With a bandit taking the blame, the Shenjia Sect cultivators only did a quick search of the regular cabins before letting the Ascending Cloud Flying Boat leave.
"They finally left."
Through his cabin window, Wei Tu watched the Shenjia Sect spirit boat speeding away in the distance and let out a long sigh of relief.
Even though he was confident he had enough life-saving means to escape just like Yu Wencheng and the Golden Core bandit, he really didn't want to end up wanted by the Shenjia Sect unless it was his last resort.
—Even if the boat tickets weren't real-name, the Shenjia Sect could still use the Canglang Merchant Guild's records to figure out his real identity.
The Shenjia Sect's influence didn't reach Kang Kingdom, but if he wanted to go to Xiao Kingdom in the future, it would definitely get a lot harder.
…
A few days later.
The Ascending Cloud Flying Boat crossed the "Zhaoming Dead Sea," a natural barrier between Xiao and Kang Kingdoms, and was about to reach "Liao Prefecture" on the far western border of Xiao Kingdom.
Liao Prefecture was the largest of Xiao Kingdom's thirteen prefectures by area. But since it sat at the edge of the country and bordered the lifeless Zhaoming Dead Sea, the weather was dry all year, oases were rare, and its population was smaller than the big coastal counties of Xiao Kingdom.
But in terms of cultivation culture, Liao Prefecture was no worse than anywhere else. Buddhist sects led by Wanfo Temple were among the top three powers in Xiao Kingdom.
And because survival here was so tough, Liao Prefecture was famous for producing body cultivators—something not often seen in the wider cultivation world.
Shenjia Sect was one of the most well-known body refining sects here.
Sitting in his cabin, Wei Tu skimmed through his Xiao Kingdom geography records, then looked out the window with some anticipation.
He'd seen plenty of demonic body refinement techniques in the battle zones between righteous and demonic sects—things like the Heavenly Maiden Sect, Desolate Mountain Sect, Stone Demon Sect. They all had powerful body cultivation legacies.
But he had almost never seen orthodox body refining, especially the Buddhist school's way of body cultivation.
A few days ago, when Shenjia Sect's Wang Tianwu fought the Six Desires Sect bandits, his body refining skills had really opened Wei Tu's eyes.
As the flying boat sped along—
The endless dark gray dead sea soon gave way to a boundless desert and patches of oasis dotting the ground like little islands.
After flying over a few small oases, Wei Tu noticed the flying boat slowing down and dropping from high altitude to lower altitude.
Soon, he saw a massive oasis, more than ten times bigger than any before, stretching about a hundred li across.
"Fellow Daoists, our caravan's transfer station, Peach Immortal City, is just ahead. If you wish to get off, please prepare in advance…"
The steward's voice echoed down the corridor.
Peach Immortal City was considered prosperous and wealthy in Liao Prefecture, but for all of Xiao Kingdom, it was basically unknown.
Still, plenty of cultivators on the flying boat were short on funds and could only afford tickets to this stop, so they had to get off here.
Wei Tu was also getting off at this stop.
Not because he couldn't afford the full trip, but because he had business in Liao Prefecture.
Liao Prefecture was the gathering place for body refining sects in Xiao Kingdom, famous for its body refining spiritual medicines and secret body refining pills like the Golden Marrow Pill.
As a body cultivator, skipping Liao Prefecture would be like passing an open treasure mountain empty-handed.
…
Stepping off the flying boat, Wei Tu immediately felt the foreignness compared to Kang and Zheng Kingdoms.
Yellow sand blowing everywhere.
The air was hot and bone-dry.
Even just breathing, he could feel fine grains of sand in his nose, dry and uncomfortable.
Luckily, with his cultivation, a little circulation of power was enough to sweep away all discomfort.
"Compared to Liao Prefecture's desert, Kang Kingdom's Han Sea Desert is tiny."
Wei Tu thought to himself.
Just like Xiao Kingdom, the grasslands of Kang Kingdom also had a desert called the Han Sea Desert. Daoist Wolfslayer's secret hideout was buried somewhere in there.
But in terms of size and heat, the Han Sea Desert was nothing compared to Liao Prefecture's deserts.
