Chapter Ninety-Five: Fleeing to the Frontier Town

Ning Fengguo was but a minor nation on the Longxiang Continent, even more so a subordinate to the Blood Victory Empire. Though the Wind and Snow Pavilion held absolute sway within Ning Fengguo, it faced many constraints once it reached the realm of the Blood Victory Empire.

Of course, Lin Xiaobao had chosen the Blood Victory Empire as his next destination for a far more compelling reason: in a month’s time, the three-yearly auction of the Carefree Pavilion would be held within the empire. Now, bereft of the Wind and Snow Pavilion’s backing, he needed to quickly elevate his cultivation, which meant he had to find a way to acquire resources. While the ancient seal had granted him many precious materials, those were suitable only for refining artifacts and offered little help in raising his own cultivation. Therefore, he intended to use this opportunity to exchange for what he required at the Carefree Pavilion.

With his plan settled, Lin Xiaobao dashed toward Dongxuan City at speed. With the third stage of Spiritual Path cultivation and meridians expanded by medicinal baths, ordinary people could not even glimpse his shadow. Even under the bright midday sun, at most they saw a green blur flash by, and by the time they looked again, it was gone. Many assumed it was only a trick of the eye.

It must be admitted, the world was vast. Even though Ning Fengguo was a small country, its territory was considerable. Despite his remarkable speed, it took Lin Xiaobao two full days to reach a secluded hollow outside Dongxuan City.

He did not rush into the city but chose a hidden spot to recover his spiritual energy spent on the journey. Lin Xiaobao was confident the Wind and Snow Pavilion could not guess he would leave Ning Fengguo, and even if they did, they lacked the manpower to station interceptors in every border city. Still, caution was paramount.

With the help of a Spiritual Gathering Array, Lin Xiaobao restored his energy in just an hour. He then inscribed a concealment formation upon himself, making his cultivation appear only as the fifth stage of a Post-Heaven martial artist. He was still young, and if his cultivation seemed too high, it would surely attract unwanted attention.

Having completed all preparations, Lin Xiaobao leapt down from the hollow and made his way slowly to the city gate.

Sweeping his spiritual sense casually over the ten-zhang-high city walls, Lin Xiaobao had to admire the architecture of this world—their resilience could withstand the attacks of a ninth-stage Pre-Heaven martial artist. Although such height meant little to martial artists of that level, if enough powerful crossbows were mounted atop the wall, even those experts would hesitate to act rashly.

To avoid arousing suspicion, Lin Xiaobao approached the gate in the usual manner.

“Stop right there!” As a border city of Ning Fengguo, Dongxuan’s defenses were far stricter than others. Lin Xiaobao was immediately halted by guards as he reached the gate.

“What instruction do you have, officer?” Lin Xiaobao cupped his fists as two armored guards with spears approached him.

“Where are you from? What business brings you to Dongxuan City?” one of the guards asked in a deep voice.

“I hail from Fengyang City, and I've come here mainly to try my luck at Blackwind Mountain,” Lin Xiaobao replied, surreptitiously slipping a gold coin to the questioning guard.

Receiving the coin, both guards’ expressions softened considerably. One gently patted Lin Xiaobao’s shoulder and warned, “Blackwind Mountain does have many resources, but the beasts there are fierce. Occasionally, spiritual beasts are said to appear. Good luck to you!”

“Thank you, officer!” Lin Xiaobao bowed again and proceeded into the city.

He was quite pleased. Since the guards accepted his coin and did not mention Blackwind Mountain being sealed off, Lin Xiaobao concluded that the Wind and Snow Pavilion had not foreseen him leaving Ning Fengguo by this route. Otherwise, the city would have been under strict lockdown. Still, while things seemed normal, Lin Xiaobao, ever cautious, would not relax until he left Ning Fengguo and entered the Blood Victory Empire. Who could tell if this was not a trap set by the Wind and Snow Pavilion?

Compared to the city walls, Dongxuan’s buildings were much lower, but the city itself was bustling. Stalls lined both sides of the streets, selling herbs, ores, beast meat—all related to Blackwind Mountain.

Despite the variety, Lin Xiaobao’s spiritual sense swept over the wares and found them to be the most basic resources, so he lost interest in foraging for treasures.

Most of the stallholders were Post-Heaven martial artists, with an occasional Pre-Heaven expert. Ordinary martial artists were nowhere to be seen; perhaps their skills were simply not enough to qualify entry into Blackwind Mountain.

After traversing three streets and turning a corner, Lin Xiaobao came upon the tallest building he had seen since entering the city. Atop its roof, a banner bore three characters: Immortal’s Abode.

With a tavern in sight, Lin Xiaobao would not pass up the chance. It was a good place to gather information as well as satisfy his hunger. He had been rushing along his journey, surviving mostly on dry rations, and could hardly resist such temptation now.

He entered the tavern briskly, ordered several small dishes, and sat down. Here, however, the waiter was not as enthusiastic as the one back in Kaiyang Town; at least, after serving the food, he did not recommend any special services.

After eating and drinking his fill, Lin Xiaobao gained a preliminary understanding of Dongxuan City. He also learned that to enter Blackwind Mountain, he would first need to register as a mercenary. Moreover, those below Pre-Heaven cultivation required teams of at least five to be granted entry.

Such measures were likely to ensure everyone’s safety, but Lin Xiaobao suspected they also served as a form of exit registration. With these thoughts swirling, he made his way to the Mercenary Guild in the southern part of the city.

On the Longxiang Continent, the Mercenary Guild was an independent institution, belonging to no empire, yet its branches were spread throughout the land.

If one could offer sufficient payment, the Mercenary Guild would undertake any task, from finding a cat or a dog to assassinating the emperor of a nation or the master of a sect.

Before reaching South Street, Lin Xiaobao could already hear the commotion from afar.

“Swiftwind Mercenary Corps is hiring long-term, twenty gold coins a month!”

“Greed Mercenary Corps is recruiting en masse, fifteen gold coins base pay plus commissions!”

“Wild Dragon Mercenary Corps wants mercenaries, eighteen gold coins a month and injury compensation…”

Had Lin Xiaobao not witnessed the power of recruitment fairs in his previous life, the spectacle might well have startled him. Both sides of the street were filled with mercenary groups recruiting, and people milled about, occasionally approaching strangers for a chat.

“Hey there, young man, I’ve got some quality goods. Interested in taking a look?” Just as Lin Xiaobao made his way to the guild’s main hall, a passerby whispered to him.