txolops Chapter 170 Snow Woman, Intelligence
Chapter 170 Snow Woman, Intelligence
a few days later.
The Heavenly City of Yan Kingdom.
The black flying boat stopped at the tall city gate, and Li Ping flew out of the flying boat with Yan Hengchuan.
He glanced around at his surroundings, then casually put away the flying boat. His gaze fell on the towering city gate before him, and he said calmly, "Let's go, let's enter the city first."
"Yes, Grandmaster." Yan Hengchuan nodded respectfully.
The two then headed directly toward the city gate.
The city guards ignored the two people entering the city and did not check their identity tokens. However, when they sensed the aura emanating from Li Ping, a clear look of respect appeared in their eyes.
Clearly, he had already determined from Li Ping's aura that he was a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
After Li Ping and his companion entered the city, they followed the instructions and headed towards the city's market area.
As he walked, Yan Hengchuan curiously observed the city's scenery.
Li Ping, however, disagreed. He had already learned about the general situation of Tianshang Immortal City through miscellaneous books such as "Changqing Fengwu Zhi".
This immortal city is the headquarters of the Tianyou Sect, the immortal cultivation sect that rules the Yan Kingdom, and it is also the place where the most immortal cultivators in the Yan Kingdom are concentrated.
The Heavenly City of Desolation also has an inner city and an outer city.
Because the Yan state frequently fought wars with the Turks, it was in dire need of manpower.
Unlike other forces that are wary of independent cultivators, the Tianyou Sect is very welcoming to independent cultivators from various countries.
In order to attract independent cultivators, they even gave up the interests of the Immortal City, directly transforming the outer city of Tianshang Immortal City into a free city.
Specifically, this manifests in the fact that the identities of cultivators entering the city are not checked, and their private transactions are not interfered with. Even demonic cultivators and people of other races can come to Tianshang Immortal City to cultivate and trade, which can be described as extremely convenient.
There is only one rule: fighting is prohibited within the Immortal City.
Once a battle is detected, the Tianyou Sect cultivators will immediately arrive, punish both sides with spirit stones, and expel them from the city.
In short, in the outer city of Tianshang Immortal City, as long as you don't fight and disrupt the order, you can do whatever you want without anyone interfering.
However, being punished for fighting is not a big deal, because cultivators who are expelled from the city can simply re-enter through a different city gate.
Of course, all of this is based on the premise that the Tianyou Sect has separated the inner and outer cities and believes that it can control the situation in the outer city.
Within this formidable third-tier formation, with a Core Formation cultivator from the Tianyou Sect stationed there, even if demonic cultivators or alien races enter the city, what trouble could a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator possibly cause?
As for Core Formation cultivators?
If a cultivator from another race dares to come to Tianshang Immortal City, then Tianyou Sect will just close the door and beat them.
……
The reason Li Ping didn't go directly to the grasslands to find Yan Liming, but instead brought Yan Hengchuan to Tianshang Immortal City.
The main goal is to gather information from within the Immortal City to understand the situation on the grasslands.
After all, that area was already Turkic territory, and there were Core Formation cultivators among the Turks.
If he doesn't investigate beforehand and rushes into the grasslands, he might accidentally stumble into the Turks' stronghold, and then it will be too late to regret it.
After breaking through to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, he was brimming with confidence, but he also knew that when facing Core Formation cultivators, he would still only be able to escape in a sorry state by relying on the "Bloodwing Escape Technique".
If he's unlucky, he might not even be able to escape, so how could he dare to be careless?
Having found an inn, Li Ping tossed out spirit stones to book two rooms, instructing Yan Hengchuan to rest inside, while he himself left the inn to gather information.
Seeing that no one was around, he walked straight into a small alley.
A moment later, when he came out again, Li Ping's appearance and figure had changed, and he had become a burly man with a face full of scars.
After changing his appearance, Li Ping found the largest shop in the market and went straight inside.
"Senior, how can I help you?" A butler dressed in a multicolored robe immediately came forward to greet him respectfully.
Li Ping nodded and said skillfully, "Take me to the private room on the second floor, and also invite the person in charge of your restaurant over."
He knew that the second floor of these kinds of shops usually offered special services that weren't available on the first floor, which was exactly what he needed.
Upon hearing this, the steward hesitated for a moment before smiling and saying, "Yes, senior!"
As the steward led Li Ping up to the second floor, he thought to himself, "It seems this senior is a regular customer, which is why he asked about the second floor so casually as soon as he entered. Most people wouldn't know so much."
They led Li Ping to a private room to sit down, and the servants in their robes respectfully withdrew, saying that the person in charge of their shop would arrive shortly and asking the senior to wait a moment.
Li Ping nodded: "Go ahead."
"Thump!" "Thump!" "Thump!"...
After waiting in the private room for less than fifteen minutes, Li Ping heard the sound of shoes walking on the floor from outside.
Finally, the sound stopped outside the private room door, and with the sound of the door being pushed open, a beautiful, icy voice came in: "I wonder which fellow Daoist wishes to see me."
Li Ping's gaze swept across the room and met the figure that had just entered.
The newcomer was a beautiful female cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage, dressed in a magnificent purple robe adorned with gold patterns.
Li Ping's gaze swept across the room and met the figure that had just entered.
