Western Continent Street

Western Continent Street

Western Continent Street lay west of the Great Xia Imperial Capital. The entire street was lined with shops selling foreign goods: spices and medicinal herbs from the Western Regions, exquisite mechanisms and weapons from the Western Continent—everything could be found along this long avenue. Since the Western Continent weapon shops here were the most renowned, people simply called it Western Continent Street.

Now was the time when nobles from all over gathered in the imperial capital to prepare for the northern campaign, and the street was especially crowded with nobles and their retainers. Along the way, they had already run into several heirs of noble families. As for the heirs of great aristocratic clans and marquises, they generally did not come here. Once one had reached that station, one had one's own inheritance and channels; the wares displayed on these streets were beneath the notice of truly great nobles.

But Qin Mo was an exception. For years, Prince Heng's Residence had incurred enormous expenses, and all its money had been poured into Qin Mo, that bottomless pit. Aside from Allen, who possessed the epic weapon "Dusk Moon," there were no other weapons worth mentioning. He had not come to Western Continent Street expecting to find an epic weapon; he merely hoped to buy several rare-grade weapons to distribute among his generals and raise their combat strength.

"Epic longbow! Those with an eye for quality, come take a look... Don't miss it as you pass by..." The sales cry hooked Qin Mo's interest. If it truly was epic-grade, he definitely had to get it.

The three of them squeezed over to the shop the cry had come from. It was run by Western Continent people. The clerk calling out was blond and blue-eyed, yet he spoke fluent Great Xia language, leaving Qin Mo in a brief daze.

The shop was small. Two weapon racks filled all the available space, and the weapons hanging on them all shared the same style.

As Qin Mo looked at those exquisite weapons, his doubts grew. These weapons were clearly more decorative than practical, more like accessories worn with formal attire.

"Which longbow in your shop is epic-grade? I... why can't I see it?" Qin Mo searched for quite a while without finding an epic longbow, so he could only ask the blond clerk.

"Honored guest, an epic weapon naturally would not be hung outside for sale. Only a true powerhouse may behold it. Are you willing to possess an epic weapon?" The blond fellow was skilled at whetting appetites, but that approach did not work on a great bear like Qin Yumu.

"Why the hell are you wasting words? Bring it out for your grandpa. If it's good stuff, you'll naturally get a satisfactory price. But if you're jerking your grandpa around, heh heh heh..." His broad palm patted the blond clerk's shoulder several times. With every pat, the clerk seemed to shrink a little, until he nearly collapsed to the floor.

"Honored guests, please wait. I'll show it to you right away." A man with the air of a shopkeeper emerged from inside the store. Judging by his appearance, he was also from the Western Continent.

A blue longbow lay in an exquisite wooden case. The patterns carved into its body were exceptionally beautiful, and its shimmering blue radiance made the bow appear extraordinary.

Qin Mo picked up the bow and carefully inspected the formations engraved upon it. Carving formations onto weapons was extremely difficult, and longbows, being slender and narrow, had less surface area than swords and sabers, making formations even harder to engrave. An epic weapon needed at least three formations.

This bow did indeed have three formations. Finding it strange, Qin Mo tried channeling his vital energy into the bow, activating the three formations in turn to examine their functions. The instant he began to stir his vital energy, his brow furrowed tightly.

Cultivators used their own vital energy to activate formations, effectively turning a weapon into an extension of their limbs. The better the weapon, the more it made its user feel as though it was linked to their heart. An epic weapon was already considered a top-tier weapon; by rights, it should have felt like part of a cultivator's body. Yet this bow, let alone linking with his heart, resisted even the injection of vital energy.

As his vital energy flowed in, the three formations lit up one after another. The bow began to emit dazzling colors, leaving Qin Mo utterly dumbfounded.

Two blue wings of light extended from either end of the longbow, drawing cries of surprise and envious praise. Judging from the halo effect alone, it was no cheap item; ordinary people could never afford it.

