Volume 1, Chapter 86 – Map

“Shopkeeper, you really do not have a larger map?”

Looking at the map spread across the table, supposedly the most detailed in the area, Shi Lan frowned tightly.

She had already visited every place in Purple Flame City that sold maps, and only this shop had maps this large.

Yet this most detailed map in front of her could only clearly mark an area of about a hundred thousand li around here, not even one-twentieth of the whole Chengtian Domain. Shi Lan had thought finding a map would not be so difficult.

“Young lady, a map this big is already a rare sight. You can go and ask around. Not just in Purple Flame City, go check the nearby cities too. If you find one larger than mine, I will pay you ten times your money back.”

The plump shopkeeper patted his chest confidently as he spoke.

“I will take this map.” Shi Lan let out a soft sigh. Having something was better than nothing.

Looking at the dense markings on the map, she said, “Do you have information on the powers marked here? If you have any other materials on the Chengtian Domain, bring me some of those as well.”

“Yes, just a moment.” The shopkeeper turned and went into the back room.

Shi Lan walked up to the map and began carefully studying the surrounding terrain and the distribution of powers.

“Wind Blade Sect, eighth-rank power…”

“Chongxu Pavilion, seventh-rank power…”

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“Blood Fiend Hall, eighth-rank power…”

“Rakshasa Manor, sixth-rank…”

Shi Lan skimmed over the map, her eyes flying, then suddenly her gaze froze on a familiar name.

“Flying Star Sect, seventh-rank power.”

Clearly, there was its own system for classifying powers. Every force had been divided into grades, though what criteria they used, Shi Lan did not yet know.

However, the territories of the powers on the map were obviously laid out according to rank. A sixth-rank power like Rakshasa Manor had a domain nearly ten times the size of Flying Star Sect’s.

What Shi Lan found hard to understand was that within the territory of Rakshasa Manor there were still many eighth-rank and ninth-rank powers.

Bang.

A somewhat pale hand pressed down on the map in front of Shi Lan.

Shi Lan lifted her head and looked at the small group before her, frowning slightly. “Something you need?”

The one with his hand on the map was a young man just past twenty, dressed in splendid clothes with a fur cloak over his shoulders. In his other hand he held a folded fan. His looks were rather refined, and behind him stood several burly, stern-faced guards in black.

Something about this group felt vaguely familiar to Shi Lan.

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Once upon a time, she had been like this too, though she would never have gone so far as to fan herself in the middle of winter.

When Shi Lan looked up, the young man secretly swallowed, cleared his throat twice, and was about to speak when the shopkeeper came out from the back carrying several thick booklets.

The moment he saw the young man standing opposite Shi Lan, the shopkeeper’s face changed slightly, but in the blink of an eye it was all smiles. He casually set the booklets on the counter and walked quickly toward the young man.

“Young Master Zhao, you have finally come. I was just about to send you a message. The jade pendant you ordered has arrived.”

As he spoke, the shopkeeper subtly shifted to block Shi Lan behind him. “Young Master Zhao, please, over at the counter. I will show you the pendant.”

The young man’s eyes turned. He nodded, then turned and walked toward the counter.

The shopkeeper shot Shi Lan a quick look, signaling for her to leave at once, then followed him over.

Shi Lan shook her head slightly, a faint warmth rising in her heart. There were plenty of good people in this world. At the very least, she had met many.

Taking her time, she slowly folded the map neatly, then walked toward the door. She could come back later for the materials. If she got into a conflict with the young man here, it would not be good for the shopkeeper either.

She had just reached the door when two guards barred her way with their arms.

Shi Lan sighed inwardly. So it was not going to end peacefully after all.

“Young lady, please stay.”

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Shi Lan turned around to see the young man holding a brocade box. In two or three quick steps he came up to her, opened the box, and held it up. Inside lay a white jade pendant, its luster warm and gentle.

“I feel we hit it off at first sight, as they say, fine jade befits a fair lady…”

Shi Lan shook her head. She had no interest in wasting words on the man before her and said bluntly, “I am not interested in you. Move aside.”

The young man’s face stiffened slightly, but he quickly recovered and hurried to say, “It is all right. This is our first meeting today, and you do not yet know me. After we meet a few more times, we will grow familiar, I…”

“This is the last time. Move aside.” Shi Lan’s face did not change. Her patience was not that good.

The young man sighed and waved his hand. The two guards blocking the door stepped away.

“You must still have matters yet to settle, young lady, so stay and see to them. I was rude today. I will leave this jade pendant as an apology. Whether you accept it or not is up to you. I will take my leave.”

With that, the young man cupped his hands and left the shop with his guards, his manner quite carefree.

The shopkeeper came to the door and, after confirming that the party was truly gone, leaned close to Shi Lan and whispered,

“Young lady, do not be fooled by that boy’s act. He has tricked dozens of girls with these little games. Just last month he took in his twenty-seventh concubine. You must not jump into that fire pit.”

Shi Lan shook her head slightly, murmured a word of thanks, then went to the counter, gathered the booklets into her arms, took a spirit crystal from her robe, and set it on the counter before leaving the shop in quick strides.

Looking at the spirit crystal on the counter, the shopkeeper rubbed his belly and gave a self-deprecating laugh. So all his worrying had been for nothing.

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Not long after Shi Lan left, two black-clad guards returned to the shop. After asking in detail about the purpose of her visit, they finally turned and left.

On the way back to the inn, Shi Lan noticed she was being followed. Once she realized it was those black-clad guards, she simply put them out of mind.

She would not be in Purple Flame City long, and if anyone really wanted to investigate, there was no way her movements could stay hidden. After all, she had just paraded around the city not long ago to make herself known.

Back at the inn, Shi Lan spread the map out and began comparing it with the booklets, deepening her understanding of the surrounding area.

The booklets the shopkeeper had given her included not only information on the nearby powers but also texts on local customs and various strange tales, covering a wide range.

After reading a few of them, Shi Lan finally learned how those powers were ranked.

Powers were divided from first to ninth rank according to their strength. The minimum requirement to be a ranked power was to have an Innate Realm martial artist within the faction. Without one, they could only be considered unranked rabble.

To qualify as an eighth-rank power, a sect had to have at least two martial artists above the eighth stage of the Innate Realm and a total of more than ten Innate Realm martial artists.

For seventh-rank powers and above, they needed a martial artist of the Earth Fiend Realm or higher to sit in town to truly live up to the name.

Many eighth-rank and ninth-rank powers, in order to avoid being swallowed by others, would seek the protection of a stronger sect, paying tribute year after year to preserve their own independent heritage.