Demon Sword Sect’s Undercover
Chapter 709 - 709 708 End-of-Year Observations Seeking Guaranteed Monthly Tickets

709: Chapter 708: End-of-Year Observations [Seeking Guaranteed Monthly Tickets] 709: Chapter 708: End-of-Year Observations [Seeking Guaranteed Monthly Tickets] As they drew closer to Sui Mo City, the unique Orchids beside the road became more and more numerous, growing unrestrained like wild grass.

Bai Qingqian almost immediately fell in love with this place.

She grew up in Anhe Divine City, where the environment was top-notch, featuring the quintessential water towns of the south; and then she had moved to the coastal Mirage, getting used to the perpetual briny scent in the air.

Yet, she had never encountered a place like Shangyu before.

It possessed the delicacy of the south and the boldness of the Northern Territory, merged perfectly together, giving off a very distinctive feeling.

The climate, the environment…

including her noticeably different mood since arriving here, and the unique Orchids she saw for the first time—it was as if they were a part of her.

The carriage continued into Sui Mo City, which wasn’t entirely a city due to the special nature of the hilly area.

It was difficult to cluster buildings together, so they were built along the slopes, making it look more like a combination of several large towns.

“Sui Mo has Nine Towns, namely Qian Niu Town, Longdan Town, Horse Hoof Town, Canger Town, Peacock Town, Ezhang Town, Baochun Town, Lingjian Town, and Dendrobium Town.

Which one do our two esteemed guests wish to visit?”

The two had actually not considered this question since they were newcomers to the area.

“Uncle Zhang, do you have any recommendations?

It’s our first visit here.”

Uncle Zhang smiled kindly, “The Nine Towns of Sui Mo are actually all named after flowers, unchanged for thousands of years.

They represent the most famous flowers of their respective towns: Tricolored Qian Niu, Blue Longdan Gentian, Heart-Piercing Horse Hoof Lotus, Cang Mountain Hare’s Ear, Imperial Crown Peacock Sunflower, Ezhang Buckwheat, Linzhi Baochun Blossom, Lingjian Camellia, and Butterfly Dendrobium.

Overall, the architecture is quite similar, the dietary habits are nearly the same, and the culture is rooted in the same origin.

So if you ask me to choose for you, I’m afraid that’s a difficult favor, it all boils down to which flower you prefer?”

Bai Qingqian thought for a moment, “There’s no Shilan Town?

Isn’t the unique Orchid said to be the national flower here?”

Carriage driver Old Zhang was stumped and scratched his head, “Maybe because the unique Orchids are everywhere, they have become too commonplace?”

Hou Niao laughed and held the woman’s hand, “Then let’s visit several towns.

From what I see, Sui Mo City isn’t that big.

We could quickly tour it and then decide where to stay based on how we feel, which town has the most unique Orchids you like.”

After giving Uncle Zhang a generous fare, the delighted driver left, and the couple began to stroll hand in hand through the Nine Towns of Sui Mo.

For ordinary mortals, merely walking could be tiring since the towns were built on hillsides, but to them, this was not an issue.

They walked slowly, having become accustomed to a leisurely pace over the past few months.

In such slowness, they discovered another aspect of life, one often overlooked by them.

They spent a day per town, wandering through streets and alleys like any other tourist, nothing out of the ordinary.

Hou Niao noticed that there were also many cultivators here, and unusually few of them flew through the skies.

Instead, they all walked through the streets just like the couple.

Bai Qingqian noticed this as well, “There are many cultivators, some with permanent residences, some renting places for short stays, and others hastening to inns, just like us.”

Hou Niao discerned even more but kept silent, cautious of alarming the woman.

What he noticed was that the strength of the cultivators here was formidable, mainly at the Tongtian stage, with diverse Daoist backgrounds, encompassing nearly all facets of the Continent, including Daoist Sect, Buddhist Sect, Demon Sect, side sects, as well as lesser-known factions.

He had been to many places, like the Lizhi Sea and the Northwest deserts, which were locales with a mix of cultivators from different Daoist backgrounds, but their levels of strength were incomparable to here—it was as if it was a gathering of elites among elites.

Even more strangely, all the cultivators he saw strolling the streets all wore smiles, their auras peaceful, unlike in other places where they would bristle with hostility, ready to fight at a moment’s disagreement.

Was it the environment here that changed people, or did people come here with ulterior motives?

Bai Qingqian’s perceptions were much duller, but even she began to feel uneasy after a few days,

“Hou Lang, is there some sort of assembly taking place here?

I feel like there are an unusually high number of cultivators, and each one of them is so cultured and polite… Also, you should restrain yourself a bit.

Since there are many elites here, the event can’t be of low importance.

I wouldn’t want you to cause a scene, ruin the atmosphere, and damage the local flora and fauna.”

Hou Niao was somewhat speechless, “My lady, am I such a person?

Lately, I have almost become Jinxiu Continent’s prince of aid; and it’s not necessarily the case that there’s an assembly.

This is unclear, but I probably know where these cultivators came from.

They’re likely to be the True Disciples of various sects across the Continent, don’t you think?”

Bai Qingqian was startled, “What’s going on, why have they all come here?”

Hou Niao chuckled, “Because two spots in the Constellation True Inheritance are vacant and since there are open positions, Shangyu Heavenly Heart Pavilion, the major decision-maker for the Constellation True Inheritance rankings, naturally attracts ambitious True Disciples.

They come here to show off and make sure they aren’t forgotten, right?”

Bai Qingqian tensed, feeling regret, “Hou Lang, I know you… Should we not have come to this place?

Will there be a demonstration to decide the outcomes?”

Hou Niao shrugged and reassured her, “No, the Heavenly Heart Pavilion of Shangyu wouldn’t be so superficial; and frankly, if the True Inheritor title was about fighting ability alone, wouldn’t your husband have been one long ago?

Would I still be nothing now?”

Bai Qingqian still felt unsettled, “But what if the rules have changed this time?

You’ve said it yourself, this opportunity is the best one before the great changes of heaven and earth.

If the heavens and the earth can break, what rules must be followed?”

Hou Niao laughed, “Don’t worry, I won’t make a spectacle of myself here.

They have the credentials because they are indeed True Disciples, and I don’t even qualify, besides, do you think the Heavenly Heart Pavilion really care about such things?”

“Then what do they care about?” Bai Qingqian pressed on.

Hou Niao sighed, “I don’t know, and in truth, nobody knows the selection criteria of the Pavilion, so there’s no way to work towards it.

But I think it’s for the best; otherwise, the ethos of the Cultivation World would be affected.

Is cultivation about striving for a ranking?”

Bai Qingqian felt slightly reassured, but she could not be completely indifferent.

Hou Niao, understanding her concerns, took her hand,

“I promised this journey was to accompany you, and then to find two places to deepen my own Five Elements abilities.

I keep my word.

Here in Shangyu, I am just a tourist accompanying his wife for some sightseeing.

Those people have nothing to do with me.

We came here by chance, or perhaps you wouldn’t want to leave now, would you?”