Pingliang City

Thinking of this, Chen Fan looked at the broken sword in his hand. His strength in every aspect had steadily improved, yet this sword alone remained so battered. A year of sword practice and sparring had added countless dents to its already worn blade. He had to find a way to reforge a sword; otherwise, his weapon would completely fail to keep pace with his strength, preventing him from unleashing his greatest power. As the saying went, to do a good job, one must first sharpen one's tools.

He first asked an outer sect elder about the rules for using the sword-forging room. It was open year-round and could be used whenever needed. If one could not forge a weapon personally, teachers skilled in sword forging would help complete it. In truth, forging ordinary weapons was no great difficulty for cultivators; it was merely skilled labor. However, one had to prepare the forging materials oneself and pay a certain fee. Inner court disciples could use it for free as long as they brought their own materials, but outer sect disciples could not. Fortunately, the sect had a preferential policy: every outer sect disciple's first use of the sword-forging room came at half price.

Chen Fan intended to reforge his broken sword. His most urgent task was to find forging materials and gather funds. A cultivator's currency was not ordinary gold, silver, or copper coins, but Spirit Stones. Spirit Stones were rocks that had absorbed the essence of heaven and earth over countless years. Depending on how much essence they stored, they were divided into low-grade, mid-grade, and high-grade. Fortunately, using the sword-forging room only required low-grade Spirit Stones.

Chen Fan already had a plan. He returned to his room, packed for a while, prepared what he needed for the journey, and changed into light clothes. This trip down the mountain was to search for and purchase materials, while also gaining some experience. It might take some time. Just as he was about to leave, two figures followed behind him. When he turned around, he saw Eastern Evil and Western Venom. Over the past year, the two little fellows had been carefully raised. Not only had considerable essence gathered within their bodies, but they had also grown several feet long, making them quite conspicuous as they trailed after him.

Seeing that the two snakes desperately wanted to follow, Chen Fan said, "Little East, Little West, I'm only heading down the mountain to handle something and will be back soon. It wouldn't be convenient to bring you along. Though you've gained some cultivation, your fighting strength is still low. I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to protect you. When there's a chance in the future, I'll definitely find a way to take you out and let you see the world. For now, stay here obediently and continue improving your strength until I return." As he spoke, he tossed out pills of all sizes. "Don't eat them all at once. If I can't return for a while, you'll go hungry for a long time. Understand?" The two snakes swayed their heads slightly, seeming somewhat dejected, before crawling back inside.

After leaving, Chen Fan found Murong Zhu and asked him about the situation below the mountain. He also got a simple map from him. Chen Fan had never seen the world beyond the mountains, and he actually felt a little anxious now—perhaps he had a fear of going down the mountain. Seeing that Chen Fan intended to descend alone, Murong Zhu had wanted to accompany him, but Chen Fan politely declined. Murong Zhu then nagged him a few more times. The world below the mountain held far too many dangers for a greenhorn like him, and the sinister hearts of men had to be guarded against.

Then, for the first time in sixteen years—or rather, for the first time since he could remember—Chen Fan finally left this mountain range. With his current cultivation, the road down the mountain cost him no effort at all, and he did not need to stop and rest. Before long, he reached the foot of the mountain and passed through the mountain gate he had once crossed during the new disciple assessment. He did not recognize the two disciples guarding it now. They merely nodded to each other in greeting. One of them said, "Sect rules state that the mountain gate closes after midnight and cannot be entered until the hour of the rabbit. You must also hold this outer sect disciple token and have your identity verified before you may pass." The two guards were inner court disciples themselves and could tell at a glance that Chen Fan was not one. Then one handed him a crudely made token, clearly intended for outer sect disciples leaving the mountain. Chen Fan agreed, took the token, and continued onward. By then, the excitement in his heart had completely overwhelmed his anxiety.

Half a day later, Chen Fan arrived without pause at a city. This was Pingliang City. Holding the map in his hand, he recalled Murong Zhu's introduction: Pingliang City was the nearest medium-to-large city to the sect, so he had headed straight here. Only in cities of this kind might one find materials, treasures, or cultivation techniques useful to cultivators. Of course, cultivation techniques were certainly beneath his notice.

