nycdaug Chapter 29 Inquiry
Chapter 29 Inquiry
The Yin-Yang Palace has three outposts in Qingfeng County, one of which is located in Shuanglifang in the outer city.
It is worth mentioning that the entire Qingfeng County is divided into an inner city and an outer city. The tall city wall that Ding Yiyi saw when he entered the city gate was the boundary between the inner and outer cities.
The people living in the inner city were all wealthy and noble, among whom the three major families were the most prominent.
However, these are not things that Ding Yi can access right now. His current goal is simple: to get his hands on the Tranquilizing Pill and study what it is, so he can get through this difficult time first.
Half an hour later, Ding Yi arrived at a three-story attic.
It must be said that in the dilapidated outer city, this red-painted building made of pure wood stands out from the crowd, making its extraordinary nature immediately recognizable.
Ding Yi looked up at the plaque hanging on the small building. He saw three large, elegant characters that read "Yin Yang Palace". To the left of the main gate was the vertical plaque that read "The Mysterious Way of Yin and Yang of Heaven and Earth", and to the right was the vertical plaque that read "All Laws Return to One, and the Beginning is Truth".
"Good heavens, anyone who didn't know better would think they'd stumbled upon some kind of celestial palace or blessed land."
Ding Yi frowned slightly, thinking to himself.
Clearly, these jinxes have begun to claim legitimacy, indicating that the Great Liang's control over them has become extremely loose, which is almost identical to the version Ding Yi heard in the restaurant.
However, Ding Yi naturally didn't show any unusual expression and immediately stepped into the pavilion in front of him.
Upon entering the attic, Ding Yi discovered that it was much more spacious than he had imagined, and that quite a few people were already gathered around the counter, paying and receiving their goods.
Behind the counter were two elegantly dressed young people, a man and a woman, who were smiling as they greeted the crowd.
Both men were handsome, especially the waitress, who stood tall and graceful, making it hard not to take a second look.
Ding Yi walked quietly to the back of the crowd, and after observing for a while, he learned the price of the so-called calming pills.
Ten coins for one tael of silver; one coin can keep a person safe and sound for a night, free from the influence of yin and yang evil spirits.
Upon hearing the price, Ding Yi felt a sharp pang in his heart.
This is too expensive!
The silver he had taken from Old Man Wei and Qingyunzi totaled only three or four taels. He thought it would last him a while in Qingfeng County, but he never expected that he couldn't even afford a month's supply of calming pills.
Even someone as lonely as him finds the price exorbitant, let alone those with families!
Looking at the crowd in front of him shouting "Give me five!" "I want seven!", Ding Yi couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow.
Disaster struck from the heavens; at the end of a dynasty, it was still the people at the very bottom who suffered.
After thinking for a while, Ding Yi decided to buy five pills to try and see how effective these so-called calming pills really were.
After all, his own oil lamp could only last for half a month at most, and Ding Yi had also tried to create an oil lamp that could dispel evil spirits out of thin air, but the lifespan consumed increased greatly, making it completely uneconomical.
Therefore, once the oil lamp runs out, we will have no choice but to rely on this calming pill.
Half an hour later, Ding Yi returned to his small courtyard.
"It seems that as long as the evil spirits can be dispelled, one can gain longevity, but for now, the only means I can rely on is the oil lamp in front of me."
"Once the oil in the lamp runs out, although one can continue to be protected from the yin and yang evils by relying on the calming pill, one will not be able to live any longer."
Ding Yi sat at the table, deep in thought, his hand stroking the small medicine bottle he had just bought from the Yin Yang Palace's headquarters, his brows furrowed slightly.
After a moment, Ding Yi stopped thinking, opened the medicine bottle, poured out a calming pill, held it in his hand, and examined it closely.
[Currently available for enhancement, but requires 10 days of lifespan. Enhance now?]
really.
Ding Yi looked at the prompt that appeared in front of him, hesitated for a moment, and then chose to enhance.
The next moment, a flash of light appeared before his eyes, and the calming pill in Ding Yi's finger suddenly swelled up, while a new notification appeared before him.
【Spirit Nourishing Pill】
[This elixir, refined with the energies of Yin and Yang, can soothe the mind and calm the spirit; its effects last for half a month.]
"Goodness, the effects of the medicine have lasted for a full two weeks!"
Ding Yi raised an eyebrow upon seeing the prompt, quite surprised.
However, the effects of the medicine over the past two weeks were gained at the cost of my own lifespan, so it's hard to say whether it was a gain or not.
After thinking for a moment, Ding Yi tossed the pill into his mouth, then pushed open the door and walked into the courtyard, deciding to practice his swordsmanship for a while.
Despite his busy schedule these past few days, Ding Yi had been practicing the Evergreen Kung Fu from time to time, but he had become lax in his swordsmanship. Now that he had a place to settle down, he naturally had to practice diligently.
