9: Chapter 9: Kyugen Trading Company

The wind whistled past his ears.

This was the first time Zhao Ruoan experienced flying on a Flying Sword.

The Flying Sword beneath his feet was wide and heavy, surrounded by a pale cyan Qi barrier that completely kept the violent winds at bay.

The speed was ridiculously fast, and the mountains and rivers on the ground had all blurred into indistinct patches of color.

His wrist was still being held by Luo Li.

Senior Sister's strength was truly quite formidable.

Zhao Ruoan felt somewhat awkward; as a grown man being pulled like this by a young woman, he always felt it was a bit strange.

Yet Luo Li wore a calm expression, as if this were the most normal thing in the world.

It was not polite for him to break free, so he could only let her hold him while pretending to look at the scenery.

Ahead, the outline of an incomparably majestic giant city appeared on the horizon.

The city walls soared into the clouds like a prostrating black Dragon, and just looking at them from afar gave one a suffocating sense of oppression.

"That is Qingyang City, the largest market city at the foot of our Qingxuan Sect."

Luo Li's voice rang in his ear.

As the distance closed, the densely packed pavilions and towers in the city, along with the endless stream of people, became clear.

Just as the Flying Sword was about to enter the airspace above the city,

"Halt, newcomers!"

"Flying in the air is forbidden within Qingyang City!"

Several booming shouts full of Qi came from below.

Immediately afterward, seven or eight figures clad in dark iron armor shot up into the sky, holding long halberds to block their path.

The bearded man at the lead was at the Middle Stage of the Foundation Establishment Stage, exuding an aggressive Aura.

"Which family's junior doesn't understand the rules? Don't you know the prohibition of Qingyang City!"

Luo Li's Flying Sword stopped.

Her delicate brows furrowed slightly, seeming somewhat displeased.

The bearded man originally wanted to continue shouting, but when he saw Luo Li's cold and peerlessly beautiful face, his entire body instantly froze.

"Senior… Luo Li?"

The ferocity on his face vanished completely.

With a thump,

this city-guard commander of the Foundation Establishment Stage actually knelt on one knee right there in mid-air.

"Commander Wang Mang of the Qingyang Guard pays respects to Luo Li!"

With this single kneel of his, the aggressive city guards behind him all scrambled to kneel down as well.

"Pay respects to Luo Li!"

Their voices were filled with panic.

"Rise."

Luo Li's tone was very calm.

"Yes, yes!"

Commander Wang Mang stood up trembling, lowering his head even further.

"This is my Junior Brother, Zhao Ruoan."

Luo Li turned sideways, introducing Zhao Ruoan behind her to them.

"Revered Master's newly accepted Personal Disciple."

Upon hearing this, Commander Wang Mang's heart trembled violently.

The peak Revered Master of Qinghan Peak, that legendary existence, had taken on a Disciple again?

And it was the only male Disciple?

Daring not to be negligent, he hurriedly bowed deeply toward Zhao Ruoan.

"Commander Wang Mang pays respects to Uncle-Master Zhao!"

The city guards behind him also saluted in unison.

"Pay respects to Uncle-Master Zhao!"

Zhao Ruoan's cultivation was clearly only at the Body Refining Realm, yet this group of burly men at the Foundation Establishment Stage were each as respectful as if they were seeing their own elders.

"Everyone, there is no need for such formalities."

Zhao Ruoan waved his hand gently.

He finally experienced firsthand what it meant to enjoy the shade by leaning against a big tree.

The reputation of this Immortal Emperor Revered Master was simply more useful than anything else.

"Let's go down."

Luo Li put away the Flying Sword and brought Zhao Ruoan down, slowly landing at the city gate.

The originally crowded human tide at the city gate had already automatically cleared out a spacious path after seeing Commander Wang Mang and the crowd of city guards acting so respectfully toward the two young people.

Everyone was using curious and awe-filled gazes to size up this pair of celestial-couple-like man and woman.

"My goodness, isn't that Fairy Luoli of Qinghan Peak? Has she actually come down the mountain?"

"Who is that man by her side? So handsome! Fairy Luoli has never been close to any man!"

"Just now Commander Wang and the others seemed to call him... Uncle-Master Zhao? Could he be the newly accepted Disciple of the Qinghan Peak Revered Master?"

