Volume One: Youth Enters the World Chapter Fifty-One: The Hall of Spiritual Artifacts

As he stepped into Maple Forest Inn, Fang Tian saw the innkeeper leafing through the account books. He approached, knocked lightly on the counter, and said, “Find me a room. I’d like to stay here.”

The innkeeper looked up and glanced at Fang Tian. “Our lodging is quite expensive here. You’d best think it over before you decide.”

Fang Tian rolled his eyes, speechless. But then, recalling his plain attire and unremarkable appearance, he realized it was only natural for others to mistake him for someone without money.

He pulled out a large pouch of silver coins, set it on the counter, and asked, “How long will this last me?”

The innkeeper’s eyes widened in an instant. Abandoning the account book, he dragged the pouch toward himself and counted the money. After a while, he beamed, “Sir, forgive my poor judgment earlier. With this sum, you could stay for a year. I’ll have my staff arrange the finest room for you at once, so you’ll be perfectly comfortable.”

“Have someone show me up right away.”

“At once, sir. Please wait a moment.” The innkeeper called out, and a servant emerged from within. After exchanging a few words, the servant nodded hastily.

“Sir, please follow me.”

Fang Tian nodded and followed the servant upstairs. At a turn in the corridor, the servant opened a door and said, “This is your room, sir.”

“You may go now. Bring up some wine and food in a while.”

“Yes, sir.”

Fang Tian entered the room, closed the door, and went to the table, pouring himself a cup of water to drink.

“After so many days on the road, I really am a bit tired,” he mused.

He lay down on the bed, deciding to rest a while before the food and wine arrived.

Meanwhile, in the City Lord’s Mansion, the Lord of Wufeng City was in a grand hall, handling various affairs. As he reviewed the taxes collected from different regions, his brow furrowed. He tossed the account book to the floor and said to the man beside him, “Yan Feng, there are still places that haven’t paid their taxes. Arrange for someone to collect them. If you fail, don’t come back to see me—go and accept your punishment yourself.”

“Yes, my lord!” Yan Feng replied, then withdrew from the hall.

After Yan Feng’s departure, another man strode in through the main doors. He wore armor and entered in haste, bowing with clasped fists. “My lord, I have something to report.”

The city lord turned his head and said slowly, “What is it?”

“The deputy commander of the guards, Qi Liang, has been gone a long while and has yet to return. I fear something may have happened to him. I request your permission to send men to investigate.”

“Qi Heng, your brother is a cultivator at the fifth stage of Spirit Gathering. Are you suggesting someone could have killed him?”

“I, too, think it unlikely, but he’s been gone some time, and I can’t help but worry.”

“You may send men to investigate, but don’t lower your guard on the city’s defenses. I’ve heard that Her Highness the Princess and Miss Lin from the Imperial City’s Lin family narrowly escaped danger outside Wufeng City yesterday. This is no trivial matter. You are to strengthen security! Assign guards to watch over the Spirit Artifact Pavilion, and report at once if there is any sign of trouble.”

“Yes, my lord!”

“You may go.”

“Understood.” With that, Qi Heng withdrew.

After Qi Heng left, the city lord turned away and gripped the arm of his wooden chair tightly, lost in thought.

Back at Maple Forest Inn, Fang Tian was lounging contentedly in a wooden tub. After so many days of travel, he’d barely had a chance to bathe—though he could have done so in the sword’s inner space, he’d been too preoccupied to think of it.

Now, with time to spare, he could finally relax.

After a while, Fang Tian stepped out of the tub, dried himself, and dressed. To avoid being mistaken for a pauper again, he deliberately put on his finest clothes.

He stood before the bronze mirror, gave a satisfied nod, and said, “That’s better.”

With that, he opened the door and went downstairs. As he neared the entrance, the innkeeper hurried out to greet him. “Sir, I trust your stay has been satisfactory?”

“Not bad.”

“Excellent, excellent.”

Feeling the urge to explore, Fang Tian asked, “Innkeeper, where in Wufeng City can I find weapons for sale?”

At that, the innkeeper’s eyes widened in surprise and he spoke in a low voice, “Are you a cultivator, sir?”

“I am. Why do you ask?”

“It’s just that the outer part of Wufeng City is meant for ordinary folk. Usually, cultivators don’t linger here—they head straight to the inner city.”

“So you’re curious why I’m here?” Fang Tian countered.

“No, sir, I’m not prying. I’m just surprised, that’s all—truly surprised.”

Seeing the innkeeper’s flustered look, Fang Tian patted his shoulder and said, “No need to be so nervous. I’m not about to do anything to you.”

The innkeeper regained his composure. “Please don’t take offense, sir. To be honest, I’ve rarely ventured into the inner city, so I truly don’t know where weapons are sold.”

Fang Tian shrugged. “Very well, I’ll look for myself. It’ll give me a chance to look around, anyway.”

“In that case, sir, have a pleasant stroll. When you return, I’ll have the finest food and drink prepared for you.”

“Much appreciated.”

“It’s my duty, sir. No thanks necessary.”

With that, Fang Tian set off down the streets of Wufeng City. Reaching a broad avenue, he noticed guards stationed across the way—none of the common folk dared approach.

It was just as the innkeeper had said: Wufeng City was divided into two zones, one for ordinary people and one for cultivators.

Fang Tian approached, but the guards blocked his way. “What business do you have here? Ordinary folk aren’t allowed near. Move along.”

Fang Tian paid them no heed and simply released his aura, exerting pressure on the guards.

Sensing that he was a cultivator, the guards immediately became respectful. “Ah, so you’re a cultivator, sir. Please register your name before entering.”

Register his name?

Fang Tian was a bit surprised, but quickly conjured a name in his mind and wrote it down.

“Tian Yu,” he declared.

The guard glanced at the name Fang Tian had written and let him through.

As he walked along, Fang Tian was puzzled. What was the point of registering names? Was there some purpose behind it?

He focused his mind and asked Elder Tian, “Elder, why do they record the names of cultivators?”

“My boy, it’s for a spirit formation.”

“A spirit formation?”

“Yes, it’s a formation that records a cultivator’s spiritual energy as they write their name. It allows them to track your movements within the city.”

“What? So I’m being watched at all times?”

“Relax. The formation can only pinpoint your location in the city. They can’t see what you’re actually doing.”

“That’s a relief. If they could see everything, that would be intolerable.”

“It seems the formation covers the entire area where cultivators gather. With such a formation, if any cultivator causes trouble, they can quickly be located.”

“So that’s how it is. Such a large formation—I’d like to see where the core is.”

“Don’t bother, my boy. The core isn’t something easily found.”

“Alright, I’ll just look for a weapons shop. The sword I have in my inner space is just a basic one.”

“The previous owner used up nearly everything in the sword, leaving only some spirit crystals, techniques, and common medicinal herbs.”

“So, people calling me poor is actually true.”

“Don’t be so glum. There may not be much left, but it’s enough for you for now.”

“Heh, never mind that. Let’s find a place that sells weapons.”

After walking a while, Fang Tian stopped in front of a place called Spirit Artifact Pavilion.

“This must be it. Let’s have a look inside.”

With that, he entered.