Chapter 51

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Chapter 51: After Entering the City

"How much?" Ming He asked with a calm expression, curious about the worth of her life.

"Five thousand spirit stones," replied the black-clothed man who had spoken earlier. He paused for a moment, slightly confused by her curiosity, but kindly added, "Middle-grade."

Five thousand middle-grade spirit stones.

Ming He smiled brightly, "What a generous offer!"

She didn’t continue to ask who had sent these people to kill her; she knew that the Misty Rain Tower was an assassin organization, and assassins worked for money, following orders—asking was pointless.

"You can’t escape," the man in black said. "Usually, we might lose a person or two if we faced you, but you are already at the end of your strength; killing you is as easy as flipping a palm."

He felt confident that this was a profitable deal, so he relaxed his guard.

"Has no one taught you that killing requires quick and decisive actions?" Ming He maintained her smile, which now held a hint of coldness, as she slowly channeled her spiritual energy.

"Since you want to leave this world early, I’ll make it happen for you." The black-clothed man’s tone turned icy as he lunged at her, relying on the confidence that her internal injuries had left her powerless to resist.

"Too bad it’s too late," Ming He said, her eyes sparkling with amusement, though it did not reach her expression. "You go first!" You go first to your end.

As she said this, the Sword Breaking Talisman she had kept hidden in her bosom floated into the air, surrounded by her spiritual energy, sparkling and swirling.

"Explode!"

Ming He uttered a single word, her expression cold as she stared at the talisman. The sword light brightened and the sword energy surged as she made a slight movement, sending the talisman flying forward. The black-clothed man’s frantic retreat only added to the chaos before it detonated.

For hundreds of miles around, trees snapped, and startled birds took flight, while she stood at the center of the storm, untouched and clean.

As the dust settled, Ming He stepped forward and glanced at the scattered remains among the ruin left by the Sword Breaking Talisman. Aside from their black clothes and weapons, they were empty.

That was to be expected; after all, they were assassins.

Ming He withdrew her spiritual energy and looked around weakly. Thankfully, although the area was near the city gate, there were no people. The birds and beasts had been frightened away by the explosion, leaving her temporarily safe.

But it was only temporary. The earlier commotion would surely draw cultivators to investigate, so it was unwise to linger.

Thus, Ming He glanced at her empty right hand with some regret, saddened by the loss of the Sword Breaking Talisman. Then, with a detached expression, she waved and used her spiritual energy to dig a pit, tossing the remains into it. When she lifted her hand again, the pit was covered with soil, appearing as if it were flat ground; who would suspect that five lives lay buried beneath?

The Misty Rain Tower, team seventy-five.

Ming He lightly whispered the name to remember it, her figure already moving swiftly away for several miles.

Ding Kang City.

Ming He looked up at the three grand characters inscribed above the city gate, feeling they were much larger than those in Luoyin City. The cultivators coming and going emitted a remarkable aura, clearly stronger than those in Luoyin City, indicating that this place was beyond the Ninth Continent.

She had traveled alongside Xie Dan Chen for several days, although the pace was not fast. The methods of cultivators above the Wind Master realm were beyond her imagination, leaving her unable to gauge their speed or how far they had moved away from the Liu Yun Sect.

Ming He paused for a moment, then stepped into the bustling city. Her blue clothes were clean and unstained, her expression calm but edged with the ruthlessness of surviving a deadly encounter. Although her cultivation was not high and her beauty was not exceptional, it attracted many curious glances.

She lifted her gaze lightly and noticed a nimble young boy wearing rough clothing approaching her.

The boy’s aura seemed slightly muddied, and with a glance, Ming He assessed his cultivation to be at the fifth level of Qi Refinement. At his age, this was considered a fair talent among the Liu Yun Sect, but it was nothing special in Ding Kang City.

"Do you have any orders, my lord?" the boy asked with his head bowed respectfully.

Ming He understood his background; he was part of a fixed group that large cities maintained—people with low cultivation who were very familiar with everything in the city. Their average talent often meant they couldn’t improve their cultivation through personal effort, relying instead on external means.

For instance, pills and rich spiritual energy, both of which required spirit stones.

At that moment, his question to Ming He was simply inquiring about the possibility of earning spirit stones, a reasonable request for work in exchange for results.

Ming He was not short of spirit stones, but she understood the wisdom of not flaunting one’s wealth. After a quick assessment of the city’s prices, she tossed twenty lower-grade spirit stones to the boy across from her. "Where is this place?"

The boy, delighted with the spirit stones, answered cheerfully, "My lord, this is Ding Kang City, the second state of the Eastern Region."

Ding Kang City, the second state of the Eastern Region.

Ming He was slightly surprised and threw out a hundred lower-grade spirit stones. "How far is it to the Floating Cloud Sect? How do I get there? Is there any external assistance available?"

