NOVEL WEB Chapter 617: The Contract
Several days had passed.
In a small courtyard in Chao Feng Alley, Heavenly River Water Mansion, Ding You day.
Inside the Dark Chaos Furnace, the steam full of meat fragrance continuously billowed, while the Fire Cloud Gourd spurted blue flames, roasting the thinly sliced white Exotic Beast Meat. The White Jade Plate was filled with quickly stir-fried fresh vegetables in red, yellow, and green.
Sitting by the stone table, Chen Mu took a bite of the Yellow Bud Rice and nodded in satisfaction, "Hai Province indeed has a better environment than Yunzhou. The locally produced Yellow Bud Rice here tastes richer by a third."
In recent years, Yunzhou had suffered continuous natural and man-made disasters, causing a cliff-like decline in the concentration of Earth Spirit Vital Energy. The Yellow Bud Rice grown there was of poor quality, tasting much worse than that in this part of Hai Province.
With a slight sigh, Chen Mu then feasted heartily.
...
After the meal.
Pulling out the rocking chair that had traveled wide with him, once Chen Mu comfortably lay into it, he summoned the Grey Wall and looked at one of the entries.
Five Thunders Treasure Scroll: 7813/10000/Sixth Rank;
In the past half a year, Chen Mu had been constantly on the run and could only sporadically devote time to the Five Thunders Treasure Scroll.
Even so, the progress of the Secret Technique was still quite remarkable, and it was now close to reaching Perfection at Sixth Rank.
He lifted his hand, tiny arcs flickering and hopping off his fingertips.
"It seems focusing on one path entirely surpasses progressing on multiple fronts," he muttered.
"First focus on perfecting this technique, then consider others."
He had also thought about refining the Heavenly Demon Armor Secret Technique, but various setbacks had delayed that as well.
Putting away the Grey Wall before him, Chen Mu introspected the Jade Seed.
Five days before, the Divine Orifice had completed its sixty-fourth refinement. The nine-layered Divine Orifice, now displaying colors of silver and black, appeared ever more mysterious and ancient.
"In no more than half a year, the River Chariot will be completely refined."
"Another big step forward in Qi refinement," Chen Mu said, a gratified smile spreading across his face.
Delighting in the changing states of his Divine Orifice for a while, he then snapped back to attention.
"As wonderful as distant dreams are, what's immediately before me is even more crucial," Chen Mu sighed, pulling out a small wooden box to start checking the White Jade inside.
Settling rental housing, stimulating the Exquisite Jade Plate for cultivation, buying Exotic Beast Meat to refine Nourishing Spirit Wine—these past few days, a large amount of White Jade had flowed out like water.
"Thirteen thousand three hundred sixty-five; did my savings really drop by half?"
"Damn!" Chen Mu winced at the financial pain.
He was, after all, a Qi Refining Cultivator at the Condensing Aperture stage, yet he had less than twenty thousand in White Jade.
"If only I could sell the Water Avoiding Shuttle, I would definitely obtain a large amount of White Jade," Chen Mu lamented with a shake of his head.
He had considered exploiting the warehouse of the Water Avoiding Shuttle before, but it had gone through repeated misfortunes, and all the White Jade inside was depleted.
The various materials stored were also used to repair the Water Avoiding Shuttle's hull. After dismissing Lei Cheng and the others, the most valuable thing left was just the Water Avoiding Shuttle itself.
Yet the Water Avoiding Shuttle could not be sold; he was afraid of being traced by Qiu Jinwu.
"Skills never weigh down the bearer," Chen Mu sighed, flipping his hand to pull out a Dark Gourd, inside of which were various poisonous miasmas mixed.
Thousands of miles south of the Heavenly River Water Mansion in Ding You, there was a continuous mountain forest known as the Mist Forest, rich in sky-high trees and resources but also riddled with various poisons.
Qi Cultivators living in the Mist Forest were often troubled by these poisons year-round. Hence, there was a huge demand for poison-detoxifying and poison-avoiding Elixirs in this area.
The moment he got this news, Chen Mu thought of the Through-Rhino Hundred Miasma Pill.
This miraculous Elixir Pill, with some adjustments, could potentially open up a new source of income.
"Have to thank Elder Rong Qiu of Jilong Road," Chen Mu couldn't help but sigh.
The Through-Rhino Hundred Miasma Pill was an improvement innovated by the Elder. Previously in Yunzhou, it had brought him considerable returns several times. Unexpectedly, now in Hai Province, it could still relieve his financial troubles.
"Who knows what the current situation of Jilong Road is."
"Is it like Goose Sheep Path, caught in the Tianhe Law Realm?"
"Or did it arrive here early and completely integrate into Hai Province?"
