Repel the North City, Hyacinth

One month later.

The massive outline of Repel the North City came into view.

From a distance, it resembles a colossal, black steel beast, lying prostrate on the earth.

Looking at the towering city walls that seemed to reach into the Shitou, the two men were filled with excitement.

They knew that their days of wandering were coming to an end.

As one of the few great cities of the human race, it has never fallen, even during the most severe period of the war between humans and barbarians.

If even this place can't accommodate them, then there's nowhere safe in the entire Great Qi.

Qin Fei was also quite happy. He urgently needed a stable place for seclusion to refine Foundation Establishment Pill and break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm.

At present, Repel the North City is undoubtedly the best choice.

Upon arriving at the city walls, a group of guards blocked their path.

One of the middle-aged men, who Late Qi Refining, stepped forward and, seeing that Qin Fei had already Qi Refinement Ninth Layer Refining, behaved quite politely.

"Are you fellow Daoists not from around here?"

Qin Fei was somewhat puzzled, and asked calmly:

How did you figure that out, fellow Daoist?

The middle-aged cultivator smiled slightly and explained:

"Fellow Daoist, you may not know this, but people from this city usually prepare a pass before entering, and the guards will not stop them once they see it."

"Those who enter the city directly, like you, are usually cultivators from outside the city."

Qin Fei seemed to be deep in thought, and continued to ask:

"I see. We have indeed just Repel the North City. We wonder how to obtain the pass and whether we need to have our identity information recorded?"

While in Shangyu Market, his identity was recorded, which led to his forced conscription.

Having learned from this experience, we must be extremely cautious.

"No identity information is needed. Repel the North City a huge population, with tens of millions of Rogue Cultivator alone. Add to that the ordinary people in the city, and the number is easily over a hundred million. We don't have time to count them."

"However, there are two types of passes. One is temporary, allowing you to Repel the North City for only one day. After that, you must leave on your own, otherwise the city's law enforcement team will expel you."

"The other option is a permanent stay, priced at thirty Spirit Stone. You can stay as long as you like. Which one would you like?"

Qin Fei nodded thoughtfully; it seemed this was one of the sources of income for Repel the North City.

In such a massive city, with an unknown daily flow of people, earning Spirit Stone is truly easy.

After thinking for a moment, he took out a small black bag and handed it over.

"The three of you have been here for a long time."

Since he wasn't short of Spirit Stone Shitou, he decided to pay for both of them at once.

The middle-aged cultivator tossed the black bag around, a strange look on his face.

"Fellow Daoist, you only need to pay ninety Spirit Stone. The extra ten..."

Qin Fei pressed down on the black bag and pushed it into the arms of the middle-aged cultivator.

"I'd like to ask you something, fellow Daoist. Consider these extra Spirit Stone as payment for your drinks."

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged cultivator suddenly realized what was happening, subtly stuffing the bag into his chest, and his expression became enthusiastic.

"Fellow Daoist, you're too kind. Please ask without hesitation."

Qin Fei smiled slightly and said:

"I heard a group of refugees arrived in Shangyu Market. I wonder if they have reached the city yet, and how they have been settled?"

His purpose in this trip was twofold: first, to prepare for Foundation Establishment; and second, to find Tang Zhan and the others.

Repel the North City is vast, and searching for it on one's own would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Instead of wasting time, why not spend some Spirit Stone here?

"So that's what you wanted to ask, fellow Daoist. Those people have indeed entered the city. The city lord has allocated a small area in the southern part of Heavenly Pivot District to them. If you're looking for someone, you might want to try there."

Having received the answer, Qin Fei nodded in satisfaction.

He put away the pass and led Shitou and the other man into the city.

After passing through the city gate, a bright and open view suddenly appeared before me.

The streets are wide and the houses are neat. Every now and then, you can see a few towering buildings standing on both sides of the long street.

Pedestrians came and went in an endless stream, dressed in all sorts of ways, and some even rode strange beasts past.

"As expected of a top-tier megacity, even a small street near the city gate is more bustling than the most prosperous area of Shangyu Market."

Qin Fei sighed and turned to look at Shitou and the other man.

"Fellow Daoists, I have urgent business to attend to, so I will take my leave now. Hope we meet again someday."

Shitou Mother bowed solemnly and said:

"Fellow Daoist Qin, we are deeply grateful for your help in rescuing us from dire straits. We will repay you for the expenses incurred in entering the city today, once we have earned enough Spirit Stone."

Qin Fei waved goodbye to the two men and walked alone into the street.

"Freshly slaughtered Xuanwu meat and blood, don't miss it if you're passing by."

"Take a look, have a look, rare lightning-struck wood, let's get rid of it cheap."

"Qi Refinement Second Layer Puppet Soldier, produced by the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, is guaranteed to be a top-quality product."

The calls of vendors from the stalls on both sides of the street were incessant, and many of the items were things Qin Fei had never seen before, which broadened his horizons.

However, he stopped in his tracks when he passed a stall selling puppets.

The Puppet Soldier before him gave him a sense of familiarity, as if he had seen this method of crafting somewhere before.

"The Heavenly Secret Pavilion... could it be Fellow Daoist Yun?"

Qin Fei muttered to himself.

After he took Yunxiu out of the city that day, he never saw her again. Since Repel the North City is the nearest major city, it is possible that she eventually ended up here.

"Sir, you have excellent taste. This puppet was made by the Heavenly Secret Pavilion; its quality is beyond question. Would you like one?"

Qin Fei shook his head and continued heading southeast.

The most urgent task is to find Tang Zhan and the others first.

But he hadn't gone far when he suddenly frowned.

A young woman who looked to be about eighteen or nineteen years old and at the Second Layer of Qi Refinement followed him the whole time.

He goes when he wants to go, and stops when he wants to stop.

Qin Fei turned his head and asked in a deep voice:

"Why are you following me, fellow Daoist?"

The woman was taken aback by the question, then scratched her head and said:

"Fellow Daoist, are you new to Repel the North City? Would you like some hyacinths?"

Hyacinth is a type of guide who provides errand services specifically for monks, somewhat similar to a tour guide in my previous life.

Their services require a fee and are usually provided by low-level Rogue Cultivator.

Shangyu Market is relatively small and there are no hyacinths there, but Qin Fei had seen them in travelogues and other books.

How much do you charge, fellow Daoist?

"Hehe, it only costs one Spirit Stone a day. I grew up in Repel the North City and know this place very well. I believe it will save you a lot of time."

Qin Fei nodded, pondered for a moment, and asked:

"Does fellow Daoist know anything about the new group of Rogue Cultivator from Shangyu Market in the southeast?"

"Shangyu Market..."

The woman pondered for a moment, then suddenly thought of something.

"But what about those monks riding two-wheeled vehicles?"

She had a vivid memory of those two-wheeled puppets.

On that day, a large number of Rogue Cultivator poured in, some of whom rode those things, their speed comparable to the demon Demon Beast rented by the demon market.

In Repel the North City, only cultivators at the Foundation Establishment or above are allowed to fly; otherwise, with such a large population, the airspace would likely descend into chaos.

Most Qi Refinement at the Rogue Cultivator choose to use Demon Beast for transportation.

She had never seen a vehicle-like puppet like Zhang Yu Motor Vehicle before.

Upon inquiring, I discovered that it was actually a product of a small place.

Now that I think about it, that place really was called Shangyu Market.

Qin Fei's heart stirred, and he smiled slightly:

"It is indeed those people. In that case, I would be grateful if you could take me there."