Splash...
A member of the Sea Nation with a fish head carried a bucket, splashing fresh water onto the deck and skillfully scrubbing away the bloodstains with a bamboo brush.
The brawling Yaksha and Sea Dragon people had already been dragged away. Seeing that the excitement was over, the surrounding crowd dispersed.
The Yaksha who had been speaking just a moment ago had become a corpse in the blink of an eye; death was truly instantaneous.
Both Hongluo and Wanniang looked somewhat pale.
They hadn't expected the Yaksha to be so brutal, actually daring to commit murder so suddenly in public.
“In the cultivation world, strength is respected. Although there are major sects and established rules between nations, it is ultimately not like the Great Song.
Birds die for food, and men die for wealth. Everyone on this path is competing—competing for opportunities, for destiny, and for a way to survive.
In the future, I will also compete. I might even kill.”
Nan Zhi didn't try to sugarcoat the situation. She looked at the two of them and said calmly:
“What just happened serves as a reminder. In the cultivation world, such things can happen to us at any time. Life and death... we must get used to it.”
The Yakshas and Sea Dragon people were mortal enemies. Even the Wuwei Sect didn't dare to casually interfere in the affairs of those two nations, so she certainly wouldn't.
The two hundred points of faction favorability were real, but she wasn't some mindless charmer. She couldn't just shout “Stop” or say a few pleasantries and expect both sides to obediently drop their weapons.
The only thing she could do was make good use of her current conditions and strive forward, climbing the great Dao.
“The people from the Wuwei Sect arrived quickly. Just now, I thought you were going to stand up for that Yaksha; my heart was in my throat.”
Wanniang tucked a stray hair behind her ear, her expression shifting. She knew Nan Zhi was being blunt for their own good, so she let out a breath and said:
“That Yaksha was vicious, and the Sea Dragon people don't look friendly either. We are newcomers; it's best to stay away from these foreign races and not interfere, lest we bring trouble upon ourselves.”
Hongluo had accepted the Yaksha's pearl. She was now tugging at Nan Zhi's sleeve, refusing to let go, thinking she had caused the trouble.
“What does this have to do with you? We were just minding our own business when that Yaksha came looking for trouble. He only gave you the pearl to apologize.
The Yaksha and Sea Dragon nations are like fire and water. They tear each other apart the moment they meet. It has nothing to do with us.”
Nan Zhi patted the little hedgehog's head and showed the two of them the jade tablet in her hand.
“This isn't a good place to talk. We've been assigned to Yellow-grade Room 627. The Splendid Platform will only stay at Jueming Cliff for three hours. Let's head to the room first and settle in.”
The ghost and the demon followed behind her with lingering trepidation to find the Yellow-grade rooms. As Nan Zhi turned, she couldn't help but glance back at the deck.
The deck was clean, with no trace of blood.
The scent of blood was swept away by the wind. One flying boat after another landed, and new cultivators and spirits boarded the ship.
It was as if nothing had ever happened.
...
...
Yellow-grade Room 627 wasn't hard to find. The guest rooms were divided into four grades: Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, and Yellow. Below the Earth and Mysterious grades, at the very bottom of the hull, was the territory of the Yellow-grade rooms.
Compared to the pavilions and terraces above the deck, the densely packed Yellow-grade area felt somewhat cramped and congested.
Stacked layer upon layer, most of those living here were rogue cultivators, mountain spirits, and foreign sea monsters. They didn't interfere with one another, everyone moving with hurried steps.
The ship's walls had no windows or portholes. Every ceiling was embedded with lighting formations that stayed lit twenty four hours a day, making it easy for one to lose track of day and night.
The hull was hollow. In the very center was an irregular, massive stone mountain. On the mountain, water gurgled, clear springs reflected green shadows, and there were thickets of shrubs and wild flowers everywhere, giving people the illusion of being in a wild, secluded place.
Standing in the Yellow-grade area and looking up, one could see giant pines reaching into the depths of the stone mountain, waterfalls splashing like flowers, and the pavilions and jade terraces at the top, all hidden in a hazy mist.
Vaguely, one could hear the sounds of silk and bamboo music, which was truly moving.
That was where the Heaven-grade rooms were located.
...
“The Wuwei Sect really has quite the resources. This isn't some artificial mountain made of earth and stone; it looks like they used sword qi to slice off the top of some mountain and placed it on this ship.”
