Clan Cultivation: Starting with Building an Island Immortal City

49: Knowledgeable in all fields, providing information consulting servicesThe gargantuan Strength Elephant Spider moved its eight legs, steadily and swiftly, pulling the spider carriage rapidly along a wide, clearly man-made, compacted road.

Ancient trees towered by the roadside, their vines hanging down, as the humid southern wind, carrying a rich scent of vegetation and faint animal cries, constantly swept past the carriage windows.

Inside the carriage, Li Yinglong sat with his eyes closed, but in reality, his spiritual sense was slightly extended, feeling the earthpulse Qi that was completely different from Linhai City and even the isolated islands overseas.

Lin Xiaowan, on the other hand, looked out through the gaps in the carriage window with a hint of curiosity, observing the strange scenery flashing by.

Aya and Yan Gang sat side by side, their expressions tense, their eyes filled only with urgency and worry about the whereabouts of the ”ice soul spirit ginseng.”

The road was clearly designed for spider carriages, bypassing treacherous terrain and offering a smooth journey.

In less than two hours, the carriage slowed, and a massive village, built against the mountainside and by the water, came into view.

The village walls were mostly constructed from a mix of huge logs and thick bamboo, towering and perilous, with guards dressed in various ethnic costumes and armed with knives and bows visible patrolling them.

The village gate was wide open, with a bustling crowd and noisy carriages, a hundred times livelier than the Wood Dragon Rampart checkpoint.

The air was filled with various complex scents: the fresh fragrance of medicinal herbs, the musky smell of animal hides, and the rich aroma of spices.

”Blood Gu Village has arrived!”

The Black Gu Clan driver shouted, and the spider carriage came to a steady stop in a spacious carriage lot outside the village gate.

This stop was not the final destination, but eight or nine out of ten passengers disembarked here, and the crowd instantly surged.

As soon as everyone got off the carriage, they hurried towards the busiest and most densely populated area inside the village gate, as if a moment’s delay would cause them to miss a huge Opportunity.

Aya jumped off the carriage and quickly said to Li Yinglong:

”Old Mr. Li, that’s the market of Blood Gu Village, similar to a market in the outside world. All transactions in the village take place there, but we, the Hundred Clans of the Southern Border Cultivators and Mortals, live together without distinction, so it’s a mixed bag inside. Mortals, Cultivators, and merchants from various clans are all there, setting up stalls and trading in designated areas.”

She raised her hand and pointed to a relatively quiet corner on the outskirts of the market, where a lonely bamboo building stood:

”The Thousand Mechanisms Hundred Know Sect branch you’re looking for is right there. It has a distinctive oil-paper umbrella hanging at the entrance, very easy to spot!”

She spoke very quickly, her mind clearly already focused on the possible ice soul spirit ginseng:

”We brother and sister must go to the market immediately to inquire about information; any delay might lead to complications! How about we meet at the ’Miasma Tea House’ on the east side of the market around noon?”

Li Yinglong nodded in understanding:

”Important matters first, you two go quickly. We’ll meet at the tea house at noon.”

”Thank you, Old Sir!”

Aya clasped her fists in a salute, and Yan Gang also nodded heavily. The two then turned and, like swimming fish, merged into the crowd, disappearing in a blink of an eye.

Li Yinglong no longer delayed, giving Lin Xiaowan a slight signal, and the two followed the crowd towards the bustling Blood Gu Village market.

The market was enormous, with cobblestone paths and numerous stalls lining both sides, flags fluttering.

Indeed, as Aya said, Mortals and various Cultivators rubbed shoulders here, without the clear distinction seen in the outside cultivation world.

The goods sold were even more bizarre: huge and ferocious beast bones, brightly colored living Gu, Spiritual Qi-filled herbs, poisoned blue-tinged weapons, and even various Spirit Beast cubs... everything imaginable, with a slightly chaotic order but a vibrant, wild energy.

The two had no time to look closely and, following Aya’s directions, soon found the bamboo building in a relatively quiet corner on the edge of the market.

The style of this building was indeed a common stilt-style bamboo building in the Southern Border, with thick bamboo as pillars and banana leaves covering the roof, divided into two floors.

However, its building materials had clearly undergone special treatment; the bamboo had a dull, oily sheen, and the banana leaves were exceptionally tough, impervious to wind and rain.

What made it stand out was the large, open vermilion oil-paper umbrella hanging under the eaves. Intricate cloud patterns and bird and beast designs were outlined in ink on its surface, subtly forming a profound talisman.

The building had no plaque, only a small wooden sign hanging on one side of the door, carved with the character ”dawn.”

Although the bamboo building seemed unassuming, the people entering and exiting had varied expressions—some hurried, some cautious, some expectant—none were casual market-goers.

Their Auras were mostly at the Qi Refinement Stage, with an occasional powerful Cultivator stepping in or out expressionlessly.

”Let’s go, inside.”

Li Yinglong tidied his robes, restrained his own Aura, and led Lin Xiaowan up the bamboo ladder.

As soon as they lifted the seemingly ordinary bamboo curtain, the difference between inside and outside was like heaven and earth.

The clamor of the market outside receded like a tide, instantly cut off, as if they had stepped into another tranquil space.

