Chapter 107: Jianghu Town

There's nothing I can do; a single coin can bring down a hero!

Li Mu also has no way to deal with this.

Now, given Li Mu's knowledge of that scumbag Song Haolin, he doesn't even need to go to the airship's docking point to check.

That guy surely took the airship away ahead of time.

Gu Yun Cheng is still a long way from Ziyang Sect, so it's unrealistic for Li Mu to walk back on foot.

Having no other choice, Li Mu could only ask the village elders for a small sum of money and a Sweat‑Blood Treasure Horse.

After thanking them, Li Mu rode the treasure horse away, heading toward the sect.

Only later did he recall that he had been on an airship.

All you have to do is sleep comfortably in your own room, and you can travel ten thousand li a day.

When he woke up, he was already at his destination.

One could say that, on the way there, for Li Mu, taking part in this Outer Disciple assessment wasn't so much a tiring journey.

Rather, it was just a trip.

But the course of the trip indeed put Li Mu in several life‑or‑death situations, and he clawed his way out of those predicaments multiple times.

If Li Mu didn't have great luck on his side, he would have already died at the hands of that demon king.

Just a lament, though the demon king's threat is gone, the airship he arrived on is completely gone as well.

Li Mu could only endure the ordinary speed of his steed, slowly making his way toward the Middle Gate.

"What a pity; had I known, I should have taken the airship's key!"

"That way, even if Song Haolin and his crew disappear, I could still use the airship to return to the sect at top speed later."

"But now the airship has probably already been stolen by that Song Haolin fellow, leaving me to stare helplessly."

"Never mind, once I get back to the sect, I'll make that Song Haolin boy regret it fully."

Li Mu scowled in anger, yet his heart couldn't stop feeling a pang of regret.

Holding that thought, Li Mu rode his horse while continuously restoring his own stamina.

After about half a day more, Li Mu arrived at a small town to rest briefly.

However, compared with the ancient city where Li Mu previously fought the demon king,

the former is clearly much larger than the latter.

Li Mu roughly estimated the population to be at least over a million.

It was a sea of people, bustling beyond measure.

Both commerce and local customs gave Li Mu a huge fresh experience.

Li Mu now felt like Liu Laolao entering the Grand View Garden, leisurely strolling the town's lanes while leading his horse.

Along the way he could see locals dressed in all sorts of attire.

But seeing Li Mu clad head to toe in a blood‑stained robe and covered with gruesome wounds,

naturally made people involuntarily associate him with the outlaws they usually encounter.

Thus, they mostly kept their distance from Li Mu.

Unless absolutely necessary, they wouldn't dare come within a half step.

Li Mu, however, didn't mind the locals' fearful gazes.

After all, recalling his past life on Blue Star, Li Mu himself was a social‑anxiety sufferer.

Since these people chose to keep distance, why wouldn't he be happy about it?

After Li Mu leisurely patrolled the small city,

using the awakened Tian Dao Treasure Scroll to carefully sense the town's specifics, he found no abnormalities.

Only then did his hanging heart settle back into his gut.

"Huh…"

"I told you, how could I possibly be this unlucky?"

"Encountering a demon king once is one thing."

"How could the same demon king appear to me twice, even three times?"

"That demon king isn't a cabbage."

"It's truly like being bitten by a snake and fearing the well rope for ten years."

"I'm speechless at my own predicament."

Recalling his overly cautious actions, Li Mu shook his head, half laughing, half crying.

At the same time, Li Mu silently complained about himself in his mind.

After that, Li Mu passed by a place called Drunken Immortal Tower.

On the third‑floor railing of Drunken Immortal Tower, several flower‑like, graceful young maidens were constantly waving silk handkerchiefs.

They flirted passionately, showcasing their graceful figures.

They also blew kisses and tossed flirtatious glances at the crowd below, truly embodying the word "hot."

On the first floor, two old guards stood side by side, enthusiastically shouting at the travelers coming from the south and north, bustling about cheerfully.

"Customers, come in quickly!"

"Inside, please!"

"How about coming in for a cup of floral wine?"

"Come…"

"Come on, don't be shy, dear guest!"

"Rest assured, being here feels just like home."

"Isn't there a saying that goes, 'Guests are treated like returning home'?"

"Alright, princesses upstairs, stop standing there like fools, come down quickly to greet and refresh us."

"Receiving guests, receiving guests!"

"Hehe…"

"Could this be the brothel in the mortal world that Qian Wenyi and I mentioned earlier?"

"It looks truly unique, which has sparked a fair amount of interest in me."

Li Mu watched the bustling crowd, a smile curling at the corner of his mouth, his face showing an ambiguous, meaningful grin.

He hesitated briefly in his mind, pondering whether to go in or not.

At that moment, a middle‑aged woman, heavily made up and dressed in a bright gown, was already there.

She lifted her skirt and hurried toward Li Mu, taking three steps in the time of two.

"Sir!"

"Come in quickly and have some fun."

