Volume 1, Chapter 55 – My Feet Have Indeed Been Exposed

“Go on! Go on! Search carefully! There’s a heavy reward for finding that impostor!”

Huang Qi loudly instructed before hastening his steps toward the outskirts of the city. Though he had managed to deceive the two Honghua Sect disciples, his whereabouts had already been exposed. Soon, this small county town would become the focus of the Honghua Sect’s investigation.

To save his own life, Huang Qi had no choice but to take a risk—traveling overnight to Ping’an County.

The night was filled with eerie winds and strange rustling sounds all around.

Huang Qi didn’t dare relax, keeping his spiritual senses extended at all times to carefully monitor his surroundings. Whenever fatigue set in, he would refresh himself with the Tongming Comb. Fortunately, the night passed without incident.

By noon the next day, Huang Qi encountered two more Honghua Sect disciples in a small town. Naturally, he didn’t foolishly stride up to them, flaunting his disguise as Fairy Hongling. Instead, he hid in the shadows, observing them with his spiritual senses.

“Junior Brother Xu, remember this—if you ever meet someone who looks exactly like Junior Sister Hongling, don’t focus on the face. Look at the feet!”

“Why?”

“Because that impostor looks identical to Junior Sister Hongling in every way… except for the feet, which are as big as a man’s.”

“Really? How do you know that?”

“I heard it from a senior brother. He ran into Junior Sister Hongling this morning.”

“I see! Then where is Junior Sister Hongling now?”

“She was worried the impostor might deceive us again, so she returned to report the matter to the sect leader.”

The two disciples continued their discussion as they walked.

“Dammit, my feet really have given me away! And Fairy Hongling has already been in this area… The only silver lining is that she’s gone back.”

Huang Qi felt like crying but had no tears left. Everything else could be disguised—except for these damn feet. He couldn’t just shrink them at will. From this moment on, no matter how much he altered his appearance or how flawless his acting was, it would all be meaningless. The moment a Honghua Sect disciple saw him, he’d be exposed.

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With that thought, Huang Qi readjusted his veil and quickened his pace. As he had told himself before—even if he were to die, he would do so only after registering at the government office.

By afternoon, Huang Qi finally arrived at Ping’an County. However, he didn’t enter immediately—several female cultivators were still stationed inside, and by now, they must have learned of his telltale flaw.

“Fairy Hongling is so close to them. Since she came to this area, there’s no reason she wouldn’t have visited Ping’an County.”

That was reason enough.

Realizing this, Huang Qi didn’t dare step foot inside the city. Instead, he lingered foolishly near the gates, unsure of what to do.

The next morning arrived in the blink of an eye, and Huang Qi still hadn’t come up with a safe solution. His anxiety grew: “What do I do? What do I do? I only have two or three days left. If I don’t register soon, my father will suffer the consequences.”

Just as Huang Qi was stewing in frustration, he noticed a horse-drawn carriage approaching on the main road.

“Why am I so stupid? If I can’t show my feet, then I just won’t show them!”

A sudden realization struck him. He hurried toward the carriage.

After a brief negotiation and handing over a few taels of silver, the passengers stepped out, and Huang Qi took their place inside.

“Take me straight to the government office.”

Huang Qi immediately ordered the coachman. His plan was simple—use the carriage to discreetly reach the office, register, and then leave unnoticed.

The coachman obeyed, transporting Huang Qi into the city.

Huang Qi didn’t idle along the way, continuously releasing his spiritual senses to monitor his surroundings. Strangely, he didn’t detect a single female cultivator on the entire journey.

“How odd. The county isn’t that big—where could they have gone?”

Just as they neared the government office, his senses picked up Miao Xiang’s presence—the little girl was still lurking at a street corner, keeping watch. Huang Qi couldn’t enter through the main gate, so he ordered the carriage to take a detour to the back entrance. However, what he discovered next filled him with despair.

