Hefei City 1

Their journey that should have taken only a day after they had gotten out of the smaller path onto the road had now taken a week before the walls of Hefei City in front of them.

And clearly unlike Greenwood town or the other few places they had passed on their way here, Hefei City that they could now see was on a different scale.

Already looking at the mighty stone walls guarding the vast fields on one side and the taller building inside was a sight to behold from the small mound that they were taking a break on top off.

There were still tens of miles before the gates, yet with their eyesight enhanced seeing a rooftops colour or if the house had its lights on or not was very much so possible.

Most notable things in the city were how what more towards the centre of the city you went you could see buildings taller and fancier than before.

This was then topped by a higher wall than the outer wall in almost the very middle of the city, the second or inner wall area was much smaller, and inside of it, there should be very few buildings.

¨Du Lan have you been here before?¨ He questioned but still looked towards the town.

Yet neither did she look at him ¨No I haven't been. I have travelled through a few smaller cities when I was younger, but no nothing on this scale¨

¨Do you know what we should do first? I was thinking about first trading our loot for more accessible things like coins or anything we can get, as I don't think carrying these bags that clank like this everywhere is a good idea¨

Ending his sentence, he then grabbed his back bag and shook it a bit. A clear clanking and jingling could be heard; if this were to be heard on the market, they would become a target to everyone.

¨Well what else? It is not like we can buy a house or anything with just jewellery and other luxury items. But after that, I think we should seek out someplace to gain even more prestige here, something like a smaller tournament or a strength competition¨

¨Even if the caravan most likely spreads the word about us, first of all, it might not be enough, and second, we can easily swindle more money doing so from betting while also gaining more fame¨

Du Lan was somehow always coming up with methods on how to increase their wealth or fame quickly as possible or even staging it, and he didn't mind stating as it was an ingenious thing to do.

Agreeing to her plan, they continued their journey towards one of Hefei's main gates.

The north gate was written over the gate they had come to get inside. Also around them, there were hundreds of other trying to get inside the city; moreover, most of these people looked very alike to the caravan they had helped.

They were cultivators and so were skipping the line. When a person came asking what they were doing, Xiao Fan would take out a piece of metal from his pocket and twisted it without any problem.

Immediately the people who had come to blast them said sorry and gave way for they were something much bigger than some refugees trying to get inside.

Going along with their plan they, of course, said there was no need humbly and continued their talking which again earned the favour of the people around them, who were seeing cultivators so young yet also talked to them nicely compared to other young masters they had met in their lives.

¨There a lot of refugees coming into Hefei¨ Xiao Fan said while walking and sometimes taking out his metal piece.

¨They must be people who had lost their homes to the warlord's order of not intervening in any fights between towns, clans, and families. You know the reason I almost killed you was that I was afraid of this happening to Greenwood town¨

¨But if it is just an unnormal tournament why would they be this active in killing and murdering? Do they gain something from doing so?¨

Hearing this, she looked at him for a moment before answering ¨Well most of them are just doing so because the only repercussion is some other neighbouring towns hating you a little more, but the profits are massive compared to small reputation loss¨

¨Think about it; there are two families inside one town. They have hated each other for generations, but because both sides fear a small group of people coming to their town and killing their family to the last, they don't make any significant moves on the other family¨

¨But now that there is no need to be afraid about the warlord getting angry for you doing something in which case the obvious will happen¨

¨Open murder, assassination, market crashing, overpricing everything, anything is a free game, so most are just taking this opportunity presented in front of them¨

¨While there is also that the tournament has big profits for the top ten people. There is also confirmation about people who recruit those deemed promising coming. Those people might be other warlords or rogue masters that roam the land without a home but still have enough power to end any small village or even a city like Hefei alone¨

¨So when people count that they don't have a chance they will not give it to anyone else either, and like my sister, if her skill comes public before this time closes she might face dozens of overlapping assassination plots by other towns and groups who have interest in her downfall¨

She didn't usually talk a lot, but sometimes something turned into a lecture, yet hearing about all of this did give him a lot of answers, yet new questions rose into his head.

¨So why do we want to be in the spotlight for everyone? Wouldn't it then be better to lay low before the tournament and surprised everyone there with one fell swoop?¨ Hearing this she took even a more in-depth look into this man.

He couldn't be this dull, she thought before continuing.

¨Because these groups who recruit new people usually do background checks years before this type of a tournament. So to speak even if you win the tournament, these sects and such might have already done their picks before the tournament and are only sending people to pick them up from a list and then leave¨

¨Similarly if a rogue master is looking for a disciple but hasn't heard about one that suits his style appearing in the tournament he will never come to the tournament to inspect if this person would be suitable for him to pick¨

¨Prestige and fame is a double-edged sword right now, but we have to get some, or you will never be picked by those people and let us not talk about me as for me it might be better to act as your spouse to get a free ticket wherever you are going¨ When ending her speech she made a playful laugh.

