Promise!

Chapter 218, Xuan Tian

That day, Ji Tongxiu came over and said, "Mr. Zhuang, the city is near, and we should be able to get there today. We have two routes to choose from. If we go around the Funiu Mountains, it will take most of the day and we will arrive by evening. But if we go along the edge of the Funiu Mountains, it will only take a little over half a day and we can arrive by noon today."

"However, if I choose the latter, my Meridian Opening Realm is not entirely secure, and I may still need your mount to deter me."

Although the two had a relationship, Zhuang Jin referred to it as a transaction. She still addressed him as "Mr. Zhuang" and maintained proper boundaries. She did not act on her own initiative or make decisions based on their intimacy. Whenever it was necessary or needed, she would still consult him.

Zhuang Jin appreciated this point, otherwise a fleeting romance would have ended quickly, instead of a short-term relationship like this: "It's alright, let's choose the latter one you mentioned!"

As he spoke, he lifted the carriage curtain and looked into the distance. The Funiu Mountains stretched out in a continuous range, and the primordial energy of heaven and earth gathered and swirled like nebulae, as if shrouded in a cloud of mist.

Ji Tongxiu ordered the convoy to choose the latter route, and instead of leaving, he stayed there to explain to Zhuang Jin.

"The Funiu Mountains are a wondrous place in Cangzhou, stretching for over 800 miles. They are rich in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and produce many rare flowers, fruits, and precious materials. The rich spiritual energy environment will attract beasts by instinct. Over time, all kinds of wild animals that enter the vast mountains will transform into strange beasts."

"The 800-li Funiu Mountains can be divided into three regions based on the two passes."

"The line of Xiaozhushan, Cuipingshan, Hutoushan, Biyunshan, and Luoxiashan forms the first pass. Outside the first pass, there are mostly strange beasts below the Five Viscera Realm. Occasionally, strange beasts of the Five Viscera Realm appear, which are extremely dangerous to ordinary people and martial artists. This is called the first dangerous place."
After passing through the first level, there are many strange beasts comparable to the Innate Realm, occupying their own territory. These include not only strange beasts comparable to the Innate True Qi Realm, but also strange beasts comparable to the Innate Gang Qi Realm, and strange beasts comparable to the Innate Corpse-Slaying Realm, as well as strange beasts comparable to the Innate Blood-Changing Realm. Even Innate Realm experts face great dangers here, not to mention martial artists below the Innate Realm. It is known as the Second Level of Peril.

The boundary of the second perilous land is the second pass, divided by a line consisting of Tianmen Mountain, Thousand Cliffs, Wangyue Marsh, and Yunchi Mountain. Beyond the second pass, it is said that there are Vajra Realm beasts comparable to those above the Innate Realm. I know very little about that place, only that going there is a certain death sentence, hence it is called the Triple Death Land.

As Ji Tongxiu explained, the convoy slowly moved forward. About half an hour later, a commotion suddenly came from the direction of the Funiu Mountains.

……

On the edge of the Funiu Mountains, five people fled at high speed. The group consisted of four men and one woman. The burly man who led the group was a martial artist with two meridians. The other four were at different levels of cultivation, ranging from seven to twelve meridians. The burly man was carrying the corpse of a strange beast, the Wind Chaser Deer, which had just entered the Yi Jin realm.

A group of people were chasing them from behind. The leader was also a martial artist at the second level of the Meridian Opening Realm, but below him was a martial artist at the first level of the Meridian Opening Realm. There were more than a dozen martial artists at the seventh to twelfth meridian level. They quickly caught up and closed in to surround them.

"Brother, the enemy outnumbers us, and they have two Qi Refining martial artists. We're probably going to lose in a fight. How about we use the Wind Chaser Deer..."

"Fourth brother, what are you saying? We've put in so much effort and preparation to finally hunt this beast at the Yi Jin realm. It's worth a lot of contribution points. How can we give it up? We might as well fight them to the death."

“I think what Fourth Brother said makes sense. As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn. Second Brother, you are always wise, what do you say?” the female martial artist also spoke up.

