Pingliang City

At this thought, Chen Fan looked at the broken sword in his hand. His strength in every aspect had steadily improved, yet this sword alone remained so shabby. A year of sword practice and sparring had added countless dents to its already battered blade. He needed to find a way to reforge a sword. Otherwise, his weapon would be utterly unable to keep pace with his strength, and he would not be able to unleash his greatest power. As the saying went, if a craftsman wished to do good work, he must first sharpen his tools.

He first asked the 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 independently, teachers proficient in sword-forging would help complete it. In truth, crafting ordinary weapons was not particularly difficult 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: the first time every outer sect disciple used the Sword-forging Room, the fee was halved.

Chen Fan planned to reforge his broken sword. His most pressing task was to find sword-forging materials and gather funds. The currency used in transactions among cultivators was not ordinary gold, silver, or copper coins, but Spirit Stones. So-called Spirit Stones were rocks that had absorbed the Origin Qi of heaven and earth over long years. Based on the amount of Origin Qi 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 in mind. He returned to his room, packed up, prepared the things he needed for the trip, and changed into light clothing. This time, he was going down the mountain to search for and buy materials, while taking the opportunity to gain some experience. He might need several days. Just as he was about to leave, two figures followed behind him. When he turned around, he saw Eastern Evil and Western Poison. Over the past year, the two little fellows had been carefully raised. Not only had a fair amount of Origin Qi gathered within their bodies, but they had also grown several feet long, making them exceedingly conspicuous as they trailed behind him.

Seeing how desperately the two snakes wanted to follow, Chen Fan said, "Little East, Little West, I'm only going down the mountain to handle something this time, and I'll be back soon. It wouldn't be convenient to bring you along. Though you've gained some cultivation now, your combat strength is still too 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 keep improving your strength until I return." As he spoke, he tossed out pills of all shapes and sizes. "Don't eat them all at once. If I can't return for a while, you'll be hungry for a long time. Understand?" The two snakes gently swayed their heads, seeming somewhat dejected, before crawling back.

After leaving, Chen Fan found Murong Zhu and asked him about the situation below the mountain. He also got a rough map from him. Chen Fan had never seen the world beyond the mountains before, and he actually felt a little anxious now. Perhaps it was 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 who had only just set foot into the world. Human hearts were treacherous, and one had to be on guard.

Then, Chen Fan finally left this mountain range for the first time in sixteen years—or rather, for the first time since he could remember. The road down the mountain consumed none of his current cultivation, and he did not need to stop and rest. Before long, he arrived at 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 the gate, and they merely nodded at one another in greeting. One of the disciples said, "Sect rules state that the mountain gate closes after midnight and may only be entered again at dawn. You must also present this outer sect disciple token for verification before you may pass." The two men 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 prepared for outer sect disciples heading down the mountain. Chen Fan agreed, accepted the token, and continued onward. By now, the excitement in his heart had completely defeated his anxiety.

After less than half a day of uninterrupted travel, Chen Fan arrived 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 come here directly. Only in such a city might one find materials, treasures, or cultivation techniques useful to cultivators. Of course, cultivation techniques were certainly beneath his notice.

By then, night had fallen. Chen Fan wandered through the city, weaving through streets and alleys, passing rows of buildings. Residents were lighting fires and cooking meals. Chickens and dogs called to one another in the open spaces outside the homes, children chased and played, and some restaurants and shops were closing up for the night. It was a scene of the mortal world, brimming with the warmth of everyday life.

Chen Fan decided to find a place to rest first. Once day broke tomorrow, he would thoroughly browse the various shops here and see whether he could find anything useful. After passing through several more streets, he spotted an inn. He would stay here. He entered the inn and had just opened his mouth to ask when someone rushed out in a panic, nearly crashing straight into him. But how could Chen Fan possibly be struck by ordinary mortals? With only a slight sidestep, he instantly avoided the person. He saw that it was a young woman. Judging by her clothing, she should have been a resident of this city. She looked somewhat bedraggled, and her expression was anxious. When she saw Chen Fan, she froze for a moment, then suddenly asked loudly, "Little brother, have you seen my son? He's only this big. He was playing on this street this afternoon, but in the blink of an eye, he disappeared." As she spoke, she gestured to indicate the child's size, looking as though she were about to go mad with worry.

"No," Chen Fan said coldly. He had only just arrived here and was unfamiliar with the place. How could he possibly have seen her son? It seemed the woman had also entered the inn earlier to look for him, but to no avail.

Without another word, the woman hurried off to search elsewhere. Only then did Chen Fan enter the inn and tell the innkeeper that he needed a room for one night. The innkeeper arranged one for him, and Chen Fan paid the lodging fee. 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 more than half a year. However, 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're still young and traveling alone. Be careful at night." At this point, he cautiously glanced around before whispering in Chen Fan's ear, "This city has been rather unsettled lately. Children keep disappearing without reason, most of them under ten years old. Many suspect human traffickers. You may be older, little brother, but you probably aren't eighteen yet, right? Better safe than sorry."

