Chapter 160 Three Thousand Miles of Reed Marshes
However... to pacify the internal situation before resisting external aggression.
Having a few plans in place is enough; the rest depends on improvisation.
in this way.
Three months later, at the end of September, the fifth year of Wang Yu's career as a deacon.
The flying boat arrived at a vast and unfamiliar territory. As far as the eye could see, countless green reeds were swaying in the wind, growing in very shallow water.
The shallowest part barely covers the toes, while the deepest part only reaches an adult's neck.
This territory spans a full three thousand li.
It is also known as the "Three Thousand Miles of Reeds"!
The water is wide and shallow, clear but not fertile, and only small fish and shrimp the size of a thumb can survive in this water. Occasionally, you may encounter a large fish, but it weighs less than ten pounds. This is compounded by the dense fog unique to Yunling.
From a distance, it looked as if we had truly arrived in a fairyland.
Thick fog clung to the water's surface, and fishermen rowed their covered boats as if sailing on a sea of clouds. The scenery was breathtaking; every glance was a masterpiece of landscape painting!
"Great place!"
Wang Yu was captivated at first glance, and unable to resist the urge to use his skills, he took out the Ghost Cry Flute, almost forgetting its special properties, and quickly switched to an ordinary flute.
He played music in the sky, and fishermen sailed on the sea of clouds.
There's an inexplicable harmony between stillness and movement.
His soul seemed to be cleansed, and with the profound changes in his flute skills, he vaguely seemed to have grasped the way to infuse emotions into the notes.
I don't know how much time has passed.
When Wang Yu awoke at dusk, all three Soul Sound Dual Path Techniques inherited from Yin Ya Shangren had taken a giant leap forward.
He then realized what was happening and murmured to himself.
"So it's that simple, just blend in the corresponding emotions..."
Below, the fisherman who had been punting the boat was nowhere to be seen. Wang Yu sighed, but a smile appeared on his face. This scene was the legendary "sudden enlightenment".
Only a very small number of people will have the opportunity to encounter this.
Unfortunately, he only had a shallow understanding for a day and failed to enter a deep state of enlightenment. If he could have understood for ten days or half a month, it wouldn't have been impossible for them to both reach the state of perfection.
Having mastered more perfect techniques, Wang Yu's understanding of the principles of law is indeed far superior to that of other cultivators at the same level, or rather, he is on a completely different level.
Once his emotions had calmed down, Wang Yu was able to continue his journey towards Guiling City. The three thousand li of reed marshes were not far from his destination; he would arrive in just one more thousand li.
We'll definitely arrive before sunrise.
Just as the flying cloud boat accelerated, a gentle voice suddenly sounded behind Wang Yu.
"Fellow Daoist, please wait."
Wang Yu was startled. Having just arrived in Yunling Prefecture, encountering such a thing was hardly a good omen. Just as he was about to speed up his departure, he realized that the other person's flying boat was of a higher grade and faster!
In the blink of an eye, it blocked his way.
It is much larger than the Flying Cloud Boat, with a length of twelve or thirteen meters. It is a typical flower boat with a vermilion two-story pavilion in the middle.
The two-tiered beaded gauze curtain was partially pulled back.
The gentle voice rang out again.
"Fellow Daoist is quite accomplished in the art of pleasure. I wonder if I could invite you to join my [Yunmeng Pavilion]? Our sect is a branch of the Hehuan Sect and we are proficient in the Yin-Yang Dao."
"If you wish to join me, when we are in bed together, you may play melodious music in my building. Spirit stones, magical techniques... or even beautiful women are all at your disposal."
The Joyful Union Demonic Sect? Wang Yu frowned. How come their people are everywhere? The principles of Yin and Yang and the ethics of human relations really do get them everywhere.
Confucius said that this is human instinct and there is nothing to be ashamed of.
Judging from the direction this ship is heading, could it be...?
Wang Yu bowed and replied:
"Fellow Daoist flatters me. Are you on your way to Guiling City?"
"Naturally, fellow Daoist is naturally wary. It's fine if you don't want to join us. How about we travel together instead? Yunmeng Pavilion is located in Guiling North City."
"That's fine."
After responding, Wang Yu also began to think.
North of the city? Isn't that the area under the jurisdiction of the city lord's mansion? This is a good opportunity to find out the situation. Wang Yu brought the flying cloud boat close to the second-floor window of the building.
"I wonder if you could tell me about the situation in Guiling City? I come from Xueyuan Prefecture and am new here. I plan to settle down in this area and devote myself to cultivation."
"The new guy?"
The voice inside paused for a moment, then continued.
"If you are confident, then come aboard my Rouge Boat. Yunmeng Pavilion is open for business, and we also do intelligence business. It just depends on what level you are looking for."
While pondering, Wang Yu decisively put away the Flying Cloud Boat and stood directly by the railing on the second floor.
Throughout history, casinos, brothels, and restaurants have always been the places with the best sources of information. It's perfectly normal for Yunmeng Pavilion to combine its prostitution business with intelligence gathering.
Fortunately, the Third Young Master has already provided very detailed information on the surface, but the information that is known to the locals is more reliable and timely.
Upon entering the interior, a beautiful mature woman with her hair styled in a high bun was lying on her side on a soft couch. In front of her was a low table with a tea set on it, and wisps of steam were floating on the jade cups.
Her slender hand supported her chin, while her other hand caressed the string of beads.
She wore a red peony and phoenix patterned gold beaded dress as an outer garment, and her inner garment was small and tight, a plain-colored corseted short skirt with white transparent tulle trouser legs extending from the hem.
The inner garment accentuated the roundness of her breasts, creating an eye-catching cleavage and revealing large expanses of snow-white skin—a veritable treasure trove for a baby.
The entire outfit is alluring without being lewd, seductive without being vulgar.