A cool breeze, carrying a faint scent of Southern Border spices, wafted towards them.

Behind the curtain, it was not the cramped bamboo room one might imagine, but a rather spacious hall.

The hall floor was covered with distinctive carpets, the walls were not bamboo but some kind of matte dark wood paneling, and the ceiling was inlaid with fluorite emitting a soft white light, illuminating the interior brightly.

Several sets of bamboo tables and chairs were arranged haphazardly for people to wait and rest, and at this moment, three to five people were already sitting silently.

Directly opposite the main door was a setup similar to a pawn shop counter, separated by heavy dark bead curtains, forming individual service counters.

Behind them sat several Southern Border women dressed in uniform gray short jackets and headscarves, busy processing documents or conversing in low voices with those at the counters.

The entire environment was clean, quiet, and efficient, completely different from the rough wildness of the Southern Border village outside, exuding a cold, professional, and mysterious aura.

If not for seeing it with his own eyes, it would be hard to imagine such a place existing in this remote Southern Border village.

From this, Li Yinglong even saw a hint of the atmosphere of financial institutions handling business in his previous life.

A young attendant, also dressed in a gray short jacket with a delicate face, immediately came forward, bowed slightly, and spoke in a calm voice:

”Greetings, esteemed guests, and welcome to the Thousand Mechanisms Hundred Know Sect Blood Gu Village branch. May I ask if you are here for consultation, commission, or to collect a task?”

The attitude was warm and thoughtful, the process clear.

Li Yinglong glanced at the wooden sign hanging on the side wall of the hall, which listed various business scopes in common script and several major Southern Border tribal scripts:

”Information Inquiry,” ”Task Release,” ”Reward Collection,” ”Confidential Commission,” ”Item Appraisal,” etc., with clear distinctions between sections.

”Information inquiry.”

Li Yinglong said in a deep voice.

”Alright, please proceed to counter number three to take a number and wait.”

The attendant led them to the side to pick up a bamboo slip, handed it to them, with a number carved on it, and explained that they could go to the counter when their number was called.

After only a moment, a gray-clad person behind the counter called their number.

Arriving at counter number three, inside was a calm-faced middle-aged man:

”May I ask what kind of information you wish to inquire about? A general scope will suffice, so that we can arrange the corresponding quiet room and attendant for you.”

”Regional secrets, historical origins.”

Li Yinglong said concisely.

The middle-aged man nodded and handed out a smaller wooden plaque:

”Please take this plaque, go straight down the left corridor, to the seventh quiet room, and an attendant will serve you there.”

Following the instructions, they pushed open the door of the seventh quiet room. The interior furnishings were even simpler, with only one table and two chairs.

Opposite the table sat a figure completely enveloped in a wide black robe, even their face hidden in the shadow of the hood.

Their Aura was indistinct, making it difficult to discern their specific cultivation level or age.

”Please sit.”

The black-robed person’s voice came through the hood, low and flat, clearly specially processed, making it impossible to tell if it was male or female, old or young:

”Present your number plaque and state your inquiry.”

Li Yinglong placed the wooden plaque on the table and said directly:

”I wish to inquire about the origins and causes of the area around Linhai City on the shores of the East Sea, anciently known as the ’Spirit-Severing Land,’ and its connection to the ancient Sect ’Three Immortals Sect.’”

Upon hearing this, the black-robed person did not immediately respond, but instead took out a long, strip-shaped Magical Artifact from under the table.

The Magical Artifact resembled a jade ruler, entirely black, with a smooth surface, and faint, intricate runes flowing within it.

He merely saw points of spiritual light flickering at his fingertips, sliding rapidly several times across the ”jade ruler,” as if searching a directory.

A moment later, that calm voice spoke again:

”Inquiry content confirmed as ’Regional Secrets’ category, assessed as ’Profound’ grade, medium-level information. Inquiry fee: two hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones. Do you confirm payment?”

Li Yinglong’s pupils contracted imperceptibly.

Two hundred Spirit Stones!

This price was enough to bankrupt many Qi Refining Loose Cultivators!

But from what he had seen and heard in the past few days, he deeply understood the importance of information, especially concerning his own hometown and base, so he naturally couldn’t be stingy.

With a flick of his sleeve, a Spirit Stone bag, already counted out, was placed on the table:

”Confirmed.”

The black-robed person verified the Spirit Stones and put them into a qiankun bag.

Then, he took out a blank Jade Slip and placed it at one end of the black ”jade ruler” Magical Artifact.

He was seen forming hand seals and silently chanting a few words, and the spiritual light on the jade ruler suddenly flared, countless runes as fine as gnats flowing like streams of light into the Jade Slip.

The process took only three to five breaths, and the spiritual light receded.

The black-robed person pushed the Jade Slip towards Li Yinglong:

”The requested information has been loaded into it. You can read it by probing with your spiritual sense. This branch guarantees authenticity, but for ancient secrets, details may be missing and are for reference only.”

The efficiency and professionalism of the process far exceeded Li Yinglong’s imagination.

He felt a secret awe in his heart; the Thousand Mechanisms Hundred Know Sect’s foundation and methods were truly unfathomable.

He decided that later, he would also look into establishing a similar intelligence system within his own Family for better development.