West Wind City, Crystal District.
As soon as Ding Huan arrived here, he understood why property prices were so expensive.
Someone had set up a filtering array here, purifying all the air pollution, and not only that, the heaven and earth primordial qi was also denser than in other areas.
A long river stretched out like a silver ribbon, extending to unknown places.
Ding Huan swept the river with his divine will, but he couldn’t even reach the opposite bank.
Rows of neat courtyards had already been built along the riverside.
This was clearly a ritzy district.
"Mr. Ding, this river is the West Wind River, and at the end of the West Wind River lies Hidden Sword Mountain.
It’s said that there’s a cosmic vortex on Hidden Sword Mountain, torn open by a falling immortal sword. Accidentally getting swept into it almost certainly means no chance of survival," Nu Rong explained while pointing at the river.
Hidden Sword Mountain?
Ding Huan thought of the mountain that hid the immortal sword, although Nu Rong said Ji Xinting had taken the sword.
"Is that one my courtyard?" Ding Huan pointed to a standalone small courtyard not far from them.
This small courtyard was indeed larger than those surrounding it, and it was closer to the West Wind River.
"Yes, there should be someone living inside already, having the tacit approval of Gu Zhanjian to reside there. Mr. Ding, if you don’t wish to dispute it, I can return the crystal stones to you."
Nu Rong looked at Ding Huan with a very sincere tone.
Ding Huan just smiled and didn’t say a word.
He was certain that Nu Rong knew he wouldn’t back down.
Those who could do business here were not ordinary individuals.
Seeing Ding Huan head towards the small courtyard, Nu Rong immediately followed him; she wanted to see how Ding Huan would persuade the other party.
Having already offended Pan Qi on Shengdao Street, she believed that anyone who understood the concept of balance would not offend Gu Zhanjian as well.
There were no arrays at the entrance of the courtyard, just a prohibition that was as simple as could be, not even ranking at level one.
Ding Huan knocked on the prohibition.
"Who’s messing with my prohibition?" Amidst the angry shout, a man as thin as a bamboo pole rushed out.
"So it’s you. Hehe, what’s this? You dare sell my house?"
The skinny man clearly knew that the deed to the house was in Nu Rong’s hands.
"I have bought this house; you need to move out now," said Ding Huan indifferently.
Just a Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer fellow, he could take him down with a mere wind blade.
"Get lost, I’ll give you three breaths of time, if you don’t go, then don’t ever. One..."
The skinny man had just uttered ’one’ when suddenly he clutched his neck.
Blood gushed out from his neck like a fountain, and he desperately tried to cover it with his hands, but it was futile.
"You dare murder me..."
The skinny man uttered a few words and saw Ding Huan swoop past him, landing behind his back, and then a kick landed on the man’s spine.
"Don’t dirty my courtyard..." That was the last thing the skinny man heard before he saw the surging West Wind River.
"Thunk!" The lifeless skinny man fell into the West Wind River, and once again, quiet descended as if nothing had happened.
"You killed him?" Nu Rong looked at Ding Huan in shock.
Ding Huan answered as if it were a matter of course:
"Should I have invited him to dinner instead?"
It then dawned on Nu Rong that Ding Huan had used a wind blade to kill a Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer strongman, suggesting that Ding Huan must either be at the Foundation Establishment stage or Qi Cultivation Perfect.
"Oh, no, I was just worried Gu Zhanjian might come looking for trouble," she said.
Ding Huan still smiled, "Thank you, Sister Rong, for the warning. I’m going to rest inside. I’ll visit Sister Rong when the opportunity arises."
"Then I’ll leave you be," Nu Rong quickly took her leave.
As she left Ding Huan’s courtyard, she still pondered whether he really had reached Foundation Establishment. Otherwise, how could he possibly not fear Pan Qi and Gu Zhanjian joining forces?
What puzzled her was, if Ding Huan had reached Foundation Establishment, why would he bother coming to West Wind City, a regular city that offered little benefits to cultivators?
After Nu Rong left, Ding Huan entered the small courtyard.
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The interior of the small courtyard was relatively clean, with a welcoming pine in the center of the yard.
This was a tree capable of absorbing spiritual energy, akin to a simple gathering spirit array.
There were five rooms, all looking rather good.
Ding Huan went into the main room, gathered up all of the lean cultivator’s belongings, and then disposed of them with a fireball.
He would have to set up a protecting array here; he couldn’t refine an artifact, but he could purchase some array flags from West Wind City.
Since Yan Mei and Lao Liu were on Shengdao Street handling affairs, that’s where he would go.
...
Outside West Wind City, three men and one woman, riding on four unicorns, sped towards the city.
"Alliance Leader Pan..." A panicked voice rose from the side of the road.
Four unicorns, as if suddenly halted by brakes, stopped beside a brawny man with a face covered in patches.
"Guan Si, what happened?" The speaker was a handsome young man.
Everyone in West Wind City was familiar with him, as he held a status equivalent to the City Lord; his name was Pan Qi.
