《Refining the Mountains and Rivers》Chapter 1016 - Strange Rules
Advertisement
The specific reason would be explained later, because right now as Qin Yu stood outside a restaurant, he could feel a fire burning within his chest and belly. His stomach that hadn’t received a sacrifice yet was ready to go on strike.
Rumble rumble –
There was another series of gurgles. Hunger permeated his bones, making him want to pick up a stone and gnaw on it. It had been a long, long time since he had felt this sensation.
Perhaps the only time he had felt something like this was before he met Aunty Gu, when he was wandering around by himself.
He subconsciously rubbed his belly and drew in a breath. This was bad. The fragrance of wine and food grew thicker. It was like sharp spikes, digging into his will and drawing him close!
“Customer, are you hungry? Come visit our restaurant! Our shop has food cooked by master chefs and the flavor is top class. You won’t regret it after tasting it!” A greeter stood at the entrance of a restaurant, his eyes shining when he saw Qin Yu. “A silver coin. As long as you have a silver coin then you can enjoy a feast in our store. It is absolutely worth the value. Customer, don’t hesitate anymore and come and have a taste!”
A copper coin for a steamed bun.
A silver coin for a banquet.
Then what about a gold coin?
Qin Yu didn’t know nor had he seen another gold coin appear in this city yet. His intuition told him that it was best if he didn’t expose his gold coin, otherwise it would likely bring about unexpected troubles.
But if he didn’t use his gold coin, how was he supposed to eat a meal?
When a cultivator entered the city they would feel hunger. They had to eat to survive.
And there was also the issue of where he would stay…
It was said that when night came to the city, if one wasn’t in a room, then something terrifying would happen.
Qin Yu had no idea what it was and he hadn’t experienced it either. But, he definitely didn’t want to use himself as an experiment.
It seems that things had reached a deadlock…
If he used the gold coin then there was likely to be trouble. But if he didn’t, food and lodging would become an issue.
While Qin Yu mulled it over, the hunger in his belly grew heavier. As he bitterly smiled, he suddenly heard a loud shout.
Then a figure fluttered down from the second floor and landed in front of him.
“Qin Yu, you made it!”
The person standing in front of him was a happy East Zhou Duly. But soon she seemed to think of something. She restrained her expression and pulled him towards the restaurant, “Come with me!”
As they walked she lowered her voice and said, “Don’t say anything.”
They entered the second floor and arrived at a round table. Several people stood up and started to size up Qin Yu.
East Zhou Duly smiled and said, “Everyone, this is a friend of mine. According to our previous agreement, I can bring him to eat with me.”
Advertisement
A woman in a pink dress nodded. “Miss East Zhou does have this right.” Her eyes fell on Qin Yu’s face and she said, “But, this fellow daoist looks quite familiar.”
There seemed to be something pointed in her words.
East Zhou Duly’s complexion changed, “My friend here has always been poor in social situations and he rarely interacts with outsiders. I believe Miss Yun must have mistaken him for someone else.”
As she spoke she pulled Qin Yu down, “Sit down and eat. I have some matters to attend to soon so I can’t stay here much longer.”
Qin Yu nodded. No matter what the several people across from him thought, he sat down and started to stuff his face with all the food that arrived in front of him. But what a pity, while the feeling of blissful fullness came, he wasn’t able to harvest any inheritance from the Path of 10,000 Souls.
This seemed to be different from the information he had learned. It was apparent that there were other matters he hadn’t yet fully understood.
“Are you full yet?” East Zhou Duly glanced at him. Seeing Qin Yu nod, she stood up and said, “Then everyone, we shall bid our farewells first.”
As her voice fell, Qin Yu stood up and the two of them left the restaurant.
As the two left, the pink-dressed and beautiful Yun Feng narrowed her eyes, a thoughtful look within them.
“What is it? Does fellow daoist Yun truly know that person?” Another cultivator asked, arrogance in his eyes. “This East Zhou Duly comes from some remote family and she was lucky enough to get a few silver coins. Otherwise with her qualifications, how could she be able to dine with us? What sort of background could people around her possibly have?”
Yun Feng smiled and softly said, “Perhaps I was just overthinking things.” She shook her head and suppressed the thoughts running through her mind. She glanced around and said, “Now, the only ones left here are our people. Everyone, please state what your recent harvests have been.”
After leaving the restaurant and avoiding everyone’s line of sight, East Zhou Duly came to a stop. She turned and looked at Qin Yu, “You came that fast?”
When she finished speaking she seemed to think of something, or perhaps it was because she felt that her question was inappropriate, but her face flushed red and she quickly said, “I mean, how did you come to the land of inheritance so quickly?”
Qin Yu traced his nose, thinking that it was better if she didn’t try to rephrase her question. Instead, he was the one feeling uncomfortable now. He coughed and said, “My luck was good. I overcame the Three Mountains Test and arrived here.”
East Zhou Duly certainly wouldn’t believe that good luck would allow someone to enter the land of inheritance. Was he trying to fool her? But even if Qin Yu didn’t say anything she could approximately guess the situation. He really was worthy of being a Ruler’s disciple; his depths could not be fathomed.
