Chapter 159: Three Thousand Li of Reed Marshes

However, one must secure internal affairs before addressing external ones.

A few contingency plans would suffice; the rest would depend on improvisation.

And so it was.

Three months later, at the end of September in Wang Yu's fifth year as a deacon, the Flying Cloud Skiff arrived at a vast, unfamiliar territory. Countless green reeds swayed in the wind, growing in its shallow waters as far as the eye could see. The shallowest areas were barely ankle-deep, while the deepest only reached an adult's neck. This entire area stretched for three thousand *li*.

It was also known as the Three Thousand Li Reed Marsh!

The water was wide and shallow, clear but not fertile. Only tiny, thumb-sized fish and shrimp inhabited these waters, and even the occasional larger fish weighed less than ten *jin*. This, combined with the dense fog characteristic of Cloud Ridge, made it seem, from a distance, as if one had truly arrived in a fairyland. Dense fog clung to the water's surface, and fishermen punted their boats, appearing to navigate a sea of clouds. The scenery was breathtaking; every casual glance revealed a landscape painting crafted by a master artist.

“What a beautiful place,” Wang Yu exclaimed. He was captivated at first sight, feeling an irrepressible urge to play. He had just drawn out the Ghost Wail Flute when he remembered its unique properties, prompting him to quickly switch to an ordinary one.

He played from the sky, while the fishermen rowed below, amidst the sea of clouds. Amidst this stillness and motion, there was an inexplicable harmony. His soul felt cleansed. As his mastery of the flute deepened, he vaguely felt as though he had grasped the method of infusing emotions into his music.

He didn't know how much time had passed.

When Wang Yu awoke at dusk, all three soul-sound dual-path magic arts inherited from Reverend Yin Ya had advanced significantly. Only then did he realize, mumbling to himself, “So it was that simple... just integrating the corresponding emotions.”

Below, the punt-wielding fishermen had long since disappeared. Wang Yu sighed, yet a smile spread across his face; the experience he had just undergone was precisely the legendary 'epiphany'. Only a rare few ever had the chance to experience such a thing. Unfortunately, he had only experienced a shallow realization for a day, failing to enter a deeper state of enlightenment. Had he continued for ten days or half a month, it wouldn't have been impossible for all his arts to reach the realm of perfection. With more perfected spells mastered, Wang Yu's comprehension of magical principles far surpassed that of other cultivators at the same level, or rather, they weren't even on the same level.

Once his mind had settled, Wang Yu resumed his journey toward Guiling City. The Three Thousand Li Reed Marsh was already close to their destination; they would arrive after another thousand *li*. They would certainly arrive before sunrise.

Just as the Flying Cloud Skiff accelerated, a soft voice suddenly spoke from behind Wang Yu.

“Fellow Daoist, please halt.”

Wang Yu was startled. Having just arrived in Cloud Ridge Province, he knew encountering such a situation was no good omen. Just as he prepared to accelerate away, the other party's flying skiff, clearly of a superior grade, proved faster! In a blink of an eye, it positioned itself directly in front of him. Much larger than his Flying Cloud Skiff, it was a typical boat-style vessel, twelve or thirteen meters long, with a vermilion two-story pavilion at its center.

A corner of the beaded gauze curtain on the second floor was then drawn open. The soft voice spoke again.

“Fellow Daoist displays considerable mastery in the art of music. Might I invite you to join my Cloud Dream Pavilion? Our sect originated from a splinter faction of the Joyful Union Sect, specializing in the Great Dao of Yin and Yang. If Fellow Daoist is willing to join us, you would play beautiful music within our pavilion during intimate moments. Spirit stones, profound techniques, or even beautiful companions—all can be yours.”

The Joyful Union Demonic Sect? Wang Yu frowned. Why did it seem their members were everywhere? The Great Dao of Yin and Yang, the principles of human relations—indeed, such things thrived everywhere. Even Confucius had stated that these were human instincts, nothing to be ashamed of.

Judging by the direction of this pleasure boat, could it be...?

Wang Yu cupped his hands and replied, “You flatter me, Fellow Daoist. Might I ask if your destination is Guiling City?”