Xiao Fan was about to agree to her last plan, yet saw that he couldn't say anything back to her as they had already skipped to the very front of everyone waiting for their turn to get inside Hefei City's walls on the drawbridge.

Their arrival had also been noticed by the guards, who had also taken them as cultivators by now. And so had sent a message for someone to welcome them since welcoming cultivators were not in their duties.

So waiting for them on the inside was an overly fat man dressed in fancy robes and who's eyes looked above all the mortals like they were a stain under his boots. His eyes came down only when a pressure like someone was poking him came.

Knowing that this type of pressure came only from a fellow cultivator trying to get himself noticed did he look towards Xiao Fan and Du Lan, who immediately piqued his interest.

Because the woman she was somewhere around the same level as him, but the young man next to her, he couldn't really figure out so he must be someone above him in terms of cultivation.

So now with a little decreased proudness, he made his way over to the other side pushing any mortal who was blocking the way that he did need a quite a bit, as his fat body came slumbering to them.

Any mortal who was ¨blocking¨ the fatso's way was pushed to the side or even trampled by him, yet no one dared to question this fancily dressed man and started to avoid his way without making a scene.

¨Welcome to Hefei fellow cultivators!¨ He said in a way that every person here should hear him speak about being a cultivator.

¨Thank you for coming to welcome us¨

¨Greetings¨

Both of them also politely greeted the fat man while inside both of them had different thoughts about this fatso.

¨What brings you, fellow cultivators, here to Hefei? Passing by just get to the tournament about the be held?¨ The fatso knew well that people like them should be taking part in the youth competition and the boy might be strong enough to be something there, so he was very polite, but still exclaiming the cultivator part in his speech.

Xiao Fan got enough about his fellow cultivator thing and sarcastically joined it ¨How does fellow cultivator know that we two cultivators are just passing our time here? Yet our journey has been long even for us cultivators, and so we are seeking somewhere to rest¨ He also emphasised the word cultivator every time like the fatso did.

However, him saying so didn't turn the same gazes as the fatso did because most of the people noticed the slight sarcasm in his tone, so they only tried to hold their laugh while passing by.

But the fatso didn't notice the sarcasm ¨So fellow cultivators are here for that. Not wanting to brag but I can take care of anything you want while resting here fellow cultivators¨

And for the first time in this conversation, Du Lan also said something before Xiao Fan could ruin anything with his sarcastic speech ¨Then we will take the offer of?¨ She said in a pleasant voice.

She wanted to be the one talking now as the fatso might be in this posting for some other reason than qualifying or at least she had a hunch about it after looking his insignia and manners.

She also hit the mark when the fatso introduced himself ¨I'm Lei Tao from the Lei family situated right here in Hefei City. Now please fellow cultivators come with me, we shall get out of this mass of people into a proper place for us¨ After his introduction, Lei Tao turned around and the two followed.

Xiao Fan thought nothing special from his name, but Du Lan was a little excited about this as Lei Tao's insignia was the same one that was everywhere on the north gate.

They walked for ten or so minutes behind the fatso who people were avoiding the more inwards they came into the town. It seemed that everyone around the north gate knew this man they were following into a restaurant.

When they were just about to come in Du Lan grabbed his robe and pulled him over to her ¨Let me do all the talking while you just watch from the sidelines what I do and learn¨ She quickly whispered this his ear before they continued like normal and walked in behind Lei Tao.

The restaurant seemed to be Lei family-owned as when Lei Tao came in he didn't say a word on the ground floor as they went straight for the stairs without talking. No one intended to ask anything either from the looks of everyone inside.

Coming to the second floor, there was a definite change. The ground floor had been just a diner that had been already enough for Xiao Fan to feel a little out of place.

Yet the first floor they now were looked even posher, which made him feel even more like an alien. On the other hand, Du Lan was as if she belonged here.

Moreover, the feeling of being an alien hadn't just happened in the diner since for Xiao Fan the whole town had been like a significant expansion on how big the world was.

Everywhere he had looked his eyes met by shops and towering buildings, and while he knew that this place must without a doubt be smaller than the Bald Eagle Dynasty's capital was it for him still massive place.

When he finally noticed himself looking everywhere like a kid, he felt like Du Lan's choice of talking for the both of them felt like a good idea.

She was also anyway much better trader than himself by a considerable margin, so he should just take the experience from viewing them bargain from the side seat.