Chapter 457

Chapter 457: Disguised Visit

At the break of dawn, as the first rays of sunlight illuminated the highest stargazing platform in Daying City, this majestic city nestled between the mountains seemed to awaken from its slumber, suddenly bustling with life and activity.

The last beast cart, laden with night soil, had just exited the city gate, and many shops began to remove their shutters. The streets gradually filled with more and more pedestrians, all moving about in a hurried manner.

The attendant at the bun shop placed steaming bamboo baskets on the table rack, the rising white mist quickly blending into the cool morning air.

Nearby, the familiar sounds of greetings could be heard from neighbors.

Wang Chen strolled leisurely along the main street, savoring the unique atmosphere of the bustling world, his mind calm and serene.

This marked his sixteenth day in Daying City.

Over the past half month, with the support of the Xi family, Wang Chen had managed to organize the internal affairs of the Xun Celestial Guardian’s pavilion and establish his authority as a celestial guardian.

Although he hadn’t fully grasped power yet, he was no longer seen as a pushover.

Wang Chen did not hastily move against the stewards below, to avoid further escalating the conflict with the local powers led by chief steward Wu Jingwei.

However, he also wouldn’t remain idle within the Celestial Guardian’s pavilion, allowing his opponents to make moves without a response.

On the other hand, Wang Chen did not fully trust the Xi family either.

Just the day before, he had announced his intention to enter closed-door cultivation and activated the defensive formations of the Celestial Guardian’s pavilion.

In reality, he had quietly slipped out of the residence early that morning.

Wang Chen held the control token for the formations of the Xun Celestial Guardian’s pavilion, and having mastered the Spirit Concealment Technique to a high level, evading the watchful eyes within the manor was a simple task.

At this moment, Wang Chen appeared a foot shorter, with a cultivation level showing only that of a fifth-level Qi Trainer, and his appearance was markedly different from his true self.

Even those who knew Wang Chen best would struggle to recognize him!

Dressed in a set of worn training attire and carrying an unremarkable legal sword, he looked like a loose cultivator who had just arrived, filled with curiosity and a sense of novelty about everything in Daying City.

After walking for a while, Wang Chen sat down in a breakfast shop.

This shop had a large pot at its entrance, filled with chunks of lamb meat and bones, with a lively fire beneath it. The lamb soup boiled continuously, releasing an enticing aroma.

Just looking at it made Wang Chen feel hungry, so he ordered a large portion of lamb bone soup and two baked flatbreads.

The flatbreads were larger than his face, golden and fragrant on both sides. They could be eaten as is or torn apart to soak in the lamb soup, absorbing the rich flavors before being devoured.

Wang Chen finished two large flatbreads in one go and polished off the lamb bone soup completely, still craving more.

So, he asked the shopkeeper to bring him two meat sandwiches.

At that moment, Wang Chen suddenly sensed something unusual.

He turned his head and spotted a dirty boy of about twelve or thirteen crouched ten steps away at the street corner.

The boy stared wide-eyed at the lamb bones on Wang Chen’s table…

The lamb bones were all that he had just finished eating, picked clean with hardly any meat left.

Yet, in the eyes of this half-grown child, they seemed like a pile of treasure!

Wang Chen thought for a moment and raised his hand to summon the attendant.

“Please pack two more meat sandwiches for me.”

Wang Chen pointed to the boy and said, “Give this to him.”

The shop assistant hesitated for a moment, glanced at the boy, then lowered his voice and said, “Immortal Master, your compassion is admirable, but I must dare to advise you, it’s best not to do this; you might attract unwanted trouble.”

Wang Chen was slightly surprised; he hadn’t expected the shop assistant to caution him in such a manner.

He waved his hand dismissively, “It’s fine, just deliver it.”

Seeing Wang Chen’s insistence, the assistant stopped arguing and quickly brought two meat sandwiches to the boy.

He even gestured toward Wang Chen, indicating that the gift was from him.

The boy took the meat sandwiches and tucked them into his clothes before kneeling on the ground, kowtowing several times to Wang Chen.

Then he scrambled to his feet and dashed away.

Wang Chen didn’t pay it much mind. He asked the assistant for another bowl of lamb soup and enjoyed it along with the two meat sandwiches until he felt somewhat satisfied.

After finishing and settling the bill, Wang Chen got up to continue wandering the streets.

As he explored, he noticed that the building density in Daying City was remarkably high, with houses tightly packed together, often reaching five to six stories in height.

Some buildings even soared to seven or eight stories.

Many of the structures appeared quite aged, but their overall structural integrity was solid; after all, this was a world where cultivation thrived, and the number of cultivators in Daying City was overwhelming.

Frequently, multiple families resided within a single building, reminding Wang Chen of the tube buildings and shared housing from his past life.

Numerous shops and workshops lined both sides of the street, and he observed that some workshops were located underground, accessible only by descending a long flight of stairs.

The streets and alleys intertwined densely, making it easy for an unfamiliar person to lose their way.

The residents here included cultivators in robes and martial artists clad in training attire, and there were many loose cultivators like Wang Chen.

Wang Chen also noted that the local customs were quite bold, with many robust and rough-looking individuals; they spoke loudly and acted quite brashly, quick to curse when disagreements arose.

However, despite the cursing, they seldom resorted to violence, displaying a strength that was not merely for show but was tempered by caution.

There were also quite a few members from various gangs, swaggering through the streets in groups of three or five, causing passersby and even cultivators to steer clear.

Daying City felt more like a mundane city to Wang Chen rather than an immortal city.

Its atmosphere was entirely different from that of Wailing City and West Sea City!

Wang Chen casually browsed through several shops, inquiring about local prices.

The price of spiritual rice was somewhat steep, but there was an abundance of ordinary rice available, so common people shouldn’t have trouble filling their stomachs.

Weapons, including swords, were significantly cheaper than in Wailing City, and the same went for magical tools.

The “industry” in Daying City was clearly quite developed, as Wang Chen spotted several foundries and blacksmith’s shops.

As for items like elixirs and talismans, their prices were similar to those in Wailing City.

What surprised Wang Chen was that while he was walking, he suddenly realized he had two “tails” behind him.

Someone was stealthily following him!

Although the followers acted discreetly, they couldn’t hide from Wang Chen’s divine sense.

The shop assistant’s words had come true; he had indeed hit the mark!

This left Wang Chen quite perplexed. He had simply given away two meat sandwiches, neither showing off nor flaunting wealth; why had he attracted trouble?

Did doing good deeds require a tax here as well?

Wang Chen pondered and turned down a seemingly deserted alley.

His “tails” immediately followed him.

Just as Wang Chen turned a corner in the alley, a boy rushed up to him, his face full of urgency, and said, “Hurry, come with me!”