The world is too vast; sometimes a single farewell could be forever.
"Each has their own fate; I should focus on how to earn White Jade."
...
Heavenly River Water Mansion, the mansion owner's Dojo, Xushi day.
"Elder Qiu, two months ago, indeed a group of unfamiliar Qi Cultivators arrived in the Water Mansion," laughed a handsome young man in white robes trimmed with golden threads.
"But these people didn't stay long, they bought some supplies and after finding out the distribution of the ninety-nine sects in Hai Province, they hastily left the Water Mansion."
"Now, they have probably scattered into the various sects and their whereabouts are difficult to trace." He shook his head regretfully.
"Is it difficult to find them, or do you not want to find them?" Qiu Jinwu glanced at him and spoke calmly.
"It seems that unless I sign the Daoist Soldier Contract, you guys are unlikely to take action." His expression was stoic, a formless aura slowly rising around him, as if the very air had solidified.
Ahh!
A faint dragon's cry emanated from the handsome young man, who watched Qiu Jinwu with a grin, unaffected by the immense pressure around him.
"Senior Qiu is immensely powerful, we in the Heavenly River Water Mansion are indeed desperate for such talent."
"I thought you would come up with some excuses." Qiu Jinwu raised an eyebrow.
"Being honest is better for both parties." The handsome young man said with a smile.
"Just sign the Thousand Mechanisms Sect's Daoist Soldier Contract, and I will immediately ask my father to use the Heavenly River Secret Technique to search for the Dragon Ball Spirit Mechanism."
"As is widely known, although the Heavenly River Water Mansion is spread out across the Thirteen States, the Dao techniques have been passed down continuously since ancient times. It takes some effort to trace back to the origins, but it's always possible to find out where that Spirit Mechanism went."
"But this will consume a lot, the Water Mansion couldn't possibly act without good reason." The handsome young man slowly spoke.
Thousand Mechanisms Sect...
This Daoist Soldier Contract could clearly be a powerful binding Secret Technique.
If there were any traps in it...
Qiu Jinwu fell silent, pondering.
"Senior Qiu really needn't worry too much." The handsome young man laughed and waved his hand.
"While the Daoist Soldier Contract is stringent, it doesn't have any traps to cheat people. After all, the Thousand Mechanisms Sect needs usable Daoist Soldiers, not cannon fodder slaves."
"Every three years, the ninety-nine sects of Hai Province provide a batch of Daoist Soldiers to the Thousand Mechanisms Sect. If there really were any major issues, they wouldn't have complied so obediently over the years."
"We help you find the Dragon Ball Spirit Mechanism, and you help us fulfill the Daoist Soldier mission of Thousand Mechanisms Sect. This is a win-win."
Qiu Jinwu nodded involuntarily.
"Moreover, although the battlefield outside heaven of the Thousand Mechanisms Sect is perilous, it also presents countless opportunities."
"If we really can't find the lost Dragon Ball Spirit Mechanism, you can also find a suitable substitute there." The handsome young man tempted persuasively.
"What if I sign the contract and you guys do not put in the effort?" Qiu Jinwu furrowed his brows again.
"That cannot be." The handsome young man shook his head with a joyful expression: "You can put your demands into the contract."
"With the Pure Yang Dao Ancestor as a witness, neither party can breach the agreement."
"This is not just a regular oath, if we dare breach the contract, we would truly be struck by the Five Thunders."
If that was really the case...
Qiu Jinwu fell into deep thought.
…
In the Heavenly Water Pavilion of the Heavenly River Water Mansion.
"Mr. Song, we've already had people try it, your Through-Rhino Hundred Miasma Pill is incredibly effective against the poisonous miasma."
"One pill for eighteen White Jade pieces, we'll take as many as you have!" The tall and thin manager with a head of white hair looked eagerly at Chen Mu.
Disguised with Zhang Songjiang's dark face, Chen Mu couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.
Back in Yunzhou, the average price of a Through-Rhino Hundred Miasma Pill was around eleven or twelve White Jade pieces.
Eighteen White Jade pieces...
Is there something here I'm not aware of?!
Chen Mu's mind stirred, and he narrowed his eyes.
After carefully observing Manager Yang's eyes, he dismissed his curiosity.
I just need to earn my share, it's better not to know other matters.
"No problem, I have one hundred pills here, they're all yours." He pulled out a jug the size of a person's head and handed it over.
Before long, with the transaction complete, Chen Mu picked up the wooden box containing one thousand eight hundred White Jade pieces and left.
"One furnace of Elixir Pills yields one thousand eight hundred White Jade pieces."
"If I refine ten or eight furnaces, the White Jade I spent earlier will easily be earned back."
"Still far from White Jade freedom, but also sufficient for me to cultivate in peace."