Refining the Mountains and Rivers

The specific reason would be explained later, because right now as Qin Yu stood outside a restaurant, he could feel a fire burning within his chest and belly. His stomach that hadn't received a sacrifice yet was ready to go on strike.

Rumble rumble -

There was another series of gurgles. Hunger permeated his bones, making him want to pick up a stone and gnaw on it. It had been a long, long time since he had felt this sensation.

Perhaps the only time he had felt something like this was before he met Aunty Gu, when he was wandering around by himself.

He subconsciously rubbed his belly and drew in a breath. This was bad. The fragrance of wine and food grew thicker. It was like sharp spikes, digging into his will and drawing him close!

"Customer, are you hungry? Come visit our restaurant! Our shop has food cooked by master chefs and the flavor is top class. You won't regret it after tasting it!" A greeter stood at the entrance of a restaurant, his eyes shining when he saw Qin Yu. "A silver coin. As long as you have a silver coin then you can enjoy a feast in our store. It is absolutely worth the value. Customer, don't hesitate anymore and come and have a taste!"

A copper coin for a steamed bun.

A silver coin for a banquet.

Then what about a gold coin?

Qin Yu didn't know nor had he seen another gold coin appear in this city yet. His intuition told him that it was best if he didn't expose his gold coin, otherwise it would likely bring about unexpected troubles.

But if he didn't use his gold coin, how was he supposed to eat a meal?

When a cultivator entered the city they would feel hunger. They had to eat to survive.

And there was also the issue of where he would stay…

It was said that when night came to the city, if one wasn't in a room, then something terrifying would happen.

Qin Yu had no idea what it was and he hadn't experienced it either. But, he definitely didn't want to use himself as an experiment.

It seems that things had reached a deadlock…

If he used the gold coin then there was likely to be trouble. But if he didn't, food and lodging would become an issue.

While Qin Yu mulled it over, the hunger in his belly grew heavier. As he bitterly smiled, he suddenly heard a loud shout.

Then a figure fluttered down from the second floor and landed in front of him.

"Qin Yu, you made it!"

The person standing in front of him was a happy East Zhou Duly. But soon she seemed to think of something. She restrained her expression and pulled him towards the restaurant, "Come with me!"

As they walked she lowered her voice and said, "Don't say anything."

They entered the second floor and arrived at a round table. Several people stood up and started to size up Qin Yu.

East Zhou Duly smiled and said, "Everyone, this is a friend of mine. According to our previous agreement, I can bring him to eat with me."

A woman in a pink dress nodded. "Miss East Zhou does have this right." Her eyes fell on Qin Yu's face and she said, "But, this fellow daoist looks quite familiar."

There seemed to be something pointed in her words.

East Zhou Duly's complexion changed, "My friend here has always been poor in social situations and he rarely interacts with outsiders. I believe Miss Yun must have mistaken him for someone else."

As she spoke she pulled Qin Yu down, "Sit down and eat. I have some matters to attend to soon so I can't stay here much longer."

Qin Yu nodded. No matter what the several people across from him thought, he sat down and started to stuff his face with all the food that arrived in front of him. But what a pity, while the feeling of blissful fullness came, he wasn't able to harvest any inheritance from the Path of 10,000 Souls.

This seemed to be different from the information he had learned. It was apparent that there were other matters he hadn't yet fully understood.

"Are you full yet?" East Zhou Duly glanced at him. Seeing Qin Yu nod, she stood up and said, "Then everyone, we shall bid our farewells first."

As her voice fell, Qin Yu stood up and the two of them left the restaurant.

As the two left, the pink-dressed and beautiful Yun Feng narrowed her eyes, a thoughtful look within them.

"What is it? Does fellow daoist Yun truly know that person?" Another cultivator asked, arrogance in his eyes. "This East Zhou Duly comes from some remote family and she was lucky enough to get a few silver coins. Otherwise with her qualifications, how could she be able to dine with us? What sort of background could people around her possibly have?"

Yun Feng smiled and softly said, "Perhaps I was just overthinking things." She shook her head and suppressed the thoughts running through her mind. She glanced around and said, "Now, the only ones left here are our people. Everyone, please state what your recent harvests have been."

After leaving the restaurant and avoiding everyone's line of sight, East Zhou Duly came to a stop. She turned and looked at Qin Yu, "You came that fast?"

When she finished speaking she seemed to think of something, or perhaps it was because she felt that her question was inappropriate, but her face flushed red and she quickly said, "I mean, how did you come to the land of inheritance so quickly?"

Qin Yu traced his nose, thinking that it was better if she didn't try to rephrase her question. Instead, he was the one feeling uncomfortable now. He coughed and said, "My luck was good. I overcame the Three Mountains Test and arrived here."

East Zhou Duly certainly wouldn't believe that good luck would allow someone to enter the land of inheritance. Was he trying to fool her? But even if Qin Yu didn't say anything she could approximately guess the situation. He really was worthy of being a Ruler's disciple; his depths could not be fathomed.

