14 Entering the Inner City, Settling in a Shop, Preparing for the Martial Arts Exhibition

As Qi Tian exited the restaurant, he muttered to himself, "It's time to enter the inner city."

The merchant city, acting as the trade hub of the southern border, undeniably held the largest land area.

Before, Qi Tian resided in the outer city, where the crowd was overwhelming, and the cargo loading areas were chaotic.

However, after thousands of years of management, the merchant city had spread throughout the surface of the mountain and even deep inside it, creating the inner city.

The inner city was vast, divided into five areas. Without a token, one had to pay a certain amount of yuan stones to enter each section. This was a method to control the flow of people and help maintain public order.

The fifth inner city was the low-tier area. Entry here required a fee of one hundred yuan stones, which caused the crowd to thin out, leaving less than half of the outer city's original population. Gu Masters could be seen everywhere, with first-turn Gu Masters walking around, second-turn Gu Masters mixed in, and occasionally, one or two third-turn ones.

The fourth inner city was a mid-tier area. Fewer pedestrians could be seen on the roads. Second-turn Gu Masters dominated here, as even the entrance fee of two hundred yuan stones was a considerable expenditure for first-turn Gu Masters.

The third inner city, where Qi Tian was heading, was a high-tier area. The environment was elegant, and the air was fresh. Entering this area required six hundred yuan stones, and the streets were serene with very few people. Second-turn Gu Masters were a rare sight, and when they were seen, they were mostly of the third-turn level.

Beyond this area lay the second and first inner cities, but to enter them, it wasn't just about yuan stones. One would need special tokens granted by the merchants, and the higher the token's rank, the better.

Qi Tian entered a store that sold Gu insects.

"A distinguished guest, please come inside," a first-turn female Gu Master greeted him softly.

Qi Tian was led into a private room, where elegant furniture made of sandalwood and delicate carvings adorned the space. White walls hung with calligraphy and paintings displayed bold, swirling strokes.

Looking through the window, one could see a courtyard with lush greenery and vibrant flowers, while birds chirped. The Gu Master served two cups of fragrant tea and then left the room.

Before Qi Tian could even set down his cup, an elderly man entered.

"May I ask, are you here to buy or sell?" The old man, a second-turn Gu Master, asked, his face full of smiles.

"I'm here to both buy and sell," Qi Tian replied as he took a sip from his cup.

The old man laughed, and a bookworm flew out of him, hovering in front of Qi Tian.

"Please, take a look," the old man said.

Qi Tian infused a bit of silver snow essence into the bookworm. Instantly, it transformed into a white light that entered Qi Tian's forehead, and his mind was flooded with detailed information about the Gu insects on sale.

The shop sold a vast array of Gu insects, from rare ones like bookworms and wine worms, spanning from first-turn to fifth-turn. However, sixth-turn Gu insects were absolutely unavailable. Even the largest trading market, Huang Baotian, rarely saw transactions involving celestial Gu.

Each insect was described in detail, with its functions clearly listed. The prices were marked, and for rarer and higher-level Gu insects, there were special notes about the necessary tokens. This meant only those with the proper merchant tokens could purchase such rare insects.

Qi Tian needed to buy a large quantity of Gu insects. After scanning through the options, he pulled himself together and returned the bookworm to the old man. The issue wasn't just about money; some insects required tokens for purchase.

"What are you interested in, sir? If you're buying in large quantities, our shop offers discounts," the old man offered with a smile.

Noticing the silver snow essence in Qi Tian's veins, the old man's tone became even more courteous.

Qi Tian waved his hand. "Not in a hurry. I also have some Gu insects to sell." With that, he summoned a Dragon Walk Tiger Step Gu insect.

The old man wasn't surprised. Many came to the shop to buy Gu insects, and many also came to sell.

The old man squinted and examined the insect. After a moment, he said, "This Gu insect is at the fourth-turn level, though it's not particularly rare, it's worth this price."

"Sixty-eight thousand?" Qi Tian raised an eyebrow at the number the old man offered.

