Chapter 170: 【taixi Saintess】
After a short rest for the night, Yuan Zhu was so excited that he didn’t sleep well.
Because the inn he found was the cheapest type, the soundproofing wasn’t great. He lay in bed, listening to the explosive music from the bar on the first floor all night long.
It had to be said that Taixi had a certain level of music quality.
Even a band casually hired by a cheap bar could play catchy rhythms and music styles completely different from Earth. This also indirectly proved Taixi’s level of extravagance and hedonism.
A single glimpse reveals the whole leopard; the music level of a region can indirectly reflect the local economy and culture.
Especially for a strange planet like Du Ling, with traversers coming through generation after generation. Now it was even more of a hub connecting eight external universes, with otherworld culture and alien culture constantly inputting, infiltrating, and blending… which greatly broadened Yuan Zhu’s horizons and truly made him into a country bumpkin who had never seen the world.
The next morning, he got up early, checked out of the room, came to the gradually bustling streets, bought some breakfast and ate it while walking, while observing the city.
If talking about the city’s infrastructure level, greening degree, building height and density, Taixi couldn’t compare to Earth’s hometown first-tier cities in terms of hard power.
The high-rise buildings here, whether in quantity or quality, were inferior to the Celestial Dynasty hometown. They were at the level of the 1980s in America and Japan, with skyscrapers present but not dense enough.
If ignoring that point, Taixi completely pulled ahead of Earth in other aspects.
First, this city possessed ‘supernatural elements’, just like an Earth city fully enhanced with colorful lights and electronic screens. Taixi came with its own ‘supernatural attribute skin’, various supernatural systems after undergoing ‘pollution (civilianization)’, openly combined with local buildings, instantly becoming fantastical.
Second, a large number of artificially planned 【structures】 appeared in Taixi City, utilized with the concept of unity of heaven and man. These abruptly towering huge structures were used as urban area divisions, bases for city parks, carved into massive faith totems or statues of gods. Larger structures were directly combined with architecture, developed into ‘temples, hotels, municipal departments’.
And the three largest 【structures】 were directly combined with the floating islands above the sky. No need to deliberately inquire; just look up to determine where the real ‘noble district’, the genuine 【upper city district】, was.
After strolling the streets for half an hour, Yuan Zhu bought a copy of “Taixi Travel Guide” from a newsstand, which recorded a large number of popular tourist attractions.
There were no shortage of Buddhist and Taoist temples, zoo with exotic beasts, amusement parks, grand theaters, arenas, fighting plazas… Soon, he found the introduction to ‘floating island’ in the Guide.
The lowest one, supported by cylindrical 【structures】, was a high-end hotel residential area open to the outside, crafted into a ‘celestial immortal realm’ combining classical and modern styles, with pavilions, terraces, waterside pavilions, jade towers, and jade buildings fully present.
Living here, with the floating island above providing shelter from wind and rain, while overlooking the entire Taixi City panorama and gazing at the distant sea, the view was excellent, giving a ‘someone superior to others’ experience of ascending to an immortal realm, transcending the mundane, and looking down from above, thus extremely popular, with living fees sky-high.
Ordinary people who were really curious and desirous could spend 20 yuan during the day to buy a sightseeing ticket, take the elevator to ascend this man-made immortal landscape, and tour in sightseeing mode.
As for the higher, larger 【floating islands】, they were not open to surface ordinary people; only those non-ordinary individuals who obtained qualification certification could set foot there.
It was said that at the center of this floating island was planted a spiritual plant whose immortal root had escaped 【Kunlun】 control. Its root tendrils spread throughout every inch of land inside the floating island, with the tree crown forming a dome, creating a closed ‘spiritual energy ecological cycle’ within the island.
People living there passively breathed ‘immortal realm spiritual energy’ daily, making their bodies strong and extending their lifespan. Even the ‘celestial immortal realm’ open below benefited from the secondary spiritual energy cycle nourishment.
Yuan Zhu flipped through the travel handbook in his hand and found the Holy Light Cathedral belonging to the 【Holy Seal King】, as well as Vajra Sect’s 【Hundred-Arm Temple】, and others like 【Earth Temple】, as well as temples for the Twelve Mandates.
Gods and demons of all paths openly set up dojos in Taixi, welcoming tourists to receive blessings (pollution).
Looking up at the abnormally prosperous floating island at the bottom, skyscrapers built upside down protruding into the island’s interior, with colorful light strips and glass on the building surfaces illuminating the perpetually shadow-shrouded underside. Yet the scenery above the island was completely invisible, only imaginable.
