6: Qingyang City, a city of wealthy men

At noon, the scorching sun hung high in the sky.

A towering city, like a giant beast, sprawled across the plain.

Qingyang City, the largest city within a hundred-mile radius, boasted city walls ten zhang high, built entirely of bluestone poured with molten iron. Their surfaces were covered with marks of sword and axe, exuding a chilling aura.

At the city gate, traffic flowed like a river.

Martial Artists in tight-fitting clothes, escort agencies transporting goods, and ragged refugees formed a long queue.

Gu Yang was mixed in the crowd, but his towering, iron-tower-like physique was too conspicuous.

Even with his bones compressed, his height of 1.9 meters combined with his exaggeratedly broad shoulders still created a vacuum around him.

“Entry fee, ten coins.”

The soldier guarding the city gate glanced at Gu Yang, a hint of apprehension in his eyes, but still stopped him according to regulations.

Gu Yang casually tossed out a piece of Broken silver (broken silver), weighing about one qian.

“Keep the change.”

The soldier’s eyes lit up, and he immediately put on a smiling face: “Alright! Please enter, strong man! The city hasn't been peaceful lately; the Demon Suppression Division is apprehending infiltrating demonics. Although you are mighty, strong man, please don't cause trouble.”

Gu Yang nodded and strode through the city gate.

As soon as he entered the city, the clamor assailed him.

Shops lined both sides of the wide street, with vendors' cries rising and falling, more than ten times more prosperous than the lifeless Black Stone City.

The air not only lacked any stench but was filled with the fragrance of rouge, powder, and food.

“First, make money, then find Cultivation Techniques.”

Gu Yang's goal was clear.

He found a broker on the roadside to inquire, then headed straight for the largest shop in the city center—the

The Hundred Treasures Pavilion was a three-story building, resplendent and magnificent.

It was rumored that “as long as you have money, you can even buy a demon's egg here.”

As soon as Gu Yang entered, a sharp-eyed attendant came forward to greet him.

Although Gu Yang's clothes were ordinary, even a bit worn, the suffocatingly fierce aura about him clearly indicated he was someone who had seen blood.

“Esteemed guest, are you here to buy or sell?”

“Sell something,” Gu Yang said in a low voice.

“Alright, please come this way. We have a dedicated appraisal room.”

In the appraisal room sat an old man with a goatee, wearing reading glasses.

Gu Yang didn't waste words; he reached into his embrace, pulled out the bloody crystal he had dug from the wolf demon, and slapped it on the table.

Clatter.

The crystal rolled twice, emitting a faint bloody smell and an eerie red glow.

The old man with the goatee, whose eyes were originally cloudy, instantly brightened. He picked it up and examined it carefully for a moment, exclaiming, “Good stuff! This is a wolf demon's demon core, and judging by its luster, it was probably close to condensing a demon pill before death. However…”

The old man paused, his shrewd gaze sweeping over Gu Yang: “The surface of this demon core is somewhat damaged; it seems to have been violently dug out, and a lot of its demonic power has been lost. It’s worth at most three hundred taels.”

“Three hundred taels?”

Gu Yang sneered.

He had interrogated the waiter in the shady inn; a demon core of this quality was worth at least five hundred taels. This old man saw he was new and wanted to take advantage.

Gu Yang didn't speak.

He simply extended his calloused large hand and casually picked up a solid iron walnut used as a paperweight on the table.

This iron walnut was made of refined iron, incredibly hard, and usually used by Martial Artists to train their grip strength.

Gu Yang slowly closed his five fingers.

Squeak—

A teeth-grinding sound of metal twisting rang out.

Under the old man's horrified gaze, the hard iron walnut, like a lump of dough, was forcibly deformed by Gu Yang's grip, until he suddenly clenched his five fingers.

Bang!

Iron filings splattered.

The iron walnut was directly crushed into a piece of scrap iron disc, falling from between his fingers.

“Five hundred taels.”

Gu Yang's voice remained calm, as if he had just done a trivial thing.

“Or does the shopkeeper think my hand is softer than this iron walnut?”

Gulp.

The old man swallowed with difficulty, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.

Crushing refined iron with one hand?

This was at least a Peak Forging Bone Realm expert, or even a naturally Divine Power mighty individual! Such a person would kill without batting an eye; offending him for a mere two hundred taels of silver was not worth it.

“Cough cough... Esteemed guest has incredible finger strength! It was my oversight just now, five hundred taels! I will pay you immediately!”

A moment later.

Gu Yang walked out of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, clutching five one-hundred-tael silver notes and a heavy bag of loose silver.

He had money.

In this world, scholarship was for the poor, martial arts for the rich. Five hundred taels of silver was enough for an ordinary family of three to live comfortably for a lifetime, and also enough for Gu Yang to splurge for a while in Qingyang City.

He first went to the best restaurant and feasted, ordering a full ten catties of braised beef and three roasted chickens, eating until his mouth was greasy, replenishing the deficit from his days of wilderness survival.

