Qingyun Town, Iron Beads

On a small hill not far from the village, Ling Tian stood with his hands behind his back, looking every bit the expert senior, as if he had gotten addicted to playing the part.

"Squeak squeak!" Humei giggled incessantly, even rolling on the ground holding her belly.

"Haha! This is hilarious." Finally, Ling Tian couldn't hold back any longer and started laughing, clutching his stomach.

"If Father found out about this, I don't know how he'd laugh at me," Ling Tian muttered after a while, finally stopping his laughter.

Humei then hopped onto Ling Tian's shoulder, her eyes still full of amusement, even tearing up from laughter. Hearing Ling Tian's words, Humei nodded in agreement, her foxy eyes blinking, clearly imagining Ling Yun's expression if he knew about this.

"So these kids were using slingshots to hunt small birds. But their power is too small; even if they hit something, it wouldn't have much effect." Ling Tian mused, deducing from the children that their "weapon" was a slingshot.

As he spoke, he picked up a pebble and weighed it in his hand, feeling it was too light.

"Whoosh!"

With a sudden throw, Ling Tian sent the pebble shooting like lightning towards a shrub as thick as a bowl. Due to its speed, it created a sharp whistling sound as it cut through the air.

"Pfft!"

The pebble struck the tree trunk accurately, piercing it with a "pfft." The small tree swayed a few times before snapping and falling with a crack. The pebble, however, turned to dust.

"Wow, my throwing is actually this powerful!" Ling Tian exclaimed in surprise. He had never tested his own strength before. It seemed his strength had grown considerably without him realizing it.

"If a small pebble has this much power, what about iron beads?" Ling Tian quickly thought.

"If Father could refine some Mysterious Iron Beads for me, their power would likely be even greater. But Father is probably very busy, so I shouldn't bother him with such a small matter," Ling Tian murmured.

Ling Tian knew his father could refine artifacts and quickly considered asking him, but the thought was soon dismissed. He knew his father had been shut in his bedroom all day recently, doing who knows what, likely tinkering with some strange new things.

"Then how can I get some iron beads? I can't refine artifacts myself right now," Ling Tian fretted, muttering to himself.

"Squeak squeak!" Hearing Ling Tian's self-talk, Humei suddenly let out a few squeaks and looked east, her face filled with anticipation.

"There's a Qingyun Town to the east. The blacksmiths there can forge iron beads?" Ling Tian was a bit surprised, but seeing Humei's expectant look, he also wanted to experience the town. He had always heard his parents talk about how bustling and lively the town was, but he had never had the chance to see it. This was a rare opportunity, and he naturally wanted to seize it.

Humei squeaked a few times and nodded affirmatively.

"Then let's go see it. I've never been there before either," Ling Tian said with a face full of anticipation. He glanced at his Mother, then took off, sprinting east.

Along the way, Humei told Ling Tian many interesting anecdotes about the town, including its snacks, which made Ling Tian even more eager to visit Qingyun Town. He increased his speed.

Before long, they arrived at an extremely wide plain, where Ling Tian could faintly see a town. Gradually, the sounds of people grew louder, a bustling crowd filling the area.

"So this is what a town looks like. So many people." Ling Tian finally entered the town. The sounds of hawking and bargaining were endless, dazzling him and leaving him unsure of what to do.

Humei was the same, constantly looking around, her surprised expression making her wish she had more eyes.

"Mother, where can I find a blacksmith?" Ling Tian finally regained his composure and, seeing Humei seemingly lost in a daze, couldn't help but smile wryly.

Humei only snapped back to attention after Ling Tian called out to her again. She lowered her head shyly, which made Ling Tian feel a bit awkward too. Fortunately, Humei told him how to find a blacksmith.

"The hottest place, the loudest sounds, the constant hammering?" Ling Tian repeated the secret clue Humei had given him. But with so many people in the town, and the cacophony of various noises, how could he easily distinguish the sound of blacksmithing?

"Sigh, how am I supposed to hear that?" Ling Tian listened for a while, then sighed helplessly. Humei looked at him, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Ugh, Mother, you're teasing me too." Ling Tian suddenly realized. He had Spiritual Sense; if he extended it, wouldn't he find it easily? Seeing his Mother's mischievous smile, he sighed inwardly, thinking she had learned from Father.

With that thought, Ling Tian extended his Spiritual Sense, searching carefully. After days of cultivation and familiarity, his Spiritual Sense could now cover a radius of nearly a hundred meters, and in a linear scan, it could extend for about a kilometer. Soon, he found a place where a furnace roared and several bare-chested strong men were incessantly hammering something.

"This must be the blacksmith shop," Ling Tian murmured, heading in that direction.

"Uncle Blacksmith, can you forge some iron beads?" A moment later, he arrived at the blacksmith shop and said to a middle-aged man who clearly looked like the owner.

"Certainly, young sir. How many do you want, what size, and do you have any special requests?" The blacksmith was surprised to see the finely dressed, handsome young man before him, but he still professionally asked Ling Tian several technical questions.

"Uncle, no special requests. As many as possible, and about this big," Ling Tian said, gesturing with his hand. The size was roughly comparable to a cat's eye.

"Oh, I see. When would you like to pick them up?" The old man, hearing "as many as possible," assumed it was a big business and eagerly asked.

"In a day. I'll come to pick them up at this time tomorrow. Here's a deposit, Uncle," Ling Tian thought for a moment. He could return to Qingyou Peak at night in two days, so it wouldn't be too late to go to Qingyun Peak the next day.

Thinking this, he handed the owner-like man a not-small silver ingot. Humei had told him on the way that he needed to pay for things. Fortunately, he had many such mundane items in his Storage Ring.

