Lu Zhaozhao straightened her sleeves, gazing at the familiar embroidery with a slightly lost in thought.
In the short few months since the start of the war, the Western Frontier has grasped human customs far better than she expected. Yesterday, after the Palace Guardian informed her of the mission details, someone took her to receive training on human knowledge to better integrate into the human race.
Clothing, food, shelter, transportation, morning and evening greetings—these habits and rules that humankind has evolved over thousands of years have been compiled into a book in such a short time. Even the dress she is wearing is made of silk, and the embroidered patterns are stitched out stitch by stitch.
The clothing in the Western Regions is mostly made of animal hides, and is only roughly sewn together before being worn. Even the few people from the eight tribes she had seen before only had more refined workmanship. Such clothing is what people in the Western Regions are used to wearing, but if it were ordinary humans, they would definitely find it rough and might even scratch their skin. However, it is quite different for humans.
Lu Zhaozhao's hand brushed against the silk satin, smooth and soft. It had been a long time since she had worn such clothes. A feeling of both strangeness and familiarity welled up in her heart, and she couldn't quite describe the feeling.
"Humans and the Western Regions are very different, and even their clothing is vastly different. Silkworms that produce silk thread have a very low survival rate in the Western Regions, and even if they manage to produce silk thread, weaving and embroidery are extremely difficult. Therefore, over such a long period of time, only a small number of garments have been made."
The palace guard's voice rang out, and Lu Zhaozhao looked up to see him standing by the tent.
“Yes, such soft clothing cannot be found in the Western Regions. It seems that you have been planning this for a long time.” Lu Zhaozhao replied, her expression composed.
"This matter is of great importance. To be honest, I still don't fully trust you. It's only because the Demon King is protecting you."
The palace guard added that his words brought to Lu Zhaozhao's mind an image of a handsome young man. When they first met in Pingyang, she never imagined that the innocent-looking boy in the stone chamber was actually the once-powerful demon king from a thousand years ago.
The affairs of the world are truly unpredictable, but with war raging, I wonder how he is doing now.
Thinking of this, Lu Zhaozhao couldn't help but find it ridiculous. Why should she worry about the Demon King? She should be more concerned about why Wen Sheng wanted her to go to the human race.
Could it be that she wants to see which of the two races she will choose? That's really a perverse sense of humor.
Seeing Lu Zhaozhao's lack of interest, the palace guard assumed she was just nervous about the important task ahead and gave her a few words of advice before leaving.
Before he left, Lu Zhaozhao asked the first question she had asked since they met that day: "Since Lord Palace Guardian doesn't trust me, he must have sent other capable people, right? Doesn't he intend to let us cooperate to increase the chances of success?"
The palace guard paused in his retreating steps. He turned his head slightly, and Lu Zhaozhao saw the scrutiny in his eyes. But in the end, the palace guard did not answer her question and turned to leave.
At the same time, Lu Zhaozhao picked up the bundle that had been packed earlier, put on the same veil that she had worn when she first arrived in the Western Territory, and walked away from the palace guard on the opposite path.
Reaching the entrance to the barrier once more, Lu Zhaozhao was filled with emotion.
She had experienced so much on this journey to the Western Regions that she never imagined she could actually return to the human world.
That day, the moon was bright and the stars were few; today, the sky is bright and clear.
She took a deep breath, lifted her foot, and stepped out of the barrier.
A gentle breeze stirred, causing the veil on her face to flutter slightly. She passed through the barrier and stepped into the human territory.
Looking up, I saw a familiar border town, but unlike the desolation I had seen when I first arrived, this strategically important city had undergone a complete transformation.
Lu Zhaozhao looked around. Fortunately, the road hadn't changed much, and she still remembered the way she came.
The moment she took a step, she was surrounded by people who looked at Lu Zhaozhao warily, their weapons pointed at her, and the archers on the city wall also aimed at her.
Who are you?
With a loud shout from the leader, Lu Zhaozhao smiled. The wind blew, lifting the veil that covered her face, revealing her face faintly.
“Guan Nan, a disciple of Abbess Jingwen of Futu Temple, has come from the Western Regions. He carries with him secrets about the Western Regions. Please convey them to me.”
His words sparked a flurry of discussion among those around him.
"People from Futu Temple!"
"Does it really contain secrets from the Western Frontier?"
"It doesn't look real. No one can come out of a place like the Western Frontier unscathed."
"I don't think so. Did you just see half of her face? She's really pretty. She doesn't look like a con artist."
You pervert!
...
The surrounding crowd was buzzing with discussion, and even the leader was unsure of what to do. Just as he was hesitating, someone suddenly stepped forward from the crowd and asked hesitantly with a hint of uncertainty, "Could it be... the Silent Immortal?"
Lu Zhaozhao looked at the person who spoke with a puzzled expression, and the people around her were also drawn to the words.
The man, his face flushed and under the spotlight, whispered, “The Silent Immortal helped my master investigate the cheating in the imperial examinations. I was one of the candidates who was falsely accused and imprisoned. After seeing the Immortal’s appearance, I was filled with admiration and abandoned my studies for martial arts. I heard that the Immortal had come to the Western Regions and wanted to go with her, but I was too late.”
As he spoke, a blush spread from his cheeks to his neck. Though his voice was soft, he continued, “The fairy is graceful and charming. Although I have not seen her face, her figure is etched in my heart. Now that I see you, young lady, coming from the Western Regions, your attire and figure are similar to the fairy’s. Therefore, I dare to ask you this question.”
At this point, everyone understood.
The name of the Silent Immortal is widely known from the eastern suburbs to the western border. Many people present have received his favor to some extent, and when they hear him say this, they feel that he looks somewhat familiar.
Lu Zhaozhao was unaware of this title before entering the Western Regions, and therefore did not know who they were referring to. However, given the current situation, she did not deny it.
When the leader saw that someone below recognized him, he began to waver.
Seizing the opportunity, Lu Zhaozhao took out a hairpin she always carried with her. It was carved with a lifelike red spider lily, the very hairpin that Master Jingwen had given her on the day she descended the mountain.
Lu Zhaozhao handed the hairpin to the leader and said, "This was a gift from Abbess Jingwen. It can prove my identity. If you don't believe me, you can send it to her to verify its authenticity."
The leader accepted the document with some skepticism, instructed those around him to take good care of Lu Zhaozhao, and then hurriedly went to make arrangements.
Lu Zhaozhao checked into the city's inn, which was guarded, but it didn't affect her much.
She looked out the window toward the western border and recalled the day before she set off.
The demon in charge of teaching her knowledge asked her what kind of identity she wanted to make it easier to hide. This question made her pause for a moment, and then she rejected the several identities they offered.
"I took this face from a human woman. I'm used to it, and she seems to have some status, so I'll use her identity."
This harmless matter was quickly settled, and she, with Lu Zhaozhao's face and Guan Nan's name, returned to the human world once again.
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