At least, in the Han Sea Desert, Wei Tu never felt even a moment of discomfort.
"Maybe that's why Liao Prefecture cultivators are physically stronger than those from other places."
"Local conditions shape local people."
Wei Tu scanned Peach Immortal City with his divine sense and noticed that its cultivators were a whole level physically stronger than cultivators from other regions.
But compared to other areas' fancy buildings, Peach Immortal City looked plain. Most of the street houses were made from clay tiles, only a few used wood.
"I'll buy some body refining spiritual medicine in Liao Prefecture first, hopefully find a pill formula like Golden Marrow Pill, then head for Haizhou where Shengya Mountain is…"
Wei Tu sketched out his plan.
Sure, his main reason for coming to Xiao Kingdom was to meet Zhao Qingluo. But he wasn't lovesick enough to rush straight to Haizhou and cling to Zhao Qingluo all day.
This isn't a funeral.
He just needed to get there before the agreed date, no need to rush.
But as Wei Tu was about to take a step, a group of brown-skinned, white-robed locals suddenly appeared at the edge of the oasis, hurrying toward the cultivators who had just disembarked from the Ascending Cloud Flying Boat.
"Senior, do you need a guide? If you need help getting a residency permit for Peach Immortal City or want to buy local specialties, you can come to me."
A skinny young man, around twenty years old, spotted Wei Tu. He walked up with a beaming smile and tons of enthusiasm.
Niu Guo was good at reading people.
Most cultivators getting off the flying boat were from "Foundation Establishment families" traveling with their kin. Very few, like Wei Tu, were all alone.
He guessed Wei Tu was probably a merchant here to buy goods in Xiao Kingdom's Liao Prefecture.
—It was always easier and more profitable to do business with solo merchants like Wei Tu, rather than a whole picky "Foundation Establishment family."
"Yi came to Peach Immortal City this time just to buy some spiritual herbs. Do you have any good connections?"
When he heard the skinny youth, Wei Tu realized these people were local guides.
After years as a high-level cultivator, breaking through to Golden Core, he was usually hosted by local big shots wherever he traveled, and rarely ran into low-level guides scraping by like this young man.
"Buying spiritual herbs?"
Niu Guo was delighted and became even more certain of his guess.
"Senior Yi, Peach Immortal City ranks third among Liao Prefecture's oases, only behind Shenjia Sect's Guhuang Immortal City and Wanfo Temple's Dairi Buddha City..."
"There's a mid-fourth-rank spiritual vein under the city, jointly managed by Jinglian Convent and the three great families: Fu, Ye, and Lu."
"The city's most famous herb shops are Ye Family's 'Ye Family Herbal Hall' and Fu Family's 'Wansheng Trading Company,' but I suggest you go to Ye Family Herbal Hall. Their reputation is top-notch, not just in Peach Immortal City but all of Liao Prefecture..."
Niu Guo talked nonstop as they walked.
"So, is Wansheng Trading Company not reputable?"
Wei Tu raised an eyebrow and looked toward a bustling shop on the east side of another street, where the sign read "Wansheng Trading Company."
The place was packed and doing booming business. It didn't look the least bit worse than Ye Family Herbal Hall, contrary to what Niu Guo had said.
"Senior Yi, I never said Wansheng Trading Company has a bad reputation."
Niu Guo quickly denied it.
Seeing Wei Tu wasn't buying it, he lowered his voice and explained, "Wansheng Trading Company isn't bad, but there have been a few scandals over the years. Most of those people at the door are from the Fu family..."
At this point, Niu Guo stopped himself, clearly wary of Fu family's influence in Peach Immortal City and didn't want to say too much.
After a long walk.
Wei Tu followed Niu Guo and arrived at the Ye Family Herbal Hall he mentioned.
"Gengyin flower, fragrant worm ginseng..."
Wei Tu met the shopkeeper and after a moment's thought, listed a few herbs from the Golden Marrow Pill formula that he was still missing.
Cross-border trade was profitable because many spiritual materials were valued differently in different countries depending on rarity.
