Border City, Blind Fools

With specially prepared travel tools, Wang Chen and his group found their journey relatively easy.

Although the speed was not as fast as direct flight, the scenery and sights along the way gradually warmed up the relationship between Wang Chen Queen Medusa.

Of course, Wang Chen and his group weren't just sightseeing.

Even during breaks while traveling, he never forgot to cultivate himself.

After all, for Queen Medusa, strength is still very important.

Especially when one has only recently broken through to the Dou Zong and has not yet encountered any bottlenecks, they are even less willing to waste too much time.

If it weren't for Wang Chen, Queen Medusa would probably have preferred to stay in the Snake People Tribe and cultivate in seclusion.

Wang Chen was somewhat aware of Queen Medusa's thoughts.

Naturally, he wouldn't let his own problems hinder the other person's cultivation.

After all, not everyone is like Wang Chen, who can quickly improve his strength as long as he has resources.

Wang Chen would naturally not be stingy with someone like Queen Medusa, who was one of his own.

Wang Chen directly provided a considerable amount of Tier 6 cultivation-aid pills.

They even planned to collect some medicinal herbs to refine a Tier 7- grade elixir specifically for Queen Medusa.

Used to refine one's own bloodline.

Thanks to the pills provided by Wang Chen, Queen Medusa was able to continue her cultivation despite traveling with Wang Chen.

His Dou Qi was also steadily increasing.

And so, Wang Chen Queen Medusa continued their journey, sightseeing along the way, slowly making their way towards the Jia Ma Imperial City.

Da da da!

Rock Desert City a major border city of the Jia Ma Empire, located near the Tagor Desert.

A carriage pulled by Second-Order Magical Beast also arrived at the city gate.

The person driving the carriage was a tall man shrouded in a black robe.

Beneath the black robe, the man's skin appeared golden-purple, and his face was extremely blank.

Indeed, the people inside the carriage were Wang Chen Queen Medusa.

The one driving the carriage was none other than the Heavenly Demon Puppet that Wang Chen had crafted.

The Heavenly Demon Puppet is rather dull and not very intelligent.

But even something as simple as driving a horse-drawn carriage is something he can manage with some effort.

Anyway, the magical beasts pulling the carriages also possess a little bit of intelligence, and once subdued by Wang Chen, they generally won't rebel.

That's why Wang Chen arranged for the Heavenly Demon Puppet to drive the carriage.

After all, their group consisted of only Wang Chen Queen Medusa.

It's impossible to ask Queen Medusa to do such a trivial matter.

As for Wang Chen, that's even more impossible.

He could spend time with Queen Medusa to deepen their relationship.

That's why Wang Chen assigned the powerful Heavenly Demon Puppet, who possessed the strength of Dou Zun, to do such a trivial task as driving a carriage.

Thanks to the Heavenly Demon Puppet's strength, they arrived without any problems.

After all, there aren't many people in the Tagor Desert, so you generally won't encounter other teams.

This naturally eliminates the possibility of conflict.

After traveling for some time, Wang Chen and his group finally arrived at Rock Desert City.

As the border city closest to the Tagor Desert, Rock Desert City is relatively developed.

Not only are there a considerable number of permanent residents, but several large families also control various businesses within the city.

This isn't a small city like Wutan City.

As a major border city near the Tagor Desert, this place has also witnessed numerous conflicts.

The three major families that control Rock Desert City all possess experts in the Dou Ling realm.

The so-called three major families of Wutan City are nothing here.

This intelligence was gathered by Wang Chen during his journey.

After all, this kind of intelligence is common knowledge and not secret at all; obtaining it is also very easy.

Of course, these things meant nothing to Wang Chen.

Forget about the Dou Ling family; even Dou Wang or Dou Emperor families are no different in front of Wang Chen.

If he really offended Wang Chen, he definitely wouldn't mind making some quick money.

Of course, Wang Chen generally wouldn't act rashly unless someone provoked him.

Even if there were any treasures he needed, Wang Chen would be willing to exchange them for pills.

Double-crossing can only be considered a one-off transaction; only an exchange of benefits can ensure a long-term business relationship.

