Translator: AnubisTL
Li Qing had once again become a rogue cultivator, stripped of the backing of a powerful sect. For a moment, even he felt a pang of unease.
While sect life might have its restrictions, it was far preferable to the solitary existence he now faced.
But the deed was done. Since he couldn't change the past, Li Qing resolved to adapt as best he could.
He spent the next few days recuperating at the Water Moon Merchant Guild's territory. Once his injuries had healed significantly, he ventured out to gather intelligence about the Great Wilderness Domain.
"Even as a lone wolf, life goes on," he mused.
"Cultivation, cultivation... what are we truly cultivating? It's all just a desperate struggle to survive on this path."
Li Qing sighed, his heart heavy with mixed emotions.
The Shangqing Sect and the Chi Demon Tribe had shattered the tranquility of his cultivation journey, and the road ahead was bound to be fraught with challenges.
As a rogue cultivator by origin, Li Qing knew all too well how arduous this path could be.
The only silver lining was that he had already reached the mid-foundation establishment stage and possessed formidable combat prowess. With his array of techniques, he might even stand a chance against late foundation establishment realm opponents.
At least now he possessed a certain degree of self-defense, no longer as vulnerable as he had been in the qi refining realm.
After leaving the Water Moon Merchant Guild's territory, Li Qing wandered through Sunward City, exploring its winding streets.
"First, I need to find a suitable Spirit Vein Land," he mused. "Cultivation can't be delayed, no matter what."
"Only by strengthening myself can I truly progress. Whatever I plan to do in the future, my cultivation will be essential."
After half a day of wandering alone, Li Qing finally discovered a tavern bustling with cultivators.
He understood that as a rogue cultivator, it was crucial to network with other cultivators to expand his information channels.
Especially now, with no knowledge of the surrounding region, he needed to gather as much information as possible. At the very least, he needed to inquire about nearby cave abodes with Spiritual Veins available for rent.
The tavern was open on all sides, allowing the wind to sweep through. As soon as Li Qing stepped inside, a mortal waiter rushed forward, his face plastered with a fawning smile.
"Immortal Master, please come in!" The waiter was remarkably perceptive. Though merely a mortal without a Spiritual Root, he immediately recognized Li Qing's cultivator status from the storage pouch and spirit beast pouch hanging from his waist.
Li Qing nodded slightly and followed the attendant up to the second floor of the Hua Feng Tower. The elevated position offered a panoramic view of several city streets.
The hall was already bustling with cultivators, gathered in small groups, engaged in lively discussions.
"Immortal Master, what wine would you like to drink? Hua Feng Tower offers..."
As the attendant rattled off a list of wines and dishes, Li Qing chuckled softly. "Just bring me a pot of Eight Immortals Brew and a plate of cold marinated precious chicken."
"Right away, Immortal Master! Please wait a moment," the attendant replied briskly.
While waiting, Li Qing closed his eyes, relying on his keen hearing to eavesdrop on the surrounding cultivators' conversations.
"If you ask me, Moonchase Palace has been secluded for so long. Why would they suddenly wage war against the Ancient Hua Immortal Dynasty over a single female disciple? There must be more to this than meets the eye."
"Could it be that Moonchase Palace is also aiming to strike at the declining Ancient Hua Immortal Dynasty? It's like everyone's kicking a wall when it's about to collapse."
"Impossible. Moonchase Palace has always remained neutral in conflicts between factions. There must be some hidden reason behind this."
"Heh, perhaps that female disciple's identity is more significant than we realize? After all, Moonchase Palace hasn't chosen a new holy maiden in nearly a century. It's about time for a new holy maiden to emerge, don't you think?"
The moment the words "holy maiden" were uttered, every cultivator in the tavern turned their attention to the speaker, Li Qing included.
"Fellow Daoist, do you know something we don't? Please, tell us!"
"Yes, yes! Share what you know! Could that female disciple be the newly chosen holy maiden of Moonchase Palace?"
It seemed even immortal cultivators couldn't resist the allure of gossip when faced with such a secret.
"Ah, what would a humble mountain dweller like me know? I was just guessing."
The speaker was a middle-aged daoist priest, looking every bit the old charlatan with his goat beard and green robes.
"Waiter, bring Daoist Priest a pot of Eight Immortals Brew! Let him tell us all about it."
"Right away! One pot of Eight Immortals Brew!"
