Give it a try.

Liu Xuanfeng was not angry; it was as though he had already expected Li Miao’s refusal. He smiled faintly and said, “If that’s the case, I won’t press further. Please, go ahead.”

He gave a slight bow and stepped aside to clear the way.

Li Miao, not one for formalities, sauntered past with Guo’er in his arms, swaggering as he went.

A fresh wave of lively chatter rippled through the crowd.

Liu Xuanfeng watched the two disappear into the throng, a mysterious smile playing at the corners of his lips.

Once he managed to squeeze his way out of the crowd, Li Miao’s first priority was to inquire about the location of a clothing shop.

After all, if he was going to be living in this world for the long haul, he couldn’t stand wearing “strange garb” every day and being subjected to odd stares. He needed a few decent outfits.

Once he learned where the cloth emporium was, he immediately took Guo’er by the hand and hurried through winding streets toward the southern part of town.

Wu’an Town was not particularly large; from the west to the south was a mere thousand paces or so. They arrived in no time.

At the “Silk and Brocade Emporium,” determined not to endure another moment of disdain, Li Miao directly produced two gold bars from his microcosmic pouch and slapped them down on the counter with a crisp smack.

“Bring out your finest clothes!” he demanded, brimming with bravado. “Adult sizes, children’s, casual, athletic, understated, grand—you name it, I want them all!”

The shopkeeper and several customers were startled, thinking a bandit chief had barged in to rob the place. Only when they saw the gold bars and not a menacing blade did they dare approach to serve him.

“S-sir, what was it you just said? What sort of clothing do you require?”

“I said, I want all of them!”

“…”

An hour later.

Li Miao emerged from the Silk and Brocade Emporium, feeling entirely refreshed, with Guo’er’s small hand in his. Their appearances had been utterly transformed.

He now wore a fitted brown martial outfit of fine fabric, the cuffs and calves tightly bound, a black silk belt at his waist, and thick-soled cloud boots on his feet—a look both imposing and full of martial spirit.

Guo’er wore a meticulously crafted dress: a white underlayer topped with a sheer, water-blue gauze skirt, tiny boots on her feet, and her once-tousled hair now tied into a pair of cute side buns by the shopkeeper. She was every bit the picture of charm.

In the blink of an eye, the two of them had changed from bumpkins new to the city into the image of a composed warrior and a wealthy young princess.

Li Miao also stowed more than a dozen changes of clothing in his microcosmic pouch.

The effect of two gold bars was indeed significant. When they returned to the street, no one cast strange looks their way anymore. On the contrary, Guo’er’s exquisite, doll-like appearance often drew the attention of passersby, who turned for a second look.

The two wandered through alleys and lanes, nibbling candied hawthorn, munching on fried cakes, listening to street performers—reveling in every moment.

For the first time, Guo’er experienced the difference between life in the mountain town and the bustling world below. Everything was new and wondrous to her, every bite a new delight. She was as if just awakened to the beauty of the world, her laughter spilling like silver bells through the streets.

“Uncle, are you very rich?” Guo’er asked curiously, her mouth full of sweet dates.

Li Miao grinned with pride and replied, “Of course. Back in the day, I earned a second-class merit. I piloted a battleship solo into the enemy’s rear lines and took out their leader with a single ion beam cannon shot. Quite the feat! The Alliance rewarded me with permission to study any secret art I wished and three hundred million universal credits… Basically, I could learn or buy anything I desired.”

A few gold bars were nothing to his former self. Unfortunately, stranded in another world, his cards were useless and his money unspendable—only the dozen or so yellow metal bars for spaceship repairs in his microcosmic pouch could be traded for supplies now.

Li Miao couldn’t help but sigh.

Guo’er only understood the beginning and end of his story—the rest went right over her head. All she gathered was that he was never short on money.

“If only Uncle had come sooner,” she said with a hint of regret.

Li Miao knew she was thinking of Xuan Zhenzi. He comforted her, “Your master is surely watching over you from above. Seeing you live so well now, he would be overjoyed.”

“Yes! I want to live as happily as Master said ‘the rich’ do, and I’ll become a cultivator like he hoped, to restore the glory of Mount Zhongyun!” The little girl clenched her fist, full of fighting spirit.

Hand in hand, the two strolled the town, playing and sightseeing, unwittingly letting half the day slip by.

In the afternoon, as they reached the eastern part of town, they noticed a surge of people hurrying toward a gathering.

