Sword Sect Outer Sect

Chapter 196 Yunxi City

Long, green mountains stretch to the banks of the Wuxi River.

The old tree at the edge of the town is still there.

Are the roads in Shiliang Town a little wider now?

Walking slowly through the market, Song Yan wore a bamboo hat and coarse linen clothes, looking every bit like a martial arts master.

There has never been a shortage of such martial artists coming and going in Shiliang, so naturally they don't attract much attention.

I found a seat outside the teahouse and sat down.

"Waiter, bring tea."

"okay."

The waiter who served the tea was a complete stranger to Song Yan. He was quite young, probably one of the newest employees hired in recent years.

Inside the teahouse, a storyteller was reciting tales he had never heard before.

The villagers around, who were drinking tea and listening to storytelling, would occasionally chat about things happening in town.

Ling, the head constable, was transferred to the Six Doors in the capital, a proper promotion.

The only son of the Xu family finally passed the imperial examination; the daughter of the Meng family was taken to the immortal mountain by Zhao Gongfeng to seek immortality and enlightenment.

The original county magistrate was transferred elsewhere, and now the entire staff of the Shiliang Town County Government has been replaced.

Song Yan did not plan to visit them one by one.

The villagers live peaceful and tranquil lives, needing no disturbance.

Let's go to Grandpa's grave to offer incense and then hurry on our way.

After setting down his teacup and leaving some loose silver coins, Song Yan walked through the Lantern Market Street and headed up the Green Mountain.

Valley.

Looking at the familiar thatched cottage, Song Yan stopped in his tracks.

The roof of the thatched cottage seemed to have been repaired, but the old wooden door was still the same as I remembered it.

"It seems that Uncle Meng has been quite idle since Sister Meng left."

The incense burner in front of my grandfather's grave was very clean, indicating that someone often comes to clean it.

"Grandpa, your grandson is going on a long journey down the mountain, and I'm afraid I won't be back for a year or two."

They lit three incense sticks and placed them on the grave.

Xiao He transformed into human form and bowed several times with Song Yan.

The longer he walked in the world of cultivation, the more he felt that his grandfather was no ordinary person.

The old man's words and actions always inspire him.

He had wondered if his grandfather was some kind of immortal descended to earth, but his remains were clearly visible, lying in this small grave.

If you travel north to Longquan Prefecture, you might also pass through Wuzhiping in Linzhou, so why not take the opportunity to visit Grandpa's old home?

Song Yan turned to Xiao He: "Do you want to go back to Little Lonely Mountain for a visit?"

"Hmm..." Xiaohe thought for a moment, "I guess I won't go."

There's really nothing to miss about Xiaogushan.

What made her happy there was actually her friends coming all the way from town to play with her.

Now that Yanyan is right beside me and all my friends are gone, there's no need to go back.

"it is good."

He glanced back at the scenery of the thatched cottage one last time before walking down the mountain.

The man and the snake left the stone bridge.

……

Qiyuan Prefecture has the largest area among the four states and thirteen prefectures of the Chu Kingdom, and is one of the most prosperous prefectures besides Linzhou, the capital of the Chu Kingdom.

The source of this wealth largely comes from Yunxi City.

Yunxi City is located in the southeastern part of the Chu Kingdom, in the middle reaches of the Wuxi River.

The river forms a natural bend here, with a wide and gentle channel and fertile plains on both banks.

It is bordered by the foothills of Qingluan Mountain to the north, with gentle slopes and dense forests; to the south it connects to the Nianmu Mountain Plain, with a network of waterways.

It is a famous land of fish and rice in the Chu Kingdom.

“What a great place.”

The young man in plain clothes slowly walked into the city, talking to himself.

He slightly raised his head, revealing his handsome face, still bearing a hint of youthful innocence. Before descending the mountain, the sect had specially dispatched a disciple in charge to assign him patrol duties.

The so-called inspection mission, as the name suggests, is to take advantage of the trip down the mountain to inspect various places under the jurisdiction of the sect.

Check if there are any officials who hold positions without performing their duties, or if any families of cultivators are causing trouble in the area.

However, this kind of thing doesn't usually happen.

Therefore, most of the time, it's just that when sect disciples pass by, they stay for a few days to remind these worshippers not to misbehave.

This patrol mission also became the sect's suggested "best travel route" for its disciples.

In Yunxi City, besides the Dongyuan Sect's worshippers, the Xuanyuan Sect also has worshippers here.

Normally, they would keep to themselves, but the situation between the two sects is rather delicate now, and it's unclear how these offerings are faring.

"With waterways connecting in all directions and official roads radiating in all directions, it was such a prosperous place..."

"No wonder Linxi County was able to develop into such a large city simply because it is closest to Yunxi City."

Sometimes, when Song Yan sees something new or interesting, he will stop and look at it.

The number of boat owners at Yunxi City Wharf is countless.

Hundreds of cargo ships load and unload goods such as porcelain, rice, and cooking oil at the dock every day.

"Xiao He, when we leave here in a few days, let's take a boat."

Looking at the bustling scene at the dock, Song Yan suddenly spoke.

Xiao He nodded: "Okay, I've never been on a boat before."

With important business at hand, he decided to first find the local temple to worship.

"The retainers of Yunxi City actually live in the City Lord's Mansion..."

Song Yan wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt that the Chu court and the people were getting closer and closer to these immortals.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, he found a secluded place, changed into the Taoist robes of the Dongyuan Sect, and resumed his sect attire.

Arriving in front of the city lord's mansion.

"...And you are?"

Upon seeing Song Yan's attire and his otherworldly demeanor, the two guards swallowed back the words "Who is this?" that they had originally intended to ask.

They politely inquired about the purpose of their visit.

"An inner disciple of the Dongyuan Sect has come here for inspection."

Song Yan revealed his identity and said succinctly, "I would like to trouble you two to summon Attendant Liu."

The two guards dared not be negligent and nodded repeatedly.

One person stayed behind while the other led him into the reception room of the mansion.

The guard informed an old steward of Song Yan's background and then went back to stand outside the mansion.

The old steward quickly arranged for servants to report to the city lord and the temple's innkeeper, and then treated Song Yan with some reverence.

As soon as they sat down, servants served them tea and snacks.

I took a sip of the tea. It was indeed excellent tea, but unfortunately it wasn't spiritual tea and didn't contain any spiritual energy. It tasted rather bland.

I also tried a piece of the Song Dynasty-style pastry; it melted in my mouth and tasted excellent.

Although one can only completely abstain from food after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, since entering the late stage of Qi Refining, one's dependence on food has already reached an extremely low level.

Even when they occasionally ate within the sect, it was always spiritual rice and spiritual food.

Take a small bite and then stop, close your eyes and rest.

After a short while, a middle-aged man in fine clothes stepped in from outside.

Beside him was a graceful and elegant woman, and a girl of about twelve or thirteen years old.

The three men's gazes fell on Song Yan, their expressions varying.

The middle-aged man stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and said, "Greetings, Immortal. I am Zhao Huaiyuan, the lord of Yunxi City."

"This is my wife, Madam Chen, and my daughter, Yihuan."

Song Yan was somewhat dazed.

This is the city lord of Yunxi City in the Chu Kingdom; it's no exaggeration to say he holds a high position and wields great power.

However, just because he was a cultivator, he was so respectful and dared not be negligent.

Song Yan nodded: "Lord Zhao, there's no need for that. I'm just passing through and conducting an inspection of sect affairs. It has nothing to do with city administration."

"Just have Liu Xincheng, the Imperial Envoy, come to see me."

(End of this chapter)