Morning light streamed through the window, warm against Huo Chen's face. He had a good night's rest, and the dense spiritual energy in the city had aided his recovery even while he slept. ?

  He washed up, changed into clean robes, and adjusted his sleeves. He felt refreshed, his mind sharp. "Time to explore the city."

  ?Huo Chen left the inn and stepped into the morning bustle of Qingfeng City. The streets were already alive with activity. Cultivators moved between shops, their conversations mixing with the sounds of merchants calling out their wares.

  The spiritual energy in the air felt even more vibrant in daylight, settling naturally into his meridians with every breath. Huo Chen walked without any particular direction at first, just taking in the city as it woke up.

  'First things first,' Huo Chen thought. 'Sell what I don't need. Then gather information.'

  After asking a passing cultivator for directions, he found what he was looking for—a three-story building with a sign reading "Jade Fang Emporium" hanging above the entrance. The shop specialized in buying and selling beast materials and spirit herbs.

  He pushed open the door. The interior was spacious and well-organized. Glass cases lined the walls, displaying various beast cores, claws, pelts, and preserved herbs.

  A middle-aged man stood behind the counter toward the rear of the shop, with a cultivation base at the 6th layer, looking up from what he'd been reading as Huo Chen entered.

  He approached the man. "I have some materials to sell."

  The shopkeeper set down what he'd been reading. "Let's see them."

  Huo Chen reached into his storage bag and began laying items on the counter. Four massive claws from the Shadow-Stripe Tiger and the beast core, still pulsing faintly with dense demonic qi.

  Several bundles of spirit herbs he'd collected—Moonveil Grass, Crimson Root, and others. Finally, a pair of curved tusks from the Stone-Hide Boar and a Shadow Panther pelt.

  The shopkeeper picked up one of the tiger claws, turned it over once, and set it down. He picked up the beast core and pushed a wisp of Qi into it, nodding to himself.

  His hands moved through the herbs—sniffing, squeezing and checking each bundle. The tusks and pelt got brief looks.

  "Eighty low-grade spirit stones per tiger claw—that's three hundred twenty total. Three hundred for the beast core. Fifty for the Moonveil Grass, thirty each for the Crimson Root and Azure Mist Flowers, fifty for the Spirit Willow Bark. Sixty for the boar tusks and Seventy for the panther pelt."

  Huo Chen did the math quickly. Nine hundred and forty spirit stones total.

  "Agreed," he said.

  The shopkeeper retrieved a pouch from beneath the counter and began counting out spirit stones. Huo Chen watched carefully as the man stacked them in neat piles—ten stones per stack, then grouped into hundreds.

  "Nine hundred and forty low-grade spirit stones," the shopkeeper confirmed, pushing the pouch across the counter. Huo Chen checked the count, then transferred the stones into his storage bag.

  "Thanks."

  The shopkeeper nodded. "If you find more of those tiger claws, bring them. I pay the same rate." "Alright."

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  He stepped out of the Jade Fang Emporium and paused on the street.

  He did a quick mental count of his wealth and chuckled to himself in pleasure

  'Not bad. Not bad at all, Its good to always have more resources.'

  He kept walking, the morning crowd moving around him. The city had a different energy than anywhere he'd been before—everyone here was a cultivator with their own goals and paths.

  'I need to find out more about this city. Need to know who the major players are.'

  He glanced at a group of cultivators in matching robes passing by. 'A restaurant should be good for that.'

  He found the Golden Phoenix a few blocks away. Two stories, steady traffic going in and out. He pushed open the door. The ground floor was about half full. He found a table near the window and settled in.

  A waiter appeared shortly after—young, second-layer Qi Refining, moving between tables with practiced ease.

  "What do you have?" Huo Chen asked.

  "Roasted spirit boar is popular today. We also have river carp, braised mountain pheasant, Qi-infused rice, spiritual grain congee—"

  "Spirit boar and rice. Tea as well."

  "Coming right up." The food arrived quickly. The boar was rich and tender, spiritual energy from the meat settling warmly into his meridians as he ate. Simple food but good. He worked through the meal without rushing, watching the room.

  The other patrons ate and talked, the noise of it comfortable background sound. When he finished the waiter came to clear the table. Huo Chen leaned back in his chair.

  "I just got to the city yesterday," he said. "Still figuring out how things work here."

  The waiter paused with the empty dishes. "First time in Qingfeng City?"

  "Yeah. What's it like living here? Who actually runs this place?"

  The waiter set the dishes down on the edge of the table and thought about it.

  "Honestly? Good city to be in. The Azure River Sect controls everything at the top— the city lord, law enforcement, all of that runs through them. But day to day it doesn't feel heavy handed. They keep order, things stay stable."

  Huo Chen nodded, then slid ten low-grade spirit stones across the table. The waiter looked at them, then at Huo Chen, then pocketed them with a slight grin. "Generous."

  "Consider it appreciation. Keep going."

  "Right."

  He pulled out the chair across from Huo Chen and sat down comfortably. "So below the Azure River Sect you've got the five major families. They don't challenge the sect—nobody's that stupid—but within their lanes they've got real influence."

  "The Zhao family is the biggest name in pills. Most of the pill pavilions in the city connect back to them somehow. An old family, been doing it for generations."

  "Then the Jin family is into trade. If something moves through this city in volume—materials, goods, currency exchanges—the Jin family has probably touched it. They run the major caravans too."

  "The Chen family runs the entertainment district. Restaurants, gambling halls, the better inns. If you're spending money for pleasure in this city, a good chunk of it ends up with them."

  He gestured around at the Golden Phoenix. "Not us though, we're independent."

  Huo Chen smiled slightly. "What about the others?"

  "The Xu family is interesting. They don't have one particular business but they've had members in the Azure River Sect for generations—some in decent positions. That kind of connection is its own kind of power."

  He shrugged. "And the Liu family handles formations and talismans. Not flashy but they're solid. Been around a long time."

  Huo Chen nodded slowly. "Good to know."

  The waiter was about to stand when something crossed his face. "Oh—are you planning to stay in the city for a while?"

  "Probably."

  "Then you'll want to know about the auction. The Azure River Sect hosts it every six months. Next one is in two months."

  He said it casually, like it was obvious. "Last time a top grade Foundation Establishment spell went up for bid. People came from three cities over just to see it. Worth attending even if you don't buy anything."

  Huo Chen's interest sharpened. "Where is it held?"

  "The Misty Veil Pavilion. Center of the city, you can't miss it."

  "Thanks." Huo Chen stood.

  The waiter waved him off easily. "Anytime. Come back for dinner, the braised pheasant is better."

  Huo Chen walked back through the afternoon streets toward the Flowing Cloud Inn, the conversation turning over in his mind. The Azure River Sect at the top, five families operating beneath them, everyone clear on where they stood. Clean structure. Easy to navigate if you understood it.

  But that wasn't what occupied his thoughts most. Two months until the auction. He climbed the stairs to his room, closed the door, and sat on the bed.

  The auction could have techniques, resources, things that didn't appear in ordinary shops which would be a good place to check out.

  'Also in this period of time I should try to enter the seventh layer, my foundation is solid enough.'

  He moved to the center of the room, settled into a cross-legged position, and closed his eyes. His Qi began to circulate slowly, finding its paths through his meridians. The spiritual energy in the air was dense and pure, settling into him with every breath.