Chapter 502: Neighbor

Chapter 502: Chapter 502: Neighbor

"What is that?"

Bai Mo was woken by Ah Er and looked toward the red light in the distance.

Since this was where he would be living from now on, Bai Mo thought for a moment before deciding.

"Let’s go take a look."

And so, in the dead of night, man and beast boarded the Flying Ship and headed toward the source of the red glow.

The better part of an hour later, Bai Mo finally saw the source of the red light.

It was a pair of large, red lanterns emitting an intense crimson glow, bobbing up and down on either side of a residence’s front gate.

"So, a neighbor."

He might call them a neighbor, but the scene at their front gate was far livelier than at Bai Mo’s own little farmhouse.

Figures moved in and out of the sprawling three-courtyard manor, and as he drew closer, he could hear the sound of voices from within.

It sounded as if the master of the house were entertaining guests.

Yet Bai Mo felt something was off.

As the Flying Ship descended, he saw that the figures coming and going were all puppets, merely draped in robes.

As for the so-called human voices, they were nothing more than a looping recording of clinking glasses and lively chatter.

’What a strange neighbor.’

Bai Mo could sense the aura of a Cultivator within—presumably the master of the house. Their Core Formation cultivation base felt much more solid than his own.

He was already at the gate; the owner had surely detected his presence long ago. It would be improper to simply turn and leave now.

Bai Mo cleared his throat and called out loudly.

"I am Bai Mo, new to this area. I’ve come uninvited in the dead of night. Might I trouble you to show yourself, Brother?"

The voices from the residence abruptly vanished, leaving only the puppets moving in and out.

After a long moment, a hurried voice and the sound of footsteps could be heard.

"Coming, coming..."

The master of the house appeared, hastily throwing on his robes.

"Huh, an unfamiliar face. You’re really the new arrival?"

The newcomer was a young-looking man with large bags under his eyes and heavy dark circles.

A long, grayish-white robe hung loosely on his frame, not quite a perfect fit.

When he spoke, however, his voice was full of energy.

Bai Mo clasped his hands in greeting.

"I only arrived today. I saw the red glow late at night and came to investigate."

The man let out a hearty laugh.

"Ah, so that’s it. I’m Zhu Tong. It’s just the two of us in this area, so we’re neighbors now. We should keep in touch."

"As for the lanterns, you’ll get used to them, Junior Brother. They’re my own creation, carved with an Array using an ancient method. They have some... special uses."

They exchanged a few more words and formally introduced themselves.

Bai Mo learned that the other man, an Array painter for the sect, had already been living here for three or four years.

"I’m the kind of person who can’t get motivated during the day. I prefer to work at night,"

Zhu Tong said casually.

"I learned my craft in a bustling city when I was young, so I got used to having a lot of noise around. It’s a bit of an odd habit, I know."

He was referring to the puppets and the recorded voices.

Bai Mo didn’t mind.

The man had also started as a Loose Cultivator. The path of cultivation was arduous and learning a trade was difficult; it was no surprise he had picked up a few strange habits along the way.

"Is there a marketplace nearby?"

Bai Mo asked.

"I have some skill in the Alchemy Dao, and I’ve just been appointed as an Alchemist for the sect."

"When I practice my Alchemy, I’ll need to procure herbs, ores, and other materials..."

Zhu Tong’s expression turned troubled at his words.

"Ah, that could be a problem."

"There’s no one else in this whole area besides people like us. Sometimes the tasks the sect hands down are quite dangerous, and they don’t want to endanger any bystanders..."

He pointed to Ah Er, who was currently sniffing around the area.

"Since you have a Spirit Beast, you’ll probably have to send it on a lot of errands. The nearest marketplace is a three-day journey from here..."

The two of them continued to chat at the entrance. Bai Mo could sense a faint, rhythmic aura pulsing from within the manor.

He suspected it was an Array set up by Zhu Tong, so he didn’t ask. Zhu Tong, for his part, showed no intention of bringing it up.

