With the sun gone, over ninety percent of the land was barren waste. There was no distinction between shallow night and deep night here, only an unending, boundless darkness.
"Uncle Meng, we made good time. Nothing went wrong," Qin Ming said with a breath of relief atop the thunder-lightning bird, having crossed the abyss-like expanse.
A streak of crimson glow pierced the eternal night like a rising sun. At the far edge of the horizon sat a colossal city, its silhouette gradually emerging as they drew near.
That was Chongxiao, the imperial capital of Great Yu—one of the ten great cities of the night mist world, grand and majestic.
Meng Xinghai said, "Though the night mist world holds all manner of mysterious, unknown, and terrifying things, the mature routes opened through countless trials by our predecessors are generally safe."
An imposing pass stood tall, crowned by a towering gatehouse with layered upturned eaves and bracket sets, its glazed tiles glinting with a pale golden luster beneath the fiery glow.
The moment Qin Ming and Meng Xinghai entered the city, a wave of clamor rushed over them. Stepping from the pitch-black no-man's-land into such a flourishing capital felt like crossing between two different worlds.
Chongxiao City was as bright as day. Streets crisscrossed in every direction, their bluestone paving worn smooth by the passage of time. Pedestrians were everywhere, and carriages and horses flowed through the bustling crowds.
"Brother Ming, over here!" Wu Yaozu waved from near the city gate. Having received their letter earlier and calculated their arrival time, he had been waiting for a while.
Beside him stood an imposing figure built like an iron tower, as broad as two ordinary men put together—the Tathagata renegade, Xiang Yiwu.
"You young people spend some time catching up. I'm going to visit an old friend and check on the people from the immortal path," Meng Xinghai said. Once he and Qin Ming settled on an inn, he left directly.
"Uncle Meng, let me treat you to a moon excursion! We can go to Guanghan Palace to drink and listen to music!" Xiao Wu called after him, quite familiar with Old Meng.
Meng Xinghai nearly stumbled and quickly melted into the crowd with the thunder-lightning bird.
Xiang Yiwu chuckled. "Who do you think City Lord Meng is? Even if he indulged in the nightlife, would he go with you? He has private heavenly palaces to visit."
As a fourth-realm cultivator, Meng Xinghai possessed tremendous strength. Even from a distance, he could hear their chatter amid the noisy crowd and sorely wished he could turn around and plaster their mouths shut.
Seeing both of them glowing with health and high spirits, Qin Ming said, "You two seem to be enjoying yourselves so much you've forgotten all about home. Living quite the life, aren't you?"
Xiao Wu said, "It's not bad. The Dayu capital really is bustling—it's night and day compared to the deserted quiet back home. Brother Ming, you've been sleeping rough in the wilderness lately and suffered quite a bit, haven't you? Let your brother treat you to a proper welcome feast!"
Xiang Yiwu waved his hand. "Let's go. No point standing around here."
Chongxiao City was indeed exceptionally prosperous. Rows of shops stood closely packed along the streets, offering exquisite porcelain, silks spun from the threads of higher being fire silkworms, and all kinds of precious goods. Every business was booming.
Even Qin Ming was dazzled. This was the largest and most magnificent great city he had ever entered, and he stopped to look around from time to time.
For instance, inside a grand antiques pavilion, there was actually a venue dedicated exclusively to relics of gods.
On the bustling main thoroughfare, Qin Ming saw many non-human races. Kobolds in groups of three to five turned out to be skilled artisans, hard at work in a newly constructed garden.
In a master craftsman's workshop, a dragon-elephant was selling various treasures, calling out, "Honest prices for all, young and old alike! Every piece is an extraordinary relic shed when this old man molted his horns and lost his teeth. Refined by master craftsmanship and inscribed with divine path patterns, they have been given new life—combining offense and defense, endless in their wonders!"
An old tortoise stuck its head out from a neighboring shop and bellowed at the top of its lungs, "Guilinggao! Guaranteed to prolong life! Genuine quality at fair prices, a two-hundred-year-old shop! Every bowl of tonic is brewed personally by this old tortoise—tenfold compensation if proven fake!"
