Chapter 187 - Chi Yang Nan Yao Extra 33 for Alliance Hierarch Ashen's Little Cotton-padded Jacket

Chiyang Prefecture is located in the southern part of Qi Country, where the mineral resources are abundant, and many of the locals engage in the iron casting industry, keeping the furnaces burning all year round.From high above, the Qi Boundary appears a patch of reddish land.

Thus, it is called Chi Yang.

A common saying goes, “The armors and weapons of Qi Country are in Chi Yang, and the soldiers of Chi Yang are in Nan Yao.”

Nanyao City is where the Lian family has been operating for many years.

It’s not the administrative center of the prefecture, yet it surpasses it in importance.

Many who mention Chiyang Prefecture can only think of Nanyao City and not even remember which city is the prefectural seat.

The City Lord of Nanyao City is never an external appointee but must bear the surname Lian, which shows the Lian family’s status in Nanyao City and even the entire Chiyang Prefecture.

The Lian family was not originally from Qi Country; they relocated to Qi Country only after their homeland perished.

They found copper in the mountains of Chiyang Prefecture, took root, and from nothing built Nanyao City.

Now it is famous throughout the world.

The universally acknowledged sacred grounds for weapon forging masters are five, and the ones within the Qi Boundary belong to the Nan Yao Lian of today.

The carriage sped along the wide road, and Jiang Wang, during his breaks from practicing Dao Technique, would occasionally lift the curtain to look at the scenery outside the window.

He thought of something peculiar to him, that the official roads of Qi Country didn’t have any Array Patterns inscribed on them, and along the way, many of the Qi’s commoners were out enjoying the countryside.

He saw clearly that many among them didn’t possess any cultivation.

Actually, he noticed this when he entered Linhai County but ignored it at that time, intent on preparing for his exploration of the Heavenly Abode Secret Land.

Now that he thought of it, he couldn’t help but ask aloud, “Why do the official roads in Qi Country not need Array Patterns inscribed, and the commoners venture out at will?

Isn’t the countryside dangerous?”

The carriage driver serving Jiang Wang hailed from the Zhong Xuan Family, who had generations driving carriages for them.

In prestigious aristocratic families like the Zhong Xuan, there are many such hereditary servants who are far more reliable than the common hires found in the marketplace.

He dared not neglect a distinguished guest like Zhongxuan Sheng but indeed felt puzzled, “Dangerous?

What danger is there in the countryside?”

Jiang Wang pondered for a moment then asked again, “Are there no Fierce Beasts in Qi Country?”

The carriage driver scratched his head, “Around here, at most, there are some deer or foxes, but they wouldn’t count as Fierce Beasts, right?

Perhaps there could be some tigers, leopards, wolves, and the like in those mountains over there.”

Jiang Wang fell silent.

He wanted to ask about where cultivators in Qi Country got their Channel-opening Pills from, but this question was undoubtedly one the carriage driver wouldn’t know the answer to.

He didn’t even know what Fierce Beasts were.

In Zhuang Country, almost the first thing every commoner is reminded of before going out is “do not stray from the official road.”

Because the wilds are fraught with danger and Fierce Beasts roam freely.

Even the official roads are not entirely safe, and merchants risk their lives traveling between places.

Cultivators across Zhuang Country have no choice but to regularly patrol and exterminate hidden dangers near settlements.

Yet in Qi Country, ordinary people can casually go out for a stroll in the countryside and wander around freely.

They are ordinary people just the same, but born in different countries, their lives can differ so vastly.

This is a lifestyle that Jiang Wang envies.

He casually summoned Yun He and picked some interesting topics, jotting down his recent observations.

He also informed his sister that he had successfully explored the Heavenly Abode Secret Land, reserved a spot at God’s Inner Mansion, and encouraged her to work hard.

Of course, he omitted mentioning the perils, only highlighting the fantastical aspects.

Then, he touched upon the delicacies of Qi Country, to tempt Jiang Anan’s cravings – the letter was filled to the brim.

After some thought, Jiang Wang also penned a letter to Ye Qingyu, expressing his deep gratitude for her care of Jiang Anan.

