In Tianyuan City, all transactions are conducted using bronze Tongbao coins. It is said that this currency was created and promoted by Shennong, and is one of the important reasons why Tianyuan City maintains its status as a holy city." Luo Ji took out two bronze coins from her bosom and handed them to Jiang Wen.
Jiang Wen looked at the copper coins lying in his palm, which were inscribed with the four characters 'Shentong Tianbao'. With these, one could buy anything in Tianyuan City. Goods transported from all over the world converged in Tianyuan City; there was nothing one could not buy in Tianyuan City, only things you couldn't imagine.
GOOGLE search TWKAN
This currency was invented by Jiang Wen. He initially came up with the idea of promoting copper coins for transactions in order to facilitate trade in Tianyuan City. Jiang Wenji strongly supported his idea and incorporated the Shentong Tianbao into the essential transactions of Tianyuan City. This is also why Tianyuan City later became the largest city in Taicang, surpassing even the Taicang royal capital.
Clutching the two copper coins, Jiang Wen and Luo Ji walked on the streets of Tianyuan City's outer city. The current Tianyuan City was several times larger than when he was last here, with the outer city expanding beyond the original wilderness.
The buildings on the streets were haphazard, with various styles of architecture squeezed together. Various signs hung at the entrances, with writing that Jiang Wen could recognize.
"Where do you want to go now?" Jiang Wen asked.
"I want to first pay my respects to the Holy King and present the sacred object of the Luo people," Luo Ji said.
Jiang Wen nodded, and he and Luo Ji walked towards the inner city. Unknowingly, several hours had passed as they walked from the outer city to the inner city. The houses in front of them were continuous, and even more exquisite and elegant.
Magnificent palaces were densely packed, and various demon beasts walked on the wide streets. People carrying goods hurried back and forth, all busy with their own affairs.
The main road in the inner city led directly to the royal city of Tianyuan City, and the roadsides were lined with statues. Jiang Wen heard Luo Ji say that as long as they were heroes of Tianyuan City, they would have statues erected on this Shennong Avenue.
"Shennong Avenue?" Jiang Wen silently looked at the wide road paved with stone slabs under his feet. He didn't expect the road to have this name. It sounded a bit awkward. Why was it called Shennong Avenue?
The statues of heroes accompanied the two as they moved forward. Even Jiang Wen felt a little tired from the long journey. He didn't expect Tianyuan City to have become so big that it could probably stand alone as a country.
Before sunset, the two still arrived at the foot of the royal city. Luo Ji handed the token of the Luo people to the royal city guard. After the guard glanced at it, he said coldly to Luo Ji: "The Holy King will not see outsiders these days. You just wait."
"But the massacre of the Luo people..." Luo Ji wanted to say something, but saw the guard staring at her indifferently.
"The Holy King is not seeing outsiders at the moment," the guard said again.
Luo Ji knew that the result was already determined, and could only sigh. She put away the token of the Luo people and turned to leave the royal city.
"We can't see the Holy King for the time being," Luo Ji said regretfully. "Perhaps we will have to stay here for a few more days."
......
The night in Tianyuan City is a confluence of bustle and tranquility.
In this giant city, which has the reputation of being a commercial capital, the night market under the dark curtain is even more lively. The prosperous lower city is like a ravine ignited with torches, with streets echoing each other. Whether they are travelers going from south to north, or tribal merchants transporting goods to Tianyuan City by boat, they can all find their own warmth in this city where land and water meet and transportation is developed.
The jubilant singing, the enchanting cries, and the clinking of copper coins falling into pockets all immerse ordinary people in a drunken dream of the secular world.
And after passing through the brightly lit night market and crossing a white arched bridge, one arrives at a tranquil area. Compared to the prosperity of the commercial area, this place is quiet and comfortable.
The uneven cobblestone road shimmered under the lights, the remnants of yesterday's rain gathering in the cracks. Accompanied by the barking of a dog from who-knows-whose house, a row of guards in iron armor strode forward.
From their line of sight, it could be seen that the target of this group of guards was an inn not far away with lights on.
And in a room of the inn, a handsome young girl was dipping ink and writing lines of text on paper.
Her soft, black hair was draped behind her, and her upper body was wrapped in a reddish-brown short coat, which set off her well-proportioned and slender figure. Inside, she wore a milky white shirt, forming a pleasing warm color combination.
A delicately crafted red gemstone was worn on her slender white neck, and her crystal lips seemed to be covered with a layer of honey, making them particularly attractive under the oil lamp.
Even her posture of bowing her head and writing earnestly was full of the wonderful aura of a young girl, making people unable to help but praise her as a little beauty.
[I once wondered why Shennong would be called a sage by the world...]
[It was not until later that I understood that the wanton rumors about that sage were their consensus. They revered and feared that sage...]
[He once said that the people are like water, and the ruler is like a boat...]
The girl's pen stopped abruptly, and the ink slowly soaked through the paper, leaving a small stain in the blank space. Then, the pen was placed aside by its user, lying quietly in the thick pages of the book.
"Ai!" The girl rubbed her sore wrist and raised her round and angular chin to look out the window. Her reddish-brown eyes were full of contentment and ease, and a smile always hung on the corner of her mouth.
"The night in Tianyuan City is still so lively," she muttered to herself, her clear voice carrying a bit of gender ambiguity. A knowledgeable person would know at once that she was still a little girl in puberty.
"It's been a long time since I've been here, and I don't know how many days I can stay this time. When I tomorrow..."
