Chapter 42: Three Yuan City (Please recommend)
Chapter 42: Three Yuan City (Please recommend)
‘Chen Ping must have a secret! ’
Back in the Da Liang world, Fang Xi's eyes glinted with a sharp light: ‘Should I. . . ? ’
The next moment, he couldn't help but laugh softly: "In a Great Thousand World, cultivators' opportunities aren't exclusive to me alone; isn't it normal for someone to have a few secrets? There's no need to dig into every detail, or even kill people for their treasures. . . that would be putting the cart before the horse! No matter how great his secret, could it be greater than mine? ”
To sit on a mountain of gold and still plot to snatch coppers from a beggar, that truly would be. . . low-class!
Having understood this point, Fang Xi set aside his curiosity about Chen Ping, identified the direction, and spurred his horse to catch up with the convoy.
To be honest, he actually quite liked this status of being apart from the main group, a semi-lone wolf, as it was more convenient for him to conceal certain things.
For example. . . Fang Xi had been constantly searching for traces of demon beasts in the wild.
Unfortunately, even though the Da Liang world was plagued by demons, they weren't found everywhere.
During this period, he roamed the wilderness but didn't encounter any demon beasts.
The journey was uneventful, and he soon caught up with the convoy again.
“Young master is back! ”
Bai He's eyes were filled with smiles when she saw Fang Xi.
“Mm, I’m back! ”
Fang Xi nodded, looking at the increasingly vast convoy.
As the convoy passed through other towns, it naturally replenished its livestock and carriages, becoming increasingly grand and cumbersome. . . However, the hardship of the journey was significantly reduced.
After exchanging a few words with the maidservants, Fang Xi went to find Han Pang Zi.
“Oh? Brother Fang wants to know about Three Yuan City's factions? ”
Han Pang Zi was sitting in a carriage, eating fruit peeled by his concubine, and burst into laughter upon hearing this: “That’s simple enough. . . ”
Since he was idle anyway during the journey, Han Pang Zi simply gave Fang Xi a detailed explanation of the power distribution in Three Yuan City.
As the capital city of Ding Prefecture, Three Yuan City boasted a large population and prosperous industries, with its factions a tangled mix of dragons and snakes.
“If we're talking about Three Yuan City's top power, that would naturally be the Ding Prefecture Army! The Ding Prefecture Army is the imperial court's stabilizing force in Ding Prefecture. . . Every soldier in the army must grasp their blood-qi, having reached the first transformation of a Martial Apprentice! Only those with three blood-qi transformations can serve as squad leaders, True Force martial artists can be camp commanders, and above camp commanders are the eight great captains, each a True Vigor Martial Master famous for many years. . . As for the general. . . ” Han Pang Zi deliberately left a suspenseful pause.
“Could it be a True Vigor Martial Saint? ” Fang Xi interjected.
“If one were a Grandmaster, one could naturally take on the role of general, but that's not the case. . . ” Han Pang Zi burst into hearty laughter: “Being able to fight doesn't mean being able to wage war. . . High martial arts skill doesn't mean one can command a large army. The Ding Prefecture Army's general is simply a military official appointed by the Da Liang imperial court; his strength is hard to say. However, it's rumored that he has an elite personal guard force by his side, so even a Grandmaster might not be able to get close. . . ”
“That certainly makes sense. ” Fang Xi nodded: “The imperial court is the first, so what about the second power? ”
“The second power is Yuan He Mountain. ”
Han Pang Zi specifically glanced at Fang Xi, seeing his expressionless face before continuing: “Yuan He Mountain is a major sect in Ding Prefecture, with dozens of True Vigor Martial Masters within its gates, and True Force martial artists emerging endlessly. Its network of connections is deeply entrenched. . . It's said that within the sect, there's even a Grandmaster Patriarch, though whether that's true or false is unknown. ”
“As for the third, that would be the Monster Hunting Association! ”
“Monster Hunting Association? ” Hearing that name, Fang Xi suddenly felt a favorable impression; he probably had some affinity with this organization.
