The city of Silent Creek was a Nascent Level city, with its City Leader being at the Nascent Soul Realm. Different cities have different power structures, the City Leader for the Silent Creek City didn’t want to create a royal family and rule over the city.
He just wanted watch to over the city as a City Leader, and when he was tired of it he’ll pass it on to someone he deemed worthy. Though that person would have to be of the Nascent Soul Realm.
This type of power structure wasn’t uncommon. There were various cultivators in the higher realms who instead of going into seclusion would go out and create a city for themselves. So there were many cities like these on the Maple Continent.
As for Cities with a royal family as the leader, those were few in number. And one should note that this does not mean their above the Emperor obviously. As even kings and queens needed to bow before an Emperor.
Like most cities of this kind, there were numerous cultivation clans and small sects in Silent Creek. This made the place flourish with various establishments that were similar to the mortal world but have been custom-made for cultivators.
Brothels, grandiose restaurants that sell Spirit Beast meat, gambling dens where Spirit Stones are siphoned from unlucky participants, and numerous Auctions Houses.
These establishments were obviously run by the local Cultivation Families, who were by the City standards extremely powerful.
Being that they were close to a behemoth like the Celestial Academy, the City itself was flourishing as most of its disciples would come here to enjoy themselves.
This also meant the disciple of the Celestial Academy was treated with the utmost respect in Silent Creek.
This could be seen from the special welcoming Bai Xiaofung and Xi Shen had received when they entered the Pavilion restaurant.
They were guided to the best window seat in the house and were given a personal waiter to serve them for their time here.
Xi Shen started at the spread on the five by two table in front of him and marveled a bit.
In the center was a Spirit Beast that was well known for its amazing taste, and around it was equally amazing side dishes.
Xi Shen compared this meal to the ones he had in the Imperial Palace and it wasn’t much different. This goes to show how high-end this pavilion that Bai Xiaofung took him to was.
“Young Masters, here’s your Spirit Wine. If the Young Masters need anything further please call, and this lowly one will come immediately.”
After bowing the waiter left them.
“So brother Shen, what do you think? This place is fantastic, right?”
Bai Xiaofung said with a wide smile on his face.
“In my travels to taste all of this world’s delicacies, I stumble upon this paradise. The food is amazing and the ambiance is just impeccable! Come brother Shen let's taste the wine, this is truly what I wanted to introduce to you at this place.”
Xi Shen smiled at Bai Xiaofung's enthusiasm and received the cup of wine he had poured for him.
Bai Xiaofung watched with eagerness as Xi Shen placed a hand under the cup and then raised it to his lips.
As soon as the wine entered his mouth, Xi Shen senses were flooded with a mixture of tastes that caused him to involuntarily gulp down the wine in one go.
Smacking his lips, Xi Shen then praised, “It’s good, really good. The ones in the Palace are top tier no doubt, but this one tastes completely different. With the various mixtures inside, the taste becomes a blend of numerous flavor, but what's amazing is that these different mixtures were carefully handled. Instead of causing a dissonance, each of them complimented the other and brought out a unique taste.”
Xi Shen paused before smacking his lips once again, then continue to say, “From what I can taste, there are about three dozen different spirit herbs mixed together in this one wine.”
Xi Shen actually then went on to list the three dozen spirit herbs.
After finishing, Bai Xiaofung could only stare speechlessly at Xi Shen.
He was left in awe of his ability. As an alchemist himself, he too could taste numerous Spirit Wine and list the mixture of herbs used to produce it, but not from just a single cup!
Actually, Bai Xiaofung had never heard of someone being able to do that. High-level alchemists with decades worth of knowledge of numerous spirit herbs, as well as experience in handling and concocting them, were the only ones who could have likely accomplished this feat.
The more Bai Xiaofung thought about it the more, he realize what Xi Shen did could shock the alchemy world.
Well, maybe not that extreme of a case, but Xi Shen was only fourteen years of age but still seemed to have abilities similar to old alchemy masters.
‘Is this the legendary God Tongue? To be able to identify any medicinal plant or herb from just its taste, brother Shen is more amazing than I thought.’
Bai Xiaofung then looked at Xi Shen and said, “I didn’t know brother Shen was so knowledgeable about spirit herbs. It was really amazing for you to be able to perfectly I identify them after only one cup.”
Xi Shen reached over to pick up one of the two wine drugs and said while pouring another cup, “Hm, I have read a bit of spirit herbs catalogs as I was very interested in alchemy as a profession, but is it that amazing? I’m sure someone who has read enough about spirit herbs and handled them could do this as well.”
Smiling dryly, Bai Xiaofung said, “Of course that’s possible, but to be so accurate is not something any normal alchemist could do. They would have to mentally deconstruct the taste of the Spirit Wine and separate various flavors, but that is very difficult since after mixing together, the spirit herbs would take on different tastes and lead to confusion as to which is which. Not only an extensive knowledge about spirit herbs is needed, the knowledge about their different mixtures as well as the ability to differentiate those various mixtures using one’s taste buds is needed. Brother Shen, you have done all of that from a single cup of wine, I-I’m not even sure Silver Rank alchemist can accomplish this as I myself am about to become one. Brother Shen isn’t even an alchemist by profession but is this talented, haha.”
Bai Xiaofung laughed bitterly.
