Chapter 119: The Spirit Pet Shop

Even on her second visit to Yunjing, Luo Jinghong remained awestruck by its sheer majesty. As a Yuanling-stage cultivator capable of sword flight and a former Demon Slayer who had risen through the ranks by purging monsters, she had never before set foot in the heart of the Great Qian Empire. Standing beneath the city walls that stretched for miles and towered over ten meters high, a long-forgotten sense of insignificance suppressed the ambitions stirring in her heart.

"I have imagined this moment in Yunjing countless times... but I never thought I would arrive here as a rogue cultivator, entering the sacred ground of the Demon Slayers," Luo Jinghong said, her eyes dimming from their previous brightness.

Su Ye withdrew his gaze from the towering walls and smiled. "Do you remember how you acquired the Taiyi Cauldron of Creation?"

"I traded my future potential for it from Shopkeeper Hu."

"Arriving in Yunjing now, you may be a rogue cultivator like me, but your other identities may not remain as they once were..."

Luo Jinghong looked at Su Ye in surprise, then a smile bloomed on her face. "Brother Su, this is Yunjing. Don't try to use those common street-smart tricks on the people here."

"Then let me test you: In Yunjing—or indeed, in all of the Great Qian—who is the one person truly capable of summoning wind and rain?"

"His Majesty, the Emperor."

"Exactly. Just cling to his coattails, and this trip to Yunjing will be smooth sailing."

"..."

"So, there is no need to worry," Su Ye laughed. "Since this is your first time in Yunjing, let me take you on a tour of this city that is famous throughout the Great Qian."

"Mm," Luo Jinghong nodded with a sweet smile.

The two walked side by side, entering the city through the Vermilion Bird Gate on the right side of the main road. As they passed through the gate, they felt the searing heat characteristic of the Four Symbols beasts. Here, in the stronghold of the formidable Demon Slayers, there was no sense of the impending sixty-year catastrophe. The streets were bustling and filled with tourists. Passersby couldn't help but stop and watch the handsome young pair, finding them a delightful sight.

A vendor selling children’s toys shook a rattle and smiled, "Would the two of you like to come inside and take a look?"

If they were back in Ten-Mile Spring Breeze Town, Luo Jinghong would have been happy to enter. But here in Yunjing, she wanted to appear more mature. A toy shop, brimming with childish innocence, felt out of place with her current mindset. She politely declined.

They continued forward, passing many shops selling goods for ordinary people. After walking the miles-long Vermilion Bird Avenue, Luo Jinghong held three candied hawthorns and a bag of roasted sunflower seeds. Her jade gourd was filled with various spirit fruits.

"Even though I can practice *big* (abstain from food), I can never control this mouth of mine," Luo Jinghong said, chewing on a hawthorn coated in sesame sugar.

"It’s a good thing I don't practice *big* so that I can enjoy the world's delicacies," Su Ye replied, while looking at two towering wooden buildings at the intersection. To his left was the Treasure Pavilion; to his right, a spirit pet shop.

The artifacts in the Yunjing Treasure Pavilion were sure to be rare, but spirit pets were a domain Su Ye had yet to explore.

"Hong’er, which shop do you think we should visit?" Su Ye asked.

With food in front of her, she had abandoned all pretense of being a lady, with a few sesame seeds sticking to the corner of her mouth. She licked them off with her lips, her bright eyes darting back and forth.

"Aren't we going to Lingxi Island soon?" Luo Jinghong looked at the glowing spirit pet shop on the right. "Ever since my spirit sparrow died on the battlefield, I haven't owned a spirit pet."

Su Ye wiped the sesame seed from the corner of her mouth, using a trace of sword energy to incinerate it.

"Waste of food... I thought you were going to eat it; you should have left it for me..."

"Let’s go inside. Haven't you been without a spirit pet for a long time?" Su Ye walked toward the shop, avoiding the topic.

