Meeting the Caravan

Yinlan City, with its surging beast tides and back against the Myriad Beast Forest, was rich in resources.

Everyone wanted to do business in Yinlan City.

Zhu Xing’er had led her beast-of-burden team there many times to trade, acquiring many resources, and on this basis, developed the Spring Breeze Herb Chain.

She had originally secured a shop in Yinlan City, but unfortunately, the demonic bone was about to descend then, and various factions in Yinlan City were stirring up trouble.

For her, a mortal merchant, it was simply too dangerous to remain.

She had to withdraw her people first and make other plans.

If a stronghold could be established in such a far northern city, the eighteen cities from Tianque City northward could be connected, forming a complete route.

Therefore, although Zhu Xing’er had withdrawn from Yinlan City, she was still somewhat reluctant to leave.

This time, when Su Qing went to the beast tide front to perform a mission, Zhu Xing’er had even mentioned that she could wander around the city when she had time, and if she found a suitable shop, she could take it over first.

But as soon as Su Qing went to Yinlan City, things spiraled out of control.

The shop matter naturally didn’t get done. Now that Yan Chi had given her a street, it was truly effortless gain.

But why would she give her a shop? Moreover, not just one shop, but an entire street?

Even though it hadn’t been long since she left Yinlan City, Su Qing’s memories of the place were still quite clear.

However, for some unknown reason, perhaps her brain unconsciously activated a self-protective program, as she now viewed those memories, especially those from the Eternal Night Forest, like looking at a painting or reading a book.

Although she understood them clearly, her emotional response was not strong.

This detached emotion was not unique to her. Perhaps it was the same for all cultivators.

While transcending mortal lifespans, the distinct joys, angers, sorrows, and delights that once belonged to ordinary people, even if clearly perceived at the time, would fade like water with the passage of time.

This was also why the cultivation world produced many aloof individuals.

Incidentally, these aloof individuals held great admiration for the captivating, centuries-long stories circulating in the outside world, especially for their protagonists.

To have the energy to love and hate for hundreds of years was truly extraordinary.

Su Qing flipped through the land deeds, a thick stack that took some time to finish. She reached the last page and found a letter tucked underneath. The letter had no signature or seal.

Opening it, a scent of snow and wine wafted out.

The handwriting above was elegant and unrestrained, like dragons and snakes dancing, exactly Yan Chi’s style.

The letter contained only a few short lines:

[I had originally intended to send it to you through the sect, but I feared some petty individual might keep it for themselves. It is better to send it this way. Yinlan City is bitterly cold, with snow that lingers all day. But with fine wine as companionship, and building a hut to admire the snow with friends, it is also a fortunate event.]

Su Qing couldn’t help but inwardly grumble, ‘Who this “petty individual” in the letter was, she truly had no idea.’

Reading the letter, she somewhat understood Yan Chi’s intentions.

As the City Lord of Yinlan City, she had given Su Qing a street, which was both admiration and an attempt to win her over, much like how modern talent recruitment offers housing allowances and family relocation benefits.

It was just that City Lord Yan was much more generous.

Moreover, talent recruitment was generally a privilege for highly educated individuals. Su Qing, however, was just an ordinary first-year student of the Sword School.

This action was precisely to foster connections between Yinlan City and more future outstanding individuals.

If their family members and clan members could all be sent to Yinlan City to settle down, that would be even better.

After all, with their elders, young, and extended family settled here, these people would also look after the city if any dangers or changes occurred in the future.

Su Qing knew that she was also one of those being gambled on, and Yan Chi’s generosity was surely due to knowing some inside story about the Eternal Night Forest back then. She just didn’t know how much she knew.

She couldn’t help but look inwards, discovering that the demonic bone had long since merged with the immortal bone, leisurely swirling above her dantian in the sea of qi, utterly content.

Who could have imagined that this little white bone would stir up such a storm of trouble? Two Spirit Transformation cultivators had fallen directly in the Myriad Beast Forest because of it.
In truth, she had no burning desire to save all sentient beings or sacrifice herself for others. She had simply made choices that benefited herself at the time.
However, enticing with benefits was always better than threatening with force.