The price for a fourth-turn Gu insect typically ranged between ten thousand to one hundred thousand. The price of sixty-eight thousand was already quite reasonable.

This old man wasn't trying to undercut him, but Qi Tian still aimed to negotiate for a higher price.

After a few rounds of back-and-forth, the old man reluctantly raised the price to seventy thousand.

"Good, let's settle on this price."

"I'll have someone fetch the yuan stones immediately," the old man said, taking the Dragon Walk Tiger Step Gu into his arms.

"Not yet, I have a few more Gu insects to sell." Qi Tian smiled and took out several more insects, engaging in further negotiations.

After several rounds of bargaining, Qi Tian managed to sell nearly a third of the Gu insects he didn't need, earning twenty-one thousand yuan stones.

He then proceeded to buy a large number of Gu insects, mostly first-turn and second-turn ones, with a few third-turn insects. Some insects were unavailable due to the lack of the proper tokens, and others he would need to cultivate himself.

Upon leaving the shop, Qi Tian visited a few other shops, selling or purchasing more Gu insects.

"I've just arrived in the merchant city. I have no connections here. Selling too many insects at once would only attract envy from others. Though weapons can't be used here, it's still troublesome if someone tries to sabotage me, especially since the shopkeepers are small-minded."

"Selling in batches won't hide everything, but it will delay the exposure of my wealth and give me time to stabilize myself."

"To establish myself here, there are two paths: one is to obtain a high-level merchant token. After a year and a half, Fang Yuan and Bai Ningbing, for example, obtained the highest-level purple-bloom token by escorting the merchant Xin Qi. They became VIPs."

"Xin Qi is a good stepping stone, but I don't plan to stay in the southern border for long. In a year and a half, I expect to inherit a blessed land. So, while this method works, it's not suitable for me."

"What suits me best is to show enough strength. If I demonstrate fourth-turn combat power, even the merchant's young master won't dare to make things difficult. The best place to show my strength is the martial arts field, and I can even earn some yuan stones."

Since opening the inheritance requires some preparations, Qi Tian still had many things to set up. With his current finances and resources, he was not in a hurry. Otherwise, he would have already left for the Central Continent.

The next day, Qi Tian settled at Nanfan Garden.

Nanfan Garden was a garden residence for distinguished guests. In the third inner city, there were no inns, only garden-style residences like this.

The cost for staying here for one day was thirty yuan stones. Ten days would cost three hundred yuan stones, and a month would add up to nearly a thousand yuan stones.

In the third inner city, the price was relatively cheap. Some larger gardens cost more than a hundred yuan stones per day. Some premium gardens couldn't even be accessed with yuan stones; one would need the merchant's token.

The following day, Qi Tian arrived at the martial arts area in the fifth inner city.

The place was lively, with people moving around. The air was thick with excitement.

"Did you hear? Xiao Yan won again! This is his fifteenth victory. It looks like he'll be able to enter the fourth inner city soon."

"His third-turn cultivation guarantees that he'll make it to the fourth inner city."

...

"Bear Ba Tian and Wang Da Niu are about to start their fight! Let's go watch!"

"These two are all about brute strength; it's going to be a terrible sight."

The merchants were a vast family, and many areas needed people. The family members alone often couldn't manage things. For generations, merchant young masters had recruited certain demonic Gu Masters.

If the demonic Gu Master attached to a young master became the family leader, they could be granted the position of an external elder, enjoying the same privileges.

Gu Masters required a lot of resources for cultivation. Without the steady support of a family, most demonic Gu Masters lived in poverty. Only by attaching themselves to a family could they thrive.

In the martial arts field of the merchant city, many demonic Gu Masters fought desperately to climb the ranks and prove themselves.

The martial arts area was a method for the merchants to select talents, which explained its popularity.

Furthermore, victories not only earned yuan stones but also allowed participants to claim a Gu insect from the losers, making it a great opportunity for testing one's combat skills and the effectiveness of their Gu insect combinations.