Chapter 58 – Joy City (4)

If both humans and ghosts could enter the Central Lotus Court, there would surely be no shortage of conflict. The greatest threat still came from ghost cultivators, and she was not very familiar with their methods. It was already too late to study them now, so she thought it better to see if she could exchange for some defensive equipment instead.

Zhan Changfeng walked into a larger shop. The proprietor was a female cultivator — cultivators of the Incense-Offering Path all seemed to carry a certain air of solemn dignity about them, and this woman had it in abundance.

“What do you need, fellow Daoist?”

“Could you introduce me to a few defensive spirit artifacts?”

Humans could tell humans and ghost cultivators apart.

Ghost cultivators could naturally also tell who was a ghost cultivator and who was a human carrying a Yin Pearl. When human cultivators came to buy things, they always based their choices on their own sense of status — none had ever come asking for an artifact with a specific purpose like this.

But thinking it over, the proprietor understood immediately. It was likely that news of the Lotus Court’s opening had already reached the ears of human cultivators. She smiled with serene composure. “Defensive equipment comes in many varieties. Are you looking to defend against our Incense-Offering Path, or against the Hungry Ghost Path? Or perhaps against baleful energy, yin force, divine sense, or faith power?”

Every Yin Pearl was taken from the body of a ghost, so ghost cultivators could rarely feel any goodwill toward human cultivators. Yet the pointed intent in her words was delivered so openly and honestly that it was impossible to find offensive.

Zhan Changfeng’s expression remained warm and gentle. “I imagine your establishment carries a full range of goods, and I am not one for haggling. Please bring out all the defensive equipment suited to this price range.”

She placed the incense and candles given to her by White Horse Temple on the counter.

The proprietor gave it a careful appraisal and nodded approvingly. “The vow-power is exceptionally pure, with Buddhist blessings layered upon it as well. Quite rare.”

She turned and retrieved five or six boxes from various shelves, opening them one by one. “These are all first-grade defensive spirit artifacts. You may choose one.”

Zhan Changfeng had no need for protection against baleful energy or yin force, and with her current control over soul power, she could handle ordinary divine sense attacks as well. “I want something that can deal with faith power.”

The proprietor smiled beautifully. This child truly had some nerve, saying such a thing right in front of an Incense-Offering Path cultivator. She pushed one box forward. “Then it would be this one. This artifact is called the Heaven-Clarifying Mirror. It has the effect of purifying the mind and is most effective at defending against the heart-demon attacks of lower-ranked Incense-Offering Path cultivators.”

“Then this is the one.”

Zhan Changfeng picked up the palm-sized round mirror and bid farewell. The proprietor straightened the hem of her skirt and waved her hand. “Xiaowan, absorb these two incense candles. We’re going to join in on the excitement as well.”

From a small bowl on the counter, water rippled and two little hands reached out.

By the time Zhan Changfeng walked out of the shop, the streets had become many times more bustling than before. Almost every human and ghost was moving in the same direction.

She went with the flow. Ahead, a vast open space appeared, and at its center stood a stone lotus platform a hundred zhang tall.

The Incense-Offering Path, taking advantage of their home ground, had occupied a large central area.

To the left, ghostly wails and black smoke billowed as the Hungry Ghost Path surged forward aggressively. The Incense-Offering Path cultivators released divine light condensed from vow-power, and the two factions clashed — one light, one dark.

Human cultivators emerged from both sides and gathered into a corner on the left. Three parties stood in a rough standoff.

However, the human cultivators’ side was noticeably the weakest. The Incense-Offering Path and Hungry Ghost Path both had many powerful auras among their ranks, yet the highest cultivation on the human cultivators’ side was merely the Prenatal realm.

In truth, this was not the human cultivators’ fault. Zhan Changfeng had already learned back in Xiaohan Town that a restriction had been placed on this realm by some great power — no matter who entered, they would be suppressed to the Prenatal realm. The ghost path cultivators were not restricted within Ghost City, but once they left Ghost City, they too were suppressed.

Just as the human cultivators fell into silence, a group of people appeared, and a loud cry erupted from the crowd: “The envoys from Cangyun Ravine have arrived!”

Zhan Changfeng had heard the term “envoys” mentioned a few times before, but this was the first time she had seen them.

There were about ten or so people in the group, all dressed differently, as though they had temporarily banded together. She observed people not by their appearance but by their aura. Yet even reading their auras, she detected nothing particularly special, and immediately lost interest, turning her attention instead to the ghost cultivators of the Hungry Ghost Path.

Come to think of it, the Nine-Cycle Rebirth Art she cultivated bore some resemblance to ghost path techniques — the difference being that one cultivated the life-soul while the other cultivated the earth-soul. If there was no place for her in the world of the living, cultivating in the underworld might not be out of the question.

Zhan Changfeng was in the habit of thinking three steps ahead. She found herself now considering the possibility of having no place left in the mortal world.

