Chapter 7: The Horse King

  "Old Master!"

  A shout of utter astonishment rang out at a port on Little Gold Island, and Zui Li Mao felt a sudden headache. He hadn't expected to be discovered despite hiding so well this time, but he had never held much hope of avoiding detection in the first place, unless he didn't come to Little Gold Island at all.

  But lo and behold, the next moment a middle-aged Tibetan man, eight feet tall, was clinging to the drunken monk's robe with one hand wiping his nose and the other hand wiping away tears, just like a wronged wife who had been waiting for ten years saw her philandering husband come back alive.

  Another intoxication, another dumbfounding moment, his face filled with a helpless expression, clinging to his robes and wailing like a loyal dog, unable to bear the thought of being beaten, let alone actually being able to withstand it.

  "Alas..." With a sigh, he rubbed his temples, what a headache. He turned to look at the colleagues who were waiting on the side, watching the boss and the big boss make fools of themselves. The result was that the colleagues who had just been smiling suddenly collected their smiles, their facial expressions changed in an instant, and they quickly glanced away, completely ignoring Drunken's signal for help, each of them secretly delighted.

  Ma Erda, a middle-aged man from Ang Zang, was also quite influential on the small island of Jin. The nickname "Horse King" was not called in vain. A few years ago, he owed a great favor to Yi Zui for saving his life, and then devoted himself wholeheartedly to Yi Zui's side, helping him with business and taking care of Hua Lian Shan's property on the small island of Jin. In these years, he had been doing well, and the immortal fish business was booming under his management.

  On ordinary days, these young men only had the privilege of being lectured by Master Ma. However, on the day they got drunk and came to Xiaojin Island, they were overjoyed. Seeing the usually majestic Master Ma acting like a bootlicker, hugging the big boss's leg with tears and snot, they felt an indescribable sense of pleasure in their hearts. Nevertheless, they didn't look down on Master Ma at all; instead, they felt that Master Ma had become even more intimate with them.

  "Alright, alright, Erda, if outsiders see this, it won't be good. They might even start gossiping that our orientation is abnormal, how embarrassing would that be?" One drunk and one with an air of superiority lectured Marquis Wang, causing Xiao Ziyuan to stifle a smile, even the frustration of being turned into a small piglet was alleviated a bit.

  Ma Wangye listened to this and suddenly his body shook, his face flushed with red light, his eyes scanning around, exuding a fierce aura. The young apprentices waiting beside him immediately hid the smiles at the corners of their mouths, rolled their eyes in circles, pretending they had heard nothing, seen nothing.

  "Who dares!" Ma Wangye snorted, his voice loud and clear. "If it reaches my ears, I'll have to teach them a lesson, or they won't know how many eyes I, Ma Wangye, have!"

  He got drunk again and was choked for a moment, he just said it casually earlier, basically no one would say anything, every time Marquis Ma saw him like this, others could also understand in their hearts, great kindness is not spoken of, working as an ox and a horse only awaits this life!

  Xiao Zi Xuan saw Ma Wangye, who was even more arrogant than Dog Legzi, suddenly revealing his overbearing side and was stunned for a moment. However, he quickly smiled to himself in his heart, thinking that if Ma Wangye didn't have two eyes, could he possibly have four or five eyes? This person is really interesting, indeed a wonderful guy.

  Reluctantly, it took half a day's effort to complete the handover, and all the immortal fish were handed over to King Ma. The crystal was taken first, after all, the immortal fish were in short supply, and King Ma's credit was still good, the buyers paid the crystal first and then picked up the goods.

  As soon as they entered the center of Xiaojin Island, the extremely prosperous atmosphere of the Xiuzhen world hit them in the face. Xiao Zixuan hung on Yu Zui's right shoulder, excitedly sizing up the rows of shops and buildings, while the black and white little dog pirate occupying his left shoulder was surprisingly quiet.

  Strolling drunk on these familiar streets, occasionally greeting fellow practitioners I know.

  In places with a stable environment, distinct from areas of chaotic disorder, events involving murder and arson are actually not that common. Even the strongest individuals will not draw their swords at the slightest provocation, and in situations where it is unclear whether they can completely eliminate their opponents, they will often choose to restrain themselves. Otherwise, constantly provoking powerful enemies would be unlikely to allow them to live a long life, unless they reach the pinnacle of this realm, otherwise, acting recklessly will only bring about disaster that will cost them their lives.

  And Xiaojin Island is a densely populated area, with a high probability of encountering acquaintances, unlike the vast ocean in the South China Sea, where there are only a few safe areas to meet people.

  Cultivators share information and exchange benefits, it's inevitable to interact with each other in daily life, but only when faced with irresistible temptation will their greedy nature be exposed. Normally, everyone has their own life and source of crystal, so building a friendly relationship network is also the wisest choice. In various places, there are also cultivators who preside over justice with high morals.

  Getting drunk at this moment makes me want to go to a wine house and drink two bowls, and also fill the gourd with water and bring it up with wine.

  He's been drinking for a long time, and since he's earned the nickname "One Drunken", he naturally has a connection with wine. He can't explain how obsessed he is with wine, but it's become second nature to him. He habitually heads towards the familiar tavern, where the feeling of being drunk in body but not in spirit is the best. It's like a strong man who only has energy after eating and drinking his fill - only after downing several cups of wine will One Drunken feel his true energy flowing freely.

  One by one, familiar or strange people brushed past him, walking in the bustling streets, the unpleasantness of the previous conflict with Bao's boat slowly dissipated, looking at the crisscrossing shops on the bluestone road, an indescribable calmness in his heart.

