Chapter 50: City of Cultivators


    <span style="font-weight:400">Li Lang frowned as he was taken aback by the innkeeper’s words.


    <em><span style="font-weight:400">No slums? How can this be? You’re telling me there are no poor people in this city?</em>


    <span style="font-weight:400">Seeing the three kids’ expressions, the innkeeper continued.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Prity City thrives on trade between all the major sects in all the nearby viges and the demonic cultivators. To uphold the city as a worthy venue for suchrge transactions, the city lord and his guards run a tight ship.“


    <em><span style="font-weight:400">So the poor who can’t afford the fees are kicked out? That’s pretty tough, but then again, it’s not like this would be a great ce to live in with all the cultivators running around. Who knew when they would run into someone unreasonable? </em>


    <em><span style="font-weight:400">So this is a city of cultivators, huh?</em>


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Understood. Thank you for your exnation. How about the Alchemist Guild, then?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Oh, that is near the center of the city. Just go down the main street. It’ll be hard to miss.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Thank you.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Having ridden on the Skyrunner for three consecutive days, the trio decided to stretch their legs and chose to walk to the Alchemist Guild.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Along the way, they didn’t forget to check out the various stores. There were numerous stores selling talismans, artifacts, pills, and various other items that aided cultivators. There was no mistaking who the target market was.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“We might have to change up our ns…” Li Lang muttered.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“What do you mean?” Long Yi replied. “This ce is great! It has everything a cultivator would need…given you have the money.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Except it’s not conducive to my research. I doubt high and mighty cultivators would participate in my experiments.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Right…there is that.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">The three soon arrived at the guild, where they found an avable receptionist and Li Lang showed him his ring.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“My, what a young apprentice alchemist. What can I help you with?” The muscr man leaned over the counter and kindly asked.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I wanted to procure materials and check out the price for selling pills around here.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“No problem, here it is.” The man handed over two lists.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The first one had all the avable mortal-grade ingredients and their prices on it.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The second one had the list of mortal-grade pills avable, along with both their buy and sell prices. It was neatly presented and included different prices for different quality of the same pill.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Thanks, then I’ll take three kilograms of Lighthorne, Bulseed Grass. Five kilograms of Jade leaves…”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Having dealt with numerous materials in hisb while he had been trying to conjure a concoction to remove toxins, Li Lang hade to be familiar with all themon materials. It didn’t take long to list out his order, and the man also swiftly retrieved them.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“That will be fifty Qi stones in total. Was there anything else you needed?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Umm…” Li Lang hesitated for a second before speaking. “Are there any other towns around here under the sphere of Prity City?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Li Lang hadn’t given up on finding a source of test subjects, but he couldn’t risk recruiting from towns under the influence of righteous sects. He had previously gotten away with it unscathed due to being a member of the sect itself, but he didn’t want to test what would happen if an outsider was caught.


    <span style="font-weight:400">He could only stick to the neutral grounds of Prity City, where this neutral faction was said to be more tolerant as long as there was consent.


    <span style="font-weight:400">It pained him that his research waspared to demonic cultivators, but there was nothing the weak little boy that he was could do to change the perception of the sects.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“No, Prity City is the only settlement within a hundred kilometers around here. Why do you ask?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Li Lang peeked over to the neighboring counters and found everyone else was busy with their discussions.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I’m looking for some people to help me with something. I don’t think I could afford to hire the mighty cultivators around here.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Hmm, tough luck, kid. You’ll have to leave the sphere of influence of Prity City to find any populous cities.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I see… Well, thank you. I’ll just buy the materials for now—wait, can I also rent your refining rooms as well?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Of course! Head over to the second floor to make the arrangements. They cost one Qi stone per day.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Understood. Thank you.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Afterpleting the transaction and bowing to the polite receptionist, Li Lang took a moment to convene with hispanions.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“You two can go do your own thing. I’m going to refine some pills first to replenish our coffers. I won’t be back untilter tonight. No need to wait for me for dinner.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Sure, thing. I’m going to go take a stroll around. Want to tag along, Wei Ping?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">The short boy, with a stutter, simply nodded before they exited the guild.