She rested her chin and looked out the window, planning something, but suddenly heard a noisy sound coming from downstairs in the inn. The sound of boots stepping on the floor, accompanied by reprimands, changed the girl's face.
"That's impossible! The guests staying at our inn all have guarantee certificates from various tribes. How could there be thieves and fugitives?" The inn's plump owner's deep voice echoed, carrying hints of anxiety and unease. "Even the guards maintaining order can't randomly enter private residences. That's the iron law of Skyreach City!"
"We have arrest warrants. We know best whether there are fugitives or not."
"Then you can't just disturb my guests! This kind of action will ruin the reputation I've built over the years! Do you know what running an inn in Skyreach City means?!"
"It means harboring and condoning."
"That's slander! I'm going to report you to the Royal City!!"
"Please do. Also, my number is 00248. If you're going to report me to the Royal City, remember not to misreport the number. But for now, please don't obstruct our search."
After a bout of intense arguing, the downstairs of the inn gradually quieted down.
The guards' heavy boot soles thudded on the wooden stairs, creating creaking sounds.
At this moment, the girl pressed her ear against the door, her face filled with apprehension. She heard the guards knocking on one door after another, and she hopped around like a rabbit.
"What to do, what to do! Am I going to be discovered?!" Pacing back and forth, she looked around, trying to see if there was anywhere to hide.
However, the room was small. Besides the bed, there was only a wardrobe for clothes and a desk by the window. Even with her slender build, she couldn't find a place to conceal herself.
"This is bad, am I going to be caught?!" Covering her head, she looked around, and finally set her sights on the window in front of the desk.
"This is the only way!"
Her mind raced, and her actions were even faster.
Hastily gathering the drafts on the desk, she stuffed them into her chest and tiptoed onto the desk.
"It's so high!" Looking at the height of several meters above the ground, the girl patted her chest with some trepidation. She heard the sound of the door getting closer and closer, puffed out her cheeks, and resolutely climbed out the window.
Fortunately, the walls of the inn were relatively easy to climb. She grabbed the bottom of the small windowsill with both hands, suspending her body in mid-air.
"This is the first time I've done something like this. If Mother finds out..." The girl revealed her neat, white teeth and smiled optimistically. She heard the sound of the door being smashed open from inside the room, and several guards rushed in.
"The light in the room is still on."
"No one's here."
"It seems this should be the room. Check carefully to see if there are any traces." The guard leader who had been talking to the owner said calmly.
The girl heard this and her face turned ugly. She could feel someone preparing to move the desk to get to the window and peek down.
Sensing her dangerous situation, the girl lowered her head to look around, trying to find a way to escape. When she saw an open window in the lower left corner, she was pleasantly surprised.
Without time to think about what kind of person lived inside, the girl nimbly swung her body in the air and jumped into the room along the side of the windowsill. Then, she lay prone under the window, listening intently to the sound of disappointment from above.
"No one's here, Sergeant."
"It seems there was another mistake in the information we received. I wonder how long she can hide." The voices of the guards gradually faded away.
After feeling that the guards had left, the girl finally breathed a sigh of relief. She reached out to soothe her chest, allowing her rapidly beating heart to gradually calm down. At this moment, a gentle male voice came from not far from her side.
"Little girl, disturbing someone's rest in the middle of the night is not a polite thing to do."
The girl was startled at first, and reflexively pulled out a dagger from her sleeve, holding it in front of her for protection. Turning her head to look at the person who spoke, she breathed a small sigh of relief after seeing the other person's appearance.
Fortunately, he didn't look like a villain. He seemed like he shouldn't be too bad.
The young man who spoke still had a curious expression. His features were sharp and distinct, and his eyes were bright and piercing.
If he were to participate in a performance at the West Garden Theater, he could easily play the role of a 'dan' (female character). If he performed even better, he might even make the young ladies of Skyreach City infatuated. The girl could guarantee with her own personality that she had seen similar scenes.
If it was said that this person was handsome, then his eyes were definitely the most dazzling gems.
The girl had never seen such bright eyes on anyone else.
They were like the scorching sun at noon, filled with endless light.
This made her think of a sentence she had once read—people with ideals are always as calm as a deep pool.
Perhaps, he was also such a person? The girl put a question mark in her heart and got up to bow apologetically to the young man: "I'm sorry, I have some urgent business... I wanted to come in and hide for a while..."
Her hands were restless, and her index finger wagged from side to side, like a cat that had done something bad.
Her childish face also looked more innocent under the oil lamp, as if she was about to cry at any moment.
"Those people?" The young man smiled.
"Yes." The girl nodded quickly, responding with an 'um' sound. She habitually looked around the room, wanting to find some personal traces to understand what kind of person the young man in front of her was.
She saw a thick book on the table. She couldn't see the words on the cover clearly, but she knew what kind of book it was.
After the two fell into a slight silence, the girl asked: "Do you also like reading the Herbal Classic written by Shennong?"
"Yes, I quite like the contents written in this book." The young man glanced at her meaningfully after hearing the girl's words. "Those people have already checked this room, so don't worry."
"Phew, that's good, thank you." The girl showed a relaxed smile and thanked the young man.
"My name is Jiang Rong, thank you for your help today."
"Jiang Wen." The young man replied simply, picking up the book and waving it in front of the girl. "What do you think of this Herbal Classic?"
"It is a sacred book revered by pharmacists. I think it is very meaningful," the girl said hesitantly.
"Then how do you see Shennong?" Jiang Wen asked, looking at the girl again.
"Although I have never met Shennong, I think he must be an even more amazing person than the Holy King," the girl said firmly after hesitating for a while.
