Free Web NovelChapter 164: Chapter 164: Observations
In the Fire Cave Dynasty, mortals accounted for ninety percent of the population.
Listening to the occasional conversations of passing mortals, one could tell that the locals prioritized cultivation first, and passing the Fire Cave Dynasty’s imperial examinations second.
However, resources here were scarce. If an ordinary person wished to cultivate, they needed to be tested and found to have exceptionally high aptitude to receive support from the imperial court.
Otherwise, they could only rely on immense luck—the kind where their ancestral tombs spouted green smoke.
Even with talent like Bai Mo’s, it was said that getting officially registered still depended on the mood of the court official in charge of selection.
Bai Mo couldn’t help but feel a little disheartened as he looked around.
"The common folk here work hard, but they seem to live in relative peace."
They were walking through a county town. It wasn’t particularly prosperous, and there weren’t many food stalls on the streets.
Large naan and dried, cured meats were very filling.
Wan Shenxiu glanced around, his expression unconcerned.
"The cultivation structure in this place is poor. Cultivators only emerge from that tiny group of people. How can they possibly produce many great Cultivators?"
After all, prodigies with supreme talent were rare, perhaps only a few a century, and it was not uncommon for many to be overlooked.
The three of them walked on. Although their clothes were extraordinary, they didn’t attract too much attention from passersby.
It was a time of change in the royal court, and many people were seizing the opportunity to ride the winds of change and become Cultivators.
In many places, young men who had found success could be seen returning home in splendid attire, visiting their old haunts.
The trio entered a bustling food shop.
It was filled with people, eating and chatting with friends and family.
The faces and hands of these people were weathered, their skin tanned to a dark red by the sun.
They were here to fill their stomachs and rest briefly before returning to work.
This short break was the most pleasant part of their day, a time to relax and talk about anything and everything.
Bai Mo and his companions found a corner to sit down in, each ordering a large bowl of lamb soup and a piece of naan.
The food was ready-made and served to their table almost immediately.
Bai Mo took a light sip of the soup. It had a unique flavor—very savory.
’This must be why the shop is so popular.’
Bai Mo and Zhao Jingyu ate with relish, but Wan Shenxiu frowned slightly, seemingly unaccustomed to the taste.
Zhao Jingyu wiped his mouth.
"Brother Wan, eat up. Aren’t you tired of grilled meat after all these days?"
"This soup isn’t bad at all!"
Bai Mo smiled. "Brother Wan must be used to a pampered life and can’t stomach the coarse food of the common folk."
Wan Shenxiu gave a helpless, wry smile and finally tried to eat, attempting to get used to the flavor.
The three listened to the conversations around them while devouring their meal. In just a few moments, nearly half of the huge naan was already in their stomachs.
Zhao Jingyu swallowed the naan in his mouth, his eyes darting about before he cleared his throat and said in a low voice,
"This Fire Cave Dynasty is said to have over seventy Foundation Establishment Cultivators. Many of them are powerful, making the dynasty stronger than an ordinary Immortal City."
"My two junior brothers, how do you suppose Brother Mo will make his move?"
Bai Mo and Wan Shenxiu exchanged a glance.
"Can Brother Mo really kill a Foundation Establishment Cultivator?"
"Of course."
Zhao Jingyu said, as if it were obvious,
"It’s no exaggeration to call the Outer Sect’s Ten Great Disciples monstrous geniuses. Reaching Foundation Establishment is a certainty for them."
"They’re just suppressing their cultivation for now to perfect their foundation."
He pushed away his nearly empty soup bowl.
"The Ten Great Disciples—that’s not a self-proclaimed title. It was decided by all our sect brothers."
"Every single one who made the list has the life of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator on their hands!"
Zhao Jingyu said all this in one breath, looking quite pleased with himself.
For the past few days of their journey, Bai Mo and Wan Shenxiu had been the ones making all the decisions.
He had offered a few suggestions, but none had been fruitful, which left him feeling quite dejected.
Wan Shenxiu thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"A Foundation Establishment Cultivator’s reserves of Spiritual Qi and their control over the ambient energy of the world are things a Qi Refining Cultivator simply cannot match."
"I’m afraid Brother Mo intends to stir up trouble, escalate the situation, and end the current stalemate."
"Even if he succeeds, he’ll probably suffer considerable losses."
After speaking, he looked at Bai Mo.
"Brother Bai, what do you think?"
Bai Mo pondered for a moment.