Upon arriving at the city gate, Wang Chen's Heavenly Demon Puppet also drove the carriage towards the city.

Of course, Wang Chen also had the Heavenly Demon Puppet pay the entrance fee at the city gate.

After all, the entrance fee wasn't much, and Wang Chen didn't want to waste time on such a small matter.

After paying the entrance fee, and given that the carriage was pulled by Second-Order Magical Beast, the lowly henchmen at the city gate naturally didn't cause any trouble.

After all, for a toll collector at a city gate, keen eyesight is the most important thing.

Wang Chen's carriage looked like it was not to be trifled with, so naturally they wouldn't go looking for trouble.

If Wang Chen hadn't taken the initiative to order the Heavenly Demon Puppet to pay the fee, these lowly minions probably wouldn't have even gone to Wang Chen to ask for the city entrance fee.

After entering the city, Wang Chen Queen Medusa did not continue to ride in the carriage.

After all, the purpose of their trip was to see the various scenic spots and unique features along the way.

Border cities like Rock Desert City are worth visiting.

Especially for Queen Medusa, she had never actually visited such a large human city before.

She certainly didn't want to miss this opportunity to accompany Wang Chen on his outing.

Cultivating inside the carriage is rather boring.

Fortunately, Wang Chen was with her in the carriage; otherwise, she might not have been able to stand the slow pace of the journey.

After getting off the carriage, Wang Chen saw the scenery inside the city.

It must be said that Rock Desert City truly lives up to its reputation as a major border city of the Jia Ma Empire.

It was indeed quite prosperous and developed, with a very large population.

As soon as you enter the city, you'll find countless shops of all kinds.

There are even quite a few mobile vendors selling local specialties of Rock Desert City.

"Let's find a hotel first, then we can stroll around and try some local snacks."

Wang Chen spoke to Queen Medusa was looking around.

Queen Medusa did not refuse Wang Chen's suggestion.

"Okay. You can arrange it."

So, Wang Chen took Queen Medusa's hand and hurried towards the hotel.

Although Wang Chen had never been to a large border city like Rock Desert City, he still knew some information about it.

For example, the three major families of Rock Desert City.

Or rather, the various distinctive buildings of the Rock Desert City.

As luck would have it, Wang Chen knew where the largest restaurant in Rock Desert City was located.

Wang Chen and his group walked slowly for more than ten minutes before arriving at their destination.

The largest restaurant in Rock Desert City is the Rock Desert Grand Hotel.

This was not established by the three major families of Rock Desert City, but by the City Lord's Mansion of Rock Desert City.

Although the three major families are more renowned in Rock Desert City, the City Lord's Mansion is still the most powerful.

After all, the City Lord's Mansion is backed by the Jia Ma Imperial Family, which is incomparable to ordinary small families.

Of course, the Imperial Family, possessing the Jia Ma Empire, has many cities that need to be governed.

In addition, there are many powerful family forces within the Jia Ma Empire.

Therefore, through mutual compromise, the City Lord's Mansion also needs the help of family forces in various cities to govern the cities.

Otherwise, how could Wutan City have allowed three Da Dou Shi families to acquire so many lucrative deals?

Even if the military strength of the Jia Ma Imperial Family is strained, dealing with a mere few Da Dou Shi is still no problem at all.

However, due to compromises with those powerful families, the Imperial Family cannot arbitrarily eliminate the influence of these families in major cities.

Otherwise, they would be attacked by all the major families.

Of course, the Imperial Family gives face to the various families, and the various families must also give face to the Imperial Family.

Even though the powerful families in the city dominate the profitable businesses, they still have to give the city lord a share of the profits.

That's why the Rock Desert Grand Hotel was established by the City Lord's Mansion.

After all, the most distinctive hotel in a big city is definitely a very profitable business.

If it weren't for various compromises, how could the three major families of Rock Desert City have given up this lucrative prize?

Although Wang Chen was not entirely clear about the specifics of the discussions between the Imperial Family and the various powerful clans, he roughly understood the underlying principles.

After all, politics is all about compromise.

Fortunately, Wang Chen possesses Golden Finger, so he doesn't need to consider such so-called compromises.

