In his field of vision lay several bluestone-brick roads stretching in different directions, wide enough for four carriages to travel abreast.
On both sides of the roads stood all manner of shops, with small two- and three-story buildings above them.
Food, pills, talisman paper, and all sorts of other goods were for sale.
There were even small vendors calling out to attract customers.
Chen Feng's eyes filled with amazement as he took it all in.
He felt as though he had returned to the past, wandering through a marketplace.
Liu Yuan glanced around and smiled at Chen Feng. "Chen Feng, I need to head back. You can wander around the County Town first and get familiar with the place. Since it's your first time here, I suggest finding an inn in the city for the night."
"Things may be cheaper outside the city, but it's less safe too."
Chen Feng nodded. "All right."
"If I want to quickly learn the basics of the city, where should I go?"
Liu Yuan said, "You can go to Myriad Manifestations Tower and buy an illustrated guide to the basic distribution of forces within the city. That will tell you much more."
"As for Myriad Manifestations Tower, it is a truly top-tier mercantile power spanning multiple prefectures of Great Qian. Although its goods are a little more expensive than elsewhere, they are genuine and trustworthy, with a reputation known to all."
"Some of the small stalls outside sell such things too, and at lower prices, but they are more likely to be pirated editions. They may give you a mistaken impression of the County Town."
"As for Myriad Manifestations Tower, follow this main road straight ahead. See that golden rooftop? That is Myriad Manifestations Tower."
"A seven-story building, no less."
Chen Feng nodded. "All right, I understand."
Liu Yuan was only an apprentice and needed to hurry off to report in.
After parting ways with Liu Yuan, Chen Feng headed toward Myriad Manifestations Tower with Lin Xue.
Lin Xue followed closely behind Chen Feng.
Her eyes were full of wonder as she looked at the surroundings.
Holding Chen Feng's hand, she whispered in surprise, "Husband, this County Town is truly so bustling. Are we going to live here from now on?"
Chen Feng said, "Yes."
"Don't worry."
With more than a thousand taels of silver in hand, he had nothing to worry about. The only question was whether they should rent a house or buy one.
"Come on, let's go take a look at Myriad Manifestations Tower."
Chen Feng said with a smile.
Then, with Lin Xue beside him, he made his way toward Myriad Manifestations Tower while looking over the roadside stalls.
Yet along the way, Chen Feng was deeply struck.
He saw small shops on both sides of the road selling pills.
That immediately drew his interest.
He had not encountered much information, but he knew that with pills to assist him, his Martial Arts cultivation could progress much faster.
However, after taking a look, he found that even the lowest-grade Qi and Blood Pills cost several taels of silver each.
Chen Feng was astonished. "Pills are so expensive. Alchemists are truly filthy rich."
"No wonder they are considered one of the wealthiest professions."
Lin Xue, following beside him, also had all sorts of light flashing through her eyes.
They also came across shops selling cultivation manuals.
The books that had been completely sealed away in the various villages outside the County Town were actually being sold in great quantities within the city.
However, they were only marked as low-grade or mid-grade cultivation methods and martial skills.
The Iron Fist Technique Chen Feng had seen before was among them as well.
Yet even it cost at least fifty taels of silver.
After giving it some thought, Chen Feng still chose to give up on it.
It was not that he could not afford it. He simply did not yet understand the situation in Black Stone City.
Under such circumstances, it was better to learn more before making any purchases.
After that, he did not look at any other shops.
Instead, he went straight to Myriad Manifestations Tower.
Once he arrived, he understood why Liu Yuan had said that Myriad Manifestations Tower was the most reputable.
It could be said to be the most luxurious commercial building Chen Feng had seen in all of Black Stone City.
It had seven full stories.
Every floor gleamed with splendor and magnificence.
Two maidservants dressed in gold and silver stood guard at the entrance.
The moment he reached the door, someone came forward to welcome him inside.
"Young Master, I am the maidservant Little Green. May I ask what you require?"
Chen Feng said, "I need books that will allow me to quickly understand the current state of Black Stone City and the current state of the cultivation world."
"Where can I find them?"
As he spoke, Chen Feng's eyes were filled with amazement.
On this floor of the shop,
there were actually rows upon rows of glass display cases.
Inside the cases were the goods sold by Myriad Manifestations Tower.
Their prices were listed above them as well.
With just one glance, Chen Feng saw all kinds of pills, weapons, spirit herbs, and other items.
The quality and grade of these goods truly far surpassed the wares he had seen from the street vendors outside.
Chen Feng could not help but marvel at them.
However, after one look, he saw that their prices generally began at several taels of silver.
And that was only for the goods on the first floor. How expensive would the items on the higher floors be?
Most of the martial artists he saw on this floor wore ordinary clothing.
Those martial artists dressed even slightly more elegantly, however, were invited to the upper floors.
Before long, under the maidservant's guidance, Chen Feng found two books that suited his needs.
One was titled Twenty Years of Black Stone City's Changing Fortunes, while the other was A Detailed Explanation of Martial Arts Fundamentals.
After receiving the two booklets, Chen Feng merely glanced at them before excitement rose in his heart.
They were genuine, just as expected.
Seeing how eagerly Chen Feng wished to read the books, the maidservant smiled. "Young Master, the third floor of our Myriad Manifestations Tower has various cultivation rooms, which are more convenient for reading. Would you like one?"
Chen Feng asked, "How much?"
The maidservant smiled. "The basic kind costs three hundred copper coins per hour."
Chen Feng was only slightly surprised. They really knew how to charge!
Then he said directly, "All right. I want a quieter place for two hours."
Delight flashed through the maidservant's eyes when she heard that. "Certainly. Thank you, Young Master."
Then Chen Feng and Lin Xue went straight up to the third floor.
Sure enough, there were private rooms arranged one after another.
After entering the room, Chen Feng immediately picked up the detailed guide to Martial Arts in Black Stone City and began reading.
Even with the Red-clothed Woman's recommendation, he still intended to first learn more about the current situation.
Only then would he make his choice.
First came the major powers within the city.
As he continued reading, Chen Feng's eyes grew thoughtful.
"So the city is like this."
Within Black Stone City, the strongest force was naturally the City Lord's Mansion.
Apart from the City Lord's Mansion, several of the larger Lineages within the city controlled most of its businesses.
Beyond that were the various gangs, which also held control over certain areas.
If one wished to survive in the city, it was basically impossible to avoid dealing with these forces.
Even setting up a stall required affiliation with a gang. Otherwise, one might operate today only to have it smashed tomorrow.
In addition, Black Stone Academy was also one of the strongest forces.
This was because Black Stone Academy could be considered a subordinate academy of the Demon Patrol Division. As long as one became a student of Black Stone Academy, one could naturally survive well within the city, and even ordinary gangs would show some respect and would not lightly provoke them.
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