    <span style="font-weight:400">After seeing them off, Li Lang made his way up the stairs to the second floor. Just as he was about to approach the receptionist there, a handnded on his shoulder, and he turned to find a young man in grey robes standing right behind him.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“You are…the man at the counter next to me, earlier?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Yes, my name is Jian Beiyun. I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation. Young man, do you think we can talk? I mean no harm.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Apologies, I’m in a hurry.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I’llpensate you for your time. How do ten Qi stones sound? It won’t take too long.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“...Fine.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">The two nced around and found a lobby just outside the refining rooms. It was empty and the perfect ce to sit down.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“So, what do you want? I don’t think we know each other.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“That’s correct, but I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation with the receptionist downstairs.” The man straightened his posture. “Young man, tell me the truth. Did someone put you up to help them with that request of yours?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“What? What are you talking about?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“...Your request to find people to help you. You should know not to trust people so easily around these parts. There are some bad people who like to prey on others running amok.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Demonic cultivators, right? Yeah, yeah. They’re all bad and stuff, but the city lord keeps them in check, right?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">For some reason, Jian Beiyun grimaced at the boy’s words.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Not all demonic cultivators are bad…Just a select group of them are. It is this select group of bad apples that I’m warning you about. They’ve lost themselves to the pursuit of power and would drain anyone they could get their hands on just to progress their cultivation by a minuscule amount. I’m worried you’re being manipted by such people who want to get around the eyes of the city lord, so please tell me the truth. I’ll take care of it and make sure no danger befalls you.”


    <em><span style="font-weight:400">Great… even this random guy thinks I’m affiliated with demonic cultivators now because of my experiments. Is it really so hard to do my research in peace?</em>


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Believe me, I’m not being manipted by anyone. I make my own decisions. I appreciate your concern, but you don’t have to worry about me.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“...In that case, why are you searching for ‘helpers’? And in such a ce, too? That is usually what cultivators engaged in formations requiring sacrifices or human experimentation would ask for.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I’m sorry, sir, but that is my own business.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“If you tell me the reason, I may be able to help you find the people you need. Assuming it isn’t for any nefarious purposes, of course.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">The man stared down at Li Lang with an unrelenting smile. It was apparent he wouldn’t give up getting to the bottom of the matter, but Li Lang paid more attention to the fact Jian Beiyun imed to be able to help him.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Now that he found Prity City to be more exclusive to cultivators than he thought, he needed an alternative. However, even someone as obsessed with research as Li Lang knew it wasn’t a good idea to reveal his entire hand to a stranger despite his eagerness to continue with his research.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I…I’m researching new types of pills. I need people to run a trial for them, but of course, I ensure it is safe to consume with animals first.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Such a young alchemist already treading the path of discovering new pill recipes? That is admirable. However, the dangers associated with what you’re doing…”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“We make sure to let the participants know of the risks and properlypensate them, but the righteous sects still don’t take kindly to what I’m doing. That’s why I’m here in Prity City.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Understood. Thank you for telling me your story. In that case, I can offer to bring you to Emberglow City, a more populous ce that isn’t under the eyes of the righteous sects.”


    <em><span style="font-weight:400">Was there a city around here that isn’t under the jurisdiction of any righteous sects besides here, again?</em>


    <span style="font-weight:400">Seeing Li Lang’s confused expression, Jian Beiyun continued.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Emberglow City is the closest city from here within the Luminescent Domain.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“...Where and how far away is it? I’ve never heard of the Luminescent Domain.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Uh…right, if you’re from the territory under the righteous sect, then you may find the name Demonic Cultivator Territory more familiar.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“What?” Li Lang quickly took a step back and scrutinized the man before him. “You’re a demonic cultivator?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Jian Beiyun nodded solemnly with a straight face.