"Grandpa Tortoise, my family has been drinking your tonics for years, and none of us lived any longer! Your shop saw off my great-grandfather, then my grandfather, and soon it'll be my dad's turn!"
Qin Ming noticed that the atmosphere here was quite cosmopolitan; at least one in every ten individuals was an otherkin.
Ahead, a purple-gold rat and a tabby cat walked upright side by side, their arms around each other's shoulders. Elsewhere, an old golden-furred ape rode leisurely through the bustling market atop a white lion.
"I've heard that godkin creatures might be roaming the Dayu imperial capital, experiencing mortal life," Xiang Yiwu remarked.
Wu Yaozu said, "Brother Wu, you should aim to marry a godkin wife in the future."
Xiang Yiwu grinned. "It isn't even night yet, and you're already drunk."
Qin Ming remarked, "You two really have let yourselves loose."
Xiao Wu chuckled. "Brother Ming, all this carousing of mine was just to scout the terrain for you."
"Don't go pinning everything on me," Qin Ming said with a smile. This fellow truly adapted quickly—he had practically become an old hand at this.
As they spoke, they arrived at the most bustling street in the city. Real estate here was worth its weight in gold because it ran alongside a grand river winding through the city like a jade sash.
Under the night sky, the Shuyu River was a splendid sight. Paper lanterns filled the sky, and clusters of pleasure boats drifted across the water. Zithers chimed crisply and flutes played melodiously, while butterfly women of an otherkin race danced lightly through the night air, their snow-white gowns fluttering like celestial maidens taking flight.
Wu Yaozu said, "Brother Ming, we've set you up here for tonight. Tomorrow night we'll ascend to the moon. Getting into the celestial palaces requires a reservation in advance."
Along the banks of the Shuyu River grew swaths of silver willows and purple wisteria. All were special plants nourished by Fire Springs; each willow swayed like silver ribbons, and each cluster of wisteria glimmered with purple-gold radiance. The silver glow and purple sheen complemented one another, dazzling against the dark night.
This riverside street was immensely popular. Even setting aside boarding pleasure boats to cruise the river, simply strolling along the water's edge to take in the scenery drew large crowds.
Xiang Yiwu and Xiao Wu led Qin Ming into a queue to board a pleasure boat when they suddenly spotted familiar faces along the bank.
"Oh no, Brother Ming, sister-in-law is over there! Don't let her catch you red-handed!" Xiao Wu said in a hushed voice, attempting to pull Qin Ming around to turn his back.
Unfortunately, with a massive figure like Xiang Yiwu beside him, they were impossible to miss.
Qin Ming quickly shook him off. "Stop acting like a thief. You'll make something out of nothing."
Willow branches swayed, flecked with silver glow. Li Qingyue stood like an immortal maiden descended into the mortal world, her white robes fluttering in the night breeze, her waist more slender and supple than the silver willows along the shore. Her bright eyes sparkled as she looked their way.
Beside her stood two other women, both equally remarkable.
One young woman was dressed in the attire of the esoteric sect, with an emblem embroidered on her sleeves. Clearly a divine seed, she possessed a dignified beauty and a sacred aura.
Qin Ming recognized the other woman—he had even worked for her before, crossing paths during the exploration of the grand palace ruins belonging to the Yin soil ghost cultivators.
She was the Fourth Princess of Great Yu, Yao Ruoxian, someone on par with top-tier immortal seeds. She wore a fiery crimson gown that draped over her like a divine lotus. Her fair skin and autumn-pool eyes gave her a beauty tinged with an alluring, bewitching air.
The three women first noticed the burly Xiang Yiwu, then spotted Qin Ming and Xiao Wu.
Qin Ming nodded toward them, offering a greeting across the crowd.
"Fairy Li," Xiao Wu called out warmly. In a place like this, he didn't dare use the words "sister-in-law." After all, joking in private was one thing, but with so many people present, being that casual would be disrespectful to an immortal path seed.
Xiang Yiwu had come from the Rulai Sect and possessed wide connections; he knew all three women and sent a voice transmission: "Fairy Li, Divine Maiden Zhao, Fourth Princess."
