Eternal Life: I Can Sell Everything

Chapter 231: Chapter 227: Storms on All Sides, a Corner of Stability

Disguised as Xin Mian, Song Ciwan began to leisurely search for a house in Pinglan City.

What she didn’t know was that while her own situation was calm, the aftershocks from the opening of Illusory Nether City over the past dozen days had thrown all of Cangling County into a turmoil that showed no signs of settling.

On the fifteenth of the first month, the threshold to the outer hall of the City God Temple was nearly worn through by the throngs of people coming to offer incense and pray for Talismans.

The temple’s inner hall, however, received wave after wave of uninvited guests.

These visitors hailed from the great houses of Cangling County, the major Sects, the Court’s Lantern Hanging Department and City Patrol Department, and even the Astronomical Bureau’s Dingbo Tower...

Those of insufficient rank were received by the City God’s subordinate Yin Officials of various levels.

Others, however, walked straight into the Celestial Illusion Hall, the City God’s residence.

In the deepest reaches of the Celestial Illusion Hall, the swirling nebula that had once floated in the Void was gone. In its place was an enormous Red Lantern, as large as a granary!

Four chains extended from the Void, binding the floating Red Lantern securely in place.

The lantern seemed to struggle, yet it also appeared perfectly still.

Only a variety of hazy, chaotic whispers emanated from all around the lantern, echoing through the hall.

"A’nika wusi wunu..."

"Haga ma’ni uru uru..."

"Xi Wu! Xi Wu!"

The piercing cries of "Xi Wu" rose and fell, occasionally interspersed with distinct Human voices.

"The sky is dark, no rain will fall, Mama beats the child, Papa beats Mama..."

"SOB SOB, Immortal! Immortal, save me!"

"You’re all going to die! No one can escape! Sooner or later, you’re all going to die!"

"Hee hee hee, go to hell... Come keep me company..."

"Heh, heh heh..."

...

All sorts of sounds—chaotic, distorted, tangled, and ethereal—seemed both far and near, at times sharp and clear, at others faint and indistinct.

When clear, they seemed to ring right beside one’s ear; when indistinct, they were like whispers from the horizon. The sounds carried a strange Magic Power that frayed the nerves, compelling one to listen against their will, only to suffer and drown in despair along with the voices!

An ordinary person could not even bear to listen to such sounds; a single moment of exposure would drive them mad or kill them outright.

Even those with Cultivation and a strong Willpower could only endure it for a short while; listening to it constantly was an impossible task.

And yet, at this very moment, a figure sat bolt upright directly beneath the floating Red Lantern.

The figure had black hair and a long beard. He wore a Brocade Official Robe, had Cloud Platform Shoes on his feet, and held a Jade Ruyi in his hand. It was none other than the City God of Pinglan City!

The City God sat beneath the Red Lantern, exuding an air of effortless authority. A leaf drifted into the hall and, a moment later, transformed into a lean figure.

The newcomer sat down cross-legged directly opposite the City God. The City God opened his eyes and chuckled. "I was wondering who it could be. So, it’s the great Ye Lingguan gracing us with his presence! What’s this? You didn’t come during the Night Parade of Hundred Demons, but now that this thing has been taken away by old Cui, you decide to show up."

So, the Pinglan City God’s surname was Cui!

Ye Lingguan wasn’t angered by the sarcastic jab. He simply said, "Brother Cui, I believe you should know me. I cannot leave Dingbo Tower, and not just because of the Hengshui Old Dragon. Brother Cui, Donglin County has fallen. Did you know?"

Cui City God frowned. "How has it fallen? In what way?"

Ye Lingguan sighed. "On Linzhushan, there is a group of Snow Demons of stunning beauty. The common people at the foot of the mountain used to call them the Saint Snow Ladies. They had always submitted to the authority of the Donglin County Government Office, and both sides coexisted in relative harmony."

"But for some reason, ever since the year before last, when His Majesty granted Donglin County to the Third Crown Prince as his fiefdom, the relationship between these Snow Demons and the Government Office began to grow delicate."

