After agreeing, Gu Shi Yi planned to stroll outside; Big Boss was clamoring to go out,
"I've been cooped up in this broken pot for so long, you ought to get me a new one at least!"
Gu Shi Yi thought about it, a flowerpot wouldn't cost much, so she nodded in agreement. Then, holding Big Boss and with Li Yaner hidden in her bosom, she stepped out the door. The bustle of the Xuancheng streets naturally couldn't be compared to the two small towns she had visited, but Gu Shi Yi, who had seen the world while roaming the Itinerant World, was used to such scenes. Li Yaner and Big Boss, however, were dazzled. Li Yaner said softly from Gu Shi Yi's chest,
"The women's clothing here is indeed much nicer than in the towns..."
Gu Shi Yi smiled and nodded,
"Of course, this place has many merchant ships coming and going. If you follow the river upstream for six hundred li, you'll reach Twin Sages City, the second most prosperous city in Yue Country, second only to Huangjing. Though not as many nobles, there are as many wealthy merchants as there are hairs on an ox. All sorts of fashionable styles originate there. When the merchants from Twin Sages City travel here by boat, they bring the latest fashions to Xuancheng. Naturally, women's clothing here looks much better than in small towns!"
Women love beauty, no matter which realm they are from, even those female cultivators who live in solitude on mountain sects occasionally let worldly desires tempt them to select clothing from the secular world, not to mention ordinary women!
Speaking of this, Gu Shi Yi was quite experienced and laughed,
"If you're talking about the best and latest fashion, it can be found in the Chu Pavilion brothel. To see pretty clothes, we must go there!"
"Chu Pavilion brothel?"
"The girls there spend all day thinking about how to please men. They are the best at figuring out what men like, and they even employ embroiderers to focus solely on crafting clothing. Whatever they make, the girls try on in front of men first. Do you think it could be anything but lovely?"
How different is this from a modern-day fashion show?
Women wear clothes for men to look at, of course to take off as well, so the best clothing makers are men!
Gu Shi Yi said to Li Yaner,
"If we go out from South City, we'll reach the docks. There are many flower boats there, specializing in the business of passing travelers..."
As she spoke, she looked up at the weather,
"If we go now, it will be dark just in time. The girls will be coming out to do business, and you'll have plenty to see!"
Before Li Yaner could respond, Big Boss started shaking its branches excitedly,
"Go, go, go, I want to go! I want to go!"
Gu Shi Yi, frightened, quickly grabbed it and looked around,
"Have you lost your mind? Xuancheng is patrolled by the Spirit Clearing Guard, are you trying to get exterminated as a demon?"
It's not like the Spirit Clearing Guard kills any spirit or monster they see, but they turn a blind eye only to those from powerful sects. For someone like Gu Shi Yi, an insignificant Taoist nun without power or backing, no one bothers asking whether the spirit or monster is good or evil; they just execute it!
The people on the street hurried on their way. Fortunately, when Big Boss shouted, it only drew curious glances from people wondering at the country bumpkin with a broken pot. Gu Shi Yi gave them a bright laugh and, holding Big Boss, ran into an alley, taking a shortcut to the East City Gate.
When she reached South City, at the East City Gate not far from Xuancheng, five grim-faced Big Han were lining up to enter the city,
"Big Brother, did that Old Taoist Priest and the woman really come to Xuancheng?"
A man's lips moved as if he was muttering to himself, but no one around him heard any sound. Another man grunted,
"That shabby temple was obviously packed up. Anything that could be taken was taken. The Old Taoist Priest must have sensed something and taken his female disciple to flee. We've had some delays on our pursuit, but thanks to the elixirs given by the sect leader, we've replenished our mana quickly. This is the biggest and nearest city on this road. Xuancheng has waterways, and if they want to escape, the quickest way is by water. When we were searching for that Turtle Spirit's soul earlier, didn't we hear about a woman driving a carriage into the mountains..."
Too bad the Turtle Spirit hid in the mountain stream and rarely showed itself, only knowing that someone had entered the mountain and then headed towards Xuancheng. On further questioning, nothing else was known. The leader thought,
"The sect leader said Qi Jiufeng was just a Taoist Priest from a mundane Taoist Sect, who practiced a few Taoist magic tricks, and hadn't even touched Great Cultivation. For so many years, it's unknown how he managed to hide, even big sects like Heavenly Unity Sect and Zhengyuan Sect in Great Yue, sent their disciples to search several times to no avail. This time, for some reason, our sect's long-dormant treasure-seeking disk suddenly lit up in the middle of the night. The sect leader said it's likely that the Old Taoist Priest's hiding technique is connected to his life essence. Considering the timeframe, the Old Taoist Priest should be close to death, hence why the treasure can't stay hidden and has leaked traces..."