He kind of felt like he had been kicked in the stomach. Not that he was envious or jealous of Xi Shen’s abilities, but that him being able to do something this amazing caused him to feel a bit inferior when thinking about his own prowess.
“Oh,” Was Xi Shen’s only response.
To tell the truth, it wasn’t really that hard for him to differentiate the various spirit herbs in the wine, maybe it was because of his Divine Soul that his senses have become extremely sharp, being able to pick up on minute details.
He didn’t take his actions to be that big of a deal, but from the way how Bai Xiaofung looked as if he took a massive blow. Xi Shen felt a bit guilty since Bai Xiaofung had gone out of his way to carry out this kind gesture by taking him to this place.
Trying to cheer him up Xi Shen said, “I’m sure brother Fung isn’t lacking when compared to me or anyone in alchemy. I see you’ve entered the Sea Expansion Realm but you’re about to move up from a Bronze Rank to become a Silver Rank alchemist. If I’m not mistaken, that’s an extremely shocking feat. Most Silver Rank alchemists are between the Foundation Realm and Core Formation Realm, this is due to the high requirement of Spiritual Qi need to refine a Class Four medicinal pill.”
Hearing Xi Shen’s unabashed praise, Bai Xiaofung smiled a bit embarrassingly at it, but he shook his head and then said, “Brother Shen doesn’t have to worry about me. Our time out is to celebrate your upcoming birthday. My family has already received invites so we’ll definitely come then to congratulate you, take this as an early congratulations from me.”
Bai Xiaofung took up his wine cup and made a toast to Xi Shen before tipping all of it into his mouth in one go.
After that, the atmosphere between the two was harmonious as they chatted while they ate and drink.
However, it was during this moment that Xi Shen realized something.
Bai Xiaofung was extremely gluttonous.
The dishes next to him just continue to stack up, and even as the waiter took plate after plate away the more came back. If he didn't Xi Shen was sure the plates would have reached the ceiling above.
The waiter, instead of being annoyed at the constant barrage of going back and forth between the kitchen and their table, was instead beaming with excitement in his heart.
There was a skip and a hop in his steps as he heard Bai Xiaofung’s voice call for another plate. It almost sounded as if heavenly hymns were playing in his ears.
The original spread was long gone and now the table was split in half between him scarfing down his food, and Xi Shen simply sipping and enjoying the various spirit wine the restaurant served.
As Xi Shen absentmindedly stared out at the various people going about their day.
It was a little after mid-day so the sun was still at its highest zenith.
As he watched those people going back and forth down below, Xi Shen couldn’t help but sink into his thoughts as usual. He was thinking that these cultivators weren’t living that much differently than mortals.
The population distribution between cultivators to mortal on the Maple Continent was 4:6, with cultivators being 4 and mortals being 6.
Xi Shen wasn’t sure how different the other continents were. He would have to go there if he wanted to find out.
Aside from the Star Bound Continent that was the closest to them, the two others that were quite a bit a distance away were the Divine Water Bound Continent and the Divine Fire Bound Continent.
Due to the distance, the Maple Continent and the Star Bound Continent weren’t in that much in contact with them.
That, and the fact the Ocean between them were infested with dangerous aquatic Spirit Beasts.
Xi Shen had read that the threat they bring was quite terrifying. At the borders of the Maple Continent, towers and barricades have actually been erected to keep them out. As for how Spirit Beasts that are meant to be living in the Ocean can invade the land on the Maple Continent, was simply from the fact that they can use Spiritual Qi to eliminate their need for water.
Powerful flood dragons, water serpents, and various other Aqua Spirit Beasts would invade the border. Whether to sink their teeth into human flesh, as they saw them as delicacies, or to move from the sparseness of the Ocean to the land that is more abundant with Spirit Energy.
So that was another major threat aside from the Demonic Cult, or outsiders invading the continent that Xi Shen had come to realize.
He wanted to know everything about the continent’s current situation. It was out of curiosity of course since after he reincarnated he had been thirsty for knowledge about where he was.
To be honest, he at first didn’t think this was the God Era he had grown up in.
As he read more and more books, it just felt so surreal to see all these different things he had never seen before. Qi cultivation, Alchemy, Spirit Beasts Taming, as well as these other professions. Or just the small things such as the new language he had to learn, the clothing, the mannerisms of people in this era, the buildings, and even the people themselves.
Maybe it was because of the influence of Spiritual Qi but everyone’s body and appearances have changed, their skins becoming silky smooth as jade. And unless they weren’t labor workers, their looks were out of this world.
Especially cultivators, the more they cultivate Spiritual Qi the more their skin became unblemished, and the more they become handsome men and beautiful women. That was likely due to the fact Qi Cultivation was simply moving towards becoming a perfect being without flaw, a God.
Well, that’s what Xi Shen figured since the highest existence in his past life was as such. He didn’t really know what was at the end of Qi Cultivation in this era or even if there was a specific end at all. But he was extremely excited to see what this path of gaining power that goes against the heavens would bring.
With his birthday coming up, it would mark the fourteenth year of his reincarnation. So maybe he was too far away from thinking about reaching that level to satiate his curiosity.
Speaking of birthday, Xi Shen’s ears perked up at a certain conversation happening on the floor below them.
“Hey, the second prince’s birthday celebration is in a few days. I heard rumors that it’s going to bring in some people from the Star Bound Continent!”
Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m