Bustling Street Scene

As he asked the question, Li Qi picked up a piece of dry-mixed shredded chicken with his chopsticks and looked Piaoxu up and down.

This Fox Demon was already beautiful, but she had a timid air about her that made people want to bully her. When Li Qi saw her, she turned her face away guiltily, making it clear to everyone that she was afraid.

"Well, we're planning to go to the market to see if we can buy Wind-Walking Talisman or some Cultivation Method used by Demon Beast, but Miss Piaoxu, don't you still have business to do?" Li Qi said kindly, not wanting to make things too difficult for her.

Upon hearing this, Piaoxu quickly replied, "There are staff in the shop, and my family's... that Chasing Ghost will take care of things. I also have Qi Ya to help. It will only delay some dine-in customers, half a day, it's no big deal."

Li Qi then asked, "Speaking of this, that Chasing Ghost... did you strip it of its sanity? Turning it into a puppet?"

"Of course not. If it were turned into a puppet, how could it be so lifelike? It's just that when I inherited the tiger demon's Chasing Ghost, it had already been refined into this form. Although it still had some consciousness, its true spirit was completely under my control and it could not resist at all. That's why I ordered it to disguise itself for me..."

The Chasing Ghost is such a thing. It has consciousness, wisdom, and can think. It can even feel that it has emotions, but all its joys and sorrows are manipulated by the tiger demon. Even if it is asked to lure its own flesh and blood to fill the tiger's belly, it will not hesitate and will not feel any guilt.

"If you think..." she hurriedly tried to add after finishing her introduction.

"Alright, it's your own thing, deal with it yourself. The Chasing Ghost is already dead, and strictly speaking, its mind was fake, just a puppet. But since it won't delay business, would you mind showing us the way, Miss Piaoxu? Of course, we'll compensate you for your losses," Li Qi said.

Piaoxu quickly replied, "No reward is necessary. You two gentlemen saved my life, and it is only right to repay you. How could I possibly accept any reward?"

Li Qi shook his head and took out a small, translucent bead. "Take it. I treat people fairly and justly. What is given is given. Saving your life is nothing to us, so we cannot accept too much reward. Staying here for free is enough. To ask for more would be improper."

Li Qi spoke very seriously, after all, this concerned the Dao he believed in, so he could not refuse.

Hearing Li Qi's tone, Piaoxu didn't dare to say anything more and could only accept the translucent bead.

The bead had a transparent outer shell, with five different colored wisps of energy swirling inside. It looked quite beautiful, but it was incredibly cold to the touch and couldn't be warmed up.

"May I ask, sir, what is this?" Piaoxu asked in confusion.

"The five ghostly energies that tried to kill you before succeeded the first time, but I captured them with my divine energy the second time and sealed them into this small bead. If you want to find your enemies, this thing might provide some clues. I think it would be appropriate to use this as a reward," Li Qi said.

"Sir, you've gone to so much trouble." Piaoxu bowed in gratitude.

"No need for that. Go pack your things, we'll eat first, and you can show us the way when we leave later. No need to waste too much time." Li Qi picked up his bowl, ready to eat.

No way.

While he was chatting with Piaoxu, Rabbit had almost finished eating his food!

If we don't eat now, there won't be any left to eat!

Seeing Piaoxu, Piaoxu chuckled and stepped aside. A moment later, she brought over another bowl of crab roe soup.

Crab roe is fresh and plump, sweet and rich, white like jade and yellow like gold, achieving the ultimate in color, aroma and taste. Piaoxu with oil, salt and bean flour, it becomes sweeter with each chew, almost like cheese, and smooth and boneless, truly the ultimate flavor.

Of course, this led to another round of scrambling.

Li Qi couldn't win the fight because Shen Shuibi even used Daoist magic.

I only ate one spoonful; the rest was eaten by the rabbit.

He was in a fit of impotent rage.

My good mood from the morning is completely ruined.

Putting all that aside, after about 15 minutes, the group went out to the market.

He didn't know until he came; once he arrived, Li Qi truly experienced the prosperity of Clear Mist City.

This is the Great Deer Kingdom, a place whose vitality and prosperity are absolutely unmatched by any other place in the Earth Oil Realm.

Shen Shuibi seemed to have never seen it before either. She had always been cultivating in seclusion on Mount Luofu and rarely went out in her life, so she was watching very carefully.

She recognized the ingredients and principles behind these things at a glance, but she had never seen anything like them that could produce such a dazzling effect. They were so beautiful that she couldn't take her eyes off them.

