亚洲偷自区

(Southern Region- Xercopolis Empire)

(Capital City- Unnamed Brothel)

"The Immortal Hunters?" Xu Lu asked in a puzzled tone as she stared at the elderly woman sitting down across from her.

The brothel madam reached for a wrapped-up bundle of tobacco leaves and slowly lit the bottom of the bundle using a match.

She placed the leaves in her mouth and inhaled slowly. A heavy fog of foul-smelling smoke left her mouth as she exhaled.

"It is just a rumor…" the brothel madam continued to speak.

"Whispers and gossips meant to frighten young children and make the naïve believe that cultivators can really die."

"That there is a group of mortal hunters able to track down and kill cultivators who do evil. It sounds straight out of a fairy tale."

"I\'m only mentioning it because you wanted to hear about all the rumors floating around the city when the disciples disappeared."

"Personally I believe that they met a demon cultivator who was stronger than them and well… we know how that story ends."

The saintess reached into her pocket and pulled out two gold coins which she then placed on the madam\'s desk.

"Okay… thank you for your help," Xu Lu gently spoke.

"I will be leaving now."

"You…" the brothel madam\'s voice trailed off as she gazed at the female cultivator whose face was hidden by a silvery grey mask.

"You are kinder than most immortals. It was a pleasure doing business with you."

Xu Lu nodded her head and then left the room. She did not believe that she was a particularly kind person but she would never hurt the innocent.

It was a low standard but in this world where cultivators saw ordinary people as insects… she was practically a saint.

Xu Lu walked through the crowded brothel and avoided the drunk customers stumbling out of the rooms with half naked girls attached to their sides.

Their faces were flushed red with excitement, love marks and traces of saliva could be seen on their feminine bodies.

Xu Lu felt a bit conflicted about prostitution but in this era where opportunities were very limited for ordinary women…

Who was she to judge how these women chose to survive?

The saintess walked out of the brothel and headed towards the outer edge of the city. She had quite a lot to think about.

The disciples had gone missing over three weeks ago and not a single trace of them had been found.

They had disappeared after going on a mission to the desert on the outskirts of the city.

Many rumors had spread about their disappearance, and it was difficult to determine which rumor had a element of truth to it.

Well… there was one that she could dismiss.

It was highly unlikely that ordinary mortals would be able to kill cultivators because their weapons would simply shatter against their skin.

Xu Lu shook her head at the ridiculous notion and continued her walk through the city.

The Xercopolis Empire was a prosperous country, and the capital city was a reflection of the wealth that poured into it.

The people living here were healthy and well fed which was a rarity on the continent. They wore luxurious silk clothes and there was a lack of starving beggars on the street.

Several major cultivation sects and clans made this city as their base of operations and the royal family had done a good job so far to keep their power and influence under control.

The current emperor was over eighty years old but still ruled with the sharpness and wisdom of a man half his age.

The only problem that Xu Lu could see affecting this great empire was the fact that the emperor\'s children were but a shadow of their father.

That was the fatal flaw of a monarchy system.

A great ruler could singlehandedly make a country great but a poor one could ruin it in the span of a generation.

"Excuse me! Excuse me!" a loud voice called out.

Xu Lu turned in the direction of the noise and saw a kind-faced old man standing near a stall.

The stall had several trinkets, amulets, and charms. Some were made out of iron, but others were carved from wood into intricate shapes and figures.

"Yes?" Xu Lu replied softly.

"Beautiful immortal! This meeting is fate!" the old man shouted loudly as he gestured towards the wares behind him.

"My charms are said to bring good fortune, luck and romance to those who wear them!"

"Bullshit!" the vendor in the stall next to him shouted out.

"Qian Shi you son of a bitch! Stop ruining my business or I\'ll tell your wife about how \'hard\' you were working last Friday when you visited Han Li\'s tavern," the old man yelled back angrily.

He then switched back to his friendly demeanor as if nothing had just happened and continued to speak about his great products.

"As I was saying…" the old man cheerfully spoke.

"These charms will bring you great fortune on your cultivation journey. They are guaranteed to help you ascend to the upper planes."

"Sure, I\'ll take one. Give me one that brings good luck," Xu Lu replied with a small smile that was hidden behind the mask.

She didn\'t believe the old man\'s words for a second but it would be nice to get a souvenir to bring back home.

The old man\'s eyes widened as he could not believe that the female cultivator in front of him was such a sucker.

He quickly darted towards the charms hanging from the wall next to his stall and carefully picked out a pendant with the symbol of a broken blade.

"Here you go this will ensure that your journey will always be smooth," the old man spoke reverently but his eyes were shinning with greed.

Xu Lu took the pendant from his hand and tossed the vendor a silver coin. The old man grinned happily and waved her goodbye.

The saintess nodded back and then continued to walk around and see the sights. She had one more thing left to do before she investigated the desert surrounding the city.

She needed to see the sect that the missing disciples belonged to and interview its members to see if anyone had a clue about what had happened.

Still… she didn\'t plan to rush and deal with that today. Xu Lu wanted to spend more time exploring the city and enjoying the views.

This world did have significant differences from her original one but Xu Lu assumed that this would be closest that she would ever get to experiencing life during the Qing Dynasty.

Living in a time without internet, phones or any other electronic devices had been a bit difficult at first but now she was used to it.

Well to be fair during her later years living at the castle with Camilla, she rarely had a chance to use an electronic device.

Xu Lu moved from stall to stall and picked up other knick-knacks and oddities. She even managed to get some steamed buns, roasted meat and sugary hawthorns.

Life was good!