Chapter 172: A Brief Respite

"Are you the disciples of the Profound Sun Sect?" the middle-aged man glanced feebly at Bai Qingzhou, speaking in a muffled voice.

Sensing the heavy smell of alcohol radiating from the middle-aged man, Bai Qingzhou looked rather helpless. This middle-aged man was none other than Gan Wei. At this moment, he looked thoroughly hungover, forcing himself to stay awake to deal with Bai Qingzhou and the other two.

"Indeed!" Bai Qingzhou cupped his fists in salute, then retrieved a letter from his robe and used his spiritual energy to make it float slowly toward Gan Wei. "I am Bai Qingzhou, and this letter was entrusted to me by the Master of our sect to be delivered to you, Fellow Daoist."

Although Gan Wei belonged to the same generation as his sect master, adhering to the principle that cultivators of the same cultivation realm share the same generational status, Bai Qingzhou still addressed Gan Wei as a fellow Daoist.

"Oh! It's old brother Nie. It really has been a long time..." Gan Wei's eyes were hazy as he clumsily took the letter and unsealed it to read it casually.

Watching Gan Wei's expression, which suggested he might throw up at any second, Bai Qingzhou felt a deep sense of helplessness. He had never expected that coming to see Gan Wei today would coincide with his severe hangover.

Visiting at such a moment was far from ideal for either party.

After a brief reading of the letter, Gan Wei rubbed his temples, massaged his forehead, and said, "So you're here to escort them back to Chuzhou, is that right? That's quite a long journey..." Pausing here, Gan Wei flicked his hand, and two magic tools emitting a yellow glow materialized in mid-air. He said in a gentle voice:

"Since the two of them are disciples under my good friend, it is only right that I present them with a welcome gift..."

With that, he waved his hand, and the two magic tools slowly floated toward He Zuo and He Li.

These two magic tools were a pair of identical longswords.

"Why aren't you thanking Senior Gan?" Bai Qingzhou reminded them with a smile.

He could sense that both magic tools were of the middle-grade Yellow tier, and they were exquisitely crafted. Their market value was likely around fifty spiritual stones, which meant Gan Wei had casually given away a hundred spiritual stones right off the bat.

It was indeed a very generous gesture.

"Many thanks, Senior Gan!" He Zuo and He Li were wild with joy, immediately bowing to Gan Wei in gratitude.

Reaching out to catch the floating swords, the two began to inspect them closely with faces full of excitement. After all, these were the first weapons they had ever truly owned.

"Think nothing of it! You're welcome!" Gan Wei managed a strained smile and gave a forceful wave of his hand, attempting to look magnanimous. However, due to his intense dizziness, the gesture lacked any strength at all, making him look utterly exhausted.

After recovering for a long while, he finally looked up and asked Bai Qingzhou, "Brother Bai, did you encounter any trouble along your journey here?"

"Nothing major, though we did have a slight conflict with the Four Directions Alliance over a matter..." Bai Qingzhou answered honestly.

"The Four Directions Alliance? What happened?"

Prompted by the question, Bai Qingzhou briefly recounted how Wu Haoming's excavation of tin ore had led to him being hunted down by the Four Directions Alliance, while also mentioning his lingering concerns that the alliance might come looking for trouble.

"So that's how it is. That's merely a trivial matter. Since you are already in Flowing Cloud Town, you needn't worry about them seeking revenge. They would never dare to fall out with Flowing Cloud Town over a mere few hundred spiritual stones; you can rest assured of that. Furthermore, I recall there is a Foundation Establishment cultivator from your Boundless Alliance residing here in the market town. If anything arises, you can ask him for assistance. The Four Directions Alliance won't be able to stir up any trouble," Gan Wei comforted him.

"That's a relief!" Bai Qingzhou breathed a sigh of sorrow. After hearing what that fortune-telling old man had said last night, he had turned it over in his mind repeatedly. If a disaster was going to strike within five days, the most likely scenario was that members of the Four Directions Alliance would come seeking vengeance.