"Hehe…"

"I, upon seeing you, Sir, can tell you are a legendary martial hero, your hands surely stained with countless lives, yet you exude an overwhelming sense of safety as a man."

"Hey, I'm sure that as long as you appear in our Drunken Immortal Tower."

"You would be the brightest star in the Drunken Immortal Tower, and the girls there would look at you just like fans gazing at a celebrity."

"We'd truly wish we could cling onto you!"

"Alright, Sir, stop hesitating and follow me inside at once."

Li Mu was also startled by Lao Bao's enthusiastic, fiery behavior, and involuntarily stepped back, instinctively keeping a relatively safe distance.

"Look at that young man, he's incredibly handsome."

"Even though he's wearing a blood‑stained Daoist robe, it doesn't diminish his charm or looks at all."

"On the contrary, it makes him even more captivating, further highlighting his masculine allure, truly stirring the heart."

At this moment, a shrill scream and shout, like that of a little fangirl, echoed through the brothel.

It was as if the words "fangirl" were written on her face.

But before Li Mu could see clearly what the woman who just spoke actually looked like.

Immediately after, another deep sigh resonated through the brothel.

No matter how much we say or do here, it's of no use.

It seems this handsome young man has no intention of entering our Drunken Immortal Tower.

It truly gives a ticklish feeling inside, as if scratched by a cat's paw.

Soon after leaving the Drunken Immortal Tower, Li Mu decided to find a proper restaurant for a meal.

He certainly didn't want to be eating and then end up in some inexplicable place.

That would be bad.

After wandering for a while, Li Mu finally arrived at a tavern called Qingfeng Tower.

Upon reaching the entrance of Qingfeng Tower, the situation differed from Li Mu's initial expectation; neither Gui Gong nor Lao Bao rushed toward him.

Instead, a briskly dressed waiter tossed the towel off his shoulder, hurriedly ran three steps in the time of two toward Li Xiao, and greeted with a nod and a deep bow.

"Young master, are you here to stay or just to eat?"

"You tell me, I'll arrange it."

"Young master, is this your horse?"

"I have premium fodder here that will surely satisfy you, young knight."

"Hey, I'm just here for a quick meal; no need for lodging."

Facing the waiter's enthusiastic politeness, Li Mu simply waved his hand and replied with a cheerful smile.

"Please, come inside, come inside!"

"If it's food you're after, brother, you've definitely come to the right place."

"Feel free to inquire about the cuisine at Qingfeng Tower."

"Within these ten miles and surrounding villages, no tavern offers food more abundant and delicious than Qingfeng Tower's."

"I guarantee you'll want another after just one bite."

Seeing that Li Mu had no intention of staying at Qingfeng Tower, the waiter didn't press the matter.

Instead, with keen insight, he proactively took the reins of the Sweat‑Blood Treasure Horse from Li Mu's hand, leading the horse forward and guiding the way.

He led Li Mu all the way into the courtyard of Qingfeng Tower.

"Good!"

Li Mu was quite pleased with the waiter's self‑serving remarks.

He directly pulled out a few copper coins and tossed them into the waiter's palm.

That made the waiter overjoyed; he nodded and bowed, his excitement plainly written on his face.

"Hey…"

Watching the waiter's departing back, Li Mu glanced again at the copper coins in his hand.

Originally, he intended to give the waiter ten copper coins, but after tossing only two, the waiter became overly delighted.

Of course, Li Mu didn't think it was simply because the waiter was ungreedy.

More accurately, the issue lay in his status as a sect disciple.

Walking among the mundane world, one unconsciously carries a certain aura.

Take that waiter, for example; even though he didn't receive any coins just now.

He only dismissed him with a couple of casual words, so his attitude toward himself certainly wouldn't dare to contain any hint of dissatisfaction.

Rather, he was courteous and deferential to the extreme.

This is power!

This also made Li Mu keenly realize that strength and realms are not limited to the cultivation world.

Even in their secular world, strength is always paramount.

At the same time, this further stirred Li Mu's inner yearning for power, vowing that he would definitely become stronger.

Only by getting stronger!

Can earn people's respect!

Thinking this in his heart, Li Mu calmly stepped onto the wooden stairs and reached the second floor of Qingfeng Tower.

It was only after he had reached the second floor that Li Mu became alert.

First, he immediately scanned the surroundings of the hall with his gaze.

He examined the expressions on everyone present, one by one, and stored them in his mind.

He did not expect that there were already more than twenty guests dining on this second floor.

Moreover, from their attire it was clear that, without exception, they were all jianghu folk.

However, the cultivation realms of these jianghu folk were not very high.

Most of them were also concentrated in the Refining Qi Realm, roughly the same as Li Mu before his breakthrough.

Some bold cultivators even displayed the knives, spears, and staffs they held openly.

There they ate large pieces of meat and drank from big bowls, truly bold.

And these jianghu folk, unlike Li Mu who is wrapped in a blood‑stained robe, bore a strong jianghu aura on their faces, giving the impression of grass‑root bandits.