abnabooks Chapter 67 Even a hero can be brought down by a penny
Chapter 67 Even a hero can be brought down by a penny
After leaving the blood-stained valley, Lu Ming flew south on his sword at an even faster speed.
The wind and snow lashed his face, but could not cool his complex emotions.
The betrayal of his own kind and the unwavering loyalty of the demon race left a deep mark on his heart.
"Human hearts are unpredictable..."
He sighed softly. After thirty years of isolation, upon his return, he witnessed the complexities of human nature and racial conflicts.
After flying for about half a day, he had an idea and took out the communication jade token that represented his identity as a disciple of Tianyan Peak from his storage bag.
He infused it with a wisp of spiritual energy, attached his divine sense to it, and transmitted a simple message:
"Master, Senior Brother, fellow disciples, I am Lu Ming. I have escaped my predicament and am currently in the Northern Wilderness. I will return soon."
However, the jade slip only lit up slightly, its light flickering erratically, like a candle burning in the wind.
The transmitted divine thoughts were weak and scattered, unable to penetrate the vast distance and the chaotic spiritual energy field unique to the Northern Wilderness.
After several attempts, the jade slip eventually dimmed and became unresponsive.
"It's still too far..." Lu Ming put away the jade slip with some disappointment.
The northern wilderness is vast and boundless, and it is more than ten thousand miles away from Qingzhou, where the Taoist academy is located. The effective range of the communication jade slip is limited, so it is normal that they cannot make contact.
Meanwhile, far away in Qingzhou, the capital of the Dayan Immortal Dynasty, Tianyan City, had undergone a complete transformation.
Xuanji was assisting the Grand Master of the Sect in predicting the fate of the nation from the Star Gazing Platform.
Suddenly, Xuanji had a premonition and put down what he was doing.
He frowned slightly, his fingertips tracing lines in the air, his Daoist aura subtly connecting with the vast fortune of this newly established immortal dynasty, as he made deductions.
"This fluctuation..." A hint of relief flashed in his eyes.
"It's Lu Ming! He's finally out. I was really looking forward to it..."
After a moment of contemplation, Xuanji sent a divine thought across the void to Chu Tianyi, who was still guarding Tianyan Peak and responsible for coordinating affairs within the peak and responding to the summons from the Immortal Dynasty.
Tianyan Peak, Cloud Viewing Platform.
Chu Tianyi was processing a document from the Privy Council of the Immortal Dynasty, concerning the mobilization of disciples from various peaks to conduct preliminary infiltration and reconnaissance of Zhongzhou, which borders Qingzhou.
Since the Grand Preceptor and the Emperor of Dayan successfully consolidated the dynasty's fortune and established the Dayan Immortal Dynasty several years ago, all sects within Qingzhou have nominally submitted and been incorporated into the Immortal Dynasty system.
Now that the Immortal Dynasty's foundation is gradually stabilizing, its military might has begun to target other major states. The entire Dao Academy has been drawn into this massive war machine, and Tianyan Peak, which was already short of people, is now even more stretched thin.
Just then, he received a divine message from his master, Xuanji.
"Tianyi, I just sensed Lu Ming's presence in the north, probably in the Northern Wilderness. He's still alive."
"You and Mo Yuan should set aside your current affairs and rush to the north to meet him. Make sure he is brought back safely!"
"Junior Brother!" Chu Tianyi jumped to his feet, his face instantly filled with joy. The fatigue from handling the affairs of the Immortal Dynasty for the past few days seemed to vanish instantly. "He's alive! That's wonderful!"
Lu Ming had been guided in cultivation by Chu Tianyi since childhood, and Chu Tianyi treated him like a brother and a father.
Chu Tianyi immediately sent a message to Mo Yuan. In just a moment, Mo Yuan, dressed in black, arrived.
"We have news of Junior Brother Lu. He's in the Northern Territory. Master has ordered the two of us to go and meet him," Chu Tian said succinctly.
Mo Yuan tightened his grip on his sword: "Let's go!"
Two powerful sword lights shot into the sky from Tianyan Peak and headed straight for the teleportation platform. They were first teleported to Zhongzhou and then headed north.
At this time, Lu Ming was completely unaware of this.
He flew for several more days, crossing countless desolate mountains and frozen rivers.
Finally, on this day, at the edge of the horizon, the outline of a majestic city came into view.
The city was built against the mountain, and its huge dark blue walls stood out against the snow-covered plain, even more rugged than the Qingzhou prefecture he had only glimpsed in his memory.
A flag he didn't recognize was hanging on the towering city wall.
The city gate was bustling with carriages and people, and the noise could be faintly heard even from a distance.
"Northern Cold City..." Lu Ming recognized the three ancient seal characters on the city wall, and a ripple of emotion stirred in his heart.
For the first time in thirty years, he had seen so many people and such a vast city, and a sense of wonder, as if from another world, overwhelmed him.
He concealed his breathing and landed outside the city gate with the flow of people.
Upon closer inspection, he discovered that his robes, which had endured the void turbulence and numerous battles, were now tattered and stained.
Among the relatively neatly dressed monks and pedestrians around him, he stood out conspicuously, attracting many curious or disdainful glances.
Lu Ming looked extremely embarrassed and subconsciously tugged at his tattered clothes.