By then, the sky had darkened. Chen Fan wandered through the city, weaving through streets and alleys and passing rows of buildings. Residents were lighting fires and cooking meals. Chickens and dogs called to one another in the open spaces outside the houses, children chased and played, and some taverns and shops were closing up for the night. The scene of mortal life brimmed with the smoke and warmth of everyday living.

Chen Fan decided to find somewhere to rest first. Once dawn came, he could properly browse the various shops and see whether he could find anything useful. After passing several more streets, he spotted an inn. He would stay there. He entered the inn and had just opened his mouth to ask when someone rushed out in a panic, nearly colliding head-on with him. But how could Chen Fan possibly be struck by an ordinary mortal? With only a slight sidestep, he instantly avoided the person. He saw that she was a young woman, dressed like a resident of the city. She looked disheveled and frantic. When she saw Chen Fan, she froze for a moment before suddenly asking loudly, "Little brother, have you seen my son? He's only this tall. He was still playing on this street this afternoon, but in the blink of an eye, he disappeared." As she spoke, she gestured at the child's height, looking as if she were on the verge of losing her mind with panic.

"No," Chen Fan said coldly. He had only just arrived here and knew neither the people nor the place. How could he possibly have seen her son? It seemed that she had entered the inn earlier to look for him, only to come up empty-handed.

Without another word, the woman rushed off to search elsewhere. Only then did Chen Fan enter the inn and tell the innkeeper that he needed a room for the night. The innkeeper arranged one, and Chen Fan paid for it. The silver used in the mortal world had all been looted from Golden Wheel Temple. There was quite a lot of it—enough for Chen Fan to stay here for half a year. Still, he had no intention of lingering. Once he finished his business tomorrow, he would leave.

Just as he was about to head to his room, the innkeeper said, "Little brother, you don't look very old, yet you're traveling alone. Be careful at night." After saying this, he cautiously glanced around before lowering his voice beside Chen Fan's ear. "This city has been rather unsettled lately. Children keep disappearing without warning or reason. Most are under ten years old. Many people suspect child traffickers. You may be older, little brother, but you're probably not yet eighteen, are you? You'd better be careful."

So such a thing had happened. Chen Fan smiled faintly. "Thank you, innkeeper." The innkeeper seemed well-intentioned. If there truly were child traffickers, they were very likely hiding in the city. But Chen Fan was no ordinary child now. Forget child traffickers—even a whole gang of bandits would not frighten him.

After entering his room, Chen Fan began meditating to recuperate. He was not especially tired. For cultivators, unless they were exhausted enough to require deep sleep to restore their vitality, meditation was the best choice. It could restore one's condition while also being the best time to cultivate Internal Qi. Only through years upon years of such practice could one make progress.

He slowly absorbed and exhaled. The Origin Qi of heaven and earth here was far thinner than on Swordcry Mountain, but something was better than nothing. He meditated until midnight, when he suddenly heard movement next door. Several men were speaking. It was not that they spoke loudly, but Chen Fan's senses had reached the third level of Internal Qi, and with all sounds silent in the dead of night, he heard their conversation with perfect clarity.

"You two are back? How did it go? Is the matter settled?" "Don't worry, it's already handled. We only need to wait and collect our reward." "We'll search for one more day tomorrow, then leave for the next city. Oh, right—I saw an underage boy in this inn earlier. He's staying next door. Should we take him along as well? He's a little older, but he might still meet the requirements. It'd be no trouble anyway." "Oh? He actually delivered himself to our door? Fine. Boss said there's no limit to the number—the more, the better. We'll use the old method in a moment..."

Chen Fan was greatly startled, though not particularly afraid. These people were actually the legendary child traffickers? Had he truly walked into a tiger's den like a sheep? But was he an ordinary youth? Chen Fan took no measures. He continued meditating while vigilantly sensing his surroundings. If they burst in, killing them on the spot would count as carrying out justice on Heaven's behalf. From their footsteps and voices earlier, he had not detected much Origin Qi fluctuation. They should be, at most, very low-level cultivators.

