The Terrifying Path of Immortal Cultivation

Li Qing suddenly sat up from his deep sleep and instinctively reached for the knife on his right.

The experiences of the past few days had kept him constantly on edge.

The knocking on the door made him instinctively recall a scene from the Flower Moon Study House.

Looking outside, it seemed to be already dawn, and a Daoist figure was standing outside the door.

"Mr. Qin, are you awake? The Chief Escort has sent me to invite you."

"Breakfast is ready!"

Upon hearing the voice outside, Li Qing finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Is everything okay? That's good."

Raising his voice, he said, "Got it, I'll be right there!"

Li Qing got out of bed, took a few steps, and opened the door.

Outside stood a servant in green clothes, with a refined appearance and a spirited demeanor.

Upon seeing Li Qing, the servant respectfully said, "Mr. Qin! Please follow me!"

Facing this servant who appeared to be around the same age as himself, Li Qing felt a sense of envy.

The fact that this young man was already an honored guest of the Chief Escort at such a young age, while he himself was forever just a servant.

Li Qing nodded slightly. He didn't know what the servant was thinking and followed him through a corridor, quickly arriving at a dining hall.

At this moment, the Chief Escort, Wang Kuohai, was sitting here. Upon seeing Li Qing's arrival, he quickly greeted him with a smile.

"Mr. Qin, good morning. Did you rest well last night?"

"Please have a seat!"

Li Qing nodded, "It was fine, I had a good night's sleep."

The two sat at the dining table, where breakfast consisted of porridge, steamed buns, and meat patties.

"Haha, simple fare, please don't mind, Mr. Qin."

"Tonight, I will host a dinner at the Phoenix Pavilion to properly thank Mr. Qin for saving my life!"

Li Qing smiled slightly, "You're being too kind."

"Haha, it's no trouble at all. I must express my gratitude to Mr. Qin for saving my life, which is greater than anything else!"

Breakfast passed in conversation between the two.

In the living room, Li Qing was savoring a cup of clear tea.

"Good tea! Fragrant and dry!"

Wang Kuohai smiled slightly, "This is the finest Wantaohua tea, a pound costs five taels of silver."

"Mr. Qin, do you have any business in Yucheng?"

Li Qing shook his head slightly, "Not really, I'm just here for a temporary stay due to some reasons."

Upon hearing this, Wang Kuohai's eyes lit up slightly, "I have an earnest request."

"What is it?" Li Qing looked slightly puzzled.

"I wonder if Mr. Qin would be willing to stay at our Tianxia Escort for a period of time as a guest."

"You can leave at any time, and Tianxia Escort is willing to provide ten taels of silver per month, as well as all living arrangements."

Upon hearing this, Li Qing pondered slightly.

"I'm not familiar with Yucheng, and Tianxia Escort is well-connected."

"It's convenient for anything I need to do."

"And I can leave at any time, with money to take, so it's not too much trouble."

After some thought, he didn't immediately agree, but looked at Wang Kuohai and said, "I haven't made up my mind about this matter. I plan to take a look around the city first."

Wang Kuohai's face showed no displeasure, and he maintained a smile.

"Alright, Mr. Qin, when you've made up your mind, you can let me know at any time."

"Okay!"

After a while of conversation between Li Qing and Wang Kuohai, he quietly left the Tianxia Escort.

At this point, he had changed into a gray robe, looking inconspicuous.

Walking on the bustling street, it was very lively.

"Selling candy!..."

"Come and take a look..."

"If you have money, show it, if you have people, show them..."

The sounds of the marketplace filled the air, exuding a bustling atmosphere.

On the street, there were all kinds of vendors and tradesmen, and the air of prosperity permeated everywhere.

Most of the common people's faces showed a hint of weariness, indicating that their lives were not very comfortable.

As he walked, Li Qing's face became increasingly puzzled.

He saw strange things, with countless people gathering on the street, emitting a faint, colorful light.

These lights converged in the sky above the city, resembling a thin mist, which looked very eerie.

When he entered the city last night, he hadn't noticed any of this.

Even more strangely, it seemed that all the common people in the city hadn't seen the colorful mist in the sky.

A sense of unease enveloped Li Qing's heart, and he didn't know what the mist was.

"This world is very strange. How can people emit colorful light?"

The light emitted by a person was very faint, almost imperceptible.

When he returned with the people from the Escort, he hadn't noticed it at all.

It wasn't until he wandered around the street and saw more people that he noticed this subtle change.

After walking for a while, he turned back to the Tianxia Escort.

"Phew... Ha... Heh..."

A burst of shouts came from behind the gate of the Escort, where a group of escorts were practicing martial arts.

Some were wielding knives, some were handling staffs, and others were practicing iron palms or fists.

Li Qing watched them and felt a slight movement in his heart. "The Escort seems to have quite a few martial skills."

With this in mind, he walked towards the main hall of the Escort.

In the main hall, Wang Kuohai was talking to several escorts.

He noticed Li Qing's arrival and quickly smiled, saying, "Mr. Qin, you're back!"

Li Qing nodded slightly, "I have something to ask Brother Wang."

"Please, Mr. Qin, I'm all ears!" Wang Kuohai said quickly.

"I want to see the various martial arts of the Escort, including knives, spears, staffs, clubs, fists, and palm techniques. I want to learn them all."

"I wonder if Brother Wang can help me with that."

"Of course, it's not for free."

"I have a night pearl here that I think is worth some money."

Saying this, he took out a small black bag from his chest.

After opening it, there was a snow-white night pearl inside.

Wang Kuohai, upon seeing the night pearl, took a slight breath.

"Mr. Qin, this night pearl is extraordinary."

"It's of such high quality that I've never seen before, it can be considered a treasure."

Li Qing's heart stirred, "Does that guy carry such a precious thing on him? Or is it only precious to ordinary people?"

"Do you know its value?"

"At least worth two thousand taels of silver."

"If I want to use this money as compensation, how many martial arts can I get?"

Wang Kuohai pondered for a moment and said, "We have five heads of the Escort, each with their own expertise."

"Three of them probably have some opportunities, and I can persuade the other two."

"I can also provide you with our family's 'Gate Breaking Saber'."

"Conservatively, you can get at least four, and up to six if you want."

Li Qing nodded, "Okay, please help me with this money."

"Mr. Qin, rest assured, I will do my best to help you."

"Thank you!"

Li Qing returned to his small courtyard alone, sitting at a stone table, lost in thought.

Looking up at the sky, the colorful mist enveloped the entire city.

"What on earth is this?"