Chapter 73: Chapter 73: The Cultivator from Immortal
Mist Sect is no longer overbearing l
Translator: 549690339
Upon hearing these words, the cultivators present fell silent, fully aware of the Immortal Mist Sect’s plan.
If they didn’t have money, they would have to join the patrol team and risk their lives defending Misty Cloud City against the Ghost Demon Sect.
The problem was, the demon cultivators of the Ghost Demon Sect were terrifying and their methods uncanny.
Even with the protection of a second-stage formation, the patrol team of Misty Cloud City had suffered numerous losses over the past year.
It was said that the patrol team was presently troubled by their lack of manpower.
Therefore, the Immortal Mist Sect intended to coerce these loose cultivators into joining the patrol team to assist in defending Misty Cloud City.
Or, to put it bluntly, they were seeking fodder to deplete the strength of the cultivators in the Ghost Demon Sect.
Of course, excessive coercion could provoke a rebellion among the loose cultivators.
Which might cause instability within Misty Cloud City, give the Ghost Demon Sect an opening, and break the Seventh-Order formation.
So they decided to go after the rent, further increasing it.
They even covertly raised the price of food, thus quickly draining the loose cultivators’ spirit stones.
Forcing them to the brink of exhaustion.
Any cultivator lacking spirit stones would be obliged to accept their terms.
Join the patrol team and become cannon fodder for the Immortal Mist Sect.
This technique of wielding both the carrot and the stick was something the Immortal Mist Sect had long since perfected.
As for the loose cultivators, they did not want to battle to the death with the Immortal Mist Sect unless pressed into a corner.
“Alright, I’m giving you a day to think it over,”
“Either pay up, serve in the military, or die.”
Fan Ze, the deacon of the Immortal Mist Sect, had a cold look in his eyes as he issued the ultimate ultimatum.
He was not particularly interested in spending more time with these rabble.
In fact, if the Immortal Mist Sect weren’t in imminent crisis and besieged by the Ghost Demon Sect, these loose cultivators wouldn’t have the qualification to join the patrol team.
Now, giving these loose cultivators the opportunity to join the patrol team could be considered their great fortune.
Yet they had the audacity to delay and resist, they really had no sense of gratitude.
“Deacon Fan, you’re correct. We all share a responsibility for the safety of Misty Cloud City. I decide to be the first to pay the rent, to support the cause of the Immortal Mist Sect. If Misty Cloud City falls, we all suffer,”
At this moment, Xu Tianze stepped forward, displaying an air of righteousness. He proclaimed his unequivocal support for any decision made by the Immortal Mist Sect, and believed that paying some extra spirit stones was quite justifiable.
“Indeed, it’s good to see some here who understand reason.”
Seeing Xu Tianze’s stance, Deacon Fan Ze was quite pleased. With such sensible cultivators on board, the matter of collecting high rents seemed likely to go smoothly.
After witnessing this scene, other loose cultivators understood that the tide had turned.
“Deacon Fan, we indeed were in the wrong.”
“Now that Misty Cloud City is on the brink of danger, those with money should contribute money, and those with strength should use their strength.”
“Exactly, we can’t contribute much in terms of strength, but money we can surely provide.”
“Four middle grade spirit stones, we will give.”
Many of the loose cultivators began speaking in agreement.
The ones speaking were mostly the high-level cultivators at the ninth layer of Qi cultivation. After all, they had vast properties and wealth. While four middle grade spirit stones were a significant amount, they could still afford it.
The worst off were the lower-level loose cultivators.
They did not have many spirit stones. Essentially living paycheck to paycheck, they had no option to continue renting even if they wanted to.
Their only choice was to join the patrol team and participate in the war against the Ghost Demon Sect.
Without money, they had no option but to risk their lives.
Of course, Zhou Sui also chose to pay quietly.
After all, he wasn’t interested in risking his life for the Immortal Mist Sect, or in becoming cannon fodder for them.
Not long after collecting a large number of spirit stones, Fan Ze and other cultivators of the Immortal Mist Sect left.
After all, they still had to go to other places to continue collecting rent.
For cultivators of the Immortal Mist Sect, this was an opportunity to extract resources that they couldn’t afford to miss.
Seeing this, the cultivators around also went back to their homes.
“This doesn’t look good.”
After returning home, Zhou Sui frowned with an uneasy feeling in his heart. He felt that something was off with the whole situation because the Immortal Mist Sect seemed too amicable.
The cultivators of the Immortal Mist Sect he had known before were nothing like this.
They were unreasonable when they could afford to be so. If they were being reasonable now, it must be because they no longer held the upper hand.
When did the disciples of the Immortal Mist Sect ever speak to loose cultivators with such gentleness?
“What’s wrong, my lord? Do you sense something amiss?”
Ji Bingyu, Mu Ziyi, and Xia Jingyan looked at Zhou Sui curiously.
“Of course something’s wrong. If I’m not mistaken, the Immortal Mist Sect’s condition might be bad. They might not even be able to send reinforcements.”
“If they truly could have sent reinforcements, they would have sent Golden Core cultivators to kill the Ghost Demon Sect cultivators outside by now. Why would they have held them off for a year with no news?”
Zhou Sui narrowed his eyes.
“My lord, do you mean the Ghost Demon Sect might have attacked the headquarters of the Immortal Mist Sect, attracting the attention of the two Golden Core cultivators of the Immortal Mist Sect, thus making it impossible for the headquarter to send reinforcements?”
“Impossible, isn’t it said that Leng Yuexi, the young sect master of the Immortal Mist Sect is in our Misty Cloud City? He’s the Golden Core seed of the Immortal Mist Sect, surely they wouldn’t have just abandoned him?”
Ji Bingyu, Mu Ziyi, and Xia Jingyan looked a bit shocked.
“It’s not like they have given up, they might simply be incapable, they have the will but not the ability.”
“The Ghost Demon Sect likely applied a lot of pressure on the Immortal Mist Sect, preventing all the Golden Core cultivators of the Immortal Mist Sect from taking action.”
“If there’s unrest among the people of Misty Cloud City at this time, added to the machinations of the spies from the Ghost Demon Sect, the city might be completely breached.”
Zhou Sui stroked his chin, laying out his conjecture.
“If this is the case, what should we do?”
Mu Ziyi asked with some nervousness.
“What is there to be afraid of?”
Upon hearing this, Zhou Sui laughed, “We are not disciples of the Immortal Mist Sect. Even if the city breaches, the first ones they would kill would be the cultivators of the Immortal Mist Sect, not us loose cultivators.”
Of course, there’s also the possibility that the cultivators of the Demonic Path might try to kill for loot and exterminate us loose cultivators. But wasn’t the underground shelter I dug prepared for such a time?
The moment unrest occurs, we will hide in the underground shelter, seal the entrance, and hibernate for a half to a few years. I don’t believe the unrest would still not have ended by then.”
He was very calm at the moment.
Whether it was the victory or defeat of the war between the Immortal Mist Sect and the Ghost Demon Sect, it didn’t matter much to him.
All he needed now was to survive the unrest.
Once they hid hundreds of meters underground in the shelter, even a Foundation-building cultivator wouldn’t be able to discover them.
The Foundation Establishment Divine Sense could reach tens of feet, but only if unimpeded.
If it were to be extended deep into the ground, a few feet would be the limit.
He believed that no cultivator would have the ability to dig hundreds of meters into the ground.
“Don’t leave the house these few days. If there really comes a problem, we will immediately hide in the underground shelter,” Zhou Sui said in a heavy tone.
“Okay,”
Ji Bingyu, Mu Ziyi, and Xia Jingyan all nodded in agreement..