Chapter 98 - Long Ring Island (1/2)
”There is no bridge at all!”
Shin Sumi hadn't paid attention to it previously, but now that she thought about it she was certain not to have seen any bridge from her previous vantage point.
”That's not possible, are all the inhabitants of this village supposed to fly over the lake? What about the children?”
Contrarily to her Big Brother Fen Wudao, Shin Sumi didn't have any flying artefact she could use.
She eyed the island and its buildings from the bank, confusion rising more and more with each second.
Shin Sumi had wanted to explore that small cultivator village, maybe trade a little bit but mostly she needed it to get directions to the Sky Earth Sect.
She was about to give up on the village altogether when her divine sense finally picked up something that filled her up with hope.
”A Shinsoo gate! Of course, there is no better way to ensure that the bridge wouldn't be discovered by mortals” she nodded silently as she poured some energy into the small raised stone on the bank.
Shin Sumi couldn't see the formation used on the raised stone but she was almost certain she had learned that type of formation back in the sect. It was a way to funnel and concentrate one's Shinsoo, usually to power something from a distance.
After enough energy left Shin Sumi's hand for the stone stele, a satisfying click came from below her feet, followed by a dozen other similar sounds across the water of the lake.
Tiles rose from invisible pillars, forming a path right at the surface of the lake. Hesitantly at first, Shin Sumi stepped on the first one to make sure it wasn't a trap, before walking forward more and more confidently.
The lake surrounding the village was large, almost a kilometer on each side. Much larger than the village, it was practically impossible for a mortal to see the small island clearly. Even from the mountains the village would probably appear too small.
Because the Shinsoo gate was openly placed on the bank of the lake, free for any cultivator to use, Shin Sumi had immediately guessed that she would be welcome there, unlike non-cultivating folk.
The moment she left the last tile and stepped on the island, another series of clicks ran along the bridge which disappeared promptly afterward.
”The formation powering the bridge is half-automated,” she appreciated the craftsmanship one last time before turning to face the first buildings.
The village was called Long Ring Island. It consisted of only a few dozen buildings, all of different sizes and shapes.
As she was walking along one of the four main streets leading to the central plaza, Shin Sumi relaxed more and more.
She crossed paths with a few inhabitants walking leisurely by themselves. Nobody seemed to mind her presence and they all saluted her with a slight bow even though she was a foreigner to them.
She returned their salutations in silence, still looking around. She didn't want to look like she was snooping around suspiciously but something about the atmosphere in the village felt weird.
None of the buildings had front doors. All of the constructions were completely open.
”Have the people here never heard of theft?” she asked herself but she knew there was more to it.
She reached the familiar ambiance of a small town market, the center of all life in small communities. Markets were the main source of social contact, that much remained true whether in the mortal realm and small towns like East Seaside Village or in cultivation communities like the Dark Sky Starry Sect valleys.
Resources like spirit creatures, fruits and plants filled the air with a fragrant mix that made her Shinsoo Sea swell and bubble. A merchant eyed her with a smile and started his haggling routine, pointing at his array of multicolored fish.
Shin Sumi politely declined, ”at least for now” as she thought, the sight of a Deep Green Bass making her think of at least a dozen delicious meals she could make
After the food section, the market continued with all sorts of different items.
Cauldrons and apothecary tools for crafting medicine, pills and bottles of concoctions. Two young people were chatting amongst themselves, discussing which product would be better to treat a specific ailment or injury.
According to her divine sense, the two must have been in the late Liquid Realm with cultivation bases close to Fen Wudao's.
”If you trust my judgement, you both should invest in all the pills in my stand” an old looking gentleman on the other side of the stand added his words to the conversation. The man looked old enough to be Shin Sumi's grandfather and painted the perfect picture of a grumpy senior.
Nevertheless, Shin Sumi knew not to completely trust her eyes. Her divine sense couldn't tell her the man's cultivation level precisely, only that he was much, much, stronger than she was.
