373: Return to East Lin

Within just three days, the familiar and towering silhouette of East Lin City slowly emerged on the horizon.

Compared to the desolate border atmosphere that year-round shrouded North Border City, this city was more like a piece of unpolished jade nurtured by time, flowing with a halo woven of prosperity and heritage under the sunlight.

The bluestone city walls, dozens of zhang high, were built against the mountains. Every brick and stone bore the marks of time, and under the sunlight, a faint green light flowed across the surface. This was the protective Restriction laid down by a Formation Great Master years ago, still exuding an ancient and heavy aura after a century.

The "East Lin City" plaque hanging above the city gate was personally inscribed by a Great Scholar of the Dynasty. The brushwork was vigorous and remained clearly legible despite years of wind and rain erosion.

Inside the city, buildings stood in close succession with well-arranged eaves and corners. The tower of the City Lord's Estate at the highest point pierced the clouds, its glazed tiles reflecting mottled light and shadow in the sun.

The streets were bustling with traffic, and the clamor of voices almost overflowed the city walls. The escaping lights of Cultivators occasionally streaked between buildings, intertwining with the peddling of Mortals to outline a scene of peak prosperity.

Situ Jun was in no hurry to enter the city. Instead, he stopped his escaping light above a dense forest a hundred miles outside the city.

He slightly restrained the spiritual power around him, and his originally faint pressure instantly vanished without a trace. He then changed into a set of washed-out green cloth clothes and carried an old cloth bag on his back, looking no different from an ordinary low-level Cultivator.

He gazed at the silhouette of the city in the distance, his eyes deep.

Returning this time, he needed to use his own eyes and Divine Sense to see exactly how East Lin City had changed during his months of absence.

On his way walking slowly toward the city gate, a large-scale refugee settlement came into view.

The once weed-choked open ground had now been built into a large refugee settlement. Thatched huts were arranged neatly, and in some areas, wooden houses had even been constructed. Flat wooden planks covered the roofs, carefully brushed with waterproof tung oil, gleaming faintly in the sun.

In front of the porridge distribution center established by the City Lord's Estate, the long queue was orderly. Although the refugees in coarse cloth clothes looked tired, they showed no signs of restlessness. The soldiers responsible for distributing the porridge moved briskly, occasionally adding an extra spoonful for the elderly, weak, women, or children, showing a great deal of human care.

The guards at the city gate were still strict. Soldiers clad in profound iron armor held long spears, the tips glinting with cold light. Their gazes were as sharp as hawks, carefully scanning the passing pedestrians.

Different from Situ Jun's memory, today's inspection, though strict, was orderly. The soldiers treated Mortals and Cultivators equally, and there were no instances of intentional harassment or extortion.

Occasionally, when ragged refugees wanted to enter the city, the guards only patiently asked about their origins and allowed them through after verifying their information, with no look of disdain on their faces.

Situ Jun slowly entered the city with the crowd. As soon as he stepped through the city gate, a dense atmosphere of daily life rushed toward him.

Shops lined both sides of the street with a dazzling array of signs. Silks and satins from the silk store fluttered in the wind, low-grade Magical Artifacts glinted in the windows of the artifact shop, and medicine banners hung outside the Medicinal Pill pavilion swayed with the breeze. The restaurants and teahouses were packed, with laughter and chatter echoing endlessly.

In front of a spiritual food shop, steaming spiritual porridge bubbled, releasing a rich aroma.

It was brewed using the first-rank Spirit Medicine "Qi Condensation Grass," which was of great benefit to Cultivators in the Qi Refinement Stage. Many traveling Cultivators stopped to buy it. The shopkeeper had a warm smile on his face as he briskly served and packed the porridge.

Inside the artifact shop at the street corner, the shopkeeper was holding a longsword embedded with a Low-Grade Spirit Stone, introducing it eloquently to several young Cultivators:

“Fellow Daoists, please look. This 'Green Peak Sword' is forged from profound iron and supplemented with a Spirit Gathering Array. It is extremely suitable for killing Yao Beasts and daily Cultivation. Today is the grand opening of our new store, and we are only charging sixty Low-Grade Spirit Stones!”

