Chapter 46: A Distant Glimpse

Half a month later, in Tianyin City.

Shi Yan, Han Zhong, and a group of Shi family guards, escorting the goods purchased from You Ji Town, entered the city at a leisurely pace on the back of earth dragons.

Shi Yan and Han Zhong walked at the front of the group, chatting along the way.

"Old Han, it's getting late. Why don't we stay overnight and head home tomorrow? After we enter the city, how about we find a place to rest for a while?" Shi Yan said with a calm expression.

"Where do you plan to rest, Brother Yan?" Han Zhong chuckled, a sly smile appearing on his face. "Tianyin City is the largest city in the Merchant Alliance, with a population of millions. The places for entertainment are much more upscale than those small cities we passed along the way."

"Since you know the place, just lead the way, Old Han."

"I'm afraid I don't have enough crystals. Sigh, some places are quite expensive."

"Old Han, are you trying to trick me again? Last time at 'Dark Fragrance Pavilion,' you pretended to be drunk, and I had to pay. Are you planning to do the same thing again?"

"… Cough, that time I was really drunk. You're really wronging me!"

"I don't care. This time, you have to pay. If you don't, I'll go to Uncle Han Feng and complain when we get back."

"No! Brother Yan, I'll pay! I'll pay, okay?" Han Zhong's face fell, and he sighed. "You know my brother's temper. If he finds out about my affairs, he'll beat me to death. Sigh, it's not easy for me to come out. I work hard for the family, but I don't even have enough money for entertainment…"

"Alright, tonight you're paying." Shi Yan turned back and shouted to the Shi family warriors behind him, "Brothers, did you hear that?"

"We heard it!"

The seven Shi family warriors shouted in unison, their expressions excited.

"Let's go."

...

In just half a month, Shi Yan had become close friends with Han Zhong and the other Shi family warriors.

Shi Yan had no airs of a young master. He drank and ate heartily, excelled in all kinds of entertainment, and was fearless in the pleasure quarters, sometimes even more daring than the lecherous Han Zhong when he saw a pretty girl.

The two of them visited many pleasure quarters together, and each time, either Shi Yan paid or Han Zhong was swindled, never letting the guards pay.

In a short time, Shi Yan won the recognition of Han Zhong and the guards.

Han Zhong felt that he and Shi Yan were kindred spirits, praising Shi Yan for finally coming to his senses and becoming a completely different person as his realm improved.

On the journey, Shi Yan concealed most of his experiences in the Dark Forest, only mentioning that he found a crimson fruit in an ancient cave and gained essence after eating three of them, awakening the Shi family's petrification martial soul.

He omitted all details about the blood pool, the undying martial soul, the mysterious martial soul, and his encounters with Mo Yan and Mu Yudie.

Although Han Zhong was surprised by Shi Yan's experiences, he did not persistently question him, only thinking that Shi Yan had gotten lucky and that his mind had opened up after eating the fruit.

Over the half month, Shi Yan, through Han Zhong, finally gained a thorough understanding of the Shi family's situation.

The owner of this body left him many memories, but most of them were related to ancient relics and texts.

He did not get much information about the Shi family, but fortunately, Han Zhong had no reservations and revealed everything Shi Yan wanted to know during their visits to the pleasure quarters.

After a few times of hanging out together, Han Zhong felt even more that Shi Yan was his kind of person. He not only clearly explained the Shi family's business and power distribution but also shared many common knowledge points about martial cultivation, allowing Shi Yan to understand many things he was previously unclear about.

For example, after reaching the Nirvana realm, a martial artist can form a "Sea of Consciousness." Once the "Sea of Consciousness" is formed, the martial artist can establish a wondrous connection with their martial soul, combining essence and martial soul to perform secret techniques, achieving even more incredible effects.

Another example was the characteristics and weaknesses of various martial souls, the most powerful martial souls in the Merchant Alliance, the Empire of Blazing Fire, and the Empire of Divine Blessing, and how to counter them.