”What are you going on about, Old Zihan? Not the 'doom' again, is it?” one of the young man asked, air-quoting the word 'doom' with his fingers as he rolled his eyes.
”Oh you can trust my judgment this time. My connexions in Sky Earth City keep telling me to be careful.”
Not bothering the three people discussing, Shin Sumi turned to the stand next to them. Strangely enough nobody seemed around to tend to the goods, leaving her free to look around and eavesdrop on the conversation to the side.
She had never heard the words 'Sky Earth City' in this manner, but considering how she was looking for directions to the Sky Earth Sect, the subject of the conversation could only interest her.
”Are all the merchants in Sky Earth City as crazy as you then?” one of the two young men teased the merchant, ”Is that what that means?”
Old Zihan furrowed his brows, feigning to reach for a cane to beat the young man with, but with laughter in his eyes.
”Seriously though, you two be careful not too go too far south these next few months. And tell that to miss Ling as well.”
The two young men picked up medicinal pills and dropped a few spirit stones each on the merchant's table before turning and waving their hands, half dismissing the man's concerns and half saying goodbye.
Slowly, Shin Sumi detached herself from the next stand to circle back to the old man's pills and bottles. She was looking at a strange wooden box which smelled of rotten meat when she felt the man's eyes on her.
”You're not from around here. Welcome to Long Ring Island,” he greeted her warmly while his divine sense scanned her briefly but respectfully, ”Liquid Realm second step? Third step? No matter what you're looking for, I have it!”
Shin Sumi thanked him for his welcome, before adding ”What can I use to help break through to the third step?”
Smiling wildly, the man pointed at a few items of his shop, listing them out loud.
As Shin Sumi was inspecting each and every one of them, the man froze when she casually asked ”So, trouble is coming from the Sky Earth Sect's side?”
”...”
”I heard you talk about it and I have plans to go there in a few days...”
”I've got nothing to say. In fact I'm pretty sure my old wife is calling me. I should go” the merchant interrupted her.
With a swoop of his sleeve, the man cleared the table from all of his goods. A blur later, he was gone, his cultivation base too strong and his speed too high for Shin Sumi to follow.
Shin Sumi remained frozen in place for a few seconds, an expression of confusion plastered on her face.
”What just happened?” she asked herself.
”And he was so welcoming at first too...”
Seeing how the merchant had fled, taking with him all the resources she was potentially interested in buying, Shin Sumi leaved his stall and kept browsing the market. Reflecting on how she should approach the subject more subtly, she made her way to another section of the plaza.
”Techniques and formations” she read on a small banner floating above a large stand, ”Maybe I'll find more information there.”
In total, only a dozen or so merchants were present, about half of the full capacity of the market plaza judging by the empty stands.
The one with the banner she had read was easily one of the biggest stands she had ever seen. It even had a small roof above the table of goods, a luxury the others didn't seem to have.
”Hey there, young lady! Are you interested in techniques to add to your knowledge?”
Shin Sumi was tempted to say yes but Nuan chose this exact moment to flash out of her wrist and climb her shoulder.
”Hoo, hello little fellow, do you want my scrolls as well? Ah-ah-ah!”
”Sorry about her, she tends to come out whenever she pleases. Here Nuan, have a piece of fruit but don't bother Senior Merchant, okay?”
With Nuan out, Shin Sumi couldn't risk asking to read the scrolls the man had displayed in front of her. If Nuan were to steal the information he was selling, turning scrolls into blank parchments, the whole situation would turn sour really fast.
”I am simply going to look around for now, sir, if that is okay.”
”Ah-ah of course it is. Look all you want, I won't disappear suddenly like Zihan,” he pointed to the empty stall where the pills merchant had been a few minutes prior, ”He is a good fellow but he tends to do that sometimes. Don't take it to heart though, he is bad with unfamiliar people in general, not just you.”