"It’s nine thousand miles to the Floating Cloud Sect. If you wish to go there, just head south," the boy replied, thrilled by Ming He’s generosity and answering earnestly. "There are indeed external options. To the south of Ding Kang City, there’s a teleportation array built by the Merchants’ Guild. You only need to pay one thousand lower-grade spirit stones to use it; for a direct route, it costs five thousand lower-grade spirit stones.

Also, within Ding Kang City, there is a sub-branch of the Beast Master Sect where you can ride a tamed flying beast. Its speed isn’t as fast as the teleportation array, but it can cover a thousand miles in a day.

Aside from these two options, there are merchant caravans, escort services, and fleets available, but you probably wouldn’t think much of those."

The boy was observant; Ming He’s aura was sharp and her demeanor exceptional, making it clear she was no ordinary person. If she came from a notable background, why would she squeeze with others in a small carriage or on a ship?

The Merchants’ Guild teleportation array—wasn’t that under the control of her second Senior Sister?

Ming He paused, recalling a certain purple figure. "One thousand lower-grade spirit stones, where does the Merchants’ Guild teleportation array send you?"

"Randomly," the boy replied, noting Ming He’s lack of interest in the other options, which confirmed his judgment. "Wherever the merchants go, the teleportation array will follow them. The destination is not disclosed in advance; it’s random.”

He hesitated and added, “This is generally used by cultivators in Ding Kang City to escape danger."

"Escape danger?" Ming He repeated with keen interest.

"Ding Kang City is incredibly prosperous, filled with many cultivators, which naturally leads to numerous conflicts. Killing for treasures is a common occurrence." The boy’s demeanor was very calm. "For instance, this afternoon, there will be an auction at the Baiyu Building. After the auction, this city will definitely be bustling, making it the best time for the Merchants’ Guild teleportation array."

"The Merchants’ Guild has regulations: once you enter the teleportation tower, you become a guest of the guild, and no one is allowed to act against you."

An auction?

Ming He blinked, realizing that it was a crucial part of the plot where the Dragon Hero protagonist would set out. It’s also a common scene in the cultivation world, serving as a setup for killing and treasure hunting.

The auction would start in half an hour.

"How do I get to the Baiyu Building? Are there any requirements to attend the auction? What treasures will be sold at the auction?" Ming He casually asked, already having made up her mind to attend.

When she was being pursued, Xie Dan Chen only told her to find him at the Floating Cloud Sect after escaping danger, without mentioning any need to seek reinforcements. Clearly, he was capable of handling those demons.

"Just walk straight in this direction, there are no requirements to attend the auction. As long as you have over a thousand spirit stones and pay a hundred spirit stones, you’re good to go." The boy added, a hint of envy in his eyes, "Oh, that’s middle-grade spirit stones."

One thousand one hundred middle-grade spirit stones—the entry fee for the auction.

Ming He smiled. Had she not received the storage rings from Yun Zhao Feng, her Master, and Qin Chu Yi, she wouldn’t know how long it would take to accumulate that many spirit stones.

The demons that pursued her turned into a black wolf after their deaths; she couldn’t find any storage spiritual artifacts, which must have been a specialty of the demon race.

"As for the treasures, the Baiyu Building never publicly announces what will be auctioned; it’s all based on luck," the boy said before bowing respectfully as he had before. "Do you have any other instructions?"

"Yes." Ming He tossed the boy a black storage pouch. "Go buy a spot for me on the Merchants’ Guild teleportation array for this afternoon’s You time directly to the Floating Cloud Sect. After you purchase it, wait for me outside the Baiyu Building. The remaining amount is your reward."

The afternoon You time was when the auction at the Baiyu Building would conclude. By that time, the spots for the Merchants’ Guild teleportation array would most likely be sold out. However, this boy might have a better chance.

They appeared to have low cultivation, yet the complex relationships behind them held great power. Since the boy mentioned the Merchants’ Guild teleportation array, it undoubtedly held some significance.

She never underestimated others.

As for the Merchants’ Guild token in her bosom shaped like mountains and rivers, Ming He kept it hidden at that moment.

If a problem could be solved with spirit stones, then it was not a problem at all.

She lifted her gaze to the boy and saw him take the storage pouch from her hand without much change in expression. He tossed the pouch in his right hand, then revealed a smile, responding with a loud "Alright!" before turning to leave.

Before he departed, the boy curiously asked, "Aren’t you afraid I might run off with the spirit stones?"

Facing his half-doubtful, half-inquisitive look, Ming He replied with a faint smile, "Never underestimate a cultivator’s capabilities. You could run off with the spirit stones, but unless you can guarantee you won’t be caught by me or are strong enough to deal with me and whatever unknown lies behind me, it’s not worth the risk."

She said this lightly as she turned to head towards the Baiyu Building, her tone calm and her expression steady, without even a hint of a threat.

However, the boy couldn’t help but shiver at her straight-back figure, feeling that running off with the spirit stones would end badly, much worse than death.

Who was she? The boy mumbled quietly to himself as he quickly tidied up and headed south to buy the teleportation spot for Ming He.

He truly did not run away, because he was afraid.