He has the power to overturn the table.

"Sir, would you like a meal or a room at the inn?"

As soon as Wang Chen Queen Medusa stepped into the restaurant, the waiter immediately approached them to inquire.

It must be said that the fact that this hotel is the largest in Rock Desert City is not solely due to the City Lord's Mansion's strength.

Their soft power, such as various services, is also handled very well.

But thinking about it, it makes sense; after all, a hotel isn't some kind of elixir shop.

If the service attitude is poor, it's unlikely that there will be repeat customers.

It's absolutely impossible to become the biggest hotel.

"Arrange a superior room for me, and also take good care of my carriage."

Also, feed the horses some good food.

"Please also arrange a table of local delicacies from Rock Desert City for us."

Seeing the enthusiastic waiter, Wang Chen spoke up directly.

After all, they had been traveling for quite some time, and now that they had arrived in a big city, they naturally needed to get some rest.

For Wang Chen now, staying in a nice hotel is no big deal.

With his current wealth, not only could he stay in a top-class room at a luxury hotel, but he could even buy the entire hotel himself with ease.

With his immense wealth, Wang Chen naturally wouldn't care about a few gold coins.

The relationship between Wang Chen Queen Medusa had previously made a breakthrough.

There's no need to pretend and order two rooms now.

It wasn't that Wang Chen couldn't afford to order it, but rather that it was completely unnecessary.

Wang Chen Queen Medusa simply held Wang Chen's hand without saying anything more.

"Alright. Please, sir!"

The waiter was quite pleased to hear Wang Chen's request.

After all, the more Wang Chen spends, the more commission they receive.

The current Rock Desert City is using performance evaluation to boost employee motivation.

Under this system, the hotel's employees naturally work even harder.

After all, not everyone has the talent for cultivation.

Ordinary people still need to work hard to earn money to improve their lives.

This Rock Desert Grand Hotel truly lives up to its reputation as the largest hotel in Rock Desert City.

The area inside is indeed quite large.

The lobby on the first floor alone has seating for over a hundred tables.

Moreover, it wasn't a particularly crowded situation; there was still a considerable amount of space between each table.

Indeed, even the largest hotel in Rock Desert City still has a lobby like this, instead of being entirely comprised of private rooms.

This kind of lobby is also a unique feature of the Dou Qi Continent.

Some people simply enjoy this relatively lively atmosphere.

Of course, if you prefer a quieter environment, there are also various private rooms available.

If it were just Wang Chen alone, he would definitely choose to dine in the lobby.

Wang Chen was the kind of person who enjoyed listening to various news in such a large lobby.

However, this time he was traveling with a beautiful woman, so Wang Chen naturally wouldn't choose the lobby.

He chose a private room on the second floor.

It's relatively quiet here, and the environment is quite nice.

At the same time, he could also listen to some news from the lobby on the first floor, which could be considered as balancing Wang Chen's two ideas.

Inside the private room, Wang Chen Queen Medusa also enjoyed some of the local delicacies of Rock Desert City.

At the same time, thanks to Wang Chen's keen hearing, he also overheard quite a bit of gossip in the lobby on the first floor.

For example, in the Wang Clan, one of the three major families in Rock Desert City, a descendant was caught having an affair within the family, and it was discovered by others.

This news was a huge loss of face for the Wang Clan.

Wang Chen was not surprised by the fact that someone dared to make a fuss about the three major families of Rock Desert City.

After all, this world is not Wang Chen's previous life.

This is a continent where one can cultivate Dou Qi.

A common man's anger can cause blood to splatter five steps away.

This principle is quite popular around the world.

If he were to provoke some hotheads with no ties to them, he wouldn't hesitate to mess with not only the three major families, but even the Imperial Family.

The saying "Those who have nothing to lose are not afraid of those who have something to wear" is no joke.

Even the Imperial Family, under normal circumstances, would not dare to oppress the people under their rule too much.

After all, in this world, one can shout "The heavens are dead, the yellow heavens shall rise!" and then rise up in rebellion.

The impact it caused was absolutely incomparable to anything Wang Chen had experienced in his previous life.

Even though the Imperial Family's military strength is greater, they are still worried about the possibility of a gifted genius emerging.

