Chapter Eighty-One: Hundred Flowers Town

Baili Feihong instinctively grew wary. The legendary sects had never revealed themselves. He could not judge the power of this force. He did not become arrogant just because he had slain more than two hundred pirates and ninjas. The stronger he grew, the more he revered the world. After all, how long had he been cultivating?

The ancient Lady of Profound Ice, undying through ten thousand cycles, had merely awoken and plunged the entire Demon Suppression Bureau of Dongbin City into a crisis of annihilation. If she recovered her peak strength, could she destroy Dongbin City with a mere wave of her hand? His primal embryo was not yet fully cultivated. Beyond the primal embryo lay the realm of Divine Powers, above which was the Manifestation stage, and beyond that, the Union of Spirit and Flesh—a state where one communes with heaven and earth, known as the Path Integration realm. That was the legendary Martial Saint. And after the Martial Saint came even greater beings—Heaven-openers, Human Immortals, Divine Demons.

The depths of this world were unfathomable. Baili Feihong was still a frog at the bottom of a well, seeing only a corner of Dongbin City, and the terrifying revelations exposed were already far beyond his ability to handle. The strange presence beneath Dongbin City, the Gate of the Yellow Springs at Dali Mountain, and the ancient Lady of Profound Ice, Hansu.

He glanced at his Skill Book. His skill points had risen dramatically. After finishing training the Dragon Claw technique, he still had 1207 skill points. Now, his total skill points had soared to 5672. The pirates he slew this time had brought him 4465 points. Except for the ninja leader, each pirate killed had yielded an average of fifteen skill points. Such a windfall gave him a sense of sudden wealth.

"Sometimes, killing minor foes is more effective than taking down elites," he mused, due to their sheer numbers. Yet, to reach the peak of the Primal Embryo stage required thirty thousand points. The Divine Powers realm might demand three hundred thousand points. One could not afford arrogance. Better to keep a low profile; when his skill points were finally enough, a meteoric rise overnight was not impossible.

He pressed on. Baili Feihong had now left the official road, venturing into the mountains. When he arrived, the Demon-Settling Compass had spun wildly. Somewhere at the foot of the Transverse Mountains, some monster or demon had drawn his attention. The pirates truly seemed to have come as sacrificial offerings. Such easy prey was not to be refused.

The fine steed he brought from the Demon Suppression Bureau galloped relentlessly, never pausing.

The old horse knew the way, likely heading back toward Dongbin City’s bureau. Baili Feihong, with his Demon-Slaying Blade, carved a path through hills, traveling about ten kilometers before pausing on a mountainside, gazing southward.

Night had fallen. The sky was thick with clouds; if he did not find an inn soon, he would be soaked to the bone. "Dragon Vein Earth—this place has excellent feng shui." Amid the mountain gully, a fertile plain appeared. The site was hidden; without the compass, Baili Feihong would never have found this concealed town in the wilds.

In the distance, lights shone brightly. The town nestled against the Transverse Mountains, with a river cascading from a peak, nurturing the land below. To Baili Feihong’s eye, the site was blessed—talented people, spiritual energy converging, a treasure land. Though pirates had invaded nearby, the town seemed untouched.

His spirits revived, and his divine sense surveyed the secretive town. Colors shimmered; spiritual energy danced like sprites in the void, inviting exploration.

"When I left Nan County, I studied the local geography, but never found official records of this place on any map." He produced the Demon-Settling Compass; its needle was still. "Have the monsters departed?"

"So be it—fate brought me here. I’ll stay for the night."

He bounded through the wilds, paying no mind to paths—when one leaps high and flies far, any road becomes a road. Knowing now that there were no monsters here, he no longer bothered to hide his aura.

"Perhaps a monster from the Transverse Mountains passed nearby, sensed by the compass," he reasoned, casting his gaze upon the mountain range.

"When I’ve settled the monster and pirate crises in Nan County, I can enter the Transverse Mountains to further my cultivation." There he could both train and gain experience, and slay monsters for skill points—a double benefit.

The Transverse Mountains, rich in spiritual energy, teemed with beasts and demons. The Demon Suppression Bureau had organized sects to attack the range multiple times, always to no avail. Stretching thousands of miles, the mountains hid not only monsters, but also the main bases of evil cultivators. Thus, those wanted by the bureau, sects, and aristocratic families often committed crimes, yet proved difficult to subdue.

After several leaps, he finally left the wilds and stepped onto fertile plains. Baili Feihong changed into a black python robe, taking simple clothes from his pack and changing. His neatly combed hair was now in disarray.

"The mud roads here are solid, with deep wheel marks, showing this place is not isolated; carriages and horses pass frequently." This was odd. For such a large town, the bureau had no records. Was Nan County’s bureau concealing something once again?

A hundred meters ahead, he spotted a mountain god temple. Red lanterns hung at its entrance; all was silent and deserted, making it seem out of place. The temple doors stood open.

Baili Feihong paused, glancing at the temple—and was startled. "Black Tiger?"

A lifelike statue stood within, incense burning continuously. Yet the statue depicted a Mountain Lord—a Black Tiger Mountain Lord. Even ten yards away, Baili Feihong’s divine sense could observe it in detail. The craftsmanship was exquisite, perhaps the work of a master.

Boom—

The heavens were unkind; thunder rumbled. In the flashes of lightning, the Mountain Lord statue appeared kindly.

"A mountain king, even as a mountain god, ought to be fierce and intimidating—how could it look kindly?" The statue was peculiar. His divine sense detected nothing amiss, but Baili Feihong had no wish to spend the night in this strange temple.

He had hurried from Dongbin City, not yet stopped for a meal in Nan County. After leaving the city, he was ambushed halfway by pirates and fought off their attack. Now he was truly hungry. Aside from incense, the temple offered nothing edible. The mountain god’s delicacies were not to his taste.

Without hesitation, he quickened his pace. After another three hundred meters, he reached the town’s exit.

A dilapidated inn appeared before him, so run-down that cobwebs nearly enveloped the whole place. After another three hundred meters, he finally stepped onto a stone-paved street.

The brightly lit town appeared before his eyes. From afar, the town looked small, but up close, it was no less than Fairness Town. The air was thick with the scent of flowers, as if he had entered a garden—hundreds of blossoms, intoxicating fragrance.

Above the town gate, three large characters were inscribed: Hundred Flowers Town.

"It feels familiar, but I can’t recall why!" Baili Feihong frowned slightly.

Just then, the rain began to fall. He hurried, as all the townsfolk had already gone indoors to escape the rain. Seeing the inn’s sign not far away, Baili Feihong didn’t hesitate and rushed inside for shelter.