The Eight Kingdoms

"The Eight Great Aristocratic Clans?"

The waiter was slightly taken aback, then realized, "Miss, you mean the Eight Kingdoms, right?"

"These Eight Kingdoms rarely recruit disciples from outside the country. Most of their people are trained within the pass, and only after reaching the Seventh Grade of Battle Soldier are they transferred to the outside. If a young lady doesn't become an apprentice of one of these eight families within the pass, it will be even more difficult for her to become one outside."

Fang Yu frowned slightly and asked, "Besides these Eight Kingdoms?"

The waiter pondered, "Besides the Eight Kingdoms, there are many other secret societies in the countryside, and quite a few of them have Grandmaster in charge. The easiest one to join should be the Gu Yue Household of the Hui Kingdom. They are a top-tier power outside the Great Wall and occupy most of the Hui Mountain Range."

"The Gu Yue Household of the Hui Kingdom!"

Fang Yu frowned and asked, "Is there anything else?"

The shopkeeper thought for a moment, then took out a map from his pocket and spread it out on the table, saying, "Most of the large and small kingdoms in the Border Wilderness are here. You can take a look for yourself, young lady."

Fang Yu glanced at the map. This one differed greatly from the one he had obtained from Xiao Ji, except for some changes in the areas of a few small countries. The map also featured silhouettes of some Demon Beast and the current major powers of various countries. As he looked at it, he asked:

Are the Cultivation Method of the Eight Kingdoms also publicly known in the Border Wilderness?

The shopkeeper nodded and said, "It's public. Not only are the Cultivation Method of the Eight Kingdoms public, but the Cultivation Method of other countries are also public. The key to learning these Cultivation Method is the area with the Demon Beast. Only in these areas will the corresponding Demon Beast appear. If you want to learn the Cultivation Method of the Eight Kingdoms, you can only enter the Eight Kingdoms. However, if you have practiced other Cultivation Method before, it's not very suitable for the Eight Kingdoms, as they don't accept mixed-blood martial artists."

"Mongrel warrior!"

Fang Yu looked at the waiter and asked, "You mean those martial artists who have eaten the flesh of multiple types of Demon Beast?"

The shopkeeper nodded and said, "That's right. If you entered the martial arts world on your own, you're basically a mixed-blood martial artist, so you don't need to consider the Eight Kingdoms, but you could consider these other schools."

He pointed to several small countries and said, "These small countries are basically inhabited by mixed-blood martial artists, and the Cultivation Method they practice are also very diverse. However, the meat of the Demon Beast in this area doesn't have much of a rejection factor. If one has good martial arts talent, there is still hope of advancing to the Master. If one is lucky enough to hunt a great demon and use its blood to purify their bloodline, there is hope of advancing to the Grandmaster later."

Fang Yu's gaze fell on the very edge of the map, and he said, "Tell me about this Zhao Kingdom!"

The man replied, "The Zhao Household is a small nation that has risen to prominence in the last ten years. They have one Grandmaster and more than twenty other Master. They have just established a foothold in Ziwu Ridge and urgently need a large number of mid- to low-level martial artists to stabilize their borders. They welcome all martial artists, but that area is deep in the Savage Wilderness, and there is a constant possibility of encountering powerful demons or even ancient demons. It is extremely dangerous for mid- to low-level martial artists."

Fang Yu's heart skipped a beat, and he continued to ask, "What kind of Cultivation Method does the Zhao Household practice?"

The man replied, "The Cultivation Method they practice is the Rooster Dance. Currently, the highest level they can reach is Second Grade Grandmaster, but there's still a long way to go before reaching Supreme Grandmaster."

Fang Yu pursed his lips and asked, "Was this Cultivation Method created by the Zhao Household themselves?"

The shopkeeper nodded and said, "Of course, the Cultivation Method of the Hundred Kingdoms of the Border Wilderness are all based on a certain kind of demonic Demon Beast. However, so far only Eight Kingdoms have produced Supreme Grandmaster. Well, it's the same in the south. Only countries that have produced Supreme Grandmaster have corresponding top-level Cultivation Method, and the Demon Beast they are based on are considered to be demon kings."

