Yuan Ming produced a document, the very contract he had confiscated from Xu Changqing, clearly stating that the Guangli Sanmeng had a set deadline to assassinate him. Now that the deadline had passed and he had caused such a commotion in the capital of Great Jin, everyone knew not only was he still alive, but he had also become a Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage.
Presently, disguised as a disciple of Changchun Temple demanding a debt, his claim was legitimate and unassailable.
Moreover, even if they wished to verify the authenticity of the document with Xu Changqing, unless they could find Yuan Ming's corpse in his Storage Bag, who could say he wasn't a disciple of Changchun Temple?
Soon, Zhang Luhe returned with the document, his smile seemingly more sincere.
"I've confirmed with the Alliance Leader; your document is authentic. However, why didn't your master come in person?"
"The old man said he no longer wishes to deal with you," Yuan Ming replied indifferently.
Zhang Luhe's grip on the document tightened momentarily before relaxing. He then took out a Storage Bag from his waist.
"Heh, we indeed made a mistake this time. According to the contract, here's the compensation of fifteen hundred spirit stones, and an additional five hundred as a deposit. Please accept it."
"That's more like it." Yuan Ming nodded calmly, took the Storage Bag, and without further ado, left the Guangli Sanmeng's premises.
After Yuan Ming's departure, a figure flickered in the room, and a man in a white robe appeared, looking in the direction Yuan Ming had left. "Brother Zhang, we've taken a big loss on this deal."
"Alas, mishaps happen. Who would have thought Yuan Ming would escape pursuit and then kill Elder Yuhu during the succession ceremony? It's fortunate we didn't encounter him. If we had, our colleagues in the Southern Border would be in danger too. I've said it countless times—we must have accurate intelligence. They were blinded by spirit stones," Zhang Luhe sighed.
A street away, Yuan Ming thought of the extra two thousand spirit stones in his Storage Bag and couldn't suppress a smile. With these spirit stones, he could exchange for numerous cultivation elixirs and materials for making spiritual incense.
As he was calculating his next steps, he suddenly stopped.
Turning his head, Yuan Ming saw a uniquely designed building not far away. The lower half was a normal pavilion, but the upper half was shaped like a giant iron sword thrust into the pavilion, creating an imposing sight.
Above the main entrance hung a plaque with only three characters—Sanxiu Hui (Scattered Cultivators Association).
Curious, Yuan Ming entered and saw a vertical stone stele directly opposite the door. At the top of the stone was inscribed "List of Evil Cultivators," with dozens of names written in blood-red ink below, each followed by their cultivation level and a number, seemingly the bounty of spirit stones offered.
At the top of the stele was a cultivator named "Youquan Old Demon," with a peak Foundation Establishment cultivation, and a staggering bounty of five hundred thousand spirit stones.
At the bottom was a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator named "Pu Zhengqing," a soul cultivator with unclear strength, but a bounty of one hundred thousand spirit stones, with the additional note—alive capture.
After perusing the list, Yuan Ming marveled at his own worth and realized that in Great Jin's cultivation world, with its relatively abundant cultivation resources, the number and strength of scattered cultivators were incomparable to those in smaller regions like the Southern Border. The existence of such a list was intriguing, though whether those listed were truly evil was another matter.
Looking at the names, each represented a cultivator of exceptional strength, clearly not someone he could contend with at his current level.
He had once been complacent, thinking his soul cultivation techniques made him invincible among his peers, but now he saw that was overly optimistic.
There were always higher skies and greater people; his cultivation was just above the lowest tier. He wasn't like the protagonists in the stories who always turned danger into safety.
He needed to act with caution; after all, a cautious approach ensures a long journey.
The recent duel with Elder Yuhu in the imperial city was satisfying for revenge, but now he had to move stealthily.
This experience ignited a strong desire within Yuan Ming to continuously improve his cultivation and strength to have a say in his fate. If he weren't just at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, would he need to worry about his family being implicated and having to leave home shortly after returning, leaving his parents behind?
Ultimately, he lacked the power to protect his family and even himself.
Collecting his thoughts, Yuan Ming glanced at the list again, his curiosity piqued. Surely the Scattered Cultivators Association, catering to a broad range of cultivators and alliances, wouldn't only feature such high-level bounties?
Upon inquiring at a nearby counter, he learned that the stone only recorded evil cultivators with bounties exceeding one hundred thousand spirit stones. For those with lower bounties, one would need to inquire separately.