"There are some words that aren't convenient to say here. Come with me first." East Zhou Duly looked at her surroundings. Then, she grabbed onto Qin Yu's hand and hurried forward.

A moment later, in a distant small courtyard, East Zhou Duly pushed open the doors and walked in. An old man was in the courtyard doing some woodworking. When he saw the two come in he frowned and said, "Little Duly, is he your friend? We agreed that you wouldn't bring anyone back here."

East Zhou Duly quickly said, "Uncle Cow, this is my friend. I am just going to have a brief chat with him. He will leave soon."

Uncle Cow looked at Qin Yu and nodded his head, showing neither approval nor disapproval. Then, he turned back to his woodcraft work.

East Zhou Duly eyed Qin Yu. The two entered a small room. After closing the door, the sounds around them immediately quieted.

"Hu!" East Zhou Duly let out a deep breath. "It's fortunate that my luck is quite good. Uncle Cow seems serious but in truth he's a good person, otherwise you wouldn't have been able to come here."

Qin Yu nodded. He looked around. This was a very small room. Besides a bed there was nothing else here.

The space was small and narrow. With a man and woman standing here, an inexplicable scent filled the air.

Sensing Qin Yu's silence, East Zhou Duly's heart skipped a beat. She coughed and said, "You still don't know what's going on in this city, right?"

Qin Yu nodded. "After I arrived in the city I spent some time walking around. I found some useful information, but it wasn't complete."

East Zhou Duly revealed an appreciative look. "As I thought, with your intelligence you realized something was off." She paused and said with an earnest expression, "This city is the Path of 10,000 Souls' land of inheritance. You should already know of this, but there are many rules in the city.

"For instance, you absolutely cannot attempt to attack any person in this city. Otherwise no matter how strong your cultivation is, you will suffer. I have seen this with my own eyes so definitely do not try and attempt it. Moreover, you must be careful with how you spend your coins. Once you spend them all, you will be forcefully transmitted out."

Qin Yu nodded, expressing his understanding. He asked why he didn't harvest any inheritances after the previous meal.

"It's normal. A silver coin can pay for a banquet table, enough for ten people to eat their fill. But only the person who paid can harvest the inheritance; you and I can only feel full." East Zhou Duly looked up and hesitated a little. She said, "Qin Yu, you should have been the first person to pass the Three Mountains Test and enter the land of inheritance this time around. Then you have…"

She stared at Qin Yu's face. "If it's not convenient for you to tell me, you don't have to."

Qin Yu said, "You want to know how many coins I have." He reached into his chest and took out the gold coin. "I only have this."

"Ah!" East Zhou Duly cried out loud, her eyes turning round like saucers. "A gold coin, you actually obtained a gold coin!"

Her face was full of shock.

Qin Yu observed her reaction. Besides surprise and envy, there wasn't anything else. He relaxed a little. He was old acquaintances with East Zhou Duly, and because she helped him enter the Path of 10,000 Souls, it could be said that he owed her a favor. He didn't want to come into conflict with her just because of a gold coin.

Now, it seemed that this woman's character was passable.

"What does a gold coin represent?"

East Zhou Duly drew in a deep breath. Her gaze was deep as she said, "Ten copper coins can be traded for one silver coin. But 100 silver coins are needed to exchange for a single gold coin…but that isn't the key point. The key point is that this gold coin represents the qualifications to obtain the 10,000 Souls Great Dao."

She pursed her lips and continued to say, "As long as you are willing to use this gold coin, then any transaction you complete with it in this city will have you obtain the 10,000 Souls Great Dao inheritance…your luck is too good!"

When she finished speaking, she felt that something was wrong. If Qin Yu was able to obtain a gold coin then it had to be related to how quickly he rushed through the Three Mountains Test. It wasn't related to his luck.

So it was like this.

Qin Yu's heart stirred. He thought of the runes he received after passing the first and second mountains. They had fused together and marked itself on his soul…by relying on this rune, he could already obtain the inheritance of the 10,000 Souls Great Dao. If so, wasn't this gold coin unnecessary?

As his thoughts turned, he calmly said, "I thank Miss East Zhou for the reminder."

East Zhou Duly barely managed to regain her composure. She waved her hand and said, "With your intelligence, you had likely already sensed that there was something unusual about that gold coin, otherwise you wouldn't have hesitated outside the restaurant for so long."

She furrowed her eyebrows together, "This is a difficult problem. The gold coin cannot be exposed. Once others realize its existence they will not hesitate to pay any price to steal it from you. Qin Yu, since you have already obtained the gold coin, don't delay any further. Complete any transaction right now. After you obtain the 10,000 Souls Great Dao inheritance, you can immediately leave!"

Qin Yu shook his head, "I came to the Path of 10,000 Souls for other reasons. I cannot leave yet."

East Zhou Duly said, "Then what are you going to do now? I can help with your food issue, but where do you plan on staying?"

Renting a room was cheaper than living in an inn, but it still wasn't a small expenditure. She had to search for the inheritance so she couldn't solve this problem for Qin Yu.

Qin Yu wryly smiled, "I'll try to figure out another solution."