Aspiring to the Immortal Path

Chapter 279: Feast

Although it was a city that had been set up on the spot, it had restaurants, inns, clothing stores, pharmacies, and all the other places one might expect. The steps paved with jade sloped up and down in accord with the landscape, and the brick homes and little alleyways made the place seem like a charming mountain city.

Red Plum City was set up with four vertical streets and eight horizontal streets. While the buildings seemed to be randomly placed, their locations were all intricately connected to the layout of the formation. The Wandering Palace was the host, so it occupied the Heavenly Origin and stood at the summit. Here was the Qian position (northwest), where the Open Gate was located, and was the site of the formation’s core. The six major sects each occupied their own direction, taking up six other gates. The Death Gate was untouched, left to the wandering cultivators who came from all around.

As he made his way along the long streets, Tang Jie came to a courtyard with red walls and white tiles. The signboard declared that this place was known as Cleansing Sword Garden.

This was where the Basking Moon Sect was staying.

Cleansing Sword Garden was located on the southern end of the ridge, which was the Li position of Fire, and the color of Basking Moon was white. Thus, its residence had red walls and white tiles. Besides the Basking Moon Sect, there were also various vassal sects from the Sageheart Kingdom here, forming their own little region in the city.

There was a worker there to receive Tang Jie when he entered Cleansing Sword Garden. When it was learned that he was a Basking Moon student and an official participant, the worker led him to a place called Clear Heart Pavilion. This was the residence the academy had arranged for him.

Clear Heart Pavilion was a quiet and refined place, and Tang Jie was quite satisfied.

This was where the Basking Moon students gathered, so it wasn’t long before many people knew that Tang Jie had arrived. A few moments later, Wei Tianchong and Shi Meng rushed over, shouting at him, “Good job, Tang Jie! So you still knew to come back! We almost thought that you had died in some barren patch of wilderness.”

Tang Jie smiled and said, “From the sound of it, you’ve been here a while?”

“We’ve been here for twenty-some days,” Shi Meng replied. “The academy sent 20 participants, and you’re the last one to arrive. If you were any later, Headmaster Xie would have sent someone looking for you. People have been preparing to take your place.”

Wei Tianchong said, “Forget about that. Hand my puppet over first. Let me see if there’s any damage.”

Tang Jie returned the puppet to Wei Tianchong, and Wei Tianchong began to give it a comprehensive check-up, thoroughly examining it for fear of any damage. Tang Jie helplessly said, “It’s like you came for the puppet, not for me. This is very disheartening, Young Master.”

“Of course,” Wei Tianchong brusquely replied. “It took ages to make this Grade 3 combat puppet, and I didn’t even get to use it once before you took it away and disappeared.”

“It’s only a Grade 3 combat puppet, but look at how nervous you are! Can’t you see that there are Grade 3 combat puppets all throughout Red Plum City? And they’re even black-armored guards with weapons.”

Tang Jie’s words immediately had a look of infatuation appear in Wei Tianchong’s eyes. It was clear that he had been shaken by these black-armored guards of Red Plum City. “Tang Jie, what do you think about getting some armor for our combat puppet?”

“Do you know how much that costs? The weapons and armor together would cost at least ten thousand.”

Wei Tianchong immediately shook his head at this number. Making the puppet had already emptied his pockets, and he wouldn’t be able to muster up this sum in so little time.

But Tang Jie added, “But if Young Master is willing to take a risk, I might be able to help Young Master get a set.”

“How so?” Wei Tianchong asked.

“Of course, from those black-armored guards.” Tang Jie grinned.

Wei Tianchong was scared out of his wits, and firmly shook his head. “You madman, you would even harbor an idea like this? Putting aside what tough opponents they pose, even if you could deal with them, once the Wandering Palace finds out, we’ll suffer even if we’re Basking Moon students.”

“Then what if I could guarantee that I could do it without being discovered?”

“This…” Wei Tianchong grew hesitant.

As he was thinking, several more people rushed in from outside. Their leader was Peng Yaolong, and behind him were Qi Shaoming, Ye Tianshang, and Cai Junyang. There were also some other students who were taking part in the Immortal Fortune Conference, but Tang Jie didn’t know them.

The moment Peng Yaolong got to the door, he shouted, “A fine show from Tang Jie, going off on his own and seeing the sights. You must have had quite the fun time, to arrive only now.”

Tang Jie chuckled. “Aren’t there still a few days until it starts? I made sure to plan everything out. I so rarely go out that I naturally have to make good use of my time.”

“Don’t try that on me. I would even bet that you were tempering yourself rather than sightseeing.” Cai Junyang knew Tang Jie, and his words immediately exposed Tang Jie’s secret.

Ye Tianshang said, “If you want to prove it, it’s simple. Just have him open up his Mustard Seed Bag and we’ll know.”

Everyone rushed up to see what loot Tang Jie had gotten while traveling alone.

Tang Jie helplessly pleaded for mercy. “Please, no, senior brothers, have mercy. Why don’t I just treat you all to a meal?”

They wouldn’t really try to open his Mustard Seed Bag, so they immediately agreed.

Even Qi Shaoming said, “There’s a Divine Fragrance Restaurant on the western side of town. I’ve heard the food there is to die for, and I’ve always been meaning to try, but alas, I’m short of money. Since Tang Jie is paying, why don’t we go and see?”

Tang Jie’s face fell. “If even Young Master Qi can’t afford it, I certainly can’t.”

Qi Shaoming firmly replied. “It’s fine. We won’t eat too much—one or two thousand per person at most.”

“……”

The party chattered as they made their way to Divine Fragrance Restaurant.

