Hearing this, the white-haired, white-bearded elder immediately chuckled. "How could anyone fly as fast as a cloud boat? Yu'er, did your eyes play tricks on you?"
Quite a few people around the elder were clearly flattering him, though the old man felt utterly helpless toward his grandson.
Yet as he turned his head, he happened to see a black-robed figure a hundred zhang away from the cloud boat, casually treading the air as if taking a stroll in a courtyard!
What was more, his speed was noticeably faster than that of the cloud boat. Strong gusts whipped at the black robe, revealing most of the youth's face.
Li Guanqi glanced back at the elder aboard the cloud boat. With a faint furrow of his brow, he flickered across the sky a few times and left the vessel far behind.
Seeing this, the elder's eyes narrowed slightly, and he murmured under his breath, "Heh... Just when did such an extraordinary lad emerge in the Eastern Domain?"
The white cloud ceremonial robe he wore shimmered with a faint glow, and the insignia over his chest proclaimed his status as a quasi-fourth-rank alchemist!
It was precisely because of this that so many dignitaries and nobles gathered around him, all hoping to strike up some acquaintance with him.
However, the elder paid them no heed and showed them cold faces. Taking the young boy along, he turned and went back into the ship's most luxurious suite.
In his heart, he had developed a deep curiosity about the youth he had just glimpsed.
Naturally, Li Guanqi knew nothing of this. He was simply pressing on with his journey.
Along the way, he had sent a transmission to Ye Feng, but Ye Feng hadn't replied.
He was probably determined to stay away from Li Guanqi for the time being.
When he was by Li Guanqi's side, he felt like a well-sheltered junior within a clan.
Though Li Guanqi never voiced it, and Cao Yan hadn't said anything either, Li Guanqi acted like an elder brother to both of them, constantly worrying about them and shielding them.
It was because his strength was the greatest, and Ye Feng called him Boss.
In truth, Ye Feng understood deep down that Li Guanqi did all this instinctively.
Yet precisely because of that, Ye Feng felt he could no longer continue like this.
Not until the sun sank in the west did Li Guanqi finally spot the outline of a sprawling city in the distance.
"Nanze City... I've finally arrived."
Surrounded by wetlands, Nanze City was humid year-round, but relying on these swamps, it was rich in natural resources.
Many local specialties were coveted commodities in the outside world, drawing a steady stream of visiting cultivators.
Even as the sun dipped toward the horizon, cloud boats continued to come and go in an endless stream above the city.
Li Guanqi gave a random name and paid the entry fee of three low-grade spirit stones. The gate guard casually tossed him an identity jade slip without a second thought.
He merely rattled off a few city rules—the usual prohibitions against flying within city limits and killing.
Taking the jade slip, Li Guanqi immediately began asking around about the city's finest restaurant.
Now that he had money in hand, he had to go for the best!
At this moment, the sword spirit couldn't help but feel puzzled.
This guy hadn't been anything like this in the Purgatory Mountain Range.
Back then, even when severely injured with his intestines spilling out, he had gritted his teeth and soaked in the cold pool. If he hadn't finally reached his absolute limit, the sword spirit suspected he would have tried to tough it out entirely on his own.
How could such a money-grubbing miser suddenly want to find the most upscale establishment?
Unable to hold back any longer, the sword spirit asked, "Why were you pinching every coin before, yet now you're looking for the most lavish place in town?"
Standing before a nine-story pavilion, Li Guanqi watched the women smiling seductively and waving silk handkerchiefs at him from the entrance and railings. A slight smile crept onto his lips.
He replied to the sword spirit in his mind, "No pills for heavy wounds, but living large in the city's taverns.
"It's called saving where you must and spending where you should."
With that, Li Guanqi strode briskly toward the women and walked straight into Xunfang Tower.
Hearing this reasoning, the sword spirit in the sword casket couldn't help rolling her eyes.
Sometimes she truly couldn't fathom what went on inside his head.
Li Guanqi asked for a top-tier guest room right away and instructed the attendant to prepare hot water.
Having detached himself from the women at the entrance, he slipped upstairs.
