244: Blackrock City

Outside Old Crow Ridge, following the stream direction indicated by Rock Armor, Qin Feng's group indeed found the official road leading to the human kingdom the next afternoon. Although the road was not particularly wide or flat, the clear tracks of carriages and horses indicated that travelers passed through frequently.

To minimize the chance of being spotted by any eyes the Yin Demon Sect might have deployed, the group underwent a complete makeover in a secluded spot. Using some simple Materials brought from Medicine King Valley and his own basic understanding of disguise, Qin Feng modified the appearances of all six people to be utterly unremarkable—the kind that would vanish the moment they stepped into a crowd. Their luxurious robes were all tucked away and replaced with the coarse cloth and cotton-linen clothing common among ordinary merchants or typical Martial Artists. The two carriages were also stripped of the Medicine King Valley emblems and some conspicuous protective Formations, disguised as ordinary vehicles looking slightly travel-worn after a long journey.

Tao Yuanyi and Cold Peach Blossom remained responsible for driving, but they also restrained the unique aura of a Late Stage Martial King, posing as experienced, taciturn coachmen and guards. Qin Feng, Xiao Chun, Xia Ya, and Ji Ruxue mostly stayed inside the carriage cabins, not disembarking unless necessary to reduce the chances of being observed. After all, the intelligence gathered by the Yin Demon Sect spies was likely about "four extraordinary young men and women," rather than such an inconspicuous group of ordinary travelers.

After traveling low-profile like this for two days, the silhouette of a grayish-black city built against a mountain appeared ahead; it was precisely "Blackstone City" as marked on the map. The city walls were constructed from a mixture of locally sourced obsidian and rammed earth, shimmering with a cold, hard luster under the sunlight, appearing sturdy and rugged.

A line for entering the city had formed at the gate, where several guards dressed in leather armor and holding halberds were lazily inspecting pedestrians and goods.

When it was the turn for Qin Feng and his group's carriage, a guard who looked like a captain stepped forward and knocked on the shaft: "Stop! Where are you from? What is your business in the city?"

Tao Yuanyi, sitting in the driver's seat of the lead carriage, had already put on a simple and slightly weary smile. He jumped down, bowed slightly, and said, "Greetings, officer. We are from Qingsang County to the south. In the carriage are my young master, young mistress, and two maids. We are entering the city to visit relatives; my young mistress's aunt married into a family on West Street in Blackstone City."

"Visiting relatives?" The guard captain swept a glance over the two ordinary carriages and poked his head to look at the cabin window (where Qin Feng and the others had already lowered the cloth curtains). He curled his lip. "Lately, the mountains to the north haven't been peaceful. I heard bandits are active and moving around. Orders from above are strict—all vehicles and personnel entering the city must be inspected! Lift the curtains, everyone out!"

A look of hesitation appeared on Tao Yuanyi's face. He took a step forward, skillfully blocking the guard's line of sight for further inspection, and lowered his voice: "Officer, please show some leniency. It's truly... my young mistress is feeling a bit unwell and cannot bear the wind, and the two maids need to look after her. You see..." As he spoke, his fingers moved slightly, and two gleaming gold coins slipped inconspicuously into the guard captain's hand.

The guard captain weighed the coins in his palm, and his expression softened considerably. He looked again at Tao Yuanyi's "honest" face and the truly ordinary appearance of the carriages, then waved them off: "Fine, fine. You look like decent folk. Go on in! There are many people in the city lately, so find a place to settle down yourselves and don't cause trouble!"

"Thank you, officer! Thank you!" Tao Yuanyi thanked him repeatedly, quickly returned to the carriage, and drove through the city gate.

Inside the cabin, Qin Feng shook his head slightly. As expected, money makes the world go 'round; it was much the same everywhere. He just wondered if there were also Yin Demon Sect moles planted within Blackstone City. After all, according to the intelligence, the Yin Demon Sect had been entrenched here for over a hundred years, their influence deeply rooted and seemingly omnipresent.

After entering the city, it was indeed as the guard had said; the flow of people on the streets was greater than expected. Many carried weapons, looking travel-worn with eyes searching everywhere, possessing the peculiar alertness and greed of treasure hunters. They wanted to find an inn to stay in, but after asking at several of the larger ones, they found that all had "No Vacancy" signs posted.

Finally, it was the manager of a small inn who, while clicking his abacus without looking up, said, "You folks must be from out of town, right? Don't bother. Every inn in the city, big or small, has been basically full for this period. They're all here for the 'Treasure Trove' recently discovered in the northern mountains—wave after wave of them, never-ending."

"Treasure Trove?" Qin Feng, acting as the accountant (after his disguise), showed a timely bit of curiosity.

