Clouds stretched like silk, and the mountains and rivers lay like a painting. Gazing down through the thin mist, the landscape flowed slowly beneath her feet. Li Li rested her chin on her hand, looking down at the architecture below.
On the ground, a variety of mechanical carriages wove through the streets. Powerful steam engines were housed within traditional carriage frames, and countless gears hummed like a swarm of bees. At the edge of the city, vast industrial zones stood crowded with chimneys, the roar of machinery constant. A single river separated the Lower City on the left from the Upper City on the right, cutting the city into two distinct worlds like a natural chasm.
The airships were neither as high nor as fast as the airplanes of her past life, nor were they as convenient as traveling on a flying sword, yet they held a charm of their own. Since this was the final flight of the day, there were few passengers on board, all of them mortals.
Li Li moved her arm from the window sill and relaxed, sinking into the red velvet cushions. The cockpit was not entirely partitioned off from the cabin, and after surveying the area, she fixed her gaze on the old driver steering the ship. She was beautiful and had a way with words, so she soon pried a great deal of information about the city out of him.
Although Xietan was composed of a complex mix of people with a high turnover of population, it was by no means a chaotic "city of freedom." On the contrary, its class system was strictly enforced. The Upper City held absolute power over the operations of Xietan. The Xie Family in the Central City, in particular, was practically the emperor of the region. For the people of the Lower City, the idea of living in the Upper City was as difficult as ascending to heaven.
"Tell me, little girl, what brings you to Xietan? I've been doing this job for nearly thirty years, and I’ve never seen a mortal girl like you dare to come to Xietan all on her own."
Upon hearing this, Li Li's eyes reddened immediately, and her voice brimmed with sorrow. "My mother has fallen ill with a strange disease. The doctor said she doesn't have much time left unless she takes an elixir refined by a cultivator. But my family are all mortals; we’ve lived honest lives in the Human Realm for so long, how could we possibly know any immortal cultivators? Everyone said Xietan is the place in the Human Realm with the most cultivators, so I had no choice but to come here and try my luck."
Looking at the girl who was about the same age as his own granddaughter, the old man couldn't help but feel a surge of pity. He thought of something, started to speak, but swallowed his words, hesitating.
Li Li looked at the old man as if he were a straw to save her life, tears teetering on the edge of her lashes, not quite falling, perfectly timed. "Sir, do you know where I can find such medicine? Please, tell me. I would even serve you as a beast of burden to repay you."
Her words were sincere, her helplessness deeply moving. The other passengers, having already overheard, urged the driver to tell her the solution. The old man quickly waved his hands to silence them, his tone still filled with hesitation.
"The Xie Family in the Central City recently posted a bounty. Anyone who can retrieve the bones of a Cold-Bone Winged Fish can claim one treasure from the list provided by the Xie Family. They are a powerful, wealthy family that has worked with cultivators for generations; they certainly have the elixir you need. But this mercenary mission doesn't restrict who can sign up—there are all sorts of vicious people involved. I fear it would be dangerous for a young girl like you to get involved."
Li Li did not flinch. She looked at the old man with determination. "My life was given to me by my mother. I am not afraid."
The old driver merely sighed and stopped trying to persuade her. The Xie Family’s bounty office was located at the Phoenix Terrace in the Upper City. When she disembarked, the old man, overcome with guilt, refused to take her fare.
Li Li turned around, wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with an expressionless face, and her gaze cleared completely. She examined the so-called Phoenix Terrace before her. It was a perfect marriage of mechanics and spiritual power; the machinery beneath the platform operated to project the text onto a massive screen in the air. Situated in the heart of Xietan, it was the place where all factions posted their bounties and news.
Today was the final day of the Xie Family's bounty, and Li Li had caught the tail end of it. In the section for elixirs, she found the Spirit-Condensing Pill capable of repairing spiritual meridians. Beneath the giant screen lay a vast plaza. Even on the final day, there was no shortage of people queuing up to register. Li Li stood at the end of the line.
"Hey, little beauty, you’ve come to the wrong place."
A greasy, lewd, and boorish voice rang out behind her, followed by several jeers from across the plaza. A beautiful girl like Li Li stood out here like a sweet treat dropped into a pack of wolves. Many malicious eyes had been fixed on her since she stepped off the airship.
Li Li frowned slightly, a flash of disgust in her eyes. Lacking cultivation, she didn't want to invite unnecessary trouble, so she turned her head and ignored the voice.
The man, feeling he had lost face by not getting a response from the beauty, grew angry and ashamed. "You filthy bitch, are you deaf when I'm talking to you? If you're looking for business, go to Biliu Alley—don't block the way here!"
He was tall and muscular, with an iron sword tucked at his waist. His shadow completely engulfed her. As the iron sword swung through the air, it made a dull whistling sound, but before the man knew what happened, his own sword was in Li Li's hand.
Li Li pointed the sword at the man, her voice as chilling as if it had been soaked in ice. "Say another word, and I will cut out your tongue."
The man stood frozen, stunned as the sword pointed at him. With the surrounding crowd watching for a show, he bit the bullet and continued to bluster. "This mission is a sea voyage. What use is your amateur skill on a ship? I suppose you just want to cozy up to a cultivator..."
The sound of something sharp slicing through flesh rang out. The man barely escaped a fatal blow, but a red line remained on his neck. Li Li did not give him another chance; she swung the sword, and a gale of wind erupted from the blade. Being a mere mortal, the man couldn't dodge Li Li’s attack. The sound of blade meeting flesh made the onlookers' scalps tingle.
One could not kill without cause in Xietan, so Li Li merely cut out his tongue. Blood sprayed across the ground, and the man gasped for air, barely clinging to life. The surroundings went so quiet that they could hear each other’s breathing.
Li Li dropped the sword, which clattered sharply against the ground. She swept her gaze over the crowd, and those who had been bullying the weak dared not say another word. The men ahead, all feeling quite strong themselves, hurriedly made way for her.
The woman registering the participants was middle-aged, dressed in water-blue robes with the character "Xie" embroidered on the cuffs. Having witnessed the entire ordeal, she did not try to dissuade Li Li, simply proceeding with the routine.
"Name?"
"Li Zhi."
"Mortal?"
"Yes."
"Wait on the ship. We depart in an hour."
Li Li took the ID badge the woman handed her and walked toward the giant ship docked by the sea.
In a room on the second deck, mottled sunlight filtered through the carved window lattices. Thin wisps of smoke curled from a celadon cup on the sandalwood desk. A light cough broke the silence of the room.
"Is your Highness unwell? Did the commotion caused by that girl just now disturb you?" The attendant beside the man handed him a cup of hot tea with a worried expression.
"No matter."
The steam from the tea veiled the man's face, revealing only a pair of long, deep, and penetrating eyes. "She just reminds me of an old acquaintance. Invite her up."