After eating and drinking his fill, it was time for serious business.

“Iron Fist Gate...”

Gu Yang looked at the direction indicated by passersby, a slight smile playing on his lips.

He had inquired: among Qingyang City's three major martial arts schools, the Flying Crane Martial Arts School emphasized agile movement and did not accept large individuals;

The Shattered Jade Pavilion only accepted female Disciples;

Only the Iron Fist Gate followed a hard and steady path, and its master,

Being greedy for money was good.

For the current Gu Yang, problems that could be solved with money were not problems at all.

The Iron Fist Gate was located in the south of the city, occupying a considerable area.

Two stone lions stood at the entrance, displaying a black plaque with gold characters. Two burly men in short training attire stood at the gate, their faces fleshy, looking less like Martial Masters and more like local thugs.

“Stop! What do you want?”

Seeing Gu Yang approach, one of the burly men blocked his path with an arm, “Apprenticeship is one hundred taels, listening to lectures is ten taels. If you have nothing, get lost.”

Gu Yang stopped, looking down at the burly man who only reached his chest.

“I'm looking for Master Yan to buy something.”

“Buy something? Our master is very busy, no time to see...”

Before he could finish speaking.

Gu Yang frowned slightly, growing a little impatient.

He waved his hand casually, as if swatting a fly.

Whoosh—

A terrifying gust of wind struck.

Before the burly man could react, he felt a mighty force hit his chest, and he flew out as if soaring through clouds, crashing heavily against the vermilion-lacquered main gate behind him.

Boom!

The gate vibrated, and dust sifted down.

“Who dares to cause trouble at the Iron Fist Gate?!”

Dozens of Disciples in training clothes instantly rushed out of the courtyard, holding staffs and surrounding Gu Yang.

The crowd parted, and a medium-built but extremely sturdy middle-aged man walked out.

His palms were unusually broad and dark, clearly indicating years of immersion in palm techniques.

It was none other than the Master of Iron Fist Gate, Yan Lie, the

Yan Lie looked at the Disciple lying on the ground, then at Gu Yang, who stood like an iron tower, and his eyelids twitched slightly.

An expert's move reveals their skill.

That casual wave just now used no Internal Energy at all; it was purely the strength of his Physical Body.

This was a naturally Divine Power external cultivation master!

“Friend, injuring my Disciple and trespassing my sect, shouldn't you give an explanation?” Yan Lie said in a deep voice, his hands clasped behind his back, already secretly accumulating strength.

“I'm here to do business.”

Gu Yang ignored the staffs around him and reached directly into his embrace.

The Disciples nervously tightened their grip on their weapons, thinking he was about to pull out a hidden weapon.

However, what Gu Yang pulled out was a stack of silver notes.

Snap.

Gu Yang flicked a finger, and a hundred-tael silver note floated lightly towards Yan Lie.

Yan Lie pinched it with two fingers, catching it steadily.

Upon seeing the denomination, his pupils slightly contracted, and the anger on his face instantly dissipated by a third.

“This is compensation for breaking the door.”

Gu Yang said indifferently.

Immediately after, he pulled out three more silver notes and shook them in his hand.

“Here are another three hundred taels.”

“I want to buy Master Yan's Golden Bell Shield and the legendary killer move, the Heart-Shattering Palm Secret Manual.”

“No apprenticeship, no nonsense. Money for goods. What do you say, Master Yan?”

Yan Lie looked at the three hundred taels of silver, his Adam's apple bobbing.

Why did he open a martial arts school? Wasn't it to make money?

Taking an apprentice would take several years to break even, but selling Secret Manuals directly was simply a huge profit with no capital!

Although this broke the rules of the Jianghu, in the face of a huge sum of three hundred taels, rules were insignificant.

Moreover, judging by this man's physique and the force of his earlier strike, even if he could win in a fight, he would probably break his old bones.

Yan Lie's gloomy expression instantly transformed into a spring-like smile.

He waved his hand, signaling the Disciples to retreat.

“Hahahaha! This strong man is indeed straightforward!”

“What trespassing? A misunderstanding! All a misunderstanding!”

“Someone, bring tea! Good tea! Please invite the strong man to the inner hall for a chat!”

A quarter of an hour later.

Gu Yang walked out of the Iron Fist Gate, thoroughly satisfied.

In his arms were two crumpled, thread-bound books.

One was the incomplete external Cultivation Technique Golden Bell Shield (only the first six stages), and the other was Yan Lie's famous ultimate skill, the Heart-Shattering Palm.

At the same time, two new lines of text were flashing on his attribute panel:

[Detected incomplete external Cultivation Technique Golden Bell Shield (first six stages), do you wish to consume energy to complete it?]

[Detected killing technique Heart-Shattering Palm, do you wish to record it?]

Gu Yang looked back at the Iron Fist Gate's signboard, a meaningful smile appearing on his face.

“Indeed, there are still many good people in this world.”

“Next, it’s time to witness a miracle.”