“If things can’t be done, then we must make a clean break. What do you think, brother?” A middle-aged man with a goatee said as he ran quickly.

"Sigh, then... wait a minute!"

The leader of the five, a burly martial artist who had reached the Meridian Realm and was also the eldest among them, suddenly looked towards the direction of the official road: "That's... the Ji family's convoy?! We have a lot of business dealings with the Ji family's stalls in the Third Ring Road, so we might be able to ask them for help."

……

The convoy slowly approached, with the character "纪" on the banner at the front fluttering in the wind. The five men quickly came closer.

The leader of the pursuing group seemed to sense something, his expression changed drastically, and he immediately stopped, ordering, "The wind is strong, let's get out of here and retreat!"

The others were extremely decisive. Upon hearing the order, they were well-trained and quickly retreated, only stopping when they were more than ten miles away.

“Boss, the Ji family is just a second-rate family in the state city. At most, they only have one Nascent Soul martial artist. They are not on the Hidden Dragon List. We are not without support... The Ji family caravan probably only has one martial artist with the first or second Meridian Opening stage. They may not even get involved. Is it worth being so wary? Why leave without saying a word and let go of the fat meat that is right in front of us?”

At this moment, a martial artist from the Twelve Meridians below asked a question.

In Cangzhou, only families with a Nascent Soul martial artist who has made it onto the Hidden Dragon List can be called first-rate families; families without a Nascent Soul martial artist on the Hidden Dragon List can only be called second-rate; families with a Meridian Opening martial artist can be called third-rate families; and below that are no better, rising and falling in an instant, and in the eyes of some respectable people, they are not even considered families.

The leader, a second-stage Qi Refining warrior, glanced at the man and said, "No, the Ji family caravan has a Bone Forging Realm beast that doesn't conceal its aura, and... a Venerable!"

"A Venerable One?!"

Everyone who heard this was horrified.

Only those who have entered the Innate Realm dare to claim the title of Venerable. In the state capital, the Innate Realm is also known as the Venerable Realm. As for things like Meridian Opening or Fetal Breathing, even those listed on the Hidden Dragon Ranking do not have similar titles.

This actually represents a meaning: all beings under heaven are ants.

Just as these people regard ordinary people as ants, in the eyes of the Innate Venerables, they are also nothing more than ants, and killing them would be no more difficult than crushing an ant.

If they actually went over to "greet" them, that innate venerable one would casually kill them, and even those behind them wouldn't dare utter a sound. No one would uphold justice for them, and they would truly die in vain.

……

“Mr. Zhuang, these are the ‘Five Heroes of Tongshan’: Lu Tai, Wu Xiyong, Xue Kui, Jiang Quansheng, and Gongsun Ping. The five of them come from Tongshan Prefecture and have been wandering around the city. Because they are like-minded, they became sworn brothers and helped each other. They have sold many of the exotic animals they hunted at my stall, so we have some dealings.”

"The Five Heroes of Tongshan came to express their gratitude," Ji Tongxiu introduced to Zhuang Jin.

Zhuang Jin nodded slightly and looked over.

Among the Five Heroes of Tongshan, the eldest, Lu Tai, had thick eyebrows, large eyes, and large knuckles, clearly a martial arts prodigy; the second, Wu Xiyong, dressed as a fortune teller, had a long beard and wise eyes; the third, Xue Kui, had a rugged face and large, copper-bell-like eyes; the fourth, Jiang Quansheng, looked quite refined and dressed as a scholar; and the fifth, Gongsun Ping, was a woman with a beauty mark at the corner of her eye.

Because they were passing through the edge of the Funiu Mountains, Zhuang Jin was only displaying the aura of the first level of the Innate True Qi Realm to avoid trouble. Lu Tai's martial arts intuition sensed this, and cold sweat broke out on his back. He hadn't expected that there would be such an important figure in the Ji family's caravan. He and his sworn siblings respectfully bowed down and said, "Thank you for saving our lives. We are willing to offer this deer to you, sir!"

The third brother, Xue Kui, seemed reluctant to part with the child and was about to speak when he was pulled aside by the second brother, Wu Xiyong.

