Chapter 169: Snow Woman, Intelligence
Chapter 169: Chapter 169: Snow Woman, Intelligence
「Several days later.」
「Tianshang Immortal City, Yan Kingdom.」
The black Flying Ship came to a stop before the towering city gates, and Li Ping led Yan Hengchuan as they flew out.
After scanning his surroundings, he casually put the Flying Ship away. His gaze fell upon the massive gate before them as he said calmly, "Let’s go. We’ll enter the city first."
"Yes, Grandmaster." Yan Hengchuan nodded respectfully.
Then, the two of them walked directly toward the city gate.
The Cultivators guarding the city paid them no mind, nor did they check their identification tokens. However, when they sensed the aura emanating from Li Ping, a clear hint of reverence appeared in their eyes.
They had clearly determined from his aura that Li Ping was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
After entering the city, Li Ping and Yan Hengchuan followed the signs toward the city’s market district.
Along the way, Yan Hengchuan curiously observed the city’s sights.
Li Ping, however, was unfazed. He had already learned the basics about Tianshang Immortal City from miscellaneous books like the *Evergreen Chronicles*.
This Immortal City was the main base of the Celestial Travel Sect, the Sect that ruled the Yan Kingdom, and it was also where the Cultivators of the Yan Kingdom were most concentrated.
Tianshang Immortal City was also divided into an Inner City and an Outer City.
Because the Yan Kingdom was often at war with the Tuluo People, they were in desperate need of talent.
Unlike other powers that were wary of Loose Cultivators, the Celestial Travel Sect was very welcoming to them from all nations.
To attract Loose Cultivators, they even sacrificed some of the Immortal City’s profits, directly transforming the Outer City of Tianshang Immortal City into a city of freedom.
This was demonstrated by their policies: they didn’t check the identities of Cultivators entering the city, nor did they interfere with private transactions. Even Demon Cultivators and members of Alien Races could come to Tianshang Immortal City to cultivate and trade, making it extremely convenient.
There was only one rule: Magical Combat was forbidden within the Immortal City.
If any signs of Magical Combat were detected, Celestial Travel Sect Cultivators would arrive immediately to fine both parties with Spirit Stones and expel them from the city.
In short, in the Outer City of Tianshang Immortal City, as long as you didn’t engage in Magical Combat and disrupt the order, nobody would care what you did.
However, being punished for Magical Combat wasn’t a huge deal. A Cultivator expelled from the city could simply re-enter through a different gate.
Of course, all this was predicated on the Celestial Travel Sect having already sealed off the Inner City from the Outer City, and being confident in their ability to control the situation in the latter.
Within this imposing Tier Three Grand Array, with a Core Formation Cultivator from the Celestial Travel Sect presiding, what trouble could mere Foundation Establishment Cultivators like Demon Cultivators or Alien Races possibly cause?
As for Core Formation Cultivators?
If a Core Formation Cultivator from an Alien Race dared to come to Tianshang Immortal City, the Celestial Travel Sect would be more than happy to trap them and finish them off.
...
The reason Li Ping didn’t go directly to the Grassland to find Yan Liming, but instead brought Yan Hengchuan to Tianshang Immortal City, was mainly because he hoped to first understand the situation on the Grassland by gathering intelligence within the Immortal City.
After all, that was the territory of the Tuluo People, and they also had Core Formation Cultivators presiding over them.
If he barged into the Grassland without investigating beforehand and accidentally stumbled into the Tuluo People’s main camp, it would be too late for regrets.
After breaking through to the Mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, although his confidence had soared, he also knew that when facing a Core Formation Cultivator, his only option was still to rely on the Blood Wing Escape Skill to flee in disgrace.
If his luck was bad, he might not even be able to escape. Given that, how could he dare to be careless?
Li Ping found an inn, tossed out some Spirit Stones to rent two rooms, and instructed Yan Hengchuan to rest inside. He then left the inn himself to gather information.
Seeing that no one was around, he walked straight into a small alley.
A moment later, when he emerged, Li Ping’s appearance and build had both changed. He had transformed into a burly, scar-faced man.
After changing his appearance, Li Ping found the largest shop in the market district and walked right in.
"Senior, how may I help you?" A Steward in a multicolored robe immediately came forward to greet him respectfully.
Li Ping nodded and said practicedly, "Take me to a private room on the second floor, and have your shop’s Chief Steward come over."
He knew that the second floor of this kind of shop usually offered special services not available on the first floor, which was exactly what he needed.
Hearing this, the Steward hesitated for a moment before a smile spread across his face. "Yes, Senior!"
As he led Li Ping to the second floor, the Steward thought to himself, ’This Senior must be a regular customer. That’s why he asked about the second floor so naturally the moment he walked in. Most people don’t know about this.’
After leading Li Ping to a private room to wait, the Steward in the multicolored robe bowed and withdrew, saying that the shop’s Chief Steward would arrive shortly and asking the Senior to wait.
Li Ping nodded. "Go."
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!...
After waiting in the private room for less than ten minutes, Li Ping heard the sound of footsteps on the floorboards outside.
The footsteps stopped outside the door. Accompanied by the sound of the door opening, a cold, beautiful voice drifted in. "I wonder which fellow Daoist wishes to see me."
Li Ping’s gaze swept over and met the figure walking into the room.
The newcomer was a beautiful Foundation Establishment Female Cultivator, dressed in a magnificent purple robe adorned with gold patterns.
Most notably, this Female Cultivator had long, silver hair, and her skin was so white it seemed to glow like snow. She had an icy aura and appeared to be about seventeen or eighteen years old.
