Chapter 71: Yao Guan’s Prosperity
（It’s really hard to divide into chapters.）
……
“No.”
Li Weiyi directly refused.
If it was Cang Li Leader Li Songlin, or Cang Li’s personal invitation, Li Weiyi naturally wouldn’t refuse. After all, these two had taken good care of him in Jiu Li City.
Especially Li Songlin, who not only helped him fight for the challenge qualification for Jiu Li Dao Academy, but also personally went to intimidate Chang Lin Gang, and even offended Yang Clan to protect his safety for a month.
This favor, Li Weiyi always kept in mind.
But going with Li Ling to see her parents, to see a whole family, what was that?
“Don’t go! Our matter, my dad, my mom, my brother all already know!” Li Ling chased after him, following closely without giving up.
Li Weiyi emphasized: “We two have no matter at all! If you keep talking nonsense outside, slandering my reputation, or using family power to pressure me, we really can’t even be friends.”
“I didn’t talk nonsense.”
Li Ling continued: “A month ago, you were targeted and pursued and killed, I got the news and immediately left Jiu Li Dao Academy to search everywhere for you. My mom felt I cared too much about you, became suspicious, so she talked to me. I said, you are my best friend, saved my life multiple times. That’s all I said, absolutely no nonsense, I can swear by Jiu Li God.”
Li Weiyi responded with silence.
He could imagine what Li Ling’s mother thought after hearing Li Ling’s answer.
Li Ling said: “Don’t I even have the qualification to care about you? Or, can’t I even presumptuously consider you my best friend?”
……
Yaoguan City had no city wall, more like a super large market town with hundreds of thousands of people.
The houses in the city were mostly built with rammed earth and stone structures, quite low and primitive. A few large clan manors, restaurants, and inns were slightly more imposing, built with round logs up to three or four stories high.
The immortal radiance anomaly that erupted in Zangxian Town was too big, covering the entire area, shaking the entire Seven Prefectures of the Southern Territory within a month, with all kinds of rumors.
Some said Zangxian Town was an ancient Immortal Fall Realm, where one immortal fell and all things grew, and many treasures were about to emerge.
Others said the underground of Zangxian Town was a corner of the Immortal Realm, about to open. That thick beam of light flying out from underground was the path to the Immortal Realm. Some old generation experts from Li Zhou followed the light beam down underground and saw scenes not belonging to the mortal world. But they didn’t dare go deep, sensing terrifying aura, and hurriedly returned to the ground after a quick glance.
True or false, rumors flew everywhere, attracting countless cultivators. Naturally, it made this small city closest to Zangxian Town appear unusually bustling and prosperous in a short time.
Restaurants and inns were already full, with room and food prices multiplied several times.
As the host tribe here, Shou Li Tribe took the opportunity to sell various rare resources, including otherworld coffin, precious medicine, exotic beast, beast eggs, insect eggs, dense metal ore, ancient immortal giant beast blood……
As long as you had money, in current Yaoguan City, you could buy many resources and secret treasures that were usually unavailable.
Li Weiyi was quite familiar with Yaoguan City; the first night he came to this world, he stayed here overnight with Gao Huan. He didn’t go to the most prosperous street block in the city, but to the medicinal herbs market in the west of the city.
The west of the city was close to Mang Mountain Range; herb gatherers would send the freshest medicinal herbs here first to set up stalls for sale, much cheaper than shops run by powerful clans and sects.
Of course, the quality of medicinal herbs here wasn’t high……
Just seven larvae, why feed them such high-quality medicinal herbs?
Of course, the most crucial reason was that Li Weiyi was short of money, and high-grade medicinal herbs were prohibitively expensive.
Entering the west city herb market, exotic fragrances of various medicinal herbs assaulted the nose. All stalls were very simple, some even just spreading out a piece of burlap or a grass mat to start selling.
The entire market was chaotic, full of hawking and bargaining disputes everywhere.
Li Ling had been following behind him; entering the herb market, she couldn’t help saying: “If you want to buy medicinal herbs, go to the merchant association; there’s nothing good here. The market gathers all sorts of people, many eyes, even if they pick precious medicine, they secretly sell to the merchant association first. Tianyi Merchant Guild has a branch in Yaoguan; with Cang Li Tribe identity, you can get a good discount.”
“No money.” Li Weiyi said.
Li Ling didn’t believe it at all: “What about the money Cang Li Tribe gave you to buy a courtyard? Fully two hundred thousand silver coins!”
Li Weiyi didn’t know how to explain, so he responded with silence. He came to a stall with a good variety of medicinal herbs, pointed to a Rou Cong Rong over a meter long on the ground, and asked the price: “How much for this one?”
