My Cultivation Starting from Archery-Chapter 602 - 206: How many soldiers does the Upper Sect have?_2
They each stood in front of a few households, impatiently knocking on the doors until the families opened their gates and sent out a young boy or girl. The cultivators would toss down some worthless gold and silver and then leave with strides.
"What is this?"
Chen Sansi asked, "Are they buying people?"
"Yes."
Old Man Li's voice was hoarse as he spoke, "The Immortal Masters in the city love to come to these remote poverty-stricken areas to look for young virgins and boys. They choose whichever household they fancy and reward them with some silver based on their mood. Afterward, the bought boys and girls are considered the private servants of the Immortal Master, and without permission, they aren't allowed to leave the city."
"Then..."
Zhaozhao seriously asked, "Can't they refuse to sell?"
Refuse to sell?
Old Man Li gave a bitter smile, "If you refuse, these Immortal Masters have plenty of ways to make you sell."
"What about the court?"
Zhaozhao asked again, "Can't they file a complaint to the court?"
"The court? The court here is just for show."
Old Man Li's tone was calm, devoid of any fluctuations, like dead water, "Those who truly govern the Sky Water Continent are the Upper Sects of the Immortal Path, and they wouldn't bother with such trivial matters."
"Rebel?"
Zhaozhao, holding an unfinished half of a steamed bun, said, "Back home, people who can't survive always rebel."
She realized herself how naïve this sounded after she finished speaking.
How could mortals fight against Immortals?
"How many troops does this Upper Sect have?"
Suddenly,
Chen Sansi, who had been silent, spoke.
"What?"
Old Man Li did not hear clearly, "Immortal Master, what did you say?"
"I asked,"
Chen Sansi emphasized, "you mentioned these Upper Sects; what realm are they in, how many troops do they have, and where are they located? What is their relationship like?"
"This..."
Old Man Li spread his hands, a pained expression on his face, "You're making things difficult for an old man like me, how would I know all that..."
In these villages,
every person, at birth, is tested by a specialist. Those with a Spirit Root and respectable talents get marked and when they are old enough, they are taken away by someone appointed.
It can be said,
that the fate of anyone in the Sky Water Continent is set at birth.
And these early-stage Qi Refining cultivators,
most of them are just Loose Cultivators.
In Daze Fang City, they belong to the lower class that can only live in shanty areas.
They prefer to counterbalance their oppression in the Cultivation World by exploiting the mundane world, essentially, the weak preying on the weaker.
"Nothing much."
Chen Sansi didn't continue asking: "I'm used to commanding troops and fighting wars on the other side, just asking out of habit. Since Ping'an isn't here, I'll stop bothering the elderly, farewell."
He originally,
had planned to leave Zhaozhao and Qian Xun here while he went to Daze Fang City alone.
But now it seemed, even the mundane world wasn't safe.
After parting with Old Man Li, Chen Sansi once again disguised himself as Zhang Lai and, with another person, rode from Small Stone Village, traveling overnight, and arrived at Daze Fang City at 5 a.m. the next day.
The workshop was still the same workshop.
The shanty areas were still inhabited by the same people as last time.
Chen Sansi found a tea house and first settled down Zhaozhao and Qian Xun.
As long as they don't leave a certain area, the workshop was open for business with guaranteed safety since the Steward Hall employed Martial Arts practitioners using Spirit Stones, and they weren't there just to eat free meals.
Chen Sansi first made a trip to the Hundred Treasure Tower, wanting to see if he could sell all the Elixir Pills he carried.
This time he came to the Cultivation World using his real appearance.
"Daoist, I have some Elixir Pills here, I wonder if you would take them?"
The female cultivator Si Liu in charge of the store revealed a sweet smile, "Could it be that Daoist is an Alchemist?"
"Indeed."
Chen Sansi stated truthfully, "I am a First-order Alchemist."
"Our Hundred Treasure Tower has always cooperated with Loose Alchemists, and the prices are the fairest in Daze Fang City."
Si Liu maintained her smile, "I wonder what type of Elixir Pills you specialize in making, and how much can you supply us with each month?"
"Every month?"
Chen Sansi caught the emphasis.
He only found out upon asking,
that both the Hundred Treasure Tower and other major shops require not just a one-time business deal, but a contract to supply a certain amount of goods each month as part of a long-term partnership.
"Please forgive Daoist."
Si Liu explained, "Among all the resources that cultivators need, the quality of Elixir Pills is the most important because problems could be fatal if consumed. Only with long-term cooperation, where both parties can find each other, can we ensure the safety of the Elixir Pills."
"If Daoist really can't maintain a long-term partnership, you could actually go to the 'Fish and Dragon Collection' in Daze Fang City, and with just five Spirit Crystals, you could trade freely."
"I see."
Chen Sansi didn't rush to leave, but instead continued to browse as a customer in the Hundred Treasure Tower.
[Green Origin Pill]
[Quality: First-rank Lower Grade]
[Utility: Enhances early-stage Qi Refining practitioner's mana]
[Price: Five low-grade spirit stones per pill]
...
[Yellow Dragon Pill]
[Quality: First-rank Lower Grade]
[Utility: Enhances early-stage Qi Refining practitioner's mana]
[Price: Eight low-grade spirit stones per pill]
Both of these,
were Elixir Pills that enhance the mana of early-stage Qi Refining practitioners, both rather pricey.
If possible, it would be better to refine them oneself.
But unfortunately, he didn't have the pill recipe.
Compared to Elixir Pills, pill recipes were even more valuable.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.
"Miss,"
Chen Sansi asked, "Do you have 'Undying Grass,' 'Spirit Rhinoceros Horn,' 'Jingshen Fruit,' these heavenly treasures here?"
Any one of these three items was enough to initiate the Jing Shen.
"These?"
Si Liu thought for a moment and then shook her head, "These materials, aside from their use in alchemy, are mainly used by Body Refining Practitioners to initiate Jing Shen, and we don't have them here."