“There are some words that aren’t convenient to say here. Come with me first.” East Zhou Duly looked at her surroundings. Then, she grabbed onto Qin Yu’s hand and hurried forward.
Advertisement
A moment later, in a distant small courtyard, East Zhou Duly pushed open the doors and walked in. An old man was in the courtyard doing some woodworking. When he saw the two come in he frowned and said, “Little Duly, is he your friend? We agreed that you wouldn’t bring anyone back here.”
East Zhou Duly quickly said, “Uncle Cow, this is my friend. I am just going to have a brief chat with him. He will leave soon.”
Uncle Cow looked at Qin Yu and nodded his head, showing neither approval nor disapproval. Then, he turned back to his woodcraft work.
East Zhou Duly eyed Qin Yu. The two entered a small room. After closing the door, the sounds around them immediately quieted.
“Hu!” East Zhou Duly let out a deep breath. “It’s fortunate that my luck is quite good. Uncle Cow seems serious but in truth he’s a good person, otherwise you wouldn’t have been able to come here.”
Qin Yu nodded. He looked around. This was a very small room. Besides a bed there was nothing else here.
The space was small and narrow. With a man and woman standing here, an inexplicable scent filled the air.
Sensing Qin Yu’s silence, East Zhou Duly’s heart skipped a beat. She coughed and said, “You still don’t know what’s going on in this city, right?”
Qin Yu nodded. “After I arrived in the city I spent some time walking around. I found some useful information, but it wasn’t complete.”
East Zhou Duly revealed an appreciative look. “As I thought, with your intelligence you realized something was off.” She paused and said with an earnest expression, “This city is the Path of 10,000 Souls’ land of inheritance. You should already know of this, but there are many rules in the city.
“For instance, you absolutely cannot attempt to attack any person in this city. Otherwise no matter how strong your cultivation is, you will suffer. I have seen this with my own eyes so definitely do not try and attempt it. Moreover, you must be careful with how you spend your coins. Once you spend them all, you will be forcefully transmitted out.”
Qin Yu nodded, expressing his understanding. He asked why he didn’t harvest any inheritances after the previous meal.
“It’s normal. A silver coin can pay for a banquet table, enough for ten people to eat their fill. But only the person who paid can harvest the inheritance; you and I can only feel full.” East Zhou Duly looked up and hesitated a little. She said, “Qin Yu, you should have been the first person to pass the Three Mountains Test and enter the land of inheritance this time around. Then you have…”
She stared at Qin Yu’s face. “If it’s not convenient for you to tell me, you don’t have to.”
Qin Yu said, “You want to know how many coins I have.” He reached into his chest and took out the gold coin. “I only have this.”
“Ah!” East Zhou Duly cried out loud, her eyes turning round like saucers. “A gold coin, you actually obtained a gold coin!”
Her face was full of shock.
Qin Yu observed her reaction. Besides surprise and envy, there wasn’t anything else. He relaxed a little. He was old acquaintances with East Zhou Duly, and because she helped him enter the Path of 10,000 Souls, it could be said that he owed her a favor. He didn’t want to come into conflict with her just because of a gold coin.
Now, it seemed that this woman’s character was passable.
“What does a gold coin represent?”
East Zhou Duly drew in a deep breath. Her gaze was deep as she said, “Ten copper coins can be traded for one silver coin. But 100 silver coins are needed to exchange for a single gold coin…but that isn’t the key point. The key point is that this gold coin represents the qualifications to obtain the 10,000 Souls Great Dao.”
She pursed her lips and continued to say, “As long as you are willing to use this gold coin, then any transaction you complete with it in this city will have you obtain the 10,000 Souls Great Dao inheritance…your luck is too good!”
When she finished speaking, she felt that something was wrong. If Qin Yu was able to obtain a gold coin then it had to be related to how quickly he rushed through the Three Mountains Test. It wasn’t related to his luck.
So it was like this.
Qin Yu’s heart stirred. He thought of the runes he received after passing the first and second mountains. They had fused together and marked itself on his soul…by relying on this rune, he could already obtain the inheritance of the 10,000 Souls Great Dao. If so, wasn’t this gold coin unnecessary?
As his thoughts turned, he calmly said, “I thank Miss East Zhou for the reminder.”
East Zhou Duly barely managed to regain her composure. She waved her hand and said, “With your intelligence, you had likely already sensed that there was something unusual about that gold coin, otherwise you wouldn’t have hesitated outside the restaurant for so long.”
She furrowed her eyebrows together, “This is a difficult problem. The gold coin cannot be exposed. Once others realize its existence they will not hesitate to pay any price to steal it from you. Qin Yu, since you have already obtained the gold coin, don't delay any further. Complete any transaction right now. After you obtain the 10,000 Souls Great Dao inheritance, you can immediately leave!”
Qin Yu shook his head, “I came to the Path of 10,000 Souls for other reasons. I cannot leave yet.”
East Zhou Duly said, “Then what are you going to do now? I can help with your food issue, but where do you plan on staying?”