The stall owner saw Li Weiyi’s disheveled and destitute appearance and originally didn’t want to bother, but seeing the brightly dressed, fairy-like Li Ling behind him, immediately squeezed out a smile: “Little brother, good eye! This is an old medicine, weighs sixty-three pounds, fifty silver coins per pound, how many pounds do you want?”
Herbs become usable after ten years, treasures after a hundred, elixirs after a thousand.
Only after exceeding ten years can it be called “medicinal herbs”.
The price of medicinal herbs was already not cheap; the lowest started at five silver coins.
To be called “old medicine”, it needed at least fifty years.
Over a hundred years growth, called “precious medicine”.
Over a thousand years, almost having consciousness, possessing magic power, even shapeshifting ability; each one was incomparably precious, called “thousand year elixir” or “thousand year demonic herb”.
The reason Li Weiyi took a fancy to this Rou Cong Rong was not because it was particularly precious, but because it was abundant, absolutely enough for those seven little ones to eat for a long time.
“Fifty silver coins per pound, too expensive, right? A bit less.”
Li Weiyi frowned tightly; that Nine-Leaf Cattail Grass was a three-hundred-year precious medicine, expensive was fine. But a mere old medicine level one was also shockingly expensive.
To buy it all would cost three thousand one hundred fifty silver coins.
The various coins he had now added up could only exchange for over twelve thousand silver coins.
How long could that feed the seven Phoenix Wing Moth Emperors?
The stall owner’s face darkened a lot: “Only fifty silver coins, where’s the expense? Herb gathering is hard. Do you know how dangerous Mang Mountain Range is? Do you know how hard it is to pick one old medicine?”
Li Ling walked to the Rou Cong Rong, pinched off a fingernail-sized piece with her finger, sniffed it lightly under her nose, noticed something, and then smiled: “This isn’t old medicine, right? I see it’s only a little over thirty years.”
The stall owner said: “Little lady, you damaged the appearance of my family’s old medicine, you have to compensate.”
“Sure, how much?”
Li Ling took out a black metal sign and casually tossed it to the stall owner.
The stall owner took it, glanced once, and immediately the sign seemed too hot to handle, couldn’t hold it, hurriedly returned it respectfully with trepidation, apologizing: “So it’s the Nether Lantern Guide Envoy from the divine hall, no wonder such sharp eyes; no medicinal herbs under heaven can deceive Your Excellency?”
“So is this old medicine?”
“No, no…” The stall owner smiled awkwardly.
After taking back the Nether Lantern Guide Envoy sign, Li Ling said again: “Then what about the price?”
“Thirty silver coins per pound, no, twenty-five silver coins per pound.” The stall owner smiled obsequiously.
Li Ling smugly glanced at Li Weiyi, then said: “Alright! You’re from Shou Li Tribe, right? We’ll go now to the ancestral hall Shou Li Tribe set up in the city; you personally explain to the elders in the tribe who manage family law and criminal law how you deceived my friend, disrupted market order, and damaged Shou Li Tribe’s reputation.”
In the herb market, the age of medicinal herbs was always called out casually by stall owners, cheat one is one. If meeting someone knowledgeable, as long as the price was agreed, no disputes.
But who let him provoke someone he shouldn’t today?
After all, Jiu Li Divine Palace specifically managed the ancestral halls of each tribe and town.
The stall owner said: “How about Your Excellency sets the price?”
……
In the end, Li Weiyi spent six hundred thirty silver coins to buy that sixty-three pound Rou Cong Rong.
Able to buy medicinal herbs at low price, how could Li Weiyi miss the opportunity?
So, at the same stall, he selected six other old medicines, wiped off the change, total two thousand four hundred silver coins spent.
Li Weiyi had no guilt; after all, without Li Ling, with his knowledge of medicinal herbs, he would definitely be ripped off big time. If the stall owner hadn’t deceived first, he absolutely wouldn’t allow Li Ling to use power to pressure.
Browsed the herb market again, indeed no precious medicine seen.
Spent five silver coins to buy a foot-long insect tube, then Li Weiyi left the herb market.
If funds were sufficient, he would of course prefer to buy precious medicine to feed Phoenix Wing Moth Emperors; after all, the more precious the food, the faster their growth.
How could he not want to quickly feed the seven Phoenix Wing Moth Emperors to combat power comparable to seven Five Seas Realm?
“Looks like I still have to sell magic tools.”
Li Weiyi thought so in his heart, while playing with the newly bought insect tube on his hand; it was made of red gold bamboo, extremely hard, with ventilation holes and straps.
