Start with acting, and you'll achieve immortality!

Jiangning City Gate

The queue to enter the city moved forward slowly.

Li Ping was wearing a faded blue shirt, his hands tucked into his sleeves.

Shrinking his neck, he looked exactly like a poor country scholar who had come to the city to find his relatives.

Da Niu and Er Hu followed behind him, carrying two large bamboo baskets on their shoulders.

It was filled with some mountain produce; he looked like a porter.

"Sir, these stones on the city wall..."

"Why is it still glowing?"

Da Niu lowered his voice and pointed to the faintly visible runes on the city wall.

"Those are runes from a defensive formation; don't be so surprised."

Li Ping scolded in a low voice, clearly annoyed.

"Take your claws back and stop pointing."

"Are you afraid people won't know you're from the countryside?"

"Oh"

Da Niu withdrew his hand and scratched his head.

"I just find it novel."

"The city walls of our Xiyun County leak mud when it rains."

"Can Xiyun County compare to this?"

Erhu chimed in from the side.

"This is Jiangning City."

"I heard that the city bricks here were soaked in spirit stones."

"Very hard"

"Soaking city bricks in spirit stones? How much would that cost?"

Daniel clicked his tongue

"With that money, you could marry ten wives."

Li Ping's lips twitched as he listened to their conversation.

These two guys really took the country bumpkin mentality to the extreme.

But that's fine too; the more like a country bumpkin...

The less likely it is to arouse suspicion from others.

Ahead, several young cultivators dressed in cyan robes were holding a white jade tablet.

Check everyone entering the city

A faint green light flashed intermittently on the white jade tablet, clearly indicating it was a magical artifact used to detect cultivation level or identity.

Name, Background

"What are you going into the city for?"

A monk coldly asked a farmer carrying a load in front of him.

"Reporting to the Immortal Master, this is Wang Er, the humble one."

"From Lijia Village outside the city, I'm bringing some fresh vegetables into town."

The farmer was so frightened that he trembled all over and could barely speak.

The cultivator swept the jade token over the farmer, but the token showed no reaction.

"Just an ordinary person, three coins for entering the city."

The monk waved his hand, as if shooing away flies.

The farmer hurriedly counted out three coins and handed them over, then quickly ran inside with his load on his shoulder.

It was Li Ping's turn.

The cultivator raised his eyelids and coldly sized up Li Ping.

"Name"

"Reporting to the Immortal Master, this humble one is Li Ping."

"A resident of Xiyun County, coming to the city to find relatives."

Li Ping bowed slightly, a fawning smile on his face.

The cultivator picked up the jade token and waved it in front of Li Ping.

Buzz

A faint green light flashed across the jade pendant.

"Qi Refining Level 1?"

A hint of disdain flashed in the cultivator's eyes, and he curled his lip.

"At such a young age, only at the first level of Qi Refining, there's no hope of reaching Foundation Establishment in this lifetime."

"Entry tax: ten coins."

Li Ping chuckled inwardly.

He is now at the third level of Qi Refining, and his spiritual sense is exceptionally strong.

If he hadn't deliberately used his spiritual power to suppress his cultivation level, the jade tablet would definitely have revealed more than just the first level of Qi Refining.

"The Immortal Master is right; I am of dull and dull aptitude."

"It's just for fitness purposes."

Li Ping took out ten copper coins from his pocket and respectfully handed them over.

The monk took the money and casually tossed it into the wooden box beside him.

He didn't even bother to look at Li Ping again, and waved his hand.

"Go in, don't get in the way at the city gate."

"Next!"

Li Ping, along with Da Niu and Er Hu, quickly entered the city gate passage.

The passage was long, and the stone walls on both sides were covered with various defensive magic arrays.

It exudes a faint aura of power.

"Sir, what was that look in his eyes just now?"

I really want to punch him in the nose.

Da Niu muttered under his breath, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

"Try smashing one yourself!"

Li Ping glanced at him sideways.

"He is an outer disciple of the Shangguan family, with a cultivation level of Qi Refining Level 3."

"If you throw a punch at him, his robes will knock you back three steps."

"When the time comes, the city gate guards will swarm you and kill you on the spot, mistaking you for a spy."

"Even the need for someone to collect the bodies is eliminated."

Da Niu shrank back, not daring to speak again.

Stepping out of the city gate passage, a rich spiritual energy rushed towards me.

Li Ping felt as if every pore on his body had opened up, and the speed at which his spiritual energy circulated within his body had increased several notches.

"Wow, the spiritual energy in this place is incredible!"

"It's even more spacious than the mines in our Wild Fox Ridge."

Erhu couldn't help but exclaim in amazement

"Nonsense, there's a mid-grade spiritual vein beneath this city."

Li Ping was also somewhat shocked by the scene before him.

The streets were so wide that eight carriages could run side by side.

The road surface was paved with neat bluestone slabs, so clean that not a single fallen leaf could be seen.

The shops on both sides were lined up one after another, and the dazzling signs were so eye-catching that they made people dizzy.

"Look, that shop selling elixirs!"

"That ginseng plant used as a sign at the entrance is at least five hundred years old."