Zhuang Jin glanced at Ji Tongxiu beside her, then raised her hand and said, "No need, you can go!"

Ji Tongxiu knew this was to save face for her. While feeling sorry for Zhuang Jin, she also felt quite proud and honored. Her pretty face glowed slightly.

Zhuang Jin noticed this scene and thought to himself that this woman was quite vain, but since it was a short-term transaction, driven by lust and not emotion, it didn't matter.

In fact, as his cultivation level improved, after his encounters with Chen Yun and the other women, he developed a mindset that preferred to make transactions clear and transparent beforehand rather than risk emotional entanglements. For example, if Ji Tongxiu had said how much she liked him, how deeply she loved him, or how it was love at first sight that day, he would have kicked her out on the spot. "Thank you, sir!" Lu Tai, along with his sworn siblings, bowed again before leaving.

As Ji Tongxiu watched their retreating figures, he sighed, "Life is tough. These rogue martial artists live on the edge, it's not easy for them either."

"Ok!"

Zhuang Jin nodded slightly upon hearing this. He had learned a lot about the situation in the prefecture from Mu Qing, but hearing about it was not as good as experiencing it firsthand. He decided to spend some time to see and understand it for himself.

Just as you need to understand an enemy to deal with them, you need to understand the vast and rigorous system that the Great Qian Dynasty has developed over eight hundred years. If you want to find a glimmer of hope to break through the blockade, you naturally need to understand it first.

'But this woman...'

He glanced at Ji Tongxiu again: 'Although somewhat vain, he is also clear-headed, has a sense of propriety, is capable, and possesses a degree of empathy. Through this observation, I've gained a glimpse into the Ji family, and it seems they aren't too bad off.'

……

Here, the 'Five Heroes of Tongshan' departed.

"Big brother, why did you send away the Wind Chaser Deer just now? And second brother, why did you stop me from speaking?" The third brother, Xue Kui, finally couldn't help but ask loudly.

“The person who looked like a young man in white just now was a Primordial Venerable,” Lu Tai said solemnly.

"what?!"

Upon hearing this, the other four exclaimed in surprise. They had thought that Zhuang Jin was at most a strange Nascent Soul martial artist, but they did not expect him to be a Primordial Venerable.

“Brother did the right thing. It’s a pity that the lord didn’t take the deer, so that we could establish some connection.” Wu Xiyong stroked his beard and sighed.

"So what if he's a Celestial Venerable? We brothers might not be any worse off in the future." Xue Kui said in a deep voice, but his voice lowered noticeably at the end, clearly indicating a lack of confidence.

"What? That's a top-tier figure who can obtain the Xuan Snake Token. One person can create a first-class or higher innate family. If we don't have the opportunity, we probably won't even have the right to say a word in our entire lives." The fourth brother, Jiang Quansheng, who always liked to banter with Xue Kui, snorted at this moment.

"Alright, that lord is still too far away from us."

Gongsun Ping smoothed things over and changed the subject, saying, "Once we hand over the Wind Chaser Deer's antlers, we'll have completed another Silver Carp-level mission. We only need two more of the five promotion missions... Once we complete all five promotion missions and my brother gets the Silver Carp Token, he'll be qualified to rent a stall in the third ring. Then we won't have to risk going into the mountains to hunt strange beasts anymore, and life will be much better."

Compared to the Bronze Carp Token corresponding to the Qi Condensation Realm, the Silver Carp Token corresponding to the Meridian Opening Realm offers several advantages, including increased monthly and daily limits, the ability to retrieve a lost token using contribution points three times, and the option to rent a stall in the Third Ring. Compared to the risks of hunting exotic beasts, this is safer and much more profitable, making it the lifelong dream of many struggling Qi Condensation Realm martial artists in the state city.

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, the others' eyes lit up. Wasn't this precisely why they concentrated their resources to help their eldest brother, Lu Tai, break through first?

"Alright, Second Brother, Third Brother, Fourth Brother, Fifth Sister, don't worry. Once I get the Silver Carp Token, I'll be able to rent a stall in the Third Ring Road. When things are a bit more comfortable, I'll definitely help you all break through to the Meridian Opening Realm. Who knows, we might even have the hope of reaching the Fetal Breathing Realm in the future."