Phoenix Wing Moth Emperor was emperor-level strange insect; even Stone Coffin Master and Jar Master couldn’t recognize it; Spirit Tablet Senior said, even in their era, in the entire Lingxiao Life Realm, insect tamers who could recognize it numbered no more than ten.
Therefore, she told Li Weiyi not to worry too much about exposure.
Raising Phoenix Wing Moth Emperors in the blood mud space on the Buddha’s Sarira was of course no problem. But if encountering strong enemies and needing to release them for help, it would definitely expose the secret of possessing space exotic treasure.
Li Weiyi suddenly stopped, looked at Li Ling always by his side: “Aren’t you curious why I bought these things?”
“Even if curious, you won’t say; you never appreciate my kindness. Always think I’m out to harm you.” Li Ling said.
Li Weiyi thought: “I’ll treat you to noodles?”
A flash of surprise in Li Ling’s eyes.
“You helped me save a lot of money today; have to thank you.”
Li Weiyi brought Li Ling to a roadside stall noodle shop, sat first at a roadside square table: “Boss, two bowls of noodle soup, add beef.”
Li Ling wore gorgeous dress, belt, sleeves, collar all purely white without blemish, plus her half immortal body’s flawless skin and exquisitely peerless features, really didn’t fit the environment here.
As she sat on Li Weiyi’s right seat, instantly from the stall and street, countless surprised and curious gazes cast over, naturally also envious ones.
Li Ling handed over a silk handkerchief: “Wipe the dirt off your face; in Yaoguan no one dares touch you, many Cang Li Tribe experts in the city.”
Li Weiyi didn’t know how to handle his relationship with Li Ling, because he wasn’t a cold emotionless person; on the contrary, he cherished every emotion immensely. Like Cai Yutong’s bowl of fish soup, he could remember it for life.
Hesitated a long time, finally took the silk handkerchief to wipe, asked: “The price on my head at Five Burial Temple should have risen, right?”
Just now, from herb market to noodle stall, short few hundred meters, Li Weiyi discovered at least three trackers, all eyes containing hostility and killing intent.
No way, Yaoguan too small, Li Ling too eye-catching.
Him walking with Li Ling, not being targeted and recognized would be strange.
Of course, precisely because he walked with Li Ling, so far no one dared act.
“Risen, risen several times. Even some Five Seas Realm cultivators are looking for you everywhere.”
Li Ling added: “Now you know why I must take you to see my dad and mom? Because only staying with them are you truly safe. When back to Jiu Li City, you can directly enter Dao Academy to cultivate, no need to fear Five Burial Temple killers or outside clients.”
“Oh! Isn’t the Dao Academy slot to be fought for?” Li Weiyi smiled.
Li Ling smiled: “That battle a month ago, you killed red one street, dyed Sui River water red; now who dares underestimate you? Top Hundred Martial Artist Yao Zheng Sheng and Lu Can both died by your hand. Entering Dao Academy has no obstacles; Fourth Uncle even plans to take you as successor.”
“Man’s name, tree’s shadow. You now have some fame among younger generation.”
“Only some fame?” Li Weiyi said.
Li Ling said: “Not breaking Ninth Spring Ancestral Field, not pure immortal body, not entering Five Seas Realm, how much fame do you want? My brother has all three, yet not famous under heaven.”
Two bowls of noodle soup served, steaming hot, fragrance assaulting.
Beef generous, over ten slices per bowl.
Li Weiyi just started eating.
A fifteen-sixteen-year-old little fatty rushed into the stall windily, panting sat by the square table with Li Weiyi and Li Ling, shouted: “Starving to death! Boss, ten bowls of noodle soup.”
The boss by the stove paused: “How many people?”
“No eyes? One, just me.” Little Fatty slapped the table, added: “No nonsense, won’t short your money.”
Li Ling looked around, no empty tables, so not good to drive him away.
Little Fatty eyed the uneaten bowl in front of her, rubbed hands, familiarly smiled: “I see this divine daughter descended pure immortal body sister doesn’t seem like one to eat here; how about giving me your bowl first?”
Half immortal body and pure immortal body were hard to distinguish by appearance.
“Mouth sweet enough; you eat first, I’m not hungry.” Li Ling said.
“Too thankful!”
Little Fatty hurriedly took the bowl, asked: “I am Shi Shi, how do you two call?”
Li Ling said: “Cang Li Tribe, Li Ling.”
“Cang Li Tribe, Xie Tianshu.”
Li Weiyi secretly sized up this suddenly appearing little fatty; no magic power or mind power fluctuation sensed, no dangerous aura, like an ordinary person. But an ordinary person without cultivation appearing in current Yaoguan City, wasn’t that strange?
