Black Rock City.
This was the first city Chen Mo had visited since arriving in this world, and its scale was even more grand than he had imagined.
According to the map, Black Rock City was one of the top-ranked large cities in the Jia Ma Empire.
Chen Mo's purpose in coming here was to take a short rest and allow the flying magic beasts to recover their strength before continuing their journey.
Flying was prohibited above Black Rock City.
The two of them guided their flying magic beasts to land directly at the city gates.
"Look, it's a flying magic beast!"
"Silver Cloud Sword, these two must be disciples of the Yunlan Sect."
Their arrival caused a stir among the already bustling crowd, with everyone looking at them with admiration.
The Yunlan Sect had long cast a deep shadow over the hearts of the people of the Jia Ma Empire.
After paying the entrance tax at the city gates, they were smoothly allowed inside.
Chen Mo, dressed in a white disciple robe, walked in front, his posture straight and tall. His features were sharp and handsome, with chiseled angles that made him stand out. He led the flying magic beast ahead.
Following closely behind was Nalan Yanran, dressed in a tight-fitting disciple robe. Her beauty was delicate and refined, her steps graceful and elegant, making her a sight to behold.
A handsome man and a beautiful woman.
The two walking together seemed like a divine couple, and their status as Yunlan Sect disciples only added to the attention they garnered from passersby.
"Senior Sister, let's find an inn to have a meal and rest for a bit before we move on," Chen Mo suggested, noting that it was still early in the day. He didn't plan to stay the night but wanted to replenish their energy before heading to the next city.
Nalan Yanran nodded. Although the thought of the Tagore Desert made her feel a bit uneasy, she was happy to be traveling with Chen Mo.
As they walked down the street, the cries of vendors and the hustle and bustle of the crowd filled the air. New and interesting sights and sounds flooded Chen Mo's senses like a kaleidoscope of unfamiliar experiences.
A strange city, strange streets, strange people.
In that moment, a wave of loneliness washed over him.
"How ridiculous, Chen Mo, what are you thinking? You were an orphan in your past life too. What's the difference between this world and the one before?"
Chen Mo chuckled bitterly to himself, the faint scent of Nalan Yanran beside him grounding him in the present. What mattered most was seizing the moment.
As they passed a stall selling accessories, Chen Mo suddenly stopped.
Pointing to a pale green jade hairpin adorned with a phoenix pattern, he asked, "How much for this hairpin?"
The stall owner, a middle-aged man who seemed honest and straightforward, glanced at their attire and knew they weren't to be trifled with. He offered, "One hundred and ten gold coins. But if you fancy it, I'll let it go for a hundred."
Without hesitation, Chen Mo tossed a small bag of gold coins onto the stall and reached out to place the hairpin in Nalan Yanran's hair.
Nalan Yanran froze, her face quickly flushing with a deep blush as she watched Chen Mo carefully fix the hairpin into her bun.
"It looks beautiful," Chen Mo praised.
"The hairpin suits this young lady perfectly," the stall owner chimed in at just the right moment.
Chen Mo's compliment made Nalan Yanran's heart flutter. She reached up to touch the hairpin, feeling that even though it wasn't as expensive as the ones she usually wore, it held more value to her than all of her previous hairpins combined.
At the same time, Nalan Yanran's thoughts began to wander. "What does this mean? Does Junior Brother like me too?"
Chen Mo had no idea what was going through her mind. He had acted on a whim; if she hadn't been right there, he might have bought a few more hairpins to give to others.
On their way to the inn, they encountered a minor incident. As they passed through a relatively quiet street, a man selling books in a corner saw them and, like a frightened rabbit, hastily packed up and fled.
In the inn.
The storyteller was in the middle of an intense story, but suddenly, he froze, his face pale as if he had seen a ghost. He couldn't continue.
The guests, who had been engrossed in the tale, began to grumble, "What's the matter with the storyteller? What happened to the boy in the story?"
"Yeah, what happened next? Keep going, we'll pay you for it," someone added.
The innkeeper, who had also been listening intently, was startled when someone knocked on the counter. He turned around and, upon seeing who it was, became just as nervous as the storyteller. "Are you here to stay or to eat?"
Internally, the innkeeper was panicking. "I'm in big trouble."
Recently, stories about Chen Mo had become quite popular, so he had gone to an unregistered bookstore to buy a popular fanfiction and hired a storyteller to share it.
Things had been fine the past few days, but today, the story had gotten a bit too explicit.
And to make matters worse, Yunlan Sect disciples had shown up today.
"Bring us two servings of your best dishes and a pot of your finest wine. Also, prepare the best food for the flying magic beasts outside." Chen Mo tossed a bag of gold coins onto the counter, looking curiously at the innkeeper. Was he really that intimidating?
"Right away, sir."
Chen Mo and Nalan Yanran found a spot to sit down. As they passed the storyteller, he looked like a puddle of mud, completely deflated.
The other patrons were beginning to catch on.
"Silver Cloud Sword, they're Yunlan Sect disciples."
"Judging by their attire and bearing, they seem to hold a high position within the sect."
Whispers spread throughout the inn.
Luckily, most people didn't know what Chen Mo looked like. If they realized that the two people sitting before them were the protagonists of the story they had just been hearing about, the inn would have emptied out in a flash.
To secretly fabricate and even indulge in fantasies about Yunlan Sect disciples... how audacious.
"Is Yunlan Sect's reputation not good outside the sect?" Chen Mo asked.
"It's actually quite good. Many people apply during the recruitment season," Nalan Yanran replied.
"Then why do they look like they've seen a ghost when they see us?"
As they pondered this, a trembling waiter brought a pot of wine to their table. He hurriedly set it down and tried to leave, but Chen Mo grabbed him by the arm.
"Young Master, is there something you need?" The waiter's legs were shaking so badly he could barely stand.
Everyone in the inn was watching.
The storyteller had already packed up his things and was preparing to slip away.
"What happened here just now? And why are you so afraid of me?" Chen Mo demanded.
The waiter, too scared to tell the truth, gave a vague answer.
Chen Mo wasn't a tyrant. Without solid evidence, he couldn't force the waiter to say more.
Seeing that Chen Mo had dropped the issue, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
After resting for a bit, they left the inn.
On their way out, Chen Mo spotted the same man who had been selling books on the quiet street earlier.
When the man saw Chen Mo, he tried to run again.
This time, Chen Mo didn't let him get away.
Using his agile body technique, Chen Mo appeared in front of the man in an instant.
With Nalan Yanran blocking the path behind him, the man was trapped in the middle of the street.