[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-dark-and-dawn-light-years":3,"chapter-dark-and-dawn-light-years-dark-and-dawn-light-years-chapter-207":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Dark and Dawn Light-Years",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2264807,4420,"Chapter 207: Finally Discovered","dark-and-dawn-light-years-chapter-207",207,"\u003Cp>At dawn, the streets held few people, and the light was dim, as if a faint mist still hung in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A procession emerged from the mist; the lead soldiers carried placards reading “Silence” and “Keep Clear,” accompanied by the clanging of gongs and chanting announcements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This mode of travel is called “lubu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was an ancient ritual, originally reserved solely for the Emperor, but over time and dynastic changes, it was gradually granted to lower ranks, known as the minor lubu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, officials of third rank or higher, as well as princes, may also use it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the scale is naturally much smaller—three hundred is the upper limit, and a hundred or so is typical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet no matter how small the scale, anyone using a lubu is unmistakably a noble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing such a procession, ordinary people would feel as if they’d encountered a ghost, and even martial artists avoided getting close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Qingqing sat inside a paper sedan, gazing through the window at the guards and maids surrounding her, watching the envious glances cast from afar, and sighed softly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For an ordinary woman, this is the most glorious, most triumphant moment in life. But alas—it’s fake.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tears glistened in her eyes, her face a mix of longing and disappointment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin said nothing… because it was not his responsibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Huang Qing or Hong Luan had said this, he might have pondered whether it could be done; but for Zhou Qingqing… it had nothing to do with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Qingqing unconsciously turned her head to look at Li Lin; seeing his cold indifference, she abandoned all thought and merely stroked her son’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, Ji Feng and An Xin had already made contact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both now stood atop the tallest inn in the city, surveying the surroundings while chatting casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t expect your Tianyi Sect would be interested in such rumors,” Ji Feng smiled, his face still pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An Xin glanced around as he replied: “I never encountered it before, so I didn’t believe it or care. Now that I have, I accept it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve met an immortal?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, only a cultivation family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Ding family?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An Xin chuckled: “To be honest, the Dings are ordinary. Everyone knows they’ve spent a hundred years trying to cultivate, yet no one truly respects them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji Feng burst into laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because An Xin spoke the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ding family is indeed a century-old clan, but the problem is—they’ve achieved nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their most famous claim is the dual-cultivation technique!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then spirit dust, and only after that their self-proclaimed “cultivation” label.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After laughing, Ji Feng asked: “So who from this cultivation family did you meet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Li family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji Feng paused. “Which Li family?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Li family connected to cultivation—there’s only one!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji Feng sucked in a sharp breath: “No way—the Jincheng Li family vanished decades ago.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A hundred-foot worm dies but doesn’t go cold. Especially a family so large—they must have left some legacy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji Feng nodded lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qingcheng Sect isn’t a major school, but even we have two or three hundred years of history; how much more so a true great clan? They wouldn’t vanish so quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How was your contact with the Li family?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An Xin paused for a moment before saying: “Let’s just say—they live up to being one of the original three surnames. The one I met truly deserves the title of a nobleman from an ancient family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That high an evaluation?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait until you meet him, spend time with him—you’ll understand. He’s truly unlike anyone else.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji Feng pondered briefly, then said: “Speaking of unusual young men, I met one these past few days—he’s truly…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was about to continue when a strange sound came from afar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nobles on the move—commoners keep clear.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then came the clanging of bronze gongs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both turned their gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two streets away, through the dimness, a procession moved forward, faint smoke curling around it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A noble out so early?” An Xin stared in disbelief: “Is today some special day?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji Feng shook his head: “I don’t know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They watched for a moment, then looked away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Commoners don’t fight officials… and martial artists avoid them too, especially a procession with such obvious high-official pomp—there’s surely someone hidden nearby protecting the noble inside the sedan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The procession continued forward, heading toward the city gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They paused briefly at the gate, then all exited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An Xin turned back, staring at where the lubu procession had vanished—he felt something was off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he couldn’t tell what.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji Feng felt the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They remained on the rooftop, waiting for their people to continue searching Yuecheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time quickly reached noon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still no trace of the “Flower Queen” or her only son.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An Xin looked up at the blazing sun overhead and said: “It’s noon. Want to grab a bowl of vegetarian noodles? My treat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Vegetarian noodles?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Add a plate of white-cut chicken.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the two prepared to descend from the roof, a young man in Tianyi Sect attire leapt down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior Brother, we’ve made a new discovery?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Found the Flower Queen?” An Xin asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young man shook his head: “No. It’s Little Sister who noticed something odd.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man opened his palm, revealing a sheet of white paper with strange markings, stained with gray ash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young man said: “Little Sister says it’s debris left by a paper doll.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tianyi Sect’s Little Sister studied thunder arts and has just begun mastering paper-folding techniques—she’s one of their most valued inner disciples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Paper doll debris?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An Xin asked: “Where was it found?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That street over there,” the young man pointed ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hm?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both An Xin and Ji Feng now felt something was wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young man continued: “Also, early this morning, Little Sister smelled the scent of burned talisman paper—it led all the way outside the city.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a flash of insight struck An Xin’s mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Minor lubu!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An Xin and Ji Feng shouted together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After them!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An Xin said: “You go notify everyone—pursue westward immediately. I’ll leave markers along the way—I’ll catch up soon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Ji Feng flipped off the inn, crossed the courtyard, returned to his room, and said: “Wife, notify all disciples immediately—head west. We’ve found the target. I’m going ahead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Understood!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji Feng descended the stairs to the courtyard, but slowed his pace, acting as if nothing were amiss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after leaving the inn dozens of paces did he activate his light-body technique and speed forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, several other martial artists quietly followed behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1095,"2026-06-19T19:39:19.696Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","27cafb47e0400f30a6c87cf11620443be15a4aa899c45cfaf0ee722a12d318eb","dark-and-dawn-light-years-chapter-208","dark-and-dawn-light-years-chapter-206",221,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fdark-and-dawn-light-years-cover.jpg"]