“Immortal root spiritual plant—reminds me of the miasma-filled underground world. You don’t think Taixi’s control is in the hands of ‘Kunlun Immortal Path’, do you?”
Little Spicy Stick shook his head: “Absolutely not! Taixi City is filled with 【Yellow Heaven remnants】 who fled from the old main road. They wouldn’t believe in the 【Kunlun Divine Tree】 no matter what. The local forces choosing to plant ‘immortal roots’ on the floating island is more about bluffing, showing strength, expressing stance and attitude. Just like, although you failed to restore the Ming after opposing the Qing and were driven to Alaska to live as a savage. But you stubbornly hung the head of the ‘Wild Boar Emperor’ at the village entrance to engrave your resolve.”
Yuan Zhu: “Makes sense!”
Little Spicy Stick: “Along our journey, we’ve passed many special landmarks with ‘supernatural attributes’, all transformed by removing and purifying their ‘pollution’ side, and made to continuously release beneficial radiation outward, improving the environment. The immortal root on the 【floating island】 must have been processed too; the ‘spiritual energy’ it releases is beneficial to the human body yet free from 【Kunlun system】 control. It’s equivalent to turning an ‘immortal realm tree’ into a meat weapon, benefiting the whole city while trampling Kunlun Immortal Path.”
“I also discovered a not-so-secret secret: that 【floating island】 and 【immortal root spiritual plant】 together form an energy source, which through the 【structures】 inserted into the empty island, introduces energy to the surface, and forms a hidden connection with the 【structures】 spread throughout the city, placing the entire Taixi City in a ‘supernatural blessing’ state, effectively weakening and slowing the daily accumulation of pollution erosion.”
“Ordinary people living in this city have normal pollution accumulation reduced by 1/3 compared to Running. Additionally, there are obviously more hidden buff effects that only manifest over years.”
Yuan Zhu had long noticed clues about this.
After the bus left the Misty Mountains yesterday, the passengers’ conditions eased somewhat under sunlight, but they were still in ‘mental pollution’ state, needing a week of rest to fully recover health.
But when the bus officially entered Taixi’s outskirts, the mental erosion damage to these passengers was quickly repaired. Clearly, there was a hidden power enveloping the entire city, suppressing all evil pollution erosion and silently protecting residents’ health.
Silently checking off ‘celestial immortal realm’ on it, adding it to this Taixi travel plan, Yuan Zhu flipped back to the ‘travel map’ page, found the location of District 16, cross-referenced the address on the note, and locked onto the subway to 【Radium God Company】.
Today’s plan: first try to meet ‘A Miao’. If he could see the real person, he could preliminarily reach a transaction intent, then go see Meng Xiyue, catch up while pulling her into the haggling negotiation.
If he couldn’t meet the person in question, he could leave a message at this company, set a meeting time. Then go to Taixi University to meet his teammate in person.
…
15 minutes later, Yuan Zhu arrived at the Taixi subway station, which was as dirty, chaotic, and cramped as New York subway. It was said that Taixi’s subway lines were over 100 years old, with the newest one opened 20 years ago.
Due to their age, the management level was as poor as Running. Turbid air, outdated equipment, mice and twintails rampant… The only place better than Running was larger scale, more spacious underground space, better security.
In contrast, Running, due to abundant underground mineral deposits naturally forming numerous underground fissures and cavities. Beneath the simple subway lines were even more complex mine tunnels, passages, underground cracks… harboring filth, with goblins, rat people, monsters rampant, even more dangerous.
Waiting for the train, boarding.
The local subway speed was not as fast as Earth’s, poor rating. Lighting, ventilation, cleanliness all inferior to Earth. But all much better than Running, as expected of a big city.
40 minutes later, he smoothly arrived in District 16. After exiting the station and asking around, he still got lost after circling around.
Finally, he spent 1 yuan to hire a newspaper-selling kid to guide him, and after several turns, found 【Radium God Company】’s consultation shopfront in District 16.
“As expected of a big metropolis. Before coming, consumption in Running was calculated by the fen and fen, not exceeding 5 yuan a day. Well, after arriving in Taixi, everything is priced in yuan, and the cost of hiring child labor has increased by more than 10 times?”
Waving goodbye to the disdainful newsboy, Yuan Zhu looked up at the 【Radium God Military Industry】 sign, confirming this wasn’t a storefront, and the location was relatively remote, with a nearby warehouse for storing goods.
Seeing Yuan Zhu standing at the shop door curiously looking around but not entering, a young woman passing by him spoke up: “Sir, may I ask if there’s anything I can help with?”
“Are you an employee of this company?”
