Ping'an Town

"Senior Brother Zhao, heading down the mountain again!"

"Huh? Isn't that Junior Brother Qingyun? Why are you going down the mountain too!"

As they reached the mountain gate, the two, one fat and one thin, Qingfeng and Mingyue, respectfully called out to Senior Brother Zhao. Upon seeing Li Qingyun, whose face was somewhat familiar, they were greatly surprised.

They were not only astonished that Li Qingyun had gained Zhao Yifan's favor, but they also felt that after only a few days apart, Junior Brother Qingyun seemed like a different person, no longer possessing the pale complexion of a dissipated playboy.

The afternoon sun streamed down from above the tall mountain gate, illuminating the young man, who stood as straight as a spring tree, his handsome face like jade, exuding an air of elegance and vitality, completely unlike his former weakness.

"Greetings, Senior Brothers!"

Li Qingyun smiled and nodded to Qingfeng and Mingyue, then followed Zhao Yifan, who was now carrying himself with a bit more dignity, down the stone steps at a brisk pace.

He felt that Qingfeng and Mingyue truly held little status within the temple; elite disciples like Lin Wanjin and Zhao Yifan all looked down on them.

The stone steps stretched downwards, with white mist from the surrounding mountains surging towards them.

From behind, the low voices of Qingfeng and Mingyue could be faintly heard:

"He's a young master from Marquis Qinghe's estate, after all. Wealthy and well-connected. When he first arrived, he looked completely drained, but in the blink of an eye, he managed to get close to Senior Brother Zhao, obtained spiritual medicine, and recovered all his depleted vital energy!"

"When I first saw Junior Brother Qingyun, I noticed the large bundle he brought up the mountain. I even felt its weight when I secretly lifted it. With money, life on the back mountain is much more comfortable than in the mortal world!"

"Heh, but going down the mountain to slay demons and ward off ghosts isn't a leisurely stroll. I hope Junior Brother Qingyun can come back alive!"

"It's much easier for us to stay by the mountain gate, welcoming and seeing off guests with smiles!"

"..."

Li Qingyun's ears twitched. Even though they were already some distance from the mountain gate, he could hear them clearly.

When he first ascended the mountain, his physical condition must have appeared quite weak to the other disciples!

However, times had changed. In just a few days, he had cultivated mana, and his vital energy and blood had largely recovered.

The mountain mist was hazy. Zhao Yifan walked and kindly advised him.

"After we go down the mountain, rent two fast horses at Ping'an Town at the foot of the mountain. It should take about a day or two to reach Yinshan Town!"

"Yes, Senior Brother's consideration is thorough!"

Li Qingyun raised no objection to Zhao Yifan's suggestion.

For disciples with shallow cultivation descending the mountain for travel or missions, most relied on carriages and horses. While soaring through clouds or flying on magical artifacts was elegant and swift, it was unfeasible without sufficient cultivation.

With low mana, even if one mastered the art of flight, they would quickly exhaust themselves. Moreover, the speed of low-level cultivators flying was not much faster than that of beasts and horses.

The two walked quickly and soon descended the stone steps of the mountain path.

Zhao Yifan's satisfaction grew. During their descent, he deliberately tested Li Qingyun's stamina by accelerating, but Li Qingyun was able to keep up steadily.

Maple Mountain was vast. There were two winding mountain paths leading up, one specifically for carriages and horses, and the other for pilgrims and hikers.

At this time, many pilgrims, after worshipping the Dao Lord at Lingbao Temple, began their descent. People of all ages and walks of life, from merchants and laborers to noble ladies and young masters, bustled about, creating a lively scene.

Lingbao Temple was the largest Taoist temple in the surrounding towns, with flourishing incense. Every day, many commoners and villagers climbed the mountain to worship, seeking talismans and elixirs, requesting help with demon slaying and ghost exorcism, and even praying for children.

In this era, for ordinary people to live longer, it was essential to have House Soothing Talismans and Evil Warding Talismans at home. Traces of supernatural powers like Taoist magic were prevalent in the human world.

At the foot of the mountain lay a rather prosperous town called Ping'an Town.

