Zanxing (Retranslated)

Chapter 8 - Pingyang Town (2)

After ten days of travel, they arrived at Pingyang Town.

Gufeng Mountain was located to the east of the capital on the map, with a river named Lixiu running below the mountain cliffs. The river water flowed gracefully, and boats and sails swayed in the morning light. Fishermen chanted unknown songs as they cast their nets into the river, illuminated by the rising sun.

Pingyang Town was situated at the foot of Gufeng Mountain, by the banks of the Lixiu River.

The carriage came to a stop in front of the town gate.

Hongsu helped Zanxing alight from the carriage, and Old Niu happily said, “Miss, we have arrived at Pingyang Town.”

Zanxing raised her eyes to look into the distance.

Pingyang Town was a small town at the foot of Gufeng Mountain. Looking into the distance, you could vaguely see the mountain range at the end of the line of sight, with peaks reaching into the clouds, seemingly radiating with five colors. Purple mist lingered, creating the illusion of an ethereal fairyland.

Following Zanxing’s gaze, Old Niu smiled and said, “That is the location of the Taiyan Sect’s main gate. If Young Master successfully enters the sect in the future, Miss may have the chance to visit Gufeng Mountain and enjoy the scenery.”

Zanxing withdrew her gaze and also smiled, saying, “Let’s go.”

This was a bustling little town.

The streets were wide and impeccably clean, with carriages passing through from time to time. On both sides stood a variety of shops and restaurants, while people in all sorts of peculiar attire conversed along the streets. There were cultivators adorned with long swords, peacefully sipping tea in the teahouses with an air of transcendence. Burly men with bare arms were also present, engaged in an argument with an elderly man holding a glowing flower, all while maintaining friendly smiles.

“Twenty spirit stones? Take a good look! This herb is the intermediate-grade spirit herb ‘Peach Blossom Face’, worth at least a hundred spirit stones!” The burly man bellowed fiercely.

The elderly man standing before him remained unruffled and responded in a calm tone, “Sir, it’s indeed an intermediate-grade spirit herb known as ‘Peach Blossom Face’. However, the herb’s branches and leaves are incomplete, and only half of its flowers remain. Its quality is rather poor, and even if used for alchemy, its efficacy would be only about one-tenth of that of a complete herb. Offering you twenty spirit stones is already a generous offer. If you’re not interested in this deal, you can check out other places. We have other business to attend to in our establishment.”

After a brief dispute, the burly man eventually departed, grumbling under his breath with his twenty spirit stones.

Zanxing commented, “That man was quite stubborn.”

Standing by her side, Old Niu, like a loyal voice assistant, explained, “That place should be what others call the ‘Hua Jin Pavilion’.”

Zanxing inquired, “Hua Jin Pavilion?”

“This servant has heard of it too!” Hong Su chimed in eagerly. “They say the Hua Jin Pavilion is the largest trading hub in Pingyang Town. Some individuals who stumble upon treasures bring them here to be consigned for sale, and the Hua Jin Pavilion takes a commission. Here, you can find a various cultivation techniques, weapons, spirit pills, and spirit herbs. Since it’s close to Gufeng Mountain, disciples from the Taiyan Sect also occasionally engage in trade here. There are many precious spirit medicine manuals here that you won’t find in other trading posts!”

“The owner of the Hua Jin Pavilion, Jin Feicui, they say she’s a stunning beauty…” Old Niu’s eyes gleamed with anticipation.

“Niu, don’t get too lost in thoughts about that beautiful lady, focus on the beauty right in front of you,” Zanxing interrupted the coachman’s reverie. “There should be some medicinal herbs here that can help with the scar on my face. Shall we go inside?”

“To purchase medicinal herbs, we’ll need spirit stones,” Old Niu informed.

Right, in the world of cultivation, the currency was spirit stones and regular coins wouldn’t suffice.

“In that case, we’ll use spirit stones,” Zanxing said, waiting for them to produce money.

Hong Su and Old Niu exchanged glances, and after a moment, Hong Su cautiously mentioned, “Miss, what are you saying? We don’t have any spirit stones with us.”

“How can that be?” Zanxing asked in disbelief. “Aren’t I the young mistress? Are you telling me we don’t have spirit stones?”

“But… but…” Hong Su looked at her with a dejected expression. “In the past, whenever the young mistress needed spirit stones, she would directly ask Young Master. When we left, we didn’t bring any money…”

Zanxing was speechless.

In the original novel, “Miss Yang,” despite being called “Miss”, actually came from an ordinary merchant family. It was her exceptional beauty that led Wang Shao to propose to her. “Miss Yang,” who had attached herself to the formidable tree that was Wang Shao, took full advantage of this long-term meal ticket.

She bought clothes, swiped Wang Shao’s card, she purchased jewelry, swiped Wang Shao’s card. Even pet grooming and items as small as nail clippers were all charged to Wang Shao’s card.

Wang Shao, an emotionless credit card.

So, on this trip to Pingyang Town, Miss Yang hadn’t brought a single spirit stone. Wang Shao covered not only the carriage expenses but also her everyday needs. However, now, a problem had arisen. When she and Wang Shao separated, she discovered that she didn’t have a single spirit stone in her pocket.

“A woman should always have some money on hand,” Zanxing sighed.

“It’s okay, Miss,” Old Niu thought of something, “didn’t you acquire a demon pill? You can sell the demon pill to the Hua Jin Pavilion and exchange it for spirit stones.”

“Right,” Hong Su chimed in happily, “that demon pill must be much more valuable than the ‘Peach Blossom Face’ from that person earlier!”

Zanxing interrupted the two of them, “I’ve already refined it.”

“What?”

“I said,” Zanxing repeated, “I’ve already refined that demon pill.”

Hong Su and Old Niu were shocked into silence.

Zanxing looked into the distance, where the bustling crowd was bathed in the morning light. Pingyang Town appeared exceptionally lively, like a tourist town with a hint of surreal nostalgia.

But everything here was real.

The pain in her face was growing worse, and she needed to find a healer urgently. Without money, she was stuck. Even though she wanted to avoid following the original plotline, fate had it that she would still meet the story’s characters and trigger the next plot development.

Well, so be it.

“Miss, what should we do now?” Hongsu asked.

“Let’s go,” Zanxing smiled, “and find our ‘ATM’.”

…..

Inside the “Good Fortune” Inn in Pingyang Town, someone was seated.

The inn’s location was carefully chosen, situated right by the riverside. Guests staying in the rooms could open their windows to a view of the Lixiu River. During the night, with a gentle river breeze, a pot of fine wine placed on the small table by the window, and a couple of friends invited for music and drinks, it would make for an unforgettable evening.

Of course, the inn came with a steep price tag of one hundred spirit stones per night. Only those with substantial wealth would dare to indulge here. This time, with the Taiyan Sect’s recruitment drive attracting talented youth from all over the capital, including those with prominent backgrounds, they had all gathered at this inn.

Wang Shao sat comfortably on a soft couch by the window, sipping tea and enjoying the view outside. The tea was brewed with spring water from the spiritual spring on Gufeng Mountain, not only refreshing but also beneficial for the body.

Although this place was quite expensive, you truly got what you paid for.

“Young Master,” a servant entered and whispered, “we haven’t been able to locate Mu Cengxiao and his sister for the time being.”