“Naturally. Fellow Daoist is indeed cautious, and if you prefer not to join, that is perfectly understandable. How about we travel together? Cloud Dream Pavilion is located in Guiling's North City.”

“That would be acceptable.”

After agreeing, Wang Yu began to ponder. North City? Wasn't that precisely the jurisdiction of the City Lord's Manor? This would be a perfect opportunity to gather information. Wang Yu guided his Flying Cloud Skiff closer to the second-floor window of the pleasure boat.

“Would Fellow Daoist be so kind as to inform me about the situation in Guiling City? I, Wang, hail from Blood Abyss Province, and as a newcomer, I plan to settle in this vicinity and devote myself to cultivation.”

“A newcomer, you say?” The voice from within paused, then spoke again. “If Fellow Daoist is confident, then please come aboard my Rouge Boat. Cloud Dream Pavilion operates as a business, and that includes intelligence. The cost depends on the level of information you require.”

While mulling it over, Wang Yu decisively stowed his Flying Cloud Skiff and stepped directly onto the second-floor deck, standing by the railing. Throughout history, gambling dens, brothels, and taverns have consistently been the most well-informed establishments. It was perfectly normal for Cloud Dream Pavilion to combine its illicit trade with intelligence gathering. Conveniently, the overt intelligence provided by the three young masters was already quite detailed, but covert information known by locals would be more reliable and timely.

Stepping inside, Wang Yu saw a beautiful, mature woman, her hair styled in an elegant 'Morning Cloud' bun, reclining on a soft couch. Before her was a low table with a tea set, wisps of steam rising from a jade cup. A slender, jade-like hand propped up her chin, while the other absently caressed a string of beads. She wore an outer robe of peony red adorned with phoenix patterns and golden beads. Her inner garment was a small, tight, plain bustier-style short dress, from whose hem extended white, transparent, sheer pant legs. The inner garment accentuated her ample bosom, creating eye-catching cleavage and revealing large expanses of snowy-white skin—truly a 'baby's granary'. The entire ensemble was seductive yet not vulgar, alluring without being wanton. It highlighted a subtle beauty to its utmost, especially the shapely, alluring legs beneath the sheer fabric, drawing one's gaze upwards, irresistibly tempting them to explore the 'absolute territory'.

Wang Yu's expression remained unperturbed, betraying only a hint of appreciation for beauty, a classic case of 'the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.' “How may I address Fellow Daoist?”

“Wang Yu.”

“Chaoyun Niang.”

“A pleasure to meet you.”

After exchanging pleasantries, when the conversation turned to business, Chaoyun Niang sat upright and personally poured Wang Yu a cup of tea. “Fellow Daoist Wang, you are indeed quite dashing. What exactly would you like to inquire about concerning this intelligence business?”

“I wish to know about the situation in Guiling City: the powers within and outside the city, nearby fortunate encounters and treasure grounds… everything, the more comprehensive the better. As a newcomer, I, Wang, must be careful not to offend the local powers that be.”

“Indeed.” Chaoyun Niang nodded and retrieved three jade slips. “I have three tiers of intelligence here: basic, medium, and premium. They are priced at one thousand, three thousand, and five thousand low-grade spirit stones, respectively. Which tier would Fellow Daoist Wang prefer?”

“The premium intelligence.” Wang Yu tossed over a storage bag, then took the jade slip and began examining it, prompting Chaoyun Niang to smile.

“It seems Fellow Daoist Wang is quite capable.”

“I'm passable, merely possessing a useful skill.”

In a short while, having absorbed the information from the jade slip, Wang Yu confirmed that it contained many details not available publicly. The Bai, Guan, and Jiang families. Among them, the Bai family specialized in spirit plant cultivation, possessing the most spirit fields where they grew a spiritual rice known as 'Bloodfang Rice.' With deep family foundations, their annual spirit stone output neared two hundred thousand.

The Guan family owned a spirit bamboo forest and a mountain of peculiar stones, operating the cultivation world's business in paper, ink, brushes, and inkstones. Ranking second among the three families, they had numerous powerful cultivators and an annual output nearing one hundred fifty thousand spirit stones.