"During this turn of the new year, when Illusory Nether Cities opened up everywhere, Donglin County was focusing all its efforts on that crisis. It was then that those Snow Demons suddenly descended the mountain and attacked the city!"

"Yanlin City’s City Defense Array was shattered. The Third Crown Prince was gravely wounded in the fighting by the Fuxue Demoness, and his whereabouts are now unknown. Over thirty percent of Yanlin City’s populace were killed or injured, and the Yanlin City God was killed in action on the spot!"

At these words, Cui City God’s imperturbable expression finally broke. "What did you say?" he asked, shocked. "The Yanlin City God was killed in battle?"

Ye Lingguan said solemnly, "On a matter of this gravity, I would certainly not spread false news. Ah, Brother Cui, you can’t be bothered to manage the Mountain and River Mirror, but for timely information, you still have to rely on it. Brother Cui, the nature of demons is unpredictable and can never be trusted. So you tell me, with Illusory Nether City open, could I possibly have left Dingbo Tower?"

A sorrowful look crossed Cui City God’s face. "That man, Xu Su... I wasn’t especially close with him, but we both defended the Four Great Passes back in the day. I, Cui, even communicated with him spiritually across the distance, joining forces to repel our enemies. We parted ways back then, and in a flash, three hundred years have passed. To think that the next news I receive is that my old acquaintance has fallen!"

"Dying in battle, martyring himself for his city... That is indeed something Xu Su would do..."

With that, Cui City God sighed.

He looked directly at Ye Lingguan and asked, "For a matter of this magnitude, what is the Court’s response?"

Ye Lingguan said, "This happened before dawn this very morning. At this hour, the morning court session hasn’t even ended. How could I possibly know how the Court will respond or what they will decide?"

For a moment, Cui City God fell silent.

The Great Zhou was simply too vast. News traveled quickly among the highest echelons, but across the entirety of the Nine Provinces, messages could be as slow as if they had to cross mountains, seas, and celestial chasms.

The morning market in Pinglan City was bustling with life.

Though there had been many casualties the night before, that localized pain clearly could not affect the prosperity of the entire city.

Song Ciwan walked through the streets at a deceptive, unhurried pace. She once again saw the Puppet Sect’s Song Puppets shouting, "Celestial Pride Level-style cave mansions! Rent starting from just one One Yuan Pearl..."

It was as if Wangjiang Mountain had never been attacked the previous night, and the Wangjiang Cave Mansions were all still standing.

The feeling was surreal, almost dreamlike.

Song Ciwan paid no mind to the Song Puppets. Instead, just one square away from Canglan Pavilion, she quickly found another district called Qiyin Square.

Qiyin Square covered a vast area. Compared to Shanren Square, where ordinary people were the majority, Qiyin Square was mostly inhabited by Cultivators.

There were Martial Artists, Cultivators, and various small families and minor factions. All in all, it could be described as a motley mix of all sorts of people.

Song Ciwan chose this place mainly for its complex population and the high volume of information that flowed through it. This would make it easier for her to deepen her understanding of this world and fill the gaps in her knowledge.

She walked into the official Broker’s office in Qiyin Square and, through the agency, rented a small courtyard on Erhu Lane.

The small courtyard was slightly larger than Song Ciwan’s previous home, with three main rooms, two side-wing rooms, and a reverse-facing room in the entryway.

The Broker from the official agency asked Song Ciwan with a beaming smile, "Immortal Master, would you like to buy any maids or servants? This humble one has a new batch of quality goods, all of them obedient and clever. How about I bring them over for you to take a look?"

Song Ciwan waved her hand, having no interest whatsoever in human trafficking.

But a sudden thought occurred to her, and she asked, "I see there are many Puppets on the streets. Does your agency have Attendant Puppets for sale?"

The Broker’s eyes darted about as he replied, "Immortal Master, it’s not that we don’t have cleverer Puppets, but you’d need to find a disciple from the Puppet Sect to have one custom-made. If you’re amenable, Immortal Master, this humble one is willing to act as an intermediary and help you find a Puppet Sect disciple who can do custom work."

As he spoke, he flashed Song Ciwan a smile, revealing a mouthful of neat, white teeth.