The other party politely replied: “Yes, are you a client here to pick up goods? If so, please show the pickup slip for me to verify. Please come in.”
Yuan Zhu shook his head: “I’m not here to pick up goods, I’m here to find someone.”
“Looking for someone?” The other party showed curiosity on their face, “Is it an employee working at the company? Please tell me the other party’s name, and I’ll help you contact them.”
Yuan Zhu: “No, I was introduced by someone and came here to find a person to talk business. A Miao, Cat Street’s A Miao, have you heard of her? Someone told me I could find her here.”
After saying that, Yuan Zhu even took out that business card with no text, only a strange symbol, and showed it to the other party.
The young woman, upon hearing the name ‘A Miao’, immediately showed a look of realization and enthusiastically replied: “Of course I know her. This is one of our senior partners, plus a secondary dealer, responsible for handling some tricky orders. If you’re in a hurry to find her, you can try your luck at the central plaza in District 16. She’s currently representing our company in an event. If you’re not in a hurry, come back tomorrow, and I’ll notify her and leave a message for you.”
Yuan Zhu thought for a moment and replied: “Then I’ll register here first and make an advance appointment for a time. Then I’ll go to the place you mentioned to try my luck.”
The young woman responded: “Please rest assured, I’ll pass it on for you. Also, she’s actually easy to find. Once you arrive at the central plaza, just ask where the representative of [Rayshen Company] is, and you’ll find her. Moreover, since you hold this card, within a certain range, she can perceive your presence, so please carry it close to your body.”
“Got it, thanks.”
After setting the appointment time, Yuan Zhu followed the route provided by the other party and quickly headed to the central plaza in District 16.
As he got closer to the plaza, there were more and more young people nearby who were mentally excited and joyful in expression, mostly young men, with no shortage of prettily dressed young women, all converging in the same direction.
Not only that, many were carrying cheering banners, support flags, and signs, with cameras hanging around their necks and semi-mechanical mice modified for filming in their hands… heading organized to the big plaza in District 16.
They chatted while hurrying along.
Yuan Zhu blended into the crowd, followed behind the group, turned on eavesdropping mode, and then picked up terms like ‘Taixi Saintess Selection Contest’, ‘Preliminary Elimination Round’, ‘Jellyfish Girl Killer Squad’…
The more he listened, the more something felt off. It seemed that today’s big plaza in District 16 was hosting a [Taixi Saintess] selection contest. Within District 16, they held preliminary eliminations through talent showcases, selecting the strongest 4 teams, then competing against other districts in PK rounds, one after another, ultimately choosing the half-year’s most popular ‘Saintess Idol’.
Because the theme was [Taixi Saintess], it especially attracted male audience members. Yuan Zhu blended into the crowd without standing out. Well, whether in build, appearance, or temperament, he outshone the perverts around him by a wide margin, thus drawing frequent hostile glares from the men and suggestive looks from the plain-looking women.
Yuan Zhu didn’t pay much attention to these. He even ignored overtures from a senior student from [Rain Courtyard], let alone this group of mediocre types?
His eyes scanned and locked onto a seemingly isolated and withdrawn otaku in the crowd. He strode up boldly, patted the other’s shoulder aggressively, then hooked an arm around the other’s neck, scaring the other into trying to struggle free but failing repeatedly.
“Bro, don’t be nervous. You here to check out legs and girls too?”
The withdrawn youth looked panicked and answered nervously in a fluster: “I I I…”
“Don’t be scared, I’m here to check out legs too. Since we meet as new faces, how about we stroll together arm in arm?”
Although Yuan Zhu’s smile was filled with ‘wild kindness’ and carried a bit of a bullying vibe, the inarticulate youth still picked up on the goodwill from his tone and demeanor. He wasn’t the type who relied on his physique to target lone prey for extortion or robbery.
After confirming his own safety, the youth finally stammered: “I, I’m not here to check out legs. I’m, I’m here to support Jiang You!”
Yuan Zhu was puzzled: “What’s soy sauce?”
Now it was the youth’s turn to be displeased: “You don’t know Jiang You? She’s the most popular Saintess candidate, proficient in music and dance, and the representative of [White Frost Company].”
“Isn’t it a beauty contest? What does it have to do with other companies?”
The youth was depressed: “You don’t know anything? Then what are you here for?”
“Of course to check out legs! Isn’t this a beauty contest?”
The youth sighed: “[Taixi Saintess] isn’t just a simple beauty contest; it’s a ‘Spokesperson Competition’ involving major companies and groups, selecting the most outstanding contestants to become [Taixi City]’s annual calling card and radiate influence outward.”
