"Ah! I'm sorry! I didn't do it on purpose..."
The petite figure hastily backed away from Qin Jun's embrace, all the while continuously apologizing.
Qin Jun couldn't help but examine her, a dirty-faced girl wearing old grey clothes, appearing to be around fourteen or fifteen years old, looking like a startled little rabbit.
"It's alright." Qin Jun glanced at her and then withdrew his gaze, proceeding to enter the city with Daji and the others.
This small incident did not attract the attention of the crowd.
"Leaving the city costs five copper coins per person!"
A soldier stopped the girl in plain clothes and declared. At his words, the girl's eyes widened in shock, and she exclaimed indignantly, "Five copper coins? Since when does Qingtan City have such a rule? How come I don't know about it?"
"There's a lot you don't know! If you don't have the money, then scram! Don't even think about leaving the city!" The soldier shouted angrily, frightening the girl in plain clothes so much that she clenched her teeth and left.
Walking into an alleyway, the girl stamped her feet in anger, constantly cursing under her breath, "When the beam is crooked, the rafters are askew! Damn it! How am I supposed to leave now..."
Meanwhile, Qin Jun and his companions entered an inn. After a day of travel, they planned to rest in Qingtan City for one night.
Qin Jun couldn't help but sigh. Everything he had seen and heard along the way made him realize that Qingtan City was extremely similar to the ancient cities of Huaxia, even the commoners' clothing was much the same.
The most important thing was that everyone spoke Mandarin. He had no idea what the relationship was between this world and Earth.
If possible, Qin Jun still wanted to return. After all, he had a family on Earth, and his disappearance would surely grieve his parents.
"Daji, we'll take one room," Qin Jun stated righteously.
"No way, Sister Daji has to stay with me. I'm scared to sleep alone at night," Chang Qianqian immediately hugged Daji's arm and protested, causing Qin Jun's mouth to twitch.
Damn!
The pesky third wheel!
Struggling to contain his urge to explode, Qin Jun turned to look at Daji, who spread her hands and said, "Young Master, I better accompany Qianqian."
Daji's smiling face made Qin Jun feel awkward. Although Daji's loyalty was at ninety, it didn't mean that she was willing to sacrifice herself for Qin Jun. Perhaps a maximum loyalty could persuade her, but it wasn't a certainty.
Since the system didn't specify that a full loyalty rating couldn't drop, Qin Jun dared not force her, lest Daji's loyalty would plummet. What if she ran away?
However, judging by Daji's attitude towards him, Qin Jun felt that he still had hope!
So it was decided: Qin Jun and Roaring Sky Dog would share a room, Daji and Chang Qianqian would stay together, and Chang Hao would have a room to himself.
After dinner, Qin Jun took Roaring Sky Dog for a stroll, while Daji and Chang Qianqian showed no interest in the market, so they did not follow.
"Candied haws for sale!"
"The finest silk fabrics, take a look, sir!"
"All the ladies of the Firework Pavilion are here tonight, come on in, gentlemen!"
"Sesame cakes! Special sesame cakes from the Northern Frontier!"
As night fell, lights from a myriad of homes in Qingtan City lit up, and the streets bustled with activity, capturing Qin Jun and Roaring Sky Dog's full attention.
What attracted Qin Jun the most was the Firework Pavilion—cough, cough—merely out of curiosity!
As a modern person, it had been a long time since Qin Jun had seen such prosperity. In the urban cities of Earth, the streets were full of loudspeakers and music, painfully jarring.
However, one thing he noticed was, even though the prevailing theme was energy refining and cultivating immortality, the cultivators within Qingtan City were not abundant. Even his predecessor's memories shed little light on this aspect, for his predecessor had mostly been occupied with leisure, making those memories of little help to Qin Jun.
"Once I ascend to the throne, I will allow the commoners to engage in energy refining and cultivation!"
Qin Jun started to indulge in wishful thinking. Imagine, if all the commoners in the kingdom were cultivators, how strong would Qianyue Kingdom be?
Perhaps it could even surpass the Imperial Dynasty!
"Young Master, something's happening up ahead."
Roaring Sky Dog's voice suddenly brought Qin Jun back to reality. He looked up to see a gathering of commoners at the street corner, watching intently—the curiosity for excitement is a part of human nature, even in a world of cultivation.
Qin Jun also enjoyed spectating, so he quickened his pace with Roaring Sky Dog in tow.
"Tsk tsk, this guy is really pitiful, wanting to distinguish himself through civil examinations, yet he offended the Cheng Family."
"Indeed, it's tough for commoners to stand out."
"That young man Chen Shuli is in trouble tonight!"
"Speaking of which, he is not exactly a commoner; he's the illegitimate son of the city lord. It's a pity he can't show himself in public. The city lord's wife often sends people to make life difficult for him, and the city lord can't really interfere."
"That being said, the Cheng Family repressing Chen Shuli is not unfounded; the power struggle between the city lord's influence and the Cheng Family has been ongoing, not just for a day or two."
The civilians discussed the situation fervently. After Qin Jun pushed through the crowd, he saw a frail-looking young man lying on the ground, his right cheek swollen and with blood at the corner of his mouth, clearly having been slapped.
Standing before the weak youth was a well-dressed handsome young man, flanked by two attendants, who surprisingly both possessed the cultivation of the third layer of the energy refining realm.
"Chen Shuli, weren't you very stubborn? You refused to apologize to me, and now you lie on the ground like a dog. Are you comfortable now?" the handsome young man taunted with disdain, looking down at the youth named Chen Shuli, who clenched his teeth, enduring the pain and standing back up. Seeing this, the handsome young man fiercely kicked out again, striking Chen Shuli in the chest and throwing him to the ground.
"Let's see if you can stand up again!"
Qin Jun frowned; he couldn't stand the handsome young man's arrogant behavior.
Just then, a petite figure pushed through the crowd and stood in front of Chen Shuli, shouting, "Cheng Jie, don't go too far! If you keep bullying my brother, watch out—I'll have my father take up the matter with the Cheng Family!"
Qin Jun found the girl quite familiar, and upon closer examination, wasn't she the girl who bumped into him upon entering the city today?
"Oh, isn't this the young missy of the city lord, Chen Miaoyin? How come you look so unkempt? You're really dishonoring your father!" Cheng Jie said with a sneer, his face full of disdain, infuriating the girl in plain clothes as she trembled with anger.
"Sister, step aside, this has nothing to do with you!" Chen Shuli once again stood up and pulled Chen Miaoyin behind him.
"Ding! Discovered a potential talent with innate fortitude and righteousness!"
Just then, a system notification sounded in Qin Jun's mind, making him wonder, "What exactly is innate fortitude and righteousness?"
"The world is full of various geniuses, not only in cultivation. This person embodies great fortitude and uprightness, his character naturally unyielding and incorruptible. In this world, those with such fortitude excel in academia and politics far beyond ordinary people. Once they mature, they all become capable talents of governing. Moreover, once their innate fortitude is inspired, it can also deter Demons!"
Sounds impressive.
A realization dawned on Qin Jun; his goal was to become emperor, and such governing talents were certainly worth wooing.
And the ability to deter Demons—that was no small matter!
"Could it be that the Mythology System can sense talent?" Qin Jun couldn't help continuing to ask in his mind.
"Yes, but only within a certain range. After all, the main purpose of the Mythology System is to assist the host's growth. The System will notify you about any talent that could be useful to the host!"