Seeing Suo Ming like this gave Wang ng a headache. He couldn’t stand it when people cried—he could put up with it from won, but a man...
"If Hengshan Hall doesn’t want you, you can just co to Thunderlight Hall. It’s no big deal," Wang ng said.
"Huh?" Suo Ming was stunned. "You... you an Thunderlight Hall will take ?"
Suo Ming still couldn’t quite believe it. His reputation was terrible, and he’d just been kicked out. ’Who would possibly want ?’
Wang ng couldn’t help but shake his head. He’d seen his share of blindly arrogant people, but it was rare to find soone with so little self-confidence. A Body Cultivator at the Sixteenth Layer of Elental Power with such a solid foundation would be a welco addition anywhere. That was, of course, ignoring the Hengshan Hall issue. But then again, he was sure plenty of people couldn’t care less about Hengshan Hall.
"Yes, we’ll take you. Now get up. I have sowhere to be. Just go find Hu Jing and tell her I sent you."
"No, no way! You can’t just leave!" Suo Ming scrambled up, snatched his hamr, and hurried after him.
"From now on, you’re my boss! Wherever you go, I go!" Suo Ming didn’t believe him for a second. Just a few days ago, he had been swaggering around Thunderlight Hall, acting like a tyrant. If he showed up now, they’d eat him alive.
"I’m going to a very distant place. You can just go to Thunderlight Hall on your own."
"No! I’m sticking with you, no matter what! Either that, or you can kill !" Suo Ming shook his head frantically, utterly unconvinced.
Wang ng was speechless. ’This guy must have been deceived his whole life to be this insecure.’ Wang ng would later find out that Suo Ming had, in fact, been abandoned as a child. He was lucky to be adopted by a kind soul who eventually sent him to the Holy Hall, which led him to where he was today. But even after entering the Holy Hall, he never felt secure. Desperate not to disappoint others and eager to fit in at Hengshan Hall, he forced himself to act as viciously as everyone else, all so he wouldn’t be cast out and could be allowed to stay.
And just like that, Wang ng had an unexpected companion on his journey. After a few days, however, he discovered this companion wasn’t half bad. Suo Ming had wandered for a ti, and though he looked big and burly, he was surprisingly good at taking care of people. Besides, disciples who left the Holy Hall for training were generally at the Fifteenth Layer or higher. Soone like Wang ng, who dared to run around at a re tenth layer, was a rare sight indeed.
As the two grew familiar with one another, they started talking more. Wang ng had never expected Suo Ming to be so chatty; he could give Zhang Xiaopang a run for his money, though he wasn’t quite as hyper. He was also a capable worker. In the wilderness, he could throw together a simple shelter in the ti it takes for half an incense stick to burn. But of course, that wasn’t what surprised Wang ng the most.
Suo Ming was a cook!
And a damn good one at that. At least, after tasting his cooking, Wang ng decided he was definitely keeping him around!
The seven emotions and six desires were considered major taboos in cultivation. As far as Wang ng was concerned, that was a load of bullshit.
Inside Suo Ming’s Qiankun Bag, aside from his hamr, was nothing but food and a wide variety of spices.
After eating his fill and picking his teeth, Wang ng couldn’t help but remark, "Zhang Xiaopang has a storyteller’s gift, and you’re a natural-born cook. Such a waste."
Suo Ming grinned from ear to ear, the gap from his missing front tooth giving him a comical look. He scratched his head. "I was terrified of starvation when I was a kid."
’He and the gluttonous Zhang Xiaopang would probably have a lot to talk about,’ Wang ng thought. ’Life is funny. Who would’ve guessed the fierce, intimidating Suo Ming was actually like this?’
Suo Ming actually had a good deal of experience. When he first arrived in the Small Thousand World, he wasn’t yet a Holy Hall Disciple and had to take any job he could find just to get by. He did that all the way until he was accepted into Hengshan Hall. It was no wonder he treasured his position so much—a feeling Wang ng understood all too well.
