Chapter 319 - 124: Shangluo

Chapter 319: Chapter 124: Shangluo

Excellence is impossible to hide, and Fang Rui was the perfect example.

During the journey, the moment Fang Rui took action, he captured the infamous Plum Blossom Thief. Afterward, he nonchalantly cured two members of the caravan who had suddenly fallen ill.

A man like Yu Song, who had traveled far and wide, naturally had a keen eye. He knew Fang Rui was a capable person, and despite being the caravan master, he wasn’t too proud to curry favor. He took extra special care of the Fang Family, and his attitude could even be described as somewhat fawning.

"Thank you for the information."

Fang Rui looked into the distance and saw a mountain range shaped like an upright index finger, its peak towering into the clouds. Below, spring was in full bloom, a tapestry of bright colors, but the summit pierced the heavens, perpetually covered in ice and snow.

"That incredibly high peak, is that Two Realms Mountain?" he asked.

"Indeed."

Yu Song explained, "Perhaps it’s because Two Realms Mountain is so tall, or maybe there are other factors, but the lower part of the range experiences all four seasons while the top is perpetually covered in ice and snow. It’s like two separate realms, hence the name."

"In the past, master Martial Artists often dueled on Two Realms Mountain."

He knew Fang Rui enjoyed hearing interesting tidbits, so he didn’t beat around the bush. "The most recent duel between Martial Artists was about three years ago, I think. It was between two Upper Three Grade Martial Artists, and it’s said they were both Second Grade. One had the surname Xu, the other, Kou."

"Not long after the duel, the former disappeared in Two Realms Mountain. The latter went to Wuzhou, and later, I heard he also vanished mysteriously."

"People found the whole affair unsettling, so far fewer Martial Artists have dueled on Two Realms Mountain since then."

"Oh? A Second Grade Martial Artist, Wuzhou..."

A glint flashed in Fang Rui’s eyes. ’Back then, to find the Yang Attribute Dragon Pearl in my possession, Zhen Daoji created an Upper Three Grades Yin Corpse. Could the person that Yin Corpse used to be... be that Martial Artist with the Kou surname who went to Wuzhou?’

...

「Half a day later.」

On the horizon, a magnificent city lay coiled like a beast, the turbulent waters of the Luo River flowing beside it.

From the center of this massive city, a majestic pillar of golden light shot into the sky. It was surrounded by countless floating specks of gold, arranged in the pattern of the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams, obscuring the sky and sun.

With Fang Rui’s keen eyesight, he could naturally see that the golden specks were actually rows of suspended banners made of light and shadow.

These banners of light and shadow served as formation nodes, casting down a gigantic, hemispherical barrier of light that enveloped the entirety of Shangluo City. It was smooth as a mirror and shifted colors with the sunlight.

Moreover, illusory forms of the four spirits—the Cyan Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise—condensed from energy, constantly wheeled and danced in the air, creating a truly spectacular sight.

"It’s so beautiful! The entire city of Shangluo is like a brilliant pearl."

"Yes, look over there! The Four Spirits Divine Beast are circling in the sky... What an Immortal City!"

"We’ve traveled across three states on our way here, and even the state capitals of Lu, Lan, and Qi can’t hold a candle to this place."

"Shangluo is the auxiliary capital. How could any other city compare?"

...

Even though they had witnessed many grand sights along their journey, Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family, Third Lady, and all the maids still cried out in amazement at this scene.

Yu Song proudly explained, "Above Shangluo City is the Saint Emperor’s Relic, the Chaos Four Symbols Banner. It has transformed into one hundred twenty-nine thousand, six hundred Star Banners and can even alter celestial phenomena..."

’Oh? The Saint Emperor’s Relic, the Chaos Four Symbols Banner? I’ve long heard of the great renown of Innate Supreme Treasures, and today, I finally get to see one up close.’

Fang Rui mused, looking up. Both his Martial Arts Intuition and his Spiritual Sense as a Spirit Master detected a vast, boundless, and magnificent power held in check above Shangluo City.

’It is truly worthy of the name Innate Supreme Treasure. The feeling this Chaos Four Symbols Banner gives me... its fundamental nature is extremely high. It’s on a completely different Tier than any mere Secret Treasure.’

’The Great Yu Court is certainly bold, displaying an Innate Supreme Treasure so casually out in the open. Of course, I’m sure that’s just for show. There must be countless safeguards in place. Anyone who dares to get any funny ideas would absolutely be courting death.’

’Hmm, time to set a small goal: sometime in my long, immortal life ahead, I’ll find a chance to get an Innate Supreme Treasure to play around with.’

He thought to himself.

"Shangluo City is great in every way, except..."

After rattling on about Shangluo City for a while, Yu Song’s tone suddenly shifted, and a bitter expression crossed his face. "Living in Shangluo is far from easy. The cost of living is high, not to mention you need a household registration to enjoy any of the preferential policies from the Government Office..."

"However,"

At this, a look of pride appeared on his face. "If I stay for another three years and pay taxes for the full period, I’ll meet all the conditions to get my Shangluo City household registration. Then, I’ll be qualified to buy a house in the city... In the future, my children will be able to take the state examinations in Shangluo City, and who knows, maybe they’ll even become officials..."

"AHEM!"

Hearing this, an incredibly strange expression came over Fang Rui’s face. ’This whole setup... why does it sound so familiar?!’

The Otherworld’s version of a residency policy?

’That’s just... brilliant!’

He was speechless for a long moment, not knowing what to even say.

...

「Entering the city.」

To avoid any trouble, the pair of Flowing Cloud Cyan Simurghs were not brought into the city but left outside.

—Fang Rui wasn’t worried they would get too wild and run off. He had left Spiritual Technique imprints on the pair of Flowing Cloud Cyan Simurghs; all he had to do was come out periodically, give them a good beating, and then offer a little reward.

Once inside the city, Yu Song enthusiastically led the way and recommended an inn.

After temporarily settling in, Fang Rui considered his options and decided to contact Zhou Changfa.

His public identity was, of course, still usable—back then, Zhen Daoji had been dealt with before he could even issue a warrant.

After the fact, with both Zhen Daoji and Zhen Yi dead, no one would believe that Fang Rui, a mere Sixth Grade Martial Artist, possessed the ability to kill the Zhen Family’s uncle and nephew.