Chapter 86.2 Entering the city
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Qiao Mucai was finally about to enter the city, his hands trembling nervously.
Pei Jing watched with concern as the city gates slowly approached, thinking to himself that even in this dilapidated city, where anyone could be twisted, Chu Junyu’s principles remained only slightly skewed despite the dark and sinister environment. It was truly remarkable.
He felt a pang of pity and couldn’t help but think that it would have been better if Chu Junyu had returned to Yunxiao with him. What future was there in this broken city?
Tianyan City had an outer city and an inner city, and all the information Pei Jing had gathered so far was only about the outer city. Given Chu Junyu’s abilities, would he be in the outer city?
Even if he were in the outer city, he probably wouldn’t be able to escape the influence of the Palace, the Three Sects, and the Five Schools.
Qiao Mucai said, “When Tianyan City wasn’t closed off in the past, one could come and go as they pleased. My brother was deceived into entering by our family’s enemies. He hasn’t come out since then, and I don’t know how things are now. But he had already reached the Foundation Establishment Stage back then, so it shouldn’t be too bad for him. Ah, I hope so.” He thought of Pei Jing, who was also a wanderer, and asked, “What about your brother? What’s his situation?”
Pei Jing furrowed his brow in distress and finally said, “I don’t know what his situation is. He refused to come back home with me and ran off to this place.”
Qiao Mucai’s eyes widened, “Your brother ran in here on his own?”
Pei Jing: “Yes.”
Qiao Mucai: “That’s just… I can’t even… too mischievous.”
Pei Jing almost laughed but didn’t say anything more.
Qiao Mucai, trying to get closer to him, asked, “Speaking of searching for people in Tianyan City, do you know about an event from ten years ago?”
Pei Jing: “Hmm?”
Qiao Mucai, naturally interested in gossip, eyes gleaming, said, “I don’t know if we’re lucky enough, but maybe we’ll encounter Pei Yuzhi in Tianyan City!”
Pei Jing’s smile was ambiguous.
Qiao Mucai: “You must have heard about my Qiao family in Yunxiao, right? And the Wentian Rankings as well?”
Pei Jing boasted, “Of course, I know about Yunxiao’s Pei Yuzhi, the incredibly handsome one who’s ranked first on the Wentian Rankings.”
Qiao Mucai nodded. “Exactly! It seems that Pei Yuzhi’s lover is here in Tianyan City. He made an announcement ten years ago that he would come here. It’s been ten years, and I wonder if he has reached the Nascent Soul stage. But once he arrives, Tianyan City will definitely become a scene of bloodshed and chaos.”
Pei Jing burped.
Qiao Mucai’s eyes continued to gleam, “When he massacred an entire peak back then, it was just him and his sword. This journey to Tianyan City is probably going to become another famous event for him, someone as illustrious and resplendent as Pei Yuzhi. I can already envision it—dressed in white, radiating dazzling sword light, and then, with a loud crash, the city gates split into pieces, hehehe.”
Pei Jing lowered his head and smiled. He felt a bit embarrassed to tell him that the glorious and radiant Pei Yuzhi now had to make friends with others to conceal his identity. But he still interrupted the young man’s thoughts, “You’re thinking too highly of Pei Yuzhi. He’s not that formidable.”
Qiao Mucai: “I don’t know why, but I always feel like he can do anything. He annihilated a Nascent Soul ancestor when he was at the Golden Core stage. What about now?”
Pei Jing: “Have you been spending too much time at Celestial Pavilion?”
Qiao Mucai blushed, feeling awkward. “Maybe, and perhaps the disciples of Yunxiao influenced me.”
Pei Jin “He came here to find his lover, so why would he pick a fight with an entire city? If he accidentally provokes the Sect where his lover is, wouldn’t it end badly?”
Qiao Mucai scratched his head. “Yeah, that’s true.”
Pei Jing advised with emphasis, “You won’t be able to wait for Pei Yuzhi. Give up on that idea.”
What you can wait for is Zhang Yiming, who stands before you, equally handsome.
Qiao Mucai: “If only I had his strength, right now, I wouldn’t be so uneasy.”
Pei Jing: Well, he’s actually uneasy too.
A type of uneasiness that no one would understand.
The turtle reached the shore.
Tianyan City finally revealed its grim and bloody face amidst the thick fog. The city gates were adorned with a row of tightly packed ꜱᴇᴠᴇʀᴇᴅ ʜᴇᴀᴅꜱ, ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴅʀɪᴘᴘɪɴɢ ᴏɴᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏᴀᴅ, ꜱᴛᴀɪɴɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀᴛʜ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄɪᴛʏ ʀᴇᴅ. While the others remained unfazed, Qiao Mucai jumped in fright, “What is that?!” Pei Jing laughed, “If you don’t know, how would I? Just close your eyes and don’t look.”
Qiao Mucai, being timid, took a deep breath, grabbed onto Pei Jing’s sleeve, closed his eyes, and followed along.
As they approached, the stench wasn’t as terrible as they had imagined. The faint scent of sweetness mingled with the lingering smell of blood in the air.
The path beneath their feet, soaked in blood, wasn’t muddy or difficult to walk on. With each step, the scattered blood formed intricate patterns, creating a captivating display.
