Deep Pockets

Led by the gate guard, Yao Yan soon arrived at a shop specializing in maps.

The guard enthusiastically introduced the shop to Yao Yan. "Young Master, this shop sells maps of most of the Shennong Mountain Range. It should meet your needs. If you want more detailed maps, you can only go up to the Floating Island to purchase them..."

"No need. This place will do. Thank you."

Yao Yan cut him off, tossed him a Tier 1 Qi Recovery Pill, and strode into the shop.

Looking at the Qi Recovery Pill in his hand, the guard could tell that Yao Yan did not wish to have much contact with him. He could only sigh and leave. He had already made a killing just by leading the way and receiving a Qi Recovery Pill. If he remained greedy, he might anger the other party. Not all Yao Clan members had good tempers.

Entering the shop, Yao Yan found it exceptionally spacious and clean, managed in perfect order. Quite a few people were purchasing maps inside, including Mercenaries and adventurers.

"Is this your first time in Shennong City, Young Master?"

At that moment, a Young Shop Assistant approached him. He had sharp eyes and could tell that Yao Yan was no ordinary person.

Yao Yan nodded. "Yes. I came to purchase some maps. Aside from the Shennong Mountain Range, I also want maps of other regions, preferably detailed ones. Price is not an issue."

"Then you have come to the right place, Young Master."

A flash of delight crossed the Young Shop Assistant's eyes, and his attitude became even more eager. Raising a hand with a smile, he said, "Please, Young Master. Let us discuss this further inside."

Yao Yan did not refuse and followed him into an inner chamber.

The inner chamber had separate private rooms, furnished more luxuriously than outside. A pretty maid stood nearby to attend to them, while tea and pastries were readily available.

Only after inviting Yao Yan to sit did the Young Shop Assistant speak at an unhurried pace. "Forgive my presumption, Young Master, but are you from the Yao Clan?"

"A member of a branch family," Yao Yan replied calmly, his expression unchanged.

He had no intention of concealing his identity. Within the Shennong Mountain Range, the Yao Clan name was an ironclad guarantee. No one would risk offending a member of the Yao Clan's branch family, especially one so young. No one knew who might be standing behind him.

Even a Dou Zong expert would have to weigh the consequences.

The Young Shop Assistant was not surprised. He had roughly guessed Yao Yan's identity. As for core Yao Clan members, they were all people of high status, traveling with guards at their side. Even if they came to Shennong City, they would only visit the shops on the Floating Island rather than those in the city below. Moreover, such people were easy to recognize: all bore a Medicine Gourd-shaped clan mark between their brows.

Only branch-family members undergoing training would come here.

As for ordinary people... Yao Yan's bearing and appearance clearly did not fit. Those truly struggling at the bottom of society did not possess such poise.

"I am Wang Xiao, a registered disciple of the Shennong Sect, and I manage several shops in Shennong City. If you have any needs, Young Master, simply tell me. I should be able to resolve them for you."

Wang Xiao's expression turned serious as he spoke in a deep voice.

A Da Dou Shi, yet quite confident... Yao Yan muttered inwardly. With his Soul Power, he had naturally seen through the other man's strength at a glance. After pondering briefly, he said, "Let us discuss the maps first. What is the price of your most detailed maps?"

Rather than answering, Wang Xiao asked, "That depends on what sort of detailed map you want, Young Master. If you only require detailed maps within ten thousand li, we do have them. They contain detailed records of major dangerous areas and the territories of magical beast factions. All of it is information verified by the Shennong Sect, so there will be no errors. As for places farther away, I am afraid I cannot help."

Ten thousand li... Well, on the Dou Qi Continent, that distance truly was not far. After all, travel between the continent's major regions relied on Space Wormholes.

"I do not need ten thousand li. A thousand li will suffice. In addition, I need a map of the Dou Qi Continent, preferably one marked with routes between the various regions."

Yao Yan stated his requirements. The thing he most wanted to learn from these maps was the location of the Jia Ma Empire.

If he remembered correctly, the Jia Ma Empire lay in a corner of the northwestern Dou Qi Continent, a tiny empire on the map. By comparison, it might be easier to determine the locations of Jia Nan Academy and the Black-Corner Region, since the former had quite a reputation across the Dou Qi Continent.

"Please wait a moment, Young Master."