Renting a room was cheaper than living in an inn, but it still wasn’t a small expenditure. She had to search for the inheritance so she couldn’t solve this problem for Qin Yu.
Qin Yu wryly smiled, “I’ll try to figure out another solution.”
Advertisement
- In Serial71 Chapters
Nameless: Ascent
Everybody has a Name. Names are a path to power, a gift from a god. When a child receives their Name, they learn the path their life will take, and they can see the strictly defined system that lets them rise beyond human limitations. When Maiz receives his Name, he has the chance to become something he has only read about in history books--a God Chosen. But his path will force him to serve a dark master, and question what he will do to gain power. Shadar is the Dungeon King, a man who spent years earning the right to lead an army of monsters in their struggle against humanity. He holds immense power, but he is constantly plagued by unrest among his subjects. Two men poised to create new legends with ancient powers. Two men who must learn who they are in a world of Names. (Contains an RPG-based magic system)
8 168 - In Serial15 Chapters
The Girl Named Rino
Oh. Hello. I didn't see you come in. No, don't worry. I don't need to hear your name. I already know what it is. I also knew that you'd come up at around this time. But, at the same time, I also didn't know. It's very hard to put into words - but that's what happens when you become the Chaos God. Your psyche gets messed up, big time. That's even more so for me, who was already warped enough to confuse reality with imagination - and, even make the rest of the universe believe that it was so. But, enough about me. Let's talk about you. You seem to come from a very far away land. It's faint, but your presence is there - in a relatively primitive planet. No wonder, no one wanted to stay in, or conquer your region of the universe - there's nothing worth controlling there. Your existence, much like your entire solar system, also seems to be pretty insignificant. Tell me, is your race capable of destroying your own world? Oh, you're already well along the way? Global Warming? Pollution? Overpopulation? Nuclear weapons? Wow... it's been many millenia since I'd last heard of such ancient concepts from someone who is actually living through it. Still, good job getting that far. That means that your world is now, at least, worth considering as a possible place to install a World System. If I find the time, I'll try surveying it. You can just thank me, later. Oh wait! What kind of person am I, not even offering my guest any hospitality. I'm ashamed. Please, take a seat. What would you like? I have everything the multiverse has to offer, whatever it is you want - I can get. Ah! After we talk, would you mind, if I asked you to do me a tiny favor? There's this girl, I want to keep tabs on. She's in one of the Worlds that I preside over, it's called Aiarthe. But, for some reason, I can't see her - not directly, at least. All I need you to do, is check up on her from time to time. Whether you do it as a pure spectator or through someone else's eyes, is entirely up to you. Really!? You would!? Wow! Thanks! You really did me, a huge solid there! For agreeing so quickly, how about I get started on surveying that planet of yours, right now!? You can help yourself, to anything in the fridge! Well, see ya!
8 232 - In Serial8 Chapters
DarkBoi69's mediocre, rushed and badly-written aventure
Follow DarkBoi69's edgy adventure as I move him through a shitty plot where he meets terribly-written characters like angry evil stupid villains and naive cute useless busty women. This story is not really an actual serious story but simply a writing exercise for me to focus on overall writing speed, forcefully insert some writing in my everyday life to increase productivity and most importantly help with turning ideas, thoughts or feelings into writing directly without feeling blocked, hopefully trying to achieve something as close as possible to writing unconsciously what i’m thinking about. I'll probably try to do something like writing as much in 30 mins as I can, nearly every-day. So far I've only done this once and it already seems like a pretty good thing to do. I don’t have anything planned and that’s probably going to be a constant for every one of these exercises, so it’ll end up being not very good (although maybe better than it has any right to be? ) and nonsensical.
8 181 - In Serial19 Chapters
Bite Mark
[Participant in the Royal Road Writathon 2021] Twins Mark and Henry have just finished their training for the Neighbourhood Ancillary Stakers Corp., a voluntary organisation set up to fight against blood sucking vampuras (VAMPIRES!). In a world where vampuras pray on the vulnerable and the stupid at night, looking for their next feast of blood, The Neighbourhood Ancillary Stakers Corp aka Nasscies or Dusters, fight to protect their North Eastern English market town of Tarmsworth St Jude and it's major trauma hospital and blood bank hub from what is a widespread global problem. As they apply their training to reality and gain confidence in taking on threats by themselves, the brothers soon find that they may have.... bitten off more than they can chew. This horredy is a silly and fun experimental series. There is GORE, VIOLENCE, DESCRIPTIONS THAT SOME MAY FIND UNPLEASANT AND UPSETTING and some TOILET HUMOUR. You've been warned!!
8 286 - In Serial58 Chapters
forbidden thug love
when two loves find each other how far will they go to keep what they have found even if it means defying their own fathers how far will kadence and delontay go to keep their love alive both children of mafia kings who hate each other they have been told that they are forbbiden to be together but we all must remember all is fair in love and war
8 163 - In Serial33 Chapters
Love Live! Yuri One-Shots (Requests Closed)
Just like what the title says ^^
8 152

