Chapter 14: 14 — Seventh Peak City

Colors and scents flooded my senses, whispers of Qi drifting on the wind. People walked by in droves, of various statues wearing various different sorts of clothes. Most, with no shred of hint of Qi in them.

I stared in surprise, as I walked by, watching the odd pedestrian moving by. Their movements felt slow, and sluggish, weighed down by the world around them. Their presence was faint, fainter than even Labby’s.

I walked forward, trying to not gawk like a country bumpkin, which is exactly what I was. Lu Jie had been to the city before. Twice. In all the years he’d stayed at the sect, the only time he’d gone to the city had been to run some errand, and once when he’d been taken by some sect brothers, promising to have some fun, who’d then proceeded to run away without paying, leaving Lu Jie behind.

The experience had been enough trouble to have Lu Jie remain in the sect for the entire time, and avoid visiting the city.

I could feel surprise budding up in my chest. Lu Jie’s memories, and emotions splashing through me as I felt little beacons of Qi scattered around the city. The difference was stark from Lu Jie’s memories. He’d grown, and this was perhaps the easiest visible proof to see.

He may have gotten stuck, but his efforts had not been in vain, and some part of him in my memories, sighed in relief. To have not been denied a reward for his struggles.

Being in the sect, all Lu Jie had even seen had been those that had surpassed him. Prodigies and blessed kids born to resourceful cultivators that left his efforts in the dust. It was a harsh environment, meant to forge out the strongest, and abandon all else. Perhaps it was all the more so true, for the other greater sects around here.

Seventh Peak city, was one of the Seven Celestial Peaks, being the lowest one in the peaks. The city itself was in a valley under the peaks on which the Cloudy Peaks sect was formed, being the smallest sect among the seven great sects.

And it was still far larger than most other sects out there. It was a tough world to survive in.

Yet, despite all of that, despite how unfair the world could be sometimes, if Lu Jie were here, I’d have shown him this. The difference, to when he’d first visited this place while still in the first realm and how he'd grown.

I let my senses expand. The merchant selling honey pots was right at the peak of finishing his Foundation, and entering the second Realm. Another outer sect disciple was standing in the distance, firmly in the second realm. None that I could sense in the Third realm nearby.

Labby wiggled in my pouch as I continued to walk alongside the waves of people walking around me. My eyes kept jumping from one thing to the next, each new attractive item catching my interest.

There were a surprising number of cultivators selling their wares as merchants. I say cultivator, but rarely did I see someone above the first realm. Yet even that was a major difference to the layman.

A particular merchant managed to catch my eye, as I leisurely walked through the city. There seemed to be some kind of demonstration going on, as people began to stop to watch for a moment.

“Crafted by the disciples of the great Zhao Sun, this formation amulet is capable of withholding the strike from a peak Fourth realm cultivator!” the merchant exclaimed, holding up the amulet. I heard a few people mutter and some kids laughed in delight as a blue flickering shield of some kind manifested for a moment, as Qi pulsed around the red amulet.

“Would anyone dare to test its might? If you can break through the ward, then I’ll sell it to you for half the price!” the merchant exclaimed once more and this time, excited murmurs and whispers began to spread.

“You, right there, a disciple from the sect right? Would you like to test your might?” The man said, pointing at me. I looked around, trying to see, and hoped that he was talking about someone else, but fate was a cruel mistress.

I was about to shake my head, and nope the hell out of the show when I saw the kids looking at me with their eyes shining in anticipation. I sighed, a silent sigh of defeat in my mind, as I walked closer.

“Ohoho! Very well! If you manage to break this ward disciple- what’s your name?” The man added in a quiet whisper, stopping.

“Lu Jie,” I replied.

“If you break this ward disciple Lu Jie, then the amulet shall be yours for free!” the man exclaimed. I held back a sigh. There was most likely some trick to the amulet, or the merchant would not be so proudly exclaiming these bold claims. Either that or he really didn’t think I could do it. Which, in all honesty, I didn’t think I could either. I’d never tried to use any combat techniques that Lu Jie knew even once.

