Eternal Life Begins with Learning

Chu Mu's brow was furrowed as he walked along the street.

At some point, a sudden vibration from his chest jolted Chu Mu from his heavy thoughts.

He took out his Sound Transmission Order, and a voice sounded within his Divine Sense Perception.

He scanned his surroundings, his gaze finally settling on the wooden window of a nearby tavern. The isolating Restriction dissipated, and a graceful figure came into view.

His eyes shifted slightly. He waved to Chang Er, then led Wangcai into the tavern.

Seeing this, Chang Er glanced cautiously at the graceful figure behind the windowsill. He hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided not to leave, standing outside the tavern entrance to wait in silence.

In a private room on the second floor, the cups were already filled with wine. Amidst a faint, lingering fragrance, the beautiful, smiling face of a young woman came into view.

"The Chixiao Wine from this Moonlight Tavern is one of Chixia City's finest specialties..."

The young woman offered him a cup of wine, introducing it with a smile.

Chu Mu glanced at the Hundred Treasures Pavilion logo in the upper right corner of the private room's door. As he took the cup, he asked casually.

"Is this tavern also a property of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion?"

"Half of it, I'd say."

"This tavern is a joint venture between the Hundred Treasures Pavilion and the Heishan Workshop. The Heishan Workshop handles daily operations, and we settle the accounts once a year..."

"All the powers in this city, big and small, are like this. Their interests are all intertwined, creating a complex web of relationships..."

As the young woman spoke, Chu Mu took a sip of the Spirit Wine, and his previous confusion seemed to clear up a little.

"Oh, right. Brother Chu, are you preparing to open a shop?"

"Yes."

Chu Mu nodded and pointed to a nearby Mountain Alliance shop. "The Mountain Alliance's shop. It's for sale, and I plan to buy it."

"The Mountain Alliance shop..."

The young woman blinked. "If the Mountain Alliance knows that it's you, Brother Chu, who's buying the shop, I'm afraid it won't be a simple transaction, will it?"

Chu Mu looked slightly surprised.

The young woman chirped, her face beaming. "Haha, I guessed right, didn't I?"

Chu Mu couldn't help but feel a little teasing himself. He set down his wine cup and asked, "Then, Miss Hongyi, why don't you tell me why this transaction isn't just a transaction?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

The young woman had a look that said she'd seen through it all. "Ever since the exchange meet, your reputation, Brother Chu, has skyrocketed."

"The Mountain Alliance has suffered heavy losses recently. Several of their Foundation Establishment Elders are in Chixia City calling in favors and gathering resources. There's no way they haven't heard of you, Brother Chu."

"In this Cultivation Immortal Realm, with its countless powers big and small, which one wouldn't want to cultivate its own Artifact Refiners and Alchemists?"

"The Mountain Alliance is just a small, obscure power from the Outer Sea. They're not qualified to even approach the famous masters of various skills in the Vast Sea."

"Ordinary practitioners of the Hundred Skills of Cultivation Immortal usually have a master or are backed by some power. They are all bound by various restrictions, making it impossible for them to pass on their legacy to outsiders, let alone leak it to a power like the Mountain Alliance."

"Now that you, Brother Chu, a Loose Cultivator Artifact Refining Master, have come knocking on their door, there's no way they'd let you go."

"If you were to agree to their proposal, Brother Chu, they would probably just give you that shop for free."

"And every year after, you'd receive a sizable tribute."

"That's basically how it works in the Vast Sea Cultivation Immortal World..."

Chu Mu pondered for a moment. He looked at the young woman before him, his tone becoming a bit more serious. "Then tell me, should Chu agree?"

Seeing his expression, the young woman's carefree smile also faded slightly. "That depends on you, Brother Chu."

"If you're only staying in the Vast Sea temporarily, Brother Chu, then there's no need to accept."

"But if you plan to settle down for the long term, these kinds of things are probably unavoidable."

"If the Mountain Alliance doesn't approach you, Brother Chu, someone else will. Even if you refuse them all, you'll still get caught up in other entanglements of interest..."

Chu Mu chuckled. "Miss Hong'Er, you see things quite clearly."

"It's the same everywhere. Wasn't it like this for you back in Jingmen, Brother Chu? It's just taking a different form now."

"Besides, you've probably already made up your mind, Brother Chu."

"Otherwise, you wouldn't have been so high-profile at the exchange meet that day."

Chu Mu laughed heartily. "Hahaha, Miss Hong'Er, you've guessed every last one of Chu's thoughts."

"How about this: don't agree just yet, Brother Chu. Let Hong'Er first check on the Mountain Alliance's current situation for you."

Chu Mu considered it for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. I'll have to trouble you with this, Miss Hong'Er."

The young woman's bright eyes twinkled, and she suddenly asked, "Does this count as a transaction?"

Chu Mu was slightly taken aback. Seeing the slight smile on her lips, he shook his head and smiled. "If Miss Hong'Er says it counts, then it counts. If you say it doesn't, then it doesn't."

The young woman smiled sweetly, raising a delicate finger and making a gesture. "In that case, Brother Chu, you owe Hong'Er twice now..."

"Chu never makes empty promises."

Chu Mu raised his cup slightly and drained it in one gulp.

After putting down his cup, Chu Mu didn't linger. He asked about getting a message to Xu Yuan, then walked out of the tavern.

Downstairs, Chang Er stood outside the entrance, still waiting silently.

When he saw Chu Mu walk out, Chang Er hurried forward, following closely at his heels.

