Chapter 136: Qingwu City

Green Mountain Country, Qingwu City.

Green Mountain Country, ten thousand li away from Great Deer Kingdom, was the latest country Li Qi had arrived at. It was also here that he successfully advanced and entered the ranks.

Along the way, he had concealed his identity as the Young Master of Shaman God Mountain, having learned this lesson in the Earth Oil Realm.

Status comes from oneself; without one's own support, too many titles are meaningless.

This place is a first-rate copper mining area. The so-called Green Mountain Country is actually a huge copper mine stretching for over two thousand li. The copper is so abundant that it breaks through the soil and lies exposed, requiring no excavation, only collection.

The reason it is called Green Mountain is not because of green hills and clear waters, or green leaves and trees, but because there is so much exposed copper ore that when dew or rain falls, it creates copper rust.

The entire mountain is covered in copper rust, and a rain shower makes it truly ‘green hills and clear waters.’ Therefore, almost no grass grows around Green Mountain.

Jin Qi (Metal Energy) presides over肅殺 (肅殺 -肅 means solemn, grave, strict, severe, stern, awe-inspiring, and 殺 means kill, fight, diminish, reduce, weaken, etc. So, 肅殺 describes a severe, chilling, or desolate atmosphere, often associated with autumn or winter, where things are dying or being cut down. In the context of Jin Qi, it implies a destructive or barren quality.), and when Jin Qi is concentrated, nothing grows, leaving a desolate land where only a few demonic or spiritual creatures that thrive on metal energy exist.

However, concentrated Jin Qi is not necessarily a bad thing. The overly sharp Jin Qi has even given birth to many Heaven And Earth Treasure of the metal element in the center of these copper mines. From time to time, naturally formed divine weapons will resonate from within, luring groups of people into Green Mountain to seek treasure.

Two thousand li west of Green Mountain lies a city named Qingwu City.

Li Qi is now in Qingwu City.

“It’s truly luxurious, worthy of its reputation as a notorious pleasure den,” Li Qi sighed, walking through the streets.

In his eyes, almost all the buildings in this city were covered in glazed tiles.

The glazed tiles adorned the walls, sparkling like stars, reflecting the surrounding light. If the sun was high, one could even see shimmering flashes. Even without the sun, the surrounding candlelight and luminous pearls illuminated the entire city as if it were daytime.

This is a city that never sleeps.

He had heard rumors during his journey; the fame of Qingwu City had spread throughout a fifty-thousand-li radius.

Qingwu City Lord Hu Xian'er, enchanting and alluring, was originally a seventh-rank fox demon. It was she who established Qingwu City.

The story of the city’s founding is quite legendary, widely circulated, and almost everyone who comes to Qingwu City knows its origin.

Initially, this was just a fox den, dealing only in flesh trade. Because Hu Xian'er and her sister took in some fox demons, the fox demons recognized her as their Clan Chief.

However, the foxes had little financial sense and loved pleasure. Although they had some ways to make money, over time, supply exceeded demand, leading to insolvency, and creditors came knocking.

After some negotiation, it is unknown how Hu Xian'er, with her eloquent tongue, managed to persuade the creditors to agree to the fox spirits repaying their debts with their bodies.

A month later, the fox spirits pondered, “This way of making money is quick and burden-free. Why bother with the old ways, where we not only had no money but also had to give our bodies to those penniless scholars?” Moreover, Hu Xian'er felt that this approach would also facilitate the management of the naturally unrestrained fox demons, solve financial problems, and even allow them to cultivate simultaneously. Wouldn’t that be killing two birds with one stone?

Hu Xian'er acted immediately, and the fox spirits instantly founded a city on the spot, creating the prototype of Qingwu City.

At first, it was just a small place called Fox Alley, and its customers were only the surrounding demons. But this place was, after all, a good location, situated right around Green Mountain.

The cultivators emerging from Green Mountain were all raking in money, yet they were also severely injured due to the overflowing Jin Qi (Metal Energy).

Hu Xian'er, somehow, devised a Dual Cultivation method that used the fire of desire to counter metal. By using the fire of desire in one's heart as a guide, in accordance with the principle of fire overcoming metal, after an intensely pleasurable experience, the imbalanced Jin Qi (Metal Energy) in the body, which had been affected on Green Mountain, could be calmed. This method not only healed injuries and provided relaxation but also had virtually no side effects.

At this point, Fox Alley became incredibly popular.

Customers flocked in, and the flesh trade flourished. It even put up a sign for a Medical Clinic, specializing in treating injuries caused by excessive Jin Qi (Metal Energy).

Hu Xian'er was also sharp-minded and immediately expanded her business. She colluded with the Green Mountain Kingdom Lord, turning Fox Alley into a government-run enterprise. With a powerful backer and resources, other extravagant (extravagant and luxurious) activities also proliferated here. Later, she even built a city and was granted a seal by the Green Mountain Kingdom Lord, becoming the City Lord.

