City

Chapter 13: The City

Cultivation was inherently like this—it could not always go smoothly. One would inevitably encounter all sorts of difficulties, especially since Ye Qin was groping his way forward alone, not born with innate knowledge.

No one was perfect. Even sages made mistakes and felt confusion.

Fortunately, Ye Qin had a good mindset and did not let this trouble him. Perhaps all he lacked was simply an opportunity.

Reaching his current level had already far exceeded Ye Qin's expectations. This life was originally one he had picked up by chance. Even if his cultivation stopped here from now on, it would still be a gain for him.

Thinking of this, Ye Qin suddenly felt enlightened.

He glanced outside the cave. After a night of torrential rain, the surroundings were littered with puddles of all sizes.

Low-lying areas had already been submerged, and he could see many Field Mice and small animals scurrying across the ground, searching for new homes.

The cave's location was on favorable terrain with no standing water, so Ye Qin didn't have to worry about flooding. Otherwise, he would probably have to find a new place.

He didn't know if it was because he had already grown accustomed to this spot, but if he had to relocate, he might really struggle to adapt.

Besides, where else could he find such a hidden and spacious cave?

Most importantly, it was inside this cave that he had cultivated and comprehended the Dao, picking up his life by a thread. It was as if he had been reborn here. So unless absolutely necessary, Ye Qin did not want to leave.

This cave would henceforth be his nest, his stronghold.

Although he was now a snake, he still retained some human habits in certain ways—for instance, not wanting to get wet in the rain.

Ye Qin couldn't be bothered to go out. He stayed hidden inside the cave, cultivating, hoping to break through his bottleneck and find the next direction for his practice.

After several consecutive days of heavy rain, the weather finally cleared.

Watching the long-missed sunlight break through the sky, dispelling the gloom and dark clouds that had lingered for days, Ye Qin decided to go out for a breather and hunt for food along the way.

Probably because of his cultivation, his appetite had grown larger, requiring him to consume more energy and nutrients.

As soon as he crawled out of the cave, he could smell the earthy scent of mud after the rain, mixed with the fresh fragrance of green leaves.

"Oh?"

Ye Qin seemed to notice something. He spotted a reflective object not far away and quickly slithered over.

It was a small puddle—more precisely, a footprint with a shallow layer of water inside.

Because of the several days of heavy rain, the soil had become very soft. When a person or a large animal passed through, they would leave behind marks.

"Could there have been humans passing by nearby?"

Judging by the traces of the footprint, it had been formed not long ago.

Ye Qin's mind stirred. He had no positioning or navigation system right now, and finding his way out of this deep mountain forest would be very difficult. But if someone could guide him, that would be a different story.

"Maybe I can follow him and find the way out of the mountains."

Having just transmigrated here, Ye Qin was completely in the dark. He didn't even know where he was. This was a perfect opportunity to figure out his current location.

Besides, he had originally planned to enter the city once to gain some knowledge.

His forked tongue flickered back and forth in the air. The scent trail finally faded in the southeast direction. Ye Qin immediately chased after it, and sure enough, he spotted another footprint.

Ye Qin followed the footprints all the way, traveling for the better part of a day. The surrounding vegetation grew sparser, and the view became more open. Not far ahead, an asphalt road came into sight.

Occasionally, a few cars sped by, and Ye Qin could feel the ground beneath him tremble.

"Honk—honk—"

Hearing the long-missed sound of car horns, he felt as if he had been reborn into another world.

The familiar mode of transportation from his past life now appeared to Ye Qin as enormous steel monsters that could easily crush his current body into a dried snake strip.

Ye Qin sighed softly and quickly averted his gaze. As long as he followed this main road, he should be able to reach the city.

A blue traffic sign not far away told Ye Qin where he was.

This was the border between Fog City and Tianfu Province. The area was surrounded by mountains—endless green peaks, layered ridges, and steep, perilous cliffs where countless living creatures thrived.

The rich, fertile land provided them with nourishment, leading to great biodiversity and a healthy ecological environment.

On winding mountain roads like this, wild animals occasionally appeared.

Ye Qin traveled along the main road. When he got tired, he found a hidden spot to cultivate and meditate, restoring his Essence, Qi, and Spirit, then continued onward.

It wasn't until the early morning of the next day, when the sky was just beginning to show a pale fish-belly white, that he finally reached his destination.

Fog City was surrounded by mountains on all sides, with rivers winding around it. Within the city, Ba Mountain stretched endlessly, and the Yu River crisscrossed through, forming a unique landscape alongside the surrounding high-rise buildings.

At this hour, the sky had just brightened. The morning moisture was still heavy, not yet fully evaporated. A faint, almost intangible veil of mist hung over the entire city, adding a touch of hazy beauty.

Thus came the renowned name "Fog City."

Although it was still early, the city had already awakened. Street vendors shouted loudly, steam billowed into the air, and a handful of white noodles was tossed into bubbling broth, kicking off another busy day for ordinary people.

The city was like a steel forest, with streets lined up like scales, crisscrossing roads like a chessboard, and workers rushing about for a living. Everything looked so familiar yet so strange to Ye Qin.

Because once, he had been one of them.

But now, things that had once been proportional were suddenly magnified several times over. For Ye Qin's current small body, they were fraught with danger.

Never mind cars—even a bicycle, or even a passerby's careless step, could injure him.

Fortunately, his previous experience living in the wild had already accustomed him to this giant perspective. The only thing he wasn't used to was that the mountains were open and unobstructed, aside from some plants.

But here, it was different. All kinds of buildings and dense crowds were crammed into a single city, making it feel somewhat crowded instead.

Ye Qin didn't want to expose himself, lest he get beaten to death by others. After all, he had only just begun his cultivation and was far from having any divine powers or spells. He could only rely on the surrounding greenery or pipes to move forward.

Although snakes weren't like rats in the streets, hated by everyone, they weren't exactly welcome in the eyes of modern people. Fear was still quite common.

A gust of wind blew from somewhere, and a piece of paper drifted over. It turned out to be a city map.

"Is this really the arrangement of fate..."

Ye Qin was speechless, wondering if fate truly existed.

He had been worrying about not knowing which direction to go, planning to take a stroll around the city first, but this timely rain had arrived. So he looked at the map before him and studied it carefully. In the end, his gaze landed on the location marked "Mist City Library."

These past few days, he had been troubled by doubts about cultivation but had no way to resolve them. The library had many books, and perhaps he could find answers there. Even if he couldn't, it might at least clear up some of his confusion.

Although going online might be more convenient, he couldn't expect a snake to boot up a computer and type on a keyboard. Besides, if someone caught him, he might be captured as a demon or monster.

So, after thinking it over, going to a place like the library was still a bit more useful.

Ye Qin was too absorbed in studying the map to notice the commotion not far away.

(End of this chapter)