Pan Qi controlled the South City and East City of West Wind City.
The brawny man named Guan Si was filled with grief and indignation:
"Today, the people from the Iron Power Alliance paid us enough Crystal Stones to inspect a shop on Shengdao Street. We hadn’t expected that the City Patrol Guards, as if emboldened by a leopard’s gall, slaughtered all the members of the Iron Power Alliance.
Not only that, but they also killed more than a hundred shop owners who were there to help on Shengdao Street."
"They’ve got guts," said Pan Qi, his face calm but his tone revealing a powerful intent to kill.
He and the other three had just returned from exploring a Secret Realm, each with quite satisfactory gains, so they had been in good spirits—until this news enraged him.
"Where are they now?" With anger in his heart, Pan Qi’s tone was even calmer.
Not knowing if it was an act or genuine grief, Guan Si’s face distorted as he cried out:
"After killing so many people, the City Patrol Guards didn’t even stop; they continued their sweep down Shengdao Street. Any shop that took part in supporting the Iron Power Alliance was either fined fifty Crystal Stones or killed.
By the time we got there, they had already checked most of the shops, and I immediately led my men to capture them.
But they had a Monkey Demon on their side, a formidable one. Using only the Water Arrow Skill, he killed seventeen of our men. If I hadn’t fled quickly, I wouldn’t have the chance to see the Alliance Leader right now."
"Excellent, I want to see just how bold this Xue Bo is, daring to make trouble on my Shengdao Street," Pan Qi’s eyes flashed with even more murderous intent.
After speaking, Pan Qi turned to another thin man:
"Bone Daoist, the City Patrol Guards belong to the Central District. We had agreed to allow the City Patrol to inspect the entire city, but that didn’t mean they could just kill at will. This Xue Bo has broken our initial agreement. What do you think?"
This Bone Daoist was Gu Zhanjian, who controlled the West City and North City of West Wind City, with a status equal to Pan Qi’s but even more ruthless in his actions.
In West Wind City, Pan Qi was known for his ruthless and decisive ways. For Gu Zhanjian to be even more merciless implied how many aggrieved souls must be under his command.
"Ha, even if Brother Pan didn’t mention it, I would still want to meet this City Patrol. Today they can kill people on Shengdao Street, tomorrow they might come to my territory to kill," Gu Zhanjian said with a cold laugh.
"Is there a possibility that you’ve killed too many City Patrol Guards and enraged Xue Bo?" said a woman among the four.
Pan Qi disdainfully said:
"Even if I’ve killed many, Xue Bo wouldn’t care, and he wouldn’t dare to care. If not for the regulations set by the Blazing Star Lord Country, he’d likely have disbanded the City Patrol already. Brother Gu, let’s go take a look."
"Okay," responded Gu Zhanjian, and the four spurred their unicorns on, rushing swiftly into West Wind City.
...
The One and Only General Store?
Ding Huan looked at the strange name in front of him, thinking that this person was quite creative in naming.
His Divine Will swept the store—there were indeed many items: Spiritual Medicine, Magic Artifacts, talismans, Array Flags, materials...
"If you’re looking for something, friend, you might wish to take a look in our general store," said an elderly man with a white beard and hair, smiling.
Beside him was a woman.
At this moment, the woman was relieved that not many shops on Shengdao Street had been fined Crystal Stones, and their The One and Only General Store was one of them.
"Sure, I’ll take a look," said Ding Huan as he walked into the general store.
The first thing he saw was not an Array Flag, but a talisman pen.
This talisman pen was even better than the one in the Bianxing Talisman Device Pavilion; it was also a first-grade Magic Artifact.
How many Crystal Stones for that talisman pen?
"Twenty Crystal Stones," the old man cheerfully replied.
"Let me see it," Ding Huan pointed at the talisman pen.
The old man was about to fetch the pen when a commotion arose outside.
Hearing that noise, it seemed as if everyone had once again rushed onto the street.
"Uncle Seven, I’ll go take a look," the woman hurried out after speaking.
Ding Huan’s Divine Will had already detected the approach of four people, all riding unicorns.
To his astonishment, all four individuals were of the ninth level of Qi Cultivation.
Wasn’t West Wind City a place where low-level Cultivators and mortals coexisted? How were there so many at the ninth level of Qi Cultivation?
But he quickly understood what was happening as a group of shopkeepers from both sides of the street approached him with complaints.
Alliance Leader Pan? This must be the Pan Qi that Nu Rong had mentioned.
Since he had come, he might as well kill them all.
In this place, might is right, and since he planned on having a peaceful West Wind City...
Well then, Pan Qi, Gu Zhanjian, all needed to be killed.
As for the City Lord Xue Bo, whether to kill him or not would depend on how sensible he was.
"They didn’t pay a single Crystal Stone, they must surely be associated with the City Patrol."
Someone in the crowd spotted the woman who had come out to scout for news and immediately stepped forward to accuse her.