To this day, this place has become the largest pleasure den within a fifty-thousand-li radius, with countless forms of entertainment.

The common ones include traditional wrestling, duels, arenas, gambling houses, fine food, good wine, and beautiful women.

The refined ones offer music, clear tea, and even various academic discussion institutions for people to lecture and expound on the Dao.

Whether you are common or refined, you can always find what you want here. No matter what Dao Orthodoxy you follow, you can find your needs met here. Even training rooms and auctions are all available.

This place has truly become a comprehensive large-scale commercial trade center, offering everything from food, drink, and entertainment. Large and small merchants bring exotic treasures from all corners of the world. Whether for pleasure or large-scale trade, all pass through here. Even the copper ore and various metal and stone spiritual objects extracted from Green Mountain are mostly brought to Qingwu City for trade.

Qingwu City Lord Hu Xian'er, and her sister Hu Meier, even established a Sect called Qingwu Sect.

Nine-tenths of the official Disciples of this Sect are female Disciples. Only occasionally do men become official Disciples. However, in practice, the Sect rules are lenient, emphasizing spontaneity and willingness, without restrictions on gender or race. Therefore, men often join, but very few can successfully enter the ranks. Most deplete their essence and blood and are expelled from the Sect after failing the assessment.

At the time of entry, there were more men than women, but after several rounds of screening, women accounted for ninety-nine percent.

Male Disciples who couldn't control themselves couldn't resist those fox spirits.

Nevertheless, after completing the Qingwu Sect’s training and becoming official Disciples, they are offered free job placement, directly taking up positions in Qingwu City, so the Sect is quite prosperous.

In just six hundred years, Fox Alley transformed from a small fox den into a renowned major Sect in Green Mountain Country. Sect Master Hu Xian'er and her sister Hu Meier both achieved seventh-rank Dao, with the Green Mountain Kingdom Lord backing them. Others dared not suppress them, and they are still rapidly expanding.

Today, Qingwu City is divided into four major districts: East, South, West, and North. Each district has thirty-six smaller alleys, with countless smaller establishments below them. The main headquarters is located in the suburbs, at the original site of Fox Alley.

“These things are really luxurious,” Shen Shuibi said, following Li Qi and looking around the prosperous city.

The decorations here, in her opinion, weren't worth much, but they certainly looked cool.

“And so many cultivators,” Li Qi observed his surroundings, noticing that the average strength of the people here was noticeably higher.

Here, some clues were already apparent. Unlike the cities in Great Deer, which were mostly inhabited by Mortals, this place was no longer the front line.

On the front line, due to the conflict between the Dao, the human Dao of Reason was not prosperous, making it difficult to enter the ranks. Shaman Dao was also suppressed due to the Mountain and Water Deities , making it hard to progress.

But this place was already considered a direct territory of Shaman God Mountain, and the number of cultivators sharply increased.

Almost everywhere, there were cultivators.

Indeed, the closer one moved towards Shaman God Mountain, the deeper the foundation should be. The closer to the border between the two factions, the weaker they were.

However, entering the ranks was still an insurmountable chasm. Approximately one in a thousand cultivators were ninth-rank, so Li Qi could still barely be considered a master picked from a thousand.

However, Li Qi saw almost no cultivators of the orthodox Shaman Dao or Dao Orthodoxy that he was most familiar with. Most of the cultivators he saw on the road belonged to minor Dao Orthodoxy.

Occasionally, he would encounter Shaman Dao cultivators, but compared to Li Qi, they were worlds apart, mostly Spirit Shaman and similar types, vastly different from orthodox Shaman Dao.

There were also some Martial Artist, those who cultivated the Dao of Reason, those who specialized in artifacts, or some members of the Qingwu Sect.

Funnily enough, the Qingwu Sect’s cultivation method, if categorized, would actually fall under the Medical Dao.

It could even be considered… saving people?

Shen Shuibi followed behind Li Qi and asked, “Li Qi, what are we doing here? Do you have that much money?”

This was a pleasure den. Li Qi only had a dozen gold coins on him, which would certainly be enough in other places, even considered lavish, but it was nothing in a place like this.

“I definitely don’t have enough money, but after I entered the ranks, I’ve had a premonition, a feeling that I should come here,” Li Qi said, shrugging innocently.

Shen Shuibi understood upon hearing this and asked no further questions.

It was quite normal; this is how Shaman often are. They occasionally get sudden impulses.

Because Shaman have a good relationship with Heaven and Earth, natural, and countless deities, things occasionally come to remind them, guiding them to avoid disaster or find fortuitous encounters.

This is one of the characteristics of this Dao.