As for Li Qi, this country bumpkin, he couldn't get enough of it. These extraordinary skills and Technique Method left him speechless, far more exciting than any special effects.

For example, roadside flower shops display flowers for sale, their branches and leaves spreading out from the eaves, filling the entire shop. Dozens of flowers bloom at a time: gooseberry, oriole, pine flower, steamed chestnut, jasmine, asarum, pearl orchid, mountain orchid, jasmine, cassia, the whole shop is filled with flowers, their calyxes and petals bursting forth, lush and clustered, some as large as small buckets, their fragrance intoxicating, carried by the wind, like graceful and lovely beauties vying for attention.

After seeing the flower shop, Li Qi knew where the fragrant floral dew in the porridge he ate that morning came from. Even though it was winter, these flowers were still blooming beautifully, so there must be Secret Method to it.

This is just a roadside flower shop.

Further on, there were people playing chess, but the pieces were not ordinary. The chessboard resembled a plaza, with tiny figures, each the size of a thumb, corresponding to a piece. Each piece stood ready, like a thousand chariots fighting each other.

With each move, all 360 lines of the board move simultaneously, symbolizing the number of days in the celestial sphere; the pieces are half white and half black, symbolizing yin and yang.

The situation, life and death, survival and destruction of the chess pieces will affect the actions of the villains. Playing chess is like manipulating the intrigues and bloody and cruel competition between two countries.

Then we passed a lake in the city, which seemed to be the residence of a noble person. It was just past winter, and the snow had not yet melted. The frost was thick and hazy.

But in the lake, the sky, clouds, mountains, and water were all white, but there were a few black spots in the white. Upon closer inspection, they turned out to be people boating on the lake. The black spots in the white were just a trace of a small boat and a dot of a pavilion in the middle of the lake.

The black and white traces, like an ink painting, create a unique and beautiful scene.

There were also vendors brewing tea and cheese by the roadside. The cheese was pure white, steaming hot, and at first glance it looked like jade liquid and pearls, snowy and creamy, with a fragrance that permeated the lungs. Sprinkled with honey and sugarcane juice, it was incredibly tempting.

Shen Shuibi insisted on having more, so Li Qi bought three cups, one for each of them.

I tried it, and it was indeed sweet and delicious, with an excellent flavor.

Looking ahead, there are newly built houses for the New Year. The newly built pavilions are made of precious and beautiful materials. The silk and jade used are exquisite, and the gold painting is intricate. The craftsmanship is extremely Cultivation Method. They were all carefully built and designed by practitioners with cultivation techniques.

Below, there was a troupe of opera performers invited to celebrate the new house. They played music and dance, their instruments blending together in a wonderfully harmonious way. The atmosphere was joyous and festive, with the sounds of gongs and drums filling the air. There were countless spectators on the roadside, and even Li Qi and his companions joined in the fun.

Not far away, there were street performers selling illusions.

Looking at the illusion, one sees a pitch-black curtain at the beginning, then suddenly a thunderclap is heard, and the black curtain reveals a scene. Five-colored clouds dyed with ram's horn appear on the black cloth, creating light and shadow. The light is as bright as dawn, spreading out to form beams, and then to the Moon Cave. The realm is magical, sometimes appearing and sometimes disappearing, full of strange and unbelievable phenomena. The plot is also carefully crafted, making one forget that it is a play. It is simply a holographic projection movie, only it is short, only a quarter of an hour.

When the play ended, even Li Qi couldn't help but applaud. Shen Shuibi even took out money to tip, which made Li Qi curse her as a spendthrift woman.

After passing through a small street market, the entire street was filled with vendors, with houses and stalls, stalls under awnings, and stalls under awnings, covering every inch of the street.

Stepping inside, it was packed with people, shoulder to shoulder, all there to browse.

In the small market, you can find all sorts of crafts, Fujian and Mo people's treasures, rouge and hairpins, ivory rulers and scissors, some small Law Treasure, decorations, children's toys, musical instruments, and books.

There were genuine and fake items, and merchants and customers haggled and argued, which even dispelled the winter chill. The lively atmosphere made people feel both excited and noisy.

Li Qi only had about ten taels of gold on him to begin with, and after just one round of the market, half of it was gone.

It turned out that Shen Shuibi had looked around and spotted a white jade hairpin with a jade rabbit motif, and seemed quite pleased that she had been chosen as the subject of the design.

When Li Qi saw that Shen Shuibi was still wearing the same copper wire hairpin that he had bought before, which she had worn for a year, he had a sudden thought and bought it.

