Translator: AnubisTL
Great Wilderness Domain, Giant Deer Prefecture, Sunward City.
Despite having mentally prepared himself, Li Qing still felt an overwhelming sense of absurdity when he witnessed the coexistence of immortals and mortals in the city.
Within the city walls, mortal merchants and laborers bustled through the streets, while cultivators with profound mana soared through the skies. The mortals seemed completely accustomed to this sight, showing no trace of surprise on their faces.
"Heh heh, fellow cultivators, please follow me," Old Man Mo said with a warm smile. "The Water Moon Merchant Guild's branch is located in the western part of the city, occupying a corner of the city's spiritual vein."
"Though the spiritual energy isn't particularly dense, it's more than sufficient for the daily cultivation and meditation needs of qi refining realm cultivators!"
Li Qing and Shen Ningbing didn't refuse. Having just arrived in this unfamiliar environment, they indeed needed a temporary place to stay.
Thus, the two followed Old Man Mo and his group to the Water Moon Merchant Guild's territory in Sunward City.
As Old Man Mo had claimed, the spiritual energy here was decent, certainly enough to meet the daily cultivation needs of qi refining realm cultivators.
Li Qing and Shen Ningbing's true cultivation realm was the foundation establishment realm, making the spiritual energy here feel somewhat thin to them.
The Water Moon Merchant Guild was indeed well-known in the city, catering specifically to qi refining realm cultivators. They specialized in trading cultivation resources for these lower-level cultivators.
Old Man Mo owned multiple shops in the area, offering a wide variety of goods, from spirit herbs to magic artifacts and various materials.
While not particularly large in scale, the place was bustling with activity, attracting numerous qi refining realm cultivators eager to trade.
The items on display held little appeal for Li Qing and Shen Ningbing. However, to maintain their cover as qi refining realm cultivators, Li Qing had to feign interest in everything.
He had plenty of experience in this, knowing exactly how a rogue cultivator at the qi refining realm should behave in such a setting.
"Yo, Old Man Mo, you're finally back!"
"But why bring a cripple with you?"
A middle-aged man with a thick mustache and a protruding belly emerged from a courtyard building. He stroked his mustache thoughtfully, his eyes fixed with amusement on Old Man Mo's returning party.
The "cripple" he referred to was Li Qing, whose injured leg forced him to walk with a noticeable limp. After all, he couldn't very well unleash Fan Tong as a mount within the city.
"Pill Master Yan, this is a fellow cultivator we encountered on our journey," Old Man Mo replied, bowing deeply and forcing a strained smile. "We struck up a pleasant conversation and invited him back for some hospitality."
The portly Pill Master Yan ignored this explanation, shaking his head dismissively. "I couldn't care less about the company you keep. What about the spirit herbs I asked you to procure for this trade mission? Hand them over now!"
Old Man Mo wiped the sweat from his brow and replied bitterly, "Pill Master Yan, we managed to acquire all the other spirit herbs as requested. However, we only secured three Water Cloud Fruits."
The moment these words left his lips, Pill Master Yan's mustache twitched violently. "The Water Cloud Fruit is an indispensable ingredient for refining the Spirit Gathering Pill!" he roared, his voice laced with fury.
"With only three fruits, I can barely refine a single batch of Spirit Gathering Pills. What good is buying more spirit herbs if I can't get enough Water Cloud Fruits?!"
"You old fool! Hurry up and prepare for another trading expedition to secure a sufficient supply of Water Cloud Fruits!"
The young woman, who had been hiding behind Old Man Mo, stepped forward, her face flushed with anger. "Grandfather has already been traveling for over a month for this! If we couldn't find more Water Cloud Fruits, it's not like we can conjure them out of thin air!" she shouted.
"He's been working tirelessly this whole time! What right do you have to demand another expedition?!"
Pill Master Yan merely sneered at her defiance, then subtly released a fraction of his aura.
The oppressive force of a foundation establishment cultivator instantly crushed Mo Shan, her face paling as she staggered backward several steps before collapsing to the ground.
"What right? The right of being left to clean up your dead father's mess! Without me, the Water Moon Merchant Guild would have crumbled long ago."
"Don't think that bastard son of yours, the outer sect disciple of the Ghost Sword Sect, will protect you. That Gu Feng brat will never achieve foundation establishment in his lifetime!"
Pill Master Yan's words were cuttingly sarcastic, his expression radiating smug confidence as if he had already won. His arrogance was palpable.
Mo Shan, paralyzed on the ground, felt tears well up in her eyes. She desperately tried to rise against Pill Master Yan's oppressive aura, but her efforts were futile.
Her cultivation was still shallow, only at the fourth layer of the qi refining realm. How could she possibly resist the pressure from a foundation establishment cultivator?
At that moment, a slender, ice-smooth hand gently supported Mo Shan's shoulder, slowly helping her to her feet.
Only then did Pill Master Yan notice that Old Man Mo hadn't returned alone with the cripple. A woman stood beside them, her aura strikingly cold and her beauty breathtaking.
