Four Seas Merchant Guild

He did not pursue.

Jiang Ding rested a hand on his sword hilt and slightly closed his eyes, sensing the blood-drenched battlefield. The stench of blood was heavy in his nostrils.

His spine tingled faintly. In just a few minutes, his bone-forging progress had advanced another step.

No matter what kind of martial art it was, only on the battlefield could it find the value of its existence and align with the essence of one's life.

The merchant caravan's workers looked at the youth amid the corpses with awe, not daring to approach.

"Thank you, young hero, for saving my life."

After a long while, the caravan steward hurried over once he had bandaged his wounds and gave a deep bow. "Long San of the Long family's collateral branch, of the Four Seas Merchant Guild, greets you, young hero. There will surely be a generous reward in the future."

Jiang Ding froze. "In the future? Why not now?"

Long San's scalp went numb, and a chill ran through his whole body, especially his throat. Instinctively, he reached for the saber at his waist.

Yet under Jiang Ding's gaze, he forcibly stopped himself.

"Could it be that your generous reward was merely a polite phrase?" Jiang Ding asked unhappily.

"I wouldn't dare! Please wait a moment, young hero."

Long San relaxed, revealing a smile. He cupped his hands, returned to the workers, and borrowed a little from each of them before presenting more than thirty taels of silver.

"Please do not take offense, young hero. I only have thirty taels of silver on me right now. Once we reach the prefectural city, I will offer another generous gift."

"That will not be necessary. This is enough. They struck first, after all—it was not as though I specifically saved you."

Jiang Ding accepted the silver and shook his head. "I have another favor to ask. I am also heading to the prefectural city. Could Steward Long make things convenient and let me travel with you?"

"Young hero, I could not ask for more!"

Long San was overjoyed. He had been worried that the Fierce Tiger Stronghold bandits would refuse to let the matter rest.

This was, after all, Fierce Tiger Stronghold territory. No one dared linger. Long San had the workers specially clear out a donkey cart and invited Jiang Ding inside, while he personally kept him company despite his injuries.

Jiang Ding also took the opportunity to ask him about the nearby area.

"In the prefectural city, aside from the prefectural office guarded by Marquis Zhen Dong, what other experts must not be provoked? It would be good for me to take note."

"This..."

Long San pondered for a moment. "With your skills, young hero, minor gangs and petty forces naturally would not be worth your notice. There are only three who can be called true masters: Yang Dongsheng, leader of the Righteousness Gang, known as 'Righteousness Reaching the Heavens'; Old Master Yuan, master of Dragon Tiger Martial Hall, known as the 'Heaven-Turning Monkey,' whose disciples spread throughout both the righteous and underworld circles of East Spirit Prefecture; and Zheng Ye, head of the Zheng Family, nicknamed 'Mixed Gold Saber.' I hear the Zheng Family is connected to the Marquis's residence by marriage."

"All three are renowned peak Inner Qi Realm experts. Setting aside their reputations and influence, an Inner Qi Realm martial artist like me would count it as heaven-sent luck just to survive one move from them."

After thinking a little more, Long San added:

"Actually, a few months ago, there was also the Seven Profound Sect. It was even stronger than those three major powers and had occupied East Spirit Prefecture for over a thousand years. Unfortunately, Wei Xian, the chief disciple of the Golden Saber Sect among the Six Great Sects, led people to slaughter it clean."

Reverence appeared on his face.

"Oh? Why was that?" Jiang Ding asked with interest. "I recall that the Golden Saber Sect is a major sect near the Capital City. Why would they travel a thousand li to destroy a sect in a place like ours?"

"Those major sects have always acted tyrannically. Even the authorities have rarely interfered with them these past few years. Who could possibly know?"

"Still, there are some rumors in the city."

Long San thought for a moment.

"Some say that the Golden Saber Ancestor had set his eyes on a treasure of the Seven Profound Sect, called the Heavenly Sound Stone. It was left behind by Seven Profound Master, who once dominated the martial world a thousand years ago. Whenever moonlight shone upon it, it would emit Immortal Music that could help people comprehend martial arts."

Jiang Ding's heart stirred. It seemed to remind him of something, but after careful thought, he found nothing.

"Others say that one of the Golden Saber Ancestor's enemies was connected to the Seven Profound Sect, so he sent his chief disciple to slaughter the entire sect and vent his rage."

"Still others say it had something to do with a beauty..."

"In short, there are scattered bits of every sort of story." Long San smiled bitterly. "Small fry like us probably cannot trust anything we hear. It is only something to ease boredom while drinking."

Jiang Ding smiled as well. "Is that Golden Saber Sect chief disciple still in East Spirit City? I am starting to feel like not going."

Long San's expression tightened.

"He left, he left! Rest assured, young hero. To a prodigy ranked Ninth on the Dragon-Phoenix Ranking, East Spirit City is merely some remote little place. If not for his master's orders, why would Wei Xian, the 'Splitting Sea Saber,' be willing to come here?"

