30. Watching the Commotion
Yun Qingyu, Su Hao, and Bei Luo were not ones to dawdle. Moreover, receiving guests from the other two sects was nothing new, so the three didn’t spend much time discussing official matters before reaching an agreement.
Seeing that the business was concluded, Su Hao said, “In that case, let’s settle here at the Welcoming Immortals Tower for now. We still have a day or two before the arrivals from the other two sects, and we don’t often have the chance to visit Xuanqing City. If you have any plans, Junior Brother and Junior Sister, feel free to go about them. If there are any changes, we can communicate via voice transmission.”
Before Yun Qingyu and Bei Luo could respond, the little white tiger, having finished her dried meat, perked up her ears. She hadn’t forgotten Yun Qingyu’s earlier promise to take her around the city, and naturally became excited at these words.
The little white tiger leaped to the ground, let out an “awoo,” and beckoned to Yun Qingyu: “The meeting’s over, let’s go.”
This gesture was too obvious for Yun Qingyu to miss, and a hint of helplessness flickered in her eyes. Fortunately, Su Hao and Bei Luo couldn’t possibly take offense at Jianbing, especially since she was still a cub. So Su Hao said, “If Jianbing has matters to attend to, Junior Sister Yun should go ahead.”
Unlike Su Hao’s considerateness, Bei Luo spoke with a hint of mischief: “Oh? Is Jianbing eager to go out? As it happens, I’m most familiar with Xuanqing City. Why don’t I come along and guide Junior Sister and Jianbing?”
The little white tiger didn’t even spare him a glance, her disdain and disregard evident.
Seeing this, Yun Qingyu couldn’t help but smile, feeling a warmth in her heart. She had never been liked by spirit beasts before, and this was the first time she had been so favored. Although the little white tiger’s behavior was somewhat offending, being the favorite always brought joy and made one reluctant to reproach. Given her nature, Yun Qingyu was even less likely to demand anything from the little white tiger or feel qualified to scold her.
As such, Yun Qingyu said no more. She stepped forward to pick up the little white tiger and addressed the two men: “Senior Brothers, I’ll be going now.”
Bei Luo had only been joking with the little white tiger and wasn’t upset at being snubbed. He waved goodbye to them with a smile. Su Hao, on the other hand, seeing Yun Qingyu carrying Jianbing everywhere, seemed to want to say something but held back. In the end, he didn’t voice his concerns.
That was a divine beast, the white tiger known as the war god. How had it become like a little spirit cat in Yun Qingyu’s care? If this continued and became a habit… Never mind, perhaps it was because Jianbing was still young. He shouldn’t be too critical. After all, the Sect Leader and Divine Lord Zhiming were still there. Surely they wouldn’t allow Jianbing to be spoiled.
Finally, the two men watched as Yun Qingyu once again left carrying Jianbing.
Outside the Welcoming Immortals Tower was a bustling market street. But just before leaving, Yun Qingyu suddenly asked, “Did you enjoy the dried meat here? If you like, we can buy some more to take with us.”
Evidently, when leaving the private room earlier, Yun Qingyu had noticed the plate that had been licked clean.
Perhaps feeling a bit embarrassed at being caught sneaking food, Jiang Mo blushed slightly, though her thick fur hid it well. This embarrassment was quickly pushed aside, and after some thought, she actually nodded in agreement. She didn’t know what kind of meat the dried meat was made from, but it tasted very good. She had unknowingly finished the entire plate and was still craving more.
Yun Qingyu seemed to truly have a spiritual connection with her. While instructing the waiter to pack some dried meat, she explained to Jiang Mo: “This is meat from a wind-fire spirit horse, with celestial lotus grass and spirit rhinoceros fruit as ingredients. Eating it will benefit you.”
Jiang Mo nodded, though she actually didn’t know what wind-fire spirit horses, celestial lotus grass, or spirit rhinoceros fruit were. But what did it matter? She had latched onto her senior sister’s wealthy leg, and her senior sister had money to feed her. That was enough.
The waiter quickly brought the dried meat Yun Qingyu had ordered, but instead of a small plate, it was a large package—enough to last a long time as a snack.
This was just the beginning. After Yun Qingyu carried the little white tiger out of the Welcoming Immortals Tower, leaving the formal restaurant behind, there were many more local specialties outside to attract the tiger. Wasn’t going out shopping all about buying and eating? Now that Jiang Mo had become a white tiger, she had little use for clothes or other items, so the joy of shopping naturally came down to eating.
Thus, Yun Qingyu realized for the first time that the little white tiger, who had seemed to subsist on wind and dew when they first met, was actually a little glutton.
◆◇◆◇◆
Xuanqing City was large and prosperous, especially with the approaching Xuanqing Sect competition and three-sect martial arts contest, which seemed to further stimulate consumption in the city.
Unlike Su Hao, Bei Luo, and Yun Qingyu, who were senior disciples, most of Xuanqing Sect consisted of outer and ordinary inner disciples. Although the sect provided cultivation resources, what each person received was insufficient for their cultivation needs. So they used their various talents, whether in pill refining, talisman drawing, or array disk creation, to sell their products and strive for more resources.
Jiang Mo, carried by Yun Qingyu, had eaten her way through the streets until her little belly was slightly bulging. Only then did she have the attention to spare for other things. She saw various stalls hawking their wares, about a third run by Xuanqing Sect disciples and the rest by various wandering cultivators joining in the bustle.