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Two more female cultivators—Su Qingying and Yun Fei—were lying in ambush around the office. There was no angle from which he could sneak in undetected.

“How could this happen?”

Huang Qi was thrown into disarray. He couldn’t understand why the female cultivators had suddenly shifted their focus to the government office. Now, there was no way for him to show his face.

“I’m such an idiot! They must have discovered the flaw I left behind.”

A moment later, Huang Qi gritted his teeth in frustration. Last time, Miao Xiang had spotted him at the office. Now that his identity had been exposed, it was only natural for them to follow the trail. A tiny county office stood no chance against several female cultivators.

“By now, they’ve probably uncovered my background and realized I must register with my identity plaque before the month’s end. That’s why they’ve concentrated their surveillance here.”

Huang Qi’s heart sank as he reached this conclusion.

“What do I do now? If I step out with these man-sized feet, I’ll be exposed immediately. But if I don’t go out, how can I register?”

He was truly caught between a rock and a hard place.

“Miss, where should we go next?”

The coachman’s respectful voice came from outside.

“I’ll get off here.”

Huang Qi stepped out of the carriage and, while the three female cultivators were distracted, slipped into a nearby inn. He desperately needed a quiet place to think of a solution.

After securing a room close to the government office, Huang Qi cracked open the window and stared blankly at the building, racking his brains for a way inside.

Half a day passed, yet no foolproof plan came to mind. In the end, he could only console himself with a sliver of hope:

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“They may be cultivators, but they haven’t reached the realm where they don’t need food or rest. They’ll have to replenish their energy eventually. Maybe they’ll leave at night!”

Unfortunately, fate had other plans. That night, the three female cultivators did leave—only to be replaced by two others. There was simply no opening to exploit.

“What do I do now?”

Huang Qi paced anxiously, not daring to recklessly expose himself.

Another night passed in this manner. The next morning, Huang Qi noticed three government officers exiting the office, though he had no idea where they were headed.

Meanwhile, in Huatian Village, Huang Kairong and his wife sat in front of their house, their faces ashen with despair. Their outstanding daughter-in-law had been missing for over ten days, and to make matters worse, their son had also been unreachable.

“Husband… the end of the month is almost here. When the officers come for him, how are we supposed to hand anyone over?”

Even the usually sharp-witted Li Fen was at a complete loss.

“There’s nothing else we can do.”

Huang Kairong let out a long sigh. “When the time comes, I’ll go in our son’s place.”

“You? How could that work?”

Li Fen’s face twisted in grief.

“What other choice do we have? Honestly, I hope our son doesn’t show up. That way, I can take his place. But I doubt the government will be so easily fooled.”

A resigned smile suddenly appeared on Huang Kairong’s face.

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Li Fen opened her mouth but couldn’t bring herself to speak. As parents, she understood her husband’s intentions all too well.

“But… but I can’t bear the thought of either of you going! They say most who go to the battlefield never return…”

Unable to hold back any longer, Li Fen began to sob.

“Don’t cry! Be careful, or Father will hear!”

Huang Kairong quickly warned her.

After their failed attempt to register at the county office with their daughter-in-law, the couple had kept it a secret from the old man, afraid of worrying him.

Li Fen covered her mouth, forcing her tears back down.

Just then, three fast horses galloped into view, their riders clad in unmistakable government uniforms.

Huang Kairong and Li Fen exchanged a glance, a sense of foreboding rising in their hearts.

The horses indeed charged straight toward the Huang residence. The lead officer, a middle-aged man with a fierce expression, dismounted and barked:

“Where is Huang Qi? Bring him out at once!”

“Officer, may I ask what this is about? I am Huang Qi’s father.”

Huang Kairong spoke respectfully.

“What’s it about? Are you playing dumb? Our office notified you half a month ago—the dynasty’s conscription laws have changed. All unmarried men aged twenty-eight and above must report to the prefecture by the end of this month! So where is he?”

The lead officer’s face grew even more menacing.