Finally, they entered the city without getting a clear view of its overall appearance. Something flew directly to their feet.
Everyone lowered their heads to take a look.
It was a ᴄᴏʀᴘꜱᴇ, ɴᴏᴡ ꜱᴛʀɪᴘᴘᴇᴅ ᴏꜰ ɪᴛꜱ ꜱᴋɪɴ, ᴇxᴘᴏꜱɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠɪᴠɪᴅ ʀᴇᴅ ꜰʟᴇꜱʜ.
Thud, thud, thud.
It was the sound of a tiger’s steps on the ground.
The entrance to Tianyan City was a street lined with restaurants, filled with people. Each person carried a past that had destroyed their humanity, so no one was any kinder than the other. Their gazes held amusement or icy indifference.
Seated atop a tiger was a cultivator wearing a yellow robe. He swung his dusting brush and sneered, “You’ve offended my Feixie School, and you still expect to leave Tianyan City with your corpse intact?”
Pei Jing: “……” Oh well.
The cultivator in the white robe and tall hat guided them here. Unfazed, he issued an instruction, “This place can help you escape pursuit from the outside world, but it’s not entirely safe. Those below the Golden Core stage would be wise to join some sects if they want to survive.” This was probably his only act of kindness. With that, he turned and walked away.
The Ghost Twins and the young man remained silent, moving forward. Only the Blood Spider Mother seemed to have a predetermined destination, heading straight towards a particular direction.
Qiao Mucai was shocked. As a small fry in the Foundation Establishment stage, he couldn’t help but feel apprehensive, even with many treasures. He timidly asked Pei Jing, “Br-brother Zhang, what should we do now?”
Brother Zhang, with an air of extravagance, stretched and casually stepped over the unidentified corpse on the ground. “What can we do now? Let’s find a place to eat something good, get some sleep. I’m exhausted.”
Qiao Mucai hurriedly followed, frightened, “Wait for me!”
Pei Jing, now dressed as a young boy, had a handsome appearance that caused the innkeeper’s heart to flutter with delight.
The innkeeper was a still-charming middle-aged woman, propping her chin up and casting seductive glances. “Oh, this little brother just arrived in the city. Would you like something to eat or prefer to go straight to sleep?”
Pei Jing smiled mischievously and raised a finger. “Innkeeper, how much for a room for one night?”
The innkeeper: “One hundred top-grade spiritual stones.”
Pei Jing remained silent.
But the one behind him, Qiao Mucai, jumped up first! In an instant, all fear was forgotten. His mind filled with blood, and he exclaimed loudly, “One hundred top-grade spiritual stones? This is a scam! Are you robbing people?”
Several gazes from the restaurant turned towards them.
Even the innkeeper was stunned… She hadn’t encountered such an innocent child in centuries.
Pei Jing silently turned around.
Watching Qiao Mucai indignant as he pounded the table, Pei Jing said, “Fifty mid-grade spiritual stones, a fixed price!”
The innkeeper gasped in surprise but smiled even more joyfully. Her heavily made-up face emitted a pungent fragrance. She coquettishly looked at Pei Jing and said, “Fifty mid-grade spiritual stones? That works too.”
Qiao Mucai’s anger subsided a bit.
The innkeeper continued, “But you know, it’s not a discount for you. It’s for this little Young Master next to you.”
Qiao Mucai: “???”
Pei Jing’s lips tugged up.
Suddenly, the innkeeper leaned in, her fingers delicate as they lightly grazed his Adam’s apple, and she teasingly adjusted his collar. She extended her tongue to moisten her lips, seductively suggesting, “Or, I won’t charge you any money. How about you come to my room tonight?”
Pei Jing: “……”
Being a handsome young man out in the world, he needed to protect himself well.
The restaurant patrons were unfazed. This innkeeper had a strong background and was involved with the elder of the YinYang School. She had always been known for her promiscuity in the outer city.
Qiao Mucai’s eyes widened. Could such a good opportunity actually exist in this world?
One hundred top-grade spiritual stones for one night!
Excitedly pushing Pei Jing aside, Qiao Mucai raised his hand and smiled at the innkeeper. “Innkeeper! Look at me, how about me? I can do it too.”
Pei Jing knew that the Qiao family was frugal, and now he was witnessing it once again.
He had remained chaste for hundreds of years. How could he possibly flirt with women on his wife’s territory? He extended his hand, pushing Qiao Mucai away with disdain, and took out a storage pouch from his pocket. “No need, I have money.”
The innkeeper’s eyes flickered, and she sneered, “Oh…”
Pei Jing said, “One hundred top-grade spiritual stones.”
The innkeeper choked on her saliva, her tone suddenly changing as she composed herself and put away her seductive demeanor. She smiled, her eyebrows raised, “Oh, my sweet little darling, why didn’t you say so earlier?”
Her fingers swiftly recorded the transaction, tearing off a page of paper. She also threw a flirtatious glance and said, “Third floor, the room on the far right.”
Pei Jing took the paper and left, maintaining his chastity.
Qiao Mucai’s voice had been choked off as if someone had grabbed his throat. He suddenly regained his senses, his spirit boosted a hundredfold. He followed along, even more enthusiastic.
“Hey, Brother Zhang, wait! It looks like there’s a bit of dust on your clothes. Let me wipe it off for you.”
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