CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Night in Quanchang is almost the same as the day, except for the absence of sunlight. Most business are still open, and many people are still walking the streets. Since the underground miners have little sense of time while they dig, miners are constantly coming out of the mines. These miners frequently visit bars and brothels, eager to spend their meager pay on whores and booze.

Criminal elements in Quanchang are highly active at all times of the day because of how packed the streets usually are. A skilled pickpocket can find much more than a skilled miner can earn in a day, but getting caught is much worse than in other cities. Almost everyone in Quanchang is a Body stage cultivator, meaning they could mine with just their fists if they broke their only pick.

Due to the street-justice usually brought down upon criminals and unwelcome types of people, Quanchang has no need for prisons. If someone in Quanchang gets caught performing a crime, they might not live to try again.

All of this makes it difficult for someone like Li Feng to steal a few minutes with Ping Feng’s Demonic Dynasty Destroyer sword. It was one of the only things he wasn’t able to touch, and felt like he’d alarm Lam Bai if she saw him touching it. Surely, if someone saw him touching the sword and connected him to the Li family in Shijiang, they’d think the Li family has cultivators who don’t care about their stage or level. To protect his identity and honor, Li Feng had to wait until night.

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Among Li Feng’s magic spells aren’t anything to render him invisibles, so he wears one gray tunick while pulling a second one over his head. The added weight is uncomfortable, but it’s better than anyone seeing his face. Without speaking to anyone in the hotel, Li Feng leaves his room and exits onto the streets of Quanchang.

The first thing Li Feng does is duck into a back alley. Here, it’s darker, which is exactly what Li Feng wants. With a little air magic, Li Feng flies himself to the top of nearby building, stabilizing himself on the wooden shingles. All the buildings in Quanchang have slanted roofs, making it tricky to find solid footing. The singles under Li Feng’s feat move slightly as he touches down, but they hold.

Next, Li Feng jumps from roof to roof, using air magic to propel himself, gradually making his way toward the museum. Flying the entire way to the museum would be possible, but Li Feng uses the cover of buildings to prevent him being spotted. If someone does see Li Feng, they’ll think they’re seeing things when he’s gone the next second.

After a few jumps, Li Feng gets a grasp on the method fairly well, and quickly traverses the distance to the center of the city. In barely five minutes, Li Feng has traveled to the giant hole, and a single leap takes him into the northwest quadrant of the city. Again, with a few more jumps, Li Feng quickly arrives at the museum.