Chapter 51
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Chapter 51: Guangyuan District
It seems that the harvest season has arrived, and a light smell of rice fills the air from the fields on both sides.
Wang Yu looked around and saw that most of the rice planted in the fields was the same type, bright green, with rice grains at the top as big as his thumb, but only two or three had real grains, while the others were all shriveled.
In a small number of fields, there were also some fruits and vegetables, but they seemed much larger than those outside.
These fields were mostly surrounded by simple fences or hedges, with variously dressed people busy inside. The houses built between the fields were also small, made up of two or three stone rooms in simple courtyards.
When Wang Yu followed the old man in the green robe through a field and saw what the two people were busy doing, he couldn’t help but twitch his mouth twice.
One person, dressed like a scholar, held a net in one hand and a black thin sword in the other, quickly poking at something among the rice, stabbing a nameless black bug each time and tossing it into the net in his other hand.
In another field, a strong and brave man in shining half armor was using a large bronze hoe, working hard to dig the land.
Every time the hoe hit the ground, it made a "clang" sound, like striking stone.
The three of them walked along the big road in the fields and saw a monk dressed as a Buddhist, with a copper bowl floating above his head, pouring water everywhere. A beautiful young woman, like a flower, waved a huge sickle to harvest rice…
While Wang Yu watched in amazement, a small dark dot appeared in the sky and quickly flew over, reaching above the three of them in an instant.
It was a giant crane, the size of an adult, with gray feathers, a green crown on its head, and fiery red eyes. On top of it sat a middle-aged man in a black robe, carrying a precious sword and a bulging waist.
"Since this is your first time in Guangyuan District, I am a market officer. Only those who reach the third level of Qi Refining can enter Guangyuan District. You need to use your cultivation method, and I will check it," the middle-aged man said, not getting off the giant crane but instead taking out a golden disc from his sleeve, looking down at the three of them.
Then, without caring if Wang Yu and the others agreed, he pointed the disc downwards.
Wang Yu felt the strong wind pressure and faint smell from the giant bird flapping its wings above him. He thought for a moment and glanced around, noticing a few people in the nearby fields pointing and looking this way, as if they were used to it.
"Following the instructions of this Taoist friend, this is a check that everyone must go through when entering the market for the first time," the old man in the blue robe said calmly, seeming very experienced. He then made a hand sign, and a surge of magical energy surrounded him.
Hearing this, Princess Tianhe honestly began to use her cultivation method, and a green light flowed around her, giving off a faint scent of plants.
Seeing this, Wang Yu activated the third level of the Yin Water Skill, and a faint chill began to appear around him.
"Okay, one person can enter at the third level of Qi Refining, one at the fourth level, and one at the sixth level; all meet the conditions to enter the market. You can go directly to the entrance to register now. If you do not have a place to stay in the future, you can only stay in the market for three days." The middle-aged man glanced at the plate in his hand, nodded, and after giving a few instructions, flew away on the giant crane.
Is this Elder Hua only a mid-level cultivator at the sixth level of Qi Refining?
Wang Yu was a bit surprised and looked at the old man again, but at that moment, the old man suddenly spotted a familiar figure in the distance and happily said to Wang Yu:
"Little friend, it seems I have seen an old friend. I will take the princess to visit for a bit. You can go to the market first, and if fate allows, we will meet again in the valley."
After saying this, Elder Hua walked toward another field not far away.
Seeing this, Princess Tianhe hesitated for a moment but still tossed a talisman to Wang Yu and quietly said, "My Daoist friend, this is my message talisman. As long as it’s not too far away, you can contact me through this if you need anything."
After that, the woman in white hurried after Elder Hua.
Wang Yu looked at the talisman in his hand, then watched the two leave, thought for a moment, and casually stuffed the talisman into his storage bag, leading the mule slowly toward the valley.
