After Jiang Dali and Nie Renwang were settled at the ambassadorial guesthouse outside the Imperial Palace, they summoned the Fire Qilin, which greatly frightened the residents of the Divine Martial Country, to the embassy for calming and rest.

To prevent the beast from causing trouble in the city while he was off guard, he requested a hundred jars of aged wine from the official in charge. He then got both the Fire Qilin and the alcohol-loving Demon Dragon thoroughly drunk.

Stealing a rare moment of leisure for himself, he indulged in a fragrant bath under the attentive care of a skillful maid arranged by the embassy. He called upon a skilled back rub master to scrub away a few pounds of grime from his old skin, and then, feeling refreshed, changed into a loose garment and enthusiastically set out to roam the streets on a tall horse.

Nie Renwang, being at a critical point of breakthrough, did not accompany him.

For Jiang Dali, even though he had lived two lifetimes, this was his first visit to the Divine Martial Imperial City.

To him, although the marketplace here was not much different from those in the Ming and Song countries, the air he breathed was different, and so were the customs and culture. The players gathered here were also different—all unharvested greenhorns.

As he trotted through the streets on horseback, with a group of anxious Divine Martial Guards following behind, seemingly serving yet actually monitoring, this kind of parade scene was likely unique in the entire Martial World, becoming a distinctive and beautiful sight on the streets of the Imperial City.

Jiang Dali looked on with emotion, taking in the street stalls from various vendors and country folk from all over. From farming tools and fabrics, wild game and herbs from the mountains, farmhouse donkeys, horses, ducks, and poultry, to the necessary weapons and equipment for Martial World people, everything was available, showcasing the vastness of the Divine Martial Country’s structure and its esteem for martial prowess.

Even though Jiang Dali’s grand parade attracted a lot of attention, it did not affect the bargaining and shouting in the market.

Jiang Dali spotted a "special market" in the distance that was apparently where players gathered and immediately rode through the bustling native market towards the player trading area.

In the past life, the player trading area in each city was often called a safe zone, where one could see a variety of strange and unusual items being traded by players.

In this life, Jiang Dali had rarely integrated into the players’ community.

At this moment, touring the market as the Black Wind Village Chief, a super Big Boss in the eyes of players, had become a fresh spectacle for the players, stirring their excited and surprised discussions. They all cast curious and amazed glances, then speculated whether this unusual act by the Black Wind Village Chief signaled the triggering of some special task.

For a moment, the voices in the player market shouting for attention became more pronounced, hoping to catch Jiang Dali’s attention.

"A Mountain Village brand Arrogant Sky Breaking Sun Bow, meticulously designed and forged by a senior craftsman from Divine Iron City, a third-rank famous weapon, only one available, come take a look, a premium product from the Mountain Village!"

"A Mountain Village version of the Golden Body Skill secret manual, train with it and you’ll become half a Black Wind Village babe, miss this shop, and you’ll have to climb the mountain to learn! Don’t wait for money, lose the secret manual, and be left with empty sorrow!"

"Naughty set! Premium naughty set for sale! Extremely smooth and absolutely sensational, gently set for safe lock, anti-tear and anti-theft, highly wear-resistant, one battle, die back to the city while the set stays in place, can be washed and reused, a universal-sized premium Eight Desolate Head Cover, 50 silver coins for five, including a bottle of ’Hero Three-step Fall’ knockout drug."

"...Overly competitive, too competitive. These Eight Desolate Disciples, once the Black Wind Village Chief arrived, immediately switched to selling Mountain Village Eight Desolate items, clearly intending to bait the Black Wind Village Chief!"

Jiang Dali, with his extraordinary hearing, listened to the whispers among the players’ stalls, maintaining a calm demeanor pretending to just pass by, but actually observing the trading goods and prices to personally understand the stage of development the players were currently in.

Seeing him leave the market without lingering, many players felt a sense of disappointment but had no choice.

Who would have thought that the Black Wind Village Chief, coming to the Divine Martial Country this time, did not issue any tasks, nor did he engage in combat with anyone, quite different from his usual style.

In reality, who knew that with Jiang Dali’s current level of power, simply issuing small tasks to harvest players for a trivial amount of Cultivation Points and Potential Points was actually of little significance, instead appearing rather deliberate, not fitting his persona.

The truth is, even if he does nothing now and lets the Mountain Village players and Eight Desolate Disciples develop, every day he can receive anywhere from forty to well over a hundred thousand Cultivation Points and Potential Points through the transmission halls at Mountain Village sub-branches across regions. In just three months, he could naturally accumulate millions of Cultivation Points and Potential Points.

Although this situation will begin to decline over time as new Mountain Village players decrease and eventually reach a bottleneck, it is sufficient to support him advancing into the higher levels of Returning to Truth Realm, utilizing time to exchange for development space.

"Uncle!"