Of course, one could also ignore it, as it was merely a reminder, not a compulsion to come.

But Li Qi felt that, since there was nothing else to do, why not come? What could go wrong? Right?

The two walked, looking for lodging and comparing prices along the roadside.

They didn’t know until they looked, and what they saw was truly astonishing. The prices of inns and taverns here were more than twenty times higher than in other places, though they were also much more luxurious.

Li Qi’s dozen gold coins truly weren’t enough to stay here for a month.

However, Li Qi wasn't worried about money.

While pleasure dens cost a lot, they also make money quickly.

As he walked down the street, Li Qi asked Shen Shuibi, “By the way, Shen Guniang, something suddenly occurred to me. We’re still in the Mortal realm, so I can understand using gold as currency for transactions. But when we reach higher ranks, will we still use gold? That doesn’t seem likely, does it?”

“How could that be? We only use gold now. Later on… well, it should be Qi and worlds, right?” Shen Shuibi said, poking her cheek with a finger, deep in thought.

“Qi… and worlds?” Li Qi was stunned. This answer was too grand, so much so that he couldn't quite process it.

“Hmm, you should understand Qi, right? No matter what cultivation, it always comes down to different Qi. So, different Heaven And Earth Treasure that carry Qi become the currency for transactions,” Shen Shuibi explained.

“I can understand that, but… worlds?” Li Qi found it hard to imagine.

“There are so many Outer Worlds. Conquering them and then refining their Heavenly Dao is very time-consuming, you see. At that level, Qi is no longer of much use to them. At that time, what’s used for transactions are usually worlds,” Shen Shuibi said. “I even have about ten worlds myself. Although I haven’t managed them much, the output from these worlds is handled by specialists from Mount Luofu…”

As Shen Shuibi spoke, she suddenly mentioned Mount Luofu, and then she fell silent, not continuing her explanation.

Li Qi could understand.

Mount Luofu was probably destroyed.

Even Empress Luofu, a third-rank master, had already fled to Shaman God Mountain. Could Mount Luofu be doing any better?

But from this small glimpse, one could see the bigger picture. Shen Shuibi had a dozen worlds, and it seemed that all the output from these worlds belonged to her.

She truly was a rich woman.

Too bad she went bankrupt.

However… it wasn't just bankruptcy, was it? Her friends and Disciples in Mount Luofu probably didn't survive many either…

They had a grudge of extermination with Tang Nation.

Li Qi, being sensible, did not continue the topic.

“Ah, let’s stay at this one. What do you think, Shen Guniang?” Seeing her reaction, Li Qi immediately chose an inn at random without even looking, using this trick to change the subject and prevent Shen Shuibi from dwelling in her memories for too long.

“I’m fine with anything. This place will do,” Shen Shuibi agreed, not being picky.

Having decided where to stay, Li Qi pulled the old horse and entered the inn.

Upon entering, he saw that the place was exquisitely elegant, devoid of the complex, luxurious decorations found outside, yet it possessed great taste.

The decor was understated and serene, without any hint of earthly vulgarity or the flamboyant gaudiness of wealth. It seemed to belong to a completely different aesthetic from the others.

Such decor was not particularly rare; although it didn't quite fit the popular style, this was Qingwu City, where all kinds of goods were available.

What surprised Li Qi the most was that the owner here was actually a fox.

A fox demon, with fox ears and a tail dragging behind her, was managing the business here.

She seemed to have just finished with the previous guests. Li Qi arrived at just the right moment, and as he entered, the proprietress walked over: “Guests, are you staying or dining?”

“Staying. We’ll stay for two days first, and then order some food. Please also take good care of my horse,” Li Qi said, handing over a gold coin. This one gold coin was enough to stay here for three days.

The extra money would cover meal expenses and the old horse’s food and lodging.

As Li Qi spoke, he sized up the beautiful fox demon.

The reason he called her a fox demon, and not a fox spirit, was because she was… too unadorned.

Her lips were stained with cinnabar, jade adorned her branches, and a subtle, peculiar fragrance emanated from her. A few touches of elegance, and a full ten parts of grace.

She was completely unlike those seductive, cheap floozies, which made Li Qi look at her twice.

“Sir, you’ve come at just the right time. This is the last room left,” the fox demon said with a smile, accepting the money. “Did you specifically arrive at this time for that Innate spiritual object, sir?”

“Hmm? What thing?” Li Qi raised an eyebrow.

What thing? He hadn't heard of it.

“Oh, it’s nothing rare. It happens about once every ten years or so. Green Mountain has once again nurtured a surge of Innate Jin Qi (Metal Energy), forming itself into a weapon, seemingly a saber. So, some Martial Artist have come to contend for it. I thought, perhaps, sir, you were also here for that,” the fox demon said with a smile, subtly introducing it to Li Qi.

(Monthly tickets…)