He needed to pay spirit stones to enter the city, and his heart sank as he touched his storage bag.
Aside from a few life-saving items given by senior brothers and sisters, some pills, and the black token, there were very few spirit stones available for payment, and they were of poor quality.
When I entered the Immortal Relic Land, I used up most of the spirit stones that the sect had given me, and now I am penniless.
He steeled himself and handed several of his lowest-quality spirit stones to the city guard. The guard glanced at him, weighed the stones in his hand, and waved impatiently, "Go in! Don't block the way!"
Stepping into the city, a wave of bustling heat hits you.
Shops lined both sides of the wide street, their banners fluttering, selling all sorts of rare and exotic treasures, while enticing aromas wafted from the restaurants and eateries.
All of this made Lu Ming, who had been suffering in a void and deathly silence for thirty years, feel dizzy and instantly surrounded by a sense of happiness.
He was like a country boy who had just arrived in the city, his eyes involuntarily drawn to all sorts of novel things.
The most urgent things are to get a decent set of clothes, fill my stomach, and then try to gather information. But... where will the money come from?
He touched the storage bag; there wasn't much inside that he could sell.
Magical artifacts and life-saving items must not be sold, and elixirs should also be kept in case of emergency.
Finally, his gaze fell on a piece of mineral material brought out from the Immortal Relic Land.
Lu Ming found a decent-looking general store, went in somewhat awkwardly, and took out a few pieces of ore.
"Shopkeeper, how many spirit stones are these worth?" His voice carried a hint of embarrassment.
The shopkeeper raised his eyelids slightly and casually inspected the item: "Low-grade black iron, too many impurities... Hmm, this obsidian is also of average quality. Take it all, fifty low-grade spirit stones."
Lu Ming knew the price had definitely been lowered, but he desperately needed the money and had no intention of arguing, so he silently nodded.
He then went into a small noodle shop with few customers and ordered a large bowl of steaming hot noodles.
As the hot soup and food went down his throat, a long-lost sense of satisfaction washed over him, almost bringing him to tears.
After thirty years, he finally got to eat a hot meal.
The restaurant owner shook his head and sighed as he looked at the man dressed in rags and so moved that he was about to cry while eating noodles.
But judging from the fact that he is clearly a cultivator, yet he is living such a miserable life, he must be a good person.
Lu Ming ate a full ten bowls during that meal.
Although he can now replenish himself entirely with spiritual energy and doesn't need to eat, he still misses this taste.
He then found a clothing shop and spent ten spirit stones to buy a set of clothes to change into. Although the material was ordinary, it was at least neat.
After changing into new clothes, the awkward feeling of feeling out of place dissipated somewhat.
Having eaten and drunk his fill, he had only thirty-odd spirit stones left. He paused for a moment, then walked towards the tallest building in the city, the one with the plaque that read "Treasure Pavilion".
Upon entering the pavilion, the elegant and quiet environment contrasts sharply with the hustle and bustle outside.
A waiter approached, his manner friendly.
"Fellow Daoist, what do you need?"
Lu Ming asked directly, "May I ask, do you know the location of the Zhenwu Sect's main gate and its current situation?"
Upon hearing this, the waiter put on his standard smile: "True Martial Sect? Are you asking about that martial arts holy land in the Central Region of the Divine Continent?"
"Its mountain gate is located in Zhenwu Mountain in the Central Region; this is common knowledge and not news. Would you like a map of the Divine Continent, fellow Daoist?"
"Yes, I need a map of China," Lu Ming replied.
"The Treasure Pavilion also contains countless rare treasures, all kinds of natural materials and magical artifacts, and even beautiful concubines from the Qingqiu Fox Clan. Fellow Daoist, why not enter the pavilion and take a closer look?" the attendant enthusiastically introduced.
"No, all I need is a map of China." Lu Ming was at his wit's end.
"This is cheap, just one mid-grade spirit stone," the waiter replied casually. The waiter had a good eye; seeing that Lu Ming was carrying a spirit treasure flying sword of good quality, he thought he was a big fish, but in the end, he only bought a map.
One mid-grade spirit stone! That's equivalent to one hundred low-grade spirit stones! Lu Ming smiled bitterly to himself; he couldn't even come up with thirty low-grade spirit stones right now.
"Then... do you know anything about the current situation of Qingzhou Dao Academy?" He then inquired about his own sect.
The waiter glanced at Lu Ming, seemingly a little impatient, but still answered, "Qingzhou Dao Academy? I've heard it's changed a lot in recent years. The one it established... well, it shook the Great Yan Immortal Dynasty for a time."
The Great Yan Immortal Dynasty? Lu Ming's heart skipped a beat when he heard this unfamiliar term.
"Thank you for informing me, fellow Daoist." With that, Lu Ming turned and left the Treasure Pavilion.
The waiter was speechless when he saw that Lu Ming wouldn't even buy a map worth a mid-grade spirit stone.
Standing on the bustling street, Lu Ming looked at the prosperous street with a sense of helplessness. It was true that even a hero can be brought down by a single penny.
Penniless, unable to move an inch.
The most urgent task is to find a way to earn some spirit stones, at least enough to cover the travel expenses to return to Shenzhou and Qingzhou.