The town was home to over ten thousand people year-round, with large tracts of farmland cultivated outside its borders. People of all kinds traveled to and fro, making it a hub of prosperity.

Many stewards and elite disciples of Lingbao Temple had established businesses in Ping'an Town, building grand houses, opening shops, and even taking several wives and concubines, raising families and enjoying generations of descendants.

The higher echelons of the temple placed great importance on the peace and order of Ping'an Town. Stewards of expert level, along with disciples, were stationed there year-round to maintain order and protect the townspeople.

The You Kingdom's court did not dispatch officials to Ping'an Town. The town had essentially formed organically, of course, managed by Lingbao Temple. The court neither interfered nor dared to cause trouble.

When Li Qingyun and Zhao Yifan, clad in Taoist robes, appeared on the streets of Ping'an Town, the townspeople respectfully bowed and greeted them. Some bolder residents even warmly invited them for tea and wine.

The town was very prosperous, with wine shops, teahouses, talisman shops, statue shops, weapon stores, pharmacies, inns, and stables all orderly distributed. Laughter and calls of vendors filled the air, and the townspeople's expressions held a sense of peace, something Li Qingyun rarely saw in Qinghe County.

However, compared to Qinghe County town, Ping'an Town lacked entertainment venues like brothels and pleasure boats, which was a regret for the merchants and travelers coming and going.

Li Qingyun also noticed that the houses and shops in the town had newly made talismans pasted on their windows, doors, and courtyard walls to ward off ghosts and evil spirits, exuding a strong local folk flavor of this world.

There were three stables in town. The one Zhao Yifan went to rent horses from was quite large, even displaying a few exotic bloodline beasts at the entrance as a signboard to attract customers.

This stable, named "Junye Hongkai," was opened by an elite disciple of Lingbao Temple.

Zhao Yifan seemed to have a good rapport with the owner.

He went in and chatted with the middle-aged elite disciple about trivial matters. The two talked and laughed, engaging in pleasantries.

There was a significant difference in the demeanor of Lingbao Temple disciples on the mountain versus off it. Zhao Yifan and the others, after descending, clearly had less of an "immortal-like bearing" and more worldly sophistication and smoothness.

A moment later, Zhao Yifan emerged with a smile, leading two rather spirited yellow-maned horses.

Li Qingyun did not follow into "Junye Hongkai." Instead, he browsed the shops across the street.

The sunlight was soft, and the atmosphere was peaceful. He enjoyed the rare touch of human warmth in this small town.

At this moment, he couldn't help but recall his days living in Qinghe County, feeling a sense of nostalgia.

"How much for this ancient bronze sword?"

"Fifty taels. Oh, it's a high-level practitioner from Lingbao Temple, then forty taels. Can't go any lower! I almost got bitten by a zombie for this thing!"

"A bit expensive..."

At a roadside stall run by a martial artist, Li Qingyun found an unexpected little surprise.

After some haggling, he spent twenty taels of silver and acquired a bronze short sword with a faded, old hilt, inscribed with two or three ancient incantations.

The bronze sword looked old and rusty, carrying a chilling aura as if freshly unearthed from an ancient tomb.

Initially, he was drawn by the three incantations. After picking it up and examining it, he sensed a trace of clear yang energy beneath the chilling aura, subtly stirring the mana within his Precious Furnace Qi Absorption Art.

This indicated the sword wasn't ordinary and could hold some of his mana.

The material used to forge it must be quite special, likely mixed with some kind of spirit iron.

Seeing that he was a disciple of Lingbao Temple, the martial artist didn't dare to deceive him and frankly admitted that a few days prior, he and his friends had explored an ancient tomb belonging to a nobleman from a previous dynasty.

They had deliberately dug open the tomb in broad daylight, used fire and talismans to deal with three yin corpses, and then retrieved the more valuable old artifacts from within.

"This sword of yours is actually quite good!"

Li Qingyun took the ancient bronze sword and smiled slightly. His finger flicked out, and the rusty sword immediately let out a low, thunderous hum.

Under the cleansing power of his mana and lightning intent, the chilling aura on the sword vanished completely.

The ancient sword now seemed as if it had been sharpened, exuding a newfound vitality and sharpness.