Eternal Life Begins with Learning

It wasn't until late at night that Cultivators began to trickle out of the brightly lit Hundred Treasures Pavilion. The exchange meet, which had lasted for the better part of the day, was finally drawing to a close.

As the Cultivators departed and the maids withdrew, only Chu Mu and the young woman were left in the hall.

Chu Mu continued to drink leisurely by himself. The Spirit Wine from the Hundred Treasures Pavilion was very much to his liking. It was spicy on the tongue, burned like fire going down his throat, and exploded in his stomach. A scorching heat swept through him, then instantly transformed into a warmth that enveloped his entire body.

"Yue'Er, another pot of wine."

When she finished pouring another pot of wine, the young woman set down the pitcher and called toward the door.

"That won't be necessary."

Chu Mu raised his hand to stop her.

The young woman was slightly taken aback.

Chu Mu rose to his feet and added a reminder:

"Regarding the matter from earlier, I'll have to trouble Miss Hongyi to make the arrangements."

After speaking, Chu Mu took out a Sound Transmission Token and handed it to the young woman.

Once she took the Sound Transmission Token, Chu Mu waved his hand and walked towards the door.

'This exchange meet, without a doubt, went exactly as I had hoped.'

'An exchange meet meant for the Hundred Treasures Pavilion to maintain its network had practically become my personal stage.'

'The people I needed to meet, I have now met.'

'The bait I needed to cast has been cast.'

'The authority I needed to establish has been established...'

'From here on, as long as I follow the plan, there shouldn't be any major issues.'

In the deep of night, Chixia City was resplendent with lights. The sprawling glow rose and fell with the buildings and the contours of the mountain, creating a dreamlike scene of bustling prosperity. Even with all he had seen, he was still struck by the sight every time.

He stared blankly for a moment before turning his head to look back at the Hundred Treasures Pavilion. Amidst the waning lights, the young woman stood at the entrance, her silk skirt swaying in the wind. She was like a beautiful flower reflected in the water, a slender willow gracing the breeze.

Their eyes met for just a brief moment. Then, Chu Mu waved his hand and strode away, with Wangcai following closely behind, tail wagging.

While Chu Mu had been drinking, the pup had also chugged down a good amount of Spirit Wine. It was clearly a little drunk. Just like a common mutt from the mortal world, it dashed back and forth on the street, wagging its tail and playing around, causing the Cultivators on the street to dodge out of its way.

By the time he returned to his Cave Mansion, the sky was already showing the pale light of dawn. Chu Mu fell onto his bed and went straight to sleep. The fatigue from over a decade in the Outer Sea was not something that could be relieved in just a day or two.

Prolonged mental tension and the taint of bloodshed were not good for Cultivation; in fact, they were quite detrimental.

'This isn't just a feeling, either. It's a conclusion I've reached through rigorous research and validation, with clear experimental results.'

This was also one of the reasons he had chosen not to go Demon Hunting in the sea again.

'No matter what you're doing, balancing work and rest is always the right call.'

He didn't sleep for too long. After less than a full day and night, he was awakened by a series of incoming transmissions.

He glanced at the several messages that appeared on the Sound Transmission Token, pondered for a moment, and then walked out of his Cave Mansion.

About half an hour later, he returned to his Cave Mansion once again.

The span of a day and a night had been more than enough time for the news from the Hundred Treasures Pavilion's exchange meet to fully circulate.

Whether it was his identity as an Artifact Refining Master, his Supreme Yang and Firmness Method that could dispel the corrosive influence of Demon Beasts, the Small Celestial Puppet Array, or the projected image of his escape from the pursuit of a Tier Three Demon Beast...

Any single one of these things was enough to shake people to their core.

And when all these things converged on a single person, it was without a doubt just like back in Jingmen—his reputation soared, and he shot to fame.

'And just as I predicted, all I need to do is follow the plan...'

...