Han Pang Zi, oblivious to Fang Xi's thoughts, introduced: “There are too many demon beasts in the mountains and wilds, and they're too elusive. Mobilizing the imperial army or even divine constables to deal with them one by one is too troublesome. Civilian martial artists are also a good force, so the Monster Hunting Association emerged to meet this need. It's equivalent to the imperial court issuing bounties; martial artists with ability can go hunt demon beasts and exchange them for rewards. . . They can also gain fame throughout the land! Which martial artist doesn't love fame and fortune? This Monster Hunting Association is spread throughout the entire prefecture. Once a martial artist subjugates a troublesome demon beast, they'll become famous, and there's even a monthly ranking. . . ”
“Indeed, quite good. ”
Fang Xi continued to inquire, learning that the fourth and fifth powers were the Merchant Alliance and the Martial Alliance, which left him speechless.
The Merchant Alliance was a commercial federation; it went without saying that without merchants, the populace couldn't prosper.
As for the Martial Alliance, the alliance of martial arts halls, it was surprisingly ranked only fifth. Truly, those who publicly sold their skills never had anything truly good.
Martial arts taught for money would always be at the lowest tier; it was understandable, completely understandable, that they'd end up in such a sorry state.
“Han Pang Zi, you seem to have missed something, like the black market forces? ” Fang Xi thought for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly.
“Haha. . . the black market is just rats in a ditch, what kind of power could they have? ” Han Pang Zi laughed with humble deference: “Apart from that, there are the four great noble families and the like. The reason they aren't ranked separately is because their influence spans across various sectors. For example, the Huang family has people serving as captains in the Ding Prefecture Army, they run businesses, their merchant houses hold many voting rights in the Merchant Alliance, and furthermore, they influence some martial arts halls, secretly gathering many experts to serve as their wings. They're very difficult to deal with. . . ”
“I wasn't thinking of dealing with anyone. . . ” Fang Xi gave a wry laugh: “I just want to practice martial arts diligently and become a Grandmaster one day! ”
“Grandmaster? ” Han Pang Zi gave a bitter smile: “To achieve True Vigor? How incredibly difficult. . . I only heard an elder mention it once, something about ‘spirit merging with vigor’ and ‘unity of heaven and man’. . . ”
“Spirit merging with vigor? ”
Fang Xi recalled that similar descriptions were also present in the Yuan He Mountain secret manual.
However, it was explained more clearly.
The gap between a Grandmaster and a Martial Master was vast, divided into many steps.
The first step to becoming a Grandmaster was to cultivate 'fist intent'!
As for the second step, it was the 'subtle manifestation of vigor,' using true vigor to refine the 'great spinal dragon,' surging straight to the crown of the head, and breaking through the Niwan Palace!
This wasn't recorded in the secret manual; it was something Linghu Yang's master had told him.
First-step Martial Master, second-step Martial Master. . . presumably there were third-step, fourth-step, and so on, later. . .
As for when one could become a Grandmaster, Linghu Yang didn't know either.
‘Cultivating as a Martial Master is even harder than as a Martial Artist. . . ’
‘What a pity, the Yuan He Five Thunder Hand secret manual I have is incomplete. . . Perhaps, I should think of a way? ’
Fang Xi gazed at the scenery outside the carriage, lost in thought.
......
During the following month, Fang Xi often fell behind the convoy, traveling to the South Barrens Cultivation World to farm and handle his social interactions there.
Occasionally, he would rush about through the mountains and wilds of Ding Prefecture, searching for traces of demon beasts.
After expending immense effort, he finally hunted down a two-headed snake demon, flayed its skin, and stored its meat for sale.
As for this outcome, Fang Xi gradually came to terms with it.
If demons were found everywhere in the countryside, how would the common people farm their lands?This world would likely have ended long ago, and the Da Liang imperial court wouldn't exist.
Therefore, although there were demons in the wilderness, they were ultimately very few.
The situation before in Black Stone City, for instance, was purely due to the emergence of the Progenitor Demonic Tree, which drove away other demon beasts; it was an exception!
......
On this day.
The convoy drove up a hill. Looking out, a large city came into view in the distance.
This grand city was located at the confluence of two large rivers, with massive docks constructed along them.
