Chapter 238
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Chapter 238: Loose Cultivators
As autumn arrived, Dongwu Town was livelier than usual.
This large town, home to over ten thousand people, lay at the eastern foot of the Tianyun Mountain range, occupying a vast valley named after the many phoenix trees growing within it.
Although a fine drizzle fell from the sky, the town was still bustling with people coming and going.
Walking along the main street paved with bluestone, Wang Chen held an oiled paper umbrella, blending in with the bustling crowd as he slowly moved forward.
Half a month ago, he arrived at this loose cultivator town, far from Yunyang, settling down in Dongwu Town with his Qi Training seventh level cultivation and three hundred spirit fragments.
Now, he had his new home.
Dongwu Town was established quite early and had seen multiple changes in leadership.
Currently, the power was in the hands of a Purple Palace master named Xin Han, with more than half the town’s residents being cultivators, while the rest included ordinary mortals, those undergoing Transcendence, and some innate martial artists.
The town’s residents were a mix of good and bad, but under Xin Han’s strong leadership, it remained quite stable.
There were countless loose cultivator towns in the outside world, but it was rare to find one led by a Purple Palace cultivator.
Due to the weight of a Purple Palace cultivator’s status, most sects would welcome them with open arms, offering corresponding treatment.
Even if newcomers could not enter the inner sect core, they could still become elders in the outer sect without issue.
The cultivation environment and resources in a sect were incomparable to those in loose cultivator towns.
However, exceptions always existed; some Purple Palace cultivators preferred to be loose cultivators, relying on their own strength to break through and open a house, refusing to be bound by immortal sects, choosing instead to live freely like a “mountain king.”
Wang Chen carefully selected Dongwu Town as his place for hidden cultivation.
Small retreats in the mountains, grand retreats in the bustling markets; for a Qi Training cultivator, secluded places in wild forests were not suitable, as they were either uninhabited and perilous, or overrun with magical beasts and even Evil Spirits.
Although Wang Chen had considerable cultivation resources and could easily train in remote locations, he gave it much thought and chose Dongwu Town instead.
With the spiritual tide rising and great calamity approaching, uninhabited places were fraught with danger and uncertainty. Most importantly, news would be completely cut off; he would have no idea what was happening outside, making the situation too passive.
In Dongwu Town, there were many loose cultivators, and with a Purple Palace cultivator as the leader, protective formations were set up throughout the town.
It was said that once the formations were activated, even the greatest number of Purple Palace cultivators could not break through!
As he walked, Wang Chen stopped in front of a familiar tea house, then put away his umbrella and entered.
“Immortal Master, please come in…”
The plump shopkeeper personally came to greet him, enthusiastically inviting Wang Chen to sit at a window-side table.
He wiped the polished tea table with a cloth and asked, “The same as before?”
“Mm.”
Wang Chen nodded, laying out ten spirit fragments on the table.
The rules at this wine shop and tea house were to pay in advance for food to prevent anyone from escaping without paying, as some loose cultivators did, shamelessly taking advantage of others.
During this time, he had been coming to this tea house each afternoon, ordering a pot of spiritual tea and a plate of pastries.
He practiced the Five Element Technique while listening to the idle chatter of the tea patrons.
Over time, Wang Chen became quite familiar with the shopkeeper.
“Alright!”
The plump shopkeeper turned and called out, “One pot of spiritual tea and a plate of osmanthus cake!”
His tone carried a particular nuance; the higher the pitch when he said “spiritual tea,” the better the quality he was requesting.
Wang Chen had only ordered ordinary spiritual tea, but the shopkeeper brought him a slightly superior brew.
He was indeed an intriguing character.
Rumor had it that this shopkeeper was once a prominent figure in the Da Qian rivers and lakes, but after getting entangled in serious trouble, he fled to the world of cultivation and eventually settled in Dongwu Town, where he opened this tea house.
As for the exact nature of his past misdeeds, no one could say for certain.
In truth, many who made their living in the outer realms, whether cultivators or ordinary folk, had their own fascinating tales to tell.
The shopkeeper was merely one among countless others.
Wang Chen poured himself a cup of steaming tea and picked up a piece of osmanthus cake to sample.
The flavor was delightful.
The osmanthus had been harvested the previous year, and the white cake was made from freshly milled rice gathered at the end of summer; together, they created a uniquely satisfying taste.
His gaze drifted out the window, as if his mind had wandered to distant realms.
In reality, every word spoken by the tea patrons, even their hushed whispers, reached Wang Chen’s ears, as he effortlessly absorbed the conversations while multitasking.
He could sift through their chatter for useful tidbits.
However, today, there was nothing particularly noteworthy.
The major event of the Yunyang Sect fleeing to the upper realm had occurred nearly half a year ago, yet it remained a hot topic of discussion.
Many of the rumors were outlandish, bordering on the absurd.
As for the Guiyuan Sect, which had taken over the Yunyang Sect’s territory, few had anything kind to say about them.
The prevailing sentiment seemed to be, “Even a flawed Yunyang is better than the Guiyuan Sect,” which surprised Wang Chen, as he hadn’t realized how enduring the Yunyang Sect’s reputation was, still lingering in people’s minds after all this time.
The tea patrons even brought up the human hunting case, firmly convinced that it was the work of the Guiyuan Sect!
Clearly, the Yunyang Sect enjoyed a favorable reputation in the outer realms.
Wang Chen could only think to himself, “It’s all relative.”
Recalling his own experiences with the Yunyang Sect, he couldn’t help but shake his head.
Suddenly, a girl of about thirteen or fourteen rushed to the tea house’s eaves, carrying a little girl to escape the increasingly heavy rain.
She stood just outside Wang Chen’s window.
The little girl, resting her head on the older girl’s shoulder, was only about four or five years old, with large, sparkling black eyes and two small braids.
She glanced at Wang Chen, who was within arm’s reach, and her gaze quickly settled on the osmanthus cake, her mouth watering almost involuntarily.
It was clear that the little one was quite tempted.
Yet, she didn’t ask for anything, though a drop of saliva nearly escaped the corner of her mouth.
Wang Chen found her amusing, so he picked up the plate of pastries and offered it to her.
This little girl had effortlessly touched Wang Chen’s heart, reminding him of Yuan Yuan.
After the Yunyang Sect ascended to the upper realm with Taihao Peak, the spiritual bond between Wang Chen and Yuan Yuan had been severed.
He could no longer sense her presence.
Based on what he had gathered, Wang Chen surmised that Yuan Yuan must have ascended alongside Bai Susu.
If that were the case, he wondered when they might meet again!
Looking at the osmanthus cake now before her, the little girl hesitated for a moment, then, under Wang Chen’s encouraging gaze, she could no longer resist the temptation. Carefully, she reached out her small hand and took a piece of the cake.
The little girl was very polite; after taking the cake, she felt a bit awkward and softly said, “Thank you.”
The older girl holding her immediately turned upon hearing her words.
But Wang Chen, who had been sitting by the window moments before, had vanished.
He had left the tea house.
Once more, he opened his oiled paper umbrella and stepped into the rainwater pooling on the ground.
With each step, he made his way home.