Fang Yu stroked his chin, realizing that the information he had gathered in Northern Long was less than what a waiter in this restaurant knew. Indeed, locals knew the local stuff best.

"Are there any merchant caravans heading to the State of the Zhao Kingdom recently?" Fang Yu continued to ask.

"Of course!" The waiter nodded repeatedly. "Does the young lady wish to travel to the Zhao Kingdom?"

"That's right!" Fang Yu nodded.

The shopkeeper then asked, "May I ask what your cultivation level is, young lady? I can help you contact the merchant caravan to the Zhao Kingdom."

Fang Yu thought for a moment and decided it was best not to hide her cultivation level. "This young lady is currently Third Grade Master!"

"Master!" The waiter was startled, instinctively taking a few steps back. He looked Fang Yu up and down, then asked incredulously, "Are you really Master, young lady?"

The words had barely left his mouth when the waiter felt a suffocating Qi and Blood emanating from the girl before him, causing his legs to buckle involuntarily, and he collapsed to his knees with a thud.

"I was blind and didn't know the Master was in front of me. Please spare my life, young lady!"

Fang Yu composed Qi and Blood, "Get up and speak!"

"Thank you, young lady!" The waiter stood up, becoming visibly reserved. He lowered his eyes, not daring to look at Fang Yu's face, and said with his head down:

"Since you are Master, the Zhao Kingdom will surely accept you, and you might even be allocated a large tract of land. I... I will take you to the Northern Long Merchant Association now to see if there are any merchant caravans heading to the Zhao Kingdom."

"Very good!"

Fang Yu nodded, then reached out and took out another ten-pound meat ration coupon, slapping it on the waiter's chest. "Take this. As long as you serve this young lady well, you'll definitely get your share of the rewards!"

The waiter hurriedly said, "This humble servant Chen Shan, thanks you, young lady!"

After the two left the private room, Chen Shan quickly ran to the counter and spoke to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper then looked at Fang Yu, clasped his hands in greeting from afar, and Chen Shan ran over, saying, "Please, young lady!" before leading the way.

After changing his clothes, Fang Yu noticed that he was being stared at more often when he stepped onto the street. Passersby frequently cast glances at him. If before, the gazes were directed at outsiders, now they were directed at beautiful women.

This made Fang Yu somewhat uncomfortable, since his original intention in creating this female character was to surprise people and make them not expect that his true identity was a man.

The face he created back then was quite ordinary, but now that he's dressed in Savage Wilderness attire, it has attracted attention, which makes him, who is used to keeping a low profile, feel somewhat uncomfortable.

However, he still had to use this identity for the time being, and it only attracted a little attention, so he simply pretended not to see the stares of the passersby.

Suddenly, Chen Shan's voice rang out. "I still don't know your surname, young lady, so I can introduce you to the merchant later!"

Fang Yu said in a deep voice, "Tang Meng."

Upon hearing this, Chen Shan glanced at her furtively and continued, "May I ask what kind of Cultivation Method the young lady primarily practices?"

Fang Yu replied, "The Mysterious Armor Prison-Suppressing Art."

Upon hearing this, Chen Shan immediately said, "No wonder! So you're a descendant of soldiers!"

Upon hearing this, Fang Yu's heart stirred slightly, and he asked, "What, are there many Master of the Mysterious Armor Prison-Suppressing Art here?"

Chen Shan nodded and said, "Unlike other Demon Beast Mystic Armor Elephant's flesh doesn't have a fixed territory and often migrates, so people from almost every country practice this Cultivation Method. It's also the Cultivation Method that produces the most Master. If you can become Master with this technique, you will definitely be more sought after than Master of other Cultivation Method."

As they spoke, the two arrived in front of a building with a plaque that read "Northern Long Merchant Association".

"This is the Northern Long Merchant Association!"

As Chen Shan spoke, he took a few steps forward and pushed the door open, Fang Yu stepped inside.