Zhao Qingcheng, who hailed from an immortal sect, was indeed extraordinarily beautiful, though exceedingly aloof. She held a very high status among her peers in the esoteric sect, a divine seed of equal renown to Cheng Sheng.
All three women gave brief acknowledgments.
"Would the three fairies like to join us?" Xiao Wu suggested, hoping to smooth things over for Brother Ming.
Nearby, perched on a silver willow, a foot-long four-winged bird cried out indignantly, "Do you have no shame? Going aboard a pleasure boat for revelry and wine, and you dare invite my princess and two fairy-grade beauties along? Outrageous!"
Many people looked over. What kind of bold character dared say such things? For a moment, the area grew quiet.
Qin Ming, Xiao Wu, and Xiang Yiwu had never experienced such embarrassment in their lives.
Instantly, a clamor broke out. Many people pointed and whispered, thinking the three fellows were utterly brazen and insatiable.
Qin Ming deeply regretted that when he had displayed his archery back then, he had only shaved the bird bald rather than blowing it apart with a single arrow.
Xiao Wu said, "Ours is an elegant excursion! Boarding the boat to admire the moon, leaning on the railing to gaze into the distance, pondering past, present, and future, and paying homage to the Shuyu River God to appreciate the mystery and beauty of this land!"
The four-winged bird curled its beak and scoffed. "Spare me! Two days ago I saw you and that big lug carousing right here, spending the night on a pleasure boat and raising drunken hell, bellowing about 'drunk, trimming the lampwick to look upon my sword'!"
"Heh heh..." The regulars of the area all chuckled.
Xiao Wu wanted nothing more than to wring its neck. Why did a bird keep hanging around a place like this anyway, and with such a loose tongue? Was it because it wanted to carouse itself but lacked the means?
Qin Ming quickly held him back. Squabbling with a bird would only needlessly demean them.
"We'll catch up another time," Qin Ming said to the women.
The two groups parted ways just like that.
Yet soon enough, they crossed paths again, facing each other from afar.
After Qin Ming and his companions boarded their pleasure boat, a treasure vessel drifted slowly past not far away. The three women stood at the prow like peerless celestial maidens stepping out of a scroll painting, their dark hair and gowns fluttering in unison, looking exceptionally otherworldly.
"And they called us out! Aren't they taking a boat out for a night excursion too?" Xiao Wu grumbled indignantly.
Xiang Yiwu said, "That is the Princess Residence's private vessel, not a pleasure boat from around here."
"Brother Ming, did you really just come to eat?" Xiao Wu asked.
The two of them realized that Qin Ming was genuinely hungry. He wolfed down food, paying no heed to the music and barely watching the dancing butterfly women.
"What else would I be here for?" Qin Ming asked.
Wu Yaozu lowered his voice. "The reason the Shuyu River is so famous and draws so many people for night excursions is the rumor that a god might dwell in its waters!"
Qin Ming was startled. "A godkin creature living in the Dayu imperial capital?"
Xiang Yiwu nodded. "Yes. Rumor has it that she is a god recognized by Great Yu, so she won't be crusaded against. In return, they employ her to oversee the waterways and ensure favorable weather for the surrounding region."
Qin Ming marveled at this. A model of cooperation between mortals and gods? Still, ordinary people certainly lacked the power to employ a godkin creature.
Xiang Yiwu added, "Occasionally, the Shuyu River God invites those with affinity to visit her divine mansion as guests, which is why this place is always teeming with people. Tonight, since the Fourth Princess of Great Yu is here, that godkin creature might just invite people to a banquet again."
However, their elegant excursion stretched late into the night without anyone being summoned to the divine residence.
Just then, a large ship approached slowly from the opposite direction. Three men aboard were gazing across, drawing the attention of Xiang Yiwu and Xiao Wu.
"Sun elves!" Xiang Yiwu exclaimed in surprise.
Qin Ming looked across. The three were slender and more beautiful than many women, each sporting long golden hair cascading down to their waists, making them remarkably eye-catching.
Most importantly, they all carried an aura of the immortal path, looking more like disciples of the immortal path than many from the outer realm.
