Chapter 507: Chapter 507: Proactive

The blue-robed manager didn’t come again as Bai Mo had expected.

Bai Mo was a little disappointed that his guess had been wrong.

Ah Er noticed and had offered a few words of comfort.

"Heh heh."

Zhu Tong came to visit, leaning against the courtyard wall, his loose outer robe a sloppy mess.

"So, how’s it going? The perks from the Foreign Affairs Hall aren’t so easy to cash in on, are they..."

Thanks to his chronic lack of sleep, his dark circles were severe. When the man grinned, Bai Mo could hardly bear to look at his face.

Zhu Tong, oblivious, just chuckled.

"It’s true the sect’s Spirit Stones are easy to come by, but there are far too many capable people within our ranks."

"People like us start something, and there’s always someone else willing to continue it—for a much, much lower price..."

He understood Bai Mo’s mindset perfectly. People like them all thought the same way when they first arrived.

Bai Mo drew a light breath and sighed.

"I was wrong. It seems if I want to earn Spirit Stones, I’ll have to stick to my original trade."

"Now you’re talking!" Zhu Tong nodded and took the opportunity to extend an invitation.

"I’m about to head out. Want to come along, Junior Brother? There’s a Senior Sister here who’s quite beautiful..."

’An offer like that?’

Bai Mo refused without a second thought.

"My alchemy keeps me busy. I don’t have the leisure time you do, Senior Brother."

"Speaking of which, why are you so free today, Senior Brother?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Tong gave him a conspiratorial look.

"There were a few jobs. I feigned illness and secretly recommended another colleague to the manager. I’ll probably be free for a few days."

Since Bai Mo wasn’t going, Zhu Tong didn’t insist. He climbed onto his soft sedan, which was then lifted by puppets and carried off into the distance.

He was still on his way when, with a simple wave of his hand, a bird swooped down. It took out a jade wine flask and poured him a drink to enjoy.

It was an ostentatious display of decadent corruption, inspiring a mix of envy and scorn in any onlookers.

The puppets that served Zhu Tong were also exquisitely made and their cost was clearly not trivial.

With craftsmanship like his, one could do well for themselves anywhere in the sect.

Bai Mo had spoken with Zhu Tong before.

The man had come to this cliffside dwelling to work day and night for the Foreign Affairs Hall. Besides raising his Daoist cultivation by coming into contact with ancient artifacts, he was also in it for the Spirit Stones.

Put in a few years of work, and you would have enough cultivation resources to last a good long while.

It was a very worthwhile trade-off.

...

「A few days later.」

While Bai Mo was still studying the Earth Tai Sui, an acquaintance suddenly showed up at his door.

Yuan Chu looked at the bamboo outside the courtyard, which was barely waist-high, his face full of surprise.

"Not planting any rare flowers or exotic herbs, Junior Brother? You’re growing bamboo instead?"

He didn’t seem to care much for local etiquette, following Bai Mo straight into the courtyard.

Shooing away a clucking hen, Yuan Chu sat down on a stone stool.

Bai Mo poured him tea.

"The soil here was ruined by the previous owner. So, I’m planting bamboo to dredge the earth-qi first, and I’ll worry about other things later."

Yuan Chu picked up the teacup and downed it in one gulp, ignoring the heat with a bold flourish.

"Where’s that Spirit Beast of yours?"

"It went back to Mi Mountain. There are some things it needs to bring back."

Bai Mo replied nonchalantly before asking a question of his own.

"What brings you here, Senior Brother?"

Yuan Chu rubbed his nose.

"Junior Brother, do you by any chance still have one of those Pills that protect the heart-meridians and negate the backlash from a failed Core Formation?"

’He’s surprisingly well-informed.’

Bai Mo smiled. "I do have one left. A senior brother from the Foreign Affairs Hall wanted it back then, but I didn’t sell."

"I didn’t end up using it during my Core Formation, so I’ve kept it on hand."

"How about selling it to me?" Yuan Chu said bluntly.

"Alright."

The two of them quickly reached a deal.

Bai Mo got three thousand Spirit Stones, and Yuan Chu got the Pill. He was grinning from ear to ear.

"That’s our Junior Brother, alright. Recommending you to the Foreign Affairs Hall was the right move."