After saying that, Wang Xiao rose and left the room.

After waiting about the time it took to drink half a cup of tea, Wang Xiao returned with two jade plaques. Handing them to Yao Yan, he explained, "If you are an alchemist, Young Master, you can read them using Soul Power. If not, you may activate them with Dou Qi, though that is somewhat troublesome."

He did not elaborate on what was troublesome, because eight or nine out of ten Yao Clan members were alchemists. Even if they were not, their use of Soul Power far surpassed that of others.

Yao Yan nodded, grasped the two jade plaques, and sent a strand of Soul Power into them. A map like a 3D scene immediately emerged in his mind. With a shift of his thoughts, everything within a thousand li of Shennong City was displayed within it.

So long as no battle between powerful experts had occurred recently, the outside world would be exactly as recorded on this map.

The map of the Dou Qi Continent, on the other hand, was much rougher.

Yao Yan examined it briefly. Unfortunately, neither the Black-Corner Region nor Jia Nan Academy was marked on it, and he could not help frowning.

"Is there anything you are dissatisfied with, Young Master?"

Wang Xiao's heart tightened as he asked. The maps he had brought out were all top-grade. If Yao Yan finished examining them and refused to pay, this would become troublesome.

Fortunately, Wang Xiao's worries did not come to pass. Yao Yan was quite trustworthy. Smiling lightly, he said, "I am very satisfied with the maps. However, I once heard my teacher mention in clan school that there seems to be a Dou Qi academy on the Dou Qi Continent called Jia Nan Academy. I am quite interested in it. Have you heard of it?"

"Is the Jia Nan Academy you speak of the academy located in the Black-Corner Region?"

Wang Xiao thought for a moment before asking.

Yao Yan pretended to ponder, his tone somewhat uncertain. "I believe so."

"If it is the academy in the Black-Corner Region, then naturally it is not recorded on this map. That would require a specialized map. If you need one, I can fetch it for you, though the information it contains will not be as detailed as that on these two maps."

Wang Xiao offered a reminder. The Shennong Sect had remained in the Shennong Mountain Range year-round, so it naturally had little intelligence regarding other parts of the continent.

He knew of the Black-Corner Region only because it was extremely famous across the Dou Qi Continent, renowned as a place of chaos. It was said that assaulting women on the streets was an everyday occurrence there. So long as you could afford to provoke them, the women capable of surviving in the Black-Corner Region were often more vicious than men...

However, the place held no attraction for true experts. Due to its location, Heaven and Earth Energy there was far too thin, making it unsuitable for powerful cultivators, especially after reaching the Dou Zun level.

And because of that,

the Black-Corner Region became even more chaotic.

It was said that this was also related to the struggles between the various factions. The Dou Qi Continent needed a territory as chaotic as that.

What existed had its reason to exist.

"That is fine," Yao Yan said with feigned calmness.

Wang Xiao did not try to dissuade him. He turned to retrieve a map concerning the Black-Corner Region and soon returned. A rather crude map appeared before Yao Yan. Compared to the previous two jade maps, this map related to the Black-Corner Region was a genuine physical map. Aside from marking the location and terrain of Jia Nan Academy, it contained no other cities or factions.

"The Black-Corner Region is a notoriously chaotic place. Factions are destroyed there every day, and entire cities are even slaughtered, so it is difficult to record detailed information."

Wang Xiao explained helplessly.

Yet Yao Yan nodded in satisfaction. "Very good. I will take all three. However, I did not bring money with me, so I would like to pay with pills."

With a wave of his hand, he took more than a dozen bottles of medicinal pills from his Storage Ring. Among them were Third-Rank Pills, as well as several precious Tier 4 pills.

"Tier 3 Qi Recovery Pill, Tier 3 Qi Enhancing Pill, Tier 4 Qi Gathering Powder, Tier 4 Qi Burst Pill..."

Wang Xiao opened the Medicine Bottles one by one and was soon stunned by Yao Yan's extravagance. His breathing quickened. As a registered disciple of the Shennong Sect, he had seen enough to understand the value of this batch of pills.

As expected of a Yao Clan member...

The pills he casually took out were things others could only dream of obtaining.

Yao Yan stroked the Little Greenwood Fox in his arms and smiled. "These should be enough for payment. Please exchange the excess for coin."