Chapter 606

Chapter 606: Loose Cultivator Status

The Zhang family isn’t large.

A main building with flanking side rooms surrounds a small courtyard, home to five family members.

Though small, the place is fully equipped; the front and back of the house are tidy and clean, and in the corner of the courtyard stands a large peach tree, its branches lush with thick leaves and laden with green fruit, creating a delightfully pleasant sight.

Due to the limited indoor space, Mrs. Zhang set up a table and chairs in the courtyard and brought out prepared dishes and spiritual wine to host Wang Chen.

She and the three children ate inside the house.

“Fellow Traveler Wang.”

Zhang Mushan personally poured a cup of spiritual wine for Wang Chen and asked with concern, “How have you been recently? Have you encountered any troubles?”

“Not bad.”

Wang Chen smiled and replied, “I owe it all to your care, Fellow Traveler Zhang.”

Wang Chen wasn’t being polite; without Zhang Mushan’s endorsement, he wouldn’t have had the qualifications to build a house and cultivate outside Feixu Valley.

Moreover, thanks to Zhang Mushan, he avoided certain troubles.

Among the cultivators in Feixu Camp, only a few truly had good hearts.

“You don’t need to be polite.”

Zhang Mushan said sincerely, “You saved my son, and this kindness will be remembered for eternity!”

He has two daughters and a son, with Zhang Zhuanghu being the youngest and most favored by both parents.

Both Zhang Mushan and his wife are Purple Palace cultivators, and cultivating offspring is already harder for cultivators than for ordinary people. Mrs. Zhang bore three children, which has affected her foundational essence, making future pregnancies very difficult.

A loving couple, Zhang Mushan couldn’t allow his wife to bear a heavier burden.

However, his favoritism towards Zhang Zhuanghu led to the little guy being quite mischievous, and he previously stirred up trouble.

He even almost lost his life.

Yet after that calamity, Zhang Zhuanghu became much more sensible and obedient, bringing great comfort to Zhang Mushan.

He sincerely appreciated Wang Chen for saving his beloved son.

Wang Chen shook his head.

His act of saving Zhang Zhuanghu was just a casual gesture; he didn’t intend to impose a moral burden on the Zhang family.

He decided to skip discussing that topic.

At that moment, Mrs. Zhang brought out the freshly roasted small mountain pig.

Wang Chen’s spirit instantly lifted!

Mrs. Zhang’s cooking skills are quite extraordinary; the several small dishes served earlier were colorful and fragrant, rivaling those made by tavern chefs.

So Wang Chen looked forward to the main dish tonight with great anticipation.

And it did not disappoint!

The small mountain pig served was quite intact, its skin roasted to a mouthwatering golden-brown color, likely due to being brushed with honeycomb, glistening with a sweet aroma.

“Come, come, come!”

Zhang Mushan smiled and said, “Try this dish my wife made.”

As he spoke, he took out a golden dagger and cut off a front leg of the roasted mountain pig, handing it to Wang Chen.

Wang Chen didn’t hold back and took a big bite.

The skin of the roasted mountain pig was incredibly crispy and had a wonderfully sweet aroma, while the meat inside was a delightful mix of fat and lean, rich in juices, and more tender than he could have imagined.

The two distinctly different textures exploded on Wang Chen’s taste buds!

With his mouth full of meat, he silently gave a thumbs-up to Mrs. Zhang, who smiled back at him before returning to the house.

Wang Chen finished the five to six-pound pig leg cleanly and said with great satisfaction, “Brother Zhang, your wife’s skills are unmatched; you are truly fortunate!”

Zhang Mushan laughed heartily, feeling proud: “Of course! Come, let’s have another drink!”

The delicious food and fine wine quickly brought the two closer together.

Their terms of address became much more affectionate.

After a few rounds of drinks and nearly finishing a large roasted mountain pig weighing dozens of pounds, Zhang Mushan finally set down his empty cup and asked in a deep voice, “Wang brother, do you come from the lower realm?”

The originally lively atmosphere suddenly turned tense.

Wang Chen met Zhang Mushan’s gaze and nodded, responding, “Yes.”

This question was indeed sensitive.

In the Haotian Realm, Wang Chen was an “illegal resident” who couldn’t be seen in public.

He held no identity, and if caught, he could be treated harshly and forced into labor or enslaved until death, receiving no compassion or sympathy whatsoever.

His status was even lower than that of loose cultivators or guilty cultivators!

However, Wang Chen had no intention of deceiving Zhang Mushan because the latter’s character was trustworthy, and there were many cultivators in Feixu Valley who were just like him, with a similar status as illegal residents.

He felt anything he revealed wouldn’t matter much.

“Indeed.”

Zhang Mushan’s expression shifted to one of understanding.

This burly cultivator, with a meticulous inner character, reminded him earnestly, “Brother Wang, you must not mention this to anyone in the future. Remember that!”

Illegal residents who smuggled into the upper realm had a reputation in the Haotian Realm equivalent to that of cockroaches and rats.

They were despised and looked down upon!

The roots of this situation were complex, involving the immortal sects and immortal clans in the Haotian Realm.

Zhang Mushan thought for a moment and said, “To gain a foothold in the Haotian Realm, you must first obtain loose cultivator status; as for the immortal registry, we will think of a way to obtain that later.”

The so-called loose cultivator status refers to the registration of loose cultivators, usually issued by a specific immortal city.

Zhang Mushan and most cultivators in Feixu Valley hold the loose cultivator status issued by Yongle Immortal City, while Feixu Camp is actually an affiliated force of Yongle Immortal City; otherwise, how could they farm and hunt here safely?

Organizations like Feixu Camp, which rely on immortal cities, are extremely common, while there are also forces that operate independently.

But without loose cultivator status, loose cultivators cannot enter or leave the immortal city.

Life and cultivation become much more difficult.

As for the immortal registry, that means being a member of an immortal sect, immortal clan, or immortal city, making the status vastly different!

For Wang Chen, the urgent priority was to obtain loose cultivator status.

One must know that Yongle Immortal City sends out inspection teams from time to time to check for loose cultivators within their jurisdiction.

If caught, Wang Chen’s fate was easy to imagine!

Each year, many illegal residents and undocumented loose cultivators are taken away, disappearing without a trace.

Zhang Mushan didn’t go into detail but the implications in his words were enough to alert Wang Chen!

“I’m worried someone might report me,” he said softly. “Human nature is unpredictable, so you must be extra careful outside.”

This was also the main reason Zhang Mushan invited Wang Chen over today.

He had guessed Wang Chen’s identity and feared that the latter might fall into trouble carelessly.

If Wang Chen were caught by the inspection team, Zhang Mushan himself would also face consequences.

After all, Wang Chen was residing outside Feixu Valley under his guarantee!

“I understand,” Wang Chen said as his mindset turned quickly. “Brother Zhang, is there any way to quickly obtain loose cultivator status?”

Zhang Mushan didn’t answer directly.

The burly cultivator silently took out a shining spirit stone.

Wang Chen understood immediately.

Wherever you go, money talks, and this principle applied just as well in the celestial realm.

Wang Chen asked, “How many spirit stones do you need?”

Zhang Mushan hesitated for a moment but finally gave a number, saying, “The registration fee has risen sharply in recent years, and if you want to quickly obtain loose cultivator status, you’ll need to make connections with everyone involved.”