Who let him join the Sword Sect?!

[Li Yueqi: It's fine, don't worry about him. He's always mysterious like that, not responding is normal. When he went undercover at your place for the Hundred Demons Sect, it was his own decision, and he didn't tell anyone.]

[Zhang Ze: Aren't you worried about him?]

[Li Yueqi: What could possibly happen to him in the Cang Mountain realm? It's not like a dragon is going to suddenly pop out and eat him.]

[Zhang Ze: True.]

[Li Yueqi: In that case, you wait for me for a day, and tomorrow I'll go with you to Wolong Marsh.]

[Zhang Ze: Alright.]

In a market of cultivators in Feng State.

Li Yueqi watched the video sent by Zhang Ze.

Looking at the row of color-changing Golden Cores, she was speechless.

"Ridiculous..."

Putting away the little walnut, Li Yueqi boarded the flying ship back to Cang Mountain.

...

Rising Dragon City.

Zhang Ze left the teahouse, planning to take a stroll through the streets first.

He intended to gather some information and also buy some useful items, so when Li Yueqi arrived, they could go and find Li Jue together.

Being his first time in the Cang Mountain realm, Zhang Ze found it quite fascinating.

The city and the mountains outside were filled with Canglong Pines, which stayed green all year round, making Rising Dragon City and Dragon Viewing Mountain lush and vibrant at any time of the year.

And just like how cultivators within the Sword Sect's jurisdiction mostly used swords.

Cultivators in the Beast Taming Sect's jurisdiction mostly practiced Body Refining Technique, and pet beasts were ubiquitous in Rising Dragon City.

So having Li perched on Zhang Ze's shoulder didn't seem out of place; rather, it was rare to see a cultivator without a pet beast companion.

Even mortals who didn't practice cultivation would keep a few native dogs or small cats for company.

And some individuals with peculiar fetishes seemed to find their niche here.

Zhang Ze noticed two young demon girls shopping together, each wearing a small, cute collar around her neck, with the collar's leash held in the other's hand.

"Preferences and play are free choices, especially for the Demon Race."

Watching their departing backs, Zhang Ze could only explain it to himself in this way.

Due to such regional characteristics, the businesses here had some rather bizarre requirements.

For instance, an inn across from a teahouse had a sign out front.

[This establishment is a small business with a tiny backyard. Guests with companions such as elephants, rhinos, tigers, and other demon beasts, spirit beasts, or demon race cultivators should seek accommodation elsewhere.]

[There's really no space, and the landlady is frightened, too.]

Things like that.

Zhang Ze arrived at a shop selling magical artifacts, which besides the usual items, also featured many exquisitely crafted Exquisite Magical Balls and silver bands that could be worn on the wrist.

The shopkeeper claimed these were sourced from the Beast Taming Sect and could temporarily store pet beasts.

If your companion was a giant demon beast, it could be stored inside temporarily for easy carrying.

As soon as they entered the shop, Li tugged on Zhang Ze's hair, urging him to leave quickly.

Li said he was allergic to these things.

Apart from these shops related to demon beasts, there were also plenty of elements associated with dragons.

Zhang Ze walked into a pharmacy, staring at the large, three-meter-tall crystal medicine jar in the hall for a long time.

The jar was filled with reddish liquid in which various medicinal herbs were soaked, and among the herbs were several dry, long objects.

A label with red characters was affixed to the jar, and two characters were written on the red paper.

[Dragon...]

A young man with a sallow complexion behind the counter perked up when he saw Zhang Ze's unfamiliar face.

"Fellow Daoist, you have a discerning eye, let me... Oh, if you're not interested in this, how about some of our premium Healing Elixirs..."

Before he could finish his sales pitch, Zhang Ze turned and left this shady shop with Li.

Such sketchy shops were really plentiful in this area.

No wonder Lin Feng got tricked into buying those useless things back then.

As he continued deeper into the alley, the number of pedestrians decreased.

It wasn't until he reached a large Canglong Pine that Zhang Ze was called to a halt.

"Young Master, please hold your steps."

The speaker sat behind a fortune-telling stall, lacking cultivation and having an unusual appearance, with long eyebrows and a wide mouth. Though young, he seemed peculiarly old, speaking with a weary tone.

The stall was different from the usual portable, foldable fortune-tellers' tables that are easy to pack up and run.

The table in front of him was heavy and solid, slick with oil, like something he'd just stolen from a butcher's shop.

He wore an ill-fitting gray coat, leaned against a low wall, a small banner draped over his shoulder, with just one word on it: 'Destiny.'

The items on the table differed from those at other fortune teller's stalls. There were no maps, copper coins, or divination sticks. Only an ancient turtle shell was placed in the center.

The fortune teller, seeing Zhang Ze stop and look back, began to spout nonsense.

"Young Master comes from a faraway place, doesn't he?

In youth, traveling afar, unaware of the passing of time, familiar with the road before, but forgetful of home on the return journey.

If I'm not mistaken, young master is troubled by love, which is why he's come to this foreign land.

A wise saying goes, true feelings in this world are like fierce storms, both love and injury.

Golden wounds and medicinal stones can heal skin pains, but they cannot mend that gap in your heart.

Yet I have a wonderful remedy for this ailment, named Wangchuan.

The young master has come at just the right time, when the spring chill still lingers; it's both a dead end and rebirth, perfect to serve as a medicine primer."

Having said that, the fortune teller produced a dirty little medicine packet, looking like he was waiting for willing customers to take the bait.

Zhang Ze was left dumbfounded by the fortune teller's poetic ramblings, not expecting to find such talent in Rising Dragon City, with this talkative fellow seeming to be preparing for an exam.

And Zhang Ze, being idle, leaned against the fortune-telling stall and started chatting with the man.

"Sir, your words are mistaken. Life's journey is all scenic, so how can one speak of paths known and homes forgotten?