While wolfing down noodles, little fatty could actually talk, commenting on passersby on the street: “Tian Shu Ge, see that fire lizard-pulled carriage? That’s the ride of Young City Lord of Li City from Zhizhou. Li family is glorious, produced a big shot; in a few decades, might become second ten million gateway in Southern Territory. This young city lord, only seventeen, already Nine Springs broken Five Seas. Pity mortal body quality; if pure immortal body, that’d be something!”
“Ling sister, see those dozen youths in green martial robes? The leader is Number One Person of the Younger Generation of Three Chen Academy, Chen Wenwu. Under thirty in Li Zhou, top ten… maybe top five…”
“Xue Zheng ranked fourth in Seven Springs Hall also came! He’s not simple; under twenty-five, such combat power under Five Seas Realm, can stand equal with pure immortal body. Once breaking to Five Seas, swimming fish turns flood dragon.”
Only then did Li Weiyi and Li Ling finally look toward the street.
Indeed, Xue Zheng’s upright figure carrying magic tool long saber approached from afar, gaze always fixed on the noodle stall. Under sunlight, his silver skin gleamed unusually bright and dazzling.
With Xue Zheng came also two Five Seas Realm experts from Chang Lin Gang, Xu Changlin and Tang Yan.
But in bearing and spirit, the two Five Seas Realm were actually a notch weaker.
All pedestrians on the street sensed the extraordinary dangerous aura. Except martial cultivators confident in their strength, others all retreated far.
Li Ling of course knew comers ill-intentioned, abruptly stood, walked out stall: “Chang Lin Gang’s guts growing bigger; this miss hasn’t gone to settle with you, yet you deliver yourselves. Want to kill in Yaoguan City, can you pass me?”
Xue Zheng cupped fists: “Fourth lady misunderstands! Xue came to care about Brother Li’s injuries, specially to visit. If injuries healed, want to exchange pointers; after all now all say Li Weiyi is Number One Person of the Younger Generation Spring Gushing Realm in Li Zhou. Xue Zheng undefeated yet overshadowed for nothing, naturally uncomfortable.”
Xu Changlin said: “Young people should exchange more; both top geniuses of Spring Gushing Realm. Very fair!”
Li Ling said: “Why have I never heard he’s Number One Person of the Younger Generation Spring Gushing Realm in Li Zhou? Number One Person of the Younger Generation is my brother; how about Sui Sect also find someone to challenge him?”
Xue Zheng’s gaze fell on Li Weiyi: “Xue just wants to exchange pointers; Your Excellency doesn’t dare? Man hiding behind a woman, doomed no great achievement.”
Li Weiyi drank the last mouthful of soup: “Boss, check! His ten bowls noodles, I cover too.”
Li Weiyi had already escaped one kill calamity by treating to noodles. This little fatty before him was somewhat inscrutable, so felt making a good karma not bad.
Anyway ten bowls not expensive.
Out of stall, Li Weiyi narrowed eyes looking at Xue Zheng standing back to sunset, said: “Just ate, not suitable for intense battle; another day. Also I not hiding behind her, she insists on protecting me. If you have ability, find a great mind master to protect you too!”
“Beautiful great mind master like divine daughter descended.” From stall came little fatty’s correcting voice.
Li Weiyi naturally didn’t want to fight Xue Zheng; defeating or killing him would make enemies and killers reassess his strength, pressure multiply.
Not fighting instead lets enemies underestimate more.
Xue Zheng seriously sized up Li Weiyi, like reknowing him.
That ruthless character who killed wildly by Sui River surprisingly not provoked at all.
“Clatter!”
A ox cart slowly came.
The pulling green ox had body larger than elephant, golden pupils, shining skin, hooves and horns like bronze, clearly no ordinary breed.
See green ox, know the person.
Everyone present knew Cang Li Leader arrived, all saluted or retreated.
Ox cart stopped by Li Weiyi and Li Ling, voice of Li Songlin from cart: “You two, get on!”
Li Weiyi naturally knew this Cang Li Leader worried for his safety, specially came to back him, heart touched.
Li Ling boarded first; Li Weiyi looked at opposite Xue Zheng and Tang Yan: “Earlier outside city, I saw Murong Xiao!”
Dropped that, ignoring Xue Zheng trio’s expressions, Li Weiyi directly boarded ox cart, entered compartment.
Li Songlin sat in main seat opposite door, face quite sullen, then bitterly: “Sorry, I thought could protect you a month, but others didn’t give face. This time face lost big, key can’t get back.”
Li Songlin didn’t mention why can’t get back; Li Weiyi naturally wouldn’t ask.