The consequences that would ultimately result would be something the Imperial Family could never accept.

These are all lessons learned from the bloodshed of the previous dynasty, and subsequent Imperial Family will naturally learn from them.

Even the Imperial Family doesn't dare to coerce ordinary people too much, let alone the so-called three major families of Rock Desert City.

Aside from those brainless lunatics, no one would ever break this unspoken rule.

In this world, good deeds may not always be rewarded.

But evil deeds will be punished, and that's no joke.

The stories of protagonists in novels like Wang Chen's past life—jumping off cliffs to retrieve books, soaring to great heights, and then taking revenge—were not just fictional tales; they were real events.

Having heard quite a few rumors, Wang Chen and his group had almost finished eating all the local delicacies.

"Let's go for a walk outside first."

After finishing this special meal, Wang Chen spoke to Queen Medusa.

"OK."

Queen Medusa had always harbored a sense of anticipation for large human cities.

After all, she had never visited a city like this before during that period of time.

Now that she has the time and opportunity, she is naturally very interested.

So he happily said to Wang Chen.

Then she grabbed Wang Chen's hand and hurried outside.

This time, while strolling around the city and sampling local snacks, Wang Chen and his companions naturally wouldn't be taking a horse-drawn carriage.

That would cause too much delay.

Anyway, the carriage was being taken care of by the staff of the Rock Desert Grand Hotel, so Wang Chen didn't need to worry about running out of tools for the rest of the journey.

As for the Heavenly Demon Puppet was driving the carriage, Wang Chen put it directly into his Storage Ring after entering the Grand Hotel.

This kind of Heavenly Demon Puppet is very precious, and Wang Chen is not comfortable leaving it outside casually.

Even if it won't be stolen by others, it can easily cause trouble.

Wang Chen hates trouble the most.

Therefore, naturally, no opportunity will be given for trouble to occur.

Rock Desert City has a large permanent population, as well as many members who travel and adventure from various places.

The current Rock Desert City can be described as quite prosperous and bustling.

The addition of Wang Chen and two others is hardly a significant event.

Of course, even with a veil and clothes covering her face, Queen Medusa's beauty and figure were still evident.

Fortunately, there are relatively few brainless villains in novels.

You generally won't encounter it.

Accompanied by Wang Chen, Queen Medusa also visited all the specialty snack shops in Rock Desert City.

We also sampled quite a few local snacks.

Even Wang Chen was slightly surprised to see this.

He never expected that Queen Medusa was actually a gluttonous little cat.

However, considering the impoverished living conditions of the Snake People Tribe, Wang Chen could understand.

In places like Snake People Tribe, it's already quite an achievement to ensure that all Snake-People are well-fed and clothed.

It's practically impossible to create special delicacies using various foods.

After all, only when food is plentiful and abundant will people develop special and delicious ways of eating.

If you can't even fill your stomach, how can you have the interest to think about so many things?

Even though Queen Medusa was quite talented and had been raised by High Priest from a young age.

But precisely because of this, she devoted most of her energy to revitalizing the Snake People Tribe and healing the High Priest.

I had absolutely no interest in enjoying the so-called delicious food.

Now that the High Priest has fully recovered, there is a brighter future ahead.

Moreover, the Snake People Tribe also gained access to more elixirs for training experts thanks to their connection with Wang Chen.

It can be said that her two biggest wishes have been fulfilled.

Now, she naturally doesn't suppress her true nature too much.

It's only natural to enjoy some delicious food.

It must be said that the world's unique cuisines do indeed have their own distinctive features.

Even Wang Chen, a time traveler, found it incredibly delicious.

Just as Wang Chen and his group were finishing their meal of local delicacies, a piercing sound suddenly rang out.

"Time to pay the stall fee!"

"Damn it! Why don't you take the initiative yourself? I have to tell you myself!"

A very distinctive-looking young man, accompanied by several lackeys, shouted from a short distance away.

Upon hearing this sound, the owners of the snack shops began to pay.

Wang Chen also gave that guy a cold look, his mood wasn't particularly pleasant.

How could they be so blind as to disturb him at this time?