"Hiss—does that mean he is Fairy Luoli's only Junior Brother?"

"What Junior Brother, I think he's more like a lover, didn't you see them fly down from the sword together just now?"

"I'm jealous, my iceberg goddess was just cajoled away like that by some punk who popped out of nowhere?"

Whispers spread among the crowd.

With Luo Li's cultivation, these discussions naturally fell into her ears word for word.

Hum.

An ice-cold Sword Intent suddenly spread outward with her at the center.

The surrounding temperature seemed to drop by several degrees.

Those gossiping passersby only felt a chill shoot straight from the soles of their feet to their crowns, their bodies stiffening, not daring to say another word as they scattered like birds and beasts.

The street corner that was noisy just a moment ago instantly became desolate.

"Senior Sister, what's wrong?"

Zhao Ruoan asked with some puzzlement.

"Nothing."

Luo Li replied coldly, yet a flush of red bloomed across her face.

"Some flies are too noisy."

After saying this, she strode forward.

Zhao Ruoan followed behind her, looking at her somewhat hurried figure, feeling somewhat amused in his heart.

This aloof Senior Sister seemed... a little cute?

The two of them crossed several bustling streets and finally stopped in front of a magnificent nine-story pavilion.

"Jiuxuan Chamber of Commerce."

Zhao Ruoan looked up at the plaque; the four dragon-flying-phoenix-dancing characters contained an extraordinary charm.

"Let's go, let's go inside and pick out a handy weapon for you."

Luo Li said.

"Senior Sister, there's no need, Revered Master has already bestowed upon me a Spiritual Artifact, which is more than enough."

Zhao Ruoan hurriedly declined.

He felt that ever since he went up the mountain, he had been getting things for free all the time, and felt somewhat bad about it in his heart.

"What Revered Master bestowed is Revered Master's, what I'm giving is what I'm giving; they are different."

Luo Li's tone allowed no room for negotiation.

"You are the only male on Qinghan Peak and also my first Junior Brother, so this welcome gift is a must."

"Besides, if I return empty-handed and Revered Master finds out, she will nag at me again for being stingy."

Since words had reached this point, Zhao Ruoan found it hard to refuse further.

"Then... thank you very much, Senior Sister."

The two walked side by side into the Jiuxuan Chamber of Commerce.

The first-floor hall of the chamber of commerce was extremely vast, with people coming and going, bustling with noise and excitement.

Neat rows of shelves were filled with various Medicinal Pills, Talismans, Magic Treasures, and cultivation Materials.

"Quick look, this 'Chasing Wind Sword', a Low Grade Profound Weapon, actually only costs eight hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones!"

"This bottle of 'Qi Gathering Pills' is also not bad, it can save me half a month of bitter cultivation."

Most of the Cultivators in the hall were in the Body Tempering and Foundation Establishment realms, each showing yearning expressions toward the goods on the shelves.

In their eyes, a Profound Weapon was already considered a rare treasure.

However, Luo Li only glanced at them before withdrawing her gaze.

"They are all just scrap metal."

She led Zhao Ruoan, walking straight through the hall toward the stairs leading to the second floor.

The "Jinghong" sword on Zhao Ruoan's body was a Medium Grade Spiritual Artifact bestowed by Revered Master, so naturally, he wouldn't think much of these Profound Weapons either.

Their calm and composed posture, treating Profound Weapons as if they were nothing, formed a sharp contrast with the surrounding Cultivators who were arguing fiercely face-to-face over a Low Grade Profound Weapon.

Quite a few people noticed them, their faces showing expressions of envy and self-deprecation.

Is this the confidence of a Core Disciple from a top Sect?

Luo Li brought Zhao Ruoan, directly ignoring the managers of the first and second floors, all the way upward.

Until stepping onto the stairs leading to the third floor, a middle-aged manager dressed in brocade robes with a steady Aura hurried forward to greet them.

"Welcome to the arrival of Fairy Luoli, forgive us for not welcoming you from afar."

The middle-aged manager's face was piled with smiles, his attitude respectful to the extreme.

"I brought my Junior Brother to pick out a weapon."

Luo Li was concise and to the point.

"Understood."

The middle-aged manager understood tacitly and hurriedly led the way in front.

"Fairy and this Young Master, please follow me. Anything above the third floor represents the finest treasures of our Jiuxuan Chamber of Commerce."