Chapter 46: Chapter 43: Conflict
Adjusting his clothes and patting the sleeping Iron Armor Steel Fang in his robes, Mu Chen strode toward the nearby Frost Cold Town. ’Finally, I’m returning to human civilization.’ A flicker of excitent stirred in Mu Chen’s heart.
Frost Cold Town was a town established tens of thousands of years ago. Due to its proximity to the Snow Realm, snow fell year-round and the temperature was extrely cold, hence its na. At this mont, the streets of Frost Cold Town were bustling with activity, and the cries of vendors echoed endlessly. People’s faces were filled with smiles, for no other reason than that today, Frost Cold Town was enjoying one of the few clear, sunny days of the year. There was no falling snow, no cold wind—everything was just so pleasant.
"Hey! Co take a look, co take a look! Freshly stead at buns! Thin skin, lots of filling, absolutely delicious! Two for one Elental Stone!"
"Freshly hunted Red-Blooded Bear Paws! Can be cooked as a delicacy or used in dicine! Ten Elental Crystals for one!"
Amidst the many cries of the vendors, a white-robed youth walked into the town. The youth had long hair that reached his back and skin so fair it would make so girls feel ashad. He kept his eyes closed as he "looked around," a faint smile playing on his lips, as if the chill of Frost Cold Town simply didn’t exist for him.
"Eh? Young man, please wait. You must be from out of town, right?" The one who spoke was a very average-looking middle-aged rchant. The person he had called out to was none other than Mu Chen.
"Yes, I just arrived here today. How did you know I’m from out of town?" Seeing that the man’s attitude was decent, Mu Chen replied.
The middle-aged man smiled slightly. "It’s quite simple. First, your clothes are too thin. A local would definitely be wearing a thick fur coat like
right now, not a simple robe. Besides, quite a few people have co to our Frost Cold Town from out of town in the past two months. I hear they’re looking for so kind of treasure. Every one of them seems to be of distinguished status."
Mu Chen’s heart skipped a beat. ’So, the news about the treasure on Cang Mountain has already spread.’ He feigned surprise. "Oh? Is that so?"
"Of course. It’s not much of a secret now. If you want to know more, you should buy a Wolf Fur Coat." The middle-aged rchant rubbed his hands together and chuckled slyly.
Now that he ntioned it, Mu Chen did actually feel a bit cold. He waved his hand and said, "I’m not interested in that information, but how much is one of your coats?"
The middle-aged rchant said with a smile, "This is made from high-quality Snow Wolf Hide. It’s very resistant to the cold. Only one Elental Crystal. What do you think?"
Mu Chen smiled faintly, tossed over an Elental Crystal, and picked out a coat that seed to fit him. He casually draped it over his shoulders and left the small shop. It wasn’t until the mont Mu Chen put on the coat that the middle-aged rchant noticed the youth only had one arm.
Watching Mu Chen’s retreating back, the middle-aged rchant’s face filled with disdain. "Hmph, since when do cripples get to co here?"
Of course, Mu Chen didn’t hear this. After leaving the shop, he realized he was a bit hungry. Having eaten nothing but roasted at for a year, now that he had finally made it to a town, he had to have a proper al.
Although Frost Cold Town was large, its streets were laid out with exceptional clarity. After wandering through a few streets, Mu Chen saw a restaurant called the Celestial Fragrance Pavilion. Even before he got close, the aroma of delicious food wafted out. Taking a light sniff, Mu Chen’s appetite was instantly whetted.
"GROWL GROWL..."
A squirming ca from his chest, and Iron Armor Steel Fang, which had been sleeping until now, suddenly poked its head out. Its nose twitched, constantly sniffing the aroma in the air. It then turned its head, let out two low growls, and gave Mu Chen an urging look.
With a helpless smile, Mu Chen rubbed his nose. ’I can’t believe there’s soone even more impatient than .’ He quickened his pace and stepped into the Celestial Fragrance Pavilion. The first thing he noticed wasn’t the variety of dishes on the tables, but the elegant decor of the restaurant’s interior. Although there were many custors, there wasn’t the slightest bit of noise. Everyone even ate slowly and chewed thoroughly.
Suddenly, the gentle sound of a zither drifted over, giving people an inexplicable sense of relaxation. Everyone who was eating involuntarily put down their bowls and chopsticks, closing their eyes to listen. For a mont, even Mu Chen stood frozen in place.
"Hiss..."
Just as Mu Chen was listening with relish, a sharp, stabbing pain shot through his mind. Mu Chen sucked in a sharp breath. Fortunately, thanks to the cover of the zither music, no one noticed his strange reaction.
"I didn’t expect to find a Martial Artist skilled in Spiritual Attacks here. How strange." A familiar voice echoed in his mind.
Mu Chen was stunned. He called out in his mind, ’Master!’
"Mm. This person has no malicious intent; they are just playing a normal tune. Go and eat."
After this reminder from the Profound Old Ghost, Mu Chen realized he was still standing foolishly at the entrance of the Celestial Fragrance Pavilion. His face flushed red, and he quickly walked inside, scanned the room, and found the most remote corner to sit down.
He wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but the mont Mu Chen sat down, the zither music paused for an instant before quickly resuming. However, after the Profound Old Ghost’s reminder, Mu Chen slowly released his Leaving Realm Spiritual Power, isolating himself from the Spiritual Power imbued in the music.
He sat for a long ti. Seeing that no one else was doing anything, Mu Chen grew bored and started teasing Iron Armor Steel Fang. It wasn’t until the song ended that a refined-looking waiter walked over and said softly, "Sir, what would you like to eat?"
Mu Chen didn’t bla him, figuring it might be a special custom of the restaurant. He said calmly, "Just bring
one of each of your signature dishes."
