Yellowstone City

Three days later, a cart carrying half a load of fine timber rolled slowly onward, pulled by two black mules.

At the end of the broad road ahead stood a city enclosed by yellow walls several dozen feet high. Above its equally broad gate, three enormous white characters spelled out "Yellowstone City."

On either side of the gate, a dozen or so guards in black iron armor inspected the caravans and people coming and going.

"Uncle Zhao, so this is Yellowstone City. It really is bustling."

As the cart joined the line entering the city, a young man with a bundle on his back jumped down, his face wreathed in smiles. It was Wang Yu, but his Daoist robe was gone, replaced by coarse cloth clothing. Several streaks of colorful, dye-like substance had also been smeared across his face, concealing much of his appearance.

"Of course it is. Hundreds of thousands of people live in Yellowstone City. Young Wang, since this is your first visit, be careful. Don't offend any of the important folk in the city, or you'll find yourself in quite a bit of trouble." The thin, dark-skinned old man driving the cart grinned at Wang Yu, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

Although Wang Yu's body was only thirteen or fourteen years old, his bloodline awakening and the Blood-Refining Soup he had taken had made him much taller than others his age, with a sturdy build. Coupled with his mature disposition, this meant people still mistook him for a young man of seventeen or eighteen, despite the lingering childishness in his face.

"Of course. I only left my village to broaden my horizons here in Yellowstone City. Why would I offend anyone important? Thank you for bringing me all this way, Uncle Zhao." Wang Yu cupped his hands in thanks to the thin, dark-skinned old man.

"Haha, I'm coming to Yellowstone City to sell a few things myself. Bringing you along was no trouble-you were headed the same way." Pleased by the boy's courtesy, the old man urged the cart onward.

Wang Yu stood where he was and watched the armored guards at the gate for a while. Only after finding nothing unusual did he join a separate line of pedestrians.

Entering the city went smoothly. A guard merely asked which village or town he had come from. Wang Yu gave the name of a small town he knew at random, paid a copper coin as an entry fee, and was allowed straight in.

Beyond the gate lay a smooth stone street wide enough for three carts to travel abreast. Dense rows of buildings of varying heights lined both sides, while people in all manner of clothing thronged the road. It was a picture of peace and prosperity.

At the sight, Wang Yu let out a long breath, his heart easing somewhat. It seemed news of the Yellowstone City lord's death had yet to reach the city, or things could not have been so calm.

He had joined White Cloud Abbey barely a month ago, and only the deceased Yellowstone City lord had seen him there. Those outside the abbey should not know that Daoist Chongyun had another disciple.

Taking the risk of entering Yellowstone City was the right choice after all.

He walked slowly along the street toward the city center, occasionally surveying the shops on either side. Before long, he entered a general store.

When he emerged, he had a map of Yellowstone City in his hand.

Wang Yu studied the map carefully several times before finally locating his target in an inconspicuous corner of Yellowstone City: a shop marked with the character for "treasure."

He looked up at the sun to confirm his bearings, then headed toward the marked location without further hesitation.

More than an hour later, on a modest street in southwestern Yellowstone City, Wang Yu stood before a stall, haggling over a small packet of candy beans. He insisted that the stallholder knock another two copper coins off the price.

Amid the seemingly heated bargaining stalemate, his gaze casually swept across a small shop on the other side of the street, its entrance covered by a cloth curtain. A silver character for "treasure" was printed on one corner.

In the end, under the stallholder's reluctant gaze, Wang Yu finally won his discount. He tossed down a few copper coins and strode away with the packet of candy beans, never sparing the little shop another glance.

He then found a clothing shop. When he came out, he had changed into a close-fitting blue-green outfit and wore a black-gauze veiled hat that completely concealed his face. Afterward, he found an ordinary inn and took a room.

A night passed.

Wang Yu left the inn carrying a bundle and wandered all over Yellowstone City. He even made a point of passing the city lord's residence. Only when he still found no sign of activity did he truly relax.

That afternoon, he returned to the inconspicuous street and stopped before the shop with the "treasure" curtain.

After a moment's hesitation, he stepped inside.

"Welcome to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion. What would you like to buy?"

The room behind the curtain was small. Apart from two battered wooden counters, there was only an ordinary-looking middle-aged man, his head lowered as he polished a bronze lamp. Seeing someone enter, he looked up and asked with an affable smile.

"This is the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, correct? I'd like to buy a passage ticket to the Wu Kingdom," Wang Yu said, lowering his voice to a deep register.

