Moonrise City

The thunderstorm lasted all night. It was already early morning by the time it finally stopped.

"My daughter looks fine no matter what she is wearing," Mama Gu praised as she straightened the clothes on Gu Qiansi.

Beside them were Zhao Yunxiao and Lu Zhiying, both of whom were getting ready to leave as well.

As for Gu Qiansi's two younger siblings, they were nowhere to be found.

After staying up for the entire night, Gu Wanzheng and Gu Qianshan had fallen into a deep sleep and could not be woken up no matter how hard they tried.

By now, the three fellow disciples had changed out of their robes and were donning common farmers' attire.

This was so that after arriving at Moonrise City, they would have the option of ignoring things that happened in their vicinity, instead of feeling obliged to take care of matters due to their status as disciples of the Black Tortoise Sect.

After all, the Black Tortoise Sect had always been the unofficial rulers of Moonrise City.

If the people in the city were facing any trouble, it was not uncommon for them to approach any disciples of the Black Tortoise Sect for help.

While the trio did not mind helping where they could, they also did not intend to get involved with matters that were too difficult to handle.

They were not the only ones from Black Tortoise Sect who would pass by Moonrise City anyway, so those complicated matters should be left to their seniors instead!

"Take care, Mum," Gu Qiansi gave her a hug. "I will be back to see you soon."

"Don't worry, your mum is absolutely fine here. You take care of yourself instead. No matter what you do, remember that safety comes first. Glory and rewards are meaningless if you don't have the life to enjoy them," Mama Gu said in concern. "You two take care of yourselves as well, Yunxiao and Zhiying."

"We will," Zhao Yunxiao nodded. "Well then, farewell."

"Mm, see you again," Mama Gu waved to bid them goodbye.

With that, the trio got on their horses and rode off.

Mama Gu did not return to the house immediately. Instead, she stood there and waved towards them as their figures slowly became smaller.

And when they completely left her line of sight, Mama Gu could not help but let out a deep sigh.

After today, who knew how long it would be before she could see her daughter again?

***

Moonrise City was not located too far away from Gu Qiansi's family farm.

Riding on horseback, the trio did not even have to rush through their journey, and the city still came into view right as noon arrived.

Moonrise City was huge – a scale incomparable to places like East Stream Village and Mountainhorn Town.

Tall brick walls stretched on for kilometres, completely surrounding the city and easily keeping out any unwanted visitors.

There were city guards patrolling not only on top of the walls but also around the city perimeters. Each of them was dressed in the same light chainmail and had a sword hanging by their belt, looking disciplined and organised.

The city gate was more than three metres tall, with the words [Moonrise City] engraved into the wall right above it. The engravings were beautifully done, no doubt by a master sculptor who was just as skilled in the art of calligraphy.

And above the engraving hung a banner that displayed an emblem that made Zhao Yunxiao's group feel proud the moment they saw it.

It was the emblem of the Black Tortoise Sect.

Even though the Black Tortoise Sect did not have official ruling powers over Moonrise City, the fact that the sect's emblem was being displayed in such an open manner spoke volumes about the ties between the two.

Zhao Yunxiao's group did not slow down their pace, heading straight for the city gate.

At the same time, the city guards by the gate did not stop anyone from entering or leaving, so the group was able to enter without trouble.

Walking past the grand and intimidating city walls, the group was greeted with a completely different atmosphere – a lively city that was bustling with activity.

Despite having marvelled at the scenery along the way, Lu Zhiying surprisingly calmed down immediately upon entering the city, much to Zhao Yunxiao's relief.

It was all right to do so when they were alone.

However, it was best to present themselves in a more professional manner now that they had entered the city, especially since they represented the Black Tortoise Sect to a certain extent.

Still, not wanting to draw too much attention to themselves, the group got off their horses to walk while leading their horses by the reins instead.

Having horses was nothing too special here in Moonrise City. But as cultivators, every step they took was firm, and they subconsciously gave off an aura of confidence.

Since the trio did not try too hard to conceal the way in which they carried themselves, people around them quickly realised that they hailed from a background that was at least of a certain level.

This naturally earned them the attention of the merchants along the street.

"Selling big and juicy buns, made with the finest ingredients and a secret traditional recipe that has been perfected and passed down for centuries! Come give it a try, and I guarantee that you will never regret it!" a storeowner approached them with a big smile on his face.

"Oh? That does sound good," Zhao Yunxiao mused. "Let's take a look."

He understood that many of these storeowners might seem honest at first glance, but a majority of them were simply trying to maximise their revenue by cutting costs or outright lying about their goods.

For that reason, Zhao Yunxiao had completely ignored the storeowners who had tried to tempt him by offering mystical antiques and artifacts earlier, especially since he could easily tell that those items did not possess even the slightest trace of spiritual energy.

But when it came to food, Zhao Yunxiao was more than willing to give it a shot.

"Of course! This way, please!" the elated storeowner quickly led them to a store by the side of the street.

It was a traditional looking pushcart selling meat buns.