Under the sunlight, the moat shimmered with ripples, and large pleasure boats glided gracefully upon it. . .
The majestic ancient city exuded an ancient aura. On its plaque, the large characters 'Three Yuan' were clearly visible.
“Three Yuan City, we’re here! ”
Many people in the convoy cheered.
They had finally reached the end of their journey!
“Young master, look! ”
Bai He excitedly pointed to the city not far away: “So many people. . . so beautiful. . . ”
“Indeed! ”
Fang Xi smiled, dotingly patting her head, then said to Mu Piao Miao: “Piao Miao. . . I'll leave Bai He in your care. ”
“Please rest assured, Senior Brother! ” Mu Piao Miao subconsciously agreed, then realized something was off: “Senior Brother. . . aren't you entering the city? ”
“I merely escorted you this far. A farewell is inevitable after a long journey. I'm leaving now! ”
Fang Xi waved his hand at Mu Cang Long and Han Pang Zi, then turned and strode away.
Entering the city with so many people was definitely not his plan.
After all, too many people meant too many mouths, and he had previously displayed some extraordinary qualities.
Even Mu Cang Long might not trust him a hundred percent.
Moreover, the siege of Black Stone City was a major event, and the authorities would certainly be paying attention. When they discovered this group of survivors and interrogated them, who among them could hold out?
Human hearts, too, couldn't withstand scrutiny.
Therefore, Fang Xi chose not to test human nature directly.
As long as he maintained his mysterious disappearance, and no one knew his whereabouts, no one would think of informing the authorities.
Thus, he decided to leave alone, not even taking Bai He with him.
After all, she was merely a maidservant. His protection, allowing her to survive the demonic disaster and safely reach Three Yuan City, was already an immense kindness.
He owed her nothing, only kindness.
Fang Xi departed with utmost nonchalance.
Watching his retreating figure, both Mu Cang Long and Han Pang Zi fell silent.
While they were indeed grateful for Fang Xi's life-saving grace and might not betray their benefactor, what lay deep within their hearts was truly hard to say.
But now, not even a trace of such thoughts remained.
Because Fang Xi simply gave them no opportunity!
......
“After becoming a True Vigor Martial Master, it's quite difficult to progress further. Currently, my combat power is equivalent to a second-step Martial Master, but I haven't even taken a single step on the path to Grandmaster. . . Although I have the aid of Divine Consciousness and the 'subtle manifestation' realm, comprehending fist intent should be quick. . . ”
“But martial arts are merely a means to protect the Dao; immortal cultivation is the true path to longevity. . . ”
Back in the cultivation world, Fang Xi felt the spiritual energy, far more abundant than in Da Liang, and sighed inwardly.
He emerged from the cellar into his shed, only to find a 'Sound Transmission Talisman' floating outside his house!
Fang Xi reached out and took it, injecting a wisp of magical power.
A clear, crisp girl's voice resounded: “Is that Fellow Daoist Fang Xi? This humble one is Situ Qing Qing, the newly appointed spirit farm steward. I ask Fellow Daoist to send me a message after seeing this Sound Transmission Talisman. ”
“The Situ Clan actually changed people? ”
Fang Xi, holding the Sound Transmission Talisman, was quite surprised, but still followed her instructions, injecting magical power and tossing it upwards.
Whoosh!
The Sound Transmission Talisman transformed into a streak of fire and vanished.
Not long after, an 'Iron Leaf Boat' artifact flew over.
Standing upon the Iron Leaf Boat was none other than a maiden dressed in green robes.
Her willow-like brows were delicately painted, her skin slightly pale. Her features, while not individually striking, were remarkably harmonious, imparting an ethereal, fairy-like quality. Her long hair cascaded to her waist, making her appear like a lady stepping out of a landscape painting.
“Greetings, Fellow Daoist Situ! ”
Fang Xi quickly bowed.
Although he sensed that the other party was merely at the mid-stage Qi Refinement realm, she was, after all, a member of the Situ Clan!
“Fellow Daoist Fang is also an old hand among our Green Bamboo Mountain spirit farmers; there's no need to be so polite! ”
Situ Qing Qing spoke, her voice as clear and pure as a mountain spring.
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