Besides the List of Evil Cultivators, there was also a task list. Anyone could post tasks or bounties by paying a deposit.
Scattered cultivators wishing to take on tasks had to pay a security deposit and prove their strength, generally unable to accept tasks beyond their capabilities.
Yuan Ming had no intention of taking on tasks, so he quickly scanned the list to ensure his name wasn't on it, then left without lingering.
He had planned to buy some Four Spirits Pills at Qingmu Tower, but now he wasn't in the mood. With enough spirit stones, he could buy elixirs anytime; there was no rush. What he needed to verify was more pressing.
Xiying had given him a blood egg, which he had tried various methods to hatch on his way back to Great Jin, even the daily blood-dripping technique Xiying taught. Yet, he couldn't feel any spiritual energy fluctuations from the egg.
This raised doubts about whether the egg could hatch or at least if there was a way to confirm if it was still alive.
After much thought, he decided to seek someone knowledgeable in this area.
Now in Leizhou, he thought of the one-armed elder Gu Qiuming's sect, which specialized in such matters.
Yuan Ming pulled out a map and quickly located the location of Zhenling Pavilion and headed there.
***
Upon entering, a man in a fiery red robe greeted him.
Without waiting for a question, Yuan Ming asked, "Excuse me, is there a cultivator named Gu Qiuming here?"
"Apologies, Steward Gu returned to his sect not long ago and is not currently here. However, if you wish, I can send a message to him on your behalf," the man replied courteously.
"That will do. Tell him an old acquaintance from Black Rock City is visiting; he'll know who it is," Yuan Ming said.
The man agreed and then began to promote the various exotic birds and beasts in the store.
Many were common in the Southern Border, the good ones unaffordable, the lesser ones not as good as his own, yet priced at more than triple that of the Southern Border. Yuan Ming showed little interest, politely responding before leaving.
***
At night, Yuan Ming stood by the window of his room in the inn, gazing out.
He was on the second floor, with a broad view.
Xiaohu City was brightly lit, dazzling against the night sky.
After a while, Yuan Ming turned back to the bed, took out a white jade ring, examined it for a moment, then stored it in his Storage Bag, his eyes firming with resolve.
He had made a decision: not to go to Shengye Sect, but to stay and cultivate in Xiaohu City's market.
Firstly, he feared causing trouble for his grandmother's sect; because of him, his mother's family might be implicated, adding to her worries. Secondly, Yuan Ming was tired of the tedious rules of sects, where every movement required reporting and leaving the sect needed approval. Xiaohu City's market was the second largest in Great Jin, with rich spiritual energy and everything one could need. Thirdly, many scattered cultivators hid in plain sight in the market.
As for the resources needed for cultivation, such as elixirs, he planned to figure it out himself. Even if he went to Shengye Sect, as an outsider and a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, he doubted he would receive preferential treatment.
With this in mind, Yuan Ming felt more certain about his choice.
***
The next morning, Yuan Ming arrived at a grand palace building near the city's lake, bustling with activity.
Two Cultivators stood at the entrance, indifferent to the comings and goings of the people.
Yuan Ming entered a side room, where the furnishings were simple, with a long gray stone table and several white-robed Cultivators seated behind it.
Many Cultivators gathered, sitting at the table, negotiating in low voices with the white-robed Cultivators; some were elated, others distressed.
This was where one could rent houses in Xiaohu City's market.
"Are you here to rent or buy a house, and have you chosen a location?" asked a white-robed Cultivator with a smile, showing no disdain for Yuan Ming's apparent Qi refining stage cultivation.
"Renting, in the outer area, but on a street, and cheap," Yuan Ming replied, not bothering to inquire about the price of buying a house, assuming it was beyond his means.
"There are many vacant houses in the cheap outer areas. Eighty-nine to the east of the city, one hundred and twenty-one to the west. Here is the price list; you can take a look," the white-robed Cultivator said, handing over two jade slips.
Yuan Ming took the jade slips, infused them with his spiritual consciousness, and frowned slightly, hesitating. The rent for houses in Xiaohu City was indeed not cheap, even in the outer areas, costing one to two hundred spirit stones a year.
"The city is rich in spiritual energy, with Elemental Infant Cultivators ensuring safety. Xiaohu City is the second largest market in Great Jin, and even the corners are convenient for living. Where you choose to live depends on your needs," the white-robed Cultivator continued to extol the virtues of residing in Xiaohu City.
Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan