In the Envy Immortals Teahouse.
After sipping a pot of tea, he listened to strange tales for half an hour.
The man with scarred face let out a sigh for no reason.
“What’s wrong now?” the small-eyed man glanced at his companion.
“I’m thinking about the True Sun Scripture,” the scarred face said with a troubled look.
“Without White Jade Spirit Money, what’s the point of thinking about it?” the small-eyed man rolled his eyes.
“Don’t you want to advance further?” the scarred face retorted, unwilling to give up.
To board the Bai Shuo Shuttle, there were always some treasured items hidden away.
But the small-eyed man just laughed, “This ship’s dealings are shady; stop dreaming. Let’s see when we get to Yunzhou.”
From a distance, Chen Mu narrowed his eyes.
“True Sun Scripture?”
“Advance further?”
“Soul and Spirit Unification Secret Method?!” Chen Mu became excited all at once.
He hadn’t been on the Bai Shuo Shuttle for long, yet he already knew of a secret technique to advance further!
“White Jade Spirit Money?”
“I have it!”
…
The Bai Shuo Shuttle was gliding smoothly through the deep sea.
Apart from the occasional flashes of light emitted by the sea creatures, the two transparent screens at the front and rear had turned pitch black.
Without external light, the interior of the Bai Shuo Shuttle was still bright as day.
The pale column that connected heaven and earth began to emit a soft white glow.
The shops on both sides of the street hung elliptical crystals the size of rugby balls. With a slight shake, the crystals emitted a gentle light.
Chen Mu had seen them before, but he still found them fascinating.
He leaned closer to one of the elliptical crystals and noticed its hollow interior filled with a liquid substance.
Small, ant-sized, semi-transparent elliptical creatures were moving and drifting inside it.
It was they who glowed from the inside out.
“These are called bioluminescent algae. As long as you feed them a little every day and let them eat their fill, they can shine all day,” said a fat old man in his fifties with a goatee.
“First time on the Bai Shuo Shuttle?” the fat old man asked with a smile.
“Good eye, boss,” Chen Mu greeted with a clasped fist.
“Those who have stayed long enough get used to the bioluminescent algae and won’t be as curious as you,” the fat old man said with a smile.
“I heard you have the Spirit and Soul Unification Secret Method here?” Chen Mu asked directly.
The fat old man’s eyes suddenly lit up, “Are you looking for the Spirit and Soul Unification Secret Method?”
His gaze towards Chen Mu became fervent.
“I do have a copy of the True Sun Scripture here.”
“This scripture is said to come from the Pure Yang Dao Sect.”
“It’s the gentlest Spirit and Soul Unification Secret Method in the world. Practicing this method step by step, there will be no mistakes whatsoever,” the fat boss looked eagerly at Chen Mu, “Would you like it?”
“Yes!” Chen Mu immediately nodded.
The Bai Shuo Shuttle still had a three to five-month journey ahead, and he couldn’t waste this time.
He could start practicing the Spirit and Soul Unification Secret Method in advance, saving time for later when he could start practicing perceptive techniques sooner.
“Do you know about White Jade Spirit Money?” the fat boss asked cautiously.
“I do,” Chen Mu said casually.
Not only do I know about it, but I also have it! Experience more content on empire
A smile instantly bloomed on the fat boss’s face.
“Name your price,” Chen Mu said calmly.
But inside, he couldn’t help but sigh; everything was already expensive on the Bai Shuo Shuttle.
And the Spirit and Soul Unification Secret Method was only available at Mo Xiang Book Forest. He figured he was about to be fleeced.
The fat old man’s smile grew wider, and he extended a finger.
Ten White Jade Coins? Chen Mu immediately breathed a sigh of relief, then immediately felt the pinch.
He only had twenty-three coins in total. Before boarding the ship, in order to select a good spot, he gave away five, leaving him with eighteen.
This purchase would take away most of what he had; naturally, it stung.
“When it comes to advancing further, I should save where I can, and spend where I must!” Chen Mu gritted his teeth and reached into his sleeve to pull out White Jade Coins.
That’s when the fat boss cheerfully spoke up, “One hundred coins.”
