Cohabitation with Sword Spirit-Chapter 189 - 159: Casual Chitchat Before the Opening Ceremony

December 24, 2017

As the year draws to a close, a significant snowfall swept in, plunging the temperatures in Qingyun City to the lowest of the year. Ordinary people on the streets, if not dressed in warm coats, would risk frostbite, even the locals who have lived in Qingyun for years.

However, the mere cold could not match the fiery atmosphere brought about by the Qingyun competition, with the entire city clad in white, yet bustling with noise and passion. The Central District was shrouded in magic, maintaining lush greenery as if it were midsummer for miles around.

The Qingyun competition was finally about to start.

And the much-anticipated opening ceremony and kickoff battle were set to officially commence tonight.

——

Early in the morning, even before the sun had fully risen, the entire city was already buzzing with activity. Around the Aozora Martial Arts Arena in the Central District, there was a lively crowd gathered from all around.

Amidst these celestial or common folk, Qingyun City's highly developed commerce had drawn in a large number of service personnel. From the simplest snacks to the glow candles and binoculars needed to watch the Qingyun competition, everything was being offered to people at several times the usual price, conveniently delivered right to them.

A man dressed in lightweight black-and-white armor, looking like a warrior, hesitantly turned to an old man pushing a cart selling wontons, and struggled to get a few awkward syllables out of his mouth.

"I, money, no have."

The old man nodded habitually: "Came from the east Vine Country, right? Oh la!"

The warrior in black-and-white armor was surprised, his eyes widening. That was the language of his Vine Country, meaning hello. Who would have thought that in Qingyun City, someone could actually speak his language!?

The old man chuckled: "I just know a phrase or two, oh la, oh kumu da, kombura shi?"

The warrior smiled. Although the old man's accent was a bit odd, the meaning was simple and clear: Hello, would you like to buy some food?

"Every time the Qingyun competition takes place, quite a few warriors and grandmasters from your Vine Country come. Look, there's one of your great grandmasters over there."

The old man pointed to the other side of the bustling crowd, and the warrior followed his gaze. There he saw a middle-aged man, about forty or fifty years old, dressed in a snug black-and-white short garment, floating in mid-air with skillful hands peeling fresh lychees. The bright red shells became pure black and white with a casual crush and were absorbed into his short garment.

The warrior immediately showed a respectful expression, bowing his head deeply toward the distance.

The old man chuckled: "Looks like an important figure, huh? At this time, in this place, eating fresh lychees is about the same as chewing on gold and silver. Although your Vine Country is far from the big cities, every time the people who come are quite generous."

The warrior looked even more embarrassed: "I, that..."

"No worries, this bowl is on me, eat up." The old man said, offering a steaming bowl of wontons, which came with a dish of exquisite pickled vegetables and a braised egg. At the end, he even added a few pieces of fruit.

"Lychees are out of season, but I have a couple of winterberries. Don't worry, they're on the house." The old man smiled warmly. "I've already made enough money today, consider it a good deed. Just remember to mention Old Liu's wontons from Qingyun City when you go back home."

The warrior nodded gratefully. The steaming wontons weren't exactly a gourmet experience but did warm his stomach, tightened by the severe cold.

As a Great Warrior from the unremarkable Vine Country, he came to Qingyun in hopes of watching the top experts of his age group in action, hoping to break through his own bottleneck. After buying a mid-range ticket, his funds were stretched thin, and upon reaching Qingyun, he was shocked by the doubled prices during the competition. This forced him to budget carefully, limiting himself to only one meal a day.

This bowl of wontons truly moved him.

The warrior ate quickly, finishing the wontons and side dishes in a matter of minutes— a basic sign of respect in Vine Country. As the old man was about to collect the dishes, the warrior placed a shell-like item on the tray.

"Thank you, gift."

The warrior said a few simple words and then closed his eyes, no longer speaking.

——

Not until the mid-morning sun had brightened the sky did Old Liu finish his business and pack up his stall to head home. On the way, he met a few fellow vendors pushing their own food carts, and they shared their morning's experiences.

At this time of year, doing business around the Aozora Martial Arts Arena meant good profits for everyone. Despite the high entry fees, they were making a small fortune overall.

An old man selling fruit greeted him with a laugh.

"Haha, Old Liu, saw you had a customer from Vine Country earlier, how'd that go?"

Old Liu smiled broadly as he tossed a few pieces of silver to him: "Not as good as you, selling lychees in the middle of winter. But you were right, folks from Vine Country are very chivalrous and care about face. Give them a little gift, and you might get ten times back. A bowl of wontons for a colored shell; I've hit the jackpot today."

"Dang it, Colored Shell! I thought that warrior looked so broke, I didn't expect any business! Oh gosh, you chase geese all day only to be pecked in the eye by one. As an expert from the Vine Country, I can't brag in front of you anymore."