Her eyes, like ice crystals, looked at Li Ping with a hint of confusion. "If I recall correctly, this seems to be our first meeting, fellow Daoist."
Li Ping said casually, "My surname is Xiong, given name Dahai. It is indeed my first time meeting you, Fairy. How should I address you?"
"So it is fellow Daoist Xiong. I am Xue Lingyan. You may call me Lady Xue," Xue Lingyan said, her voice clear and pleasantly cold.
Li Ping nodded.
According to the *Evergreen Chronicles*, the Land of the Far North, beyond the Grassland, was a region perpetually covered in ice and snow, inhabited by an Alien Race known as the Snow Race.
The Xue Lingyan before him matched the description of the Snow Race.
It was said that due to their unique constitution, once members of the Snow Race reached seventeen or eighteen, their appearance would no longer change, and they would retain their youthful looks until death.
Because of this, combined with their unearthly appearance and aura, and the fact that they lived year-round in the icy world—which forced them to adapt by developing a large temperature difference between their bodies and the environment—they were considered ideal cultivation cauldrons and were highly sought after by High-tier Cultivators in the Western Wilderness.
However, mortal members of the Snow Race could not adapt to the hot environment of the outside world and would die upon leaving the Extreme North Icefield. Only the Cultivators among their race could survive unharmed.
According to the book, some Alien Races on the Grassland would often invade the Far North to capture Snow Race Cultivators to be sold as cultivation cauldrons in the Western Wilderness.
Li Ping guessed that this Lady Xue before him might be the concubine of some High-tier Cultivator.
After all, an ordinary member of an Alien Race would not be qualified to serve as the Chief Steward of a major merchant guild in human territory.
Moreover, although Lady Xue looked only seventeen or eighteen, that was mainly because Snow Race women do not age. Her actual age was likely much greater than Li Ping’s.
...
Lady Xue walked over and sat down across from Li Ping, smiling. "I wonder what I can do for you, fellow Daoist Xiong, now that you’ve come to our establishment."
Li Ping nodded and got straight to the point. "I need a map of the Tuluo Grassland and intelligence on the Tuluo People’s recent movements."
He then added, "I trust Lady Xue won’t disappoint me."
"A map and intelligence on the Tuluo Grassland?" Lady Xue was visibly taken aback.
She gave Li Ping a meaningful look, as if trying to guess his true identity.
After all, in the eyes of Western Wilderness Cultivators, the Tuluo Grassland was a purely barren land, pitifully scarce in Spiritual Objects and resources, with nothing worth visiting.
Never mind Cultivators; even mortals wouldn’t go to the Tuluo Grassland unless they had to.
’Is this fellow Daoist Xiong a Demon Cultivator, or did he cause trouble in the Western Wilderness?’ she wondered silently.
Before the four major Demon Dao Sects entered the Western Wilderness, Demon Cultivators in the Western Wilderness Cultivation Realm were like rats in a gutter, hunted by everyone. Even Foundation Establishment Stage Demon Cultivators had to keep their heads down and act cautiously.
They either had to hide deep within the Cloud Mist Mountain Range or flee to the territories of the Alien Races.
Now, however, the four major Demon Dao Sects were rivaling the Daoist Guardian Alliance, and the situation for Demon Cultivators in the Western Wilderness had improved dramatically.
Most of the native Demon Cultivators of the Western Wilderness chose to join one of the four Demon Dao Sects rather than entering the Tuluo Grassland.
After all, the cultivation environment of the Grassland couldn’t compare to the Western Wilderness.
But it wasn’t as if there were no Demon Cultivators who chose to enter the Grassland.
In addition, some Orthodox Cultivators who had committed serious crimes in the Western Wilderness would also sneak into the Tuluo Grassland to seek refuge with the Alien Races to escape their Sects’ pursuit.
Xiong Dahai was likely one of the two.
When Lady Xue thought again of Xiong Dahai’s fierce, scar-covered face, she became even more convinced of her suspicions.
’This fellow Daoist Xiong is not a good person.’
However, the Outer City of Tianshang Immortal City was a place of freedom to begin with. There were plenty of Demon Cultivators and Alien Races, so one more like Xiong Dahai made no difference.
She was only in it for the business. As long as she was paid in Spirit Stones, she couldn’t be bothered to care who the other party was.
Thinking this, Lady Xue smiled and said, "Intelligence is, of course, within our scope of business. I am confident that our establishment’s intelligence on the Tuluo Grassland is second to none in the Immortal City. As for the price..."
"As long as the intelligence is reliable, the price is negotiable." Sensing her attempt to gain leverage, Li Ping added pointedly, "Of course, I’m no fool. Lady Xue, don’t take me for a sucker."
Lady Xue shook her head repeatedly. "You jest, fellow Daoist Xiong. How could I dare to deceive you? This is all market price."
Li Ping nodded. "Good."
...
「A short while later.」
Li Ping walked out of the merchant building, satisfied.
In the transaction just now, he had successfully purchased intelligence about the Tuluo Grassland from Lady Xue. It clearly detailed the recent locations of the major tribes of the Tuluo Race, as well as the various dangerous areas on the Grassland.
Of course, Li Ping wouldn’t rely on just this one piece of intelligence.
Two heads are better than one, after all.
Next, he visited the second floors of several other shops and paid a high price for more intelligence reports.
Only after doing this several times did he stop. He changed back to his original appearance, returned to the inn, and began to study the intelligence carefully.
Early the next morning, Li Ping took Yan Hengchuan, left Tianshang Immortal City, and continued flying north in his Flying Ship.