"Oh, a fellow Daoist looking to leave this place. Our pavilion's Magical Ship will indeed arrive in Yellowstone City a month from now. But because of the Spirit Labor, quite a few people have been planning to leave lately, so tickets cost thirty percent more than usual. Would that be acceptable?" The middle-aged man showed no surprise. Instead, he stopped what he was doing, his smile fading slightly.

"How did you know I'm an Immortal Cultivator? I heard that most people leaving aboard your pavilion's Magical Ship are mortals," Wang Yu asked warily.

"Hehe, you misunderstand, fellow Daoist. Mortals can travel using our tickets, but only people of our path can purchase them. If you hadn't triggered a reaction from this Spirit-Revealing Lamp the moment you entered, I wouldn't have greeted you." The middle-aged man chuckled and gave the bronze lamp he had been polishing a little shake.

Only then did Wang Yu notice that, despite having neither wick nor oil, the lamp gave off a faint white glow. It was so weak that anyone not paying attention would easily miss it at first glance.

"I see. Then give me one ticket." Wang Yu felt somewhat reassured.

"One ticket costs seven spirit stones or a hundred taels of gold. If you buy five or more at once, we can offer a discount. And if you don't have enough spirit stones or money, we also accept goods of equivalent value in exchange," the middle-aged man said with a beaming smile.

"Seven spirit stones, or a hundred taels of gold?"

Wang Yu's heart sank slightly at those words.

Last time, he had found only two gold ingots weighing about ten taels each on the White-Clad Youth's corpse. The other copper coins and bits of silver were scarcely worth counting.

As for spirit stones, Daoist Chongyun's notes had mentioned them. They seemed to be a currency used exclusively by Immortal Cultivators, and there was even less chance of him having any.

"Sorry for the trouble, but could you see how many spirit stones this is worth?" After turning over countless thoughts, Wang Yu finally drew a yellow talisman from inside his clothing and handed it over.

"Oh, a low-grade Lightness Talisman. It makes a person as light as a swallow. I can credit you three spirit stones for it." The middle-aged man glanced at the talisman and quoted a price without hesitation.

Hearing the price, Wang Yu finally relaxed. He took out two more identical talismans and handed them to the man.

"Three Lightness Talismans, worth nine spirit stones. Here are your ticket and two spirit stones. Keep them safe, fellow Daoist." Smiling, the middle-aged man put away the three talismans, then turned and took two thumb-sized bars of white crystal and an Azure Paper Crane from the counter behind him.

"This is the ticket?" Wang Yu accepted the items and looked at the paper crane, feeling rather puzzled.

"Correct, that is your ticket. For the next month, don't travel more than a hundred li from Yellowstone City. When the time comes, the paper crane will guide you to the Magical Ship. You must get there within half a day. The ship won't wait long." The man explained as though this were perfectly ordinary.

Though Wang Yu still harbored some doubts, he could only indicate that he understood.

"Since you're already here, fellow Daoist, wouldn't you like to buy something else? A Magical Artifact or a spell, perhaps?" The man enthusiastically resumed his sales pitch.

"You have Magical Artifacts and spell manuals here too?" Wang Yu was taken aback.

"Of course. We don't have manuals for proper cultivation methods, but we do have one or two Qi Refining Realm Magical Artifacts and a few Parlor Trick Arts."

"What Parlor Trick Arts do you have?" Wang Yu felt tempted.

"Wait a moment, fellow Daoist. Let me look. Ah, so few of our fellow cultivators come here. Those things recording the Parlor Trick Arts seem to have been put..." Muttering to himself, the man turned and rummaged through the shelves.

"Found them! These three Parlor Trick Arts. Take a look, fellow Daoist." With a small exclamation, the man finally retrieved three objects from the jumble on the shelves and placed them one by one on the counter before Wang Yu.

Wang Yu looked them over: a short white horn, a piece of red beast hide, and a small fragment of blue bone.

"You should know, fellow Daoist, that all spells in this world originally arose between heaven and earth. These three objects naturally bear Spell Spirit Markings. They are Innate Spirit Objects taken from low-grade Demon Beasts, corresponding to the spells Lightning Flash, Firefly, and Water Gathering. By slowly contemplating them with your spiritual sense, you can learn these three Parlor Trick Arts. And they are primordial spells, untouched by any modifications." The man pointed at the three objects as he enthusiastically introduced them to Wang Yu.

