Chapter 86.1 Entering the city
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Tianyan City was located in the southern part of the heavens, with a remote and peculiar terrain. Before entering the city, they had to pass through deep forests, where wild beasts, venomous insects, and poisonous creatures were abundant. Once they crossed the forest, they also had to cross a river.
They didn’t know if the cultivation world had this tradition, but as long as it wasn’t a proper path, there always seemed to be a river blocking the way. There was a river near Zhonglian Village, a river in front of Ghost Realm, and also a river in Tianyan City. Moreover, the river flowing through Tianyan City was black. It was pure black, so thick it seemed immobile.
They didn’t know what lay beneath the river, but the chilling aura emanating from it made no one willing to approach.
The group of people stood silently on the riverbank, not saying a word. Among them were men, women, young, and old, all with gloomy expressions. Those who fled to Tianyan City, nine out of ten were not good people, and even the remaining one was not easy to provoke.
From the black water, amidst the vast mist, someone rode a gigantic creature resembling a turtle, walking across from the opposite bank.
Pei Jing blended in with the crowd, looking around.
In front of him stood a woman in a purple dress, her face disfigured on one side. On his left was a middle-aged cultivator whose clothes were stained red with blood. Behind him was a child of seven or eight, with a disproportionately large head and a sinister appearance. On the right stood an old man with white hair, carrying a long knife on his back.
Each of them emitted a strong aura of hostility, making it hard to approach.
The only normal person among them was the pampered one who had been crying and complaining throughout their journey in the forest. He had soft, young-looking skin and a baby face that seemed about fifteen or sixteen years old, although age was not solely judged by appearance in the cultivation world.
With a cultivation level at Foundation Establishment, he was quite weak. His pale green robe looked worn-out, and he constantly avoided making eye contact, indicating a lack of determination.
Pei Jing smiled slightly and thought, “You’re the one, brother.”
He moved through the crowd and gently patted the young boy’s back.
The pampered boy’s whole body tensed up, and his neck stiffened. When he turned around, he had a terrified expression, as if he had lost his wits.
After getting a clear view of a boy of the same age with an especially pleasant smile in front of him, the chilling sensation gradually subsided in his stomach.
Pei Jing greeted, “Hello, fellow cultivator. I’m Zhang Yiming. You seem like a good match, so I came over to make friends and offer some support if you plan to enter Tianyan City.”
With a brief and straightforward explanation, their intentions were made clear.
The pampered boy was shocked, his voice trembling as if someone had a grip on his throat. He blurted out, “What?”
The people beside him all glanced in their direction, their gaze cold and scrutinizing.
Holding the city entry permit, did he come to Tianyan City to make friends?
Pei Jing ignored those glances, smiling like a refreshing breeze and a clear moon. He said, “I’m here to search for someone in Tianyan City. It may take some time since I’m not familiar with anyone there. Seeing that we’re of similar age, having one more friend would bring some reassurance.”
Upon hearing Pei Jing’s words, the pampered boy’s eyes lit up. He reached out his hand and tightly shook Pei Jing’s hand, saying, “I’m Qiao Mucai, fellow cultivator. What a coincidence, I’m also here in Tianyan City to search for someone.”
Pei Jing: “Who are you looking for?”
Qiao Mucai: “I’m looking for my older brother. How about you?”
Pei Jing: “I’m looking for my little brother.”
Qiao Mucai became even more excited. “Hehe, what a great coincidence. We are truly destined.”
Pei Jing: “Indeed, it seems so.”
The turtle slowly approached on the black river, but it was uncertain how long it would take. Pei Jing and Qiao Mucai consciously distanced themselves from the group of people who seemed difficult to get along with, standing to the side. Qiao Mucai took a step back and leaned forward, glancing discreetly to ensure no one was paying attention to them.
Letting out a long sigh, Qiao Mucai dropped the silly and innocent expression from his face. He used his hand to block his words as he said to Pei Jing, “Brother Zhang, I really consider you a friend. Please don’t deceive me.” Pei Jing replied, “Of course, from today, if you call me Brother, we’ll be like brothers for life.” Qiao Mucai smiled, then immediately wore a serious expression again, pointing at the four individuals. “Stay away from that group. Don’t get involved in their conflicts.”
Pei Jing pretended to be puzzled and asked, “I was thinking of chatting with them later.”
Qiao Mucai waved his hands repeatedly and said, “There’s nothing to chat about. The only normal people in this place are the two of us. I was born in the Qiao family, you know about the Plum Blossom Pavilion’s Qiao family, right? I’m well aware of the news in the cultivation world. As for those four, not a single one of them is a good person.”
The Qiao family of the Plum Blossom Pavilion was a renowned family from Gangshi Prefecture. Although they were a cultivation family, they didn’t follow the orthodox path of cultivation. Instead, they resembled merchants who traded information. Pei Jing had been there a few times before, so he had some impression of the Qiao family. They were known to be stingy.