Looking at the steaming bathwater in the wooden tub, Li Guanqi quickly stripped naked, sank into the tub, and let out a long, contented breath.
He reached out to pluck some fruit from beside him and tipped his head back to take a swig of wine.
Instantly, much of the exhaustion weighing on his body melted away.
Looking down at the gruesome scars covering his body, he couldn't help murmuring in wistful admiration:
"No wonder so many people choose not to push themselves...
"Taking it easy... is so damn comfortable!"
Unfortunately, he was not someone built for a quiet, settled life.
Though his current life was fraught with peril, his heart was filled with anticipation when facing the unknown.
At this hour, Xunfang Tower was serving meals to patrons in the main hall, and the performances had yet to begin.
So after washing up, Li Guanqi changed into an elegant, plain white robe and walked out of Xunfang Tower.
Of course, along the way out, he hadn't missed the chance to get a few playful touches in.
Stepping out of Xunfang Tower, Li Guanqi strolled aimlessly down the streets, soaking in the rare bustle of mortal life.
Before long, he arrived at the city center, which was vastly more prosperous than the other districts.
Among the pedestrians bustling back and forth, the proportion of cultivators was noticeably higher.
He even sensed the auras of several Core Formation cultivators within the crowd.
In front of a brightly illuminated tall pavilion, three golden characters reading "Treasure Pavilion" stood out prominently.
With numerous demonic beast carcasses and useless materials on hand, he figured he might as well take this time to sell them off.
After all, his storage ring was nearly bursting at the seams.
The moment Li Guanqi stepped into Treasure Pavilion, he drew many sideward glances.
He was simply... too handsome.
His strikingly handsome face, paired with the plain white robe, accentuated a posture as tall and straight as a pine.
With the rise in his cultivation and the relentless battles he had fought, his physique was significantly sturdier than before.
He had even grown nearly a palm's width taller, and his handsome features had shed their earlier childish innocence.
Bearing the sword casket on his back, Li Guanqi frowned slightly at the stares around him.
Even so, quite a few female cultivators covered their mouths and giggled softly as they watched him.
Several elders even praised him openly: "What a splendid youth in white! Dignified bearing, sword-like brows, and starry eyes—truly a dragon among men!"
Soon, a slightly plump deacon jogged over, bowed slightly, and offered a greeting.
"Is there anything I can help you with, honored guest?"
Li Guanqi sent a quiet voice transmission: "I want to dispose of a batch of demonic beast carcasses. Do you accept them?"
The deacon didn't think much of it and replied with an easy smile, "We do, of course we do.
"How about this? I'll call someone over right away to do a thorough inventory for you."
Treating Li Guanqi's words lightly, the deacon turned and called out, "Xiaoyue, come attend to this honored guest and take him to the back to inventory some beast materials."
Hearing this, Li Guanqi's brow furrowed, and he said in a deep voice transmission:
"I'm afraid... your subordinates won't be able to handle this. You'll need to do it yourself."
A glint of annoyance flickered in the fat deacon's eyes, yet he maintained a welcoming smile. "Honored guest, rest assured. Our attendants are thoroughly versed in this; they won't miscalculate anything for you."
Making no attempt to hide his displeasure, Li Guanqi stated flatly, "Sixteen peak third-rank demonic beasts, and seven early fourth-rank demonic beasts.
"Are you sure an ordinary attendant can appraise all that?"
The fat deacon had only listened halfway through before cold sweat broke out across his forehead.
His head dropped involuntarily, his hands pressed against his thighs, and he hurriedly bowed to apologize:
"Forgive me, honored guest! Fu Gui'er was blind to your stature! Young Master, this way please."
Li Guanqi nodded and followed the deacon up toward the third floor of Treasure Pavilion.
Not long after he departed, a young man dressed in a pale-blue dragon-and-cloud robe strolled in.
With an arm around his female companion, the youth glanced around and noticed that the lackey who usually fawned on him hadn't come out to greet him personally.
An irritated look crossed his face. Just then, the woman beside him teased, "Oh my, who would've thought Young Master Zheng could ever be left out in the cold in Nanze City~"
Chapter 270