yu Mu sputtered, gulping down water. Meng Fang had already forgotten the fact that Yu Mu couldn’t swim.

Yu Mu choked, about to transform into a tree again, but saw that Meng Fang had already shifted into his true form—a massive bull, propelling himself forward with four hooves the size of basins.

Inspired, Yu Mu at once transformed into a pig. Instantly, his body felt lighter, and it seemed he had grasped the essence of swimming; his panic subsided.

Imitating Meng Fang, he paddled with his four hooves, swimming easily. This was a hundred times more effective than drifting like a tree. He also had another advantage—he didn’t need to breathe. Whenever he lacked oxygen, he could simply turn part of himself into a tree, quickly replenishing his air.

A bull and a pig swam for half an hour, finally emerging from the cave. Rather than surfacing, Meng Fang led Yu Mu upstream along the riverbed, swimming underwater for most of the day before reverting to human form and rising to the surface.

As Yu Mu surfaced, he was stunned.

They had appeared at a wharf, surrounded by countless ships of all sizes, the shore bustling with people.

Their emergence was at a secluded, hidden spot. Taking advantage of the fact that no one noticed, the two slipped ashore, seeking a concealed place to disguise themselves.

Their ability to transform was limited, so they made only simple alterations. Meng Fang lowered his height and tucked away his beard, becoming a burly, purple-faced man. Yu Mu, less skilled, merely elongated his stature, turning into an utterly ordinary individual.

Meng Fang transformed his bull horns into a bamboo hat to cover his face. Yu Mu followed suit, but his pair of peach blossom eyes remained conspicuously striking.

For reasons unknown, all his other injuries had healed, but those swollen eyes were recovering especially slowly. In desperation, he smeared his face with charcoal, blackening it to conceal the swelling somewhat.

Once their disguises were complete, they slipped into the crowd, unnoticed.

Seeing they had not attracted attention, Meng Fang lowered his voice, saying, “From here on, we must be careful. This is the most dangerous place in the domain—‘City of Freedom.’”

“City of Freedom? Why is a place called City of Freedom so dangerous?” Yu Mu asked, perplexed.

Meng Fang chuckled, “City of Freedom means there are no constraints. You can do anything you please, live as you wish. Tell me, how could such a place not be dangerous?”

“Oh, I see! So, is there no one who governs here?”

“This is the convergence point of three great factions, and the main transit hub for river and land routes. They have battled for years, but all sides suffered losses and none could dominate, so it was left to develop freely.”

“Why don’t they set aside their disputes and co-develop it?” Yu Mu wondered, recalling diplomatic strategies from his previous life.

Meng Fang shook his head with a wry smile. “After years of conflict, the three factions are like water and fire—cooperation is impossible. Besides, apart from these major powers, there are countless other groups in the city. Normally, everyone follows their own path, but if their interests are threatened, even the three factions combined might not be able to suppress them.”

“Oh, I see! Who are those people in robes?” Yu Mu pointed to a group weaving among the ships, dressed in odd attire.

All these people wore hooded robes, with a simple hemp rope tied around their waists and straw sandals on their feet. The color of their robes varied.

Meng Fang hurriedly pressed down Yu Mu’s pointing hand. “Don’t point. They are the ‘Holy Sun Sect,’ one of the three major factions. They control the city’s river trade. Don’t be fooled by their unremarkable appearance—you never know what danger lurks among them.”

“Dangerous characters?” Yu Mu was baffled.

In his previous life, he’d understood that religious orders aimed to save all beings and bring charity to the world. These people looked utterly ordinary—how could they be dangerous figures?

Meng Fang saw Yu Mu’s confusion and explained, “The Holy Sun Sect ranks its members differently from us. They have five levels, distinguished by robe color: white, red, blue, gray, and black. White is the highest, called the White-robed Saint. Next is Red-robed Bishop, then Blue-robed Priest, Gray-robed Disciple, and Black-robed regular members.”

Yu Mu still did not understand. Most of these people wore black robes, a few gray, and only the leader wore blue. Was this already a high rank?

Meng Fang continued, “The Holy Sun Sect cultivates the mysteries of light, venerating the path of ultimate yang. Their hierarchy is based not on cultivation, but understanding of their doctrine. A White-robed Saint may be just an ordinary person, while a Black-robed member could be a powerful cultivator.”

Yu Mu thought to himself, “This is very much like the sects in my previous life.”

“Not only that,” Meng Fang gestured subtly toward the laborers dressed like them. “Even these workers should not be underestimated. Anyone who can survive here is no ordinary person.”

Lowering his voice further, Meng Fang said, “This is not only the battleground of competing factions, but also a perfect hideout for bandits and villains. The City of Freedom is truly a place where good and evil mingle—a city of sin, full of filth and corruption.”

Yu Mu whispered, “Is the elder you’re visiting, Brother Meng, living in this City of Freedom?”

Meng Fang shook his head. “Not exactly, but we must use the teleportation array here to reach him.”

“Brother Meng, who exactly is your uncle, and why does he live near such a dangerous place?”

Hearing Yu Mu ask about his uncle, Meng Fang couldn’t hide his pride. “My uncle is the head of ‘Eagle Ridge,’ one of the three major factions—he is the ‘Great Sage of the Sky.’”

“Eagle Ridge? Great Sage of the Sky! Is your uncle a Saint?” Yu Mu's eyes nearly popped from his head as he stammered the question.

Meng Fang laughed, “That’s right. He is indeed a Saint, and not just him—the leaders of the other two factions are Saints as well.”

“Ah!” Meng Fang’s words completely overturned Yu Mu’s understanding. Saints were almost legendary beings, and here there were three of them at once—how could this be!

No wonder this region was called the Domain of Three Saints—now it all made sense.