Qiao Mucai stared closely at Pei Jing’s expression, hoping to see a look of astonishment. However, he only saw a bewildered look on Pei Jing’s face, realizing that he must be an independent cultivator and wondered how he obtained the entry permit.
Qiao Mucai pointed at the four individuals and said, “The one with the disfigured face is the Blood Spider Mother. She’s a posion cultivator, using living beings. After being discovered by the Righteous Path, she’s been hunted relentlessly and now has nowhere to go. The child next to her is a Twin Ghost. His head looks abnormally large, right? That’s because if you part his hair, you’ll find a massive lump underneath. It’s his undeveloped twin brother. They were supposed to be twins, but this monster was born instead. Moreover, he has a cruel and ruthless nature since birth, having devoured their parents right after being born. Tsk.”
Pei Jing said, “You certainly know a lot.”
Qiao Mucai proudly puffed his chest and said, “Of course, I’m from the Qiao family. As for the youth covered in blood, he’s relatively more normal than the others, but he’s also a lunatic. He killed his wife to achieve enlightenment, and after burying his daughter alive, he severed all emotional ties and broke through to the Golden Core stage. His wife was born in the Xu family of Canghua, and anyone with the name Canghua is not someone to mess with. She was probably forced to come here as well.”
Pei Jing asked, “What about the old man?”
Qiao Mucai’s face showed disdain and anger. “He’s just an old beast. Forget it, I can’t be bothered to talk about him. I have never seen someone in their twilight years start practicing the Dual Cultivation Technique. The ʏᴏᴜɴɢ ɢɪʀʟꜱ ʜᴇ ᴅᴇꜰɪʟᴇᴅ ᴇɴᴅᴇᴅ ᴜᴘ ᴅɪꜱᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ʙɪɢ ᴋɴɪꜰᴇ. I truly…”
Pei Jing’s smile turned cold. “I’m also infuriated.”
Qiao Mucai’s expression changed, and he immediately intervened, “Stop! Even if we want to teach him a lesson, we should wait until we leave Tianyan City.”
Pei Jing became interested. “Oh, so Tianyan City has its own way of protecting villains?”
Qiao Mucai didn’t understand what he meant by “way,” but he replied, “Tianyan City has no rules or regulations, but the most wicked individuals will resort to any means before their death. Moreover, how can you be sure that there won’t be malicious onlookers while you are engaged in a life-and-death struggle with that person?”
Pei Jing nodded. “That makes sense.”
Qiao Mucai breathed a sigh of relief, then suddenly awakened and scrutinized Pei Jing up and down. “And what about you? How did you obtain the entry permit?”
Pei Jing half-seriously replied, “I got it at an auction.”
Qiao Mucai didn’t believe him. “Don’t lie to me.”
“We’re already ‘brothers over life,’ why would I lie to you?”
Qiao Mucai frowned at him. “I stole my entry permit from home. Each of them planned to come here to find older brother, but I secretly came without their knowledge.” It wasn’t surprising for the Plum Blossom Pavilion to have an entry permit. After all, certain information was considered priceless.
“But you’re only at the Foundation Establishment stage. Aren’t you afraid?”
Qiao Mucai swallowed and scratched his head. “Well, I have many treasures that can help me stay alive.”
Pei Jing laughed. “Do you trust me that much to reveal this to me?”
Qiao Mucai looked at him deeply and said, “I don’t think you’re a bad person.”
The sound of the animal’s webbed feet paddling through the water could be heard clearly. The turtle had reached the shore. Its shell was dark blue, with bright yellow eyes, and its mouth revealed sharp teeth that sent shivers down one’s spine. Standing on the turtle was a man wearing a tall hat and a white cloak. His voice was hoarse and indistinguishable in gender.
“Present the entry permit, one permit per person.”
Qiao Mucai grabbed Pei Jing’s sleeve.
Qiao Mucai said, “Don’t be hasty, don’t be hasty, whatever you do.”
Pei Jing halted his steps.
The first to step forward was the old man with the big knife. He fumbled in his robes for a while before finally retrieving the entry permit. Just as he was about to approach, he suddenly froze in place. His elderly face turned pale in an instant, and his entire body went rigid without speaking a word. Crack! From his waist, his body was severed, and when the upper half fell to the ground, the old man’s eyes were wide open in a lifeless stare. Soon, his body was covered with swarming ants, and the entry permit rolled in front of the woman in purple clothes.
The woman in purple clothes remained expressionless. With her fingers stained in red vermilion, she picked up the entry permit and leaped onto the turtle’s back.
Witnessing all this, not a single person present showed a look of astonishment.
The man in the white clothes and tall hat remained unfazed and said, “Next.”
After a moment of silence, Qiao Mucai said, “I knew it. One of the four doesn’t have an entry permit.”
By the time Pei Jing approached, the old man had been devoured, leaving only a pile of bones.
The man in the white clothes and tall hat seemed slightly surprised when he received Pei Jing’s token, giving him an extra glance.
Pei Jing asked, “Is there something wrong?”
The man in the white clothes and tall hat turned away, stepping on the turtle’s back without responding.
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