Chapter 452
452 Mr. Wenshan
Qing He took out a jade pendant and handed it to Li Yuanqing.
Li Yuanqing gently placed the jade pendant on his forehead. A large amount of very profound knowledge appeared in his mind.
There were hundreds of thousands of knowledge about various medicinal herbs here, and there were so many kinds of medicinal herbs for him to observe at the scene. Combining these theories with the actual materials in front of him, the effect of using them together was naturally very obvious.
While Li Yuanqing was digesting the materials, Qing He quietly left. He still had a lot of things to do. He had to prepare so many materials early. Mr. Wenshan was waiting for his Iron Thorn Vines to be used to make the puppet exoskeleton.
He quickly prepared another large bundle of Iron Thorn Vines and carried it to the table. At this moment, Li Yuanqing had already walked out of the warehouse and was waiting for him by the table.
He looked at Li Yuanqing strangely and asked, “Brother Li, have you already memorized everything in those books?”
“Mostly.”
“Brother Li is indeed talented and smart. I’m afraid it would take me days to complete such a complicated material, yet you complete it in such a short time?”
Although Qing He was envious, there was still some displeasure in his words. As if he felt that Li Yuanqing was eager for quick success, he ran out early without looking carefully.
Li Yuanqing didn’t care about these things. Instead, he asked directly, “Just now, you said that you were going to deliver something to Mr. Wenshan. I wonder if I can go with you. This is my first time in Tianyun City, so I also want to walk around.”
Only then did Qing He’s expression soften a little. He nodded slightly and said, “Of course, but the assessment will be held in three days. You’d better sort out the herbs properly. Otherwise, if something goes wrong during the assessment, the losses will be too great.”
“It doesn’t matter. I do have some knowledge about these materials.”
“In that case, it can’t be considered a delay. I’m almost ready. However, Mr. Wenshan is a loner by nature. At that time, you might have to wait for me outside his cave abode for a moment.”
“It doesn’t matter. You can just put it in then. I’ll wait outside.”
“Okay, then.”
Qing He took out an embroidered storage bag and opened it to collect all the iron thorn vines on the table. He took off all his protective gear and left the South City Branch with Li Yuanqing.
Tianyun City was indeed the largest city within 5,000 kilometers.
The streets were crowded with cultivators with high cultivation levels. Some of these people strolled along the streets, while others sat at tea stalls by the roadside and chatted with passersby.
After arriving in the city, there were fewer vicious incidents. Everyone had to behave themselves here.
The rules in Tianyun City were no joke. Outside, one could still find an excuse to cause trouble outside, but here, if one party was discovered to be fighting, the consequences would be very serious.
“Brother Li, this is your first time here, so you might not know much about Tianyun City. If there’s anything you want to know, feel free to ask me.”
Li Yuanqing did not stand on ceremony when he heard this. He immediately thought of the swordsman he had seen outside the city.
“Brother, do you know about the Lingyun Pavilion?”
“Lingyun Pavilion? Of course I know them.” Qing He’s face fell as he said helplessly, “The people in their sect are all lunatics. There’s nothing to communicate with them. It’s best to avoid them when you encounter them. Don’t get involved with them.”
“Why do you say that? They seem pretty friendly to me, don’t they?”
Qing He grinned at Li Yuanqing and said, “Are you crazy? Have you seen their people? Those people from the Sword Sect have a very bad temper. As long as they’re unhappy, they can immediately turn hostile and attack you. Moreover, they’re very ruthless. If you’re not prepared, you might end up with broken limbs.”
“Really? I saw someone outside the city just now. I think that person is considered normal. He’s indeed not as terrifying as you say.”
“Hmph.” Qing He looked at him earnestly and said, “This is your first day here. It’s normal that you don’t know much about the Lingyun Pavilion. However, I guess there must have been a powerful elder beside you, right?”
“That’s right. Master came with me.”
“Isn’t that settled? Those people are very narrow-minded. They won’t be stubborn if they meet someone stronger. If you don’t have the strength and dare to show off in front of them, they will teach you a lesson.”
“I see.”
“Just listen to me. If you run into their gang, go around them. There’s no mistake. Don’t get into any trouble.”
The structure of Tianyun City was divided into two layers.
The outer city had four high walls that enveloped the entire city, making it seem like a small world independent of the world.
The streets of the outer city extended in all directions, and there were bustling trading places everywhere.
There were some cave abodes here, but most of them were man-made and lacked spirit veins. Most of the people who lived here did not have high cultivation levels. Most of them were disciples of small sects or some itinerant cultivators.
The advantage was that it was very lively.
If one was familiar with this place, they would know that there were many hidden markets hidden in these places. Those black markets were often hidden in very subtle corners, and some good treasures would often flow out of them. It was a very novel experience for many people.
If they were to talk about where the real powerful figures were, it would definitely be the inner city.
The inner city had another small walled enclosure that enclosed it, isolating it from the people on the outskirts. There were a few very tall mountains in the inner city, and there were even spirit mines in those mountains.
“Those two mineral veins are the main mineral veins in the entire Tianyun City. To be able to live on that mineral vein is simply a great blessing. The cultivation speed would increase by more than a little.”
Qing He led Li Yuanqing all the way to the inner city. As they walked, he introduced the local customs.
“Sounds like it must be expensive to live in.”
“Of course it’s expensive!” Qing He said with wide eyes. “It costs 20,000 spirit stones a month!”
He seemed to take this personally.
“I only have fifty spirit stones this month. If I want to live there for a month, it’s enough for me to work for many years.”
Li Yuanqing looked at the alchemist symbol on his shoulder and asked him curiously, “Aren’t you a second-grade alchemist? It shouldn’t be difficult for you to earn some spirit stones, right?”