Soon, the waiter returned with two pots of Eight Immortals Brew and a plate of cold marinated precious chicken, his movements swift and efficient.
"E-e-e-easy there! I'm not ready to die yet! I wouldn't dare discuss the secrets of Moonchase Palace and the Ancient Hua Immortal Dynasty," the daoist priest feigned alarm.
But the others burst into laughter. "Drunken words are harmless! The wind will carry them away! Speak freely, Daoist Priest—we're all just rogue cultivators here."
"Exactly! What do Moonchase Palace and the Ancient Hua Immortal Dynasty care about us?"
"Besides, Giant Deer Prefecture is Ghost Sword Sect territory, far from Moonchase Palace. What are you afraid of, Daoist? Trying to weasel out of paying for your wine?"
As the rogue cultivators continued their banter, the middle-aged daoist priest finally picked up his wine gourd and took a long, satisfying sip.
"Ha! Well, it all starts with Moonchase Palace's traditions. Legend has it that there are two criteria for selecting a holy maiden: first, she must defeat all other candidates in combat; second, she must resonate with a mystical moonstone within the palace."
"Only those who meet both conditions can become Moonchase Palace's holy maiden. Neither requirement can be skipped!"
"That's why no new holy maiden has emerged in nearly a century. But just a year ago, rumors spread that the inheritance moonstone of Moonchase Palace had begun to stir!"
"Remember, every holy maiden of Moonchase Palace eventually becomes the palace master. So why would the declining Ancient Hua Immortal Dynasty dare provoke Moonchase Palace at such a time?"
These words sparked a flurry of speculation among the crowd.
Meanwhile, Li Qing sat quietly, sipping his Eight Immortals Brew and occasionally savoring the exquisite dishes before him.
Of course, Li Qing didn't miss a single word of the cultivators' conversation, absorbing every detail into his mind.
After listening for a long time, Li Qing finally gained a basic understanding of the current power structure in the Great Wilderness Domain.
The Ancient Hua Immortal Dynasty!
Once an extremely prosperous immortal cultivation empire, its territory had spanned nearly half of the Great Wilderness Domain at its peak.
Almost every emperor had been a cultivator in the nascent soul realm!
Unfortunately, no empire lasts forever. In recent years, the Ancient Hua Immortal Dynasty had gradually declined, while various powers rose across the Great Wilderness Domain, giving rise to formidable cultivation sects like the Ghost Sword Sect.
In this situation, where wolves devoured a weakened tiger, the dynasty's complete collapse seemed inevitable.
The current emperor was already in his twilight years, yet among his many offspring, none possessed a Spiritual Root, or if they did, their spirit root aptitude was exceptionally poor!
In the dynasty's golden age, this wouldn't have been a major problem. With their vast resources, the Ancient Hua Immortal Dynasty could have forcibly elevated any prince with a Spiritual Root to the nascent soul realm!
If one failed, they would simply try with two or three more. For a thriving empire, such matters were trivial.
However, the Ancient Hua Immortal Dynasty could no longer sustain such extravagant resource consumption.
Among the current emperor's descendants, the highest cultivation level belonged to a prince who had barely reached the early core formation stage. This achievement had required an exorbitant amount of spiritual objects—the prince had consumed countless such items just to reach core formation!
If word of this extravagance spread, it would surely leave foundation establishment realm cultivators dizzy with disbelief.
"How tragic and lamentable," one cultivator murmured. "The Ancient Hua Immortal Dynasty, once so powerful that it forced the righteous and demonic paths to unite against it, now resorts to such desperate measures to survive."
"They've sent a princess to join Moonchase Palace, hoping she'll become the holy maiden and forge a powerful alliance. Using such tactics shows how truly desperate the dynasty has become."
"Daoist priest, who are you really? How do you know such secret matters?"
Just as someone tried to inquire about the middle-aged daoist priest's identity, they discovered he had vanished without a trace.
Even Li Qing was momentarily stunned before realizing he had encountered a playful wanderer—a true expert who roamed the mortal realm for amusement.
"No wonder he spoke of such secret matters with such authority," Li Qing muttered to himself.
In that moment, Li Qing truly grasped the extraordinary depth of the Great Wilderness Domain's foundation.
Back in the Azure Ridge Domain, even encountering a nascent soul realm cultivator was a rare occurrence. Here, nearly every top-tier faction boasted such cultivators.
