Chapter 398 - 368: Brother Chu

At this thought, Chu Mu grew contemplative. His focus, however, wasn't on Chang Er, but on himself.

With his current cultivation, the sordid troubles Chang Er faced naturally had nothing to do with him. Their lives were like two parallel lines, with virtually no chance of ever intersecting.

At his level, the city's affairs were of little concern to him.

Of course, that was only true as long as he didn't get deeply entangled in the city's network of interests.

When he first arrived in the Vast Sea, a stranger in a strange land, he had chosen to avoid the city's tangled interests. Instead, he ventured to the Outer Sea alone, hunting Demon Beasts to profit for himself.

But now...

Chu Mu's brows furrowed slightly.

Here in the Vast Sea Cultivation Immortal World, he possessed an almost unparalleled advantage—one far greater than any he had held in the Great Chu Cultivation Immortal World.

In a cultivation system like the one in the Vast Sea Cultivation Immortal World, which revolved around Demon Beasts, everything was inextricably linked to them. That meant, without a doubt, that nothing was free from the corrupting influence of Demon Beast bloodlines.

Even though Secret Skills had been developed within this Cultivation System to suppress, or even eliminate, such corruption.

It was undeniable, however, that as long as one operated within this system, its corrupting influence was unavoidable.

Although Bloodline Cultivators had grown desensitized to the problem, it was obvious that anyone with a sound mind—aside from those who had completely given up—would do everything possible to avoid this negative influence if they could.

He had noticed this crystal-clear fact as soon as he arrived in the Vast Sea.

In every Marketplace, including Chixia City, the most expensive items and those most sought after by Bloodline Cultivators were all derived from Demon Beasts but were free of their corrupting influence.

For example: Elixirs, Magical Artifacts, and Spiritual Artifacts...

As for him, both his Artifact Refining Skill and his Alchemy Skill were quite decent. More importantly, he possessed the exact ability needed to purge the negative influence of Demon Beast bloodlines from Elixirs and artifacts.

Both his Great Sun True Flame and his Sword Intent could accomplish this.

The implications of this were undoubtedly clear.

"Senior..."

Chang Er asked cautiously.

At that, Chu Mu snapped out of his deep thoughts. He looked at Chang Er, whose features were twisted into a horrifying state, and seemed to be mulling something over.

Seeing this, Chang Er grew visibly anxious but could do nothing but wait uneasily.

After a moment, a Jade Bottle flew through the air. Chang Er instinctively caught it, and Chu Mu's voice followed.

"Go do something for me. This bottle of Calming Pills is your reward."

"Senior, please, just give me your orders."

Chang Er replied instinctively.

"Go find out which shops in the city are for sale or for rent."

"Compile what you find and report back to me."

"Yes, yes, of course! Don't you worry, Senior."

Chang Er hastily assured him.

"Alright."

Chu Mu nodded and walked away.

Chang Er watched respectfully as Chu Mu departed, waiting until he had completely vanished from sight. Only then did he eagerly uncap the Jade Bottle, revealing a dozen or so pure-white, flawless pills inside.

"Calming Pills!"

Unable to contain his joy, Chang Er quickly poured out one of the pills and swallowed it. The instant the Elixir entered his stomach, he seemed to sense something, and his expression changed drastically.

"There's no corruption... It's a Flawless Pill..."

His eyes widened in disbelief.

...

'A Flawless Pill...'

Chu Mu mused silently.

'In the Vast Sea Cultivation World, everything related to the bloodline Cultivation System was distinguished as either "flawless" or not.'

'Take Elixirs, for instance. Those made from Demon Beasts retained their negative, corrupting influence. These were the most common type; ninety-nine percent of the Elixirs in any given shop were like this.'

'A Flawless Pill, on the other hand, was an Elixir that had undergone a special process to have the Demon Beast's corrupting influence completely purged. Perfectly pure, hence the name.'

'The same principle applied to Magical and Spiritual Artifacts, and even the products of other skills. The only difference was the degree of the residual influence.'

As his thoughts raced, Chu Mu came to a stop before the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.

'When he first arrived, he had avoided using his skills to accumulate wealth—as he had done in Water Heaven Workshop and Jingmen—all to avoid trouble. Instead, he had chosen the riskier path of hunting Demon Beasts in the Outer Sea.'

'Now, although he was still hardly familiar with Chixia City, the Hundred Treasures Pavilion seemed like a good way in.'

'For a merchant guild from the Northern Border to gain a foothold in the Vast Sea Land, it would be impossible without reliable connections.'

'If he could use it to get his foot in the door, many things would become much simpler.'

'Besides, the fifty-year agreement was fast approaching.'

'To this day, he remained uncertain of just how dangerous that agreement was.'

'All he could do was raise his Cultivation as much as possible and strengthen his ability to protect himself.'

'The problem was, if he continued as before—operating on the fringes of the Vast Sea Cultivation Immortal World and hunting Demon Beasts alone in the Outer Sea—the risks would be immense. But leaving that aside...'

'...how could the profits he made alone possibly compare to what he could gain with a group of people working for him?'

'Back in Jingmen and Water Heaven Workshop, he had used his Artifact Refining Skill to acquire a fortune in resources in just a few short years—an amount an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator couldn't dream of obtaining in a lifetime.'

'Here in Chixia City, with his unique advantages, achieving the same feat should not be difficult.'

'His only concern was how to avoid the inevitable trouble that would follow.'

'After all, if he took a slice of the pie, he would inevitably be cutting into someone else's profits...'

Chu Mu's gaze shifted as his Divine Sense probed his Storage Ring. While he was briefly lost in thought, a young woman inside the Hundred Treasures Pavilion spotted his arrival. Her eyes lit up, and a smile as bright as a blooming flower blossomed on her face.

"Brother Chu, you're here."

The young woman hurried forward to greet him, a fragrant scent wafting over as the hem of her dress swayed.

Although she was still dressed in red today, she had changed into a light red, one-piece dress.

The hem of the skirt fell to her thighs, revealing just her knees, while a pair of long boots covered her calves.

Her waist was as lithe as a swaying willow branch, her chest was full, and her legs were long and slender. With her long hair draped over her shoulders, she presented a very eye-catching blend of demure elegance and alluring charm.

The young woman was a feast for the eyes, but that change in how she addressed him...

Chu Mu's expression shifted slightly, and his gaze moved past her to look directly into the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.

Seeing the cultivators seated inside, which made the shop look packed with customers, the corners of Chu Mu's lips curved into a faint, teasing smile as he looked at her.

"Don't you like the name Hong'Er, Senior?"

The young woman's expression flickered, and she looked at Chu Mu timidly, putting on a pitiable act that would stir anyone's heart.

The smile on Chu Mu's lips only widened. In the end, however, he simply waved his hand and chuckled.

"It's fine."

"If Miss Hongyi wishes to call me Brother, then it is my honor."

The young woman blinked, clearly a little confused.

"Let's go."

Chu Mu patted Wangcai on the head. It was unclear if he was speaking to Wangcai or the young woman, but he then stepped forward and walked into the shop...

...