This restaurant was quite the pricey place, even in Red Plum City. While the food was good, it was astonishingly expensive. Qi Shaoming had only mentioned it as a joke, but to his surprise, Tang Jie had agreed.

At the restaurant, after Tang Jie had ordered for everyone, even Wei Tianchong had to stick out his tongue and say, “Braised Mask Ox tongue, steamed Ghost Fish, stir-fried Moonshadow Silkworm… Tang Jie, this food has to cost at least three thousand, right?”

Tang Jie laughed. “Isn’t it because I was exposed by Junyang, who insisted that I went out adventuring? I truly did make a little from my travels, so I naturally have to show off a little. Everyone, there’s no need to be polite. I can afford this.”

Everyone looked at Tang Jie a little differently.

That he could casually treat everyone to a meal that cost three to four thousand coins meant that he must have made more than twenty thousand. Making so much in so little time could only mean that Tang Jie had once again gotten stronger.

For Tang Jie, besides showing off his strength, spending money was also a way to make friends and draw people to his side.

The people sitting around him were the most outstanding students of Basking Moon Academy. Before this, they had been so occupied with their own cultivation that they rarely had the time to get together, and so it was difficult to become friends with them.

The opening of the Immortal Fortune Conference had let everyone temporarily put aside cultivation and given them the opportunity to know each other from a different perspective.

This chance to know each other was much better than the one provided by the True Inheritor struggle.

The backstabbing and fighting of the True Inheritor struggle could easily damage relationships.

The Immortal Fortune Conference, on the other hand, was a chance to stand shoulder to shoulder against a common foe. They had ceased to be rivals and were now collaborators.

This was precisely why Tang Jie had utilized this opportunity to improve everyone’s relationships with each other.

Treating everyone to a meal was undoubtedly an excellent idea.

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This would paper over the displeasures caused by the True Inheritor struggle and also let these acquaintances, who had known each other for some time but knew so little about each other, establish a rapport.

Sure enough, after a few cups of spirit wine, the atmosphere began to thaw.

At this moment, Tang Jie said, “You know, there’s something that’s been making me feel rather down. Normally, I shouldn’t have been too late in coming, but all of you are saying that I’m the last competitor from the six major sects to arrive. Why did all of you come so early?”

Peng Yaolong and the others looked at each and then erupted in laughter, but none of them explained.

In the end, it was Shi Meng who said, “Tang Jie, even you have your stupid moments. Did you forget why the Immortal Fortune Conference was held?”

“It’s naturally to decide which sect the Wandering Palace will choose… The little palace lord?” Tang Jie suddenly blurted out in understanding.

For the six major sects, the most important thing about the Immortal Fortune Conference was naturally the allegiance of the Wandering Palace.

But for the competing students, the most important thing was who the little palace lord would marry!

While strength was needed to marry the little palace lord, it definitely wasn’t enough. After all, fists could only get a student into the top ten, but the one selected from those ten would depend on the little palace lord.

Thus, almost every young student who had come for the little palace lord had a plan in mind.

The best plan was to get to Red Plum City early and seek out an opportunity to get to know the little palace lord.

If they could become acquainted with and even establish a relationship with her before the official tournament began, the only problem left was to get into the top ten. If they could capture the little palace lord’s heart, even getting into the top ten might not be a problem.

This was exactly why all the students had come to Red Plum City early, seeking out a chance to meet the little palace lord. But as Tang Jie had no interest in her, he naturally wouldn’t do such a thing, which was why he had only arrived now.

“I see…” Now that he understood, Tang Jie smiled and said, “So which of you have met the little palace lord?”

The people at the table looked at each other and shrugged. It was clear that none of them had been that lucky.

A student called Zhu Fengdao said, “But while we haven’t seen the little palace lord, that doesn’t mean that she hasn’t seen us. The little palace lord is called the Divine Fragrance, and this restaurant happens to have the same name. It might even have been opened by the little palace lord so that she can observe the patrons. She might even be hiding in some secret nook and watching us now.”

His words immediately had several students tidying their clothes and watching their words, and the mood at the table turned solemn.

But one student scornfully said, “We’re talking about a proud daughter of heaven, a peerless beauty, and she would hide in some corner and secretly watch you? Keep dreaming!”

Zhu Fengdao immediately argued, “So what if she’s a proud daughter of heaven? In the end, won’t she still have to marry a student of one of the six major sects? This is a big thing for us students, and do you think it’s some small matter for her? Do you really think she’s willing to choose one of ten strange men? The little palace lord has probably been scouring the city over the last few days for the ideal groom. Just you wait! Something might even happen that the little palace lord will use to test our character. Mark my words: don’t cower when the time comes to be brave, and make sure to brandish your sword when it’s time to uphold righteousness!”

“Ptoo! What a load of bull! Is this called being brave and upholding righteousness? Looks more like fooling the world and faking reputation to me,” Cai Junyang unhappily said. His lifelong goal was the chivalrous wandering life, so he was deeply displeased by Zhu Fengdao’s words.

Zhu Fengdao wasn’t happy either. “It’s your choice if you’re not willing. I’m just offering some advice out of the kindness of my heart, so why am I the bad guy? If this is really how you’re going to be, then if something does happen, it’s best that you don’t do anything for fear that people will accuse you of trying to get in the little palace lord’s good graces. In any case, there are plenty of cultivators on Red Plum Ridge, so you won’t be missed.”

“So you do know that there are more cultivators than mortals on Red Plum Ridge. And just how much injustice do you think there’s going to be, that you’re going to get a chance to show off?” someone jeered.

“That’s hard to say. Where there’s people, there’s an underworld, and where there’s a gap in strength, there’s injustice. Who says that injustice can only occur between cultivators and mortals?”

As Zhu Fengdao was talking, a clamor suddenly erupted from below.