「North of the city, Moonlight Street.」

"Senior, this shop belongs to the Mountain Alliance. I inquired on your behalf, and according to the Alliance's Elder stationed here, the shop is available for rent or for sale."

"However, if you wish to rent it, the lease must be for no less than fifty years, and the rent must be paid in full upfront."

Chu Mu glanced at the shop before him but didn't pay it too much mind. 'The shop's appearance doesn't matter. Chixia City has no City Defense Array, and therefore no interconnected Array Prohibitions. As long as I lease any building or shop in the city, I can tear it down and rebuild it however I want.'

He asked, "Where is the Mountain Alliance from?"

"To answer your question, Senior, the Mountain Alliance is a faction from Outer Sea Mountain Island. It's said to have been formed by several Foundation Establishment Loose Cultivators who banded together..."

Chang Er was clearly well-prepared and immediately began to explain in an orderly fashion.

Listening to Chang Er's explanation, Chu Mu was a bit confused.

'Chixia City's status in the Vast Sea is, of course, indisputable.'

'Owning a shop in this city is like having a Treasure Basin!'

'There are many shops for rent in the city, but very few are ever for sale.'

Chu Mu asked, "Why are they selling the shop?"

"That... I'm not sure either."

Chu Mu asked again, "What does the Mountain Alliance mainly do?"

"Mountain Island is located in the Outer Sea, so the Mountain Alliance has a geographical advantage. They mainly deal in Demon Beast Spiritual Materials, buying low and selling high, I suppose..."

"You wait outside."

Chu Mu gave the order and walked into the shop.

The shop was clearly still open for business. A wide variety of Demon Beast Spiritual Materials were displayed on the shelves, and a few clerks were busy by the racks. The counter, however, was empty.

"Senior."

As soon as Chu Mu walked in, a clerk immediately came forward to greet him.

Chu Mu asked casually, "Who's in charge here?"

"Please wait a moment, Senior. I'll go inform the Shopkeeper."

The clerk reacted quickly, bowed, and then turned to jog up the stairs.

Soon, a burly, bearded man was led downstairs by the clerk.

The burly man had the build of a golem, standing nearly ten feet tall. He carried a large hammer in his right hand, and his left arm was demonized, its sharp claws glinting with a cold light. His presence was quite intimidating.

Chu Mu glanced discreetly at the man's demonized left arm, and what he had learned about physical modification suddenly came to mind.

'This kind of demonization... seems to be the product of a transplant modification?'

"What can I do for you, Fellow Daoist?"

The man's voice was deep and booming, and his eyes, like Copper Bells, stared at Chu Mu.

"I heard that this shop of yours is for sale, so I came to inquire about the situation."

Chu Mu got straight to the point.

'The Vast Sea Cultivation Immortal World is the domain of Bloodline Cultivators. Pure Cultivators are few and far between, and it's not an ideal place for orthodox practitioners to survive. For me, however, the situation is different.'

'In the Great Chu Cultivation Immortal World, a single Tier Two Pill Recipe could require Spirit Medicines hundreds of years old. With the Great Chu Cultivation Immortal World's nearly monopolized system of knowledge and resources, it was simply too difficult for me!'

'In contrast, while the Vast Sea Cultivation Immortal World is fraught with danger, chaotic, and lawless, danger also means opportunity.'

'Putting everything else aside, the system of using Demons to create Pills alone is enough to make me want to settle here for the long term.'

'If I'm going to settle down for a long time, given the choice between renting and buying, I would naturally prefer to buy the shop if possible.'

"You want to buy this shop?"

The burly man sized up Chu Mu, asking with some suspicion.

"Yes."

Chu Mu nodded, glancing around the shop briefly before looking back at the burly man.

"Alright. Fellow Daoist, please have a seat upstairs. I will contact the other Elders of the Alliance first."

"This shop belongs to the entire Alliance, so please forgive the delay, Fellow Daoist."

"No matter."