So such a thing was happening. Chen Fan smiled faintly and said, "Thank you, Innkeeper." The innkeeper seemed to mean well. If it truly was human traffickers, they were highly likely hiding within the city. But Chen Fan was no ordinary child now. Forget human traffickers—even if a whole gang of bandits came, he would not fear them.

After entering his room, Chen Fan began meditating to recuperate. He was not overly fatigued at the moment. 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 and was also the best time to cultivate Internal Qi. Only through years upon years of effort could one make progress.

He slowly breathed in and out, absorbing the Origin Qi of heaven and earth. The Origin Qi here was far thinner than it was on Swordcry Mountain, but half a loaf was better than no bread. He meditated until midnight, when he suddenly heard some movement next door. Several men were talking. It was not that they were speaking loudly, but Chen Fan's perception had reached the third level of Internal Qi, and with all sounds hushed in the dead of night, he heard their conversation with perfect clarity.

"You two are back? How did it go? Was it taken care of?" "Don't worry, it's done. We only need to wait for our reward." "Search for one more day tomorrow, then we'll leave this place and head 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 while we're at it? He's a little older, but he might still meet the requirements. It's only a small extra effort anyway." "Oh? He actually delivered himself right to our doorstep? Good. Boss said there's no limit on the number—the more, the better. In a while, we'll use the old method..."

Chen Fan was greatly alarmed, though not particularly afraid. These people were actually the legendary human traffickers? He had truly walked straight into the tiger's den like a sheep? But was he an ordinary boy? Chen Fan did not take any measures. He continued meditating while vigilantly sensing his surroundings. If they barged in, killing them on the spot would count as carrying out justice on Heaven's behalf. From their footsteps and voices, he had not detected much Origin Qi fluctuation. They should at most be very low-level cultivators.

However, Chen Fan did not wait for the enemy to arrive. Just as he was wondering about it, a faint wave of dizziness suddenly came over his head, and his blood and qi abruptly became somewhat sluggish. This? They had actually used poison? Though the other side had used some sort of poisonous smoke that was colorless and odorless, what sort of person was Chen Fan? He was practically a professional poison eater—could such a petty trick really knock him out? Still, he was somewhat startled by the potency of this poison. If it had been ordinary poison, he might not even have reacted after being afflicted by it. The fact that this poison could have such an effect spoke volumes. Not daring to be careless, he hurriedly circulated his cultivation to expel the toxin. Suddenly, he felt that this poison seemed somewhat familiar.

A moment later, he had completely recovered. He considered how to respond. These men were clearly not ordinary human traffickers, and he did not want to stir up extra trouble and become entangled in this matter. They had also mentioned a boss, so this appeared to be a gang operation. There might even be formidable figures involved. Since he was acting alone, prudence was best.

After some brief thought, Chen Fan opened the window and fled without a trace. It was an exceedingly slick move. A short 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 was keeping a close watch inside the inn the whole time. That brat never came out after entering his room."

"You didn't get it wrong, did you? If he was inside, how could he leave 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 resentfully.

Chen Fan had only planned to remain in this city for one day in the first place. He had not expected to encounter such a matter. He vaguely felt that this 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 within it to meditate until dawn.

The next morning, figures gradually appeared on the streets. Mortals began another busy day of life, while Chen Fan blended into the chaotic crowd, looking here and there. At last, he found a large trading house named the Myriad Treasures Pavilion. Only in such a store could he find materials useful to him.

Entering the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, he saw all manner of goods laid out within, dazzling to the eye. But when Chen Fan looked around, he found that these were all things for mortals. There were weapons for sale as well, but they were clearly crudely made and of extremely poor quality—not even as good as his broken sword. Perhaps noticing Chen Fan's blank expression, a young man stepped forward and said, "Esteemed customer, what might you need? This floor of our shop is only for ordinary people. Seeing that you, young master, travel the martial world alone with such extraordinary bearing, yet look upon these items with utter disdain, you must be searching for something of a higher grade, correct?"

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

"What you seek, Young Master, must surely be..." As he spoke, the young man pointed upward.

Chen Fan nodded.

"Then please follow me to the back hall so we may speak further." The young man led the way for Chen Fan.

Chen Fan became wary. Could this be another group of human traffickers? However, this man seemed to be an ordinary person who had not cultivated any technique. He would follow him into the back and take a look. If anything seemed wrong, he could immediately flee. Even if there were an ambush inside, there could not possibly be a fourth-level cultivator, could there? He believed that as long as there was no fourth-level cultivator, he should have no problem protecting himself.

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 a smaller shop within. The young man led him inside, where another middle-aged man came out to receive him. At first, the man was somewhat surprised. The back hall was not a place any random green youngster was qualified to enter. But after focusing and examining Chen Fan several times, he was greatly astonished. He said, "This young master must possess an extraordinary identity. 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 this time to buy 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 cultivate a technique, though he was only at the first level. No wonder that after looking at Chen Fan, he could not gauge the depth of Chen Fan's strength and thus became respectful toward him.