Lu Tai looked at his sworn brothers and sisters-in-law and made the same promise as always.

"If I really break through to the Meridian Opening Realm, Jie'er will also have a chance to go to a third-rate martial arts academy," Gongsun Ping said, a smile appearing on her face as she imagined.

"Once I open my meridians, I'll be able to eat exotic beasts and drink immortal wine to my heart's content." Xue Kui said, then looked at Wu Xiyong: "Second brother, what about you?"

"When I break through to the next level of the Qi Convergence Realm, I want to establish a third-rate family. I don't even dare to dream of a house in the fourth ring road, but I hope to be able to buy one in the fifth or sixth ring road," Wu Xiyong said, stroking his beard.

“That’s not easy. Even at the Meridian Opening Realm, it would take decades of not eating or drinking to afford a house in the fifth or sixth ring. Those families that have reached the rank have all achieved it through the efforts of several generations.” Jiang Quansheng shook his head.

"It will happen! It will happen! We still need to work hard and do our best. The contribution points earned with our own hands are the most reliable!" Lu Tai encouraged his four sworn brothers and sisters.

……

Because Zhuang Jin deliberately revealed his presence at the Innate Realm, the Ji family's caravan passed through the edge of the Funiu Mountains. Along the way, demons, monsters, and evil spirits all retreated. It was nearly noon when they finally entered Cangzhou City.

Upon entering the city gate, Zhuang Jin alighted from the carriage and looked up.

In the center of the city, high in the sky, floats a regular dodecahedron, emitting three halos with radii of one li, three li, and five li respectively, dividing the city's interior into three rings.

Moreover, the sky was clear and bright today, and the area within the Third Ring Road was covered by a blue curtain of light, as if the sky was reflected down, creating an extra layer of sky.

"Mr. Zhuang, this is the extraordinary treasure of the Suspended Sky Bureau in the state capital—the Suspended Sky Mirror. It divides the core area of ​​the state capital into three rings. These three rings are defined by the halo of the Suspended Sky Mirror. The fourth, fifth, sixth, and so on, up to the ninth ring, are artificially divided. The first-class families and a small number of second-class families in the state capital live in the fourth ring. Most of the second-class and third-class families live in the fifth and sixth rings. The seventh, eighth, and ninth rings are for Qi Condensation martial artists and ordinary people."

The Azure Origin Pot is a rare treasure, but it is not the only rare treasure. The Suspended Sky Mirror is another rare treasure that the immortal crafted back then.

Seeing that Zhuang Jin seemed interested in the Sky Mirror, Ji Tongxiu said more: "The Sky Mirror of the city is suspended in the sky. On sunny days, the blue sky and white clouds are reflected like water ripples; on cloudy or rainy days, it is just a halo; on starry nights, it is the most beautiful, as if the Milky Way is being pulled down."

"Furthermore, within the three rings covered by the Suspended Sky Mirror, it is warm in winter and cool in summer. However, this is only the least effective effect. The most important thing is to gather the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. The closer you are to the center, the more concentrated the spiritual energy of heaven and earth will be, and the faster you can cultivate."

"Ok!"

Zhuang Jin nodded slightly upon hearing this. He could clearly sense that throughout the entire prefecture, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth decreased sequentially from the center of the Suspended Sky Mirror. Of course, even the lowest level of the outermost nine rings had a spiritual energy concentration about 10% higher than that of the prefectures and counties below.

"The Great Qian imperial family and powerful clans have built a rigorous system over eight hundred years using the Suspended Heaven Bureau and the Suspended Heaven Mirror; we'll inevitably have to deal with them in the future!"

He looked at the Mirror of Heaven hanging in the sky and thought to himself.

Just as they were pondering, chaos suddenly erupted ahead. A black-clad warrior was swept away by a kick and sent flying backwards. Behind him, a long-legged female warrior in a flying fish robe spun and landed, her long ponytail flying as she fell, revealing a beautiful yet heroic face.

……

(End of this chapter)