Nan Zhi couldn't help but marvel.
“Blowing up a mountain isn't much of a feat, but being able to move such a massive mountain... moving mountains and seas, growing trees and creating land... truly impressive methods.”
“Naturally. The Wuwei Sect, along with the Qingjing Sect and the Hehuan Sect, are the three major sects of the North Province. Within their gates, deity transformation and nascent soul cultivators are countless.
They even have Void Refinement and Body Integration ancestors presiding over them. It is a place all cultivators in the world yearn for.”
A black bear spirit passed by and couldn't help but chime in, jutting its furry bear face toward the ceiling.
“The three major sects are closely linked. Any disciple of theirs who boards the ship, regardless of cultivation or age, can go directly to the Mysterious-grade rooms.
From the Mysterious-grade rooms upward, there are distilleries, singing and dancing, alchemy rooms, and gambling markets—everything you could imagine. It's really no different from a miniature Rakshasa Sea Market.
Unlike us poor rogue cultivators who struggle just to save enough spirit stones for the fare, only to worry about food and expenses. Tsk tsk, in this day and age, humans and humans, humans and demons... we all have different fates despite being the same people!”
Speaking of this, the black bear suddenly winked at her.
“Brother, I actually have a way to make a fortune here. I guarantee you'll make a huge profit with a small investment. You just need to pay fifty mid-grade spirit stones to join.
I wonder if this fellow daoist is interested...”
“Fellow daoist should look for someone else. I just paid for the room and am currently worrying about where to earn more spirit stones. I'm truly short on funds.”
Nan Zhi gave a polite smile and turned to use the jade tablet to open the room's formation.
Unexpectedly, the black bear spirit was persistent. Its gaze fell on Hongluo, and it leaned its large face forward, wearing a critical expression.
“I don't know where fellow daoist is going, but this little demon following you looks quite weak. We have strong and powerful demons available—wolves, tigers, leopards, bears, and snakes...
You don't have to buy; just taking a look is fine! We also have top-grade pills for strengthening the body and tempering the meridians, as well as essential formations and talismans for self-defense and ambushes!
Hey, hey, don't leave! If none of those interest you, I have pills refined by Hehuan Sect alchemists for kidney tonics and aphrodisiacs, passion enhancers, and dual cultivation aids—only ten low-grade spirit stones a bottle—”
She really shouldn't have casually talked to people!
What was with this sense of a railway station scammer?
Did she look like a fat sheep waiting to be slaughtered?
Nan Zhi's face was full of black lines as she hurriedly squeezed inside and closed the door, shutting the still-eager black bear spirit outside.
The human, the demon, and the ghost leaned against the door, looked at each other, and laughed at the same time.
...
“How is it that this cultivation world is no different from the mortal world? There are petty thieves and scammers everywhere.”
Wanniang wiped away her tears of laughter and pointed at Nan Zhi.
“Kidney tonics and aphrodisiacs, passion enhancers—hahahaha! Zhizhi doesn't even have a lover yet and hasn't tasted the flavors of men and women. That black bear spirit must be blind not to see that.”
“You haven't even had a drink today, so how are you so lightheaded? Could pills from the Hehuan Sect really be sold so casually for just a dozen spirit stones a bottle?”
Nan Zhi hurriedly covered Hongluo's ears and gave her a look.
“Don't talk nonsense in front of the child.”
“What does it matter? Don't look at Hongluo transformed into a young lady and think she's young. If we really count, you're the youngest among us.”
As soon as Wanniang said this, Hongluo tilted her chin up and nodded, explaining seriously:
“It's not easy for us demons to gain intelligence and transform. No one knows when they might die, so the first thing we do once we gain intelligence is have pups.
If I hadn't been following Mistress, I would have had many litters of hedgehog pups by now.”
“...”
The smile froze on Nan Zhi's face. She solemnly cupped the little hedgehog's face and urged:
“You're still young, just a little baby. You should focus on your cultivation. You're not allowed to say such things anymore.”
She didn't care; in her eyes, Hongluo was a baby.
As for finding a male hedgehog to have pups with—she'd kill every single one she saw.
She felt very much like a worried mother fearing that her sweet, soft daughter would one day be led astray by some delinquent with neon hair.
Rate on N.U.