When he arrived at the entrance of the valley, he saw a huge archway with the three golden words "Guangyuan District" clearly printed on it, flanked by several straight-standing silver armored guards and a striking little wooden house.
These soldiers are strong and sturdy, each holding weapons such as swords and spears. However, when Wang Yu opened his divine sense, he did not feel any magical energy coming from them. After peeking at them using his observing method, he discovered that these soldiers were full of vitality, with their life force visibly rising over an inch from their bodies, far beyond ordinary people. Almost every one of them was as powerful as Teacher Zhu from the Black Tiger Fist Gym.
Could these people be the Guardian Wrestlers that Elder Hua just mentioned?
Wang Yu thought to himself as he left the mule in a nearby livestock barn and hurried straight to the small wooden house.
When he walked out of the wooden house, he was holding a white wooden plaque and a thin booklet.
One side of the plaque was engraved with simple patterns, while the other side had the words ‘Guangyuan’ carved into it. The cover of the thin booklet was marked with ‘Guangyuan Guide.’
These two items cost him one spirit stone!
Wang Yu felt a bit of pain in his heart over the expense, but he could only show the plaque briefly to the soldiers under the archway before he shouldered a large bundle and walked into the valley.
As soon as he entered the valley, he could see a dense cluster of various buildings.
The front half of the valley was mostly filled with simple stone houses and bungalows, with a few dilapidated wooden lofts here and there, looking somewhat messy.
In the back half of the valley, there is an invisible curve that separates a row of clean blue stone houses, extending straight up the mountain, looking exceptionally neat and tidy.
The whole valley isn’t too big, able to hold around fifty to sixty thousand people, with several main roads running through it, yet there seem to be few pedestrians on the streets; even when there are, they walk quickly, looking very hurried.
Wang Yu opened the thin booklet given to him at registration and began to read quickly.
After a moment, a look of realization appeared on his face; he put the booklet away and walked directly towards the street ahead, occasionally glancing at the buildings on either side as if searching for something.
Soon after, he settled at a seemingly simple place called ‘Cloud Inn’ by the side of the street.
The stay includes meals and lodging; one spirit stone allows for three days.
Wang Yu stood at the inn’s entrance, touched his storage bag in his sleeve, and for the first time felt that finding food and shelter in this Guangyuan District might become a problem.
For the next while, he wandered around the front half of the market, each sight widening his eyes in wonder.
Not to mention anything else, just the dresses and outfits of the cultivators amazed him.
It is now autumn, and there are not only young women wearing short clothes and short sleeves but also old men wearing thick coats, even big men with snakes around their waists and masked figures.
Without a doubt, these people should all be cultivators, but there are also ordinary people without magic along the way, although they are relatively few in number.
It is not that only those at Qi Refining level three and above can enter the market; could these ordinary people be special?
Wang Yu thought to himself, feeling overwhelmed by the sights, gradually realizing that although there are many shops of different sizes on both sides of the street, most of the goods for sale are everyday items and common iron clothing. He did not see the talismans or cultivation methods and other cultivator items that he most wanted to learn about. The currency used for trading is generally just gold and silver, but the prices are five to six times higher than in Tongzhou City.
While he was puzzled, he arrived at the junction between the front and back areas of the market. Ahead, a large square appeared, where, although it was not bustling, there were quite a few people gathered.
Around the square, there were many stalls of various sizes, and there was even a group of soldiers dressed like the guards at the entrance, patrolling back and forth inside.
Wang Yu perked up and walked into the square, glancing at the nearest stall.
On a large piece of black cloth, there were three items: a small bag of light red soil, an ancient-looking dagger, and a brick covered with several golden patterns.
He remained calm, continuing to move forward while looking at other stalls, discovering that most of the items displayed seemed mysterious, but very few people stopped at these stalls.
The vendors sat quietly behind their stalls, not speaking a word, looking like they were waiting for someone to approach.
Wang Yu changed his mind, stopped looking, and walked towards the stalls where people had gathered.
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