Immortal Cultivation and Life-Saving Guide

Chapter 23 Baoxiang City

Baoxiang City is the largest of the hundreds of cities in the Western Regions.

It is called Baoxiang City not because it produces elephants. After all, an oasis city in the desert cannot support elephants.

Because of the development of commerce, Baoxiang City often has caravans from all corners of the world. Some of the caravans from Nanjiang ride elephants. These caravans were once a major force in Baoxiang City, hence the name Baoxiang City.

Times have changed. Although the power of Nanjiang merchants was replaced by Boluo merchants from the Western Regions, the name Baoxiang City was retained.

No matter how beautiful the scenery of the Western Regions is, it will not be as good after riding on camels and eating sand for more than ten days. When they set up camp at night, Wei Xi and the others climbed down from the camels like female ghosts, and they felt better after rubbing their buttocks for a while.

"Senior sister, do we have to do this every time we go out in the future?" Qian Liangfeng asked Wang Huan with a bitter face while rubbing his butt.

"Junior brother, you know the situation of our sect. We can't afford to use those magical instruments. I advise you to train well to avoid suffering later."

After hearing this, Qian Liangfeng almost burst into tears. Although he was just the son of a rice shop owner, he had never suffered so much from childhood to adulthood.

"My parents said that cultivating immortality is a blessing," he cried, almost crying, "I come here from dawn to dusk, meditating, getting beaten, reading, and practicing calligraphy."

Wang Xin handed his sister a fruit and asked Wei Xi and the others to take the fruits he had taken out.

"What kind of blessing are you enjoying?" Wang Huan laughed at Qian Liangfeng's hapless look and said seriously, "You'd better give up your thoughts as soon as possible. It's a good thing that I don't use you to fill the formation."

"Little sister," Wang Xin interrupted at the right time, "go to bed early after dinner. You have to take over from Senior Brother Lin in the middle of the night."

Wang Huan realized that he had said something wrong and went down the stairs given by his brother.

Qin Feng grabbed a good place to shelter himself and Wei Xi from the wind. The two of them rolled up in the bedding roll, and Lingyin tucked her head under the wings and fell asleep.

The caravan leader was cautious and did not dare to light a bonfire. He only dared to light a few bonfires. After all, the night was not peaceful.

There were often bandits between the several post stations, so the caravan hired many bodyguards, who were divided into three shifts to keep watch at night.

Apart from the indifferent leader and the useless kids like Wei Xi, the only people left from the Qingcheng Sect were Senior Brother Lin and the Wang siblings. Naturally, the three of them took turns keeping watch at night. After all, one had to be careful when going out.

However, immortal cultivators are prohibited from indiscriminately killing the weak. The "weak" here doesn't refer to cultivators like Wei Xi, but rather anyone who is weaker than the cultivators. The consequence of indiscriminate killing is death, the destruction of one's spirit, and the disintegration of one's soul. Therefore, immortal cultivators generally avoid direct conflict with others.

In other words, if the bandits came over and stabbed these monks, Wei Xi and the others could only stab them based on the facts and could not take their lives.

When Wei Xi heard this rule for the first time, he sincerely felt that cultivating immortality was worse than becoming a bandit.

Wei Xi could only fight and kill in the world of immortal cultivation. She guessed that this was a kind of balance in the way of heaven. She had learned something in Wen Dao Hall and roughly knew about the existence of the cycle of cause and effect, although she didn't really believe it.

There was only one special case, and that was when a cultivator adjudicated between people. In this case, the cultivator often acted as a spokesperson for the invisible and intangible Heavenly Dao, helping Heaven uphold justice and avenge grievances.

This is a common occurrence for any disciple going down the mountain for training. As for why it's the cultivators, the wise Ms. Wei Xi offered the answer: everyone else is so exhausted from running around, so this kind of chore is best left to the cultivators who have nothing better to do.

During the busy farming season, Weixi's father tended his own land and worked as a laborer for the landlord. During the slack season, he went hunting in the mountains. Weixi's mother rose in the morning to cook, clean the house, and tend to the livestock. Then, she would mend her husband's and children's clothes. Neither seemed like someone with the time to spare for such matters. Under the blue sky, with countless people busy with their own things, who would uphold justice?

However, Wei Xi was determined to be a scoundrel in the Qingcheng Sect. Qin Feng's role model was Master Han, and Wei Xi's role model was the head of the magic sect.

Didn’t you see that the old master fell asleep after drinking a little wine?

Fortunately, the caravan moved quite fast, and the Qingcheng Sect arrived at Baoxiang City at the agreed time.

The caravan was in a hurry and parted ways with the people from Qingcheng Sect at the city gate. Qin Feng became suspicious again, but Wei Xi thought that less trouble is worse than more, and asked, "Ancestor, please be quiet." She had no choice but to put this doubt behind her.

After entering Baoxiang City, Senior Sister Wang Huan smiled sweetly at a Western soldier guarding the city gate in exchange for a spot at Yuelai Inn. The group then walked slowly towards the meeting place.

From the leader who was over a hundred years old to the youngest Wei Xi, everyone in the team was attracted by the exotic scenery of Baoxiang City.

This is indeed a prosperous oasis city. Vendors dressed in various clothes are hawking their goods in northern dialect with different accents. At the doors of taverns and teahouses, pot-bellied merchants wearing silk clothes are chatting. There are also camel caravans that have just entered the city. Everyone on them has their faces covered. You can even see fellow travelers dressed as monks, but they look like they are from a sect in the Western Regions, not the people Wei Xi and the others are looking for.

"Okay!" Qin Feng looked at the exotic dancer who was dancing the Huxuan dance on the blanket with white porcelain on her head, and said "Okay". He took out a piece of silver and threw it on her blanket. The dancer bowed to him, took the pipa and continued to dance.

Because they still had time, they strolled along the street. Qin Feng spent money lavishly, and Wei Xi advised him not to waste money along the way. When they arrived at Baoxiang City, they were finally able to let themselves go.

Fortunately, Qin Feng had a very picky eye. He bought a bracelet inlaid with emeralds and a small clock. Inside the clock were twelve oil paintings of the beautiful scenery of the Western Regions. The scenery changed every hour, and the small animals could even move. The head of the sect was very envious, so Qin Feng put them directly into the Qiankun bag and stopped him from having any idea.

Wei Xi was much more pragmatic. He bought two inconspicuous robes according to his own and Qin Feng's stature. Qin Feng was in high spirits and didn't want to change, so he stuffed both sets of clothes into his bag.

Wei Xi had no choice but to buy two more hats that looked like conical hats. The sun in Baoxiang City was too strong. It was just the beginning of spring and people were already feeling dizzy from the sun.

Finally, after passing by a team of patrolling soldiers, the Qingcheng Sect arrived at the Yuelai Inn.

The first floor of the inn was very spacious, with fifteen or sixteen tables of various sizes. Behind the counter were a dozen or so wine jars as tall as an adult, with wine spoons hanging casually on them.

Senior Brother Lin asked the waiter if any cultivators had come. The waiter said that two sects had arrived two or three days ago. Senior Brother Lin nodded and immediately asked the waiter to open three large rooms for their group.

"Just open one and save money!" The headmaster was jumping up and down behind him, but Senior Brother Lin ignored him.

They really don't have much money on hand, and it's not too unfair for three people to share a room. But it would be too unfair for the leader to open a room. Everyone knows that the leader is just a mascot who is used to show his face, and the real decision is made by Senior Brother Lin.

"But you are a fellow Taoist from Qingcheng Sect?" Just as the Sect Leader was sighing, a gentle questioning voice came from behind.

(End of this chapter)