"If it were me, I’d use the Alchemy Dao. With a few tricks targeting the old and frail, it wouldn’t be impossible."
"But from the looks of Brother Mo, he probably doesn’t want to drag things out."
Wan Shenxiu and Zhao Jingyu were startled.
"Brother Bai, you also understand the Poison Dao?"
Bai Mo waved his hand dismissively.
"I only have a basic understanding of pharmacology. It’s just a method of disrupting the body’s yin and yang balance."
"But let’s not talk about that. Brother Zhao, you seem to have a different opinion?"
"Oh." Zhao Jingyu composed his expression.
"Have you guys seen the Sword Pellet on Brother Mo’s hand?"
"That’s the source of his confidence in contending with Foundation Establishment Cultivators. Its killing power is said to far surpass that of an ordinary Qi Refining Cultivator..."
Once the three had eaten and drunk their fill, Wan Shenxiu left some silver coins on the table to pay, and they walked out together.
The meal had lasted for nearly an hour, but it wasn’t a waste of time.
"So, are we heading to ’that damn Master You’s’ place next?"
Zhao Jingyu asked, smacking his lips.
Bai Mo nodded.
"Let’s go take a look since it’s on the way."
"That Master You made his fortune from mining. He gathered several powerful families to open the mines together, so he should know about the Fire Lacquer Stone situation."
The three left the shop, got their bearings, and headed toward the low mountain on the horizon.
He was just a local bigwig, the "Lord of Heaven" of a few surrounding towns, a mere wealthy old man. They didn’t pay him much mind.
"As it happens, if that Master You knows what’s good for him, we can spend the night there and spare ourselves the hardship of sleeping out in the open."
All three were Cultivators, and high-level ones at that.
A mere few miles was nothing to them.
By the time they reached You family Town, the laborers in the mines had not yet finished their work for the day.
A number of Cultivators in brocade robes were strolling through the town, talking and laughing.
Near the mine at the foot of the low mountain, a few Cultivators were blocking the entrance, with several large scales set up beside them.
A young man was pulling dark red ores from a cloth sack and placing them on the scales one by one.
"Is that Fire Lacquer Stone?"
Bai Mo asked, tilting his head.
Zhao Jingyu nodded repeatedly.
"That’s it. A senior brother of mine has a Wolf Fang Club forged from this stone. When he swings it hard, it can produce flames."
Wan Shenxiu shot a meaningful look at Bai Mo.
"The sect’s supply of Fire Lacquer Stone has decreased by more than thirty percent over the last two months. But looking at them, it doesn’t seem like production has dropped."
The mines were enormously profitable. If production had really decreased, the You family’s Cultivators here wouldn’t look so relaxed.
Even if there wasn’t a hot-tempered overseer pacing around and cursing at people, there should at least be a few thugs waving whips.
Before the three could get closer, they saw one of the Cultivators guarding the scales suddenly grab the Fire Lacquer Stones from the scale and throw them away.
The dark red ores scattered across the ground.
The young man immediately jumped in frustration, lunging forward to hurriedly pick up the scattered ores.
"Stop trying to fool us with this scavenged junk!"
"If you really want ore, then go on in. Down there, you eat what you earn. However much you dig, that’s how many Spirit Stones we’ll give you."
One of the Cultivators said lazily, his arms crossed.
Hearing this, the young man became indignant. He leaped up and pointed at the Cultivators, cursing,
"The mines, the mines, why don’t you send your mother down there!?"
"Serves your mother right to be dragged away by the Buddha’s Hand down there!"
The face of the Cultivator with his arms crossed darkened.
What kind of status did a Cultivator in the Fire Cave Dynasty have? How could one be cursed so crudely by a mortal?
He immediately uncrossed his arms and was about to take two steps forward when his companion stopped him and whispered a few words in his ear.
Only then did the Cultivator refrain from acting. He just shot the young man a dark look before crossing his arms again and looking away.
His companion, the one who had stopped him, looked at the young man, his eyelids slightly raised as he said flatly,
"Your era is over. If it weren’t for your grandfather still having some face, do you think you’d be standing here unharmed?"
"Know your place."
The calm words made the young man very wary. He retracted his hateful gaze and turned back to continue picking up the ores on the ground.
Wan Shenxiu gave the young man a cool glance before walking toward the Cultivators by the scales with his two companions.
Bai Mo raised his head slightly and gave a casual salute.
"Greetings, fellow Daoists. Do you have any Fire Lacquer Stone for sale here?"