Just as the man said, each bun truly looked big and juicy. The fragrant aroma of steamed meat wafted through the air, causing Zhao Yunxiao to nod in satisfaction.

"How much is it for one?" Zhao Yunxiao asked.

Even though the food prepared by ordinary mortals would not be able to provide much nutrients, there were still some skilled chefs who were capable of preparing food with extraordinary tastes.

Zhao Yunxiao was hoping that this would be one such example.

"You can have a bun for just ten copper coins, dear customer," the storeowner rubbed his palms together gleefully. "Since your companion here is so beautiful, let me give you a discount. I can let you have three buns for just twenty five copper coins!"

"Twenty five copper coins for three, is that right?" Zhao Yunxiao repeated to confirm.

Zhao Yunxiao knew that this was definitely above the market rate, but he did not mind it too much.

After all, the currency used by ordinary mortals was not too meaningful to cultivators like them. As long as it meant that he could enjoy some good food, Zhao Yunxiao did not mind spending a little.

Of course, that would no longer be the case when it came to using sect points or spirit stones!

But before Zhao Yunxiao had the chance to pull out his coins, Lu Zhiying took the chance to speak up first.

"Twenty five copper coins? If we are going to pay that much, why don't we just go to a proper restaurant and buy ten buns instead?" Lu Zhiying asked with a curious tone. "Rather than charging us such an exorbitant price, why don't you just give the buns to us for free?"

Zhao Yunxiao: "..."

What was Lu Zhiying saying? She wanted to have the buns for free?

Was she trying to extort the shopowner in broad daylight?

Even though Moonrise City was unofficially under the jurisdiction of the Black Tortoise Sect, such brazen acts of bullying would not be condoned.

In fact, they would even be met with punishment from the sect for tarnishing the sect's reputation!

"Haha, this beauty sure likes to jest... You can definitely get cheaper buns elsewhere, but I assure you that the quality of the buns will not be as good as ours," the storeowner let out an awkward laugh. "Our buns are made with the finest ingredients, using a secret traditional recipe that has been perfected and passed down for centuries. In that aspect, there are no restaurants in the city that can match us in terms of both heritage and taste!"

"A secret traditional recipe that has been passed down for centuries?" Lu Zhiying tilted her head in confusion. "That's strange. Did I end up travelling forward in time? From what I understand, hasn't the Ten Spice Powder only been invented in recent years?"

"Hmm?" Zhao Yunxiao looked at her in surprise.

Ten Spice Powder?

What's that?

"Ah!" the storeowner exclaimed in realisation when he heard Lu Zhiying. "Hahaha, I did not realise that I have been talking to an insider. As a token of my apology, you can have the buns for free!"

With that, the storeowner quickly packed three buns and handed them to Lu Zhiying.

"Then I will just have to thank you for your generosity!" Lu Zhiying received the buns with a wide smile before turning to leave.

Zhao Yunxiao and Gu Qiansi could not help but exchange glances.

She really just got the buns for free?

Nevertheless, they did not linger long and quickly caught up with Lu Zhiying.

"Here! One bun for each of us!" Lu Zhiying nonchalantly handed a bun to each of them.

"What's that about, Junior Martial Sister Lu?" Gu Qiansi asked while taking the bun. "Why did he just give the buns to us for free?"

"Yeah, what's this Ten Spice Powder that you mentioned?" Zhao Yunxiao followed up with his own question.

"Haha, it is a common trick used by tricksters," Lu Zhiying explained while munching on the bun. "The Ten Spice Powder artificially enhances the flavour of food, allowing it to smell especially fragrant to stimulate the senses. Don't worry, there are no harmful effects to it apart from perhaps making you feel a little thirsty afterwards!"

"There's such a thing?" Zhao Yunxiao asked in surprise before eyeing the bun in his hands. "Are you sure there are no harmful effects to it?"

"Even if there are, it won't be able to affect you anyway," Lu Zhiying shrugged.

Zhao Yunxiao nodded in understanding.

Lu Zhiying was right. As cultivators, their constitutions were definitely far stronger than those of ordinary mortals.

If this was something that could even affect cultivators like themselves, it would have resulted in widespread suffering in the city by now!

"But how do you know about this?" Gu Qiansi asked suspiciously.

"Let's just say that I've read about it in a book before," Lu Zhiying answered carelessly while continuing to enjoy the bun in her hands.

Zhao Yunxiao and Gu Qiansi exchanged glances again, but neither of them said a word before biting into their respective buns.

They were well aware that something like this was definitely not information that would be recorded in books.

At the same time, Lu Zhiying was obviously not intending to share the source of her knowledge, so they chose not to probe any further.

And now that she had guaranteed the safety of the buns, they no longer had any qualms about going ahead to enjoy them.

Be it because of this shady Ten Spice Powder or not, they had to admit that the buns truly tasted quite good!

Nevertheless, this encounter only made them feel even more curious about Lu Zhiying.

Just what could her life be like before she joined the Black Tortoise Sect?