"Shiwuwu, look quickly."

"These horses have such lively eyes, almost as if they have emotions, unlike ordinary livestock," Hua Erling whispered.

Li Shiwuwu's gaze was heavy, his voice indistinct.

"Why do I feel that these horses aren't horses, but people?"

Such a light remark was unexpectedly detected by the ten men on horseback.

The leader among them was a middle-aged man, over forty, wearing a tall red hat and sporting a goatee.

He rode closer, glanced at Li Shiwuwu's robe, and smiled meaningfully.

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"Young friend, do you know who we are and where we come from?"

"I don't know," Li Shiwuwu shook his head and bowed slightly. "If my words just now were offensive, please forgive me."

"No harm done!"

The middle-aged man with the goatee smiled and waved his hand, then said, "We come from the Huaren Sect."

"Young friend, can you guess what kind of business we usually engage in?"

Hearing this, Li Shiwuwu glanced at the strange horses and still shook his head, "Sorry, I can't guess."

The middle-aged man didn't blame him.

He simply explained, "In our Huaren Sect, we like to raise some livestock to sell."

"For example, the 'Five-Fingered Horses' we ride are raised within the sect. Look, don't they seem quite spirited?"

Li Shiwuwu nodded, "Yes."

"But according to your words, why not call yourselves the Beast-Raising Sect instead of the Huaren Sect?"

As soon as he said this, the ten men on horseback burst into laughter.

The middle-aged man stroked his goatee and looked at Li Shiwuwu, "Young friend, the more spirited the livestock, the better the price, right?"

"Right," Li Shiwuwu replied.

"Humans are the most intelligent of all creatures, born with wisdom, right?"

"Right."

"In that case, turning humans directly into livestock not only saves time and effort but also fetches a good price, right?"

"Ri..."

Li Shiwuwu's words halted, his eyes flickering, clearly shaken by the truth inadvertently revealed.

The middle-aged man chuckled softly, shouted to his men, and led the horses into the city.

"Tsk, don't know where these naive kids came from."

"In the Dayao Immortal Dynasty, they don't even know about our Huaren Sect."

"Pitiful, truly pitiful!"

Not until they all entered the city did the bustling scene on the road return to normal.

Li Shiwuwu lowered his head, his eyes complex.

"Erling, did you hear that?"

"According to him, those hundred or so strange horses aren't horses at all, but people!"

"Humans have five fingers, so the horses are called Five-Fingered Horses."

Hua Erling was also in a panic, "I... I heard."

Li Shiwuwu sighed, "Ah, I hope not everyone in this world is like Qian Yuanzi, or life would be unbearable."

Afterward, the two entered the city smoothly.

The city roads were wide, lined with shops, red bricks, and green tiles everywhere, everything orderly.

Besides that, there were the crabapple trees densely scattered in every corner.

"So this is where Tang City gets its name."

Li Shiwuwu sighed and went with Hua Erling to a clothing store. After some selection, they each changed into a new set of black robes.

They also bought two pairs of shoes.

However, after trying them on, they felt uncomfortable everywhere, as they had been used to walking barefoot in the mountains since childhood.

"No more," Li Shiwuwu tossed the shoes onto the counter.

"Refund!" Hua Erling slapped the counter forcefully.

The sleepy, fat shopkeeper grumbled impatiently, "Dream on, you paid, now get lost."

Seeing this, Li Shiwuwu said nothing, merely mimicked Qian Yuanzi's fierce demeanor and slammed a Chopping Knife onto the counter.

"My master is named Qian Yuanzi, try not refunding and see if he won't chop you."

Moments later.

The two left laughing heartily.

Of course, they didn't get a full refund, as they had tried on someone else's clean shoes and had to compensate a bit.

After wandering around for a while, they saw an old man with a white beard at a fortune-telling stall, dozing off.

Li Shiwuwu approached, "Old sir, may I ask something?"

"Ten copper coins, no bargaining," the old man said without opening his eyes.

"Alright," Li Shiwuwu took a deep breath, "Do you know where Qingyang Temple is? Is Daoist Master Huoyan there?"

"Oh, two questions," the old man opened his eyes, his murky gaze full of cunning.

"Young man, you've asked the right person."

"Qingyang Temple is about fifteen hundred miles east of the city, on a low mountain."

"Years ago, when my legs were still good, I went to drink and feast with those Taoists."

He clicked his tongue and continued, "As for Daoist Master Huoyan, never heard of him, who knows which wild Taoist he is."

Li Shiwuwu couldn't help but feel joy, not expecting to find out about Qingyang Temple from the sheepskin scroll so easily.

But staring at the old man, he felt a bit puzzled.

So he bowed, "Senior, since you have dealings with Qingyang Temple, are you also a cultivator?"

The old man chuckled, "Young man, Qingyang Temple is just a bunch of ordinary folks, no cultivation there."

Li Shiwuwu's expression froze, he counted the copper coins and turned to leave.

As he walked, his fists clenched, veins bulging on his forehead.

He looked down at the black soil clinging to his feet like a leech, and at the Seed Immortal Temple that encompassed him.

He couldn't believe that Qingyang Temple, which spread the concept of 'Seed Immortal,' was a mundane place.

"Shiwuwu, don't rush."

"We'll know the truth once we see it," Hua Erling whispered.

"Yeah."

They ate a simple meal and bought some cooked meat buns to secretly place in Lord Guan's belly.

Seeing the sun was still high, Li Shiwuwu decided to go directly to Qingyang Temple to uncover the truth.

But passing a spot, they encountered the Huaren Sect again, selling the hundred or so Five-Fingered Horses they brought into the city in the morning.

A crowd gathered around, all dressed brightly, clearly the rich and powerful of the city.

Their eyes were fervent, each shouting eagerly, seemingly wanting to buy one of these strange horses.

A whistle sounded, it was the middle-aged man with the goatee from the morning.

He wore a tall red hat and pointed to the horses behind him, "Two little Taoists, are you traveling?"

"Buy a horse, once you pass this village, there won't be another shop. After all, these things are rare and in high demand."

Li Shiwuwu forced a smile, bowed, and quickly pulled Hua Erling out of the city.

And for the two barefoot Taoists, the city people merely sneered and paid no further attention.

Outside the city gates, under the sunlight.

Hua Erling covered his mouth, eyes full of horror.

"Shi... Shiwuwu, what's wrong with you?"

Li Shiwuwu's once black hair had turned a strange, withered yellow, as if ready to fall off at any moment.

His face and even his skin were shriveled and wrinkled.

And all this happened in just the moment they left the city.