Although Han Zhong was a lecher, he was very serious about martial cultivation and knew all the information a martial artist should know. From his explanations, Shi Yan finally gained a comprehensive understanding of the powerful existence of martial artists and a clear grasp of the differences between various realms before the Hundred Tribulations.

Han Zhong himself only had the cultivation of the Hundred Tribulations realm and could not explain the subtle differences of the realms after that, so he avoided those topics and only discussed what he thought he could explain clearly.

And these were precisely what Shi Yan needed most at the moment.

...

Soul-Enchanting Tower.

Shi Yan and Han Zhong, along with four Shi family warriors, were drinking and enjoying themselves in a large room on the third floor.

In the center of the ancient room, a one-meter-high square table was placed, adorned with a variety of fine wines and delicacies, and a soft carpet was spread beneath the table.

Shi Yan and Han Zhong, along with the others, sat on the carpet, hugging girls in light clothing, shouting and playing dice, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

"Old Han, drink!" Shi Yan called out.

Han Zhong, dejected, drank the wine in one gulp, then rubbed the chest of the girl in his arms and picked up the dice, muttering, "This hand is lucky; I'm definitely going to win this time."

"Hehe, if this counts as being lucky, both my hands are full of luck." Shi Yan grinned, reaching into the girl's clothes with both hands and said with a smile, "Qiu Xiang, you're so big here. Do you think I'll always be bigger than him?"

Qiu Xiang had fair skin and a very full chest. Her eyes were filled with passion, and she said coyly, "Young Master Yan is so naughty, always bullying me."

"You can bully me too." Shi Yan smiled, took a sip of strong wine, and urged, "Old Han, what are you waiting for? Why haven't you thrown yet?"

"… Yin Kui and Jiu Shan are nearby. The yin energy from their bodies is so strong that I can feel it even from this distance." Han Zhong frowned, pushed the girl away, and quietly approached the window.

He opened the window slightly and glanced outside, saying, "Sure enough, Beiming Ce is here. Yin Kui and Jiu Shan never leave Beiming Ce, so if they're here, Beiming Ce must be too."

Hearing that Beiming Ce was nearby, Shi Yan's heart stirred, and he immediately thought of Mu Yudie and Di Yalan.

After hesitating for a moment, he also approached the window, opened it a bit more, and coldly observed the procession on the street.

It was a group of about thirty people. At the front, Beiming Ce rode a snow-white Lingxiao steed, a faint smile on his lips, conversing with someone in a sedan chair on an earth dragon.

The curtain of the sedan chair occasionally lifted, revealing Mu Yudie's ethereal and beautiful face for a fleeting moment.

Di Yalan rode a warhorse covered in black armor, her fiery body gently swaying with the horse's steps. A hint of sorrow was visible in her eyebrows, and she seemed listless.

Only when Beiming Ce asked her something did she force a smile, showing little interest in conversation.

Two old men, one fat and one thin, with heavy yin energy, rode black-armored warhorses, silently following behind Beiming Ce, their eyes half-closed as if meditating.

When Shi Yan opened the window a bit more and looked over, the two old men suddenly became alert and turned to look in his direction.

Two cold, yin-filled gazes seemed to emanate from their eyes, and despite the distance, Shi Yan felt a chill run through his body, filled with shock.

The two old men seemed to recognize Han Zhong. Upon seeing him at the window, they nodded slightly, and the cold aura in their eyes diminished.

Under their gaze, Han Zhong's usual playful smile vanished, and he became solemn, bowing respectfully from the window.

The two old men nodded again, then ignored Han Zhong, turning back to continue meditating, their half-closed eyes facing Beiming Ce's back.

Beiming Ce's procession did not stop, continuing to move forward at a leisurely pace.

The not-so-wide street was also filled with martial artists seeking pleasure, but upon seeing the approaching procession from the Beiming family, they respectfully made way, not daring to utter a word of complaint.

The street, which should have been crowded, was cleared for the Beiming family's procession, allowing them to pass without any hindrance.