At this moment, a little girl, appearing no more than ten years old, suddenly rushed in front of Jiang Dali’s horse, startling it into a quick halt with a neigh, causing his cloak to flutter.

A following group of Divine Martial Guards were also taken aback.

"Hmm?"

Jiang Dali gazed down quizzically with his tiger-like eyes.

"Uncle!"

The girl lifted her innocent and rosy face, extending a candied haw in her hand, looking apprehensive yet hopeful, exclaiming, "Uncle, would you like a stick of candied haws? They’re sweet and delicious."

All the Divine Martial Guards and many natives and players watching from afar were astonished.

Selling candied haws to the Black Wind Village Chief?

This little one certainly has some guts!

"Candied hawthorn..."

Jiang Dali looked down at the shimmering candied hawthorn being offered in front of him, and a rare ripple stirred in his heart, as if the rhythm and breath of life had drawn him away from the blood and fire of the martial world and battlefields. He once again felt the emotion and spirit he had once sought in the martial world.

The original breath of life!

"Uncle... if... if you don’t want it, then..."

The little girl was so unexpectedly frightened and awed by the overwhelming aura Jiang Dali subconsciously emitted that she fearfully withdrew the small hand holding out the candied hawthorn.

"Just because you call me Uncle, not Grandpa, I’ll take it!"

Jiang Dali gently smiled, reached out his large hand to take the candied hawthorn, and then looked at the two remaining sticks in the little girl’s hand, saying, "Give me those two as well."

The little girl instinctively tightened her grip, her bright eyes staring at Jiang Dali, "One cent for one."

"Uncle doesn’t usually carry much money with him."

Jiang Dali laughed heartily, then under the girl’s nervous gaze, he looked at the Divine Martial Guard leader following him, "Give her three gold coins!"

The leader immediately stepped forward respectfully, taking out three gold coins and handing them to the little girl, whose eyes widened in disbelief.

Jiang Dali casually handed back one stick of candied hawthorn, smiling at the dazed girl, "Of these three sticks of candied hawthorn, Uncle is giving one back to you. After eating it, you should either practice martial arts diligently or study well in school!"

No one has the right to change another person’s way of life, but with the three gold coins Jiang Dali gave, he could indeed change the lifestyle of the girl selling candied hawthorn.

If life offers such a choice, who would willingly sell candied hawthorn in the streets at such a young age, while peers are either playing or studying in private schools?

Many people never have the chance to choose in their lives, but some meet a benefactor and gain the opportunity to choose. At this moment, for this little girl, Jiang Dali was undoubtedly such a benefactor.

Many players, initially disappointed that the Black Wind Village Chief had not announced any quests, were touched by the scene and saw the little girl leaving happily. They suddenly felt that not receiving any quests today wasn’t so important. At least witnessing this rare, gentle, and touching side of the Black Wind Village Chief made their visit worthwhile.

Who says iron men are cold and ruthless?

Very few people can reach the soft heart wrapped within their hardened exterior.

Jiang Dali held the reins of his horse, smiling as he watched the little girl leave. He wrapped a candied hawthorn in the embroidered handkerchief Wang Yuyan had made after learning from Dongfang Bubai, then ate half the stick in one bite, savoring the sweet and sour taste. He felt that this street parade was worthwhile, allowing him to taste life’s sweet and sour and grounded breath once again.

This made him feel that he was not living in a cold, detached, and hollow world, but in a real world full of blood, flesh, and many touching moments. Even without proving his existence through various battles, he could prove it in a gentle way.

These two methods, the former spreading his fame and dominance, the latter spreading his love and embrace, are all his heartfelt choices and emotions, unrestricted by societal norms, free and sincere.

Thinking of this, Jiang Dali suddenly felt as if his spirit had reached a new level of elevation, and his initial heart realm seemed to undergo a subtle change; a prompt appeared on his panel.

However, before he could inspect it closely, a nameless feeling accompanied by a clear image suddenly appeared in his mind.

In his mind, a monk with a stature reaching the clouds suddenly appeared. His demeanor was gentle and transcendent, and in Jiang Dali’s telepathic perception, it felt as if the monk was smiling and gazing directly at him, his eyes gleaming with fervor, as innocent as a child’s. They were filled with purity, much like the little girl’s eyes.

At his waist, a broad-backed long knife with faint mysterious waves was casually strapped.

"Ying Yuan!"

Jiang Dali’s heart trembled, his eyes flashed with surprise, and his primordial spirit had already captured the location of the opponent at that moment through the soul-locking skill, involuntarily sending a wave of spirit.

"Didn’t expect to meet you, a living Buddha, in the Divine Martial Country? As someone whose life chart is not favored by the heavens, this shouldn’t be merely a coincidence."

"Namo Amitabha Buddha!"

Ying Yuan softly chanted a Buddhist mantra, calmly transmitting his voice from afar, "Heaven’s will is elusive, human intent is steadfast. This time, I actively sought to meet Brother Jiang."

...

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(Good night!)