"Going to Yishui City?" Zong Ling and Tong San were still excited, and they were taken aback by Dongbo Xueying's words, because in the past, Dongbo Xueying had always been very diligent in his cultivation, rarely going to Yishui City even once a year.
"Xueying, are you planning to buy weapons?" Zong Ling suddenly asked.
Dongbo Xueying was slightly taken aback, then smiled and said, "If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten. I do need to buy a long spear. This time, I plan to go to Yishui City... because the New Year is coming soon. After the New Year, Qing Shi will be ten years old! He can't keep playing like this. I also promised him long ago that when he turns ten, I would find him a good mage teacher to start his formal training."
"Hmm, a mage teacher is very important," Zong Ling and Tong San said seriously.
Mages are erudite and wise. Without a good teacher to guide them, it is very difficult to become an erudite and wise mage. Moreover, the advanced cultivation of mages involves the soul. If one practices recklessly alone and damages the soul, it will be too late to regret it.
"There is only one Star-level mage in the entire Yishui City—Bai Yuanzhi," Dongbo Xueying said. "The Great Mage Bai Yuanzhi lives in the city. I plan to visit him and hope he will take my younger brother as a personal disciple."
"A personal disciple?" Zong Ling worried, "That might be quite difficult."
The teaching of a mage involves comprehensive guidance in knowledge, thinking, and more. The relationship between a mage and a personal disciple is as close as that between parents and children. Therefore, the more powerful the mage, the more likely they are to take on some nominal disciples, giving them a few lectures and leaving their achievements to their own efforts. As for 'personal disciples,' a powerful mage will not take on many in their lifetime, as mages also need to spend time on their own cultivation. Taking on too many personal disciples would hinder their own practice!
"How will we know if we don't try?" Dongbo Xueying smiled.
...
Two days later.
After all, he was a near 'Spear Master' level expert. Although his strength had surged, after two days of adaptation, Dongbo Xueying was already completely familiar with it. He then set out for Yishui City with his younger brother, Zong Ling, and a hundred-man cavalry detachment.
"It's been a long time since I've entered the city with my brother," Qing Shi was very excited.
Dongbo Xueying rode a Feishuang horse, and Qing Shi sat in his arms, extremely excited.
As a second-tier magical beast, the Feishuang horse ran very smoothly, and its current speed was just a leisurely pace! After all, they needed to let the cavalry detachment keep up. If the Feishuang horse were to run at full speed, it would probably disappear in the blink of an eye.
In just a short while, a majestic city came into view.
The castle was only a hundred miles from Yishui City!
When their parents chose the fiefdom... they chose a place close to the city! The edge of the Xueying fiefdom was right at the city gates.
"It's the cavalry of the Xueying fiefdom," the lazy guards of Yishui City saw the distant cavalry detachment galloping over and immediately held their breath. From the emblem of a 'spreading snow eagle' on the armor of the cavalry, they recognized the identity of the visitors. Each cavalryman also carried a large Broken Star Crossbow, which was unique to the Xueying fiefdom!
"The one in front is the young lord of the Xueying fiefdom, and in his arms is his younger brother, Young Master Qing Shi."
"I didn't expect the young lord to enter the city."
"He rarely comes."
"His younger brother often comes. I've seen Young Master Qing Shi several times in the past month."
The city guards chatted with each other, standing aside to let the cavalry detachment enter the city.
The empire has been established for over nine thousand years, and the lowest-level city guards have long been corrupt, only intimidating small bandits. They dare not provoke powerful nobles or extremely formidable bandits.
...
"It's the young lord of the Xueying fiefdom."
"Make way."
"Move aside."
People in the city watched curiously, making way from a distance. The Xueying fiefdom was one of the top ten families in Yishui City, and the current lord's personal outing was a significant event.
"Xuming General Store!" A huge store was very eye-catching.
"Right here."
"Clack, clack, clack—" Dongbo Xueying reined in his horse and immediately ordered, "Wait for me outside."
"Yes, my lord," the soldiers respectfully replied.
"Uncle Zong, let's go in." Dongbo Xueying handed the horse to a subordinate and then held his younger brother's hand, entering the Xuming General Store with Zong Ling.
Although it was called a general store, the storefront was nearly a hundred meters long, and there were dozens of clerks inside, with many customers.
This was the best place to buy weapons in the entire Yishui City.
"Yishui City is ultimately just a county-level city. Very good alchemical weapons are simply too expensive for most to afford," Zong Ling said with a smile. "A second-tier alchemical weapon costs tens of thousands of gold coins, which is equivalent to the entire Xueying fiefdom. How many nobles in Yishui City can afford it? Even if they want to buy, they probably have to go to the county city, or even the provincial capital! So most of the weapons here are unranked, and first-tier alchemical weapons are generally the best. Perhaps there are a few second-tier alchemical weapons as the store's treasures."
Dongbo Xueying nodded slightly. The long spear he had previously used was unranked.
"Is this the famous Dongbo Xueying of the Xueying fiefdom? Ha, I've heard a lot about you, but this is the first time I've met you," a middle-aged man in a purple robe smiled as he walked out.
"Xueying, this is the store owner, Baron Quan Xuming," Zong Ling introduced.
"Nice to meet you, Baron Quan," Dongbo Xueying smiled.
The powerful figures in Yishui City could be counted on one hand, and Quan Xuming was one of them! He was once a major merchant with a large business, but later, he no longer wanted to travel and returned to his hometown to buy a fiefdom and open a general store in the city. Although it was called a general store, it had the best variety of treasures and weapons in the entire Yishui City.
The number of treasures alone showed that he had considerable influence.
"I'll take the liberty of calling you Brother Xueying," the middle-aged man in the purple robe smiled. "Brother, what are you here to buy?"
"A long spear," Dongbo Xueying said.
"Baron Quan, bring out your best long spears," Zong Ling also said.
"Right, the best, the best, bring them all out," Qing Shi was very excited.
"Ha... what a spirit! However, my store is just a small one. There are only three long spears that can be considered good," the middle-aged man in the purple robe thought for a moment. Generally, those with weaker strength don't need to use ranked alchemical weapons. It seems this young lord has considerable strength, perhaps even reaching the rank of a Heaven Knight. He immediately turned and instructed, "Go, bring out the three best long spears for Brother Xueying to choose from. Brother Xueying, let's go inside and sit down to talk."
Many customers in the store had already noticed Dongbo Xueying and were quietly discussing it.
After all, although Dongbo Xueying rarely entered the city, his name had been discussed many times by the people of Yishui City. He became the lord of a fiefdom at the age of eight, and it was said that he practiced spear techniques every day, almost to the point of obsession. It was also said that his parents were captured, or even killed... various rumors, some of which were false.
In the private room.
Tea and pastries were served, and they chatted casually for a moment.
Six maids, two carrying a weapon box each, brought in three ancient weapon boxes.
"Open them all for Brother Xueying to see," the middle-aged man in the purple robe instructed.
Bang, bang, bang, the three weapon boxes were opened.
Dongbo Xueying's eyes immediately lit up as he carefully examined them.