Recalling various storylines about finding hidden treasures, Jiang Mo became interested. Her soft paw pads tapped on the back of Yun Qingyu’s hand, and she let out two excited “awoos” towards Yun Qingyu.
Yun Qingyu immediately understood that she was interested in those small stalls. After all, she had brought the little white tiger out today to play and broaden her horizons, so she obligingly stopped. The little white tiger then leaped from her arms, and with what she thought was a majestic tiger’s gait, walked towards those small stalls, occasionally leaning in for a closer look.
Seeing Yun Qingyu following behind, the stall owners didn’t say much. However, the little white tiger’s eye-catching fur still drew many sidelong glances. Upon closer inspection, realizing how pitifully weak this spirit beast was, most people lost interest, thinking they had been mistaken. The gazes that remained on the little white tiger were mostly curious, wondering how this spirit beast could look so similar to a white tiger. Was it natural or the result of human intervention?
Jiang Mo initially felt a bit uncomfortable being stared at, but gradually got used to it and became indifferent.
As she approached the stalls to look at the items, she quietly asked the system, “System, do you think there are any good things here? In novels, the protagonist often finds hidden treasures at these small stalls, like cultivation techniques or divine artifacts.”
The system had actually seen those stories too. As a system that didn’t need sleep, it had sorted through all the files it had hastily downloaded before the transmigration when it had nothing else to do. Those files were a jumble of everything, with life skills like recipes occupying only a small portion, while the opposite took up a frighteningly large amount. With nothing better to do, it had read through them, gaining an understanding of the cultural system of its host’s growth environment.
Therefore, the system, having also read about cultivation, immediately scanned all the items on those small stalls and confidently told its host, “Cub, a tiger must be down-to-earth. All that stuff is just lies!”
Jiang Mo wasn’t disappointed upon hearing this. After all, she was just a tiger; why should she expect protagonist treatment?
Just as she was thinking this, a plainly dressed young man suddenly approached a nearby stall. From the little white tiger’s perspective, the young man immediately took a liking to an unremarkable stone on the stall, but pretended to be interested in the spirit grass next to it. Then the young man haggled with the stall owner, finally buying the spirit grass at a price higher than market value, and taking the stone as a freebie.
This… this routine couldn’t be more familiar. Could she really have encountered a protagonist finding hidden treasures?!
The system, seeing the little white tiger’s suddenly widened eyes, guessed what its host was thinking, but calmly said, “Don’t rush, host. Just stand here and watch a bit longer.”
What else was there to see?
Jiang Mo was curious but indeed didn’t hurry to leave. Then she saw the young man disappear into the crowd, and the stall owner’s mouth twitched slightly. He then rummaged through his pockets and nonchalantly took out another identical stone, placing it back in its original position.
The little white tiger suddenly understood. There was no protagonist finding hidden treasures, only a fool who thought he had.
Indeed, the tricks in real life were far more numerous than in novels… Having seen this spectacle, the little white tiger no longer hoped to find hidden treasures, but the cultivation world’s street stalls were still quite interesting to watch.
For example, there was a nearby stall selling talismans, claiming that although their flame talisman was second-grade, its power rivaled third-grade talismans. The best part was that despite their talismans being so good, they were still selling them at second-grade prices. So, with the competition approaching, fellow cultivators short on money shouldn’t miss this opportunity. Buy ten and get one free—it couldn’t be more of a bargain.
Jiang Mo, having heard too many advertisements, had no interest in this and even found the advertising cliches too old-fashioned. Yet someone actually believed it, going up to buy ten talismans and receiving one of the same kind for free.
The buyer, holding the free flame talisman, thought that he should test its power before the competition. So he used it on the spot.
With a “pffft” sound, the talisman turned into a tiny flame, its power barely enough to light a cigarette…
The little white tiger burst out laughing, startling both the now awkward stall owner and buyer, who turned to look at her. Frightened, she instinctively took a step back, only to bump into Yun Qingyu’s leg. The cyan hem of her robe swept past, instantly giving her ample courage.
“What are you looking at? You seller of fake goods, how dare you look so fierce!” The little white tiger bared her teeth, emboldened by Yun Qingyu’s presence.
Those who dealt in second-grade talismans were likely cultivators of Qi Condensation to Foundation Establishment levels. They wouldn’t be polite to a weak little spirit beast, but faced with a Golden Core cultivator like Yun Qingyu, who was just a step away from the Nascent Soul realm, they didn’t dare make a sound. The two quickly put on a smile and sheepishly withdrew their gazes, but when their eyes met, sparks flew.
The buyer wanted a refund, the seller refused, and in no time, they came to blows.
Jiang Mo wanted to continue watching the commotion, but Yun Qingyu picked her up: “Let’s go. They’re fighting in the city, and the city guard will be here soon.” Then the two would either end up in jail, pay a fine higher than the talisman’s price, or miss the competition.
In short, they were both fools.
The little white tiger obediently allowed herself to be carried away without resistance. As they turned a corner, she noticed people streaming in one direction. She had come to see the excitement, so she quickly patted Yun Qingyu’s shoulder and pointed towards where the crowd was gathering, letting out two “awoos,” wanting to go there too.
Yun Qingyu’s steps faltered slightly, seeming hesitant. But after a moment’s thought, she decided to follow the crowd.