Hearing Gan Wei's reassurance, he finally set his mind at ease. No matter how arrogant the Four Directions Alliance might be, they surely wouldn't dare to cause trouble within Flowing Cloud Town.

"That fellow was probably just a street charlatan..." Bai Qingzhou thought to himself.

"Haha, I still remember when I first met your sect master..." A smile touched the corners of Gan Wei's lips as he reminisced about the past with Nie Fang.

Bai Qingzhou responded with a smile, and the two began to chat casually. Gan Wei even offered some pointers regarding the cultivation of He Zuo and He Li.

Gan Wei forced himself to stay alert and keep the conversation going, while Bai Qingzhou smoothly followed his lead. The two tacitly exchanged small talk about trivial matters.

After chatting for half an hour, Gan Wei raised his teacup and said, "Little friend, now that you've come to Flowing Cloud Town, I should naturally be hosting you myself, but I am feeling somewhat indisposed today..."

Bai Qingzhou quickly stepped forward and said, "Please don't worry about that, Fellow Daoist. We only intended to stroll around the market town anyway; no elaborate hosting is necessary."

"How can that do!" Gan Wei waved his hand in refusal and continued, "Hosting you is a must. I will ask my daughter to take you out for a feast, and once I've sobered up tomorrow, I will discuss the Dao of cultivation with you properly!"

Without allowing Bai Qingzhou room for refusal, Gan Wei shouted loudly, "Yunmeng! Get over here right now!"

Hearing the summons, the female cultivator who had been outside earlier walked into the inner hall with an impatient expression. "What is it, Dad?!"

"You don't need to tend to the shop today. Take these young friends to stroll around the city, get something to eat, and fulfill our duty as hosts of the Gan family!" Gan Wei instructed.

Upon hearing this, the female cultivator's face immediately lit up with a broad smile, and she agreed readily, "Wonderful! As long as I don't have to watch the shop, I'll do whatever!"

"Very well then, little friends, I won't see you out personally today."

"This junior takes his leave!"

...

The female cultivator led the way with Bai Qingzhou and the other two following closely behind as they slowly walked out of Embroidery Brocade Pavilion.

"I still don't know your names," the female cultivator asked with a smile.

Bai Qingzhou replied, "Greetings, Fellow Daoist. My name is Bai Qingzhou, and these two are He Zuo and He Li."

"My name is Gan Yunmeng. You can just call me Yunmeng."

After the self-introductions, both sides opened up, and a lively conversation ensued.

Through Gan Yunmeng's introductions, Bai Qingzhou learned of many culinary delights within Flowing Cloud Town and scenic spots outside the town.

"Flowing Cloud Town not only gathers various outstanding artifact refiners and alchemists from Linjiang Prefecture, but also boasts numerous master chefs, beautiful dancers, skilled craftsmen, and musicians. Truly, you can find everything here. Since it's your first time coming, you must explore thoroughly before leaving~"

"Is it really that wonderful... Then what are we going to eat right now?" He Zuo swallowed hard, his throat bobbing as he asked.

"You'll see when we get there," Gan Yunmeng said with a mysterious smile.

The streets remained bustling with a constant stream of pedestrians and an extraordinary liveliness. Gan Yunmeng occasionally pointed out and introduced the surrounding architecture, making the eyes of He Zuo and He Li shine with fascination.

The four of them walked along, laughing and chatting.

"Eh? What place is this?" He Zuo suddenly pointed at a spacious and archaic building by the roadside and asked.

"Oh, this is the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, the largest auction house in Flowing Cloud Town." Gan Yunmeng paused briefly before continuing, "Right, in three days, the Myriad Treasures Pavilion will hold its annual large-scale auction. There will be numerous competitive items on offer, so you can all come and join in the excitement then!"

Hearing this, Bai Qingzhou felt a stirring in his heart, growing somewhat eager as he thought to himself, "An auction... There might just be a movement technique manual there!"

For nearly a year, he had been searching for a good movement technique manual to complement his *Ethereal Sword Manual*, but unfortunately, he had never found a suitable one. Hearing Gan Yunmeng mention the auction now instantly sent ripples through his heart.