Moreover, Yinlan City still had Xiu Fu and little Bayin. The local customs were bold and simple.

She agreed with and admired Yan Chi’s philosophy, and looked forward to a better future for this northern city.

Thinking this way, she no longer harbored any self-deprecating thoughts about being undeserving.

A faint smile appeared on Su Qing’s face. Aside from anything else, Xing’er would surely be very happy to hear this.

She had been away for so long. Upon returning, she had originally wanted to improve her swordsmanship, but who would have thought there would be an exam right after, then Tian Ning’s lightning tribulation? Only now did she have a little time to go down the mountain to see her.

She wondered how she was doing now.

This stack of land deeds would certainly be a pleasant surprise.

Tianque City was no different from when she left.

A small portion of the shops on the street had changed hands; fewer old shops, and new ones springing up like mushrooms after rain, likely a normal rotation of old and new. Su Qing considered this outing a relaxation and was not in a hurry, casually glancing around as she walked.

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She gradually noticed a Spring Breeze Herb Chain shop every three or four streets, indicating its development was going very well.

Tianque City was the closest city to the Sword School among the thirty-six cities. It had a large area, with each neighborhood considered a ward.

The entire city had one hundred and three wards.

Tianque City’s main streets were as flat as a whetstone.

The central axial road was the widest, capable of accommodating four beast-drawn carriages abreast.

Although the other main roads were not as wide as the axial road, they were still over a hundred meters wide.

Even the narrow alleys were very spacious for easier management and patrols.

Moreover, situated at the foot of the Sword School, there were no petty criminals to cause trouble. Although there were several large and small cultivating families in the city, most were affiliated with the Sword School.

They naturally understood the Sword School’s custom of unified governance, and even if they privately looked down on mortals, they still had to put on a show in public.
Therefore, during the day, mortals could openly walk on the same paths as cultivators.

Even high-level powerhouses arriving didn’t require deference, let alone the full prostration seen in other places.

It was morning market time.

The street was as peaceful and lively as ever, lined with shops.

Shop assistants, sweat towels draped over their shoulders, stood out, shouting to attract customers, each trying to outdo the other in volume.

Children rode on their parents’ shoulders, holding meat buns, their mouths greasy from eating.

The fragrant crispness of oil tea, the oily aroma of fried cakes, and the meaty smell of food wafted through every street and alley.

Walking on such a street, listening to the bustling sounds around, and the continuous flow of people, Su Qing felt as if she had returned to the human world. Her interest piqued, she bought a crispy, fragrant thin meat pie from a roadside stall and ate it as she walked.

The pie crust was fresh out of the oven, crispy and hot.

The minced meat inside, a mix of lean and fatty, was fried until slightly charred, adhering to the crust.

The rich, oily aroma of fat mingled with refreshing dried vegetables.

It was substantial, undeniably delicious.

Crisp camel bells chimed from the street, followed by a slight tremor in the ground, as if a herd of beasts was passing.

The morning market area and the main road were not connected, so the crowd neither hid nor moved, but instead craned their necks, curiously looking.

“Hmph, so early in the morning, which caravan is entering the city to deliver goods?”

“This caravan isn’t small. Could it be one of the big families like Li, Song, or Chen?”

The camel bells chimed gently. The camel herd, wrapped in dust, slowly approached.

These gentle animals had strong endurance but couldn’t run fast, plodding along on their four legs.

This was a well-established caravan; there were over eighty large and small camels, more than a hundred accompanying workers, and dozens of accompanying escorts.

The large and small packages on the backs of these camels were all packed full, hanging on either side of their bodies.

Most of the workers also carried satchels, their faces somewhat tired, but their spirits were good.

Although they had traveled through wind and dust this trip, it could certainly be described as a fruitful return.

Of course, the most noticeable among them were two flags, one large and one small. The smaller flag read: Wind Thunder Escort Hall. The larger flag had only one large character: [Zhu].