"This place is pretty good, right?"

Bai Mo nodded.

"It’s decent. The Foreign Affairs Hall is generous, but the neighbors seem a bit shady."

Yuan Chu waved his hand dismissively.

"All that is trivial. The only thing that matters is the benefits you can get your hands on."

He leaned in closer and lowered his voice.

"There’s a trick to it. Whenever the Foreign Affairs Hall holds a ritual sacrifice or some other event, everyone tries every trick in the book to tag along."

"There are spoils for everyone present, and they can’t very well turn you away."

"Remember that business with filling the Sea Eye at Buduchuan a few years ago? The disciples who were present back then all made a huge killing!"

Yuan Chu gave Bai Mo a look, letting him figure out the rest on his own.

Bai Mo nodded pensively, then gave a wry smile.

"After Core Formation, it seems many of our fellow disciples have become even more concerned with things like Spirit Stones."

"There’s no breaking free..."

Though he said that, both of them understood the underlying reason perfectly well.

"Core Formation depends on arduous cultivation and talent. Nascent Soul depends on destiny."

Yuan Chu’s spirits were high.

"If you don’t take on more work, how are you going to encounter that destiny?"

"We’re not like those Loose Cultivators in the outside world; we’re Sect Disciples of a major sect. We have to take the long view."

"If people like us don’t even hope to reach the Nascent Soul realm, then who will?"

Bai Mo could tell that while the other man had yet to reach Core Formation, his aura was already incredibly condensed, and his expression was one of extreme confidence.

They chatted for a few more moments before Yuan Chu suddenly took out a commission slip.

"Oh, right. Dharma Protector She Qingshan asked me to pass on a request to you. He said the reward is negotiable."

Bai Mo was still grateful to the old tortoise, so he immediately took the paper and examined it closely.

"A Pill to strengthen the body and protect the Divine Soul?"

"What does Senior She need this for? With his connections, wouldn’t it be more convenient to get one from Pill Peak?"

Yuan Chu shook his head.

"Dharma Protector She has his reasons."

"This Pill is for his nephew to use. Aren’t you skilled in the way of the Outer Pill? They take effect quickly, and he’s in a hurry to get it."

Yuan Chu then started to explain something to Bai Mo.

As the sect’s exploration and development on the other side of the Celestial Barrier Mountains deepened, the resistance they encountered grew ever greater.

Now, the Dharma Protectors and Divine Generals of Divine Dao Mountain have finally been mobilized.

Kunwu True Monarch and Nai Daoist had already departed long ago, back when Bai Mo was in seclusion for his Core Formation breakthrough.

"For certain reasons, Dharma Protector She is having his nephew go. When it’s time for him to act, he’ll descend by possessing the nephew’s body."

"However, a fierce battle like that puts immense strain on the host body. Due to the difference in their realms, it can even cause damage to the Divine Soul..."

Yuan Chu explained.

Bai Mo understood. After thinking for a moment, he had another idea.

"I recently came across something called an Earth Tai Sui. It has many mysterious properties. Using it for alchemy might be more suitable than an Outer Pill in this case."

Yuan Chu was a layman when it came to alchemy, so he just told Bai Mo to make the call.

Bai Mo nodded, then asked,

"I had heard that the situation over at the Celestial Barrier Mountains had stabilized. Why the sudden increase in pressure?"

"Word is that some ancient aboriginals have surfaced. They’re apparently savages who can’t be reasoned with..."

In truth, Yuan Chu wasn’t too clear on the specifics himself. He had been busy preparing for his Core Formation.

He shared a few more of his speculations with Bai Mo, then took his leave.

Judging by how familiar he was with the path, he had obviously been to this area before, a testament to the special status of Divine Dao Mountain disciples.

Not long after Yuan Chu left, while Bai Mo was still thinking about the Pill for She Qingshan, another guest arrived.

It was the blue-robed manager.

"I just saw a disciple leaving from here..."

Bai Mo nodded. "A friend of mine from Divine Dao Mountain."

"No wonder."

The blue-robed manager’s seasoned face betrayed little emotion.

"It’s about that other tribe again. No point in having two people on one job. Regarding the matter of the Pills, I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you once more, Junior Brother."

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