In other words, in Xiao Kingdom, Wei Tu had a good chance of getting a few Golden Marrow Pill ingredients that were hard to find in Kang Kingdom for a much lower price.
Of course, even if he had to pay a premium, as long as it was reasonable, Wei Tu was fine with it.
"The herbs you mentioned are mostly third-rank spiritual herbs..."
The shopkeeper frowned. "Third-rank herbs are under partial regulation here in Liao Prefecture. You'll need to use your real name. Would that be a problem for you?"
Wei Tu wasn't surprised.
Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment cultivators barely mattered to the big sects, so selling first or second-rank herbs to them was no big deal. But once it involved Golden Core cultivators, that was different.
—A Golden Core cultivator could actually pose a threat to a Nascent Soul force.
So, all major herb shops sold third-rank herbs as "strategic resources" under real-name registration. It was totally normal.
In Kang Kingdom, the big sects did the same. But there, Wei Tu was a well-known third-rank alchemist with connections, so others helped buy for him and he never worried about it.
"Since you're a visiting cultivator, Senior, just show your ticket from the flying boat as ID."
The shopkeeper reminded him.
Different places had their own fashion. Wei Tu's outfit had subtle differences from the locals, something a savvy business type like the shopkeeper picked up right away.
He also changed how he addressed Wei Tu, switching from "customer" to "senior."
Anyone who could afford third-rank spiritual herbs had to be at least Golden Core.
"Hmm..."
"Yi will look around a bit more."
Wei Tu shook his head.
"Please, Senior, take your time." The shopkeeper didn't mind. It made sense to shop around, especially since this deal would involve a lot of spirit stones. Only a fool would buy without comparing.
"Let's check out Wansheng Trading Company next."
Leaving Ye Family Herbal Hall, Wei Tu glanced at Niu Guo and gave the order.
He wasn't going to trust this guide on just a few words.
A lot of guides have deals with local shops and make their money cheating outsiders.
The more a guide recommends a place, the more you should avoid it.
This time, Ye Family Herbal Hall hadn't tried to scam him, and the deal went by the book, but that didn't mean Niu Guo was being honest…
Most likely, the shopkeeper just saw that Wei Tu's cultivation was impressive and didn't want to invite trouble.
But the most important thing—
Wei Tu didn't want to buy herbs under the name "Yi Yun" from his boat ticket.
After all, "Yi Yun" was still somewhat connected to his real identity.
It's always smart to be cautious.
"Yes, Senior Yi."
Niu Guo forced a smile, but it looked a bit stiff now.
"Niu Guo, seems like you're not telling the truth, are you?"
Wei Tu half-smiled.
"Senior Yi has sharp eyes, I…"
Niu Guo looked away and gave a sheepish laugh.
He dared to scam Foundation Establishment cultivators, but facing a Golden Core cultivator—even if he had a hundred guts, he wouldn't dare talk nonsense.
As soon as he realized Wei Tu was at the Golden Core Realm, he got spooked, worried Wei Tu might come after him later.
"Get lost!"
Wei Tu's face turned cold. He casually tossed Niu Guo ten spirit stones and barked at him.
"Thank you, Senior Yi! Thank you…"
Niu Guo's eyes lit up at the spirit stones. He scrambled away in a hurry.
Once Niu Guo was gone, Wei Tu thought for a moment, then flicked his sleeve and used a concealment technique, blending into the flow of people in the street.
After about a tea's time, Wei Tu reemerged from the crowd, his appearance now changed to a yellow-skinned middle-aged man.
He didn't change much about his outfit—just got rid of the "Yi Yun" markers, still dressed like a Kang Kingdom cultivator.
Now in disguise.
Wei Tu didn't rush to Wansheng Trading Company. Instead, he found another guide and said he wanted to get a residency permit for Peach Immortal City.
Peach Immortal City, as the first stop on the Kang-Zheng trade route, treated the residency permit almost like a household registration and travel pass for outsiders.
With it, you could travel anywhere in Xiao Kingdom without trouble.
"Senior, do you have any identification, like a boat ticket?"
This guide, named Hong Qing, greeted him with a big smile and asked the question.