“Hurry up, the tournament is about to start—I don’t want to miss the excitement!”

“It’s the once-a-month dual cultivation tournament with Lady Qi from the Verdant Pavilion. I wonder what experts will show up this time.”

“Hey, brat, move it! Don’t block the way!”

From the scattered chatter, Li Miao quickly pieced together what was happening.

Everyone was flocking to watch a martial tournament. The winner, it was said, would have the chance to spend a night in dual cultivation with Lady Qi, the head courtesan of the Verdant Pavilion. Such a prospect naturally attracted a throng of eager young men.

The crowd of onlookers seemed endless.

Having nothing else to do, Li Miao took Guo’er along to join the fun.

The Verdant Pavilion stood at the eastern market of Wu’an Town, a grand three-story building adorned with red lanterns and trailing vines, right beside the main street with an expansive courtyard out front.

But now, the entire area was packed solid—every street and shop nearby overflowing with people. Some with greater agility had even climbed onto rooftops for a better view.

At the heart of the crowd, at the street’s center, a temporary arena had been set up. On the platform stood a refined man in moon-white robes, explaining the tournament rules.

It was Liu Xuanfeng!

“…Everyone, please show restraint and avoid injuries. Only the champion will have the chance to spend a night with Lady Qi, but those who don’t win needn’t be discouraged—the other courtesans of the Verdant Pavilion will welcome you warmly.”

“Well then, I won’t take up any more of your time. Please, make yourselves at home.”

By the time Li Miao arrived, Liu Xuanfeng was finishing his explanation, and the tournament began.

“I’ll go first!” came a shout from the crowd.

A burly, muscle-bound man leapt onto the platform and stood squarely at its center, exuding confidence.

This was a one-on-one contest. The first to step up was at a disadvantage—no matter how skilled, fatigue would set in after several matches. So most waited to make their move.

But if everyone hesitated, the first man would win by default!

Soon, someone shouted from the crowd, “Butcher Sun, let me have a go at you!”

A dark-faced man leapt onto the stage.

Butcher Sun grinned. “Escort Luo, good to see you! It’s been ages since I’ve tasted your Tiger’s Pounce Fist!”

“Heh, well, try it now!”

Both were straightforward fellows and began trading punches and kicks without delay.

Li Miao watched for a moment from afar and could tell both were seasoned fighters—their martial foundations solid, their bodies strong. Each punch carried at least two or three hundred pounds of force.

But in the eyes of a cultivator, this was nothing.

He sensed clearly that within the small area around the arena, at least six or seven distinct flows of true energy could be felt!

Most notably, Liu Xuanfeng, standing below the stage, exuded an aura at the mid-stage of the Condensing Truth realm—stronger even than the Guo brothers of the Scarlet Dawn Sword Sect!

Earlier in the street, Liu Xuanfeng’s aura had been completely concealed, and Li Miao hadn’t tried to probe him, so he hadn’t noticed. Now, perhaps to deter troublemakers, Liu Xuanfeng displayed the full might of a mid-stage cultivator.

Though he merely stood quietly below, every cultivator present could feel the pressure radiating from him.

Even Li Miao was not immune!

“This fellow is formidable,” Li Miao thought to himself.

Guo’er, puzzled, asked, “Uncle, what are you talking about? Oh, that dark-faced man just lost!”

Even as she spoke, the match had gone through dozens of moves. Butcher Sun’s strength outmatched his opponent, and Escort Luo’s Tiger’s Pounce Fist wasn’t quite refined enough. Seizing an opening, Butcher Sun kicked him in the chest, sending him flying off the stage into the crowd.

Having defeated his challenger, Butcher Sun was invigorated and laughed heartily, “Hahaha, next! Who else dares face me?”

“I will!”

A cold snort came from across the street as a swordsman leapt down from a rooftop, landing in the center of the platform.

Li Miao instantly sensed that this man was at the third level of Qi Refinement.

Seeing the swordsman, Butcher Sun’s face darkened. He said nothing further, preparing himself for the match.

“I don’t bully the weak,” the swordsman He Jun declared arrogantly. “If you can withstand three of my moves, you win.”

The bout began again, but this time Butcher Sun was the one at a disadvantage.

“First move!”

Swish!

He Jun’s sword, still sheathed, thrust forward with lightning speed. Butcher Sun hastily blocked with his arms, barely managing to resist the strike, but the sharp aura beneath the scabbard forced him back three steps.