Even casually visiting a tavern for a drink could lead to encountering playful wanderers—reclusive experts who enjoyed mingling with mortals and sharing secret lore. Such a thing would have been virtually impossible in the Azure Ridge Domain.
"This domain is truly a dazzling spectacle," Li Qing mused inwardly. "Yet within this splendor lurks constant, life-threatening danger. I must tread more cautiously in the future."
With these thoughts, Li Qing finished his spirit brew and dishes, leaving not a morsel behind. He tapped the table to summon a waiter and settle the bill.
"Immortal Master, your total comes to twenty-six spirit stones!"
So expensive!
This was Li Qing's immediate reaction, though he showed no outward surprise. He calmly produced thirty spirit stones.
"I have a few questions for you," he said softly. "If your answers satisfy me, I'll reward you with these four extra stones."
The waiter's eyes lit up instantly.
"Immortal Master, please ask anything you wish! I'll answer to the best of my ability!"
"I'll tell you everything I know, without holding back."
Li Qing nodded and asked, "I've only recently arrived in this city and am looking for a cave abode on a spiritual vein to settle down. Are there any suitable places nearby?"
The servant immediately replied, "Yes, Sunward City uses arrays to draw spiritual energy from several spiritual veins, and the cave abodes on those veins are available for rent!"
"Immortal Master, if you're looking to rent a cave abode, I recommend the spirit peaks south of the city. Not only can you cultivate in seclusion there, but there's also a bustling market where Immortal Masters trade daily. Even many foundation establishment realm cultivators frequent the area!"
South of the city... Li Qing silently noted this, resolving to visit the area soon.
"Good. I've heard of the Water Moon Merchant Guild in the western part of the city. I plan to visit them next. What's their reputation like? Tell me everything you know about them."
This was Li Qing's way of investigating the guild's background. After all, if he was going to reside in their territory, he needed to understand their origins and history.
"That's a bit of a long story. The Water Moon Merchant Guild has been a prominent fixture in Sunward City for quite some time."
"You don't need to worry about their reputation. After all, if their reputation wasn't solid, they wouldn't be as renowned as they are today."
"As for the Water Moon Merchant Guild, we have to start seven years ago. Back then, the guild was led by Senior Mo Weifeng, a cultivator in the foundation establishment realm."
"Later..."
Li Qing listened quietly to the guild's history, quickly grasping the main points.
The story was straightforward: the Water Moon Merchant Guild was founded by Mo Weifeng, the son of Old Man Mo and the father of Mo Yatou.
Over time, the guild prospered. To establish a foothold in Sunward City, Mo Weifeng invited Pill Master Yan, a Pill Refiner he had befriended, to join the guild as its resident expert.
With a Second-Tier Alchemist overseeing operations, the Water Moon Merchant Guild flourished, attracting numerous qi refining realm cultivators.
But their good fortune didn't last. During a personal trading expedition, Mo Weifeng's entire caravan was ambushed and annihilated, leaving no survivors.
"Logically speaking, someone of Chairman Mo's status wouldn't personally lead trading expeditions. No one knows what he was escorting that time!"
"That incident caused quite a stir in the city back then. Everyone speculated about what Chairman Mo had obtained—something undoubtedly valuable, which attracted the covetous eyes of others."
"Afterward, the Water Moon Merchant Guild suffered heavy losses and never recovered. The pressure fell squarely on Pill Master Yan's shoulders."
"Fortunately, Pill Master Yan's pill refinement skills were truly exceptional. With his expertise, he managed to settle all the guild's outstanding debts."
What followed was the part of the story Li Qing already knew.
It was simply that Pill Master Yan intended to seize control of the Water Moon Merchant Guild for himself—a perfectly logical move, considering the guild would have collapsed long ago without his efforts.
"I see. Very well, keep these spirit stones as a reward!" Li Qing handed the stones to the servant.
"Thank you, Immortal Master! Thank you, Immortal Master! May your dao path be boundless! May you attain immortality soon!" the servant exclaimed repeatedly.
Amid the servant's tearful gratitude, Li Qing left the tavern and headed back toward the western part of the city.
"You can know a person's face, but never their heart. I almost became Old Man Mo's pawn—what a cunning old fox!"
"I can't get involved in this mess. Self-preservation is the only way for a rogue cultivator to survive. I need to leave this place immediately!"
(End of the Chapter)
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