“The city lord has ordered the two of us to assist Commander Zhao, so naturally, we will lend our aid.” A calm male voice came from within the city gate, followed by the appearance of a white-robed scholar and a monk clad in a blue kasaya.
The speaker was the scholar, who appeared to be in his forties.
Commander Zhao dared not slight these two cultivators and quickly expressed his gratitude with a smile.
The scholar and the monk each took out a mirror and a copper bowl, respectively. They began chanting incantations, forming hand seals with one hand, and then tossed their magical artifacts into the air.
Instantly, the two artifacts spun rapidly in mid-air. A blue mist sprayed from the mirror, enveloping the foremost giant tortoise, while a yellow light shot from the bowl, sweeping over several nearby wolf riders.
In moments, the blue mist and yellow light moved on, targeting other creatures further back.
Thus, the two cultivators inspected each tortoise cart one by one, alternating between blue mist and yellow light, ensuring no one was overlooked.
In no time, over thirty carts and more than two hundred people had been scanned by the two lights, revealing no issues.
“Good, you may enter. By the way, let me inform you—Madam Fang has already reserved the largest inn in the western part of the city, the Ruyun Inn. After delivering the goods, you can head straight there to regroup,” Commander Zhao said, his expression softening. Without further obstruction, he waved them through.
The scar-faced man was momentarily taken aback but quickly clasped his hands in acknowledgment before leading the caravan into the city.
Once inside, Han Li realized the stone city was far larger than he had anticipated.
At a glance, countless buildings stretched as far as the eye could see, seemingly endless. However, the city had clearly been meticulously planned during its construction. Despite the varied architectural styles and materials—some made of stone, others of wood—everything was neatly arranged, with wide bluestone streets several zhang in width running between them.
The massive city was bustling, with crowded streets packed with people.
Han Li was momentarily stunned but soon noticed that most of the pedestrians carried weapons like swords and knives, their expressions grave.
Inside the carriage, the blue-robed girl sighed softly and murmured, “It seems the beast tide rumors are true. Otherwise, the villagers from outside wouldn’t have all flooded into the city. This must be putting immense pressure on Anyuan City.”
Hearing this, Han Li finally understood.
With so many people, the caravan’s progress was naturally slow. Fortunately, Commander Zhao had anticipated this and dispatched several soldiers to clear a path, forcibly dispersing the crowds to make way.
Even so, the tortoise carts moved at a sluggish pace. It took nearly half a shichen to traverse over a dozen long streets before they finally arrived at a sparsely populated road and stopped before a multi-tiered archway.
Behind the archway stood several heavily guarded warehouse-like structures, surrounded by armed guards.
The rest was straightforward. The Tian Dong Trading Company handed over their goods to the warehouse officials for inspection. After receiving the receipt, Zhang Kui led the group toward the western part of the city as instructed, visibly relieved.
Han Li, now fully recovered, was among them. However, halfway there, he suddenly asked Zhang Kui for permission to explore the city, promising to regroup with them at the Ruyun Inn later.
Zhang Kui frowned but, after a moment’s consideration, agreed. Still, he cautioned, “Brother Han, you haven’t formally joined the company yet, so I won’t restrict you. But you must have noticed—Anyuan City is chaotic right now, and it’s not safe. Besides, this is just a remote town with little to see. If you have business to attend to, finish it quickly and return to the inn.”
Despite his fierce appearance, Zhang Kui’s words were surprisingly tactful.
Han Li smiled, agreed, and then departed. After turning a corner, he vanished from sight.
Watching Han Li disappear, Zhang Kui stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“What’s wrong, Benefactor Zhang? Afraid Young Han won’t return?” Nan Qizi, standing beside the scar-faced man, asked with a chuckle.
“With the blood oath signed, why would I worry? It’s just… this Brother Han seems to have quite the background. He’s hard to read,” Zhang Kui replied with a wry smile.