Splitting Sea Saber?

Jiang Ding was speechless. These people really dared to boast. Even a Golden Core True Person would probably not dare claim to split the sea.

"Prodigies like that are the true great men!"

Long San said with a trace of longing, "I saw it with my own eyes that day. The gold, silver, treasures, and wealth squeezed from the people dragged down from Seven Profound Sect Mountain alone filled more than a dozen large carts. The final flower cart, packed with beauties, was even more mouthwatering. I heard that the Seven Profound Sect master's wife, Bell Sound Fairy, was among them."

"She was the dream woman that important figures like Old Master Yuan and the Zheng Family head had sought but failed to obtain in their youth. By sheer luck, the Seven Profound Sect master had embraced the beauty and won her heart. Who would have thought that now she would... Alas."

"Right."

Jiang Ding recalled something. "Didn't the Seven Profound Sect also have a Dragon-Phoenix Ranking prodigy, someone called Flying Snow Fairy? Did she also fall into the hands of that 'Splitting Sea Saber'?"

"You mean Flying Snow Fairy Gong Caiyu, ranked Ninety-eighth on the Dragon-Phoenix Ranking? She is Bell Sound Fairy's daughter, and her beauty is likewise enough to topple kingdoms and cities. I did not see her that day, and afterward I heard nothing of what became of her."

With the mountain wilderness scenery outside the window slowly drifting backward, the two chatted casually. Jiang Ding gained a rough impression of East Spirit City.

Along the way, the merchant caravan periodically stopped at small towns and villages to replenish food and water and rest the livestock, allowing Jiang Ding to see some of the local customs.

Overall, it was probably similar to the ancient feudal era of the Immortal Sect.

Body Refining Realm martial artists possessed the tremendous strength to lift several hundred jin with one arm, while Inner Qi Realm martial artists were even stronger. Yet they apparently had no thought of applying that strength to agricultural or handicraft labor to increase productivity.

The vast majority of martial artists chose violent occupations that did not directly produce goods, such as escort guards, bodyguards, gang members, and soldiers, even though they faced life and death from time to time and could not be called safe or stable.

Four or five hours later, just as Jiang Ding was considering whether to stay up all night, a towering city appeared in the distance.

As they drew closer, he saw that the city walls stood eleven or twelve meters high and fifteen or sixteen meters wide. Large numbers of armored soldiers guarded the gates, remaining motionless despite the scorching heat.

Firewood carriers, merchants, opera singers, night-soil collectors, and commoners from every trade lined up to enter the city in perfect order.

Jiang Ding carefully examined the soldiers, his expression turning serious. "The city soldiers are quite elite."

The three stages of the Body Refining Realm and the Inner Qi Realm were still mortal. Once trapped in places such as cities or plains and besieged by troops wielding powerful bows and heavy crossbows, no matter how strong they were, they could not withstand it and would surely die.

"Naturally."

Long San said solemnly, "Lord Marquis Zhen Dong was one of the Twelve Generals of Heavenly Clouds who followed the Founding Ancestor to conquer the realm. He ranked ninth in the Heavenly Clouds Pavilion. His military command and martial skill are naturally formidable, and he has not declined even now."

"They say there are three major powers in the city, but in truth, none can compare to the Marquis's residence."

At the city gate, the tax collectors charged each person one copper coin to enter, with goods assessed separately. Judging from Long San's unremarkable expression, they had neither overcharged nor undercharged, and there was none of the harassment Jiang Ding had imagined might occur.

Jiang Ding did not have a single copper coin, so Long San paid for him.

After entering the city, Jiang Ding cupped his hands toward Long San. "I wish to open a general store in the city. Steward Long, could you introduce me to some connections? I do not seek an especially good location. I only want to settle down for the time being. I certainly will not let you lose out on the commission."

He had already planned this: open a general store and use a certain amount of silver to purchase various specimens dug up or caught by the locals.

Naturally, the requirements for those specimens would be strict, so training would be provided beforehand.

"Ah, ah..."

Long San stepped back half a pace and repeatedly waved his hands. "Young hero, you are embarrassing me. You saved my life. You need only give the word for such trifling matters—why must you be so formal?"

"No." Jiang Ding said seriously, "I said before that since I have accepted your generous gift, the matter is settled. Do not mention it again."

"Young hero, it is merely a few dozen taels of silver..."

"No, it is enough." Jiang Ding smiled. "You are also a businessman, so you naturally understand that value has never been fixed. As long as buyer and seller agree, the money and goods are settled. There must be no further entanglement."

"Ah, young hero, I cannot argue with you. Since you wish to open a shop, I will later send a worker familiar with such matters to handle it for you. Do not mention commission again."

Long San smiled bitterly.

A small-time general store owner simply did not fit with this blue-clad, sword-bearing youth who killed without blinking. The mismatch was too great.

Of course, he did not ask further. That was someone else's business.