7: Chapter 7: Rising Fame, Speculation from All Sides

As Chen Xuan and his two companions walked out of that noisy open space, the discussions behind them buzzed like a swarm of bees, following them relentlessly.

His ears twitched slightly, catching a few fragmented sentences: "Was that move just now the footwork of the Northern Region's Frost School?"

"What do you know? That was an Immortal technique! Look at the ring of frost on the ground; it still hasn't melted!"

"And that girl in red—could she be a Young Miss who ran away from home to elope? I noticed the way she looks at that kid is different..."

Zhao Hongling's brows twitched upon hearing this, and she turned around, ready to scold them, but Chen Xuan gently pressed down on her shoulder.

"Ignore them. The more intensely they talk, the more it shows we've established our presence."

He grinned, casually picked up a sugar figurine from a roadside stall, and handed it to a wide-eyed child nearby. "Here, use this to plug your ears."

The child took it in a daze, and a woman watching from the sidelines burst into laughter. "This young man is truly interesting; he hands out candy after winning a fight."

Leng Shuang walked on the left, her fingertips slightly cold, her gaze sweeping over the signs of the roadside pharmacies.

She didn't speak, but her pace slowed for a beat, her gaze landing on a withered ice lotus seed on the counter.

That object was as gray and white as bone, completely unremarkable, but in her eyes, it was like a spark in the snow.

Chen Xuan noticed it and quietly noted the location, while still joking around with Zhao Hongling:

"Do you think if I turned back now and shouted that I'd marry whoever keeps talking nonsense, someone would faint on the spot?"

"You dare!"

Zhao Hongling kicked at him, but he dodged to the side, and her toe only brushed against his hem.

She huffed, put her hands on her hips, and said, "I'm telling you, it doesn't matter what people say outside, but don't you join in the chaos. If my father hears these rumors, he will definitely send servants to tie you up and bring you back for punishment."

"Then you might as well tell me which street your house is on first," Chen Xuan scratched his head. "In case someone really comes to catch me, I can run away in advance."

The two of them went back and forth, bickering as they walked forward, as if the person who had kicked Tie Hu to his knees in the open space just moments ago wasn't him.

Leng Shuang followed along, listening to their conversation, the corners of her mouth relaxing almost imperceptibly before returning to her cold expression.

The market street grew wider, with shops lined up on both sides.

The cloth shops hung various silks that rustled in the wind; the blacksmith's shop rang with the clanging of hammers, sparks flying everywhere; an old book stall was set up in a corner, with a few tattered mats spread on the ground, piled high with yellowed volumes. The titles on the crooked covers read things like "Basic Fist Principles" and "Introduction to Breath Regulation."

Chen Xuan stopped, crouched down, and flipped through them. The pages were as brittle as autumn leaves, rustling at the slightest touch.

He pulled one out and opened it to see several standing stance postures drawn inside, with small annotations on the side about sinking Qi into the Dantian and focusing one's intent on the middle courtyard. Although crude, it was a legitimate method for entering the path of martial Dao.

"You actually have an eye for this kind of book?" Zhao Hongling leaned in to take a look, frowning in disgust. "There's a pile of these in my family's woodshed; they're all used by useless people who can't achieve anything to put on airs."

"As long as it can be read, it's fine." Chen Xuan closed the book without buying it, merely silently noting the stall's location. "We'll talk after we get settled."

He stood up and continued to scan the street. At this moment, a pharmacy clerk was moving some fleece-flower roots into the shop, and the rich scent of medicine drifted out.

He sniffed, thinking that if such tonics could be consumed long-term, they might be helpful for him to Cultivate.

Turning his head, he saw that Leng Shuang had already walked to the counter, staring at that package of ice lotus seeds for quite a while.

"Want to buy it?" he walked over and asked.

Leng Shuang shook her head. "Too expensive. And these are just dried materials; their efficacy is less than thirty percent."

"Oh."

Chen Xuan nodded, not asking further, but understood in his heart: her Cultivation Technique was special; ordinary medicinal herbs couldn't suppress the cold energy in her body, and she needed to find truly yin-cold objects to harmonize it.