By now, most cultivators who'd gotten off the Ascending Cloud Flying Boat had already handled their permits.
Wei Tu was showing up pretty late.
"Of course I do."
Wei Tu flipped his palm, producing a boat ticket from Canghai Merchant Guild, and handed it over to Hong Qing.
"Fang Hanliang?" Hong Qing looked up, checked the authenticity, then compared the ticket's portrait with Wei Tu's current face.
Seeing no issue, he relaxed.
There had been a few travelers who missed the timing like Wei Tu before.
That boat ticket wasn't something Wei Tu had looted on the flying boat. He'd actually found it while going through Liang Yijiang's storage pouch.
Most likely, Liang Yijiang grabbed it while robbing people in the chaos and stuffed it into his pouch.
"Please follow me, Senior."
Hong Qing led Wei Tu to the city's government office at the center of Peach Immortal City.
After a quick identity check.
About a stick of incense later.
Wei Tu paid fifty spirit stones and received a residency permit from Peach Immortal City's authorities, stamped with the name "Fang Hanliang."
After tipping Hong Qing,
Wei Tu finally headed to Wansheng Trading Company.
"Fellow Daoist, what are you looking to buy? Wansheng Trading Company has all the spiritual herbs in Liao Prefecture, biggest selection in the area!"
The shopkeeper welcomed Wei Tu with a smile and a cupped fist.
'Huh? He looks familiar.'
Wei Tu kept staring at this shopkeeper. The more he looked, the more he felt he'd seen him before.
"Sun Chixin!" Wei Tu searched his memory and finally recalled the man's identity.
Sun Chixin, a Golden Core cultivator from Qingzhu Mountain, one of Zheng Kingdom's three great immortal sects.
But it wasn't just the sect. Wei Tu remembered Sun Chixin mainly because he was the grandfather of Sun Yu—Wei Tu's old enemy from Foundation Establishment days.
Back then, Sun Yu led the sect enforcement team and forced Wei Tu to the frontline at Cicada Cry Cliff during the righteous vs. demonic war.
After Wei Tu killed Sun Yu, he'd been worried for a long time that Sun Chixin would find out and come for revenge.
But—
More than a hundred years had passed.
Sun Chixin had fallen so far he was now a mere shopkeeper at Wansheng Trading Company, no trace left of his old Golden Core dominance.
Now, Wei Tu could sense that Sun Chixin's cultivation had dropped from Golden Core to late Foundation Establishment.
"Did Qingzhu Mountain move to Xiao Kingdom? Or did Sun Chixin just flee here alone?"
Wei Tu wondered.
As far as he knew, there were no sects called Qingzhu Mountain anywhere near Liao Prefecture.
"Fang is here today to buy some high-grade body cultivation pill recipes. Does your shop have any for sale, and what's the price?"
Wei Tu asked.
He wasn't dumb enough to ask for the same Golden Marrow Pill ingredients he'd just requested at Ye Family Herbal Hall.
There was no rush to buy those herbs—he could always get them before leaving Liao Prefecture.
Besides, compared to third-rank spiritual herbs, high-level pill recipes for body cultivation weren't sensitive and didn't draw attention.
As a mecca for body cultivators, a lot of merchants came to Liao Prefecture to buy high-level recipes and resell them to foreign immortal clans and sects as their own "foundation."
"Our company has plenty of advanced body cultivation pill recipes. Here's a list, please take a look."
Sun Chixin's eyes lit up. He pulled a jade slip from his sleeve and handed it over.
Pill recipes were pure profit, with no risk of loss. If you played your cards right, you could even pocket the proceeds yourself.
Way more lucrative than just selling herbs.
"Six types of third-rank recipes, two fourth-rank recipes? They even have fourth-rank recipes?"
Wei Tu was surprised. He got a real sense of how deep Liao Prefecture's body cultivation traditions went.
In Kang Kingdom, even third-rank body cultivation recipes were rare, let alone fourth-rank.
"I'll take all of these."
Wei Tu said in a low voice.
The recipes weren't expensive—just five hundred spirit stones for third-rank, a thousand for fourth-rank.
Altogether, it was only six thousand five hundred spirit stones. For an alchemist, this was an incredible deal.
