Xuanwei City

"Is it really all right to leave no one at the sect?" Yuan Jin asked worriedly on the road to Xuanwei City.

"I told you to show some selflessness and stay behind to watch the place, but you wouldn't do it."

"Second Senior Brother, we brought everything in the sect that was worth anything. It'll be fine," Jiang Qing reassured him from the side.

"Listen to you. When has our sect ever had anything valuable?" Yuan Jin said disdainfully, casting a meaningful glance at the old golden-haired donkey pulling the cart ahead.

As for a sect whose entire membership was sitting neatly on a donkey-drawn cart as they traveled...

In theory, even a petty thief with a shred of professional pride wouldn't be interested in its grounds.

"Shh. How many times have I told you? Keep your voices down when you're telling the truth. Master and the others will be sad if they hear you from up in heaven."

Without a change in expression, Kang Dabao looked up and pointed at the sky.

The three brothers' amusing conversation had the Dong sisters, Han Yundao, and Duan Anle laughing along.

"This trip is to get Third Brother a few things. It's also been years since we visited Master Qi, so we ought to bring him some gifts to thank him. Let's treat it like a visit to family.

"We'll have a lively time together. What fun would it be to leave one or two people at home?

"The only thing worth anything was that array, and I even packed it up. We'll sell it on this trip, add some money, and buy a better one to take back."

After drinking some water, Kang Dabao carefully put the stopper back in his gourd.

Duan Anle held the array disk tightly in his arms.

Ever since the adults had scared the little miser by telling him how precious the disk was and that it would lose its value if it got chipped, he hadn't let it out of his arms.

"Senior Brother, you still haven't told us where you got the money."

"I tripped over a Spirit Stone mine and picked it up."

"Then once we reach Xuanwei City, I'll forge a pickaxe out of black iron, and we can go dig some more together."

"Too late. That Spirit Stone mine turned into stars and flew back up into the sky."

"That story of yours might fool Changsheng and Ruyi, at best."

"Hehe, you're wrong. That story didn't even fool your two sons," Kang Dabao replied shamelessly.

"Enough nonsense. We're taking the main roads all the way, but times are bad these days. Stay alert. We might run into a few people driven mad by hunger."

"Yes." Jiang Qing and Yuan Jin both grew serious at his words.

"Pick up the pace!" Kang Dabao urged on the old donkey, which was pulling the entire population and all the possessions of the Chongming Sect. The donkey didn't dare slack off, and its four slender hooves moved swiftly.

Xuanwei City was the largest cultivator city in Cloud Horn Prefecture. Rumor had it that the Dingnan Niu Household, which controlled the city, already had an ancestor who had achieved a False Core.

A False Core was not a Golden Core. It was a shortcut gradually discovered by cultivators who had lost hope of advancing further.

Although a False Core was inferior to a Golden Core, it could still extend one's life by sixty years, allowing one to live three hundred years. One's divine abilities and Law Techniques would also improve significantly compared to when one was at Foundation Establishment.

Even if achieving a False Core meant losing all hope of pursuing the Great Dao thereafter, those benefits alone were enough to send Foundation Establishment cultivators flocking to it like ducks.

Thus, even counting the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty, the Niu Household was unquestionably among the foremost major powers in Cloud Horn Prefecture.

Xuanwei City's gates stood a full ten zhang high. True Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage could fly in, while Qi Refinement cultivators dutifully lined up and paid.

"Two Spirit Stones for cultivators, five Spirit Stone fragments for mortals. If you own a residence in the city, show your deed. Rentals don't count."

The armored cultivator guarding the gate had a considerable cultivation level: he was already at the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining.

Someone like him could lead one of the small sects in Pingrong County, yet in Xuanwei City, he could only serve as a gate guard.

The Niu Household had several hundred cultivators like him under its command. It was truly impressive.

His icy gaze swept over the entire Chongming Sect. Meticulous in his duties, he spoke in a cold tone.

Clink. Kang Dabao couldn't claim any friendship with the guards here.

So he obediently paid according to the rules and led the whole sect, young and old, through the gate passage and several intricate arrays before they finally set foot in the great cultivation city.

Yuan Jin led everyone back to his little courtyard to settle in. Along the way, the group of mountain bumpkins got a thorough taste of what a bustling great city was like.

The avenue, paved with green jade, was wide enough for cultivators to ride giant beasts at a gallop. Taverns, teahouses, bookshops, and brothels stood shoulder to shoulder along the road, making for a lively scene.

Low-level cultivators riding mounts obediently followed behind mortals carrying sedan chairs. They didn't dare throw an "immortal's" temper, much less lash the bearers to hurry them along.

A True Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage, with a longsword on his back, leaned against a roof, drinking and singing at the top of his lungs. His song carried across several streets without fading, drawing a group of city guards who looked troubled but didn't know what to do.

Free-spending mortal tycoons took Spirit Stones to the pleasure houses to buy a smile.

As long as you could produce Spirit Stones, female cultivators with skin like congealed cream would likewise set aside their lofty airs, smile prettily, spread their legs, and lie on a canopy bed for you to pluck at will.

"What a picture of a golden age."

Though Kang Dabao had seen cities with populations of ten million in his previous life, he had not visited Xuanwei City in a long time, and the sight before him stunned him once again.

Where had he ever seen anything like this in his previous life?

Besides, in the great cities of his previous life, no one rode a Barbarian Tribe Aberration two stories tall around town as a taxi.

"That Barbarian Tribe Aberration has been the cheapest beast of burden these past few years.

"I heard an elder of the Grass Witch Cult improved a formula a few years ago, cutting the cost of raising these pseudo-spirit beasts in half. The Grass Witch Cult has made quite a profit from them these past three or four years.

