Feng Chu and Ju Yin exchanged glances. Right, how could they know his whereabouts so well? Or rather, it was as if they knew where they were going. It was like they were waiting for them. What was the intention behind it?
"They don't seem like they're here to kill, but rather to cause some trouble. Like they want to stop us from traveling," Ji Wuye had taken on such missions to earn money before, so he had a guess!
"Mm, listening to you, it makes some sense!" Feng Chu nodded in agreement.
"If that's the case, we'll be passing through two cities next. Let's see if there's anyone unexpected there! Then we'll know!" Ji Wuye placed a piece and won.
"Brother, you've learned from Feng Chu!" Ju Yin was distracted and found himself surrounded, a trapped beast with no escape.
"Let's go. If it weren't for stopping to admire the scenery, we wouldn't have encountered these people." Feng Chu fanned himself with a jade fan, looking at the undulating mountains in the distance. The demonic beasts that had been hungry all winter would also be emerging!
"This isn't the deep mountains yet. The outer areas of the mountains have fewer demonic beasts." Ji Wuye knew what Feng Chu was thinking!
"Hahaha, even if they come, we're not afraid. Consider it an extra meal!"
"Fairy Mistress, lunch is ready." A You came out from the kitchen to call the people on deck to eat.
"Let's go. I almost look forward to A You's meals every day. This young master has gained a few pounds."
Ju Yin set up a barrier around the ship and entered the dining cabin. Ji Chenmu and Xiaobai were already sitting there with eager anticipation. Xi Mo was still relatively restrained. Zhi Meng and Chi Zu were also seated, and unusually, no one had rushed to grab food.
"Where is Steward Zhu?" Ju Yin asked.
"He was just here, saying he received a letter. He's probably gone to his room to read it."
"Ha, I'm here, Fairy. The profits from the hot pot city have been deposited into the bank in the next city. We'll make a brief stop to collect the spirit stones then." Steward Zhu said cheerfully. Everyone is susceptible to the allure of wealth, and who wouldn't love thinking about collecting piles of spirit stones?
"Oh, what's the next city called?" Ju Yin asked curiously.
"Is it fun? Is there good food?" Xiaobai, eating her favorite giant chicken drumstick, also became interested!
"The city we'll pass by later is called Mo Tu City. There's a famous mountain there called Du Mountain, with a river flowing through it called Mo Tu River, hence the city's name! Du Mountain is said to be covered with golden metal ore and crystal-clear jade. People on the Tian Chen Continent who love jade will come to Mo Tu City to select stone materials and find beautiful jade. The city is bustling with people. If you're interested in jade, Fairy, you might want to take a stroll." Steward Zhu had last visited Mo Tu River two hundred years ago. At that time, to pass through, he bought some beautiful jade to please his sister...
"Then let's go for a stroll. I like these little trinkets." Ju Yin's fondness for gems stemmed from her modern-day influences.
"I like them too! I like shiny gemstones." Xiaobai's eyes lit up upon hearing this.
Everyone laughed. Girls all liked such things.
For the first time after eating, Xiaobai left the dining table without lingering, guarding the bow of the ship early. About fifteen minutes later, a majestic high mountain appeared in the distance, with a corner of the city faintly visible at its foot.
"Sister, come quickly, we're here! Come look, is that the city gate?" Xiaobai shouted excitedly.
Ju Yin shook her head. She had been too strict with the little one recently; now she seemed like she was out to have fun.
"Coming. That should be the city gate. There are characters written on it!" Three bold and powerful characters, "Mo Tu City," were carved onto the city gate.
"Hehe, Sister, I don't know how to read."
"You still have the nerve to say you don't know how to read? Did you slack off when I told you to learn calligraphy?" Ju Yin gave Xiaobai a tap on the head.
"Ouch! That hurts! Sister, you hit too hard!" Xiaobai rubbed her head and stuck out her tongue. Writing was more tiring than practicing martial arts.
"Heh heh! This is Mo Tu City. Flying is not allowed within the city. It's best to rent a carriage when approaching the city gate." Steward Zhu watched the two sisters bicker with affectionate eyes. He was over five hundred years old, in middle age, and without children. He looked at these young girls as if they were his own daughters.
Everyone disembarked from the flying ship. To avoid attracting too much attention, they decided to split up and explore wherever they pleased, enjoying their freedom. They agreed to meet at the city gate. If they missed the time, they would contact each other using sound transmission talismans.
In the end, Steward Zhu, to collect spirit stones, formed a group with Ji Chenmu, Xi Mo, and A You. The Water Spider couple made their own arrangements. The remaining members were Ju Yin, Xiaobai, Xiao Wangyou, Ji Wuye, Feng Chu, and others.
At the city gate, some shrewd merchant had rented a space in the open area to do business with carriages and horses. Upon seeing the extraordinary demeanor of Ju Yin and her companions, the stable hand eagerly stepped forward:
"Young masters, Fairy, what kind of carriage would you like to rent? I won't lie to you, our carriage and horse business and the quality of our carriages are second to none in Mo Tu City. Our horses are gentle, and the carriages are sturdy and reliable!"
"How much does it cost to rent these carriages?" Ji Chenmu stepped forward to ask. He often mingled in the mortal world and knew the going rate for renting carriages.
"Young master, how many carriages do you need? The large ones can seat seven or eight people, costing one medium-grade spirit stone per day. The medium-sized carriages require two medium-grade spirit stones. Tell me, young master, which type of carriage do the Fairies want? How many do you need? For how many days?" The stable hand's smile was friendly, and his speech was quick.
"Huh? Why are the medium-sized carriages more expensive? And the rental fee is too high! Are they overcharging us because we're newcomers!" Ji Chenmu was startled by the price, which seemed exorbitant!
"Young master, you misunderstand. It seems this is your first time visiting the city. This season is our peak season in Mo Tu City, and people from all over come to purchase stone materials. Flying is prohibited within the city, so carriages are needed for travel. Therefore, the price is the same at any business you visit right now. If you wait any longer, you might not even be able to rent a carriage.
Furthermore, because the medium-sized carriages and horses are equipped with isolation arrays set up by array masters to shield divine sense and ensure privacy, the cost is double." The stable hand's tone was sincere and neither humble nor arrogant! As he spoke, several more groups of people arrived, proving his words to be true!
Ji Chenmu inspected the carriages. Indeed, although the small arrays were useless to their group, they were practical for those who needed private space and were not highly cultivated. In the end, he didn't haggle further. Steward Zhu paid for the carriages, and they left with three carriages.
The three carriages split up after entering the city. Ju Yin's group headed in the direction of the street selling beautiful jade, as indicated by Steward Zhu. Ji Wuye was driving. There were many pedestrians on the street, and the carriages moved slowly. Ju Yin and the others were in a large carriage with ample space inside, clean and tidy cushions, and a pleasant fragrance.
"Sister, what's that?" Xiaobai, being a curious baby, lifted the carriage window curtain and looked around!
"That's Tanghulu. Do you want some? Then go buy it." Ju Yin glanced over, surprised to find Tanghulu being sold here.
"Whoa~~~, Xiaobai, you don't need to get out of the carriage. I'll buy it for you." Ji Wuye heard her and pulled the carriage over to the side of the road.
After a moment, the carriage curtain was lifted, and a hay bale with over a hundred strings of Tanghulu was stuffed in...