Chapter 878 - 706: City of Past Life Obsession (2)
After passing through this long passage, there was a ground paved with bluestone slabs ahead.
The sides of the street were filled with vendors setting up stalls, each of whom exuded the aura of Pseudo-Gods, and the goods they sold were all common items.
Ignoring that Pseudo-God aura, this place might indeed resemble a human city.
However, when Qin An stepped onto the bluestone slabs, the Pseudo-Gods who were setting up stalls looked at Qin An with a hint of curiosity and scrutiny.
They stared directly at Qin An, as if witnessing something strange.
Qin An stopped walking, slightly furrowing his eyebrows.
There was no hostility from the other side, just an intriguing look of exploration.
He was somewhat puzzled about what was happening here and decided to continue wandering around.
But at that moment, a young man dressed plainly walked up, blocking Qin An’s path.
Qin An placed his hand on the blade, keeping his long knife ready to be drawn, gazing at the young Pseudo-God, unsure of his intentions.
The young Pseudo-God, seeing Qin An’s demeanor, quickly waved his hand and said, "Please don’t misunderstand, I mean no harm. My name is Wang Liu. I am a person from the former dynasty, and after dying, I transformed into a Pseudo-God here. Before my death, I was an official of the former dynasty."
As he spoke, a trace of nostalgia appeared on Wang Liu’s face.
Soon after, the trace of nostalgia quickly disappeared.
Qin An frowned and said, "What do you want from me?"
He couldn’t fathom what Wang Liu, this Pseudo-God, intended.
But judging by the situation, it wasn’t simple.
After a slight pause, Wang Liu said, "We’ve gone quite a while without seeing outsiders. We don’t know what’s happening outside, nor the current state of the Daqian Kingdom."
"Seeing you, I became quite curious. Would you be able to tell us what’s happening outside, and what changes have occurred in the world?"
Upon hearing this, Qin An’s tightly furrowed brow relaxed slightly, but he did not lower his guard and said flatly, "Is that all? You only want to know these things?"
He found it rather strange.
The soldiers aside, why are all the Pseudo-Gods like this?
He knew well that these Pseudo-Gods are suppressed by the Dragon Vein’s power, staying here long-term, and likely don’t know what has transpired outside.
But such direct inquiries took him by surprise.
Wang Liu again clasped his fists and said, "That’s all there is; we just wish to know if it’s inconvenient for you, you don’t need to tell us. Of course, it’s not asking you for nothing, we have something to offer as compensation."
Qin An touched his chin with interest, "Oh, you want to offer something too, to exchange information with me? This is interesting. Tell me, what can you offer?"
Since he was here and couldn’t figure out the changes, he decided not to make any rash moves.
It’s better to see what’s going on here first.
Moreover, Wang Liu’s proposed exchange intrigued him greatly.
He also wanted to know what Wang Liu planned to offer in exchange.
As Qin An finished speaking, Wang Liu immediately responded.
Wang Liu thought for a moment and said, "We don’t have anything particularly valuable, but you came to this unfamiliar place, you need a guide, and I am your guide."
"I am a native here, with information unknown to most that can serve as a price to exchange for information from you. I can also take you around this city."
When Wang Liu said this, Qin An fell into deep thought.
Wang Liu stood patiently, waiting for Qin An’s response.
After tapping his fingers rhythmically on the knife handle, Qin An nodded after a moment and said, "Alright, this deal can be made."
Being here, indeed as Wang Liu said, what he lacked was not other things but information.
He was clueless about everything here and needed someone familiar with the place to guide him.
If Wang Liu was willing, it could save him a lot of trouble.
However, this involved discerning whether Wang Liu’s words were true.
But of course, he would judge them, what he lacked now was just such an opportunity.
Upon hearing this, Wang Liu visibly sighed in relief, then with anticipation, studied Qin An, waiting for him to speak further.
After a brief pause, Qin An told Wang Liu the simplest information about the current Daqian Kingdom, then fell silent.
Wang Liu was still waiting for Qin An to continue, only to find Qin An said no more, with a confused look in his eyes: "That’s all?"
He was somewhat incredulous; he hadn’t expected Qin An to say so little.
Qin An smiled slightly, "Since it’s a trade, it’s give and take. If I tell you everything at once, and you refuse to agree with me or treat me with indifference, wouldn’t it be a loss for me?"
"Don’t worry, as you take me around this city and tell me what’s happening here, I will gradually tell you all the information I know."
He’s not foolish; what he mentioned earlier was the simplest and least significant information. He wouldn’t reveal any more.
At least he needed to see if the information Wang Liu presented was equal in nature.
Upon hearing this, Wang Liu couldn’t help but chuckle, "You’re indeed cautious, but it’s warranted. If it were me, I’d do the same. How about this, we’ll go to the largest tavern here together, where we can talk as we rest?"
Qin An scanned the vicinity, finding Pseudo-Gods on either side of the street looking at him with curious eyes.
This place is quite chaotic, certainly not suitable.
He nodded politely, "Alright, that works."
Wang Liu didn’t hesitate and soon led the way toward a rather tall building.
Before long, the two arrived at a tavern.
Qin An stared at the towering building, nodding slightly: "I didn’t expect there’s everything here."
Wang Liu revealed a slight smile, "Having lived here for so long, naturally everything is here. Even though we’ve become Pseudo-Gods, we still want to live the life of ordinary people. Please."
Wang Liu led Qin An upward to the second floor.
The second floor had many Pseudo-Gods sitting and chatting.
As Qin An arrived, they instantly looked at him curiously, obviously sensing the human aura on him.
Qin An remained calm, following Wang Liu to a private room on the second floor.
With the sound of the door closing, the private room contained only Wang Liu and Qin An.
On the table, there was a pot of tea emitting rising steam.
However, Qin An did not move but tapped rhythmically on the table with his fingertips, signaling for Wang Liu to speak.
Wang Liu paused briefly, then revealed a slight smile: "This place is called the City of Past Life Obsession; I believe you already know this. This city was established by us, the remnants of the former dynasty who became Pseudo-Gods."
"After many long years, this place now possesses all the functions a city should have. We live, propagate, and lead peaceful lives here, yet we’re still eager to know how the current situation has evolved?"
Qin An nodded, saying nothing.
This information came as no surprise to him.
After all, a city couldn’t just appear out of thin air; someone must have built it.
And evidently, during the days suppressed by the Dragon Vein, these Pseudo-Gods, with nothing else to do, indeed built this city.
But Qin An was more concerned about another question.
After a moment of contemplation, he asked without hesitation.
"Why don’t they bear hostility towards me and seem quite normal?"