Chapter 267 - 255: The Current Situation

Chapter 267: Chapter 255: The Current Situation

"Halt!"

He was still some distance from Water Heaven Workshop when a sharp cry rang out, and several Cultivators blocked Chu Mu’s path.

Their pale blue Magic Robes, embroidered with the ancient character for "Xie" on the chest, clearly announced their identities.

Water Heaven Workshop had endured a brutal battle, yet it remained under the control of the Xie Family.

The inspection was simple, and he hid nothing. At this point, within the Righteous Alliance’s sphere of influence, Chu Mu’s wanted status by the Longevity Sect was apparently a fine pass.

After several more uneventful inspections, the Marketplace where water met the sky was finally in sight.

Having experienced a great battle, Water Heaven Workshop had clearly lost its former peace and prosperity. All that remained was a grim and murderous austerity.

A kaleidoscope of brilliant colors indicated the presence of multiple overlapping Arrays.

Along the way, disciples of the Righteous Alliance could be seen patrolling everywhere. The security was, to say the least, extremely tight.

The stench of blood still lingered on the ground, and a thick, coppery smell mingled with the persistent pollution of Spiritual Qi.

Various types of Magical Power and Spiritual Qi Attributes were interwoven and mixed, all testifying to the great battle that had occurred not long ago.

The fact that Water Heaven Workshop was still controlled by the Xie Family clearly indicated that the final outcome of the battle was the Longevity Sect’s retreat in defeat.

Otherwise, the Cultivators on patrol everywhere would not be Xie Family disciples, but Cultivators from the Longevity Sect.

Chu Mu glanced down at the Sound Transmission Talisman in his hand. The several messages from Xu Yuan were quite clear.

He didn’t enter the Marketplace, instead choosing to stand outside and wait quietly.

Soon, a familiar figure emerged from the Marketplace and hurried over.

"Brother Mu!"

"Brother Chu."

"Brother Mu, you successfully reached Foundation Establishment?"

Xu Yuan’s eyes widened, unable to hide his excitement.

Xia Yu, holding a child, stood shyly to the side, also clearly curious.

"Yes, I have."

Chu Mu nodded, his gaze shifting to the young child in Xia Yu’s arms with a hint of surprise.

"Brother Mu, this is your nephew. He was born last year. His nickname is Wangwang."

Xu Yuan said with a cheerful laugh.

Although he had suspected as much, hearing the confirmation still left Chu Mu feeling a bit dazed.

’The boy who followed me back then is now a father...’

"Wangwang... that name..."

Chu Mu glanced at Wangcai, who held its head high, and his lips twitched. "It’s a good name. What’s his formal name?"

"We haven’t picked a formal name yet. Just thinking about it gives me a headache!"

Xu Yuan scratched his head and said casually, "Why don’t you think of one, Brother Mu? Give Wangwang a name."

"Me? Name him?"

He instinctively shook his head, about to refuse, when the shy and silent Xia Yu suddenly spoke up. "Please, Brother Chu, give Wangwang a name..."

Chu Mu raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise in his eyes as he looked at Xia Yu, but it vanished as quickly as it came.

"Brother Chu, you are a Foundation Establishment Elder. It would be Wangwang’s blessing to be named by you."

Xia Yu seemed to be mustering her courage as she spoke slowly.

"That’s right, Brother Mu! You’re a Foundation Establishment Cultivator now, so just give him one..."

Chu Mu glanced at the beaming Xu Yuan, then turned his attention back to the seemingly shy Xia Yu. After a moment, his gaze settled on the child in her arms.

With his current Divine Sense, he could see the child’s Spirit Root Talent as clear as day with just a single look.

’Pseudo Spirit Root Talent, nothing special, completely ordinary.’

’Without some great opportunity, he’s basically fated to remain in the Qi Cultivation Realm for his entire life.’

"Alright then. My naming skills aren’t much better than yours, you know."

Chu Mu gently pinched the child’s cheek, pondered for a moment, and said, "Let’s call him Xu Jinhua."

"Be cautious in word and deed, and hold reverence in your heart. That is the only way to go far in the Cultivation Immortal Realm."

"Jinhua... hmm... that’s a good name, hehe..."

"Then, on behalf of Jinhua, Yu’Er thanks Brother Chu for bestowing this name."

Xu Yuan was still grinning happily, while Xia Yu was respectful and polite.

Chu Mu smiled. With a wave of his hand, a translucent, ink-black jade pendant materialized in his palm.

It was a Soul Condensing Jade, refined with a Soul Condensing Stone as its core. It was a Top Grade Magical Artifact capable of nourishing and protecting the Divine Soul.

It was one of the many Artifacts he had created for practice while comprehending Artifact Refining Skill in seclusion over the past year.

To him, it wasn’t particularly significant; it was basically just sitting in his Storage Space, waiting to be sold for some Spirit Stones someday.

But no matter how insignificant it was to him, it was still a Divine Soul Magical Artifact, and a Top Grade one at that!

For a Qi Cultivation Realm Cultivator, it was extraordinarily precious.

"Let Jinhua wear this Soul Condensing Jade pendant."

"This... this is too valuable!"

Xia Yu shook her head repeatedly and took two steps back, refusing the gift.

"Take it. Consider it a meeting gift from his uncle to his nephew."

Chu Mu didn’t want to go back and forth over it. With a slight stir of his Divine Sense, the jade pendant floated over and settled directly on the child.

Then, he immediately changed the subject.

"I just came out of seclusion not long ago, so I don’t know much about what’s going on. What’s the situation outside?"

"Right now..."

Xu Yuan’s smile gradually faded, replaced by a touch of worry. "It’s hard to explain in just a few words. Let’s head into the Marketplace first. We can talk in detail when we get home."

Chu Mu asked again, "What’s it like inside?"

"The Marketplace is mostly the same as before. However, for the last six months or so, the East Lake area has become a front line, so many Righteous Alliance disciples have moved in. All the residences have become their living quarters."

"Those of us who are Loose Cultivators, unless we’ve signed a contract to be employed by the Righteous Alliance, have all had to move to the Outer Marketplace."

"Aside from the living conditions being a bit worse and prices being a bit higher, everything else is alright..."

"It’s just that, according to a Decree issued by the Righteous Alliance, anyone who settles in a Marketplace under their jurisdiction must perform one month of Forced Labor each year."

"It’s mostly menial work, nothing dangerous..."

"If you sign a contract with the Righteous Alliance as an employed Loose Cultivator, you can be exempt from that year’s Forced Labor..."

Chu Mu asked, "What does it mean to be an ’employed Loose Cultivator’?"

"It’s similar to the Blood Killing Order you got before, Brother Mu. Any Loose Cultivator can sign a contract with the Righteous Alliance."

"The Righteous Alliance posts a lot of missions of all kinds. After completing a mission, you can earn Contribution Points, which can be exchanged for Spirit Stones or other treasures."

"Just a few days ago, the Righteous Alliance issued another new Decree."

"It said that 100,000 Contribution Points can be exchanged for a Tier One Lower Grade Spirit Vein. That caused a huge stir. A lot of Cultivators rushed to sign contracts and pledge their lives to the Righteous Alliance..."

"I’ve asked around. The contract is pretty lenient. Besides requiring the completion of at least one mission per year, there aren’t any other mandatory obligations."

Chu Mu asked again, "What about the Forced Labor? Is there any reward?"

"There’s no reward, but they compensate you with some Spirit Stones based on your Cultivation level and the duration of the labor."

"However, if an enemy attacks, all Cultivators in the Marketplace will be forcibly conscripted to defend it. When the Longevity Sect attacked before, the fighting lasted for several months. All the Cultivators in the Marketplace were conscripted, and many people died..."

"Luckily, I had worked in the Spirit Fields for a while and learned a thing or two about Spirit Medicine from being around you, Brother Mu. So, the people from the Righteous Alliance transferred me to the rear to look after the Spirit Medicine..."

"Yu’Er, on the other hand, was assigned menial chores in the Marketplace because her Cultivation was too low, so she was also fine..."

"Right now, Water Heaven Workshop is still quite safe. The main battlefield has shifted in the direction of Jingmen..."