Qinghua

As Xu Yi looked around, a young man in a long robe hurried toward him. His round face wore the professional smile of a real estate agent from a later age. When he reached Xu Yi, he clasped his hands and spoke with a grin. "This brother has an unusual countenance and an air of nobility, yet he looks about with such curiosity. You must have just arrived in the eastern part of Guang'an City. This humble one is a native of the city, well versed in its three religions and nine schools, its markets and districts—I know them all like the back of my hand. I would be glad to show you around."

Xu Yi understood at once: he'd found himself a guide. Having just arrived, he really did need one. If the price was right, he'd hire him. "Name your price!"

The young man in the long robe froze, clearly not expecting Xu Yi to be so direct. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.

Xu Yi gave him no time to think it over. He started walking, figuring there were plenty of people in the city who made their living this way. If he showed them even a little kindness, they'd soon be riding roughshod over him.

Having finally found a customer, the young man wasn't about to let Xu Yi walk away. He hurried after him. "Wait, wait! Don't rush off, brother. You're awfully impatient. One price: five gold coins!"

Xu Yi nearly fell flat on his face. The man had the nerve to ask five gold coins just for guiding him around? Xu Yi had spent only two taels of silver on a lavish lunch yesterday. Even at the official exchange rate, five gold coins could buy enough food to feast for an entire year.

Seeing Xu Yi's expression change, the young man hurried to explain. "Brother, don't complain about the price yet. Hear me out. You don't think I'm just here to show you the way, do you? It's not that simple. I'll answer all your questions about the city, accompany you while you shop, make introductions, haggle on your behalf, and plenty more besides."

The young man did seem to have a fair bit of work to do, but Xu Yi was loath to part with his money and had no wish to argue. He turned and walked off, hoping to compare prices elsewhere.

But the young man stuck to him like glue, talking nonstop and telling him tale after tale of newcomers to the eastern city who had balked at paying a guide's fee, only to be fleeced by some shop and made a laughingstock.

Xu Yi found the chatter irritating, but the stories gave him pause. After a moment's thought, he said, "Don't start by asking for the moon. You seem sincere enough, so I'll propose a deal. I really do want to buy some things while I'm in the city, and the total will be at least two hundred gold coins. You haggle over whatever catches my eye, and you get one-tenth of whatever you save me. If you agree, show me around. If not, get out of my way before I lose my temper!"

Xu Yi's mind was sharp. In an instant, he had devised a solution that suited them both.

As far as he was concerned, danger was already bearing down on him. His most urgent priority was to strengthen himself, and he had come into the city intending to shop extensively.

He didn't know how much it would cost, but he reckoned it would be a considerable sum.

The young man was right: Xu Yi had just arrived, knew neither the place nor the prices, and would likely be fleeced if he wandered into a shop on his own.

Having the young man help him inspect the goods and haggle would make up for that shortcoming.

He also believed that with the young man negotiating on his behalf, he'd save far more than five gold coins.

It was a win-win arrangement. Sure enough, the moment Xu Yi finished speaking, the young man eagerly agreed.

The calculation was simple. The young man knew that, by convention, a shop's asking price could be cut by at least thirty percent. In other words, to spend two hundred gold coins, the shopkeepers would have to quote at least three hundred. That meant he could knock a hundred off the price, and at ten percent, he'd earn ten gold coins.

What was more, if he really went all out, he might be able to bargain them down even further—and earn even more.

Once they had settled the deal, the two exchanged names. The young man introduced himself as Yuan Qinghua and said he had been in the business for seven or eight years, with plenty of experience.

As they walked, Yuan Qinghua pointed out the city's famous sights and regaled Xu Yi with anecdotes. He was eloquent, quick-witted, and quite entertaining.

They crossed a blue-stone arch bridge when Xu Yi suddenly spotted a noisy, bustling crowd thirty zhang to the northwest. He peered into the distance and saw a broad platform, three zhang high and more than twenty zhang across. Two burly men were fighting for their lives atop it, their blades flashing in a fierce, heart-stopping clash.

A moment's thought made everything clear to Xu Yi. This was probably the famous life-and-death duel of Guang'an City—the very challenge he was about to face.

Yuan Qinghua pointed toward the platform with a smile. "There's still plenty of time, brother. Would you like to get a closer look? If you're interested in placing a bet, I'd be glad to advise you. I've watched these duels for years, and I've trained my eye."

"Place a bet? What do you mean?" Xu Yi asked curiously.

Yuan Qinghua paused, wondering if this esteemed gentleman had just emerged from some remote mountain wilderness. But he was quick with his answer. "Where there's a fight, there's a winner and a loser. And where there's a winner and a loser, there's a wager. A hundred fights take place in Guang'an City every day. Without bets to draw people in, do you think anyone would bother watching a mere Body Tempering Mid-Stage match?"

Xu Yi nodded. "Brother Yuan, you have a sharp eye. You can tell the two fighters' realms from this far away."

Yuan Qinghua waved off the compliment with a smile. "You don't understand, brother. It's not my eyesight. The realms of the two contestants are displayed on the flagpole beside the platform. The Great Yue Royal Court uses five colors—gold, purple, black, white, and blue—to distinguish rank and status. Here, they've borrowed the practice: five-colored flags announce the realms of the fighters and draw in bettors at different levels. The four stages of Body Tempering correspond to purple, black, white, and blue. The flag flying over the platform right now is white, so the fighters are both at the Body Tempering Mid-Stage."

Xu Yi asked, "Gold, purple, black, white, and blue—that makes five colors. Why do four stages of Body Tempering take up four of them, leaving only one for realms above Body Tempering?"

"The reason is simple. Anyone who reaches the Qi Sea Realm is a major figure in Guang'an City. When major figures have disputes, they don't need to settle them on that platform. To tell you the truth, I haven't seen a gold flag raised over the arena once in all the years I can remember. Besides, in recent years, the Three Great Sects have gradually extended their reach into Guang'an City. With the three sides keeping the peace, even purple flags have become a rare sight."

"I see. I was oversimplifying things. I have one more question. If someone concealed his realm, fought on the platform, and secretly placed a hefty bet on himself, wouldn't he make a fortune in no time? Of course, since these duels have continued to this day and become so popular in Guang'an, there must be some way to prevent that loophole."

Xu Yi was like a dry sponge, rapidly soaking up knowledge of this world.