Da Niu pointed at a shop and shouted

"Keep your voice down!"

Li Ping patted him on the shoulder.

Don't act like you've never seen the world before.

The streets were teeming with pedestrians, many of whom were monks dressed in magnificent robes.

Li Ping noted that the class divisions here were extremely strict.

The widest bluestone path in the center of the street was reserved for nobles riding mythical beasts or traveling in magnificent carriages.

Ordinary people and low-level cultivators could only squeeze together on the narrow muddy ground on both sides.

A magnificent carriage pulled by two unicorn deer roared past, splashing mud everywhere.

Pedestrians on the roadside quickly moved away, and no one dared to utter a complaint.

Instead, they all lowered their heads, their expressions respectful.

Li Ping pulled Da Niu and Er Hu under the eaves of a teahouse, wiping the mud off his clothes.

"This place is unbearable for the living."

Li Ping mentally complained.

In Xiyun County, he was the absolute magistrate.

Everyone respects

Upon arriving in Jiangning City, he found himself reduced to a peasant who couldn't even walk in the middle of the road.

This disparity made him feel a sense of unease.

Here, Qi Refining stage cultivation is nothing special.

To survive, you must be even more careful.

"Sir, would you like to buy some pears? They have thin skin and are very juicy."

"Very sweet"

A peddler carrying a load on a shoulder pole slowly walked over and stopped in front of Li Ping.

He put down his load and wiped the sweat from his brow with the towel on his shoulder.

Li Ping looked at him and slowly said

"I'll buy it, but I want the sour kind."

"The more acidic the better, ideally sour enough to make your molars fall out."

The peddler's eyes flickered slightly, then he smiled.

"There are some sour ones too, but they're kept in the backyard."

"Would you like to follow me, sir?"

"lead the way"

Li Ping nodded.

The peddler picked up his load and turned to walk into a secluded alleyway.

Li Ping and his two companions followed closely behind.

The alley was narrow and dark, with moss growing on the walls on both sides.

It stands in stark contrast to the bustling streets outside.

"The Shangguan family has spies all over the city; when you enter the city..."

"We've been targeted."

The peddler walked along, whispering to himself.

If Li Ping hadn't had amazing hearing, he wouldn't have been able to hear it clearly.

"Shangguan Shi?"

Li Ping asked

What is their relationship with the Si family?

"A friendship as close as sharing a pair of pants"

The peddler snorted coldly.

"The Si family operates in the open, while the Shangguan family operates in the shadows."

"Now that the prefectural governor's residence is besieged, Shangguan is in charge of clearing out all those who might come to the prefect's aid."

"You three are unfamiliar faces; you were added to their roster as soon as you entered the city."

"Where do we go now?"

Da Niu couldn't help but ask

"Shut up, just follow along."

The peddler scolded without turning his head.

The peddler led them through a maze of alleys, winding and turning for a full half hour.

Finally, we stopped in front of an inconspicuous, dilapidated house.

He pushed open the door, gesturing for Li Ping and the other two to come in.

The room was simply furnished, with only a table and a few chairs.

It was covered in dust, and the air smelled musty.

"This place is safe; you can rest here for now."

The peddler put down his load, took out a jade slip from his pocket, and handed it to Li Ping.

"Lord Ren is currently unavailable; he asked me to convey this message to you."

"The dangers of dealing with teachers are far greater than you imagine."

"Behind the Si family are the shadows of powerful figures in the capital."

Li Ping took the jade slip and scanned it with his divine sense.

It contained only a few simple words: Tonight at midnight, under the old locust tree on West Street.

"Where is my senior brother now?"

Li Ping asked

"Lord Ren has sent lookouts in the west of the city."

He will come to see you at midnight tonight.

The peddler glanced outside the door, his expression somewhat anxious.

"I have to go, the Shangguan family's patrol is coming soon."

"Remember, whatever you do, don't go out."

"Otherwise, even a god couldn't save you."

Having said that, the peddler picked up his load.

They left in a hurry, disappearing at the end of the alley in the blink of an eye.

Da Niu and Er Hu walked around the room and found two clean chairs to sit down.

"Sir, there isn't even a place to drink water here."

"Are we really going to stay here until dark?"

Da Niu complained a bit

"It's good enough to have something to stay in."

Li Ping walked to the table and sat down, drawing a circle on the dust with his finger.

"Big Ox, Two Tigers"

"You two remember this."

"From this moment forward, I will not give orders."

"No one is allowed to step out of this door."

"Yes, sir."

The two responded in unison

Li Ping looked at the jade slip in his hand and fell into deep thought.

The Si family has the backing of powerful figures in the capital.

This game of chess is bigger than he imagined.

It is also more dangerous

He originally thought it was just a power struggle within Jiangbei County, but he never expected it to involve the capital.

"Teacher, oh teacher, what scheme have you set up?"

"How could they attract such important figures from the capital?"

Li Ping muttered to himself

But things have come to this point, and there is no turning back.

As night fell, the sound of orderly footsteps echoed from the alley outside.

That was Shangguan's patrol team passing by.

Li Ping sat in the darkness, saying nothing.

Quietly waiting for midnight to arrive.