"People in Xuanwei City used to rent Thunder-Toed Foals to carry goods and passengers. Look around now-where can you find one in the city?

"Even the Ma Household's business over in neighboring Hong County has suffered considerably because of it. They're worried sick.

"Senior Brother, we can wait a little longer. Sooner or later, they'll have to sell off their stock of Thunder-Toed Foals. We can pick them up cheap.

"When we put together a caravan, we'll be able to use them!

"These Barbarian Tribe Aberrations are too big. Thunder-Toed Foals are better for trading runs.

"But I hear the Grass Witch Cult has made a handsome profit researching and improving all sorts of exotic beasts and Pill Formulas. They've even got a lead on a Foundation Establishment Pill for their cult leader.

"Rumor has it they made connections with the Stone Mountain Sect in Pu Prefecture, though I don't know if it's true.

"But I think it's probably unlikely. Even if the Stone Mountain Sect has ten Foundation Establishment cultivators, there's no reason they'd ever think they had too many Foundation Establishment Pills.

"Unless Chen Ye is the Stone Mountain Sect's grand elder's bastard son, he's unlikely to get a pill."

As the person in charge of the Chongming Sect's Xuanwei City office, Yuan Jin really did know quite a lot about the city.

"Sure enough, science and technology are the primary productive forces."

Kang Dabao murmured under his breath, feeling a little envious at the thought of the Grass Witch Cult making heaps of Spirit Stones. The designer really was a heaven-sent genius! The theory applies across all worlds!

When they reached the southern part of the city, they wound their way through several turns to Yuan Jin's little courtyard. Though he was only a Qi Refining Fifth Layer cultivator, he was an "immortal master," after all.

The two-courtyard residence was small, but its layout was fresh and elegant, and several mortal servants waited on them.

Compared with Kang Dabao and Jiang Qing, who cultivated in solitude in the mountains, Yuan Jin lived a much easier life.

No wonder the Dong sisters always felt ill at ease when they returned to the sect. Back there, they were married-in sisters-in-law expected to work; here, they were genuine ladies of the house.

"Senior Brother, I've already had Wanxi tidy up a bedroom. Would you like someone to attend you in your room as well?"

Yuan Jin furtively pulled Kang Dabao into a corner of the courtyard and asked in a low voice, waggling his eyebrows.

"Ahem, ahem, well..." Kang Dabao put on a righteous expression, rubbed his clean-shaven chin, and cleared his throat.

"They're untouched courtesans from the Wondrous Cloud Pavilion. Master Qi's second son has a stake in it. They're all pure and have been looked after since childhood.

"They've built their business on their reputation over the decades. The price isn't high, and the women certainly won't be lacking in looks."

After so many years as fellow disciples, Yuan Jin knew even what color underpants his senior brother liked to wear. How could he fail to see the eager appetite beneath Kang Dabao's sanctimonious expression?

He knew his own senior brother. Truth be told, in their younger years, Kang Dabao had put off his own affairs for quite a few years for the sake of his two junior brothers.

He was well into his thirties, bearing the title of sect leader while making a living as a traveling merchant.

Not only was there no hope for him on the immortal path, he didn't even have anyone at his side to look after him.

Aside from never going without delicious pork knuckles, he lived worse than a wealthy old gentleman. It was downright miserable.

It was one thing for cultivators with hope of reaching the Great Dao to keep their hearts pure and desires few, but why should good-for-nothings like them pretend to be virtuous immortals?

In a few more years, he might have the desire for this greatest of earthly pleasures but lack the strength. A cultivator's kidneys weren't made of iron either; they had a limited useful life.

He must never believe the nonsense spouted by those Rogue Cultivators in the martial world who claimed to come from the Hehuan or Huanxi traditions. Dragon-Tiger Pills and Unfailing Spirit were useless!

In this matter, he mustn't let his youthful years go to waste!

Marriage could wait. Once Third Brother and Yuan Jin had made something of themselves and life improved, they might even be able to find their sect leader senior brother a cultivator as his proper wife.

But taking a concubine or keeping a mistress was no trouble. It wouldn't cost many Spirit Stones.

Even if he grew tired of her after a couple of years, as long as no children had been born, a few words would be enough to send her away. It wouldn't take much effort.

"Sect Leader Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, what are you talking about? When are we going to call on Master Qi?" Jiang Qing came over and asked curiously.

"Ahem, right, right. Business first. Go send a calling card and arrange a time to visit Master Qi. We'll talk about this later."

Kang Dabao immediately spoke with a serious expression. It was better not to let Third Brother know about this messy business. At least one of the brothers had to stay pure.

"Mm, all right. I'll go write the calling card now." Yuan Jin glared irritably at the clueless Jiang Qing, then went into the study.

"What's wrong with Second Senior Brother?" Jiang Qing was baffled, his face full of confusion.

"Nothing. His handwriting's ugly, and he's worried about writing the calling card," Kang Dabao said, spinning nonsense with a composed expression.

"Then there's nothing to be done. My handwriting's even uglier than Second Senior Brother's." Jiang Qing, as was his habit, believed his sect leader senior brother's nonsense.

"Oh, right, Sect Leader Senior Brother, since we won't be visiting Master Qi today, I'll be going out for a bit later," Jiang Qing continued.

"Where are you going in a place you don't know? Even True Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage aren't uncommon in Xuanwei City. Don't go out and stir up trouble for me." Kang Dabao frowned as soon as he heard that.

"Elder Brother He sent me a letter some time ago. He said that if I came to Xuanwei City, I could ask around for news of him. He has a business in the city," Jiang Qing replied earnestly.

It looks like the eldest He brother really does think highly of Third Brother, Kang Dabao thought, rubbing his bare chin.

"Then go on. Leave early and come back early. By the way, what's the business called?"

"The Wondrous Cloud Pavilion."