"What magnificent presence! They look like banished immortals!"
On the river, passengers on other pleasure boats marveled through drunken gazes, feeling as though three celestial beings had descended into the mortal realm.
"How do they look like immortals? Just blondes, that's all!" Xiao Wu muttered under his breath.
One of the sun elves bore mysterious vermilion markings between his brows, resembling a vertical eye. He glanced over toward Qin Ming and his companions.
"Huh. The heavenly light within them surges like a rainbow, as if layers upon layers of lightning have accumulated. These three are not simple," he whispered, discerning a glimpse of their depth through a specialized ocular art.
"They are likely three drudges, merely servants of immortal seeds. No need to pay them any mind," another sun elf remarked in their distinct elven tongue.
Before long, the two vessels passed each other without incident.
Gradually, a heavy mist rose over the Shuyu River. Even with the drifting paper lanterns and the reflection of Fire Springs along the banks, the surroundings turned hazy and enigmatic.
"Could the god be arriving? Is she really going to invite distinguished guests into her divine mansion?" Xiao Wu perked up.
Xiang Yiwu nodded. "Quite likely. Supposedly, members of Great Yu's imperial lineage can enter the divine mansion directly. Tonight, some may bask in that princess's favor."
Soon, they saw Yao Ruoxian's treasure vessel upstream being enveloped in a layer of mysterious brilliance.
Next, three consciousness bodies from that ship submerged into the Shuyu River.
"Were they truly invited away by the god?" Qin Ming's Eye of the Newborn saw it clearly.
Evidently, that layer of mysterious brilliance covering the ship was meant to protect the three women's physical bodies.
Immediately afterward, their own vessel was also enveloped in mysterious radiance. In an instant, Qin Ming and the others grew drowsy, their eyes heavy with sleep. Yet at the critical moment, the light receded like the tide.
Faintly, they heard a pair of young attendants speak in succession with dissatisfaction: "Their spiritual light looks ample, but only one is barely qualified. The other two are drudges!"
"Let's go. They aren't qualified to attend the banquet," the other attendant said.
Almost simultaneously, their eyes cleared.
"Did you hear that?"
"We were looked down on! Detestable!"
Qin Ming realized those were subordinates of the godkin creature. Such gods were mostly conservative, adhering to ancient ways. They likely disdained the drudges of ancient immortal sanctuaries, and their view had not changed even in this era.
He thought to himself that he had even entered the sanctuary of the Great God of Black-White Mountain; this river god certainly knew how to put on airs.
"Those three blondes were invited! Even foreign otherkin are permitted to attend the banquet—this river god is really unfair!" Xiao Wu said.
The sun elves' ship was covered in divine radiance, cloaked in thick mist.
Having drunk too much wine, Xiao Wu felt his bladder swelling. Simmering with indignation, he headed straight to a secluded spot and relieved himself downstream.
The three sun elves had just entered the water. Seeing this scene, they all froze, their eyes instantly spewing fire in boundless fury!
*Splash splash splash!*
Hearing the sound, Qin Ming and Xiang Yiwu were speechless. Their brother was truly drunk.
"Holy crap, why am I seeing double? Why are there two streams? The alcohol really got to my head... Wait, why are there four? Ah—eight?!" Xiao Wu looked down and let out a bloodcurdling scream.
Qin Ming and Xiang Yiwu looked at the eight streams on the river surface, utterly shocked.
Scared sober, Wu Yaozu hurriedly fastened his belt, realizing he might have offended the river god.
At that moment, their large vessel was once again enveloped in divine radiance. They began to feel drowsy as their consciousnesses... were pulled out of their physical bodies. They were being invited to the banquet after all.
Yet at this moment, none of the three wanted to go.
Xiao Wu wailed, "Elder Sister River God, please spare me! I was wrong!"
Xiang Yiwu also rumbled in distress, "Deity above, we are not disciples of immortal sanctuaries—we are ill-suited to attend the banquet!"
In the final moment, Qin Ming grabbed frantically around himself, trying to see if he had any items brought from Black-White Mountain on hand.
Chapter 274