"Primordial spells?" Wang Yu looked at the objects on the counter with a puzzled expression.

"Hehe, compared with ordinary spell manuals, comprehending spells from Innate Spirit Objects like these is somewhat harder. But once you succeed, it proves you possess exceptional comprehension and outstanding intelligence. All the major sects will fight to take you in. Besides, they cost far less than spell manuals. They're absolutely perfect for you, fellow Daoist." The man offered this explanation with a hint of embarrassment.

"So these primordial spells are difficult to comprehend. How much do they cost? As you know, I have practically no spirit stones on me," Wang Yu asked slowly after several thoughts raced through his mind.

"The price is negotiable. How about this? I'll sell them to you for two spirit stones apiece. What do you think? At that price, I'm practically giving them away," the man replied readily.

"Two spirit stones... Then I'll take this beast hide." Delighted by the price, Wang Yu placed the two spirit stones he had just received on the counter, then picked up the Red Beast Hide and sent his spiritual sense into it. Within the hide, a complete design formed from five scarlet Spirit Inscriptions faintly flickered in and out of view. It should not be a fake.

"Won't you consider the other two Parlor Trick Arts, fellow Daoist? Honestly, you'll have a hard time finding such low prices anywhere else. Once you pass this village, you won't find another shop like it. If you take them all, I'll throw in a basic introductory book on spells for free. It may be simple, but reading it to check against what you've learned can only help." Smiling as he urged Wang Yu on, the man produced a grubby, thin book from beneath the counter. It appeared to have only a dozen or so pages, and its white cover did indeed bear the small words "Introduction to Spells."

"Introduction to Spells? I'd like to buy them, but I really don't have any spirit stones left." Wang Yu picked up the book, casually flipped through a couple of pages, and shook his head.

"Think about whether you have anything else to trade, fellow Daoist. Other talismans, cultivation manuals, Spirit Materials for Artifact Refining, Demon Beast materials, that sort of thing. Rest assured, the Hundred Treasures Pavilion has been in business for hundreds of years. We value our reputation and credibility above all else, and we would never disclose a customer's information," the man said enticingly.

"You accept Artifact Refining materials too... Then see how many spirit stones this is worth." Looking at the other two objects on the counter, Wang Yu was indeed reluctant to leave them behind. After some thought, he took a small Iron Casket from the bundle on his back and handed it over.

It was the Iron Casket in which Daoist Chongyun had sealed the sword light that killed the Yellowstone City lord in a single strike. It seemed to be made of the same material as the small iron shield Magical Artifact. Even sharp blades could not leave a mark on it, so surely it was worth something in the cultivation world.

"This Iron Casket was made from iron essence! Tsk, tsk, what a waste to craft it so crudely. The box itself isn't worth much, but iron essence is the material we Immortal Cultivators use most often for Artifact Refining. A piece this large is quite rare. I can offer fourteen spirit stones. That way, you can get the other two Parlor Trick Arts and still have ten spirit stones left." The man's eyes immediately lit up at the sight of the Iron Casket. After taking it, running his hands over it several times, and hefting its weight, he promptly named his price.

"Agreed."

Wang Yu silently committed the words "iron essence" to memory and accepted without hesitation.

As for the small iron essence shield, he would not take it out even if the man's sales pitch sent heavenly flowers raining from the sky.

The man put away the Iron Casket, then counted out ten spirit stones and handed them to Wang Yu.

Wang Yu carefully put away the spirit stones, the book, and the two objects on the counter. After briefly checking everything, he turned to leave the shop.

Just then, the man called after him with a smiling reminder.

"Fellow Daoist, I forgot to mention something. These three Innate Spirit Objects from Demon Beasts are so cheap because they were removed from the beasts a long time ago and weren't properly soaked in spiritual liquid back then. Their Spirit Inscriptions won't last much longer. You'd best comprehend the spells within a year, before the inscriptions fade or become incomplete. Still, you haven't lost out. This price really is as low as it gets."

At the doorway, Wang Yu's steps briefly faltered. Crooked merchant, he cursed inwardly, then left the shop without looking back.

"Another little fellow looking to leave. Who knows how far he'll get along this road? At least I finally got rid of those three things before they expired. If I'd been stuck with them, my performance review from above would have looked ugly. I really hope I can leave this damned place soon." After muttering to himself, the middle-aged man picked up the bronze lamp again and resumed polishing it at a leisurely pace.