Chapter 174: Entering the City
Not long after Chen Xingcai left with the white fox, Chen Chang'an suddenly opened his eyes inside the wooden cabin. His gaze pierced through layers of space and locked onto a distant patch of sky.
…
At the southern gate of Immortal Spirit City, a group of seven or eight people escorted a young man in ornate but damaged robes as they slowly entered the city.
The youth's clothing was torn, his hair crown tilted, yet his bearing still carried the air of nobility. He was Ji Changming, the King of Qi, who had fled here in exile.
Beside him stood a middle-aged man in broken armor, his sharp eyes scanning the area like a hawk.
This was General Yang Hong of the Southern Garrison Army. Once feared across the southern frontiers, his army had dwindled to a few survivors after ten years of civil war and defeat in Lingzhou.
The once-mighty Eight Pillars of Great Zhou had lost yet another power.
"Your Highness, this is Immortal Spirit City," Yang Hong said hoarsely. "Scouts report that a detachment of the Imperial Guard took refuge here days ago. It should be their remnants."
Ji Changming nodded slightly. His attention, however, was soon drawn to the lively city before him.
On the busy streets, cultivators and mortals walked side by side. Shops stood in rows, vendors shouting to attract customers.
A spirit herb merchant was bargaining with a mortal farmer, while cultivators sat at street stalls eating handmade wontons.
Children laughed as they ran past, fearless even before cultivators.
Mortals and cultivators living together—what a rare sight of peace and prosperity.
Ji Changming's heart trembled slightly. For a moment, he thought of the Heavenly Capital of old—the imperial city of Great Zhou, once just as vibrant and full of life.
"How interesting…" he murmured softly.
The harmony between mortals and cultivators did not move him. What truly caught his eye was the city's prosperity.
"It's said this place is Qingzhou's trade center for spirit herbs and elixirs," he mused. "If I can seize it, my chances of rebuilding rise by at least twenty percent."
But his sister, Ji Lingxiu, would not yield easily.
He glanced sideways at Yang Hong. With his uncle—a peak Heaven-Man Realm powerhouse—by his side, if she refused to comply, he could force her hand.
As for Commander Meng Kuo of the Imperial Guard, Ji Changming knew him well. Loyal only to the royal bloodline, he would never easily take sides.
And though Meng Kuo was still at the Heaven-Man peak, his years were many and his lifespan near its end. He could never match Yang Hong.
A cold smile flickered across Ji Changming's lips before he hid it away. "Let's go," he ordered. "To the City Lord's Manor."
Stopping a passerby, he said arrogantly, "Hey, where is the City Lord's Manor?"
The man blinked, studying his fine but tattered robes. Seeing the noble air that lingered around him, he pointed politely. "Go straight down this street, turn right at the third intersection—the largest manor there."
Ji Changming snorted dismissively and walked away without thanks.
His gilded boots clacked sharply against the stone road. He frowned at the mingling crowd of mortals and low-level cultivators.
"This Immortal Spirit City is lively enough," he said with a sneer. "But the stench of this place… truly revolting."
His sister truly was an idealist. Even after the fall of Great Zhou, she still clung to her dream of unity between mortals and cultivators.
If he were to take this city, the first thing he would do would be to cleanse it of every ordinary mortal!
A middle-aged scholar beside Ji Changming immediately understood his intent and gestured for two guards to move forward. "Clear the way for His Highness!"
An old farmer carrying a shoulder pole couldn't dodge in time and was shoved aside violently.
He stumbled several steps, and the spirit fruits he carried scattered across the street with a crash.
A few bright-red vermilion fruits rolled to Ji Changming's feet, glistening under the sunlight.
"You blind old fool!" one of the guards sneered and crushed a fruit under his boot. Scarlet juice splattered onto his uniform's hem.
He frowned with disgust. "Almost stained His Highness's robes."
The old farmer fell to his knees in panic. "Mercy, noble sirs! I'll—"
"Shut up!" the guard barked, drawing his blade three inches from its sheath. "Say one more word, and I'll cut out your tongue!"
The surrounding pedestrians scattered in fear. A few children whimpered, clinging to their mothers.
Ji Changming chuckled and continued walking, his entourage trampling through the street. They smashed through several vendors' stalls, sending crates and wares flying, while the shopkeepers could only watch in silent fury.
But before they reached the street leading to the City Lord's Manor, a troop of city guards in black light armor blocked their path.
The captain's gaze was cold and steady. "You have destroyed property and disturbed public order within Immortal Spirit City," he said flatly. "By city law, you will pay fines and apologize to the merchants you've harmed."
Ji Changming raised an eyebrow, as if he'd just heard a joke. "Fines? Apologies?"
He sneered and turned to his guards. "Did you hear that? The city guards of some backwater dare to lecture this king about rules?"
The two guards exchanged glances, then stepped forward with smirks. Powerful energy flared from them, the pressure of the Origin Convergence Realm sweeping over the crowd.
"Move aside," they growled. "Or die."
The captain's face tightened, but he did not back down.
He raised his hand, and his men instantly formed a defensive formation. Spiritual light coursed between them, faintly countering the oppressive aura.
"The laws of Immortal Spirit City are not to be defied," the captain warned coldly. "Take one more step, and we will show no mercy."
The air grew sharp and tense, as if a single spark would ignite battle.
Just then, hurried footsteps echoed from around the corner.
"Captain!" a young guard ran up and whispered something in the captain's ear.
The captain's brow furrowed for a moment, then relaxed slightly as understanding dawned.
The tension in the street eased a little.
He lowered his spear, though his eyes remained hard as steel. "Orders from the City Lord," he announced loudly so all could hear. "If you're here to see her, then follow the laws of Immortal Spirit City and come with us."
He paused, his tone turning cold. "But if you insist on your arrogance—"
He slammed the butt of his spear into the ground with a thunderous crack. "Then get out of Immortal Spirit City!"
The words struck Ji Changming like a slap to the face.
His handsome features twisted, eyes blazing with fury, his hands clenching inside his sleeves until the knuckles went white.
"How dare you!" he hissed, spiritual energy flaring violently. "Guards, teach these—"
A rough, calloused hand pressed down on his shoulder before he could finish.
Yang Hong had stepped forward silently, applying just enough pressure to suppress Ji Changming's rising power.
"Your Highness," he said in a low, firm voice, "this is not our territory."
His grip tightened slightly. "Endure, for now."
Ji Changming took a deep breath. Yang Hong was his greatest support—he couldn't afford to defy him.
He forced his anger down, regaining his composure, and his expression returned to cold indifference.
"Very well," he said icily. "Lead the way."
His voice dripped with disdain. "This king wishes to see for himself how much progress my dear sister—the illustrious City Lord—has made after all these years."
…
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