The Ling Boat was more than two hundred meters long, half the size of the one Chen Mu had boarded before, yet it was still a colossal entity.
Snow-white pillars, transparent curtain walls, glowing fluorescent algae.
On both sides were multilayered cabins attached to the inner walls, most of which were various shops and storefronts.
Dressed in gray, with a brown cloth bag on his back, Chen Mu wandered about the cabins on the Ling Boat.
He was looking for a suitable buyer for the Calming Pills.
“It can’t be too small.”
Shops that were too small and desperate for growth might resort to any means to control this source of wealth.
“Nor can it be too big.”
Shops that were too big and powerful could easily investigate him if anyone became slightly interested.
“Imperial Goods Pavilion is just right,” Chen Mu said, standing in front of a shop.
After wandering around the Ling Boat for two Hours and examining nine elixir shops, he finally chose Imperial Goods Pavilion.
It was neither too big nor too small, not overly interested in the profits from the Calming Pills, nor willing to spend the resources to investigate them.
After looking around to make sure there were no customers, Chen Mu adjusted his face and walked into Imperial Goods Pavilion on his third pass by the entrance.
The owner, a gentle-looking man in his forties, greeted him, “Welcome, what do you need?”
Chen Mu, expressionless, placed the package from behind him onto the counter and feigned expertise as he said, “Help me sell a batch of Calming Pills.”
“Sure,” the pale-faced middle-aged man answered nonchalantly, “Forty pills per White Jade Coin.”
Chen Mu opened the package and pushed it towards the middle-aged man, “Okay.”
The man only sniffed the bottle cap and casually took out twenty White Jade Coins.
His casual demeanor was not like someone who had just bought twenty bottles of Calming Pills, but rather like someone who had bought two jin of Yellow Bud Rice.
Is that it?
Not checking each bottle, not inquiring about the origins of the elixir pills, not even trying to haggle the price?
“Anything else you need?” the middle-aged man asked, still maintaining his mild manner.
“No, that’s all,” Chen Mu nodded in acknowledgement and turned to leave.
It wasn’t until he was far from Imperial Goods Pavilion that Chen Mu let out a wry smile and came back to his senses.
“I was so cautious, but it turns out that they don’t even care for Calming Pills.”
“After all, they’re just mundane Elixir Pills,” Chen Mu realized.
“Compared to Fasting Pills and Soul Condensing Pills, which require special refining spells, they’re simply not on the same level.”
It’s better that they don’t care!
Chen Mu breathed a sigh of relief.
Selling elixir pills on the Ling Boat, this had indeed worked out, and it was even safer and more convenient than the Underground Market.
“Then…should I sell more?” After considering it, Chen Mu shook his head to reject the idea.
The Ling Boat docked once mid-month and at month’s end; selling twenty bottles of Calming Pills each time was just the right amount.
“A steady trickle lasts long; better to play it safe.”
…
Having successfully sold the Calming Pills and reassured that this was a secure channel, Chen Mu was at last in the mood to stroll and browse around the Ling Boat.
After visiting several tea houses and pubs, Chen Mu couldn’t help but recall the same feeling he had the first time he shopped on the White Ling Shuttle—expensive!
And the prices on this Ling Boat made his scalp tingle for how exorbitantly priced they were.
Most transactions required White Jade Coins as the payment!
Just the entrance ticket to Red Sleeve Square dared to cost one White Jade Coin, equivalent to half a month’s salary of a Lower Courtyard disciple!
They claimed there was some grand exotic performance, a ship-new version that had never been seen before.
There was also cuisine identical to that of the Heavenly River Water Mansion, guaranteed to leave one longing for more.
“I refuse to believe this!” Chen Mu said defiantly.
The Prince of Eating at Chunfeng Tower, what performances haven’t I seen, what delicacies haven’t I tasted!
This is false advertising!
It must be critiqued!
One White Jade Coin?
Worst case, I’ll sell another bottle of Calming Pills!