Hundreds of miles from the Holy Hall, they were now completely outside its sphere of influence. From this point forward, they needed to stay vigilant.
This was Tongming City, a classic city of Cultivators. Many such cities existed throughout the Small Thousand World. So were vassals to larger powers, while others remained independent. Cultivators who were out training—be they Evil, Demon, or Saint Cultivators—all congregated in places like this.
Tongming City was one of the independent cities, where Saint, Demon, and Evil Cultivators mingled, creating a tangled and complex web of power.
"Haha, Boss! Even though this is your first ti traveling, you won’t have any trouble with around. Spectacular, right? I haven’t been back in a few years myself. Tsk, tsk, it’s gotten even grander!"
Suo Ming laughed. Now that they were here, he was the one on ho turf. He had a habit of always trying to prove his worth.
Wang ng chuckled. "Could you maybe call sothing else?"
"But Boss, when you’re trying to make it out here, a title like this gives you more of an imposing air!"
Suo Ming declared with great confidence. Nowadays, all the real badasses were called ’Boss’.
Tongming City was indeed large, and it was filled with Cultivators. However, a significant portion of the population was made up of mortals.
Noticing Wang ng’s gaze on the mortals, Suo Ming imdiately explained, "Pretty much any city run by us Cultivators has a population of mortals. The pay for working in a place like this is way higher than on the outside. I even scraped by here for a while back in the day."
Wang ng just smiled. It was true that in the past, the world of Cultivators had no place for mortals. But in a few hundred years, much had changed. Only the fundantal nature of things remained the sa.
"Let’s find a place to stay first. We can look around after."
On the streets, it was easy to tell Cultivators and mortals apart with a single glance. Once you were out in the wider world, however, a Cultivator’s apparent level ant nothing. The person who just brushed past you on the street could be an Ancestral Master Level expert, or they could be so unlucky scrub.
Young n like Wang ng and Suo Ming were a di a dozen; they’d disappear the mont they stepped into a crowd.
"Pingfu Weapon Shop. I used to work here," Suo Ming said, pointing. "Uncle Lin is incredibly powerful. He’s the one who watches over this whole district. Oh, right, Uncle Lin is a Holy Hall Disciple, too. He’s the one who sent to the Holy Hall."
Suo Ming explained as they walked up to the entrance of Pingfu Weapon Shop. It was a smithy that specialized in forging weapons for Body Cultivators.
The owner, though getting on in years, was hale and hearty, his body rippling with muscle. He looked to be around the Thirtieth Layer in strength, which was quite a respectable level in Tongming City. He was pretty much the one in charge of this entire street.
"Uncle Lin! Uncle Lin, I’m back!" Suo Ming cried, a brilliant smile on his face.
Lin Ying looked up, shooting Suo Ming a glance. "You little brat. Still smiling so wide after soone knocked your tooth out. Not bad. It’s only been a few years, and you’re already starting to look like a proper Cultivator!"
Lin Ying set down his tools and gave Suo Ming a hearty embrace.
"Little Xiu, co see who’s here!"
Lin Ying bellowed, and a head imdiately popped out from a window on the second floor. A lovely young woman then ca running down the stairs.
"Brother Suo!"
She was a very pretty girl with delicate features, but it was obvious at a glance that she was a mortal.
"Little Xiu," Suo Ming said, scratching his head and looking a little shy.
Noticing the stranger, both of them grew a little reserved. Wang ng chuckled, "Just pretend I’m not here. Don’t mind ."
He might say that, but how could they possibly ignore him? "And this young brother is...?"
"Uncle Lin, this is my boss, Senior Brother Wang ng from Thunderlight Hall," Suo Ming said.
Lin Ying smiled. Though his eyes held a flicker of confusion, the seasoned veteran didn’t comnt on it. "Welco. Any Holy Hall Disciple who’s a friend of Suo Ming’s can consider this place their ho."
"Then I’m afraid I’ll be troubling you for the next few days, Uncle Lin."
"Don’t be so formal!" Lin Ying bood. "Wife! Get down here and welco our guests!"
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