Carrying Wine and Singing Long Songs

Volume 1: Carrying Wine and Singing Long Songs, Chapter 4: A Fine Day Today. Thinking of this, Bai Qiuran kept a smile on his face, though his right hand quietly gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist, his thumb gently pushing the blade out by an inch. "You guys want to get in on this too? If you've robbed some money, why don't I take you to the brothels in the city to blow it? Hmm?" The newcomer was a youth of about fifteen or sixteen, with fair skin, handsome features, and black hair tied into a masculine bun at the back of his head, secured by a clean white square cloth. He wore a Knight's Long Robe in white embroidered with flowing cloud patterns and held a three-foot Long Sword in his hand, looking like a Noble Young Master from a mortal aristocratic family out wandering the world. There are ten kingdoms within Guzhou, and the nation beneath Qingming Mountain is the Shangxuan Kingdom, one of those ten. It just so happens that the medicinal ingredients Bai Qiuran needs to find this time should all be available within the borders of the Shangxuan Kingdom. "The brothers haven't had a chance to vent in a few days either. This boy is quite handsome, so..." Generally speaking, the Azure Nether Sword Sect does not concern itself with such matters. After all, as a cultivation sect, the Azure Nether Sword Sect is dedicated to seeking the Dao and ascension, not the power of the mortal world. How chaotic the kingdoms of Guzhou are or how the power holders change are things the Azure Nether Sword Sect has no need to care about, and it is best not to care about them at all. Originally, Guzhou and the surrounding regions were under the protection of the Azure Nether Sword Sect, and no short-sighted cultivation sect would dare to invade the territory of the Azure Nether Sword Sect. "Go to hell!" A black shadow flew over from behind, kicked the bandit closest to him, and landed on the ground. A rustling sound rang out as trees of varying thickness broke into two halves along the sword marks in the same direction and then fell. At this level, they can extract the True Qi within their bodies to attack opponents or form a layer of defense on their skin, with strength dozens of times that of the peak of the Body Tempering Stage. "So what if it's a main road?" Hearing the bandits' conversation, the greenhorn Noble Young Master on the other side turned red with anger, and while Bai Qiuran was still smiling, his smile carried a hint of danger. Just as the Noble Young Master was stunned, a streak of white rainbow flashed by. Within a semicircle spanning dozens of meters from the mountain road to the forest, a sword mark appeared on every tree, all perfectly level with one another. Every time he descended the mountain, Bai Qiuran felt his mood lighten significantly. Three thousand years of time had long since stripped away the impatience that once made him rush back and forth just to find materials and complete tasks. This time, he treated his descent not just as a trip to collect materials, but as a leisurely journey. "Are you blocking the road to rob us?" "May I ask..." But he did not intend to kill them all; Bai Qiuran, however, intended to wipe them out. Although reaching the Qi Refining Stage marks the official entry into the path of cultivation, it does not mean there are no Qi Refining Stage cultivators in the mortal world. Those great families, the imperial family, or major martial arts sects do have a few individuals capable of reaching the Qi Refining Stage. Bai Qiuran thought to himself. However, if one encounters bandits and thieves on the road, it is a different matter. The power struggles within the Shangxuan Kingdom are their own business, but leaving these bandits here would harm every innocent commoner passing through this road. When encountering such people, Azure Nether disciples have always believed in eradicating evil completely. Blood splattered, and the headless corpse fell on the path of its charge. Seeing this golden Sword Qi, the bandits' expressions changed drastically. The Yao Mo that breed locally are generally also dealt with by Azure Nether Sword Sect disciples who descend the mountain to travel, so if the ten kingdoms of Guzhou are in chaos, there are usually only two reasons. "Run!" The bandit leader kicked him. "True Qi? He's a Martial Arts Grandmaster!" At this moment, the fair-faced youth was standing with his sword held horizontally in front of him, looking righteous and stern as he scolded the bandits: "In broad daylight, under the clear sky, you dare to block the road and rob on the main thoroughfare! You truly have no regard for the laws of the Shangxuan Kingdom!" Although he was already a transcendent being, he always felt a sense of attachment while at the Azure Nether Sword Sect. Now that he had left the sect and was far from the Mountain Gate, Bai Qiuran could finally be the