Chapter 56: The City of Reception

Chapter 56: The Summoning City

Before entering the Boundless Wilderness, Li Hongshen had spoken with his senior, Luo Si, and had been informed in advance of a prime campsite. Therefore, instead of choosing to descend at random, he selected the nearest Summoning City, number 713.

This method could not be considered cheating—at most, it was a matter of personal ability. The school had never forbidden such a choice; in fact, the competition began the moment one joined Peng City First Academy. Those with foresight would gather information ahead of time, even trading with seniors for news of desirable lands. Some, by sheer luck, had siblings at the school and directly inherited their siblings’ territories.

Those who were slower to react had to rely entirely on random assignment. Though the hunting grounds near each Summoning City were guaranteed to be somewhat balanced, who wouldn’t want prior knowledge to better prepare themselves?

Some available regions were simply lands left behind by seniors who had moved on. After two or three centuries of wilderness, the land and resources would recover and become suitable for newcomers once more. Besides these, the school and teachers also took the initiative to open up new campsites to accommodate the ever-growing number of students.

All these sites were reported to the school for unified allocation, ensuring everyone had access to a hunting ground and could develop peacefully during the initial stage.

However, this distribution of territory was only for freshmen. Once reaching the Ten-Thousand Mile Mountains, lords would need to carve out their own domains and face much fiercer competition.

Thus, when Li Hongshen first arrived in the Boundless Wilderness, he made sure to leave the summoning array early to secure his chosen spot before anyone else. He went straight to the staff to claim land and collect resources, barely interacting with other classmates and remaining unfamiliar with them.

Still, even with little acquaintance among his peers, as a first-year newcomer, Li Hongshen estimated that very few people would attend the virtual market—perhaps only four or five. Most hadn’t yet established themselves in the wilderness, let alone produced surplus goods for trade.

Among the new students, this annual market lasted for one month. According to what Li Hongshen had learned, it would only start to flourish after five or six years, once the freshmen had gained a firm footing in the wilderness.

When it came time to enter the Ten-Thousand Mile Mountains, the virtual market’s sessions would extend to every five or ten years, each lasting from three to six months. Difficult roads, numerous dangers, and less frequent but larger trades meant that the demand for goods was not as constant as among the new students.

Li Hongshen spent nearly a week traveling from the Rift Valley to Summoning City 713. Having only glimpsed the city in haste a year prior, it wasn’t until now that he had the leisure to take in its details.

From a distance, it was clear this city was no ordinary place. If not for Li Hongshen pointing out its location, even the warriors following him—including Zhao Yun, who had been here before—would never have guessed a city stood here.

At the gate, two third-tier warriors stood guard. They let Li Hongshen pass without question. Inside, only the central area held a few buildings; the rest was open ground.

Unfazed, Li Hongshen found a vacant spot to set up camp. With a small team of warriors, he ventured outside the city to fell trees and haul back stones, constructing a simple stall upon their return.

Next, he put up racks for clothes and poles for hanging goods. Unloading the ox cart, he displayed bolts of cloth and garments, arranging weapons on weapon stands. Beneath the eaves, he spread a cloth and arranged colorful ceramic jars on top.

Beside the jars, he placed a signboard: each jar might contain salt, beast meat, medicine, cloth, or grain. Each was sold for three blood crystals, and what one got depended on luck—but he promised nobody would lose out.

Of course, as a businessman, Li Hongshen had no intention of losing money. At most, he would let others feel they’d made a small gain, but he himself would never suffer a loss. The jars cost him little; cloth was already being produced on an assembly line and thus held scant value for him, though to others it was a fair trade.

Salt and medicine gave the illusion of profit, but for him, these were renewable resources. As for grain and beast meat, these were the least valuable; about thirty percent of the jars contained one or the other.

After setting up his stall, Li Hongshen began constructing his own dwelling, using the design from the Lord’s Trial, minus the need for extra insulation against cold. He used stones for pillars and thatch for roofing, quickly assembling a few simple huts. Without fuss, he assigned guards and went to rest.

Although he expected perhaps five or six people in this first year, there was also a chance no one would come. He had arrived a bit early, just before the trading period began, and thus needed patience.

He waited through the next day—the first day of trading—thinking to himself:

“Could it be that no one will come? Are their situations really that dire? Am I wasting my time and effort for nothing?”

Having arrived on the cusp of the trading period, Li Hongshen felt a bit uneasy and awkward when no one appeared the next day. He’d boasted to his warriors that he’d definitely make some trades, but now it seemed he might have to eat his words.

At last, on the morning of the third day, while Li Hongshen was restlessly walking the city walls, he spotted a party approaching in the distance.

“Which tribe are they from, arriving so early?”

“Look! Their clothes are so fine—much better than our beast-hide garments.”

“Wow, they’ve already built houses. They look so nice.”

“Check out their goods. They must be selling clothes and some strange tools. Let’s ask our lord to trade for some later—they look great.”

“Be careful, see their banner? That’s the Hong tribe. And those are fierce birds and wolves beside them—they even tame beasts. What a powerful tribe.”

“And look at them—tall and robust, clearly skilled hunters. Especially that one—see him? So handsome.”

As the group entered, the place grew lively, with chatter echoing among both new arrivals and Li Hongshen’s people, who craned their necks for a look but did not approach without his command, instead holding their ground.

The newcomers halted beside the Hong tribe’s stall. All were clad in beast-hide, their frames noticeably smaller than those of the Hong tribe. Their ears were slightly pointed, and their leader was a woman, accompanied by a black predatory panther.

“Hello, my name is Li Bingbing.”

Today I am not at my best—after struggling all day, I managed to finish this chapter. I’ll do my best to adjust. My apologies, everyone.

End of chapter.