"Honored guest, this bow was made by Roselu, a master bowyer of the Western Continent, in imitation of the legendary weapon Thori'dal, the Stars' Fury. Two formations work together to perfectly display the wings of light from the Stars' Fury. The master even added a unique force-reduction formation, allowing you to wield it with ease. It is simply a perfect creation." The handsome blond clerk entered full aria mode, as though failing to buy it proved one had no taste.

"How much?" Qin Mo cut him off and asked bluntly. This bow would be fine as a toy for Lin Ruoxi, but using it in battle was out of the question. Its three formations technically met the requirements for an epic weapon, but two useless formations meant purely for showing off were of no use whatsoever. A force-reduction formation and a power-storing formation were two entirely different things.

"Honored guest, you have a keen eye. This bow can be called a sub-legendary weapon. Only ten thousand taels."

"...Why the hell don't you just rob people?" Qin Mo's curse rang through the air over Western Continent Street, and everyone turned to look in that direction.

"Uh..." The blond clerk was choked speechless. It took him a while to understand what Qin Mo meant. He had always thought he had a keen eye. Though this young nobleman in black wore simple clothing, every inch of him exuded aristocratic air—elegant, refined. Yet now he was blurting out curses in a rage, clearly driven mad by him. But from beginning to end, he had no idea how he had offended this honored guest.

Smack! Qin Mo tossed the so-called "epic longbow" straight back into its case, turned, and left. As he walked, he muttered, "Epic my ass. It doesn't even qualify as rare-grade. Do they take me for some fool?"

"Ha ha ha ha..." His two good-for-nothing friends laughed until they doubled over. They had long known there was nothing particularly good in the Western Continent. They had tried their hardest to drag him to a pleasure house but failed, and could only reluctantly accompany him here for a stroll. Now that they saw Qin Mo make a fool of himself, both of them were in splendid spirits.

Qin Mo understood now. Forget epic weapons—even rare-grade weapons would first be picked over by the great aristocratic clans before they ever appeared on the shelves of Western Continent Street. After all, without the backing of Great Xia's powerful nobles, one could not even open a storefront on Western Continent Street. The people who came here were all rich young masters; if they made trouble for you every other day, you would never be able to stay in business.

With no more hopes in his heart, Qin Mo simply stopped expecting anything and treated it as a leisurely outing. The three strolled slowly down the street, once again pointing and commenting on passing young women. Those who could shop on Western Continent Street were either wealthy or noble, and the women's clothing and bearing were especially exceptional. The three of them had quite a feast for the eyes.

Little did they know that while the three thought they were admiring the women, the women were admiring them as well. There was no need to mention Qin Yuanze: every piece of clothing and ornament on him was exquisite, clearly in aristocratic style. His bearing and appearance were remarkably handsome and elegant, drawing countless flirtatious glances. Qin Yumu was tall and mighty, carrying the air of a military household, and he too caught plenty of eyes.

Only Qin Mo was tall and thin, dressed all in black without a single ornament on him. He walked silently beside the other two. He rarely spoke, answering with only a sentence or two when they asked him something.

He had his own dedicated tailor, and all his clothes were made according to his requirements. When he stated those requirements, the old tailor at the prince's residence was completely baffled. The clothes had to be inconspicuous yet have depth, comfortable yet made without silk satin—it was simply a bundle of contradictions.

In the end, Xirui and Ximan mixed a kind of plant fiber with silkworm silk, weaving it with a special method into a unique fabric that finally satisfied Qin Mo's demands. To ordinary eyes, it looked like a bolt of fine cloth. But upon closer inspection, one would discover intricate, beautiful hidden patterns woven into it. It felt silky smooth, soft, warm, and breathable, perfectly embodying the understated luxury and depth Qin Mo had requested.

The cut of his clothing also combined features from all the classic trench coat styles Qin Mo knew: simple and crisp. Apart from the subtle-thread embroidery at the collar and cuffs, following proper regulations, that represented his imperial identity, there were no cumbersome tassels or layered folds.

Qin Mo slipped his hands into the distinctive slanted pockets and browsed as he walked. His carefree, lazy, tranquil air was utterly at odds with the refined young masters and beauties around him. It was as if they belonged to two separate worlds, neither disturbing the other, silently passing by one another.