The sensation of the defensive arrays was only slightly weaker than the absolute suppression felt in the Imperial Palace. Any cultivator entering the shop would be unable to best the guards. Inside, the wooden building was shaped like a *zongzi* (pyramid), with a spacious center. The cages housing the spirit pets were embedded into the walls, equipped with spatial arrays that occupied very little room.

Stepping onto a circular staircase, their bodies shrank to the size of a palm. The pets, originally miniature, suddenly appeared as terrifying giants. A three-horned Crimson Flame Beast with red scales... a roaring purple crystal lion... a panda practicing martial arts in its cage... It was dizzying.

"Honored guests, what kind of spirit pet are you looking for?" A clerk in brocade robes appeared silently beside them. The pattern on his cap was his favorite spirit pet.

Su Ye asked, "Do you have any soul-type spirit pets?"

The smile on the clerk’s face vanished. He looked left and right, confirming no one else was paying attention. "Soul-type spirit pets are contraband... Selling them in Yunjing is a capital offense."

"I am ignorant of these matters. I apologize for the offense," Su Ye said, cupping his hands.

The clerk leaned forward and lowered his voice. "If it were before, the underground channels could supply them... but for some reason, those channels were cut off recently. The shopkeeper asked around, but even he doesn't know why the suppliers suddenly quit the business."

"That matter... I am afraid I am the one responsible for it," Su Ye said honestly.

The clerk laughed, "Sir, you certainly know how to joke. In my opinion, it is just because of the sixty-year catastrophe; the world is not peaceful. If you truly wish to buy a soul-type pet, please come back after the catastrophe is over."

Su Ye couldn't help but smile. He had spoken the truth, but the clerk refused to believe him.

Luo Jinghong asked, "The attribute doesn't matter... but do you have any prettier ones?"

The clerk forced a professional smile. "Every spirit pet in our shop is beautiful. Some are majestic, some are colorful, and others..." His gaze fell on the panda practicing kung fu, and he paused, then added, "...are lively and possess the beauty of vibrant life."

"These are combat-type pets; Hong’er doesn't need those," Su Ye interrupted. "Do you have any support-type spirit pets?"

"Now you are showing your ignorance," the clerk laughed. "The title of the Great Qian’s number one spirit pet shop is not just for show."

He summoned a rug from his jade gourd. The rhinoceros horn mark on the bottom right corner indicated its origin: Lingxi Island. Su Ye and Luo Jinghong stepped onto the rug, and the clerk flew them directly to the third floor.

The spirit pets in the cages embedded in the walls were vastly different from the combat types. There was a spirit sparrow chirping on a branch, a young *Kun* swimming in water, and a lively, agile jade deer.

Luo Jinghong bypassed the cage with the spirit sparrow and went to look at the young *Kun* in the water. "Will it grow very large?"

The clerk stepped closer and unfurled a scroll. Pointing to the *Kun* that filled the entire page, he said, "It can evolve by devouring... If it avoids premature death, it could grow to the size of a town. The highest-grade *Kun* can grow as large as a mountain."

"We have no room for that at home. Let’s look at others." As she spoke, she walked toward the jade deer.

Just as Su Ye was about to follow, he sensed an exceptionally powerful aura. Turning back, he saw a handsome man dressed in a brocade robe embroidered with pythons. The man was smiling at him.

"Fellow Daoist Su, I shall cover the expenses for your visit to this shop," the man said in a high-pitched, delicate voice, revealing his identity.

Past memories collided with reality. Su Ye opened his eyes wide and cupped his hands. "This commoner pays his respects to the General of the Flying Cavalry."

"Fellow Daoist Su, there is no need for such formalities... I should be the one thanking you for helping me remove a parasite that was hiding in the shadows and bleeding me dry."

Li Qingqiu, the Director of the Inner Court, kept his smile; it was impossible to discern his true emotions. Su Ye’s tone remained calm and composed. "General, you are too kind. It was merely a small effort, not worth mentioning."

His words echoed through the floor, stunning the clerk who had rarely seen Li Qingqiu. When two powerful figures clash, the bystanders are the ones who suffer.