“Given his age and his astonishing body-refining skills, he’s clearly no ordinary man. And his behavior doesn’t resemble anyone from our Tian Yuan region. That much is almost certain,” Nan Qizi remarked.
“Indeed, I noticed that too. But as long as he’s not tied to any major factions in Tian Yuan, his origins don’t matter to our company. If nurtured well, he might even master the fifth layer of the Vajra Arts. If so, he’d become a great asset to Madam,” Zhang Kui said solemnly.
“The fifth layer? Benefactor Zhang, you’re quite ambitious. That level rivals even Core Formation cultivators,” Nan Qizi said, giving the scar-faced man a knowing look.
“Perhaps it’s wishful thinking. But given his youth and current strength, who’s to say he won’t achieve it in a century? His chances are far better than mine, at least. That’s why I didn’t hesitate to have him sign the blood oath in the Qing Luo Desert,” Zhang Kui chuckled.
“Fair point. Enough about him. My fellow disciples and I were hired by Madam Fang to escort your caravan. Now that the goods are safely delivered, our contract is fulfilled. We’ll take our leave now,” Nan Qizi said with a slight bow.
“Oh? Won’t you meet Madam first? Well, if you insist, safe travels!” Zhang Kui didn’t press further and bid them farewell.
With that, the Gou Lou Mountain cultivators departed.
“What a shame. If only our company had its own cultivators,” one of the knights sighed as the Daoists disappeared.
“Own cultivators? That’s just a pipe dream. Though Tian Dong is one of Tian Yuan’s top three trading companies, the spirit stones we earn annually are nowhere near enough to hire cultivators long-term. Low-level Qi Condensation cultivators are no stronger than body refiners like us, so hiring them is pointless. Foundation Establishment cultivators cost a fortune—we only hire them for major deals. As for Core Formation or higher? Forget it. High-level cultivators can easily earn more by hunting rare materials or crafting artifacts than what we could ever offer. Even if we trained a mid-level cultivator, they’d leave eventually,” Zhang Kui sighed.
“True. Even among body refiners, the exceptional ones venture beyond the borders, seeking those legendary herbs that can awaken spiritual roots. Becoming a cultivator means mastering immortal arts and gaining longevity—irresistible temptations. Countless body refiners have perished beyond the three regions, yet more keep going,” the knight mused.
“Enough. These matters don’t concern us ordinary folk. Let’s hurry back to Madam,” Zhang Kui cut in, not wishing to dwell on it.
The knight fell silent.
The group soon merged into the sea of people on the streets.
Meanwhile, Han Li stood on a nearby street, gazing up at the seven blazing suns in the sky, exhaling in frustration.
Ever since leaving the Qing Luo Desert and entering the grasslands, he had sensed the astonishingly dense spiritual energy permeating the air.
This world’s spiritual energy far surpassed that of the human realm by several times. If he could find an even better cultivation spot, the concentration might increase tenfold or more.
Yet, his Nascent Soul had dissipated, and the Frost Phoenix’s seal prevented him from absorbing even a wisp of this energy.
Naturally, this left him deeply frustrated.
As he walked, he observed the passersby and the shops lining the streets.
The shops were much like those in the human realm, offering nothing particularly extraordinary.
Suddenly, he paused, his gaze settling on a storefront. After a brief hesitation, he stepped inside and surveyed the goods on display.
The shop was filled with sandalwood tables, each gleaming with an array of weapons—swords, spears, axes, and more. It was an arms dealer.
Though small, the shop had two attendants and quite a few customers browsing—all ordinary mortals.
Han Li had entered on a whim, intrigued by the shop’s unassuming exterior yet bustling business.
“Sir, have you taken a liking to anything? How about this Golden-Backed Nine-Ringed Saber? Forged from black iron, it cuts through metal like mud and has substantial weight—perfect for dealing with wolf beasts,” one attendant said, noticing Han Li and hurrying over with a smile.
He pointed to a large-ringed saber Han Li had been eyeing—a pitch-black blade that looked incredibly heavy.
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