He broadly mentioned his progress in cultivation and discussed some issues about the application of Dao Technique.

Since on his journey through many countries he had found Fierce Beasts, with only Yun Country and Qi Country being exceptions, he curiously inquired, at the end of his note, where Yun Country obtained its Channel-opening Pills from.

Having finished the two letters, the carriage driver reminded him that they were nearly at Nanyao City.

So Jiang Wang paused his writing and watched Yun He disappear into the clouds.

He had now temporarily stopped in Qi Country and wasn’t worried about Yun He getting lost.

However, Qi Country and Yun Country were separated by tens of thousands of miles, and a round trip would likely take more than ten days.

The city of Nanyao was towering and majestic, radiating warmth even before one got close, the entire city filled with a scorching sensation.

The streets were bustling and noisy.

The people of Nanyao City were generally tall and robust, with skin that was reddish and dark.

Perhaps because they lived by the furnace all year round, their temperaments were fiery, and Jiang Wang occasionally saw people haggling with vendors so intensely that it seemed they might come to blows.

“Are you selling this for fifty knife coins or not?”

“Don’t even think about it!”

“But I saw others selling it for forty knife coins!”

“Then go find others!”

“I want to buy from you!”

“Then I’m not selling!”

Jiang Wang silently let down the carriage curtain.

The currency in circulation in Qi Country and its vassal states was primarily knife coins, supplemented by gold and silver.

Zhuang Country’s use of knife coins had its historical reasons and was unrelated to Qi Country, distinct from the ring coins commonly used in Dao-aligned nations.

The knife coins from Zhuang and Qi countries were entirely different in both design and detail, and of course, Qi knife coins were much stiffer than those from Zhuang.

The city of Nanyao was different from all other cities Jiang Wang had seen since entering Qi Boundary.

The entire city had a slightly alien atmosphere, probably inheriting the customs of an ancient nation that had long vanished into the river of history.

Qi Country was vast and rich in resources, having conquered and absorbed many nations into its territory.

As a result, one could see many different customs within Qi Country, yet none diminished the strong rule of Qi.

Traveling in the Zhong Xuan Family’s carriage, of course, nothing went awry, and Jiang Wang arrived at Lian Que’s home without any obstacles.

This fellow lived in the downtown of Nanyao City, in a large and impressive residence.

Upon hearing the report, Lian Que quickly rushed out the door.

He had indeed been waiting for a long time and, without any pleasantries, took Jiang Wang straight to the family’s sword furnace.

The so-called sword furnace was, as the name suggests, the place where the Lian Family specially forged swords—the Lian Family forged all kinds of weapons, each with different forges.

The one Lian Que wanted to use was naturally the best one.

Only this forge could represent the Lian Family’s sword furnace.

It is said that the fire seed for this furnace was brought by the ancestors of the Lian Family when they migrated from their old country, and it had been burning to this day.

Having lasted through the years without extinguishing, it held its own historical significance.

When one spoke of the Lian Family’s sword furnace, it was this one they referred to.

Ordinary people had no easy access to it, but it was a different matter with Lian Que leading the way.

Especially since Jiang Wang was the master of the sword to be forged this time, and according to tradition, he had the right to watch the process beside the furnace.

As he stepped deeper, Jiang Wang grew increasingly amazed.

He had thought Lian Que was merely forging a passable magic artifact for him, but judging from the sword furnace alone, that was far from possible.

Before approaching the furnace, he first saw broken swords scattered across the ground like a forest.

He couldn’t distinguish the quality of these broken swords but felt each one was incredibly sharp and intimidating.

Following Lian Que on the small path through the sword forest, winding this way and that, apparently following some kind of formation, his eyes suddenly brightened when he saw a huge, fiery red furnace.

The furnace was about the size of an ordinary house, with the mouth facing outward, as if it was the gaping maw of some monster.

The fire inside burned almost steadily, occasionally leaping up.

Thump!

Thump!

Thump!

What he felt was not so much the furnace fire but rather the heartbeat of an ancient desolate beast.