I closed my eyes, going through Lu Jie’s memories. The core art that he had learned was the Serene Mists Art. A neutral Qi based combat and movement technique that included a specific method of channeling Qi, a more defensive sort of combat.

All of that meant very little to me. I didn’t know how to fight, so I let my thoughts fade from my mind for a second, as I let Lu Jie’s memories guide my body.

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Qi flooded my pathways, circulating through my Dantian. I let my body move to vague impulses, as I shifted my weight on my back leg. I felt the arts brimming with strength, as I let the Qi gather in my hand. With a smooth motion my weight shifted onto my front leg as I struck out.

In an entirely unnecessary gesture, I let my Qi explode outwards, creating a shockwave that added to the flashiness as my fist landed on the ward. The blue shimmering ward flickered for a moment, as I heard gasps from the crowd, as they took a few steps back to not get injured by mistake from the impact.

My hand hurt.

I smiled through the pain, not letting it show on my face, as silence descended for a moment, before the merchant spoke out once more.

“Ah, good try, good try! But as you can see, even a devastating blow like that couldn’t pierce through the ward,” the man exclaimed and I saw a few people walk closer to buy one. I heard Labby squeak, as I gently pet his head, shaking my head.

A small smile covered my face, as I struggled to stop myself from snorting from how ridiculous I must have looked.

I’d also managed to discover the neat trick the merchant had used. I could vaguely sense the weak spirit stone linking this one amulet with three others. Not exactly a scam as the ward did actually hold up to my attack, but then, I had no idea how strong my blow was.

“I may try getting a straw dummy to test how much force I’m producing. It’d be interesting to study super human biology, and how the Arts played a role,” I muttered to myself as the merchant continued to sell his goods, now getting more and more people interested in buying.

“Psst, hey, come here, a kid's voice whispered, and I turned my head to see a young boy of around twelve standing behind the merchant’s stall.

Curious, I walked closer, making my way behind the Merchant’s stall, where the kid handed me a single spirit stone.

“What’s this for?” I asked, staring at the translucent stone in my hand.

“For playing along, and for not ruining the display,” the kid said, shrugging, and I nodded in thanks. Perhaps I’d not been the only one with a keen eye.

“Well, you can have this back,” I said, returning the spirit stone and I saw the kid’s stance turn a bit wary for a moment. “In exchange, tell me of a cheap but good place that can sell me tools and instruments for Alchemy, and maybe some books as well.”

The kid grabbed the spirit stone, nodding. “Well, you could go down the street, and then head left by the big store owned by Lord Zhao. Head on through the alley till you smell a load of herbs, you’ll find an old lady there. She’s a bit senile, but she sells the best pills and herbs around here. Also other things.”

I nodded in thanks, as the kid went back to work. I saw the merchant leave a small nod in thanks as well, and I smiled and began to walk away.

Time to go find an old senile lady in some shady alley.

I began to make my way through the indicated path, taking a leisurely stroll through as I soaked in the colorful Qi everywhere, when a lanky figure caught my eye.

I stopped for a moment, trying to see the person walking through the crowd. I quickly realised from the slightly bent back and my pouch hanging from his waist, about who I’d just found.

Well, well, well, if it wasn’t my partner in crime Su Lin.

I stood for a while, wondering if I should ignore him, or try and see what he was doing. Perhaps he was selling my pills to whoever it did, and getting involved would be a mistake. Yet Su Lin had managed to pique my interest over the past few weeks, the guy was much smarter than he let on, and I’d been thinking about trying to find out just what he was doing in the sect.

I hesitated for a moment. It’d be the smart thing to just go do my own thing.

And so, I suppressed my Qi, and began to follow behind at a safe distance. Time for some good old fashioned stalking.

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