His words were sincere, making several Cultivators nod repeatedly.

Cultivators and Mortals shuttled back and forth on the streets, most of them looking calm and composed. Occasionally, someone mentioned the matter of the Southern Border refugees, but there was no tension or panic in their tone; instead, there was a bit more satisfaction with the current situation.

Situ Jun focused his senses and found that the Spiritual Qi in the air was nearly twenty percent denser than before. Wisps of Spiritual Qi lingered at the tip of his nose, seeping into his body with his breath; even Mortals unable to practice Cultivation could prolong their lives here.

Clearly, this was caused by the increase in the number of Cultivators in the city and the overflow of Spiritual Qi when various spiritual materials and Spirit Stones were consumed. It also indirectly confirmed the growing prosperity of East Lin City.

Situ Jun nodded inwardly, feeling somewhat gratified. Then, his Divine Sense quietly spread out like invisible ripples of water, slowly covering the entire East Lin City like a fine net.

Within the City Defense Office, generals at all levels performed their duties. On the martial arts field, soldiers were training hard, their shouts shaking the sky. Inside the Meeting Hall, several figures sat around a desk, their heated discussions drifting out through the doors and windows. Words like "Southern Border Defense Line," "Refugee Settlement," and "Trade Route Protection" could be vaguely heard. Clearly, they were discussing important city defense deployments.

Among the common people, discussions about the Southern Border were occasionally heard.

Inside the city's largest "Linjiang Teahouse," several Cultivators sat around a table with spiritual tea and snacks, talking in low voices:

“I heard that things in the Southern Border have been getting more and more unsettled lately. Some Cultivators vying for the Legacy Opportunity of Daoist Ming Ya have openly disrupted tribal order. Many refugees have fled to our East Lin City. Fortunately, Acting City Lord Situ made proper arrangements before, so no chaos broke out.”

The speaker was a dark-faced middle-aged Cultivator, his tone full of relief.

“Exactly! Acting City Lord Situ's methods are truly impressive. Not only did he settle the refugees properly, but he also integrated the city's resources. Now our East Lin City is much more prosperous than before!”

A fair-faced Cultivator beside him chimed in repeatedly, a look of admiration flashing in his eyes.

Another person frowned and said worriedly:

“That may be so, but I heard that the long-distance trade routes in the Southern Border are still not easy to travel. Bandits and outlaws are rampant, and many of them are backed by Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators. Many merchants dare not venture there, and a lot of our goods are piling up.”

...As Situ Jun listened to these discussions, the weight in his heart gradually lifted.

The Embroiderer and Yang Feng had indeed not failed his trust, managing East Lin City in an orderly fashion. Even in his absence, no chaos had occurred.

Now that Wang Cheng had returned as the City Lord, all matters were back on track. He could finally feel at ease taking the women back to North Border City.

His Divine Sense continued to spread, sweeping over the City Lord's Estate's warehouse, the workshops on the street, and the spiritual fields in the west of the city... Inside the City Lord's Estate's warehouse, gold, silver, jewelry, Spirit Stones, and spiritual materials were neatly categorized. The inventory was abundant, and several Cultivators with significant Cultivation took turns guarding it with strict security.

Inside several workshops on the street, craftsmen were busy forging Magical Artifacts and refining Medicinal Pills. Flames soared, and Spiritual Qi was misty. As soon as finished products came out of the furnace, merchants waiting outside scrambled to buy them.

In the spiritual fields in the west of the city, large patches of Spirit Medicine were growing well. Crystal-clear dewdrops condensed on the tender green leaves. Several Qi Refinement Stage Cultivators were carefully tending to them with spiritual hoes. The air was filled with a dense medicinal fragrance, and the Spiritual Qi almost condensed into mist.

Operations everywhere were orderly. In fact, due to the effective integration of resources, efficiency was even higher than when he had left.