However, Chen Fan did not wait for the enemy to arrive. Just as he was wondering what was happening, a trace of dizziness suddenly rose in his head, and his blood and qi became somewhat sluggish. This...? They had actually used poison? Though the other side had used some kind of colorless, odorless poisonous smoke, who was Chen Fan? He was practically a professional poison-eater. How could such a little trick possibly knock him unconscious? Still, he was somewhat amazed by the poison's potency. If it had been an ordinary poison, he might not even have reacted after being exposed to it. The fact that this poison had such an effect spoke volumes. Not daring to be careless, he hurriedly circulated his cultivation to expel the poison. Suddenly, he felt that this poison seemed somewhat familiar.

A moment later, he had fully recovered. He considered how to respond. These people were clearly no ordinary child traffickers, and he did not want to stir up trouble and become entangled in this affair. They had also mentioned a boss, suggesting this was a gang operation. There might even be formidable figures behind them. Since he was alone, it was better to proceed cautiously.

After a brief consideration, Chen Fan opened the window and fled without a trace. The move was truly slick beyond measure. A while later, three men pried open the door and entered, only to find the room completely empty. One of them said in astonishment, "Huh? No one? How is that possible? I kept a close watch from my room. That kid never came out after entering."

"You couldn't have made a mistake, could you? If he was in the room, how could he have left unharmed after being poisoned by us?" another companion said. The three stared at one another, then searched the room for a while longer. Finding nothing, they could only leave in frustration.

Chen Fan had originally planned to stay in the city for only one day. He had not expected to encounter such a matter, and he vaguely felt that it was far from simple. Still, he decided not to meddle in other people's business. He found a ruined temple in the city and hid inside, meditating until dawn.

Early the next morning, figures gradually appeared on the streets. The people of the mortal world began another bustling day, while Chen Fan blended into the disorderly crowd, looking here and there. At last, he found a large trading house called Myriad Treasures Pavilion. Only in a shop like this could he find materials useful to him.

Upon entering Myriad Treasures Pavilion, he saw all kinds of goods displayed within, a dazzling array that filled the eye. But after looking around, Chen Fan saw that they were all things for mortals. Weapons were also for sale, but one glance showed they were extremely crude and of poor quality, not even comparable to his broken sword. Perhaps noticing Chen Fan's baffled expression, a young man stepped forward and said, "Esteemed customer, what do you need? This floor is only for ordinary people. I see that this young master travels the martial world alone with extraordinary bearing, and you look down on these goods. You must be searching for something of a higher grade, am I right?"

"Oh? You know what I need?" Chen Fan asked, somewhat surprised.

"What you seek, young master, must be..." At this point, the young man pointed upward toward the sky.

Chen Fan nodded.

"Then please follow me to the back hall, and we can discuss it there." The young man led Chen Fan onward.

Chen Fan became wary. Could this be another group of child traffickers? Still, this man seemed to be an ordinary person who had not cultivated any technique. He would follow him to the back and take a look. If anything seemed wrong, he could immediately escape. Even if there was an ambush within, there could not possibly be a fourth-level cultivator there, could there? Chen Fan believed that as long as there was no fourth-level cultivator, preserving his own life would not be a problem.

In fact, in such remote mortal cities, even third-level cultivators were exceedingly rare, let alone fourth-level ones. Chen Fan entered the back hall and saw another, smaller shop there. The young man led him inside, where a middle-aged man came out to receive him. At first, the man was somewhat surprised. The back hall was not somewhere any snot-nosed brat was qualified to enter. But after focusing and examining Chen Fan several times, he was greatly astonished. "This young master must be of extraordinary status. Please forgive us for failing to welcome you properly earlier. What does young master require from our shop? We will certainly do our utmost to satisfy you."

"Mm. Then I'll get straight to the point. I came to purchase sword-forging materials. I hope you can provide ores, metals, and the like of sufficient quality. The higher the quality, the better." Chen Fan saw that this middle-aged man did seem to have cultivated a technique, though he was only at the first level. No wonder, after looking at Chen Fan, he could not discern the depth of Chen Fan's strength and thus became respectful toward him.