Eternal Life Begins with Taking a Wife

“As the number one sword immortal of the Sword Whisper Tower, you actually know the lives of the common people?” he asked curiously.

Huo Ru said coldly, “Before I practiced the sword, I was born into a poor family. I didn’t have enough to eat every day. I could barely eat better in my youth.” Towards the end, her voice became calmer. “It was only after I entered the Sword Whisper Tower that my life improved.”

Shen Ping listened silently. This was the first time he understood the life of the ordinary people of the Yuhua Shen Dynasty. Although in the memories in the depths of his mind, he knew that the lives of the people at the bottom of the ancient society were very difficult, this was the transcendent world after all. It was a world of cultivation. He subconsciously felt that the people should be living well. In the end, he was blinded by his own experience. Or rather, after thousands of years of cultivation, he had long forgotten the sufferings of the common people.

Huo Ru said sarcastically, “How can a pampered Marquis of Zhenbei know of this?”

It was rare for Shen Ping not to refute. Huo Ru did not let him off. Instead, she continued, “The so-called experience of nature and the human world is just a pleasure for you to play with the human world. Those commoners and ordinary people are ants in the eyes of you nobles. The commoners are really poor, but you are using your wealth to experience it. Is that poverty? It can’t even be considered suffering. I don’t want to suffer, let alone experience it.”

These words rendered Shen Ping speechless. He’s not even interested in eating. In fact, after experiencing so many palace worlds, he rarely cared about the bottom of the world. Even if he occasionally cared, it was just a temporary stop for the fun of games.

He got up and walked out of the window. Looking at the continuous rain at the ford, there were also caravans and some traveling merchants who stopped at the entrance of the inn. Some of them were wearing straw raincoats and standing beside the inn’s stable. They did not enter the inn. Clearly, they wanted to save some money.

However, looking at this, his heart did not move. Huo Ru walked to Shen Ping’s side. Her plain white clothes accentuated her cold expression. “Marquis Zhenbei, do you still want to experience this so-called world?”

Shen Ping glanced at her. “Of course.”

Huo Ru snorted and flicked her waist-length hair. She ignored Shen Ping and walked straight to the bed to sit cross-legged and cultivate.

Two days later, the rain stopped. A number of caravans and pedlars crowded around to cross the bridge. Shen Ping followed them. After crossing the bridge, he simply led Huo Ru and followed seven or eight traveling merchants along a relatively close mountain path towards another town.

The mountain path was rugged and the journey would take two days. If they took the official road, they would have to bypass three mountains and would need six days. They could pass by two relay stations in the middle, but it would cost more.

Huo Ru’s expression was extremely cold, as if Shen Ping owed her money. On the other hand, Shen Ping was having a good time with these merchants.

“One look and I can tell that you’re not cut out to be a merchant. With such a delicate girl by your side, it’s not easy to walk on this mountain path. You have to worry,” an elderly vendor said as he smoked a pipe.

The other younger merchants secretly sized up Huo Ru. Although Huo Ru was wearing a bamboo hat and her beautiful hair was tied up, her delicate body was obviously raised by a rich and noble family.

Shen Ping grinned and asked, “Uncle, do you take this mountain path all year round?”

The old merchant nodded. “More than thirty years, but I’m old. I can’t do it for a few more years.”

After taking a break, everyone set off again.

Shen Ping picked out the mountain goods for the old merchant and asked some other questions, such as if there were any spirit monsters, demons, bandits, and so on.

“It was very chaotic more than ten years ago. There were demons and mountain bandits. We didn’t dare to walk this path at all. It was only when the imperial court sent people to clean up that we could walk again. It’s just that as time goes on, demons tend to appear in the mountains.”

A young merchant mustered his courage and said, “Last year, when we were crossing the mountains, we encountered a huge python as thick as a bucket. Fortunately, our eyes were sharp and we ran away. Otherwise, we would have been swallowed by that huge python.

“It’s just that although the python is dangerous, as long as we avoid it, we can still walk. If we take the official road, we will be skinned alive. Both courier stations collect tolls. We can’t compare to those large caravans. We don’t pick much goods and all we earn is hard money. If we turn them in, we won’t be able to earn money at all.”

Shen Ping subconsciously asked, “Doesn’t the Imperial Court care?”

“Even the imperial court can’t control them. Those relay stations are very smart.”

“It’s not as good as the Demon Hanging Division. At least the Demon Hanging Division has some work to do. However, only when demons appear in this mountain will the subordinates of the Demon Hanging Division come to clean up. It’s not their fault. After all, this mountain is far. It’s not easy to come.”

“Yes, well, it’s not easy.”

The merchants were all talking at once. Shen Ping continued, “Isn’t there a Sword Whisper Tower nearby? I heard that it’s one of the five top factions in the world. They can easily eliminate it with just a few people.”

The old merchant shook his head. “Those Jianghu dignitaries don’t care about these things. They only care when they encounter them. As for the Sword Whisper Tower, I’ve never heard of it.”

Huo Ru transmitted her voice, “The members of the Sword Whisper Tower will all have missions. These missions include eliminating demons, clearing out mountain bandits, and some martial arts sects and demonic sects. They are considered relatively lucky. Nearby is the Sword Whisper Tower, and very few great demons appear. Usually, there are only some small demons born in the depths of the mountains.”