The newcomer was a beautiful female cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage, dressed in a magnificent purple robe adorned with gold patterns.
Most notably, this Foundation Establishment female cultivator had long silver hair, and her skin was as white as snow, radiating light. She had an icy demeanor and appeared to be about seventeen or eighteen years old.
A pair of icy eyes looked at Li Ping, a hint of doubt in them: "If I remember correctly, this seems to be the first time we've met, fellow Daoist."
Li Ping said casually, "My surname is Xiong and my given name is Dahai. This is indeed the first time I have met you, Fairy. May I ask how you are addressed?"
"So it's Fellow Daoist Xiong. My name is Xue Lingyan. You may address me as Madam Xue." Xue Lingyan's voice was clear, melodious, and pleasant.
Li Ping nodded.
According to the records in "Changqing Fengwu Zhi", the far north of the grassland is an area covered by ice and snow all year round, where a foreign tribe called the Snow Tribe lives.
The Xue Lingyan in front of me matches the description of the Snow Clan's appearance.
It is said that due to their physical constitution, the Snow Tribe, regardless of gender, will not change their appearance once they reach the age of seventeen or eighteen, and will maintain their youthful appearance until they die.
It is precisely because of this, coupled with the ethereal appearance and temperament of the Snow Clan, and their year-round life in the icy and snowy world, that they have developed a huge temperature difference between their internal and external bodies in order to adapt to the environment.
It is an excellent choice for a furnace, and is sought after by high-level cultivators in the Western Wilderness.
However, the Snow Clan's mortals cannot adapt to the hot environment outside; they will die once they leave the far north ice plains. Only the cultivators in the clan can remain safe and sound.
According to the book, some alien tribes from the grasslands would often venture into the far north, plunder the cultivation furnaces of the Snow Clan, and sell them to the Western Wilderness.
Li Ping guessed that the Lady Xue in front of him might be the concubine of some high-level cultivator.
After all, ordinary non-human races are not qualified to serve as the head of a large merchant guild in human territory.
Moreover, although Madam Xue looks only seventeen or eighteen years old, that's mainly because she doesn't age. Her actual age is likely much older than Li Ping's.
……
Madam Xue sat down opposite Li Ping and said with a smile, "I wonder if there is anything I can do for you, Fellow Daoist Xiong, since you have come to our establishment."
Li Ping nodded and said directly, "I need a map of the Turkic grasslands, as well as intelligence on the recent movements of the Turks."
Finally, he added, "I'm sure Madam Xue won't disappoint me."
"Maps and intelligence on the Turo Grasslands?" Madam Xue was taken aback upon hearing this.
She gave Li Ping a meaningful look, as if trying to guess his true identity.
After all, in the eyes of cultivators in the Western Wilderness, the Turo Grassland was a barren land with very few spiritual resources, and there was nothing worth staying for.
Let alone cultivators, even ordinary people wouldn't go to the Turo Grassland unless they had nothing to do.
"Is this fellow Daoist a demonic cultivator, or did he commit a crime in the Western Wilderness?" she wondered silently.
Before the four major demonic sects entered the Western Wilderness, demonic cultivators were like rats in the gutter in the Western Wilderness cultivation world, hated by everyone. Even demonic cultivators in the Foundation Establishment stage could only keep their tails between their legs.
They either had to hide deep within the Cloud and Mist Mountains or venture into the territory of the alien races.
just now.
With the four major sects of the demonic path now rivaling the righteous alliance, the situation of demonic cultivators in the Western Wilderness has greatly improved.
Most of the demonic cultivators native to the Western Wilderness also chose to join the four major demonic sects instead of entering the Turo Grasslands.
After all, the cultivation environment on the grasslands is far inferior to that of the Western Wilderness.
However, it's not entirely unheard of for demonic cultivators to choose to enter the grasslands.
In addition, some righteous cultivators who committed serious crimes in the Western Wilderness would also sneak into the Turo Grassland to seek refuge with other races in order to escape the pursuit of their sects.
Xiong Dahai is probably one of the two.
When Madam Xue thought of Xiong Dahai's fierce appearance with his scarred face, she became even more convinced of her suspicions.
"This fellow Daoist Xiong is not a good person."
However, the outer city of Tianshang Immortal City is a free place with many demonic cultivators and alien races, so Xiong Dahai is not an exception.
She only cares about business; as long as she gets spirit stones, she doesn't care who the other party is.
Thinking of this, Madam Xue smiled and said, "Intelligence naturally falls within the scope of this establishment's business. I am confident that our establishment's intelligence regarding the Turo Grasslands is absolutely second to none in the Immortal City, but the price..."
"As long as the intelligence is sound, the price is negotiable." Sensing her ambiguity, Li Ping added meaningfully, "Of course, I'm not stupid either, Madam Xue, don't take me for a fool."
Madam Xue shook her head repeatedly: "Fellow Daoist Xiong is joking. How could I dare to deceive you? These are all market prices."
Li Ping nodded: "That's good."
……
A few moments later.
Li Ping walked out of the shopping mall with satisfaction.
In the transaction just now, he successfully bought information about the Turo Grassland from Madam Xue. The information clearly stated the recent locations of the various major Turo tribes, as well as many dangerous places on the grassland.
Early the next morning, Li Ping led Yan Hengchuan away from Tianshang Immortal City and continued flying north in a flying boat.