I am the villain in the book

Magnificent and imposing, the grand structure rose.

Layer upon layer of white jade steps resembled dense scales, while the dazzling yellow glazed tiles shimmered.

The golden light of the summer sun cascaded down, making the human city momentarily rival the works of gods.

As Wei Changtian stood in the vast Yongding City, gazing up at Dragon Head Mountain with its dense palaces, he finally beheld the true appearance of a world of cultivation for the first time.

It had to be said that, compared to the other great cities he had seen, Yongding, built around the mountain, was indeed much more "mystical".

The common people lived and resided around the foot of the mountain.

The Jingya, with all its agencies, was located above the foot of the mountain and below the mountainside.

The imperial palace of Da Hui occupied the mountainside to the summit.

Building a palace on a mountain was undoubtedly extremely difficult.

If it weren't for the existence of cultivators, it would have been difficult to complete this feat even with a massive investment of manpower and resources.

But correspondingly, like the pyramids of his previous life, its visual impact was indeed strong.

Good heavens, if there were a few more cultivators flying on swords around, it would really be similar to the scenes described in fantasy novels!

"Young Master!"

After silently praising the sight, Wei Changtian finally turned his gaze away when Zhang San's voice rang out, casually asking:

"Is everything settled?"

Wei Changtian nodded slightly and followed Zhang San towards the "Zhuwu" Inn not far away, while Yang Liushi and Li Zimu trailed slightly behind them.

Wei Changtian hadn't brought too many people with him on this trip to Da Hui, only Zhang San, Yang Liushi, and Li Zimu.

And these three obviously each had their own uses.

Zhang San was responsible for transmitting information and doing odd jobs.

Yang Liushi was both a "fighter" and used illusions to help the group conceal their identities and whereabouts.

As for Li Zimu... she had replaced Chu Xianping and become Wei Changtian's current strategist.

"Esteemed guests, the rooms have been cleaned."

"This humble servant will take you there now."

And so, amidst the innkeeper's warm greetings, the four of them entered the inn's lobby one after another, each with a smile on their face.

And with their arrival, an undercurrent powerful enough to destroy everything began to surge in this prosperous and magnificent Yongding City.

"Zhuwu" Inn was located in the southwest corner of Yongding City, not very close to Dragon Head Mountain, about a dozen miles away.

Since this inn was named "Zhuwu" (Bamboo Cottage), it meant that it must have bamboo and water.

It was bordered by a river on the southeast and west sides, with only the north side connected to the front street, and it was filled with a lush bamboo forest.

The main building of the inn was nestled in this bamboo forest.

Although the houses were made of wood, they were mostly decorated with bamboo strips, and many flowers and rare herbs were planted around them.

This place had a sense of tranquility amidst the hustle and bustle, and being in it seemed to isolate one from the city's noise.

But correspondingly, the room rates here were not cheap.

Of course, Wei Changtian chose to stay at this "high-end homestay" not because he was greedy for enjoyment, or because the young innkeeper had some beauty.

He simply felt that this place was more secluded than ordinary inns with many people coming and going.

Moreover, the innkeeper was so young and able to have such a business in Yongding City, she most likely had some background, and the probability of being investigated in the future would definitely be much smaller.

As for the identity of his group...

"Innkeeper, I wonder how many large horse trading companies there are in the city?"

Following behind the innkeeper towards a secluded courtyard deep in the bamboo forest, Wei Changtian suddenly said: "We are from Da Jue and want to do some horse trading."

"So, esteemed guests are from Da Jue."

The innkeeper in a green dress smiled and turned back: "Young master, please don't be so polite, my name is Qin He, you can just call me 'Guniang' (young lady)."

"By the way, I don't know what young master's name is..."

"Oh, my surname is Wei."

"So it's Young Master Wei, thank you for taking care of this humble servant's business."

The woman named Qin He stopped and gave a salute, then intentionally moved to Wei Changtian's side and rear as she walked, answering the latter's previous question.

"Young Master Wei, Da Hui has a total of thirteen large horse trading companies, each with shops in Yongding City."

"I don't know which one you would like to visit first?"

"This... which one does Guniang Qin think is better?"

"This humble servant doesn't understand the horse market and dare not speak carelessly, but I have heard that the horses of Changsheng Horse Trading Company are considered the best."

"Is that so? But I don't know where the Changsheng Horse Trading Company's store is?"

"It's in the East Market in the city..."

"..."

Back and forth, Wei Changtian quickly began to talk to Qin He about the horse trade.

And "a horse trader from Da Jue" was his identity in Da Hui during this period.

In fact, this was still Li Zimu's idea.

First of all, Da Hui produced horses, and there were many horse traders, large and small, coming and going, so it would not seem abrupt.

Secondly, horse trading was a big business, not something that could be agreed upon in a day or two, so they would not arouse suspicion if they lived here for a long time.

Finally, horse traders needed to travel north and south all year round, so they all had cultivation, which could also explain the identities of him and Zhang San as martial artists.

It had to be said that Li Zimu might not be as good as Chu Xianping in big strategies, but she was exceptionally meticulous in handling such small matters.

And that was why Wei Changtian brought her along.

"Thank you, Guniang Qin, then I will go to this Changsheng Horse Trading Company to take a look tomorrow."

"Young Master is too kind, you must be tired from your long journey, this humble servant will not disturb you any longer, please call if you need anything."

"Okay."

"..."

As they spoke, the group had already arrived at a secluded courtyard.

Qin He said a few more polite words and then took her leave, and a few inn employees also left after carrying Wei Changtian's luggage into the house.

Turning his head to look at the other two small courtyards not far away that were temporarily unoccupied, and glancing at Qin He's graceful figure, Wei Changtian muttered in a low voice:

"Probably a mistress."

"Mistress?"

Yang Liushi, who was looking at the scenery in the courtyard, heard this and asked in confusion: "Xianggong (husband), what is a mistress?"

"This..."

Wei Changtian racked his brains for a long time and finally came up with a relatively close explanation: "It's an illegitimate woman who can't be seen in public."

"Oh, I see."

Upon hearing "illegitimate woman", Yang Liushi, who had spent a few years in a brothel, immediately understood.

She frowned and thought for a while, then looked back at Qin He, and it could be seen that she still relatively agreed with Wei Changtian's judgment.

After all, the expenses of opening such an inn in Yongding City must be very large, but the business of this "Zhuwu" was obviously not good, so Qin He must be a master who didn't lack money.

In addition, Qin He asked Wei Changtian to call her "Guniang", which meant that she had not married, at least on the surface.

A young woman without a name, coming out to do business, and not afraid of losing money... Combining these three points, Qin He did seem like a "mistress".

"Young master, let's go inside."

Shaking her head, Yang Liushi had no interest in discussing other people's secrets, and soon walked into the courtyard with Wei Changtian.

And not far away, Qin He, who was still unaware that she had been identified as a mistress, also looked back at this time.

Her gaze swept over Yang Liushi, Zhang San, and Li Zimu, and finally landed on Wei Changtian's back.

Her long eyelashes blinked, seeming a little puzzled.