Shen Shuibi was delighted, holding it in her arms and laughing and chatting, seemingly preparing to change into it after taking a bath.

In short, Li Qi witnessed the prosperity of this place in just half a Chen.

Not to mention the other pleasures of sights and sounds, sleeping among flowers and willows, building mansions and towers, and enjoying the moon and the tides, the sheer prosperity of this place has already surpassed Li Qi's previous understanding.

This place truly lives up to its name; this is even though Li Qi is broke and can only stroll around the streets.

If one were truly wealthy and powerful, then the joys and pleasures here would be beyond Li Qi's wildest imagination.

This is the happiness of the rich.

Half Chen later, Li Qi and his group passed through several markets, only to find themselves in an... arena?

There was even a faint smell of blood. There were several circular buildings with sounds coming from inside, like a fighting arena.

However, Piaoxu, who was acting as the guide, stopped here. "We've arrived, gentlemen. You can buy Wind-Walking Talisman here."

"Huh? Here?" Li Qi looked at the arena with some surprise.

There are indeed things here, such as tickets, various standard magical Law Artifact, and a lot of gladiator portraits hanging up, probably for endorsements or something.

Speaking of standardized Law Treasure, Li Qi had really underestimated the level of industrialization in this world. In the era of boatmen, no one bothered with people like them who were as insignificant as dust. But in reality, there were also industrialized magical Law Artifact that could be produced quickly here, it's just that... they weren't very popular.

After all, Law Treasure artifacts are generally best when they are custom-made or self-made, and the human body's microcosm is unique to each individual.

Whether you use someone else's Law Artifact or so-called standard ritual Law Artifact, you can only achieve 60-70% of their effectiveness. Only something that is perfectly suited to you can achieve its full potential.

This is perhaps why workshop-style handicrafts still exist. After all, things customized according to one's own circumstances are truly suitable for oneself, while standardized ritual Law Artifact, though cheap, are not very effective.

For example, the Tang sword in his hand was a typical standard weapon, with every ninth-rank soldier in the Tang army carrying one, along with matching armor.

However, given the Reason Way of the Tang Kingdom, even this standard weapon is far superior to the vast majority of ninth-grade Law Artifact.

Now, Li Qi has gained some understanding of the Tang Kingdom is mainly based on three Dao Lineage.

These are the Human Path, the Daoist School, and the Reason Way, with the Human Path holding absolute authority. The Human Emperor, as an existence above the first rank, also reached an agreement with the Reason Way, which exists as an appendage of the Human Path.

For some unknown reason, the True Immortal also joined the Tang Kingdom's camp.

Therefore, the quantity and quality of the Tang Kingdom's equipment and elixirs were unimaginable. The Daoist sect was extremely skilled in alchemy, and the Reason Way's research on artifacts was unparalleled. This is what made Tang Kingdom's millions of iron cavalry able to dominate the world and never truly suffer a defeat.

Therefore, the Tang sword in Li Qi's hand is far superior to the standard weapons in front of him, and could probably cut through dozens of them without much effort.

However, his real Trump Card is the willow branch tied around his waist, which contains the Great Shaman sage and has never failed to bring him victory.

Hearing Li Qi's doubts, Piaoxu quickly explained, "Sir, don't be fooled by the fact that this place is just a place for wrestling duels. In fact, it is the largest trading center for Law Artifact and talismans below the ninth rank in Clear Mist City."

"I see. Then please lead the way," Li Qi nodded and said.

Piaoxu nodded and led the two forward, arriving at the market.

It was incredibly bustling, even more impressive than the free entertainment outside. Craftsmen and alchemists from all walks of life were showcasing their skills and products, with a constant barrage of sounds and flashes of light. It felt as if you were surrounded by steel and flames, with deadly weapons flying all around you.

Passing by the area specializing in weapons and armor, the three quickly moved on to the area where talismans were sold.

Meanwhile.

They were in the VIP stands of the arena outside.

This is a private box, offering a panoramic view of the entire arena and the situation below.

Now, in this circular arena, the competition is called "The Unbeatable".

It is also the cruelest form of gambling here.

Why is it called this name?

Because in this competition, every wrestler is a winner, and there is no precedent for someone who has never lost a match to return to the arena.

The reason is simple: the loser is usually killed on the spot, which is the bloody moment that everyone loves to see.

Each time, the losers are eliminated, leaving only the winners.

Therefore, this competition format is named "The Ever-Victorious".

Inside the private room, a richly dressed man suddenly opened his eyes. "Elder Si, I think I can sense your ghostly aura down there. What's going on?"