Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

"Pay attention, everyone!" Shi Tie shouted, gripping his iron rod tightly. "We're almost there. This city is a den of thieves and monsters, so be careful!"

Su Xiao straightened his clothes and whispered to Wang Hu and the other two, "After entering the city, observe more and speak less. Don't panic if anything happens. I and Senior Brother Shi will take care of everything."

The five paid a meager entrance tax and followed the flow of people into Black Mountain City. The scene inside the city was completely different from the tranquility of Qingyun Mountain.

The streets were narrow and crowded, lined with shops selling all sorts of low-level magical artifacts, materials, and pills. Shouts and bargaining filled the air.

Most pedestrians had weathered faces, wary eyes, and carried weapons or spiritual energy fluctuations. Their cultivation levels were mostly hovering around the early stage of Qi Refining. Occasionally, a few cultivators in the middle or late stages of Qi Refining could be seen hurrying by, attracting attention.

A restless, tense, and desire-filled atmosphere permeated the air. This was a true microcosm of the lowest levels of the cultivation world, naked and real.

Shi Tie frowned, clearly disliking the noisy environment.

Su Xiao quickly surveyed their surroundings, searching for a suitable place to stay. They needed to find an inconspicuous, reasonably priced inn with relatively good information.

In the end, Su Xiao chose an old inn called "Yuelai" located in a corner of the south of the city. The innkeeper was a lean middle-aged man with a cultivation level of only the second level of Qi Refining. Upon seeing a guest arrive, he quickly put on a smile and greeted him.

"Five guests, would you like a meal or a room?" The innkeeper's gaze swept over the five men, lingering briefly on Shi Tie. Sensing his fierce aura, his attitude became even more respectful.

"I need two quiet, superior rooms," Su Xiao said as she stepped forward, her voice calm, while handing over a few low-grade spirit stones.

"Alright! Rooms number three and four in the Jia section are clean and spacious, guaranteed to satisfy you all!" The manager quickly arranged everything, then lowered his voice and gave a mysterious instruction.

"You all look unfamiliar. Is this your first time visiting our Black Mountain City? Things haven't been very peaceful in the city lately. Please try to stay home as much as possible at night, especially in the west side of the city, which I've heard isn't very clean."

"Not very clean?" Su Xiao's heart skipped a beat, but she remained calm on the surface and thanked him, "Thank you for the reminder, shopkeeper. My siblings and I are just passing by and will be leaving after purchasing some medicinal herbs."

After settling in, the five of them gathered in Su Xiao's room to discuss the matter.

"This place reeks of birds!" Shi Tie complained in a muffled voice. "The spiritual energy here is thin and mixed up; it's not even as good as our mountain gate!"

Su Xiao smiled and said, "Senior Brother Shi, how can this place compare to our sect's blessed land? We're here to train, not to enjoy ourselves."

"The most urgent task is to gather information and understand the situation in the city, especially the news of the 'monster disturbing the people' and the movements of the three forces."

She looked at Sun Xiaolan and instructed her, "Xiaolan, you're quick-witted. Come with me to the main hall for dinner later and listen to the idle chatter of those rogue cultivators. You might gain something from it."

He then said to Wang Hu and Li Tiezhu, "Wang Hu, Tiezhu, you two go for a stroll in the streets later, mainly to the herbal medicine shops and general stores. Check the prices of common medicinal herbs and materials on the market, and also keep an eye out for anything suitable for the sect to purchase or that we can sell. Remember, just look, ask as few questions as possible, and don't flaunt your wealth."

"Yes, Senior Sister Su!" The three accepted the order.

After the tasks were clearly defined, everyone went their separate ways. Su Xiao and Sun Xiaolan went to the lobby of the inn, ordered some simple food, and while they appeared to be eating, they were actually listening intently to the conversation of several rogue cultivators at the next table.

"Hey, did you hear? The other night, something bad happened at Old Liu's house in the west of the city! His black-bristled pigs were gnawed down to bones, and half of the courtyard wall collapsed! It's really weird!"

"Another one in the west of the city? How many times has this happened now? Those useless bastards from the City Lord's Mansion can't even catch a trace of them!"

