179: Chapter 178 New Residence, Official Gazette

Qin Wan looked at the small building again, then at the bluestone path in the courtyard, and the two stone lions at the entrance.

She said nothing, only nodded and followed Yun Ming inside.

The furniture in the building was left by the previous owner; although a bit old, it was all solid wood, sturdy and durable.

Yun Ming moved Qin Wan's things out of the map of mountains and rivers—clothes, bedding, pots and pans, pickle jars, and bamboo trays for drying fish.

He arranged them one by one, placing them where they belonged.

Qin Wan followed behind him, moving things around until they were in positions she found convenient.

The two were busy all day, from morning until dusk.

The setting sun shone through the western window, dyeing the entire room a warm orange.

Qin Wan stood before the window, looking outside.

From here, she could see the distant streets, bustling with people and carriages.

A vendor selling candied haws passed below the building, his long, drawn-out cries drifting up.

Children were chasing and playing at the mouth of the alley, their laughter crisp and clear.

Qin Wan watched for a long time before suddenly saying, "It's lively here."

Yun Ming stood behind her and said, "Yes, it's lively."

"The fishing village was also lively, but it's different," Qin Wan said softly. "The liveliness of the fishing village was quiet—the sound of waves, the wind, the children's laughter. The liveliness here is active—the voices of people, the sounds of horses and carriages, the shouting of vendors."

She paused, "Both are good."

Yun Ming did not speak.

He knew Qin Wan had not yet moved past the events of that day.

Those villagers, those neighbors, that small island where she had lived for over a decade.

She could not possibly forget.

But at least she was willing to say "both are good." That was enough.

Over the next few days, Yun Ming tidied the entire small building once more.

He replaced the window paper, applied new paint, and added a few pieces of new furniture.

He planted some flowers and herbs in the courtyard and used the Spirit Soil from the map of mountains and rivers to clear a small vegetable patch, planting the greens Qin Wan liked to eat.

He also bought a few chicks and kept them in a coop in a corner of the courtyard.

The chicks were bright yellow and fluffy, running around the courtyard and chirping incessantly.

Qin Wan fed them every day, watching them grow day by day, and the smiles on her face became more frequent.

Yun Ming also began to familiarize himself with the city.

Qingyao City, a major town in Fengyin Province, one of the seventy-two provinces of the Zifu Immortal Dynasty, was guarded by a Nascent Soul Middle Stage True Lord, along with over a dozen Golden Core True Persons and countless Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining Cultivators.

City defense was handled by the Patrol Camp. Cultivators within the garrison patrolled day and night, strictly forbidding private duels, flying, and any behavior that disrupted order.

Offenders were fined for minor offenses, detained for more serious ones, and for the most severe, their cultivation was stripped before being expelled from the Immortal Dynasty.

With such iron laws and strict regulations, no one dared to violate them.

Within the city, there were market districts, Alchemy pavilions, Artifact Shops, Formation Halls, Spirit Beast Guilds, an Immortal Registry Office, the Patrol Camp, and a Teleportation Array.

The Teleportation Array led directly to the provincial capital of Fengyin Province, from which one could reach any part of the Zifu Immortal Dynasty.

However, teleporting once was quite expensive.

There were far more Mortals than Cultivators in the city, but Mortals lived better here than anywhere else.

The Zifu Immortal Dynasty had laws stating that if a Mortal was bullied or insulted by a Cultivator, they could file a complaint with the government.

Once the government verified the claim, the punishment ranged from a fine of Spirit Stones to the stripping of cultivation.

There was once a Golden Core True Person who used his cultivation to bully a Mortal; his Golden Core was destroyed, and he was expelled from the Immortal Dynasty.

Since then, no Cultivator dared to be disrespectful to Mortals within the borders of the Zifu Immortal Dynasty.

Yun Ming deeply agreed with this. He had seen too many Cultivators treat Mortals like ants and had seen too many Mortals whose lives were worth nothing before Cultivators.

Here, a Mortal was at least a person.

Days passed by like this.

One day, while Yun Ming was drinking tea in the courtyard,

a middle-aged man wearing a short-sleeved tunic pushed a small cart into the alley.

On the cart were stacks of paper, neatly tied with hemp rope.

The middle-aged man had dark skin but a very loud voice. As soon as he entered the alley, he shouted, "Official Bulletin! Official Bulletin! Fresh Official Bulletin! Released simultaneously across the seventy-two provinces of the Zifu Immortal Dynasty! Today's arrival in Qingyao City, Fengyin Province! Major court events, Sect news, Secret Realm rumors, and market trends—all in one place! Only one Low-Grade Spirit Stone per copy! You won't regret it, you won't be cheated!"

Yun Ming held his teacup and was momentarily stunned.