  On Xiaojin Island, "clothing" has Hanyu Pavilion, Jin Yi Building. The sign of the hundred-year-old shop is erected there. Many styles in Damingjie can be found here, and on the high pavilion, you can also buy exquisite clothes with patterns of Fa Zhen and Xiang Ling, which are not only beautiful but also have strong defensive capabilities.

  If he didn't have a kasaya, maybe one drunk would force himself to save up and buy one. Ordinary hemp clothes were too shabby, and no cultivator who could build the foundation would be willing to wear those cheap goods. After all, cheap things are not good, wearing good clothes can prevent some sneak attacks, otherwise, if you're not careful, you'll be taken advantage of by some small fry and have nowhere to cry injustice. And One Drunk was even more extreme, the original nine-layer defense array on his kasaya had been added to 81 layers, forming a ring array, which could defend against the sneak attacks of foundation-building cultivators even without using life-saving means.

  But as for "food", it's a different story, humans have a mouth that needs to eat, who doesn't want to eat? It's only heard that true immortals can go without eating or drinking, and even Mahayana practitioners are just better at enduring hunger.

  The most famous one on Xiaojin Island is Dengxian Building. People with a lot of money who come to Xiaojin Island will definitely try it out. Every dish uses the best ingredients, such as Ling Beast meat and Xianzhi grass. Nothing can't be served on the table. These things can improve cultivation even if they are not cooked, and the effect is better when cooked by a master chef. It is said that in the past, a cultivator of the Great Vehicle peak had an epiphany while eating at this small building and ascended to immortality. Therefore, Dengxian Building does not need any publicity to stand firm on Xiaojin Island. The golden signboard of the true immortal is more effective than any words.

  Another one worth mentioning is Wufangzhai, whose origin is unknown and background is not well-known, only knowing that the power behind it is quite strong, and it can be considered as a well-known store in Xiaojin Island. However, what Wufangzhai sells is not any food, but Meishitan, which was launched when Wufangzhai first opened. Meishitan is a must-buy for merchants traveling south, and it's extremely popular.

  Wufangzhai claims that the raw materials for their Food Pills are completely sourced from Linggu, with minimal impurities and no harm. In fact, this is indeed the case. The refined energy is concentrated in a small pill, easy to carry and store, equivalent to one meal, and the price is not expensive, even Qi-refining cultivators can occasionally buy a low-grade Food Pill as a snack.

  From the moment Mei Shi Wan appeared in Wufangzhai to now, Mei Shi Wan has been integrated into all aspects of the Great Ming Realm. Whether it's for closed-door cultivation or venturing out on adventures, the role of Mei Shi Wan cannot be underestimated. Especially after Linggu was extracted and refined, that tiny bit of impurity can almost be ignored. If you eat Mei Shi Wan three meals a day, you won't even need to worry about bowel movements. Long-term consumption also has the miraculous effect of improving skin quality. Many women dream of having a lifetime supply of Mei Shi Wan that they'll never finish eating. If you have the wealth to possess this, congratulations, you won't have to worry about going hungry for the rest of your life.

  When it comes to "living", I have to sigh and say that the great real estate tycoon is indeed everywhere. The small island of Jin has limited land, so houses cannot be built casually. Most people who come to Xiaojin Island will choose to live in a hotel, and only a few will choose to buy a house on Xiaojin Island. It's too luxurious to build a house in a place where every inch of land is precious. However, the real estate tycoon on Xiaojin Island is an unexpected existence. I was surprised when I found out who the boss behind the scenes was. If Xiao Pang hadn't said it, I wouldn't have thought that Da Pang, who was about to ascend to immortality, would let his subordinates do this business. But overall, the entire Xiaojin Island is Da Pang's territory...

  The largest real estate developer in the Great Ming Boundary is the one that Zui Guan is concerned about. It has no name, but it is known to everyone in the Great Ming Boundary because they once built a city in the sky! Since then, that force has been called the City in the Sky, which is truly standing on top of the sky. It is a city symbolizing the peak of Xiantian civilization. The treasure ship that Zui Guan capsized on the South China Sea should also be a product of the City in the Sky if it's not unexpected. All the properties of the City in the Sky are magical artifacts! It can be imagined how powerful this force is. It is said that hiding behind the scenes is the first superpower of the Great Ming Boundary, Qi Guo.

  However, the richest place on Xiaojin Island is not one of these, but a treasure shop called Tianbao Pavilion. From foundation-building cultivators to Mahayana cultivators, everyone can buy satisfactory treasures at Tianbao Pavilion. For those who are not good at refining equipment, it's better to buy directly from Tianbao Pavilion. Once, the crazy bookworm Wang Sheng wrote an inscription for Tianbao Pavilion: "Material Splendor, Heavenly Treasure". This four-character phrase is enough to describe the great way of the world and is considered the number one calligraphy treasure in the world. It was mounted and made into a treasure by Duobao Pavilion, and multiple copies were printed and made into town-hall treasures that hang in each branch of Daming Boundary. It's said that this plaque can withstand a full-force blow from a Yuan Ying cultivator, it's hard to imagine how powerful the original seal stored in Tianbao Pavilion's main store would be.

  In a twinkling of an eye, he had surveyed all the shops one by one, without even having time to make any purchases. With a stumble and a stagger, he stepped into a beautifully decorated ancient-style wine house with intricate carvings.

  "Waiter, bring wine!"