Chapter 335: The thousand dao city 5.

"Now what?"

"Nothing."

"You are staring again."

"I know."

"Does it look good?"

"Very."

Su Yubing smiled.

"Then stop making me nervous."

Mo Yuxin took her hand.

"No."

"No?"

"I am going to keep doing it."

Su Yubing shook her head, but she did not pull her hand away. They headed toward the eastern district because Su Yubing wanted to see one of the large merchant halls they had passed on the previous day. The building belonged to the Bai family, one of the seven largest merchant clans that maintained permanent operations in Thousand Dao City. Their headquarters was several streets long, with separate entrances for ordinary customers, cultivators, bulk trade, and high-level auctions. The courtyard outside was full of people. A group of Foundation Establishment cultivators were carrying spirit herb baskets toward a side gate. Several merchants were arguing over the quality of a shipment. A few beast handlers were trying to convince a stubborn horned deer to enter a transport cage.

The deer had decided that it would rather die than move. The handler pulled. The deer stood firm. Another handler came to help. The deer remained firm. Mo Yuxin stopped to watch. Su Yubing laughed.

"Why are you interested?"

"The deer is strong-minded."

"It is a deer."

"That does not mean it cannot have principles."

Su Yubing shook her head. The two handlers finally gave up and left to bring a larger formation cart. The deer immediately walked into the transport cage by itself. Mo Yuxin smiled.

"It was waiting for better service."

"I think it was simply lazy."

"Same thing."

They entered the merchant hall. The first floor contained common goods. The second floor was for cultivators above Core Formation. The third was for established sects and clans. The fourth was apparently invitation only. Su Yubing wanted to see the spirit tea section. Mo Yuxin followed. They spent nearly an hour comparing tea leaves. The attendant kept explaining the differences between mountain-grown spirit tea, cloud-grown spirit tea, moonlit tea, fireleaf tea, and several regional varieties. Su Yubing asked questions. Mo Yuxin listened. At one point, the attendant brought out a small wooden box containing three kinds of ancient tea leaves. Su Yubing tasted one. Her eyes lit up.

"This one."

Mo Yuxin immediately looked at the attendant.

"How much?"

The attendant named the price. Mo Yuxin paid. Su Yubing stared at her.

"We already have a lot of tea."

"We will drink it."

"It could last for years."

"Then we have tea for years."

Su Yubing sighed.

"You really do like spoiling me."

"Yes."

The attendant looked at them and smiled knowingly. Before they left, Su Yubing noticed a small box on the counter.

"What is that?"

The attendant explained that it contained travel talismans designed to prevent ordinary accidents in long journeys. Su Yubing picked one up. Mo Yuxin looked at the box.

"Do you want it?"

"Maybe."

Mo Yuxin bought the box. Su Yubing narrowed her eyes.

"You did not even ask the price."

"I heard maybe."

"You are impossible."

"You like impossible."

Su Yubing smiled.

"Unfortunately."

They left the shop. Neither noticed the woman watching them from a balcony above. She was dressed in a pale green merchant robe. Her expression was thoughtful. She had noticed the sword at Mo Yuxin’s waist. Not because it was valuable. Because the sword’s owner had not used it once since entering the city. A cultivator with that posture did not wear a sword as decoration. There was more to these two travelers than they showed. The woman remembered their faces. Then returned to her work. By late morning, Mo Yuxin and Su Yubing reached a small public square where cultivators could challenge each other without sect restrictions. Several arenas had been built around the square.

Some fights were practice. Some were private duels. Some were for bets. A crowd had gathered around one of the largest stages. A young body cultivator stood inside the arena while three opponents waited outside. The announcer shouted, "One versus three. If Senior Brother Han wins, he takes five hundred spirit stones. If he loses, he gives up his ranking!" The crowd cheered. Su Yubing looked interested.

"Do you want to watch?"

"For a while."

They found a place near the back. The fight began. The body cultivator was genuinely good. His physical strength was impressive for his realm, and he knew how to fight against multiple opponents without being surrounded. Mo Yuxin watched quietly. Su Yubing leaned close.

"How strong?"

"Decent."

"Could you do that?"

Mo Yuxin looked at the battlefield.

"Probably."

Su Yubing laughed.

"Probably?"

"I did not train body cultivation."

"You can probably punch a mountain anyway."

Mo Yuxin considered that.

"Probably."

The fight ended with Han winning. The crowd applauded. Then another cultivator stepped onto the stage.

"I challenge him."

The newcomer was a young man in white robes. There were several Heavenly Sword Sect symbols embroidered on his sleeve. The crowd reacted immediately. The atmosphere changed. The young body cultivator hesitated. The Heavenly Sword disciple smiled.

"You fought well. I would like to test my sword against your strength."

The body cultivator accepted. The fight was much faster. Sword light flashed. Han blocked one strike, then another. The third cut pushed him backward. The fourth strike knocked him off balance. The fifth stopped at his throat. The crowd cheered again. The Heavenly Sword disciple sheathed his sword.

"Good fight."

Han bowed.

"Thank you."

There was no insult. No arrogance. No humiliation. Mo Yuxin nodded slightly. Su Yubing noticed.

"You approve?"

"He has manners."

"I thought you disliked arrogant sword cultivators."

"I dislike arrogant people in general."

"What about handsome arrogant people?"

Mo Yuxin looked at her.

"I only like one handsome person."

Su Yubing smiled.

"Who?"

"You."

Su Yubing stared at her. Then she realized what Mo Yuxin had done.

"You turned it around."

"Yes."

"You are getting clever."

"I learned from you."

They kept watching. The Heavenly Sword disciple eventually left the arena.

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TO BE CONTINUED.