053 Ren Xun the GuideRen Xun let go of the wheel, setting the controls to autopilot before slumping onto the bench. The hum of the Floating Dragon filled the air. A steady and rhythmic pulse was coming from the artifact’s formations.He exhaled, letting the tension ease from his shoulders.What was he supposed to make of this situation?His father had sent him off to guide this group, but why? Ren Xun had been somewhat of a prince, a young lord of the Empire, yet here he was, reduced to playing a glorified chaperone.Had his dalliance with a commoner truly been such an abhorrent development?Not that it mattered. His life had never really been his own to live, had it?Ren Xun warily glanced to his left.Lu Gao sat cross-legged, eyes closed in deep meditation. His servant-like gray robes hung loosely around his lean frame, frayed at the edges from wear. His dark hair was unkempt, hanging in uneven strands over his face. If Ren Xun hadn't known any better, he would have assumed the man was just another wandering rogue cultivator.But he wasn’t.Once, Lu Gao had been the young master of the Lu Clan. However, through some twist of fate, he had been cast out, left to flee his own clan. Now, he was here—following the enigmatic Da Wei.Ren Xun frowned. He had heard whispers about Da Wei, though what he had learned only raised more questions. His father had given little explanation, only orders. Orders to guide this strange group to the Imperial Capital.He sighed and turned to his right.Gu Jie sat a short distance away, scribbling something in a small notebook. Unlike Lu Gao, she was a mystery he hadn’t even begun to unravel. He knew little about her. He had heard even less. But something about her presence felt… off.Perhaps it was his own lack of cultivation. He was only at the Fourth Star of the Martial Tempering Realm. Too weak to perceive things beyond (...)