simple Bai Qiuran, not the Martial Ancestor Uncle of the Azure Nether Sword Sect. "But we are wanted!" These are what true Qi Refining Stage cultivators look like; someone like Bai Qiuran, who can split mountains and seas with a single breath of True Qi, is a different breed of monster. "Stop right there!" Bai Qiuran said with a chuckle: "Gentlemen, if I recall correctly, this is the main road of the Shangxuan Kingdom." "The law?" Looking at the bandits laughing and jeering around him, Bai Qiuran thought silently to himself. After descending from Qingming Mountain, Bai Qiuran bypassed Xuanjian Town and headed toward the area truly controlled by the Shangxuan Kingdom's imperial family. Although he could not ride the wind on his sword, Bai Qiuran, relying on a peerless True Qi within his body and a superb Light Body Cultivation Method, could achieve the same effect as flying, though he did not like doing so. However, not long after walking, Bai Qiuran was blocked on the road by a group of men with malicious expressions. "That is, we brothers see that the young master has an extraordinary air, and we want to borrow some travel expenses to tide us over in an emergency." The lead bandit shouted while running toward the forest to the side without looking back. Several burly men surrounded him, and the leader brandished a large saber with copper rings, licking his lips greedily. "Boss, your big saber better go easy on him later." Several bandits wailed and threw away their weapons, running toward the nearby forest. The Noble Young Master stood in place, his face cold as he watched them, but he did not intend to continue the attack, as if he were a cat or dog scaring off other creatures that had intruded on his territory, intending only to drive them away rather than kill them all. The bandits blocking the road laughed loudly: "The Shangxuan Emperor is critically ill, and the soldiers guarding this main road have long since been transferred! If you don't give the brothers money, even the Heavenly King himself couldn't save you today!" "Shameless bandits!" The bandits looked at each other, and then the lead bandit laughed loudly: "To hell with the law! The brothers are barely surviving; who cares about those useless codes? These days, filling your stomach and enjoying yourself is what's real! Brothers, all together now! This is a Fat Sheep too!" But just then, a soft shout rang out from behind the group. A powerful and majestic True Qi radiated from his body. A faint golden light shimmered on the Noble Young Master's blade, and as he swung it at the bandits, a golden Sword Qi erupted, decapitating the bandit who had just made the suggestion. The bandit leader thought about it, and it seemed to make sense, so his expression softened. He looked at Bai Qiuran and said: "Alright then, take a good look. This white-haired ghost looks pretty good too; let's grab him and take him back later." The bandit said aggrievedly: "There are no soldiers on the main road, but the city is different. We'll be killed if we go in." Oh, so they are fellow cultivators at the Qi Refining Stage. A fine day today, carrying wine and singing long songs. A bandit licked his lips. Is the situation in the Shangxuan Kingdom already this dire? The bandits were frightened and scattered, each wary of both Bai Qiuran and the newcomer, while Bai Qiuran looked toward the person who had arrived. The three-foot blade reflected a cold light. Seeing Bai Qiuran's movement, the bandits sensed his intent to resist and raised their weapons. The bandits were also struck by this sword across their waists, being sliced in two. "Matter?" However, the Noble Young Master on the other side seemed even more agitated than him. Seeing the bandits preparing to strike, he immediately drew his Long Sword and took the initiative. After three thousand years of self-cultivation, his temper was good, but that didn't mean he wouldn't get angry when encountering certain things. Facing this group of sturdy men, whose strength was roughly at the middle stage of the Body Tempering Stage, with the strongest at the late stage, he asked with a gentle smile: "Gentlemen, you've blocked my path—is there some matter?" So he did not use his cultivation to travel quickly, but instead went to the town closest to Xuanjian Town at the foot of Qingming Mountain, used his travel money to rent a horse, and then leisurely proceeded along the main road of the Shangxuan Kingdom. Wars between the ten kingdoms or chaos caused by the internal power struggles of the high-ranking officials. Cultivators do not involve themselves in the struggles of mortal powers; this was the teaching Daoist Qingming once gave to Bai Qiuran and the others, which he had passed down ever since. He remembered that when he descended the mountain a few hundred years ago, the Shangxuan Kingdom was still a land of peace and prosperity, where the common people lived happy lives.