This is entirely to expose the true face of these swindlers, definitely not because I want to see some exotic performance!
…
Three days later, at the dip behind Low Mountain.
biu!
Pfft!
A watermelon-sized rock lay there minding its own business, bothering no one, when suddenly it was drilled with a hole.
Before it could even put up a resistance, it had become a pockmarked face.
In the distance, Chen Mu sat cross-legged atop a giant boulder.
His right palm faced upward, resting on his knee.
A peanut-sized black and red pellet intermittently appeared and disappeared in the center of his hand.
Chen Mu’s vacant eyes locked onto the innocent rock in the distance as he continuously fired off Sand Containing Technique pellets at a rate of one every two seconds.
Though it had been three days since he returned from the Ling Boat, he still couldn’t forget what he saw at Red Sleeve Square.
The ladies who were scrounging for food seemed a bit more enthusiastic. But they still couldn’t break through Chen Mu’s defenses—as long as he didn’t want to, nobody could mooch off his meal!
And then there was the food, all kinds of Exotic Beast meats from the Heavenly River, which were an eye-opener for him.
What he cared about the most was the performance of the Exotic Beings.
Winged ones, ones with scales, fluffy ears, fiery red eyes.
Sad and pitiful, sultry and passionate, they were indeed a bit like a new version of the show.
Chen Mu watched carefully and critically. Unfortunately, he had some cognitive impairment and couldn’t tell if they were beautiful or not, but he still admitted to being greatly impacted.
“This merchant really knows his stuff!” Chen Mu deeply admired.
But those Exotic Beings…
Is this what they call special bloodlines?
“They don’t look very human, hmm… at least not pure.”
“I heard there are Elixir Pills that can grant special bloodlines.”
“This is quite enlightening.” Chen Mu exclaimed.
“Old Hao was right. Always holed up here farming, I’m out of touch with the world, it’s easy to fall behind.”
Chen Mu shook his head helplessly, “It seems I’ll have to visit Red Sleeve Square several more times.”
“Not to watch whatever show since I can’t even tell if it’s good or bad.”
“Simply to gather information and broaden my horizons.”
“I’ll have to spend these White Jade Coins.”
Thinking about seeing the new performances in just over ten days… no, the headlines of the Yunzhou Cultivation World, his heart couldn’t help but thrill.
Then, one by one, soybean-sized black and red Elixir Pills began to materialize in his palm.
Hisss hisss hisss…
A series of sharp cries rang out.
That innocent watermelon-sized rock ultimately turned into fragments with much reluctance.
“Did I advance?” Chen Mu looked at the soybean-sized black and red Elixir Pills in his palm in surprise.
Sand Containing Technique: 3/10000/Fourth Rank;
“Faster speed, shorter activation time, finally looking decent.” Chen Mu was pleased.
He was about to continue testing his newly improved Sand Containing Technique.
But his lifted hand suddenly came to an abrupt stop.
“Who’s that?”
Through the perspective of Five Ghosts Yin Spirit, two figures appeared beside his Yellow Bud Rice Fields.
The pair stopped to look at the soft, fluffy soil and then headed straight toward his courtyard.
“Are they looking for me?” Chen Mu frowned.
He didn’t recognize either of them.
“Forget it, better hide for now.”
Quickly cleaning up the messy ground in the small hollow.
He placed one of the Five Ghosts in the tree forest on top of Low Mountain to keep watch.
Then Chen Mu slipped into the underground space beneath the hollow.
…
Three days later, through the vision of Five Ghosts, Chen Mu helplessly watched as two figures climbed up the hill toward his courtyard.
This was their third time visiting the Low Hill Courtyard.
If he continued to hide, he would start to raise their suspicions.
How could someone who usually stayed at home be away every day? It was clear he was avoiding them.
If it caused the two to spy on him secretly… Chen Mu found the thought troublesome.
“I have to see what kind of trouble these two are up to.”