Qingshan Town was already dotted with greenery in March, a time of rebirth. It was also Qingshan Town's busiest season, with a constant stream of carriages and horses.
The events of South Town had died down, but when everyone discussed Wanyaozhai again, a touch of awe lingered.
In early spring, countless mercenaries, resting for the winter, flocked to the Magic Beast Mountain Range to begin a new expedition.
In Qingshan Town, in front of Wanyaozhai, a cavalry of carriages slowly withered away. Yan Qingshan stood on a carriage, bidding a long farewell to the Little Medical Immortal, who waved at him at the entrance.
Almost a year had passed since he woke from his sickbed, and over a month since his return from the Magic Beast Mountain Range. In the spring of the following year, he finally chose to say goodbye once again, embarking on a journey across the continent.
Before Yan Qingshan's departure, the situation in Qingshan Town had shifted again. Wanyaozhai had taken over the interests of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group south of the city, becoming one of the three major forces in Qingshan Town, alongside two other mercenary groups.
Although Wanyaozhai lacked a combat master, its network of connections stretched throughout Qingshan Town and even the surrounding towns. Furthermore, after Wanyaozhai released a new, superior medicine for injuries and an incredibly potent paralyzing poison powder, any doubts gradually faded. Yan
Qingshan had no concerns about the Little Medical Immortal staying at Wanyaozhai. During his time there, he had taught her nearly every self-defense technique he could, and even kept a backup plan, ensuring no one could harm him. The
strongest person in Qingshan Town was a one-star combat master, and Yan Qingshan's backup plan could easily lead to the demise of not only the combat master but also the entire town.
However, using this backup plan would prematurely activate the Little Medical Immortal's poisonous body, so he repeatedly warned her not to use it carelessly.
...
Wutan City, one of the smaller cities of the Jiama Empire, is located in the northeastern province, between the Jiama Empire's Black Flame City in the northern province, the Demonic Beast Mountains in the northeastern province, and Black Rock City in the eastern province.
Wutan City wasn't considered a major city within the Jiama Empire. Its strongest members were merely high-ranking Dou Ling masters. Within the city, the three most powerful families—the Xiao, Jialie, and Oba—controlled and reaped the lion's share of the city's profits.
Wutan City naturally had its own imperial lord and officials, but for a small city like this, neither a prosperous economy nor a crucial gateway, as long as taxes and the interests of the empire were guaranteed, there was no need for excessive rigor.
Truth be told, most towns in the empire faced a similar situation. Imperial power didn't extend to the countryside, and local political parties exercised decentralized autonomy. Many families, like the three Wutan families, controlled the majority of the city's profits, forming the lowest echelons of the empire's ruling class.
Wutan City was a small city within the Jiama Empire, but its leading family, the Xiao family, was not unknown within the empire.
The Xiao family was once a formidable family within the empire. Their patriarch, Xiao Lin, achieved the status of Dou King and was a close confidant of Nalan Jie, a prominent official and one of the ten most powerful figures in the empire.
But with Xiao Lin's death, the Xiao family was left without a successor, now without even a single Dou Ling. Unable to safeguard their own interests, they declined, their influence retreating from the Holy City of Gama back to Wutan City.
Despite this, the Xiao family remained the most powerful family in Wutan City, controlling the city's greater interests.
The other two major families, the Oba and the Jialie, were resentful, but due to the engagement between the Nalan and Xiao families, they dared not target the Xiao family too much.
The market in Wutan City always opened very early. Even though the sun had barely broken a rosy glow above the horizon, the streets were already bustling with activity. A procession of about a hundred people and twenty carriages, guarded by guards, slowly entered the market streets of Wutan City.
"This is Wutan City!"
The procession was modest, unremarkable among the crowds of people passing through Wutan City. In the middle of the procession, a figure lifted the curtain to reveal a still childish face. Perhaps due to the lack of sunlight, his complexion appeared even fairer than that of some women.
A servant who was driving the horses turned around. He looked even younger than Yan Qingshan, but aside from his face and short stature, he looked anything but a teenager. He smiled at Yan Qingshan and said, "Doctor Yan, you're awake. We've arrived at Wutan City. Would you like to get out and walk around?"
"No, a carriage would be nice too!"
Yan Qingshan shook his head, but he lifted the curtain and stepped outside, sitting on the other side of the carriage. The servant smiled broadly at this and enthusiastically tried to please Yan Qingshan.
"Xiao Liu, are you familiar with Wutan City?"
Yan Qingshan asked naturally, casually glancing around from his perch. The servant's name was Ye Xiaoliu, and he was a member of the caravan.
"Everyone in Wutan City knows the Xiao family. Hey, that's the Xiao family's market. Look at the Xiao family's guards, how impressive and majestic they are!"
Ye Xiaoliu pointed to a market in front of him on the left, his eyes shining when he talked about these guards. "The Xiao family's guards are all equipped with top-notch equipment, and being a guard is much more respectable and safer than being a mercenary.
