Suotuo City

Biodata

Location and Administration

• Suotuo City stands in the heart of Balak Kingdom's fertile Lima Plain; alongside Barak City, it is one of the kingdom's two most important cities. 100
• It lies in the southwestern Heaven Dou Empire and is roughly a month's journey from Vast Sea City, the nearest major coastal city. 28
• Shrek Academy is located in a nearby village, approximately half an hour from the city. Flender established it outside the walls after offending Suotuo City's City Lord. 11 100
• The City Lord is a Soul Saint. Despite his feud with Flender, he governs effectively: minor scuffles occur, but major disturbances have been kept under control. 11
• A Soul Saint is considered among the city's highest combat forces; the City Lord avoids openly moving against Shrek Academy because it possesses two Soul Saints and three Soul Emperors. 14

Economy

• The city’s fertility and prosperity made it a practical base for Shrek Academy, providing access to money and Spirit Master clientele. 100
• Suotuo City’s Auction House caused a major stir when it obtained Candy Beans useful even to Soul Emperor-level powerhouses. 2
• Oscar and Shao Xin later auctioned spirit abilities in the city, demonstrating the purchasing power of its Spirit Master population. 100
• Lingyu Escort Agency and Lingyu Restaurant operate in the city as paired landmark businesses. Their standardized service, lodging, and cuisine attract travelers such as Tang San and Xiao Wu. 100 101

Districts and Landmarks

City Gates

• The gates are staffed by guards who inspect incoming travelers. Registered Spirit Masters may present Spirit Master Certificates for expedited entry. 12
• Oscar and Ma Hongjun entered as ordinary commoners because Flender had not registered their Spirit Master identities, fearing Spirit Hall would notice their talent. 12
• Horses may not gallop inside the city; visitors stable them at the Horse Shop outside the gates. 11

Suotuo City Grand Auction House

• The Grand Auction House is divided into five access tiers based on an Identity Card’s registered Gold Soul Coin value. 12

• Identity Cards represent financial resources and are intended to prevent malicious bidding. 12
• Most auction participants conceal their identities with masks and cloaks to avoid becoming targets after selling or purchasing valuable items. 12
• Flender maintains a one-hundred-thousand-Gold-Soul-Coin Identity Card through Shao Xin’s status as the seller of Candy Beans. 12

Flender's Spirit Master Shop

• Flender operates a small Spirit Master Shop in the city, though it receives few customers and is poorly suited to ordinary shoppers. 12
• Oscar visits monthly in search of rare items. Before later obtaining Fa Jin there, his best earlier find was a century-level spiritual herb used in body-tempering medicine. 12 100
• Oscar eventually acquires Fa Jin from the shop, using it to create the Dragon Whisker Needle. 100

West City Vegetable Market

• Bu Le arranged his confrontation with Oscar and Ma Hongjun at an ordinary vegetable market in West City. 16
• The incident ended with Bu Le being defeated and warned never to return to Suotuo City or abuse his Spirit Master status. 18

History

Suotuo City was already a significant commercial center when Shrek Academy began benefiting from auctions of Shao Xin’s Candy Beans. The resulting income improved the academy’s conditions despite its continuing placement in a nearby village rather than within the city. 2 3

Oscar and Ma Hongjun frequently used the city for riding practice, shopping, and access to Flender’s shop and the Grand Auction House. Their first documented joint visit included Oscar’s search for Whale Rubber, which had not appeared in Suotuo City despite two years of searching. 11 12

When Tang San and Xiao Wu arrived to take Shrek Academy’s entrance examination, they spent two days in Suotuo City. They found it larger and livelier than Nuoding City, with constant crowds and patrol soldiers throughout its streets. 100 103

As the Spiritual Jade Sword Sect expanded, Suotuo City gained its own Lingyu Restaurant and Lingyu Escort Agency. Oscar maintained a clone at the restaurant to observe Tang San and Xiao Wu’s arrival. 101 102

Notable Events

• The Auction House’s sale of Candy Beans drew attention because the item could benefit Soul Emperor-level experts. 2
• Oscar and Ma Hongjun began regularly traveling to the city on horseback for training and recreation. 11
• Oscar searched Flender’s shop and the Grand Auction House for Whale Rubber. 12
• Oscar, Ma Hongjun, and Zhao Wuji confronted Bu Le in the West City vegetable market; Bu Le was defeated and expelled from the city by threat. 16 18
• Tang San and Xiao Wu arrived before enrolling at Shrek Academy and stayed at Lingyu Restaurant. 100 101
• Oscar and Dugu Yan later visited the city alone after Dugu Yan obtained her Fifth Spirit Ring. 137