If there were any related resources in this city, they would certainly be hidden in deep residences or secret markets, not displayed out in the open.

He didn't linger and continued walking forward with the two women. At a tea stall on the street corner, several men were sitting, drinking tea and chatting enthusiastically.

"Have you heard? Tie Hu was crippled by someone this morning!"

"What do you mean crippled? He just knelt for a while and could still walk when he got up."

"You don't understand. Old Li saw it with his own eyes—that guy didn't even move a finger, just scared him into falling down with one sentence. Then that girl in white pointed her finger, and the ground froze! If that's not dark magic, what is?"

"I think they are people with Immortal destiny! Could they have come down from the overseas Immortal mountains?"

"Tsk, you actually believe that? In my opinion, it's probably a Disciple from some reclusive School out for training. Didn't you notice how he was dressed in rags, yet had such an extraordinary bearing? This is deliberately pretending to be poor!"

Chen Xuan listened and almost laughed out loud. He turned back and winked at Leng Shuang. "Did you hear that? You are now the Reincarnation of a dark woman, I am a fallen Immortal Lord, and she is the wild Protector concubine."

Leng Shuang snorted softly and turned her face away. Zhao Hongling, however, couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Then why don't you hurry up and accept your fate? Since it's destined that you'll be managed by me, then just behave obediently."

"I never said you were a Protector." Chen Xuan shook his head. "I think you're more like a troublemaker."

"You...!" She went to chase and hit him again, but he nimbly dodged.

The three of them walked through the marketplace like this, their figures blending into the crowd.

Some people pointed and whispered, some avoided them from afar, and some quietly inquired about where they were staying.

Their reputation was indeed spreading, but in all sorts of ways. Some said Chen Xuan had obtained thousand-year-old demon blood and was immune to all poisons; others said he had awakened his Divine Power only after being struck by lightning; even more outrageous, some claimed he had slaughtered a nest of mountain spirits last night and seized their cultivation to become powerful.

Absurd as it was, one consensus gradually formed: this person was not to be trifled with, and the two women by his side were not pushovers either.

Chen Xuan didn't care about this. What he cared about was another matter.

Taking advantage of the moment they passed a quiet alley, he slowed his pace and lowered his head in thought.

Last night, saving Leng Shuang, his cultivation rose from Ninth-grade Peak to Eighth-grade Early Stage; this morning, helping Zhao Hongling escape, it raised another notch.

The interval between the two improvements was short, and the direction was stable; it was definitely not a coincidence.

The only common point was them.

A strange woman with a cold body, a noblewoman with a fiery temperament—both were saved by his own hands, and both had physical contact with him.

Although the System had not explicitly stated the rules, the clues were clear enough: protect women, establish bonds, and you can gain feedback.

But he wasn't in a hurry to act.

He had just entered the city, his Foundation was not yet stable, and if he rashly recruited more women, it would easily expose him instead.

Besides, this System only gave results, not conditions; who knew if the next step would trigger some strange punishment? For example, making him have ten sons at once to count?

He rubbed his chin, thinking: It's better to take it steady. First, master the basic Cultivation Technique, figure out the power System of this world, and then plan step by step.

What's most important now is resources, information, and a place to stand.

"Hey, what are you thinking about?" Zhao Hongling saw he hadn't spoken for a long time and waved her hand in front of his eyes. "You aren't planning on how to shake us off, are you?"

"If I wanted to shake you off, I would have run away long ago." Chen Xuan pulled back his thoughts and smiled. "I was wondering, if you two started fighting someday, who should I help?"

"Who wants to fight with you!" Zhao Hongling rolled her eyes. "I'm not a fool; fight with her over a man? I can't afford to lose face like that."

Leng Shuang said indifferently, "I have no interest in competing."

"Listen to that," Chen Xuan spread his hands. "What a harmonious pair of sisters."

Both of them glared at him simultaneously.

He chuckled, stopped teasing them, and looked ahead.

The sunlight shone on the street, reflecting the three figures walking side by side. The old book stall ahead was still open, the wind blowing the pages to flip gently, as if waiting for him to return.

His footsteps paused, and he suddenly spoke: "Start with the most basic."

After saying that, he walked toward the book stall.