Chen Mu’s body stiffened instantly. I don’t even have a hundred coins if I sold myself!
Chen Mu glowered at the portly shopkeeper. This old guy wouldn’t be trying to scam me, would he?
“Is the guest short on White Jade Coins?” The fat old man was not the least bit bothered, instead, his smile grew even wider.
“I have another set of plans here,” the cheerful old man said, “We can trade goods for goods here.”
“If the guest has any precious medicinal herbs or minerals, you can bring them to me for a look.”
“Rest assured, I will give you a good price.”
I don’t trust you one bit!
At this moment, he finally understood the meaning of the conversation between those two in the teahouse.
The fat shopkeeper must have spoken more than once about bartering goods. But since those two didn’t come to trade, it indicated that this old man was known for ripping people off.
Or to put it another way, all of the merchants on the ship were hiking up the selling prices and driving down the buying prices.
They were determined to squeeze every last drop out of these outsiders!
“How is the guest considering it?” The fat old man looked at Chen Mu with hopeful eyes.
It was not easy to come across a newbie with no experience; it was time to make a killing!
Not good at all!
“These years, I have only been focused on cultivation. All my property has been spent on that. I truly am running low on funds,” Chen Mu said as he shook his head with a look of dejection.
The Heartless Bell, the dagger, both could be exchanged for money. But he didn’t want to be scammed.
Just like those two in the teahouse said, he’d wait until he reached Yunzhou.
…
In the year 642 of Da Liang, on the nineteenth of November,
The White Worm Shuttle had left Da Liang more than ten days ago.
They were below the sea, where luminescent algae glowed day and night, obliterating the distinction between day and night.
Inside cabin number left, six yi mao.
Chen Mu sat at a small desk, slowly flipping through the “Yunzhou Geographic Records.”
The booklet was only as thick as an index finger, with concise text that summarily described the famous mountains and great rivers of Yunzhou.
Yet Chen Mu found it utterly fascinating.
“A single Yunzhou has eleven countries.”
“If they’re all as large as Da Liang, then Yunzhou is indeed not small.”
Chen Mu reminisced the descriptions in the book and couldn’t help but aspire to see it for himself.
The legendary Sky-Scraping Cliff that pierces the clouds.
The rumored Tongtian River with its waters that defy gravity.
Of course, there is also the perilous Jilong Mountain.
“Jilong Mountain has a Jilong Road; am I going there to plant Yellow Bud Rice?” Chen Mu mused.
After all, it was just a geographic record, which mentioned the Jilong Road only in passing.
Places like the Sky-Scraping Cliff and Clear River Lake all have similar Dao Sect organizations.
“So, have we actually been sold by the master of the White Worm Shuttle?” Chen Mu said with a complicated expression.
If the treatment they received along the way weren’t fairly decent, Chen Mu would truly think they had been sold off as slaves.
“Most of the one to two thousand staff members on the White Worm Shuttle merely possess Shell Soul capabilities.”
“If they dared to scam people so blatantly, the four to five thousand people from various islands on board would have revolted long ago.”
But it wasn’t much better, either. Their wages had been prepaid by the owner of the White Worm Shuttle. Going there would mean working for nothing.
“Black-hearted intermediaries!”
Chen Mu shook his head and decided not to dwell on these bothersome matters anymore.
“How can I get my hands on the True Sun Scripture?” That was the major concern he cared about.
“Even after reaching Yunzhou, I expect it won’t be cheap,” Chen Mu sighed.
It definitely wouldn’t be something that could be solved with just a dozen or so White Jade Coins.
“I need to find a quick way to make money,” Chen Mu frowned in contemplation.
Unfortunately, despite thinking for a long time, he couldn’t come up with any good ideas.
After all, he was unfamiliar with the environment in Yunzhou and didn’t know which industries might earn him White Jade Coins.
“Looks like I might have to imitate making Fasting Pills,” Chen Mu glanced at his Proficiency.
Pharmaceutical Technique: 5915/10000/Fourth Rank;
“Keep grinding.”
“First, max out the fourth rank to see if I can analyze the components of the Fasting Pill.”
“If that’s not enough, just keep grinding higher.”
Grinding proficiency, that’s something he’s familiar with.