Chu Mu nodded and, under the guidance of a clerk, went up the stairs and finally took a seat in the second-floor hall.

After about a quarter of an hour, the sound of footsteps came from the top of the stairs, followed by two figures emerging.

It was the burly, bearded man and a small, wizened old man by his side. Both of them had a Cultivation at the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment.

"Fellow Daoist Chu, your presence brings light to our humble shop."

This time, it was the small, wizened old man who spoke. He was very enthusiastic, and even the burly, bearded man showed a clear increase in reverence.

Chu Mu raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised, but then he recalled the stir he had caused in Chixia City over the past few days and understood.

"Fellow Daoist, you wish to purchase our Alliance's shop, correct?"

After a round of pleasantries, the old man finally got to the main topic.

"Yes."

Chu Mu nodded.

"This shop was purchased in Chixia five hundred years ago by our Alliance's predecessors and has been passed down to this day. If our Alliance had not suffered a great disaster, we would certainly not be selling it."

The old man sighed with emotion as he spoke slowly.

Seeing Chu Mu's confusion, the old man sighed softly and explained, "Just at the beginning of spring this year, for some unknown reason, a Tier Three Wind-Splitting Beast suddenly attacked Mountain Island."

"Although we managed to fend it off in the end, the Alliance suffered heavy losses. Left with no other choice, we began to sell off our assets abroad one by one."

"This shop is already the third one our Alliance has put up for sale in Chixia City."

"If Fellow Daoist is sincere about buying this shop, I can make the decision to give you a low price."

Chu Mu's eyebrow twitched. His gaze shifted between the old man and the burly man as he slowly set down the teacup he had just raised.

"I have a junior relative who is quite talented in the art of Artifact Refining..."

The old man spoke slowly, his slightly cloudy eyes glancing at Chu Mu from time to time to gauge his reaction.

When the old man finished speaking, Chu Mu's brow furrowed slightly. His fingertips unconsciously tapped on the tabletop. The sound wasn't loud, but at this moment, it captured the full attention of the old man and the burly man.

"This matter... I will need to consider it."

After a good while, Chu Mu finally spoke slowly under their almost pleading gazes.

"How about this: give me two days. In two days, I will give you an answer."

"Alright."

The old man seemed somewhat delighted and immediately agreed.

Afterward, escorted by the old man and the burly, bearded man, Chu Mu walked out of the shop.

Chang Er was still waiting respectfully outside the shop. Seeing Chu Mu emerge, he hurried forward to meet him.

"Let's go."

Chu Mu waved his hand, his brow slightly furrowed, seemingly lost in deep thought.

Seeing this, Chang Er didn't dare to say anything more and simply followed closely behind.

'Trading the immense profits of a shop for the title of master and disciple with an Artifact Refining Master... the terms are quite wise and profitable.'

'The shop's profits may be great, but that profit is unlikely to change much.'

'But the title of master and disciple holds countless possibilities.'

'After all, not everyone has the Spiritual Radiance Blessing and heaven-defying comprehension, able to teach themselves and become a master.'

'Of the Hundred Skills of Cultivation Immortal, for any single skill, without someone to guide you, without someone to personally teach you, even with all the knowledge laid out before you, just getting started is as difficult as ascending to the heavens.'

'If they receive my guidance, under this kind of exchange, it would basically be equivalent to passing on an Artifact Refining legacy. From then on, it would be passed down through the Mountain Alliance for generations.'

'And for me, to get a shop in Chixia City for nothing more than a nominal master-disciple title... that seems like a pretty good deal, too.'

'However, my consideration isn't whether this deal is a win-win.'

'It's about the precedent it sets... once I open this door, it'll be hard for me to refuse future trades for favors.'

'But refusing doesn't fit with my plans, either.'

'After all, I do intend to settle in Chixia City for the long term.'

'This kind of nominal master-disciple relationship, as long as it's handled properly, should have far more pros than cons for me...'

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