"GROWL GROWL..."
Upon hearing Mu Chen’s words, Iron Armor Steel Fang, still in his robes, imdiately beca dissatisfied and started growling angrily. Mu Chen was taken aback, then laughed. "Alright, alright. And two roasted chickens, plus a large cut of black beef."
After speaking, Mu Chen looked down at Iron Armor Steel Fang. "Are you satisfied now?"
"GROWL..."
Iron Armor Steel Fang grinned, nuzzled against Mu Chen’s chest, and then leaped onto the dining table. The waiter retreated with a smile on his face.
With nothing else to do, Mu Chen observed the other diners, feeling quite impressed. This Celestial Fragrance Pavilion was quite grand in scale, with a total of three floors of elegant private rooms. Mu Chen was on the first floor. When he arrived, there were still a few empty seats, but looking now, it was completely full. Moreover, a steady stream of people was still entering from outside, most of them wealthy and powerful individuals dressed in luxurious clothes and adorned with jewels.
However, they all shared a common trait. When they t acquaintances, they would simply clasp their fists in greeting and smile without saying a word. They would each find a seat, sit down, and then close their eyes to rest their minds.
This greatly surprised Mu Chen. Usually, restaurants were bustling with noise and had a lively atmosphere. Being a newcor, Mu Chen couldn’t help but look around. But as he was observing others, others were also observing him. Seeing Mu Chen’s attire, many people revealed disdainful looks; so even sneered. Mu Chen quickly noticed this phenonon, but he simply shook his head inwardly and paid them no mind.
Before long, the waiter brought over the various dishes and wine. Upon seeing the wine, Mu Chen’s brow furrowed noticeably. He didn’t touch alcohol. As a child, he had been curious about the taste, but after taking a single sip, his entire body had been wracked with unbearable pain. The incident had left a deep shadow on him. After the waiter left, Mu Chen tossed the wine pot aside and picked up his chopsticks to eat. Although this was the first ti he had eaten a proper al in a year, Mu Chen still ate very slowly.
Seeing Mu Chen start to eat, Iron Armor Steel Fang shot out of his robes with a WHOOSH and landed on the table. It located the black beef, crawled over, and took a bite that devoured a tenth of the slab. It completely ignored the strange looks from other patrons and began to feast to its heart’s content.
Seeing Iron Armor Steel Fang’s behavior, Mu Chen felt rather helpless. ’Making a Royal Beast chew in small bites like a young lady would probably be harder than killing it.’ So, he just let it be.
Just as he was halfway through his al, a clamor suddenly erupted at the entrance of the otherwise quiet Celestial Fragrance Pavilion. Mu Chen looked toward the sound and saw a young man dressed in golden thread clothes enter from outside. The man appeared to be about sixteen or seventeen years old, with a handso face and amorous eyes. A yellow ribbon tied his long hair up high, leaving a long ponytail. He strode in briskly, fanning himself with a folding fan, and headed straight for the stairs without a glance at anyone.
Behind him followed a group of guards, each one exuding a powerful aura. With Mu Chen’s current realm, he couldn’t see through them, so he estimated that these guards were, at the very least, Martial Masters. This young man must be a noble from so powerful family.
"Isn’t that the City Lord of Cold City’s eldest son? Why is he here again today?" one of the diners muttered under his breath with a frown after seeing the man enter.
A diner next to him said with contempt, "Keep your voice down, don’t let him hear you. He’s here to pursue Miss Qin Wu. I heard he ca from Cold City over three months ago and has been here every single day."
"Exactly. If his father wasn’t the City Lord of Cold City, Miss Qin Wu would have had him thrown out long ago," another diner chid in.
Although Mu Chen was sitting in the furthest corner, his Spiritual Power was exceptionally strong. His recent successive breakthroughs in the Martial Artist Realm had caused his Spiritual Power, which had already reached the Leaving Realm, to surge again, just barely entering the Middle Stage of the Li Realm. Therefore, the discussions of the people around him clearly entered his ears.
After listening for a mont, he found that the person ntioned most often was the woman nad Qin Wu. Mu Chen had no interest in this. He just wanted to finish his al quickly, find a place to stay, and then figure out his next steps.
But just then, the eldest son of Cold City’s Lord, who had gone upstairs, ca back down, his expression sowhat ugly. As he descended the stairs, he casually swept his gaze over all the diners on the first floor and suddenly noticed a figure who was distinctly different from the others. This person was dressed plainly and lacked any semblance of an upper-class aura. His gaze passed through the crowd and landed on Mu Chen, who was engrossed in his food. He smiled faintly and said to the guard behind him, "Now there’s a seat. Let’s go."
After speaking, the eldest son of Cold City’s Lord led his large retinue of guards and marched imposingly toward Mu Chen. No one dared to spare them a second glance as they passed. So people were already praying for Mu Chen.
Arriving next to Mu Chen, the eldest son of Cold City’s Lord jutted his chin toward the guards behind him. A roguish-looking guard stepped forward and knocked on the table.
Mu Chen’s brow furrowed. He had sensed this group coming down a while ago, but he never expected them to actually co for him. This was his very first day here.
Mu Chen raised his head and asked in confusion, "Can I help you?"
The roguish guard was montarily stunned when he saw Mu Chen’s youthful face, but he quickly recovered. He pointed to the eldest son of Cold City’s Lord behind him and said, "This is our Young Master, Han Jun. It’s your lucky day. Our Young Master has taken a liking to your seat. Na your price."
Mu Chen was taken aback, and a strange expression crossed his face. He was almost finished with his al anyway and would have left soon even if they hadn’t said anything. However, being driven away by people who looked down on him like this was not in Mu Chen’s nature.
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