He said: “Junior already very grateful; without senior’s protection over twenty days, that night I wouldn’t have any chance of survival.”
Li Songlin finally smiled: “Broken through to Eighth Spring Feng Fu?”
Previously Li Weiyi told him he was Seven Springs cultivation.
Since survived that night a month ago and consecutively killed Top Hundred Martial Artists, obviously realm breakthrough for a slim chance.
Li Weiyi struggled inwardly, considering deceiving Li Songlin. He really didn’t want to deceive this respectable elder, but finally nodded: “Lucky broke through Feng Fu, else now already bones gone.”
Li Songlin had guessed early, not surprised, smiled: “You not impulsively agreeing to Xue Zheng is right; I was somewhat worried your character too rigid. Overly rigid easy break! Rigid and flexible together is true Sword Dao.”
“Xue Zheng already Silver Pure Immortal Body; with his martial arts attainment, under Five Seas Realm in entire Li Zhou, no one his opponent. Even hidden Nine Springs martial cultivators of various forces, not necessarily win him.”
“If you agreed earlier, probably split killed by one saber. No one avenge you, since you agreed yourself, can’t even take one move, blame no one.”
While speaking, Li Songlin observed Li Weiyi’s expression.
Pure immortal body not only flawless jade skin kind; some bodies silver, gold, lapis lazuli…; physique combat power no superiority.
Li Weiyi showed no dejection or disappointment, because he didn’t think he’d lose to Xue Zheng transformed from half immortal body to pure immortal body, just curiously asked: “Various forces have hidden Nine Springs martial cultivators? So so-called Seven Springs Hall ranking just for fun?”
Li Songlin shook head: “Seven Springs Hall ranking still weighty. Young martial cultivators opening Nine Springs few; after opening Nine Springs, immediately break Five Seas, hide this secret.”
“Pure immortal body opening Nine Springs almost all known under heaven; such geniuses all roped by big forces, used as signboards to promote and build, no one dares easily kill. Ten Million Gateways and ten million sects call them successors.”
“But how many pure immortal bodies?”
“Mortal base thousands or ten thousand times larger than pure immortal body; even harder cultivation, still some open Nine Springs. But they mostly unknown, deliberately hidden.”
“As I know, recent ten years, Jiu Li opened Nine Springs young martial cultivators six, Cang Li strongest. Other five, four mortals, one deformed humanoid race.”
Li Weiyi said: “Jiu Li population over ten million, only six opened Nine Springs in ten years. Ancestral Field this pass indeed hard as heaven.”
“Cang Li Tribe as Million-Strong Clan, recent thirty years, besides Cang Li, no other opened Nine Springs genius.”
Li Songlin bitterly smiled: “Told you so much, old man wants to tell you, you must impact Ninth Spring; only open Ancestral Field, you have chance defeat Xue Zheng, make up physique gap. If you really do, no matter how high cultivation, all look highly; status in Jiu Li different.”
Li Songlin though already fifty-two this year, still called himself old man, but looked only thirty-something, quite lazy and free-spirited air.
Li Weiyi said: “Junior naturally will try; won’t rush break Five Seas Realm.”
Li Songlin nodded satisfied, finally to main topic: “Know why Xue Zheng transform to pure immortal body in short time?”
“Why?”
This was asked by Li Ling.
Li Songlin said: “Xue Family that leader picked a exotic medicine stained with immortal radiance near Zangxian Town, gave him to consume.”
Sui Sect formed by seven families.
Yang Clan first, Xue Clan last.
“That old fellow could cultivate a pure immortal body; old man naturally cultivate a open Nine Springs genius to suppress him.” Li Songlin smiled at Li Weiyi: “Just right, old man picked a exotic medicine stained with immortal radiance few days ago.”
Li Weiyi moved; thought Li Songlin big talk Nine Springs Ancestral Field just encouragement, who knew he’d offer such exotic treasure?
Li Ling coquettishly: “Fourth Uncle, I’m still half immortal body! Such exotic medicine, why think of outsider first?”
Li Songlin said: “Same stained immortal radiance, but herbs effects differ. The one I picked more suitable help martial cultivator open Feng Fu and Ancestral Field. In tribe, who has hope open Ancestral Field?”
Li Songlin decided give this exotic medicine to Li Weiyi; first, Li Weiyi’s combat power at Eight Springs enough strong, qualified top ten Top Hundred Martial Artists, high chance impact Ancestral Field success.
Second, he heard Cang Li recount that night a month ago in Jiu Li City; Li Weiyi alone drew numerous enemies to save companions. This courage and character in desperate straits too rare and valuable; he very wanted to take as successor.
……
Seeking monthly tickets!