The beauty of subtlety is revealed to the extreme, especially the voluptuous legs beneath the sheer fabric, making one unable to resist looking upwards and probing into the absolute realm.
Wang Yu's expression remained calm, revealing only a hint of appreciation for beautiful things. He was truly willing but unable to do anything about them!
"How shall I address you, fellow Daoist?"
"Wang Yu".
"Chao Yunniang".
"Nice to meet you!"
After exchanging pleasantries, when the conversation turned to business, Chao Yunniang sat up and poured Wang Yu a cup of tea.
"Wang Daoyou is indeed handsome. I wonder what you want to ask about this intelligence business?"
"The situation in Guiling City, the forces within the city, the forces outside the city, the nearby treasure troves... the more comprehensive the information, the better. As a newcomer, I need to be careful and not offend the local tyrants."
"Too--"
Chao Yunniang nodded and took out three jade slips.
"I have three intelligence reports here: low, medium, and high, priced at one thousand, three thousand, and five thousand respectively. They are all in the low-grade spirit stones. Which one will you choose, Fellow Daoist Wang?"
"Top-notch intelligence."
Wang Yu tossed out a storage bag, picked it up, and began to examine it, which made Chao Yunniang laugh.
"It seems Fellow Daoist Wang is quite strong."
"It's alright, I just have a skill to rely on."
Before long, after digesting the information in the jade slip, there were indeed many things that could not be found on the surface.
The three families: Bai, Guan, and Jiang.
Among them, the Bai family is proficient in spiritual plant cultivation techniques and owns the most spiritual fields. They cultivate a spiritual rice called "Blood Tooth Rice," and the family has a profound heritage, producing nearly 200,000 spirit stones annually.
The Guan family owns a bamboo forest and a mountain of strange rocks. They run a business selling paper, ink, brushes, and inkstones in the cultivation world. They rank second among the three families and have many powerful members. They produce nearly 150,000 spirit stones every year.
The Jiang family possesses the inheritance of four major cultivation skills: alchemy, weapon crafting, talisman making, and array making. Each skill has several branches, most of which are at the first level, except for alchemy, which is at the second level.
They rank third, producing nearly 100,000 spirit stones annually, but their expenses are even greater, and they are already showing signs of running out of money.
Fortunately, this is just one of the main ways for the three major families in Guiling City to make money. Although it is the main way, they also have other ways to earn spirit stones.
The Bai family secretly had dealings with the Yellow Springs Temple, seemingly helping them collect the souls of deceased cultivators, which was also a significant source of illicit income.
Besides the three major families, there are many smaller forces established by Foundation Establishment experts in the city, evenly distributed across various districts. Yunmeng Pavilion is also among them, though it is not mentioned much in the intelligence.
Information about the city lord's mansion is scarce, with only a few stewards who frequently appear being introduced.
Wang Yu was somewhat relieved to have met Chao Yunniang.
The financial reports, intelligence on minor factions, the transactions between the Bai family and the Huangquan Temple, etc., were not recorded in that official intelligence report.
The five thousand spirit stones were well spent.
Furthermore, quite a few forces outside the city were mentioned, with the Core Formation forces [Water Ink Sect], [Purple Dragon Mountain], and [Fragrance Sect] being the dominant powers near Guiling City.
They also have branches in Guiling City, almost all of which are located in the northern district.
In other words, the North City is a territory divided among four factions, and the competition is quite fierce. It is said that it is under the jurisdiction of the City Lord's Mansion, but it is probably willing but unable to do so.
However, while I am satisfied, there are still some issues to raise.
Wang Yu asked, puzzled.
"Why is there so little information about the City Lord's Mansion? We don't even know how many people are in it."
Upon hearing this, Chao Yunniang hesitated for a moment.
"this……"
Wang Yu tossed out another storage bag without any expression.
"Three thousand spirit stones."
Whatever money has been spent now, once we get to Guiling City, he'll have to make it all up to me. Three times the amount as a token will suffice; he's not some kind of devil.
Having received the spirit stone, Chao Yunniang smiled and began to speak.
"The Guiling City Lord's Mansion is directly under the control of the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect. Apart from the city lord being appointed by the Holy Sect, the stewards, servants, and subordinates inside all need to be recruited by the city lord himself."
"The previous city lord of Guiling City has been gone for nearly a hundred years, and there has been no news of him since. The people in the city only know General Tuoba of the city lord's mansion, but do not know that there is a city lord."
"The Tuoba family has only been rising for a short time and its foundation is far inferior to that of the three major families, but it is very strong. I heard that it has already broken through to the eighth level of the Foundation Establishment stage and is expected to form the Core Formation stage."
"The entire city lord's mansion is also under the control of the Tuoba family, with about three hundred Qi Refining cultivators and two Foundation Establishment cultivators."
Wang Yu immediately understood. The previous city lord was named Zhuo Kuangsheng, who was at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage. He had a mishap when he was forming his core and died in his cave without even triggering a tribulation.
This is quite rare among the three powerful Nascent Soul families; even in the worst-case scenario, it should attract a tribulation lightning.
This led to him searching for an opportunity outside the outside world, and it took him thirty or forty years to discover the problem. The matter of Guiling City was then fought over by internal factions.
It wasn't until Zhuo Shouqing secretly sent people to help Wang Yu capture him that the matter came to an end.
He knew about this.
As for the Tuoba family, who usurped the city's territory, let alone someone at the eighth level of Foundation Establishment, even someone at the early stage of Core Formation would have to kneel before them. Of all places to occupy, they chose the city lord's mansion.
They're tired of living, so this is a good opportunity to establish authority.
No wonder the three young masters didn't think there would be much trouble when they arrived; having such a target would certainly make things go much more smoothly.
(End of this chapter)
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