"Shh! Keep your voice down! The City Lord's Mansion is just an empty shell now. Relying on them? I think either a monster or someone is up to something! The Zhao family, the Wang family, the Li family—which one of them is easy to deal with?"

"That's right! The Zhao family controls 30% of the obsidian mine, the Wang family guards the market in the south of the city, and the Li family has recently had some incredible luck, managing to get in touch with 'Liuyunfang' and acquire a batch of in-demand pills. They're riding high right now!"

"These three companies have been locked in a fierce battle for years. Who knows who might be behind it all, deliberately muddying the waters!"

"Sigh, it's tough being a rogue cultivator these days! I heard things' been quite lively at the Qingyun Sect lately? Even the Tianji Pavilion is on the list?"

"Hey, what real skills could a small sect in such a remote place have? They probably just got lucky and picked up some legacy from their predecessors. If they were really capable, would they be holed up in that mountain valley?"

The independent cultivators were buzzing with discussion, their information a jumbled mess, yet Su Xiao quickly gleaned a few key points:

Monster incidents are concentrated in the west of the city and occur frequently; the city lord's mansion is unable to control the situation; the Zhao, Wang, and Li families are in sharp conflict, and the Li family seems to have a new backer; the outside world still largely underestimates the Qingyun Sect.

Meanwhile, Wang Hu and Li Tiezhu strolled around the streets and also made some gains.

They discovered that the prices of low-level pills and talismans in Black Mountain City were 0.5% to 10% higher than in Green Moss Market, while the prices of some basic medicinal materials were relatively the same.

In a large general store, they even saw "century-old black iron ore" and "first-tier monster materials" priced quite high, which are resources that sects might use for refining weapons and making talismans.

In the evening, the five met again to exchange information.

Su Xiao shared the rumors he had heard and his own analysis: "...In conclusion, the situation in Black Mountain City is quite complex. The monster incident could be an opportunity, but it could also be a trap. Of the three major families, the Zhao family is powerful and deeply rooted, the Wang family controls the financial channels, and the Li family has recently gained external support. The relationship between the three is delicate."

"We are newcomers and should not get involved in their conflicts, but we may take this opportunity to understand the situation, and even... if conditions permit, try to resolve the matter of the monsters, which can both make us famous and give us valuable experience."

Shi Tie rubbed his iron rod, his eyes flashing with fighting spirit: "A demonic beast? Good! Perfect, I'll use it to test my newly learned 'Flowing Cloud Step' and 'Mountain Shaking Tremor'! Whatever kind of monster it is, I'll beat it up first!"

Wang Hu and his two companions were both nervous and excited. They had never seen a real demonic beast before!

Su Xiao pondered for a moment and said, "This matter needs careful consideration. Tomorrow, we will split up. Senior Brother Shi, you take Wang Hu to investigate the area near the scene of the incident in the west of the city. Remember, you can only observe from a distance and do not get close. Just sense the residual demonic energy."

"I'll take Xiaolan and Tiezhu to a few larger shops to try and make some contact; maybe we can get some more specific information. Everyone, be careful, safety first!"

The five-person team from Qingyun Sect settled in the Yuelai Inn in Black Mountain City, spending their first wary and unfamiliar night there. The next morning, before the mist had completely dissipated, the five of them split up to carry out their missions as arranged by Su Xiao.

Shi Tie led Wang Hu straight to the west of the city. The further west they went, the more dilapidated the streets became, with few pedestrians and a faint smell of fish and burnt flesh permeating the air. This was the latest news Su Xiao had heard from the idle chatter of the rogue cultivators yesterday about the location of the incident.

Along the way, some damaged fences and scattered bloodstains could be seen, and most residents kept their doors tightly shut, their faces filled with fear.

"Senior Brother Shi, the smell here... is making me uncomfortable," Wang Hu sniffed and whispered. Although his cultivation level was low, his senses were more acute than those of ordinary people.

"Hmm, there's a lingering demonic aura, and it's still quite fresh," Shi Tie replied in a deep, resonant voice, his large, copper-bell-like eyes sharply scanning his surroundings.

He cultivated the "Giant Spirit Shaking Mountain Technique" and the "Flowing Cloud Dao Body," and his sensitivity to aura far surpassed that of his peers.