My path to immortality began with my posting to guard Dawancun.

Chapter 352 Return to Qingcheng
"Furthermore, given their advanced Gu techniques, they must have a considerable amount of materials for refining Gu, right?"

"Perhaps we can obtain the materials needed to refine the Golden Wind Jade Dew Gu from the Southern Yue Kingdom!"

In the blink of an eye,
Shen Changchuan also had a general plan for the future.

We rested for a day in Dawancun.

Shen Changchuan then left again with his gains from this trip.

But this time,
He did not return directly to the sect.
Instead, it flew towards Qingcheng.

They drove into the city with practiced ease.

Immediately, a one-armed, thin young man with a pointed mouth and monkey-like face stepped forward.
He asked if he needed a guide, saying that he was very familiar with every street and alley in the city, and that it would save him a lot of time for just one spirit stone, which was definitely worthwhile.

Shen Changchuan was slightly taken aback.

It wasn't that he was surprised that someone dared to come up to him and try to sell something.

In fact, he had already concealed his aura when he entered the city.
Ordinary cultivators would have no way of knowing that he was a being at the Nascent Soul stage.

At first glance, he would only be considered an ordinary Qi Refining Realm cultivator.

What truly stunned Shen Changchuan was...
He seemed to have seen this person before.

Several years ago,
He had only recently advanced to the seventh level of Qi Refining and came to Qingcheng to buy some pills for cultivation.

That was his first time visiting Qingcheng.

It seems that this person approached and asked if we needed a guide, saying that he could also take us to the black market.

At that time, however, he possessed a "huge sum of money" and had a clear goal: to purchase pills usable by those at the seventh level of Qi Refining.
Not wanting any unexpected issues, I declined, saying we could discuss it again if needed in the future.

Later, when escorting the caravan...
Although I've been to Qingcheng a few times.

However, with so many caravan guards around, those low-level guides who made a living by guiding spirit stones naturally had the sense to stay away.

Unexpectedly, several years have passed.
To my surprise, I encountered them again here.

However, compared to back then,

The man was wearing a tattered long gown, with one arm hanging limply, his back was hunched over, and his face bore the marks of hardship.

At the same city gate,

The same scene,
The same person,

Not much has changed near the city gate.
The scene hasn't changed much.
But the people who came were different from those of that time.
It has become weathered and aged, losing some of its vibrancy and gaining a sense of desolation.

That feeling,

It seems as if they were weighed down by the burdens of life.

Time flies by before my eyes.
This caused Shen Changchuan to feel a little dazed, and he stood there stunned for a moment.

In a hazy state,

A strange feeling arose in his heart.

"Immortal Master, what do you think?"

The one-armed, sharp-mouthed, monkey-faced man tensed up, looked down at Shen Changchuan, and cautiously asked.

"Oh it's all right."

Shen Changchuan came to his senses.

His eyes swept over him, looking him up and down.

Thinking back to our meeting several years ago,

Shen Changchuan could clearly sense it.

A few years ago, this person, though not good-looking, still had a glimmer of light in his eyes despite his humble demeanor.

nowadays,
The other person already looked quite disheveled.

It's like carrying some invisible burden, yet having to shoulder it due to some responsibility or reason.

The light in his eyes had completely dimmed.

"I remember you."

Just as the one-armed youth was filled with unease, sweat beading on his forehead, pondering in his heart what he had done to offend the immortal before him,
Shen Changchuan suddenly spoke up. "Several years ago, when I first came to Qingcheng, you came up to me just like today and asked if I needed a guide."

"I never expected to run into you again when I came to Qingcheng again."

"Is that so? No wonder you look somewhat familiar, Immortal Master, though I couldn't quite place you for the moment."

The gaunt young man spoke haltingly, unable to catch his breath for a moment.

However, Shen Changchuan's words did relieve him.

At least the person in front of me is not an enemy I offended in the past.
"I had an urgent matter at the time and said I would talk about it when I had the chance."

"Now that we've met again, it must be fate that we met. Why don't you accompany me on this journey?"

Looking at the other party's respectful and cautious demeanor, Shen Changchuan felt a sense of unease for some reason.

He then took out five spirit stones, handed them to the other party, and spoke gently.

"There are too many immortal masters; one spirit stone is enough."

"Take it. Meeting you is fate. This is nothing to me."

"If you think that's too much, then tell me about what's happened in the last few years, just consider it something I can talk about."

Perhaps it is because it lacks spirit stones.

Or perhaps it was Shen Changchuan's toughness,

The one-armed, sharp-mouthed, and monkey-faced youth hesitated for a moment before finally thanking Shen Changchuan with gratitude and accepting the five spirit stones.

Shen Changchuan originally planned to visit Wanling Pavilion, the largest branch of the Chamber of Commerce in Qingcheng, to see if he could purchase the Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Jade.

Now, when I meet this young man again...

Thinking back to what he said about the black market back then,

They couldn't help but have some thoughts in their minds, such as asking him to take them to the black market.

Casual chat along the way.

Shen Changchuan also learned the person's name and his experiences over the past few years.

This person's name is Wang Xiaoer.
An ordinary farmer who, through some fortuitous encounters in the countryside, embarked on the path of cultivation and ventured into the city to seek his fortune.

It can be said,
He was the most promising one in their village, the hope of the entire village.

Unfortunately,
He was just a minor cultivator at the first level of Qi Refining, the lowest level in the cultivation world.

The prosperity of Qingcheng has little to do with him, an ant at the very bottom of society.

Such a level of cultivation might not even be as good as some of the children in the city.

Naturally, it's difficult to find a good job.

After several years of hard work,

He met a gang leader and was able to stay in a corner near the city gate, acting as a guide for newly arrived cultivators.

Yes,

Even as a guide,

You also need to pay homage to the 'elder brother'!

Just like how even beggars in the mortal world have their own territory.

Without a powerful backer, one can't even survive as a beggar in the mortal world.

Being a guide is not easy at all.

Qingcheng was bustling with people.

Cultivators came and went.
They needed to keep a close eye on the city gate at all times, using their keen eyesight to identify who among those entering were newcomers from outside, and then approach them to promote themselves.

Even if you develop exceptional eyesight, the success rate is still not high.

After all, for the vast majority of cultivators at the Qi Refining stage, spirit stones don't just fall from the sky.
Unless they are scions of wealthy and powerful families who have traveled from the outside world and have no shortage of spirit stones, or senior experts who are visiting for the first time, almost no one will spend spirit stones to hire a guide.
Even if the reward is only one.

Therefore, the so-called guide,

It might take three to five days to close a deal.
And that's all.
They also needed to give a cut to the 'big brother' as tribute.
(End of this chapter)