Qing He patted the red armband on his shoulder and said with a bitter expression, “This is just the beginning. The pills refined by second-grade alchemists are not easy to sell on the market. Moreover, my alchemy speed is not good. I can only earn 40 to 50 spirit stones a month at most. It’s really worrying.”
“That little?”
That was not what Li Yuanqing had expected.
With his ability to refine pills, it should not be a problem for him to casually spend tens of thousands of spirit stones a month. It might also be because of the enhancement of the huge spiritual fruit.
But 50 spirit stones a month? Why would he stay in front of the alchemy furnace and painstakingly refine pills? It was too troublesome.
“It can’t be helped. Alchemists rely on a large amount of materials to accumulate. My current technique is still too immature. I definitely have to slowly accumulate the amount, speed, and quality before it can increase. Only then can I really earn some spirit stones. However, sooner or later, I will move to the immortal mountain in South Inner City.”
He looked at the mountain peak hidden in the clouds in the inner city with longing in his eyes.
“Then what does Mr. Wenshan do?” Li Yuanqing changed the subject at the right time.
Qing He replied, “Mr. Wenshan is a famous weapon refinement master. If you go out and ask around, he’s quite famous. He mainly likes to refine puppets made of special materials. His puppet technique is also superb. The puppets refined are lifelike. Although he only uses these materials simply, the finished products are very agile. They are not inferior to those more complicated humanoid puppets at all.”
After hearing Qing He’s description, Li Yuanqing had more expectations for this so-called weapon refinement master. However, he did not know how he could use simple materials to refine an agile puppet.
At the very least, the most powerful puppet technique that Li Yuanqing had witnessed was the Corpse Refinement Technique of the Divine Fire Sect. This puppet technique was similar to a contractual slave, but it completely stripped its life attribute. Although it was very cruel, it was powerful and confusing.
The materials Mr. Wenshan needed were only some such Iron Thorn Vines and that Soul Essence Stone.
The Soul Essence Stone was a good thing. It was very important to refine puppets. With the Soul Essence Stone, the puppets would have their own consciousness. When refining Dharma treasures, many occasions required various grades of Soul Essence Stones.
The two of them chatted and laughed as they walked down the narrow street to the entrance of the inner city.
The entrance to the inner city was a twenty or thirty-foot-high gate. It wasn’t wide, and there were people stationed there. Everyone who entered had to review the tokens they held.
Qing He took out the pass that Mr. Wenshan had prepared for him earlier and handed it to the guard guarding the city.
“We’re here to deliver materials to Mr. Wenshan.”
The guard took the token and examined it briefly. He raised his eyes and scanned their faces before stopping on Li Yuanqing.
“Why isn’t he there?”
Qing He explained, “He’s a new guy in our shop. He followed me here to familiarize himself with the delivery process.”
“Go on in.”
The city defense inspection was simple. After a few casual questions, they were let in.
After Qing He came over, he whispered to Li Yuanqing, “Although there are checkpoints set up everywhere in the inner city, the checks are quite loose. It’s just a formality. As long as you have a pass, you can come and go as you please. They won’t ask you too many questions.”
Li Yuanqing was about to speak when he suddenly turned his head and saw a familiar figure beside him.
On the street not far from them was a white-robed swordsman. His long hair was casually draped over his waist.
This person was the guy they had seen outside the city. His name should be Chou Wu.
Qing He followed Li Yuanqing’s gaze and happened to see Chou Wu turn around and disappear around the corner.
“What are you looking at?”
“The swordsman I just saw outside the city. He forced three demons back with a sword strike and cut off the arm of one of them.”
“Oh, I didn’t think you’d meet again.”
Qing He said, not really caring about this.
“Since you saw it with your own eyes, you should know in your heart. These people from the Lingyun Pavilion are ruthless. Don’t have any conflict with them. Once these lunatics attack, there’s no turning back.”
After entering the inner city, the two most dangerous main peaks were already right in front of them. There were many small mountains below the main peaks, standing everywhere as vassals of the main peaks.
“Mr. Wenshan lives at Ethereal Peak in front. I’ll go up and deliver the things later. I’ll come down in a while. Wait for me at the foot of the mountain for a while.”
“Don’t worry and go. I’ll look around later.”
“You don’t know much about this place. You have to be careful when you look around. Although fighting is not allowed in this city, some of them are especially petty. If you provoke them, they might remember you. It’s hard to say when you get out.”
“Thank you for the reminder, Brother.”
Not far ahead was the Ethereal Peak. Halfway up the mountain was a very large stone that had been cut as smooth as a mirror. The words Ethereal Peak were written on it, and it was very eye-catching.
Li Yuanqing waited at the foot of Ethereal Peak for a while before Qing He hurriedly went up the mountain with the storage bag.
Bored, Li Yuanqing looked at the street beside him and happened to see a lot of people gathered there.
Most of those people had long swords strapped to their waists, or maybe they carried them on their backs. There were all kinds of swords, but you could tell they were all swordsmen.
Among these people was Chou Wu.
Li Yuanqing was curious, so he followed behind the group of people and craned his neck to look around.
“Seven Stars Sword Pavilion, Liu Qingheng.”
At the center of the crowd was an empty space. Two seats were placed in the empty space, and two men, one old and one young, were sitting on them.
The old man’s white hair fell carelessly down his back. He wore a soft smile.
The middle-aged man had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes. He looked dignified and heroic.
Beside them were their respective swords.
At this moment, their gazes landed on the person called Liu Qingheng in the middle.
In front of him stood a flat stone. On the mirror, a glow circulated.
“Begin,” the old man ordered.
Liu Qingheng suddenly unsheathed the sword in his hand and waved it in the air. A stream of sword energy scattered, and he sheathed the sword again.
“Pass, next.”