Chapter 234: Liang State, Hongshi City

Whoosh…

A thirty-zhang-long blue Cloud-Piercing Boat skimmed over the endless mountains.

He Pingsheng exhaled in relief: "Sister… we've left Qi State!"

"We're already on Liang State's territory!"

"For now, we're safe!"

Behind him, in the cabin of the Cloud-Piercing Boat, sat a woman with white hair and a grotesque face.

No one else but Qiao Huizhu.

Qiao Huizhu also exhaled in relief: "We finally escaped… but I wonder how Xiaoqiao is doing?"

He Pingsheng had no reply.

"We'll look for her gradually!" After a moment, He Pingsheng said: "I just checked the map—this large commandery we're in is called 【Hongshi Commandery】, and its largest city is Hongshi City!"

"Sister, let's head to Hongshi City first, and quietly inquire about Xiaoqiao's whereabouts!"

"At the same time, I'll buy the herbs you need to help you rebuild your cultivation!"

To rebuild your cultivation, you need three elixirs: Kai Mai Pill, Yun Ling Pill, and Tuo Ling Pill.

These three elixirs aren't very high-grade—all are second-rank—but their ingredients are hard to gather.

After all, these three elixirs are obscure.

Qiao Huizhu said: "There's no other choice!"

He Pingsheng's flying boat was fast—compared to walking, at least. In truth, even at its maximum speed, it was still slower than a Foundation Establishment cultivator riding a sword.

But due to Qiao Huizhu's condition, he had no choice but to use this boat.

After flying for over forty days across the two states' Hongshi Commandery, they finally reached a vast, immense city.

Hongshi City!

Hongshi City wasn't red—it looked black from afar.

Outside the black city stood a twenty-zhang-high wall.

Whoever arrived at Hongshi City could not fly—they had to walk or ride in a vehicle.

He Pingsheng retracted his flying boat at the city's eastern gate and slowly helped Qiao Huizhu toward the entrance.

The towering city gate stood twenty zhang tall.

At the dark, crowded gate, guards clad in black robes stood on both sides.

He Pingsheng's spiritual sense swept over the guards and found that even the city guards here were all at least Qi Refining Stage Ten.

"Elder!" One guard stepped forward and bowed: "By regulation, we must ask: where are you from?"

Clearly, He Pingsheng lacked a permit to enter or exit Hongshi City.

He bowed in return: "I come from Qi State."

"Good!" the guard said: "To enter or exit the city, you must obtain a permit, and there's a fee."

"May I ask, Elder, would you like to obtain one?"

"Without a permit, you cannot enter the city!"

He Pingsheng said: "Get one… oh no—two…"

He Pingsheng gave the name: Xu Kunlun.

After paying twenty spirit stones, he received two permits.

With the permits, entering the city was no longer an issue.

"What a huge city!" Qiao Huizhu looked at the streets ahead: "Almost as big as Dingxiang City!"

He Pingsheng nodded: "Let's get a carriage."

At the city gate, there were shops renting or selling carriages—buy one, and you get a spirit beast to pull it.

Or you could rent one directly.

Thinking he might live here for a long time, He Pingsheng decided to buy a carriage.

"All carriages are the same!" The shopkeeper smiled at He Pingsheng: "The difference is the spirit beast pulling it. Look here—we have spirit oxen, snow sheep, Jin Xi, spirit dogs, and snowfield rabbits!"

"Different spirit beasts mean different prices!"

"Hehe… which one would you like?"

He Pingsheng asked: "Which one is the most docile?"

The shopkeeper pointed to the snowfield rabbit: "There—that big rabbit, the snowfield rabbit!"

"It doesn't eat grass—just feed it 【Grain Grain Bigu Pills】 normally. If you want it to advance in cultivation, occasionally give it 【Spirit Beast Pills】. Easy to care for!"

The snowfield rabbit wasn't an ordinary rabbit—it stood five chi tall!

Its fur was pure white, and the whole rabbit looked plump and sturdy.

He Pingsheng scanned it with his spiritual sense and found it equivalent to a human Qi Refining Stage Six or Seven—he nodded: "How many spirit stones?"

The shopkeeper said: "The rabbit is the most expensive—combined with the carriage, it's five thousand two hundred spirit stones!"

"I'll give you a discount—just one thousand!"

He Pingsheng was stunned.

Five thousand plus, discounted to just over one thousand.

This you…

How am I supposed to haggle?

Forget it…

He Pingsheng handed over one thousand spirit stones. With the shopkeeper's help, he performed a simple master-servant bonding ritual—the rabbit now belonged to him.

He could summon it to pull the carriage, or store it in a Spirit Beast Bag when not in use.

He already had two Spirit Beast Bags—he'd slain several disciples of the Spirit Beast Immortal Sect on Divine General Mountain.

"Let's go…" He urged the rabbit, and the carriage sped down the street.

The speed was fast—much faster than ordinary walking.

Upon arriving in Hongshi City, the first task was to settle down.

He Pingsheng went straight to the City Lord's Mansion. Though this wasn't Dingxiang Commandery, the house-buying process was much the same.

All transactions had to be done through the City Lord's Mansion.

After the transaction, a tax had to be paid.

This time, He Pingsheng bought a courtyard with spiritual energy—but it was still small.

Only twenty zhang across.

But for He Pingsheng and Qiao Huizhu, it was more than enough.

The small courtyard wasn't remote—it lay near the City Lord's Mansion.

Inside were a three-story pavilion, a pond, and several weeping willows.

"Sister, what do you think of this place?" He Pingsheng asked Qiao Huizhu.

Qiao Huizhu fell in love with the courtyard at once: "Of course—it's safe, that's all that matters!"

"Good!" He Pingsheng said: "Rest for now—I'll set up the arrays."

After an hour, He Pingsheng set up four layers of arrays around the pavilion.

All second-rank.

The Spirit-Sealing Array, the Defense Array, the Alert Array, and a Mirage Array.

With the arrays in place, He Pingsheng felt the courtyard was far safer.

"I'm running low on array materials!" he said, helping Qiao Huizhu upstairs: "I'll go to the Jiaoyi Society later and buy more—then set up a Spirit Gathering Array, and it'll be perfect!"

"Stay here for now—here's a Heartbond Talisman!"

"If anything happens, use the Heartbond Talisman to call me!"

"I'll stroll through the city to see if I can buy the herbs you need to rebuild your cultivation."

"Alright," Qiao Huizhu looked at He Pingsheng: "Thank you, my husband…"

【I meant to post four chapters, but my hand slipped and I posted an extra one… Wuwuwuwu … I'm crying…】