Chapter Six: First Arrival at the Prefectural City

Before reaching the county city, Gu Weiyu and her group descended slowly from the clouds, still a hundred miles from their destination. Within a hundred miles of the city, mortals were forbidden from flying with magical items, so they would have to walk the remainder of the way. Fortunately, her clansmen walked at an astonishing pace; even Mu, who appeared delicate, moved with remarkable ease. Only Gu Weiyu, with her short arms and legs, lagged behind, until Uncle Yu lifted her onto his shoulders.

Gu Weiyu’s view instantly broadened. Clutching Yu’s head, she gazed around with excitement. In less than a quarter of an hour, the gates of Qin County City reappeared in their sight.

A long queue stretched before the city gate, most travelers arriving in groups—some carrying bamboo baskets, others pushing carts or holding woven baskets. All sought entry to the city to sell their goods.

A beast resembling a frog squatted by the gate, its eyes half-closed as if dozing. Everyone approaching the gate did so with visible apprehension.

“Sister Mu, why do those people look so frightened?” Gu Weiyu asked, puzzled.

“Do you see that frog beast?” Mu explained as they waited at the end of the queue. “Anyone who doesn’t pay the city entry fee gets swallowed whole by it. I heard someone once tried to hide a child in their cart to avoid paying, but the frog beast’s tongue snatched the child away and swallowed him in an instant…”

Gu Weiyu shuddered inwardly, turning her gaze from the beast to the towering city walls. The walls were built from massive blue stones, carved with reliefs of strange beasts, imposing and majestic.

The frog beast’s fearsome reputation had clearly spread; no one dared to skimp on the entry fee, and the line moved swiftly. Soon, it was their turn.

Mu stood at the front and tossed twelve knife coins into the open mouth of a stone beast by the gate. The orb inside the stone beast rolled, and the coins vanished without a trace.

“Come, let’s go in,” Mu said, leading the group through the gates.

From outside, Qin County seemed grand and formidable, but inside, it was clear that the walls were only the tip of the iceberg. The city was a labyrinth of closely packed, ingenious buildings. Through the open doors of roadside shops, a dazzling array of goods could be seen.

One shop in particular specialized in formations; beside the counter, a Azure Dragon formation was displayed. The dragon conjured by the formation was lifelike, its scales rendered in exquisite detail.

Gu Weiyu stared at the Azure Dragon, transfixed, unable to move forward.

Mu glanced at the others, saying, “You go ahead to the West Market, we’ll meet at the usual place. This girl will come with me.”

The West Market dealt mostly with mortals, while the East Market, where they now stood, was frequented by cultivators.

The others from Green Mountain Village departed, and Mu gently smoothed Gu Weiyu’s hair. “Ayü, let’s go see the pharmacy ahead.”

Gu Weiyu snapped back to her senses, realizing the others were gone, and hurried after Mu into the shop. She quickly noticed a small character for “Gu” beneath the signboard.

The shop assistant greeted Mu warmly upon her arrival and led them to a small room. “Please wait, Miss Mu. The manager will be here shortly.”

Mu nodded with quiet dignity, and the assistant left to attend to his duties.

Once alone, Mu waved her hand, and a pile of medicinal herbs appeared on the table.

Gu Weiyu was itching with curiosity and was about to ask when Mu patted a dusty pouch at her waist. “Ayü, look here. This is a storage pouch. If you have a spiritual root, you’ll be able to use one too.”

Gu Weiyu’s eyes sparkled as she stared at the pouch. Such a tiny bag could hold so many things—it was truly magical!

While they spoke, the manager entered. Mu was a regular here, so they quickly settled the transaction.

“Miss Mu, aside from red fruit, did Green Mountain Village find anything else worthwhile this time?” the manager inquired, probing.

“We also found this. Do you think your shop can handle it?” Mu finally took out a wooden box containing a Nine-Leaf Lotus, cradling it carefully as she offered it to the manager.

The manager’s gaze locked onto the lotus, his breath quickening. “Nine-Leaf Lotus? Is it really the Nine-Leaf Lotus?”

Just as he was about to examine it more closely, Mu calmly withdrew the lotus. “Manager, I came here first out of consideration for our shared clan. I suspect many in the clan will need this treasure…”

The manager rubbed his hands and chuckled. “Miss Mu, we’ve traded for years. Surely you know me well enough—tell me, what do you want for it?”

Mu nodded in satisfaction and produced the lotus again. “Manager, I want to exchange it for one hundred spirit pearls.”

She was well aware of the lotus’s worth and the manager’s limits.

He hesitated, biting his lip, but finally agreed. “Deal!”

He promptly called for an assistant to pack away the other herbs, and personally escorted Mu upstairs.

Gu Weiyu remained in the small room, watching in fascination as the assistant deftly sorted the herbs into boxes. Her attention was interrupted by a commotion outside.

The assistant stopped packing and hurried out. Gu Weiyu hesitated, then followed.

“This Rejuvenation Pill was mine—I saw it first! Put it down!” came a sharp voice.

Gu Weiyu saw a spirited young woman in red glaring fiercely at a man.

Across from her, a young man in blue lounged with a bottle of pills in his hand, eyeing the girl with amusement. “I won’t let go. What can you do about it?”

Two assistants tried to mediate, and Gu Weiyu paused, intending to watch the drama. But when she heard the words “Rejuvenation Pill,” she froze.

She remembered Sister Mu had said her father’s injury could only be healed by taking a Rejuvenation Pill.

“Assistant, do you have any other healing pills besides the Rejuvenation Pill?” the girl in red asked, clearly disgusted by the young man’s attitude.

The two assistants looked troubled. “Miss Yun, you know there’s been a surge of beast attacks lately—healing pills…”

Gu Weiyu’s heart clenched. If there were no healing pills, what would happen to her father…

Thinking of this, she ran up to the young man in blue. “Uncle, you can’t take that medicine!”

The young man was momentarily speechless. He prided himself on his handsome, dashing appearance—when did he become an uncle?

He glared at Gu Weiyu, speaking gruffly. “You little brat, who are you calling uncle? This pill is mine, I saw it first!”

“My sister already reserved that pill. You can’t take it!” Gu Weiyu’s heart pounded with fear, but she stood tall and refused to back down.

Everyone in the pharmacy turned to look at her. Seeing it was a little girl in a beast-skin coat speaking, their expressions shifted in surprise.