Chapter 288: The Grand Stage of Gangdu—If You

Although cars in this era were still primitive and had not replaced horses and mules in transportation, Feng Xue rode a magnificent white steed, clad in seamless heavenly attire, his skin smooth and flawless, free of calluses and impurities—anyone with a modicum of experience could tell he was no ordinary man.

Fortunately, Feng Xue truly was no ordinary man, so he naturally endured these curious glances without concern.

"Sir, no riding horses within the city without official military rank." As he reached the gate, a clearly unlucky soldier, chosen by his comrades, stammered out the warning. Feng Xue paid it no mind, dismounting casually—but he did not transform Liu Yunxi into a ring or any other portable form, not out of any desire to conceal his xuan cultivation identity, but simply because the one-ton yin bag in his Hu Tian pouch needed someone to carry it.

Liu Yunxi, whose body had been specially strengthened, naturally paid no mind to this weight, but to onlookers, using such a noble steed as a pack animal seemed like a gross waste of a priceless horse.

Leading Liu Yunxi into the city, Feng Xue felt a flicker of confusion—Gangdu was far larger than Lucheng, and for a moment he had no idea where to settle.

Fortunately, the more prosperous a place, the more merchants it attracted; perhaps sensing newcomers might need lodging, several inns and restaurants of varying tiers had opened near the city gate.

Some were so plain their signs clearly advertised budget lodging; others were gilded and silvered, radiating an air of "if you can't pay, get out"; still others used foreign languages on their signs, as if they had no intention of catering to locals at all.

Feng Xue considered a moment, then avoided the most upscale options, walking toward an inn with modest decor but clear attention to detail.

"Sir, dining or lodging? We have a dedicated stable with premium forage and feed—your steed won't be neglected…"

Seeing Feng Xue approach with his horse, the waiter hurried forward and opened with a remark about the animal.

Feng Xue merely waved his hand, lifting with one hand the massive sack on the horse's back—nearly four meters in diameter—and suddenly said:

"You look like a ring!"

As he uttered this English no Briton could understand, Liu Yunxi instantly transformed into a ring, which he slipped onto his finger.

The waiter was startled at first, but quickly recovered, stepping aside to clear the path into the inn while maintaining his posture and saying:

"What would the guest like? Any dietary restrictions?"

"No restrictions—just bring four dishes and a soup. Also, I'm new to Gangdu and have some questions. Give me a quiet spot—a private room will do." Feng Xue reached into his wallet, pulled out two strings of banknotes, and handed them over.

The waiter's eyes lit up at the sight of the money; as he took it, he replied immediately:

"Of course, sir—but about your package…"

The waiter glanced at the nearly four-meter-wide bundle, then at the inn's entrance, barely two meters high, and his face twisted in indecision.

Feng Xue, unfazed, set the yin bag down on the ground:

"Get someone to move it."

"Got it!" The waiter nodded eagerly, leading Feng Xue to a private room. Before the food arrived, he said:

"What would the guest like to know? I'll answer anything."

"List the gods of wealth, rice shops, brokers, and money houses in this city." Feng Xue spoke casually; the waiter's eyes flickered with understanding and began speaking with practiced ease:

"In Gangdu, we worship three paths of wealth: the Proper Wealth God has faint incense, the Foreign Wealth God has strong fists, and the Illicit Wealth God has many affairs. Rice shops are varied, each with its own reputation…"

The waiter recited local conditions like a menu; Feng Xue nodded silently until the man finished, then added:

"How many Illicit Wealth Gods are there?"

"There are quite a few," the waiter lowered his voice. "The harbor is controlled by the Port Gang, the strongest faction. The street selling Western goods belongs to foreigners—names are strange foreign script, locals can't even read them, but it's not one group—it's several mixed together, very dangerous. Then there's the area around the City God Temple, where there's a Merit Pool—a place for taking covert contracts…"

"If I want to settle here long-term, where should I register my residence?" Feng Xue noted everything down, asking casually.

The waiter frowned slightly, thinking, then shook his head after a moment:

"Sir, you don't know—Gangdu's land is worth its weight in gold. Even the poorest tenement buildings are already bought up. Without connections, you can't register. But if you want to rent, I recommend Qingshan Brokerage—it's not far, just two turns down the road. They have ties to the xuan sects and operate with a sense of karmic cause and effect, so they rarely cheat."

As he spoke, a knock came at the door; the waiter entered with a tray:

"Sir, your dishes are ready."

"Hmm." Feng Xue tossed a tip, then asked the same waiter a few more minor questions before gesturing for him to leave.

"Little Xiao Lingdang, is the intel enough?" Feng Xue asked mentally as he ate. Little Xiao Lingdang responded immediately:

"Not much, but enough to sketch a power map. Given your feud with the Port Gang, I've plotted a rough route—first, go to the brokerage."

"That's what I thought too. But how's the wish-energy environment here? Too chaotic?"

Feng Xue glanced out the window; in his spiritual sight, the city's wish-energy was highly mixed but relatively clear, with no particularly murky pockets—likely because the Stove God had just been worshipped and the Jade Emperor welcomed.

"No problem—in fact, this is the best wish-energy environment I've seen since I've been with you!"

Little Xiao Lingdang gave a vigorous thumbs-up; Feng Xue smiled, pulled out Liu Yunxi to join him in eating, drinking, and chatting, and ended his first proper meal in a long time.

"Sir, your package," the waiter said, surprised to see Feng Xue emerge with an unfamiliar woman, but he suppressed his curiosity and returned the massive sack.

Looking at the seal on the sack's opening, Feng Xue found it amusing—he'd left the yin bag lying around because it contained nothing.

Shouldering the huge sack, Feng Xue had long since hardened his skin; he walked calmly along the direction the waiter had indicated, arriving at "Qingshan Brokerage."

Seeing Feng Xue's peculiar appearance, the apprentice at the brokerage's entrance glanced sharply and whispered to a colleague before hurrying inside. By the time Feng Xue reached the door, a man in his early thirties, with a trustworthy, earnest face, stepped out.

Feng Xue took one look—damn, another six-digit cultivator!

(End of Chapter)