Su Yueli was in no hurry to leave the city.
She strolled leisurely along the city streets, intending to wait a bit longer.
At this moment, Tianyuan City was bustling with crowds. Aside from numerous secular mortals and low-level martial artists, there were also many cultivators from other factions.
No matter how arrogant the people of the Cangyun Sect were, they would certainly have some reservations within the city and wouldn't dare to make a move easily.
The large crowd was actually her best cover.
As she walked, a rich aroma of wine wafted into her nose.
Su Yueli turned her head and saw a tavern by the street with a high-hanging sign that read: Immortal's Brew.
She subconsciously touched the old wine gourd hanging from her waist.
Many years had passed since she last bought wine. Seeing this so-called Immortal's Brew now, she couldn't help but feel a flicker of interest.
She stepped into the tavern and looked at the shopkeeper. “How much is this wine?”
Seeing her extraordinary attire, the shopkeeper quickly put on a warm smile. “You have great taste, young lady. This is our Immortal's Brew, hand-brewed by cultivators using spiritual grains mixed with a hundred herbs. It's three low-grade spirit stones per catty, and the flavor is incredibly rich.”
Su Yueli handed over the spirit stones and had the shopkeeper fill her wine gourd to the brim. Along the way, she bought an entire jar and tossed it into her storage bag.
Stepping out of the tavern, she pulled the stopper and took a sip.
As the strong liquor entered her throat, a burning sensation slid all the way down her esophagus, instantly turning into a warm current.
It was indeed something made by cultivators, completely different from the ordinary wine of the secular world.
The wine contained a trace of weak spiritual energy, which actually managed to faintly stimulate the Ji Dao blood qi in her body, bringing an indescribable comfort to her newly broken-through meridians.
Though... it was indeed of little practical use.
“Good wine,” Su Yueli murmured with a soft laugh, hanging the gourd back up.
She continued to wander around the city. The sky was gradually darkening, and red lanterns were being hung up on the buildings along both sides of the street, making the scene look incredibly bustling.
“Oh, young lady, please wait a moment!”
Suddenly, a street vendor running a jewelry stall shouted at the top of his lungs to stop Su Yueli.
The vendor sized her up, his face full of awe as he began to praise her profusely. “You truly possess the beauty of an immortal, young lady! You look exactly like a fairy stepped out of a painting! Come and take a look at these high-quality accessories my shop just received. If paired with your looks, it would absolutely be the icing on the cake!”
Su Yueli raised an eyebrow and paused to scan the stall.
The stall was filled with small hairpins and hair ornaments commonly used by young girls of secular families. The craftsmanship was very delicate, and they did look quite beautiful.
But... she had absolutely no interest in these flashy trinkets.
“No need, I'm not interested,” Su Yueli waved her hand, preparing to leave.
How could the vendor let such a customer go? He quickly picked up a hairpin and blocked her path. “Everyone loves beauty, young lady! Look at this pale green jade hairpin. Doesn't it match your blue-and-white dress perfectly? You're so beautiful; if you wear this and walk down the street, what man wouldn't be absolutely captivated?”
Hearing the vendor babbling in her ear, Su Yueli felt incredibly helpless.
A love for beauty?
No, she preferred looking cool.
It was just a pity that she was now a male soul in a female body, and she really felt nothing toward the dressing and makeup of young girls.
However, seeing how persistent the vendor was, and wanting to avoid drawing attention from bystanders, Su Yueli didn't feel like wasting any more words.
She casually took the green jade hairpin that matched her dress and handed over some money.
The vendor beamed with joy, bowing and showering Su Yueli with praises, exclaiming that she had an excellent eye.
Su Yueli casually slid the hairpin into her hair bun and continued to wander around the city.
She planned to officially head out of the city once the sky grew completely dark.
As she walked, a noisy commotion suddenly erupted from a square not far ahead.
“Wantong Merchant House is recruiting caravan escorts! We will take the main road to Blackwater City. Recruiting martial artists of the Third Realm and above! Excellent pay, first come, first served!”
Su Yueli stopped to look and found that a decently sized secular caravan was recruiting personnel.
Her heart stirred slightly.
If she left the city entirely on her own, her target profile would be far too obvious. The spies stationed at the city gates by the Cangyun Sect would most likely keep a close watch on every solitary cultivator.
But if she blended into this chaotic secular caravan, she could probably avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble.
With this thought in mind, Su Yueli walked toward the recruitment spot.
By now, a crowd had already gathered in front of the recruitment stage. Most of them were burly, fierce-looking secular martial artists.
When Su Yueli's stunning figure in her blue-and-white dress appeared in the crowd, countless gazes swept over in unison, filled with surprise.
“Oh? Which family's young lady has run out to cause trouble?”
“Little girl, this is a place for recruiting escorts. There will be mountain bandits and highwaymen along the way; this isn't a playground for you. Hurry home and do some embroidery!”
Several sweaty martial artists couldn't help but burst into laughter, their eyes scanning Su Yueli without restraint.
Hearing this, the corner of Su Yueli's mouth twitched slightly.
She took a general sweep of the crowd. The martial artists boasting before her generally had strengths around the Third Realm or Fourth Realm.
The strongest burly man among them barely touched the threshold of the Fifth Realm at best.
This struck her as rather absurd and amusing.
However, Su Yueli didn't feel like bickering. She walked up to the caravan manager in charge of recruitment.
The manager was a shrewd old man whose strength was quite decent among secular martial artists.
Looking at the young woman before him, whose appearance and temperament were both extraordinary, he frowned.
“Young lady.”
The manager sighed. Though his tone was relatively polite, his intention to turn her away was clear. “Our caravan is transporting bulk goods, and the route we take is highly dangerous. Blades and swords have no eyes along the way. You look like a pampered daughter of a wealthy family, so please do not joke around here. It's best you return home early.”
Su Yueli knew that in a place like this, trying to explain with words alone was completely useless.
If she wanted to successfully join this caravan, she had to show some real proof of her strength.
“A joke?”
Su Yueli smiled faintly. Her cold eyes fell upon the manager, and at that moment, she allowed a tiny sliver of her deeply suppressed, terrifying blood qi to leak out.
To avoid attracting the attention of the cultivators in the city, she did her best to control it.
Yet, even though it was only a minuscule trace, to secular martial artists, it was no different from a slumbering ancient beast letting out a low growl right next to their ears.
The laughter of the mocking martial artists came to an abrupt halt.
The caravan manager, who bore the brunt of it, turned pale in an instant, feeling as if he had been plunged into an ice cavern.
Rate on N.U.