Official Bulletin? He had stayed in the Sunset Glow Sect, Cangxuan Immortal Sect, and Qingxuan Sect before, but he had never seen such a thing.

Cultivators usually shared news through transmission talismans or word of mouth; what kind of newspaper was this?

His interest piqued, he set down his teacup and called toward the gate, "I'll take one."

The middle-aged man's eyes lit up. He quickly pushed his cart to the courtyard gate, pulled a neatly folded stack of papers from the cart, and handed it over with both hands.

Yun Ming took it and unfolded it. The paper was coarse straw paper, yellowish in color, but the printed characters were very clear.

The headline on the front page was a row of large characters in thick ink, taking up an entire column.

Yun Ming glanced at it, and his lip twitched.

"Shocking Secret! The Untold Story of the Immortal Dynasty's Second Prince and the Xuantian Sect Saintess!"

Yun Ming: "..." He looked further down. Small characters read, "Our reporter's deep investigation reveals exclusively: the Second Prince and the Saintess met secretly multiple times. Locations exposed, details shocking!" Yun Ming flipped the page. Inside was a long, flowery article with titles like "Meeting Under the Moon," "Sword Gift as a Token of Love," and "Traveling the Secret Realm Together," written vividly like a pulp novel.

After reading, Yun Ming felt these things didn't seem real, but they were certainly entertaining to read.

He flipped back to the front page and continued reading the other headlines.

"Shocking! An ancient Secret Realm has appeared in the Eastern Region, suspected to be the residence of a Void Refinement Divine Lord. Various forces are restless!"

"Extra! A Loose Cultivator entered the Hundred Thousand Mile Mountains alone and came out alive, bringing back this..."

"Latest Decree of the Zifu Immortal Dynasty: Mortals and Cultivators are all equal; those who oppress Mortals will be severely punished!"

"Exclusive Interview: The Third Prince discusses the future of the Immortal Dynasty, claiming 'The Zifu Immortal Dynasty will endure for ten thousand years, and this is no empty boast'!"

"Demonic Cultivators in the Northern Region are restless. The Immortal Dynasty's army is pressing the borders; one battle will decide the fate of the world!"

"Top Ten Unsolved Mysteries of the Cultivation World: Mystery Number One—where did that Void Refinement Divine Lord go all those years ago?"

"Heavyweight News! A certain Sect's Golden Core Elder was investigated for hoarding forbidden drugs, with the amount involved reaching millions of Spirit Stones!"

"Gossip! Fairy Hundred Flowers' romance supposedly exposed; the man is actually..."

Yun Ming was dazzled by what he saw.

Each of these headlines was more exaggerated and eye-catching than the last. He suspected the people who wrote this used to sell "Great Strength Pills" on the streets of the Mortal world.

But he had to admit, these things were indeed interesting to read.

Back in his Sect, he did nothing but Cultivate or perform Alchemy, occasionally hearing bits of gossip. Where would he get such detailed inside information?

Although this Official Bulletin was written with exaggeration, it at least gave him a general understanding of the Zifu Immortal Dynasty and the surrounding situation.

He flipped to the second page.

He saw a piece of news about a Spirit Severing Cultivator: "Good News! The Grand Elder of the Qingyun Sword Sect in the Tiannan Region has successfully achieved a Breakthrough to Soul Transformation, becoming the third Soul Transformation powerhouse in the Tiannan Region in nearly a thousand years! It is reported that this Grand Elder was in seclusion for three hundred years. Upon breaking through, his Sword Qi pierced the sky, causing Yao Beasts within ten thousand miles to bow their heads and the sky and earth to change color. The Immortal Dynasty has sent a special envoy to offer congratulations and bestowed several treasures as a reward."

Yun Ming clicked his tongue.

Soul Transformation—in his eyes, that was still an unattainable existence.

Back then, that Great Demon Lord had risked everything to Breakthrough to Soul Transformation; he didn't know if he had succeeded in the end.

He continued flipping through.

"Secret Realm Treasure Hunt: A Secret Realm suspected to be the residence of an ancient Void Refinement Divine Lord has been discovered in the Eastern Region. The entrance is heavily restricted. Several Nascent Soul True Lords have attempted to enter but were all repelled. Rumor has it that the Spiritual Qi inside is as thick as syrup, Spirit Medicine is everywhere, and there are even Immortal Plants that were thought to be extinct. Major Sects have dispatched elite Disciples to break the Restriction together."

Yun Ming thought to himself that he had braved such Secret Realms before; Daoist Lord Wanfa's blessed land was a similar place.

It was just that the blessed land was already about to dissipate; when he entered, nothing was left.

If this newly discovered Secret Realm was real, it would likely stir up another bloodbath.