They talked for a few more moments, until the aura inside the house grew unstable and chaotic. Zhu Tong slapped his forehead and quickly saw his guest off.

"We Array painters are just the sect’s beasts of burden, always working on a knife’s edge. You have it better, Junior Brother."

"Although, there don’t seem to be many Alchemists left these days either. You probably won’t have much peace and quiet from now on, hehe..."

Bai Mo said his goodbyes and, a short while later, returned to his little farmhouse.

Thanks to the visit, he had cleared up many minor questions, saving himself a good deal of effort.

Before going inside, Bai Mo looked down at Ah Er by his feet.

"When you’ve got nothing to do, don’t go wandering off to visit people. And don’t even think about trying to woo anyone’s Spirit Beast."

"The people around here... they don’t seem very normal."

Just from what he’d seen at Zhu Tong’s place, Bai Mo had already noticed several unusual things.

The skin of the lanterns at his door wasn’t ordinary; it was likely made from the hide of some unique Demon Beast, with its Beast Soul still trapped inside.

It was the two Beast Souls playing with each other that made the lanterns bob and float.

Then there were the floor tiles behind the threshold. He suspected something was buried beneath them—either bones or some ancient artifact, something that could disrupt one’s Divine Thought.

Bai Mo had felt a slight sense of unease just by standing at the entrance.

Zhu Tong himself also carried similar items, either woven into his long robe or hidden as small trinkets...

Most likely, the bizarre assignments handed down by the sect were what caused the disciples stationed here to adopt such mannerisms.

’Perhaps some of them have even been tainted by karmic ties?’

’Like Zhu Tong. Why else would he be so guarded?’

Bai Mo shook his head, returned to his bed, and fell into a deep sleep.

...

The next day, Ah Er rose at the crack of dawn.

After feeding the chickens and checking on the rats, the CLANGING of bowls and basins woke Bai Mo up.

’This place really has no soundproofing to speak of.’

Ah Er prepared breakfast for Bai Mo, then grabbed a blade and got ready to head out.

Having learned last night that he and Bai Mo were Zhu Tong’s only neighbors, Ah Er had decided to check the nearby mountain forest for some high-quality bamboo.

He could bring back some cuttings to cultivate, and before long, they would have their own bamboo grove.

Bai Mo let him go, busying himself with pacing around the courtyard and planning its layout.

’The Pill Furnace needs a proper spot, and I have to set up an area for processing herbs. I’ll need to see if there’s a Spiritual Spring nearby to divert, otherwise I’ll have to dig a well.’

Man and beast were busy at work.

Just as he was finishing his preliminary plans, the steward in green robes appeared at his gate once more.

He stood outside the courtyard gate, not stepping inside.

"How do you find the place, Junior Brother? Are you facing any difficulties?"

Bai Mo shook his head.

"They’re all just minor details, nothing worth mentioning. When the time comes, I’ll need to find some people to help me rearrange the place."

The green-robed steward replied,

"Feel free to arrange those things as you see fit, Junior Brother."

"In about a month, the Foreign Affairs Hall should have an assignment for you. You should have your Pill Furnace and supplies ready."

Bai Mo nodded in understanding.

"Oh, by the way, I paid a visit to Brother Zhu Tong a couple of nights ago."

"His place seems..."

Bai Mo considered his words for a moment before finishing, "...rather peculiar."

The green-robed steward wasn’t surprised.

"He’s an old-timer in this area. He’s done a lot for the sect, gotten tangled up in his share of trouble, and that’s just his personality."

"Don’t think too much of it, Junior Brother."

"Also, while you’re here, Junior Brother, don’t just enter other people’s residences."

"Everyone here has their own unique abilities, and they often have... arrangements in their homes that they’d rather others not know about."

After a few more words, the green-robed steward departed, heading in the direction of Zhu Tong’s residence.

He had come this time specifically to press the matter.

According to him, Zhu Tong had been delaying an assignment for over two months. The Foreign Affairs Hall had grown impatient and sent him to hurry things along multiple times.

This was already his third visit for that purpose.