A fiery, undisguised desire flared in his eyes.
As he prepared to approach her, Shen Ningbing's icy gaze locked onto Pill Master Yan.
In an instant, he froze in his tracks. The heat in his eyes receded like a retreating tide, replaced by a chilling composure.
Pill Master Yan scrutinized Shen Ningbing. Though her aura clearly indicated she was only at the seventh layer of qi refining, an inexplicable unease settled over him.
Not blinded by beauty, Pill Master Yan took a deep breath and instead gave Old Man Mo a profound look.
"Old Man Mo, you're getting on in years. While you still have some time left, you might as well make the most of your remaining energy."
With that, Pill Master Yan turned and left without a trace of lingering attachment.
Meanwhile, Li Qing, whose presence had been so unobtrusive that he hadn't uttered a single word throughout the entire exchange, had observed everything from the sidelines.
In the end, he caught a fleeting hint of disappointment in Old Man Mo's eyes—a flicker so subtle that he might have doubted his perception had his spiritual sense not been so sharp.
Yet Li Qing remained silent.
"Please excuse the spectacle," Old Man Mo said, leading Li Qing and Shen Ningbing toward a secluded courtyard. "The Water Moon Merchant Guild still maintains some territory within the city. You'll be staying in this courtyard."
"All of this is thanks to Pill Master Yan's pill refinement skills. Though his words and demeanor may be harsh, his heart is kind."
The courtyard, protected by a restriction, stood in stark contrast to the bustling streets nearby, offering a rare sanctuary of tranquility amidst the city's clamor.
"It's alright," Li Qing said with a faint smile, refraining from further comment. "Every family has its own troubles. I understand."
"Ah, fellow cultivators, please make yourselves at home," Old Man Mo sighed. "Stay as long as you like. Though I no longer hold much influence in the Water Moon Merchant Guild, I still have the authority to grant you this."
"Then we thank you, Old Zhang!" Li Qing replied with impeccable courtesy.
After bidding farewell to Old Man Mo, Li Qing and Shen Ningbing settled into the two-story courtyard.
The spiritual energy here was drawn from a Spiritual Vein via the city's array, its concentration roughly equivalent to a first-tier Spiritual Vein—barely sufficient for cultivators in the foundation establishment realm.
"Old Man Mo seems like a decent person," Shen Ningbing remarked, glancing around the reasonably comfortable courtyard. "But it looks like he's facing some trouble within the merchant guild. Senior Brother Li, should we help him resolve it? We could repay his kindness that way."
Hearing this, Li Qing chuckled softly.
"Junior Sister Shen, you're still too naive," he said. "You can't judge people by appearances alone!"
Sighing, Li Qing personally began modifying the restrictions in the courtyard, meticulously setting up various soundproofing and isolation barriers.
Shen Ningbing's expression flickered with surprise. Her frost-like face softened slightly, revealing a hint of confusion.
"What do you mean by that?"
After completing the restrictions, Li Qing clapped his hands and said, "Old Man Mo has only offered us paltry benefits from start to finish. Are you really going to eliminate a foundation establishment realm cultivator for such a trivial reward?"
"Since when has a foundation establishment cultivator's life become so cheap?"
"Perhaps you disliked the way Pill Master Yan looked at you just now. True, for you, killing an early-stage foundation establishment cultivator would be as easy as crushing an ant."
"But have you considered that this entire scenario might have been orchestrated by Old Man Mo?"
"He knows Pill Master Yan's lustful nature well. That's why he insisted on inviting us to the Water Moon Merchant Guild as guests, putting on a show of warmth and hospitality, and ultimately arranging for us to meet Pill Master Yan."
"If Pill Master Yan had truly made an improper advance toward you, I imagine you would have acted immediately, wouldn't you?"
At this, Shen Ningbing narrowed her eyes slightly, her expression thoughtful.
"But the cultivation realm I've shown is only the qi refining realm. How could Old Man Mo be so certain I could eliminate Pill Master Yan?"
Li Qing chuckled softly. "That doesn't matter. If you were truly just a qi refining realm rogue cultivator with no backing, I suspect Old Man Mo wouldn't hesitate to use you as a pawn to smooth things over with Pill Master Yan."
Silence. Junior Sister Shen remained silent.
"Old Man Mo has managed to hold his own against Pill Master Yan, a foundation establishment realm cultivator, for so long. He's clearly no ordinary character."
"Junior Sister Shen, we're no longer elders of the Lingyun Sect. We can't rely on the sect's authority to back us up in every situation."
"From now on, remember to consider all angles before acting. We're in unfamiliar territory, and we haven't even grasped the customs and rules of Sunward City yet. Careful planning and calculated action are crucial for a rogue cultivator's survival."
"Welcome to the world of rogue cultivators."
With these earnest words, Li Qing turned and walked toward the courtyard's main building.
(End of the Chapter)
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