jdhmnovel Chapter 109 Knocking on the Holy City
Chapter 109 Knocking on the Holy City
Kousheng City is connected to the Yuan and Song kingdoms to the east. Although it is called "connected to the east", that is only a geographical feature. In between, there is an endless desert of death.
Many cultivators from the four kingdoms, seeking opportunities or escaping powerful enemies, have no choice but to risk crossing this terrifying desert of death to reach this place.
The area where the Tarantula King appeared was merely the edge of the desert, where countless dangers were hidden, and there were even beings more powerful than the Tarantula King.
Therefore, to cross this desert, you need at least two or three flying spirit beasts to ride on.
After all, no matter how fast a flying spirit beast is, it still needs to recover its strength. Once it runs out of strength and falls into the desert, it is very likely to become food for those terrifying creatures lurking beneath the sand.
As the city closest to the Holy State, Kousheng City, though only a city, boasts a cultivation level that is in no way inferior to any other country. Due to its unique geographical location, its status is even slightly higher than that of the four countries.
However, the city was a mixed bag, with not only highly skilled rogue cultivators, but also strongholds of various cultivation forces and spies.
After all, this is the path to sainthood, and everyone wants to gain an advantage here.
The moment Kongming and Zhao Yun stepped into Kousheng City, they felt the unique atmosphere of the city.
The streets are lined with all kinds of shops, from medicine shops selling elixirs to secret service agencies providing intelligence.
The air is filled with a rich blend of spiritual energy and the warmth of everyday life, creating a unique kind of prosperity.
"Gentlemen, are you here seeking opportunities or visiting friends? Our 'Cloud Hidden Inn' is owned by the City Lord; it's not only clean and comfortable, but more importantly, it's safe!"
A smug waiter, seeing Kongming and his companion enter, spoke unhurriedly.
In his view, there are only two possibilities for the foreign cultivators who enter Kousheng City, and his Yunyin Inn has a powerful background and can provide protection in this regard.
Before entering Kousheng City, Kongming had already learned that the city lord of Kousheng City was a Nascent Soul cultivator. Not only was his cultivation profound, but he was also said to have an inexplicable relationship with the Holy State.
Therefore, many cultivators who were being hunted down chose to stay at this inn after arriving in Kousheng City.
The inn has explicit rules prohibiting anyone from fighting on its premises; violators will be executed on the spot. However, if someone has a powerful background, that's a different story.
"Young man, then please prepare a top-class room for the two of us."
Kongming glanced at the layout of the inn and said casually.
Upon hearing this, the waiter raised his eyelids slightly. "You two are probably unaware of our rules here. Not just anyone can stay in the top-tier rooms. Even the elders of the three major sects from various countries wouldn't dare to make such a request!"
"Oh! Is there some hidden meaning behind this?" Kongming asked curiously. He was clearly doing business here, so why would he turn down money?
"Seeing that you've come from afar, I might as well say a few more words today. The Heavenly Grade is prepared for the people of Holy State and Nascent Soul seniors. Do you understand what I mean?" the waiter said, pursing his lips.
"Oh? I didn't expect your shop to have such a rule. Then please take a room with the 'Earth' designation!" Kongming said calmly.
"I'm afraid you're not qualified to reside in a place designated as 'Di' (地)!"
The waiter said confidently, after all, anyone who dared to enter this inn was extremely wealthy, and the top-tier and bottom-tier rooms were obviously not places that money could buy.
Then, without saying a word, the shopkeeper took out a jade pendant engraved with the character '人' (person) and threw it in front of Kongming.
Zhao Yun, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but grip his silver spear tightly when he saw that a servant was so arrogant, but he was quickly stopped by Kongming's eyes.
Then the waiter said, as if no one else was around, "The room rate is 1,000 gold coins per day, pay ten days' rent in advance!"
Kongming couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement. A thousand gold coins a day was an astronomical price in any country, let alone for the lowest-class room.
However, little did Kongming know that the most expensive rooms at Yunyin Inn were actually the lowest-class rooms, while the top-class rooms were completely free.
He didn't argue much, took out ten thousand gold notes and handed them over.
The gold notes are jointly issued by the four ancient aristocratic families. They can be used freely in any place. The smallest denomination is 10,000, which not only makes them easy to carry but also shows the holder's wealth.
The waiter took the gold note, carefully checked it to make sure it was correct, and then lazily pointed to a passage deep inside the inn: "Go that way, someone will take you there."
Kongming and Zhao Yun exchanged a glance before passing through the quaintly decorated corridor, where lanterns on both sides emitted a soft glow.
A moment later, a more elegantly dressed maid came forward and led the two of them toward the 'human' character.
From the outside, this inn looks no different from other places, but once you walk through the corridor, you will see rooms that look like caves.
Each one exudes a faint spiritual energy fluctuation, clearly indicating the presence of an array that protects the privacy and safety of guests while allowing the cultivators residing there to enjoy the nourishment of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
The maidservant skillfully led Kongming and Zhao Yun through a path paved with bluestone and they arrived at the "人" (human) section.
"Esteemed guests, this is the 'Human' section. Each room is equipped with a simple spirit-gathering array. Although it is not as luxurious as the Heaven and Earth sections, it is still an extremely rare place for cultivators to recuperate."
The maid respectfully introduced the room while inserting the jade token into a slot in a cave dwelling, at which point the door swung open with a bang.
Kongming looked around and couldn't help but sigh. Although the inn had many rules, the interior was quite well-arranged. Although it was a bit expensive, it was still a good place to stay.
"Did you see it clearly just now?"
At this moment, outside the Cloud Hidden Inn, a cultivator asked in a deep voice.
"That should be right. Back then, the sect sent us here to secretly investigate whether a person named Sima Yi had come from the Holy State. The portrait that was sent to us looks eight or nine parts similar to this person," another cultivator replied.
"But now it has been confirmed that the holy envoy was merely Zhuge Liang of the Tang Dynasty in disguise, so how could he suddenly appear in this Holy City!"
"We don't know for sure. Now that he's checked into the Cloud Hidden Inn, we dare not make any rash moves. We'll keep an eye on him for now and go back to consult with the elders on the next course of action..."
The monks who were talking were the personnel sent by the Yuan Kingdom to be stationed in Kousheng City.
Normally, this place is the first to know about any disturbances in Shengzhou, and they need to transmit useful information back to Dayuan.
When Zhuge Liang used the name Sima Yi to intimidate the Yuan capital, Li Xin sent a message asking them to inquire whether the Sima family had a descendant named Sima Yi.
Eventually, Kongming's identity was revealed, and the matter was dropped. But what they didn't expect was that they would encounter him here...