"Isn't that right! The rumors are making it sound miraculous, saying there's a glow reaching the sky, an ancient Cultivator's Immortal Cave has appeared, filled with countless Cultivation Techniques and divine weapons... Hmph, if you ask me, it's eighty percent likely someone intentionally leaked the news, or some unlucky fellow just dug up some valuable Ore." The manager seemed to find it all quite ordinary. "If you're here to visit relatives, you'd better have them arrange a place to stay quickly. If you're just passing through, just make do for a night at the post station outside the city and leave first thing tomorrow morning. This muddy water is not easy to wade through."

Qin Feng thanked the manager, his heart understanding the situation. He didn't care about any Treasure Trove or Immortal Cave. Their goal was the Imperial Capital; only a giant city like that, where the world's winds and clouds converged and the foundations were unfathomably deep, could possibly refresh the highest value intelligence Opportunities—those [Blue], [Red], or even higher Ranks concerning the lower volume of the Daoist Primordial Chaos Art or similar levels. The so-called treasure of Blackstone City had limited appeal.

Since the inns were packed, they followed their backup plan and rented a slightly old, independent single-story house with a small courtyard in the relatively quiet West District of the city. Although the conditions were simple, it had the advantage of being quiet and independent, making it easy for them to hide their tracks and allowing Tao Yuanyi and Cold Peach Blossom to set up some simple early-warning measures.

After settling in, the night grew deeper.

At the zi hour, Qin Feng was alone in his assigned Quiet Room, his mind sinking into the System.

[Daily Intelligence Refreshed (zi hour):]

[1. [Yellow]: Currently, there are only four peripheral Yin Demon Sect spies stationed in Blackstone City, with cultivation levels ranging from Martial Master to Early Stage Grand Martial Master. Due to the recent search orders for locations containing the character "White," most elite sentries have been redeployed toward directions such as "Baihe Town" and "Baishi Village." The main task of the four remaining is to monitor the movement of large-scale goods and suspicious unknown experts; their attention toward "ordinary merchants" like you is relatively low.]

[2. [Yellow]: The recent rumored "Treasure Trove" in Blackstone City is actually a small "Fire Spirit Ore Vein" newly exposed on the edge of the Black Wind Mountain Range to the north. The Ore quality is decent and contains pure fire-attribute spiritual energy, which can be used for forging fire-type weapons, setting up specific fire-attribute Formations, or assisting in the cultivation of fire-attribute Cultivation Techniques. It is highly attractive to Cultivators below the Martial King Realm. It has already triggered a scramble among several local small Gangs and numerous Loose Cultivators, making the situation chaotic.]

[3. [Green]: In the backyard of "Blacksmith Old Zhao's" shop in the West District of Blackstone City, three zhang deep into the wall of an ancient well that was used for quenching but has long since dried up and been abandoned, a "Giant Spirit Ruler" (Earth Rank Low Grade) is hidden, wrapped in oilcloth. This ruler was left behind a hundred years ago by a passing Martial Emperor; because the ruler's body is heavy and edgeless, and activating it requires a special true yuan method, it has remained undiscovered. The ruler is cast from "Mountain-Sinking Iron" mixed with a small amount of "Star Sand," possessing immense weight and power; once activated, it can produce a "gravity field" effect, providing a good bonus for Martial Artists with strength-based styles or those who Cultivate earth or metal attribute techniques.]

Scanning the three pieces of intelligence, Qin Feng felt no great waves in his heart.

It was a good thing that most Yin Demon Sect spies had been moved away, confirming the effectiveness of their route change and disguise strategy, but there were still eyes in the city, so they still needed to be careful.

A fire spirit mine? It held little significance for them. Little Fire's growth was supported by Crimson Sun Dragon Blood Fruit, Xia Ya was earth-attributed, Ji Ruxue was ice/dark, and both he and Xiao Chun were not primarily fire-attributed. The appeal of those Ores was limited.

The Giant Spirit Ruler? It was Earth Rank Low Grade and a blunt weapon; the lowest grade equipment any of them currently used was Earth Rank High Grade, and the ink plum sword was even top-tier. This ruler was truly a white elephant; it might be worth some money if sold, but the risk outweighed the gain.

"It's all inconsequential information." Qin Feng shook his head and exited the System. The current priority was to rest and recover energy to continue the journey to the Imperial Capital tomorrow. These Opportunities in Blackstone City could be left to those who were running around and fighting for them.

He was about to blow out the lamp and regulate his breathing when his ears suddenly twitched.

The extremely well-hidden early-warning Formation set up by Tao Yuanyi and Cold Peach Blossom around the perimeter of the courtyard sent a tiny, almost non-existent disturbance!

It wasn't the wind or grass moving, nor was it a small animal touching it... someone, using a highly sophisticated movement technique and intentionally restraining their breath, was stealthily approaching the single-story house they had rented!

Qin Feng's eyes instantly became as sharp as knives, his sleepiness completely gone. His hand had already quietly gripped the hilt of the ink plum sword by his pillow.