The Jiang family, on the other hand, possessed inheritances in the four major cultivation arts: alchemy, artifact forging, talisman crafting, and array formation. While they had several techniques in each, most were first-tier, with only their alchemy inheritance being second-tier. They ranked third, with an annual spirit stone output nearing one hundred thousand. However, their expenditures were even greater, already showing signs of operating at a deficit.

Fortunately, this was just one of the revenue streams for Guiling City's three great families. While it was their primary source, they also had other ventures for earning spirit stones. Among these, the Bai family secretly conducted transactions with the Yellow Spring Temple, apparently assisting them in collecting the souls of deceased cultivators—a significant source of illicit income.

Beyond the three major families, numerous smaller forces founded by Foundation Establishment cultivators were evenly distributed throughout the various city districts. Cloud Dream Pavilion was among them, though not much was mentioned in the intelligence. Information concerning the City Lord's Manor, however, was sparse, only introducing a few frequently appearing stewards.

Wang Yu felt somewhat fortunate to have encountered Chaoyun Niang at this moment. The financial reports, intelligence on minor forces, the Bai family's transactions with the Yellow Spring Temple, and other details were not recorded in the official intelligence report. Five thousand spirit stones were certainly worth it.

Furthermore, many external forces were also detailed. The Core Formation realm powers of Inkwater Sect, Purple Dragon Mountain, and Scent-Seeking Cult were the undisputed overlords near Guiling City. They also maintained branches within Guiling City, almost exclusively in the North City district. This indicated that North City was a territory divided among four factions, where competition was quite fierce. Although it was nominally under the City Lord's Manor's jurisdiction, it was likely powerless to truly govern it.

However, satisfaction notwithstanding, some questions still needed to be addressed. Wang Yu inquired, puzzled, “Why is there so little information regarding the City Lord's Manor? It doesn't even specify how many people are affiliated with it.”

Upon hearing this, Chaoyun Niang hesitated slightly. “Well…”

Wang Yu, expressionless, tossed over another storage bag. “Three thousand spirit stones.”

*Whatever the current state, upon reaching Guiling City, he intended to rectify everything and demand threefold compensation for appearances' sake. He wasn't a monster, after all.*

Having received the spirit stones, Chaoyun Niang chuckled and began to speak. “The Guiling City Lord's Manor is directly subordinate to the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect. Aside from the City Lord being appointed by the Sacred Sect, all its stewards, servants, and subordinates must be personally recruited by the City Lord. The previous City Lord of Guiling City returned to the sect nearly a century ago and has not been heard from since. Consequently, the city's residents only know General Tuoba of the City Lord's Manor, unaware that there is, or should be, a City Lord. The Tuoba family's rise has been relatively recent, and their foundation is far inferior to the three great families. Yet General Tuoba himself is very powerful; I've heard he has already broken through to the eighth level of Foundation Establishment, with prospects of forming a Core. The entire City Lord's Manor is now controlled by the Tuoba family, comprising roughly three hundred Qi Condensation cultivators and two Foundation Establishment cultivators.”

Wang Yu immediately understood. The previous City Lord, Zhuo Kuangsheng, a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator, had encountered a mishap when attempting to form a Core upon returning to his sect, dying in his cave mansion without even triggering the lightning tribulation. This was quite rare among the three Nascent Soul families with deep foundations; even in the worst circumstances, one should still be able to trigger the lightning tribulation. This led outsiders to believe he was still seeking an opportunity, and it took thirty or forty years for the problem to be discovered. Consequently, the affairs of Guiling City became a point of contention among internal factions. It only ceased when Zhuo Shouqing secretly dispatched someone to help Wang Yu seize control.

Wang Yu was aware of this development.

As for the Tuoba family, which had effectively usurped the City Lord's Manor—not to mention their eighth-level Foundation Establishment cultivator, even an early Core Formation cultivator would be forced to kneel before Wang Yu. Of all places to seize, why the City Lord's Manor? They must have been tired of living, making them perfect for establishing his authority.

No wonder the three young masters hadn't anticipated much trouble when they arrived. With such a clear target, things would indeed proceed much more smoothly.