“Zhu? Oh, it’s the Spring Breeze Herb Chain’s caravan. No wonder.”

“That’s right, her shops are everywhere from one end of the street to the other, so naturally, she buys a lot of goods, and caravans come and go constantly.”

“Recently, with the change of seasons from spring to summer, all sorts of minor ailments have been acting up. Her shop sells ready-made herbal pill formulas that are both affordable, and they even have resident physicians to help prescribe and prepare the medicine. I bought several doses and drank them, and finally, I stopped having night sweats.”

Su Qing immediately understood. This was Xing’er’s caravan.

When she reunited with Zhu Xing’er in Tianque City, this caravan had only six beasts of burden, and two of them were born with crooked noses and eyes, making them congenitally disabled.

When she left the Sword School, the caravan had also made considerable progress.

But in the blink of an eye, it had actually developed to this scale, which was somewhat astonishing. 

The camels slowly walked in front. She bypassed the street and slowly followed behind them.

Perhaps because they had traveled together for some time, the worker at the very end of the line looked back several times with some vigilance.

Seeing her still walking far behind with a clear conscience, and then noticing her plain Daoist robe, without any magical artifacts or ornaments, and still clutching a half-eaten pie with only the crust left, which she was reluctant to discard.

This worker then suspected that this person was a cultivator driven mad by poverty, intending to rob them.

Although this was unlikely to happen in Tianque City, desperate people would do anything.

Out of caution, the worker went forward to report to the caravan’s deputy manager.

The deputy manager frowned and shot a glance at a nearby escort.

Then, she pressed the curved saber at her waist and turned with two escorts, heading to the rear to investigate.

Unexpectedly, as soon as she turned around and saw the person following behind, her hand trembled, and she almost jumped on the spot.

She swallowed the scream in her throat and ran over, loudly exclaiming, “Sister Su, when did you return?!”

Sister Su? An acquaintance.

The others were slightly stunned.

The young worker who had complained quickly hid behind them, shrinking his head.

Su Qing’s heart jolted.

This child, no, this girl was clearly Li Ming’en.

Unconsciously, the little girl had grown into a tall, bright-eyed young woman.

She might not be considered beautiful, with a round face and thick eyebrows, her appearance merely ordinary.

However, she carried herself with a perfectly straight back and showed no fear, exuding an efficient and reliable aura.

Moreover, what was there not to like about a young girl in her prime?

Su Qing still remembered how shy she was as a child upon seeing her, bringing her tea and pushing a chair for her, but never daring to speak to her.

She would always blush and hide behind the chair, secretly watching her, imitating her speech, and every move.

But now, not only had she grown taller, she had also become so poised and graceful.

Su Qing had never truly felt the passage of time until she saw it materialized in the little girl.

Her heart warmed, and she sighed inwardly, ‘Time was indeed both surprising and worrisome.’

Li Ming’en led Su Qing into the camel team.

The escorts, sensing her considerable cultivation, all tensed up and became much more respectful and polite.

Those who roamed the jianghu, wielding spears and staffs, were always inferior to cultivators with proper orthodox lineages.

Even if they maintained a clear distinction on the surface, privately, they would still be discriminated against.

Li Ming’en enthusiastically told Su Qing about the past few years.

She said she had originally helped Sister Jiang Shuang while attending school, but Sister Xing’er felt it wasn’t right for her to always be cooped up in the shop, so she snatched her away to help her instead, which made Sister Jiang Shuang sulk for days.

After Li Ming’en had thoroughly learned literacy and arithmetic in the school, and spent several years learning the ropes of receiving and sending off goods at the trading firm, she felt it was enough.

She then requested Sister Xing’er to let her go out and trade with them.

Trading was arduous but fun.

She had calculated everything clearly for the eight cities to the south and six cities to the north, knowing their specialties and prices, and spoke animatedly to Su Qing.

“Sister Xing’er was originally coming with me on this trip, but…” Li Ming’en suddenly paused here, swallowing the rest of her words.

She held back, smiling mysteriously, “I won’t say anymore. Sister Su will know when she comes back to see it for herself.”