"Hahaha, luck, this is pure luck. I genuinely just wanted to give him a bowl of wontons at that time. Who would have thought the guy had no money but did have a Colored Shell from the Vine Country!"

"Tsk tsk, this Colored Shell, if sold to the Qian Family's masters, could net you a small villa in the outskirts of the city."

"Hehe, I'm not selling it, this Colored Shell will be my family heirloom."

"Family heirloom?!"

"Yeah, that kid in black-and-white armor was in the medium ticket line, meaning he's at least a cultivator, right?"

Mr. Zhang, the fruit seller, nodded.

"I see he's young and doesn't have much money but can be a cultivator. In the Vine Country, you rely on your skills to make a living. If this capable kid becomes a big shot in the future, this Colored Shell of mine might be worth more than just a small villa."

"Wow, you're quite the imaginative old man!"

"Haha, just daydreams, can't compare with Mr. Zhang, who made a seemingly random casserole that somehow caught the favor of a nobleman. He managed to sell Qian Family's assets to him at original price. Damn it, when the eldest son of the Qian Family wins the championship, it'll multiply dozens of times at least. Forget the small villa in the outskirts, you could even afford a one-bedroom in the Central District!"

The surrounding vendors laughed and bantered, some with jealousy but mostly in admiration. The prosperity of recent days left them little energy to spend on rivalry.

——

Similar scenes were occurring in every corner of QingCyan Cloud City in the days before the great QingCyan competition.

Unlike those cultivators who held the complete version of the Cyan Cloud List in reverence, analyzing its detailed insights, ordinary people had their own focus.

The champions and runners-up of the QingCyan competition, the magical dark horses of the preliminaries, were certainly good topics for table talk. But focusing too much on such matters could lead to neglecting even basic livelihoods, a case of misplaced priorities.

So, contrasting with ordinary people's focus on day-to-day survival, cultivators gathered in QingCyan Cloud City had their unique interests.

Outside the Aozora Martial Arts Arena, a group of 17-18 year-old enthusiastic young cultivators gathered early, buzzing with discussions about recent private sparring matches or gossip about certain star contestants in QingCyan Cloud City.

To these cultivators, residing hundreds of miles north in the mountains, the big city's life seemed fresh and exciting.

Moments later, a tall youngster rushed over, face full of excitement, catching everyone's attention instantly.

"How's it, how's it? Did you grab the latest Cyan Cloud Daily, any news?"

The tall youngster nodded repeatedly: "Got it, got it! Wasn't Huo Lanting from Heaven-Confusing Sword Sect making a fuss about getting a regular match slot, saying she was being suppressed by the Lu Family? It was a big uproar, supposedly involving someone from the Li Family. So, Master Jinglun personally wrote an analysis of the Heaven-Confusing Sword Sect's cultivation technique, mainly mocking them, but mentioning several imaginative swordsmanship cultivation methods that I think we could reference."

While speaking, the youngster spread out the newspaper and invited his companions to see.

After a while, a plump girl tilted her head, mesmerized: "Master Jinglun is indeed impressive, just a few strokes bring great insight."

"Exactly, he's a genuine theoretical master, and remarkably, his cultivation isn't weak either. I've read in some tabloids that Master Jinglun's combat skills are on par with the mistress of the Li Family Mansion! This lady is both a Lu Family's heiress and Patriarch Li's wife, said to have reached Rain Cover Realm cultivation by 30, extremely profound. If Master Jinglun can match her, he's surely a prodigy of the era." A young lad voiced his admiration.

"Hey hey, stay sane, Master Jinglun never gets intimate with fans."

"So what, we just adore Master Jinglun."

"Indeed, especially since someone's been slinging mud at him lately, we book fans ought to unite. Not completing the Cyan Cloud List initially, due to external interference, was unavoidable. Later he released the complete version, including the dark horse from the preliminaries and published a special list commenting on extraordinary figures in this competition, all for a price only 20% higher than the initial version. It's packed with substance, full of sincerity. Those mindless critics sure have thick skins."

The young group continued their verbal tirade at the air, eventually shifting topics.

"Speaking of which, the prelude performance for this QingCyan competition's opening battle seems unbelievably exciting. I've bought all image talismans from previous opening ceremonies, truly unforgettable. Being present this time, I wonder what the spectacle will be like."

"I'm more anticipating the opening battle itself. They say the opening battle of QingCyan competitions follows a mystical rule, though opponents are drawn by the committee chairman completely randomly, it always has amazing matches and outcomes."

"It's surely pre-arranged for show effect, there's no mystical rule involved..."

"Hmmph, just wait and see."

"Ah, can't wait for the opening ceremony!"