Once on the street, Chu Mu suddenly stopped. He turned to look at Chang Er, who was following at his heels. His gaze lingered for a moment on the garish scales on the man's body before he slowly spoke. "I can point you down a path. Will you take it?"

"This lowly one would die ten thousand deaths for the chance!"

Chang Er dropped to his knees with a THUD, kowtowing and crying out.

Chu Mu couldn't hide his surprise at such a resolute kowtow. He was silent for a moment, then took out a contract and tossed it casually. It landed in front of Chang Er.

"Two days from now, come to the Mountain Alliance's business office."

Leaving those words behind, Chu Mu turned and walked away.

Chang Er remained kowtowing. Only after Chu Mu had walked far away did he slowly raise his head, his somewhat dim eyes fixed on the contract on the ground.

It was a Divine Soul Contract, with only a few clauses.

He struggled to raise his hand. It was only inches away, but at this moment, it felt impossibly distant, just like his extravagant fantasies of the past—unreachable...

Fortunately, this time, that unreachability was just an illusion. With a trembling hand, the name of Chang Er was also written on the contract.

It seemed different from an ordinary contract. As soon as it was signed, a flash of bladelight flickered and entered Chang Er's mind.

Although there was no discernible abnormality, Chang Er suddenly had a premonition: the contract could not be violated. To violate it... meant certain death!

The contract was harsh, with terrifyingly strict restrictions.

But at this moment, Chang Er was smiling more brilliantly than ever.

This worthless life of his... was no longer worthless from this moment on.

Even when you beat a dog, you have to consider its master.

Even if he was just a dog, he would be far superior to the vast majority of Cultivators in this city...

...

"You stupid dog, get over here!"

By the roadside, Wangcai had suddenly darted over to a street stall and snatched a large piece of Demon Beast Flesh from the display.

Chu Mu cursed at him. Only then did Wangcai trot back, wagging its tail, but it absolutely refused to drop the piece of Demon Beast Flesh in its mouth.

Chu Mu kicked Wangcai twice in frustration, then looked at the trembling stall owner. "How many Spirit Stones?"

"If Senior likes it, it is this junior's honor. Please, let Senior eat it."

The man swallowed hard, his voice trembling as he looked at Wangcai's ferocious appearance.

"Take it."

Chu Mu took out a bag of Spirit Stones and tossed it over, not bothering to say more.

After walking a few steps, Chu Mu suddenly stopped and stared at the half-eaten Demon Beast Flesh in Wangcai's mouth.

He grabbed Wangcai, pried open its massive jaws, and took out the remaining Demon Beast Flesh.

He examined it all over. Other than the thick scent of blood clinging to the Demon Beast Flesh, there was nothing unusual. Yet, he seemed to have thought of something and suddenly fell into deep thought.

'Demon Beasts are drawn to the scent of blood. Before they develop full Spiritual Wisdom, Demon Beasts primarily act on instinct.'

'Doesn't this mean that when hunting Demon Beasts, blood can be used as a lure? Or rather, for different Demon Beasts, different lures could be used...'

He mulled it over for a moment, his eyes growing brighter and brighter.

'This seems very feasible.'

'Using blood as the core ingredient, and then creating corresponding lures based on the habits of different Demon Beasts...'

'It would be difficult for me, but I should be able to figure it out.'

He took out a Jade Scroll and temporarily recorded this idea, intending to research and develop it after he finished dealing with his recent trivial matters.

"Stop running around."

Chu Mu instructed, then continued walking along the street, strolling through Chixia City.

The young woman's investigation was faster than he had anticipated. On just the second day, she delivered a complete file of information on the Mountain Alliance.

Chu Mu briefly skimmed through it, and a clear picture of this so-called Mountain Alliance formed in his mind.

It was founded by three Loose Practitioner Foundation Establishment cultivators several hundred years ago and had been passed down for several generations.

By now, it was struggling to find successors. The entire Mountain Alliance had only three Foundation Establishment Cultivators. In the recent, sudden demon beast calamity, their most powerful member—the Alliance Leader at Foundation Establishment Perfection—was severely injured. He has been in seclusion to recuperate ever since, and there has been no news.

The so-called reason of selling the shop to raise funds for resources was clearly a lie. The real reason was likely that the Mountain Alliance could no longer protect its interests in Chixia City and was being forced to give them up bit by bit.

Even if he didn't take it, the Mountain Alliance's assets in Chixia City would sooner or later be devoured by other powers.

'I was still considering whether to pull a fast one and get something for nothing, but it seems the Mountain Alliance is already planning to do the same to me... And on top of that, they want to use my name as a banner to rally behind...'

"The human heart is treacherous..."

Chu Mu shook his head, rather speechless.

"The Mountain Alliance shouldn't dare to deceive you like this, Brother Chu."

At his side, the young woman analyzed slowly, "If they reach an agreement with you this time, Brother Chu, they will surely follow up with generous gifts to mend their relationship with you."

"You've got a quick mind, don't you!"

Chu Mu teased. Perhaps because of their recent frequent interactions, their relationship had grown much closer.

"It's not convenient for you to step forward in this matter, Brother Chu. Let Hong'Er handle the negotiations."

"Aren't you in urgent need of Demon Pills, Brother Chu? The Mountain Alliance has been established in the Outer Sea for so many years; their coffers must be quite full..."

The young woman blinked, a look of determination on her face.

"Alright."

Chu Mu nodded. After a moment of thought, he added, "Only as a Named Disciple. But I won't hold back my knowledge."

"Just wait for my good news, Brother Chu..."

...

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