Other places might be cheaper, but when you factored in time, it wasn't worth it.
"Fellow Daoist has good taste! Wansheng Trading Company's pill recipes have always been top value…"
Sun Chixin was delighted, copying the recipes while flattering Wei Tu nonstop.
He didn't have any of that old domineering air anymore.
"What should I call you, Shopkeeper? My guide said this place belongs to the Fu family—are you surnamed Fu?"
Wei Tu asked, a bit curious.
After so many years, he didn't feel any hatred toward Sun Chixin anymore.
Sun Yu was long dead by Wei Tu's hand. The score was settled.
Besides, Sun Chixin never knew who killed his grandson.
No need to bring trouble on the old man's family.
Still, Wei Tu was a little curious about what had happened to Qingzhu Mountain.
"My surname is Chi, single name Xin. Not a member of the Fu family. You can just call me Manager Chi or Fellow Daoist Chi."
Sun Chixin heard Wei Tu and showed a complicated look, then forced a smile and shook his head.
Chi Xin.
Sun Chixin.
It was clear Sun Chixin was hiding his real name.
"Manager Chi," Wei Tu just used the simple title.
"The Fu family has treated me well, so I took the job as manager here at Wansheng Trading Company," Sun Chixin explained.
Wei Tu didn't believe it.
If Sun Chixin was really grateful to the Fu family, he wouldn't have hidden his name for all these years.
Qingzhu Mountain wasn't some demonic sect, either.
Revealing his real name wouldn't cause trouble.
If not for being a third-rank alchemist and accidentally "killing" Liang Yijiang, Wei Tu wouldn't mind using his real name either.
But he was only mildly curious about Qingzhu Mountain and Sun Chixin. Seeing Sun Chixin didn't want to talk, Wei Tu didn't push it.
Just as Wei Tu was about to leave,
a servant girl dressed as a maid came out the back, walked up to the counter, and whispered something to Sun Chixin.
"Manager Chi, the young lady has given orders to search for an outsider named Yi Yun."
"Anyone who provides info on Yi Yun will be heavily rewarded. Anyone who catches Yi Yun will get one hundred thousand spirit stones."
That got Wei Tu's attention.
Yi Yun was the fake name he'd used for the Ascending Cloud Flying Boat trip.
The only real crisis—Shenjia Sect—he'd already shaken off. No way he should be getting hunted now.
Besides, if Shenjia Sect really wanted him, wouldn't it have been easier to put out the bounty while everyone was still on the flying boat?
Why wait until Peach Immortal City to quietly start the hunt?
'The only ones I've offended on this trip, besides Yu Wencheng, are that Golden Core bandit...'
'Ji Zhang...'
Wei Tu's mind started to piece it together.
A few days earlier, when Wang Tianwu fought the Six Desires Sect bandits, he'd yelled "Ji Zhang" and "Purple Capital Thunderfire."
Later, through gossip on the flying boat, Wei Tu learned Ji Zhang was actually the direct disciple of the Sect Master from the Tianyi Sect.
If one of the Six Desires Sect's leaders was the Sect Master's personal disciple, then what about the other five?
At the time, most people assumed the other leaders were also disciples of the great sects of Xiao Kingdom.
After all, even among the local rogue cultivators, you could maybe find six powerful late-stage Golden Core cultivators, but they'd never have the organization to form a bandit group like the Six Desires Sect.
'That Golden Core bandit must have a deep connection to the Fu family of Peach Immortal City.'
Wei Tu narrowed his eyes and thought to himself.
Other than that, he really couldn't figure out why the Fu family's young miss would put a bounty out on a total stranger like him.
'Good thing I changed identities in time.'
Thinking of this, Wei Tu let out a sigh of relief.
"Yi Yun? Any idea why the young miss wants to hunt for this outsider? What's the reason?"
At this, Sun Chixin asked.
"The young miss gave the order herself. I don't know more. We just follow orders—no need to ask questions."
"Jinglian Convent is involved too. They've sent a few Golden Core cultivators to hide outside Peach Immortal City and screen all outsiders."
The maid whispered back.