Such consideration was warranted. For one, the cultivation world placed great importance on lineage and heritage. Someone like her, who already carried an unknown and mysterious inheritance, would be very difficult to accept. Furthermore, cultivation arts often had a rejecting nature — who knew whether, having cultivated the Nine-Cycle Rebirth Art, she could still cultivate other techniques?

Second, she did not know what the cultivation world’s threshold of tolerance was. If a group of people believed her to be from the Hungry Ghost Path and decided to act in the name of righteousness, things would get very interesting.

To have once been the Crown Prince of the human race, and now to be contemplating from the opposing side the possibility of being seen as an outsider — it was almost amusing.

The topic stirred up by the “Cangyun Ravine envoys” did not fade. Perhaps it was because, standing in the shadow of two great mountains — the Hungry Ghost Path and the Incense-Offering Path — people could only bolster their confidence by keeping Cangyun Ravine on their lips.

Zhan Changfeng caught fragments of conversation drifting by.

“I heard all seven great clans of Cangyun Ravine sent people — their finest disciples, no less. Maybe if one of us performs well enough, we’ll be taken back to their clan. That’d save years of hard work compared to cultivating on our own.”

“Hm? Why did that clan only send one person?”

The Heavenward Path opened once every year on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, while Ghost City manifested on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. Those who came from Cangyun Ravine always arrived a full year in advance. That year was more than enough for any attentive cultivator to learn their identities.

Below Foundation Establishment, one could not afford to treat one’s lifespan carelessly. Moreover, spiritual energy in the mortal world was thin and resources scarce. What had allowed them to stay here for a full year, waiting for Ghost City to appear?

A trial?

It was a passable enough explanation.

Zhan Changfeng speculated idly and glanced toward the clan that had sent only a single person.

That redbud flower insignia looked very familiar.

Zhan Changfeng looked away and quietly began pulling out the essence of the soul-searching technique from within her “Rebirth” arts, setting herself to studying it.

On the other side, Gongsun Long had also spotted Zhan Changfeng. His clan kept portraits of the Yin Dynasty’s Crown Prince — how could he not recognize her? Had it not been for the fact that part of the forces left on Shenzhou had been killed and the rest dared not act freely due to the Bureau of Patrol and other great clans, he would have long since brought people to capture her alive.

The cultivation world was forbidden from interfering in mortal affairs — this was an ironclad rule. His Gongsun clan had spent decades laying both open and hidden schemes to lay claim to the Yin Dynasty. He could not allow everything to fall apart at this juncture.

If he wanted to apprehend her, he would need to come up with a pretext. Gongsun Long steadied his thoughts and also looked away. If this boy also participated in the contest for the lotus platform, it would be a fine opportunity delivered right to his doorstep.

He Yuntian arrived, fanning himself with his Fan. A disciple from one of the great clans gave an ambiguous smile and said, “Oh? Since when does someone from the Six Courtyards deign to grace such a place?”

“I merely happened to be visiting my homeland and stumbled upon this. It is you lot I wonder about — do you find Cangyun Ravine’s secret realms lacking in number, that you’ve come here seeking fortune?”

“Hmph.”

Almost on his heels, a powerful divine sense swept across the entire scene.

This was absolutely not the divine sense of someone at the Prenatal realm! The crowd was greatly alarmed.

A dark wind swept through the Hungry Ghost Path’s side as a young man with cyan eyes and a pale face suddenly appeared. On the Incense-Offering Path’s side, someone slowly and unhurriedly parted the crowd and stepped forward — it was the shop proprietor herself, with a small figure in white robes and black hair sitting upon her shoulder, a bowl balanced atop the little figure’s head.

“Since when does the Supreme Demon-Slaying Sect bother showing up?” the cyan-eyed, pale-faced young man said with a sinister tone. The crowd looked in the direction he indicated, and found that at some unknown point in time, a Daoist in a taiji-pattern robe carrying a horsetail whisk had appeared standing there.

The Daoist in the taiji-pattern robe formed a hand seal. “I trouble the two of you to welcome me.”

Welcome?

Was he certain he didn’t mean “face off against”?

This infuriating Daoist.

The cyan-eyed, pale-faced young man let out a cold laugh.

The proprietor, for her part, appeared rather indifferent. “Well met, fellow Daoist ruhe. It has been a long time.”

“Indeed, a long time. Fellow Daoist Qingke.” Ruhe replied.

Three cultivators who were clearly figures of great importance took their positions, leaving all the other humans and ghosts thoroughly bewildered. The scene fell into a strangely inexplicable silence.

In truth, the proprietor and the cyan-eyed young man also found it inexplicable. This was merely a chance encounter for the younger generation — what business did a True Sovereign from the Supreme Demon-Slaying Sect have coming out here? Could it be that he feared they would deliberately harm the human cultivators?

Hmm. Actually, that was entirely possible.

(End of Chapter)