After all, this world now seems to be fraught with danger, and Ding Yi is becoming increasingly eager to improve his strength.
The courtyard wall of the small house was as tall as a person, but Ding Yi was not afraid of being seen by outsiders. He practiced like this for an hour before stopping, drenched in sweat.
"Hoohoo!"
Panting heavily, Ding Yi sat down on the stone bench in the courtyard and picked up a gourd to gulp down the contents.
"According to Miao Buzhen, before the calamity struck, the Great Liang Dynasty revered martial arts, and the imperial court established the Tianwu Division, whose chief was a first-rank official, which shows how much importance was attached to it."
"But after the calamity struck, the lineage of god worship emerged out of nowhere, overwhelming traditional martial artists. Even so, this world still has profound martial arts."
"If we could get a copy and enhance it, we might not need that many years of lifespan."
A thought suddenly arose in Ding Yi's mind.
It seems that the Evergreen Technique can only prolong life and increase strength. Although Ding Yi had a feeling that the Evergreen Technique was definitely not that simple, it was not appropriate to delve into it in detail.
If he could access the complete martial arts system of this world, Ding Yi was confident that with his own efforts, his achievements would definitely not be bad.
Thinking of this, Ding Yi's eyes darted around, then he put down his long sword and hurriedly walked out of the courtyard.
"Boom boom boom!"
Ding Yi knocked on the gate of his neighbor Miao Buzhen's yard.
"Who?"
Not long after, Miao Buzhen's voice came from behind the door.
"Brother Miao, it's me, Ding Hai."
Ding Yi shouted.
"Oh, it's Brother Ding!"
As the sound grew closer, the wooden door in front of Ding Yi was slowly pulled open, revealing Miao Buzhen's smiling face.
"Brother Ding, come in quickly!"
Miao Buzhen gestured with one hand and spoke to Ding Yi.
"excuse me."
Ding Yi clasped his hands in a fist salute to Miao Buzhen, and then walked into the courtyard.
Miao Buzhen had planted several unnamed saplings in her yard. As soon as Ding Yi entered the yard, he felt that it was full of vitality, much better than his own barren little yard.
Miao Buzhen looked at Ding Yi and then smiled and said:
"Brother Ding, this is a fragrant fruit tree. When the fruit ripens, I will definitely send you a few to try."
"Ahem, Brother Miao, you're too kind. I've come today to ask you something."
Upon hearing this, Ding Yi immediately looked at Miao Buzhen, then coughed and said.
"Brother Ding, please speak."
Miao Buzhen pulled Ding Yi to sit on the stone bench in the courtyard, then asked with a smile.
"Well, I'd like to ask Brother Miao, where in this city can I find a job?"
Ding Yi asked.
"A job? It seems Brother Ding has also realized that making money isn't easy."
Upon hearing this, Miao Buzhen immediately showed a look of realization, and then smiled and said:
"There are only a few ways to make money in Qingfeng County: selling your skills, trading, growing vegetables... but these are all for ordinary people, and they can't make much money, especially in this kind of world."
"But the other types are a different story."
"If you are a martial artist, you can apply to be a guard for the three major families. Not only will you receive free calming pills every month, but the salary will also be quite good."
"If your kung fu is good, you can open a martial arts school in Qingfeng City and take in some whimsical people as disciples. You'll live a carefree life."
"If you have talent and are noticed by the Yin-Yang Palace, then congratulations! You will rise to prominence in no time. At that time, I hope Brother Ding will give me your guidance!"
After Miao Buzhen finished speaking, Ding Yi seemed to be deep in thought. After pondering for a while, he asked another question:
"Are there any jobs that involve dealing with spirits or spirits?"
"Oh?"
Miao Buzhen glanced at Ding Yi with some surprise, then pondered for a moment before speaking:
"The city's patrol division does have the opportunity to come into contact with these Yin-Yang Fiends, but they come into contact with the fiends of other immortal palaces more often. After all, there are many immortal palaces in the world. Even though the Yin-Yang Palace nominally controls a state, there are still many sects that want a share of the pie."
Upon hearing this, Ding Yi immediately thought of Li Baozheng. He seemed to have claimed to be a member of the Patrol Division and went to Xiaotan Village to investigate the matter of the Blood and Flesh Temple.
"It seems that although the Yin-Yang Palace is dominant in Qingzhou, there are still quite a few unlucky people who are dissatisfied with it."
A thought flashed through Ding Yi's mind.
Next, Ding Yi chatted with Miao Buzhen for a while until it got dark, then he got up, said goodbye to Miao Buzhen, and returned to his courtyard.
After seeing Ding Yi off, Miao Buzhen turned around and returned to her small courtyard, then sat back down on the stone bench.
"Ding Hai..."
Miao Buzhen muttered to himself, gently tapping the stone table in front of him with his folding fan, a strange smile playing on his lips.