Alley Changes, Mutated Cultivator

By now, the alley from last night had vanished.

In its place stood a wall, connecting the space between two buildings.

However, the placement of this wall was clearly problematic, as there was a gap of at least ten feet between the two structures.

Within such a distance, there was absolutely no need to build a wall between the two buildings.

With a thoughtful look in his eyes, Li Qing scanned his surroundings until a teahouse caught his gaze.

He walked over in a few strides, and the waiter, seeing his arrival, hurriedly bowed and scraped as he came to greet him.

"Guest, please, come inside!"

"Guest, the first floor or the second?"

"The second floor by the window; I wish to look at the street view."

"Right away! One for the second floor!"

Li Qing sat at a table by the window, ordered a pot of fine tea and a few small dishes, and fixed his gaze on the location of that wall.

Looking down from above, he could see inside the wall; it was the courtyard of two households, separated by yet another wall within.

Li Qing could not help but frown, feeling that the situation here was quite peculiar.

My memory cannot possibly be wrong. There are two possibilities.

Some kind of spell that can obscure the vision of others.

Or, that alley only appears at night, a place akin to some mysterious space.

Lost in thought, Li Qing observed silently.

Evening arrived soon, and the people in the teahouse had mostly dispersed.

Li Qing also departed quietly; he arrived opposite that wall and hunkered down in another alleyway.

His gaze remained fixed on the opposite side, waiting quietly without a moment's pause.

Two hours passed in the blink of an eye, and the sky had turned completely dark.

There were no pedestrians left on the main street, save for the occasional passerby.

Lights flickered in ten thousand homes, and the rich aroma of food filled the air as the city's residents began to cook their meals.

Time ticked away, second by second, until it was the hour of midnight.

Suddenly, the wall opposite underwent a bizarre transformation.

A hazy distortion appeared, the wall vanished, and it once again became a pitch-black alley.

Li Qing's spirits were instantly roused, but he did not act rashly, continuing to observe in silence.

After only a short while, a figure emerged from the street on the left and entered the alley without a sound.

Four or five more figures followed one after another from various directions, quickly pouring into the alley.

Li Qing observed silently, These people can see each other, yet there is no conflict.

In other words, if I were to enter with them, no one would pay me any mind.

Another hour passed, and Li Qing had seen at least a hundred figures enter.

He already had an idea in mind, Roughly this many people came out one after another last night; it is certain that this place must be a gathering point for a Daoist lineage.

I shall give it a try and go in to see.

By now, he had made all necessary preparations, casually pulling a black robe from his pack to shroud his entire body.

He held the Spirit Summoning Tablet in his left hand and had his Hundred-Segment Steel Blade hanging at his waist, ready to unleash spells or martial arts at any moment.

A layer of shadow enveloped him, and Li Qing moved silently toward the opposite side.

He soon arrived before the black alley, but standing this close, he still could not see anything inside.

Due to his cultivation, his eyesight had long since surpassed that of a mortal.

Interesting!

One step forward, and he felt as if he had passed through a strange membrane.

A marvelous world appeared before his eyes.

It was a bustling street, ten feet wide and at least several hundred feet long.

On both sides of the street, he was surprised to see several shops; at a glance, there were at least twenty or thirty of them.

His pupils constricted slightly, Is this the truth behind the alley?

A voice sounded beside him, "Don't block the entrance, move aside."

The voice behind him gave Li Qing a start, and he hurriedly stepped to the side.

A cultivator clad in a black robe walked out from behind him, and upon entering, headed straight into the depths.

Li Qing ceased his spell, adjusted his black robe, and walked into the street.

On both sides of the street were numerous individual stalls, most of which consisted of a simple white cloth spread out with a few items placed on top.

Some were certain types of animal hides, others were peculiar stones, and some looked like weapons, or perhaps artifacts?

They were strange and varied, a motley collection of all sorts.

He even discovered the mysterious transparent stone beads that had dropped from the existence he once killed that resembled an ape.

Li Qing felt a slight surge of excitement in his heart and began to observe silently, gathering information along this street.

The street was not long, spanning about 30 zhang.

There were 15 shops in total on both sides, seemingly buying and selling all kinds of goods.

Treasure Hall, Spirit Herb Shop, Elixir Hall, Artifact Pavilion, Scripture Tower, and so on.

These people used a peculiar currency for their transactions.

This currency was round with a square hole, looking much like a copper coin, but it emitted a faint, wondrous fluctuation from within—the fluctuation of essence.

By eavesdropping, Li Qing learned that these were called Dharma Coins.

They seemed to be the primary circulating currency, though he had no idea how they were made.

At this moment, Li Qing's gaze swept over a vendor, and this person gave him a very wrong feeling.

He had been observing quietly; the person was draped in a black robe, revealing not a single inch of their body.

A faint, lingering stench permeated the air around them, a smell that made his hair stand on end.

Suddenly, a bizarre tentacle shot out from beneath the person's black robe; it was pitch black and had a slick, slimy appearance.

Goosebumps broke out all over Li Qing's body.

The person seemed to notice someone watching them, and they whipped their head around to look at Li Qing.

"Friend, is there anything you'd like to buy? You seem to have been looking for a long time."

The voice was robust, sounding as if it should belong to a strong, open-minded person.

But Li Qing had already seen the limb the other party had exposed, knowing that this person had likely undergone some degree of mutation.

It seems this person has broken the taboo.

"No need, I'm just looking," Li Qing replied in a low voice.

The person glanced at Li Qing, their exposed pupils constricting slightly, and in the next instant, the round pupils seemed to transform into a pair of beastly eyes.

Li Qing keenly captured the change in the other's eyes and, without any hesitation, immediately cast Shadow Art.

His figure under the black robe was shrouded in shadows, and a chill from the darkness emanated all around.

A gaze like that of a venomous snake was fixed upon him, seemingly searching for something.

Li Qing feigned composure, his expression unchanging as he walked toward the other end of the street.

He had learned enough about the situation here, and he had no intention of taking any action tonight.

He left the place silently; the sky outside remained dark, and Li Qing quickly vanished into the shadows.

Less than a few breaths after he left, a figure followed him out.

A pair of eerie eyes seemed to be searching for something in the air.

Silently, it pursued in the direction where Li Qing had disappeared.