"Young sir, this... this is too much." The blacksmith had never seen such a large silver ingot before. His eyes were filled with surprise, but he didn't become greedy, saying honestly, "This is far more than enough."

Ling Tian didn't know how much it would cost to make these iron beads, so he didn't realize this was more than just a deposit; it was more than the total cost. However, seeing the blacksmith's lack of greed, he was very satisfied and didn't take the silver back. "Uncle, it's fine. Keep it. Please take extra care with this over the next few days, and make as many as you can."

"This... alright. Then I'll shamelessly accept it. I will certainly put all my effort into it for you, young sir," the blacksmith said, overjoyed. Earning so much money meant he could buy plenty of delicious food and daily necessities for his wife and children.

"Then I'll trouble you, Uncle. I'll come to pick them up in a day. If there's nothing else, I'll be going now." Ling Tian clasped his fists in farewell and left.

"Safe travels, young sir," the blacksmith replied hurriedly, then instructed his apprentices to stop their work and focus entirely on forging the iron beads for Ling Tian.

After Ling Tian left, he wandered around the town, finding everything novel and looking around with curiosity. Unknowingly, night fell. Under Humei's guidance, Ling Tian found the best restaurant and checked in. He wasn't short of money anyway. He then ordered the finest dishes in the restaurant. He had never eaten such delicious food on Qingyou Peak, so he ate heartily and with great relish.

After eating his fill, Ling Tian went to his bedside, sat down cross-legged, and immersed his mind in the Jade Slip, continuing to study formations.

After Ling Tian entered his meditative state, Humei frowned slightly, secretly chiding Ling Tian for his lack of vigilance. She then set up a few restrictions, looked at Ling Tian with concern, and thought about telling him about the dangers of the cultivation world and the need for constant caution when the opportunity arose.

Time passed quickly during cultivation, and before they knew it, the night was over. The next morning, Ling Tian stretched his somewhat stiff body, washed up, and went downstairs for breakfast. He ate only a few bites, as his Mother had told him there were many delicious snacks in town, and he wanted to save his appetite for them.

After breakfast, Ling Tian took Humei out for some serious shopping. Ling Tian bought whatever he liked, and since he had his Storage Ring, he didn't need to carry anything. The vendors didn't seem surprised when Ling Tian waved his hand and the items disappeared. It was likely that this was at the foot of Qingyun Mountain, and many Qingyun Mountain disciples came here to shop, so they were used to it.

In fact, it was also Ling Tian's fault for being so unguarded. Humei had reprimanded him for this many times. Ling Tian always sincerely admitted his mistakes, but the fact that he had a Storage Ring was probably known to everyone in town. There was no point in hiding it anymore, so he stopped being secretive.

"Selling candied hawthorn! Sweet and sour, babies won't cry after eating it, adults will become beautiful..." Suddenly, a hawker's cry attracted Ling Tian's attention. He only heard the words "won't cry" and couldn't move any further. He was reminded of two sorrowful, delicate faces in his heart, and his mood immediately brightened.

"Boss, give me three skewers, no, ten skewers of candied hawthorn! Two to eat now, and the rest to pack," Ling Tian loudly called out to the candied hawthorn vendor.

"Alright, young master, please take it." The vendor was very pleased and hastily handed Ling Tian two candied hawthorns, then wrapped the rest in oiled paper.

Ling Tian took the two candied hawthorns, handing one to Humei and holding the other himself. Humei eating these snacks didn't cause any major commotion. It was likely that disciples from Qingyun Mountain had brought pets out before, and "immortal beasts" among mortals were naturally omnipotent, so it wasn't strange that they could eat.

Humei held the candied hawthorns in her paws, eating with great relish, her eyes narrowed in enjoyment. She didn't even mind getting a little sugar on her fur, clearly liking candied hawthorns a lot. Seeing this, Ling Tian also took a bite. He was quickly drawn in by the sweet and sour taste, his eating posture not much better than Humei's.

"Here you go, young master, I've wrapped it up for you." Seeing that Ling Tian liked his candied hawthorns, the vendor was very happy. He handed the wrapped candied hawthorns to Ling Tian.

"Mmm, okay, here's your money." Ling Tian, his mouth still full of candied hawthorns, hastily took the wrapped ones and threw them into his Storage Ring. The food inside the Storage Ring stayed fresh very well; Ling Tian had discovered this long ago. He then handed some money to the vendor and continued to wander around, gnawing on his candied hawthorn.

Unknowingly, the man and the fox wandered for a whole day. That day, Ling Tian truly witnessed what madness was. Humei, full of excitement, wanted everything she saw. By the end, Ling Tian was dragging his feet from exhaustion. Considering even his physical condition couldn't keep up, one could imagine how long they had been wandering. However, Ling Tian was also very happy. He bought many things and ate many things until both Humei and his own little belly were so round they couldn't eat anymore.

Upon returning to the inn, Ling Tian didn't eat. He went straight to his room to rest. He stretched his body, and some of the fatigue disappeared. He took out a Jade Slip and continued to study formations. Humei, meanwhile, was still reliving the excitement of shopping.

The next day, Ling Tian let out a satisfied sigh. He felt he had gained a lot.

"Finally, I can barely set up a few formations. But I can't test them here; I'll wait until I get back," Ling Tian muttered.

"Squeak squeak!" Seeing Ling Tian get up, Humei leaped onto his shoulder, squeaking incessantly, her expression looking impatient.

"Go again?" Ling Tian's voice rose by three octaves, his face darkening as he rolled his eyes. But seeing his Mother still seemed to have an unfinished desire, he could only continue his tragic shopping journey.

And so, they wandered for a long time again.