My biggest wish in this life is to join a big family as a guard after being promoted to a fighter. Unfortunately, I'm only at the fourth level of fighting spirit, and I don't know when I can become a fighter."
"Xiao Yan is here!"
"Come and welcome the Third Young Master!"
"The Xiao family's little devil has arrived!"
"The Third Young Master is so handsome!"
...
The market ahead suddenly erupted in surprise. Yan Qingshan stared into the distance. A young man, perhaps eleven or twelve, arrived at the market, accompanied by a group of young men and women. Wherever he passed, there was a chorus of praise. The occasional murmur of dissatisfaction was drowned out by even more laughter.
The young man was very familiar with this kind of scene. He greeted the cheers and compliments with a smile on his face, as if he were the best performing star of the show. However, few noticed that he seemed a little anxious, and the smile on his lips was a little stiff.
"Doctor Yan, do you see that? This is the third young master of the Xiao family. He is a true child of destiny and a legendary figure in the empire."
Ye Xiaoliu pointed at the young man who was walking away into the market town and said with envy, "I heard that the third young master of the Xiao family is extremely talented. He started practicing at the age of four,
reached the ninth level of Dou Qi at the age of ten, and became a Dou Zhe at the age of eleven. He is twelve this year, but he hasn't even celebrated his twelfth birthday yet. I believe that after several months of practice,
he is no longer a one-star Dou Zhe! What's more, the third young master of the Xiao family is engaged to Miss Nalan Yanran, the daughter of one of the three major families in the empire. His life is simply..."
"Twelve years old? I see."
Yan Qingshan glanced at the departing Xiao Yan from afar, muttered something incomprehensible, and then got into the carriage again, "Xiaoliu, I want to practice. Don't let anyone disturb me for the time being..."
"What a weirdo, practicing all day... Go..."
Ye Xiaoliu was in the middle of a lively conversation when his teammates suddenly disappeared. He didn't dare to confront Yan Qingshan, so he muttered a few odd words before driving the carriage back in a sullen manner.
"It seems Xiao Yan's cultivation is starting to falter. He's reached Fighter status several months ago, but his Qi hasn't stabilized yet. But it's still three years away, isn't it? That's fine..."
Inside the carriage, Yan Qingshan sat cross-legged. Xiao Yan's slightly peculiar expression naturally didn't escape his notice. This time, as he passed through Wutan City, he was also concerned with determining the specific timing of the plot developments.
Xiao Yan was only twelve, and even after so long since breaking through to Fighter, his Qi was still unstable. It was clear that Yao Lao had begun to recover. The next three years would be a period of inaction, but that had nothing to do with Yan Qingshan.
With this specific timeframe, he had achieved his purpose for coming to Wutan City. His plan became clearer. He closed his eyes, sat cross-legged, and once again began his in-depth cultivation.
"Strange, such strong mental fluctuations, alchemist?"
Yan Qingshan's carriage slowly passed through the market. As it passed Xiao Yan and his group, a beautiful girl of about eleven or twelve beside Xiao Yan turned and glanced at the carriage, a look of confusion in her eyes.
...
Black Rock City, a large city located in the eastern province of the Jia Ma Empire, ranks among the most prosperous of all the major cities in the Empire.
The heart of Black Rock City is the most prosperous and bustling economic center. After bidding farewell to the caravan, Yan Qingshan arrived at this bustling center.
The bustling streets and people were bustling with traffic, giant winged birds fluttered about, and numerous mercenary teams came and went, creating a bustling atmosphere. In such a valuable area, those who could occupy a shop were either local tyrants or foreign giants.
Miter Auction House, the largest chamber of commerce in the Jia Ma Empire, Miter Chamber of Commerce has a stronghold in many cities across the Empire and is a major commercial base.
As one of the three great families of the empire, the Mitel family's business spans the entire Gama Empire, even establishing significant branches beyond its borders.
The Mitel family boasts a long history, having flourished within the Gama Empire for centuries, and boasts a complex network of relationships. According to gossip, this incredibly wealthy family appears to even have connections to the Gama Empire's royal family.
At the Mitel Auction House's reception desk, a figure, almost entirely shrouded in a black robe, unable to distinguish between man and woman, paused for a moment before heading into the adjacent treasure appraisal room.
The room was quite empty. A middle-aged man, upon hearing the commotion, looked up, frowning at the obscuring black robe. Then, glancing at the ring on the man's fair right hand, a professional, enthusiastic smile quickly appeared on his face. "Sir, are you planning on appraising a treasure?"
"Yes!"
a hoarse, elderly voice drifted softly from beneath the black robe. The man, wearing the ring, raised his right hand, and a golden crown inlaid with countless gemstones appeared on the counter.
The middle-aged man's face darkened when he saw the golden crown. He picked up the magnifying glass beside him and examined it carefully. His expression changed slightly, and when he looked up again, he said solemnly, "Sir, please wait a moment. I will go find our chief appraiser, Mr. Zheng."