The gap between a martial artist and a cultivator was plain to see.

“Second move!”

“Third move!”

Whoosh! Bang!

Two more clashes followed. The sword, though still sheathed, was empowered by true energy, making each strike as deadly as a real blade.

Butcher Sun barely managed to endure, surviving the three moves by a hair’s breadth.

He Jun kept his promise. Failing to win in three moves, he stepped down himself.

Butcher Sun, however, was coughing blood and no longer fit to continue. He exited the stage in disappointment.

Next, two more contestants ascended—both cultivators, one at the fifth and one at the sixth level of Qi Refinement.

Li Miao’s interest was piqued.

With so many cultivators participating, could Lady Qi from the Verdant Pavilion truly be a beguiling enchantress? Why else would cultivators, whose aim was to pursue immortality, flock here so eagerly?

Of course!

Suddenly, realization dawned on him.

It was the dual cultivation!

The tournament’s allure was both Lady Qi and the dual cultivation itself—neither could be discounted!

Many contestants might simply wish to enjoy the company of the famed courtesan, but for the cultivators, the promise of “a night of dual cultivation” must have held even greater appeal.

Although Li Miao didn’t know much about the world of cultivation, he reckoned there were definite benefits to be gained.

Pleasure was one thing, but if you could actually profit from it afterward—that was what truly mattered!

With that thought, his curiosity grew. Holding Guo’er, he leaped onto the upturned eaves of a nearby two-story restaurant.

“There are too many people below. We’ll see better from here,” he said.

His leap, soaring nearly thirty feet, drew some attention, but most were too absorbed in the action on stage to care.

Only Liu Xuanfeng, standing below the arena, seemed to sense his presence. He glanced over, surprise flickering in his eyes, and gave a slight nod.

During their earlier encounter, Li Miao, too, had kept his energy concealed; thanks to the unique nature of his original powers, Liu Xuanfeng hadn’t seen through him. Now, with that leap, his strength was revealed.

Li Miao returned the nod and turned his attention back to the contest.

On stage, the two Qi Refinement cultivators traded blows, true energy swirling with every move—far more impressive than any ordinary martial artist.

But both contestants were experienced enough not to let their power spill recklessly, always keeping their strikes tightly contained to avoid harming bystanders.

“Well done! Well done!”

“Impressive skills, Chief Zhou!”

In short order, the fifth-level cultivator was defeated and the sixth-level, Zhou Tong, claimed victory.

Below the stage, Liu Xuanfeng called out loudly, “Time is precious! If you wish to challenge, do so quickly. The faster you win, the longer you’ll have alone with Lady Qi!”

No sooner had he spoken than someone declared, “Let’s not waste any more time—my turn!”

A rush of wind.

From the far end of the crowd, a young man in hemp robes vaulted lightly over the heads of the spectators and landed on the platform.

“Heavenly Herb Sect’s He Tianxiang, at your service!” he announced, clasping his hands.

Li Miao’s eyes lit up—someone from the Heavenly Herb Sect!

And his cultivation was no small matter: ninth level of Qi Refinement, just a step away from entering the Condensing Truth realm and gaining the ability to cast water and fire spells or fly on a sword.

As He Tianxiang took his place, the momentum of a ninth-level cultivator surged forth.

Even though everyone knew the Heavenly Herb Sect was not known for combat, they couldn’t help but gasp in awe.

Zhou Tong, his opponent, instantly lost confidence. Shaking his head, he said, “Since you are here, Brother He, I concede defeat.”

He clasped his hands in respect and jumped down from the stage.

No one laughed at Zhou Tong for yielding without a fight. After all, no one present had a higher cultivation than He Tianxiang; the strongest among them was only at the seventh level, two realms below—not a match at all.

After a while, seeing no challengers step forward, a smile crept across He Tianxiang’s face.

Liu Xuanfeng cleared his throat and announced, “Is there truly no one left to challenge? Remember, whoever wins today’s contest will have the chance to dual cultivate with Lady Qi, who herself is at the ninth level of Qi Refinement. Not only is the experience itself exquisite, but it will also help your cultivation progress rapidly—a rare opportunity indeed.”

As he spoke, his gaze drifted—perhaps deliberately—toward Li Miao perched atop the roof. Having sensed Li Miao’s strength, it was clear Liu Xuanfeng was entertaining new ideas.