Chapter 495: Chapter 495
That’s all the hint I can provide.
Anyway, Jiang Yuan couldn’t directly tell him that these two skills can be merged using the system. If the old dragon can grasp the hint and figure out a skill to increase his lifespan, that would be a good thing.
I’ve comprehended and learned both sets of cultivation techniques. The ways of execution are completely different. Apart from both being "devour," how are they similar?
Despite racking his brains, he couldn’t understand, but the other person’s expression didn’t seem like he was just making things up. Besides, since getting to know Jiang Yuan, he’s been quite reliable and wouldn’t say things without basis.
Could there be something within them that’s worth pondering and comprehending that I haven’t discovered yet?
"Thank you for your guidance, young friend." The old dragon thanked with a solemn bow.
He waved his hand with a smile, "I was just speaking my mind, wouldn’t dare to call it guidance. Since the elixir is delivered, I have no other business and will return now. If senior has any needs, feel free to ask, I’ll definitely help if I can."
Jiang Yuan thought for a moment and said, "I have a pretty decent little courtyard. If you have time someday, senior can come by to chat, rest, and have a meal." Content orıginally comes from novel{f}ire.net
After sharing the coordinates of the courtyard, Jiang Yuan took his leave and used the teleportation scroll, inputting "Bamboo Mountain City." Sure enough, it showed a small, square-shaped town nestled in a valley not too far from Cloud City.
Clicking transmit, in the next second, he appeared on the street of Bamboo Mountain City.
"Did you hear? Another pile of white bones was dug out in the bamboo forest north of the stream, really scary!"
"Of course I heard, even the city lord went personally to investigate. Isn’t that bounty posted already? It said evil cultivators showed up in town, killed demon cultivators, and buried their bodies in the wilderness."
"You’re talking about the batch discovered days ago, after the city lord investigated, he issued a bounty order. But today, another pile of white bones was uncovered! Although they’re all related to evil cultivators, nonetheless."
"How’s that possible? Did the city lord make a mistake? Can a small place like ours really attract evil cultivators? I heard those guys are greedy, cunning, ruthless, and target wealthy big cities."
"Saying that is naive, right? The world is growing more chaotic; fallen evil cultivators are becoming more common.
Not all evil cultivators who fall can ascend to a high realm. Small towns like ours with trade connections are great for less advanced evil cultivators to blend in!"
"In today’s world... regardless if it’s the act of evil cultivators, everyone should be cautious, don’t end up alone easily..."
Jiang Yuan had just arrived and heard the chatter. Looking towards the voices, several demon cultivators gathered in a corner, whispering to each other.
The teleportation location he chose was a fairly wide street, thinking it would be bustling and lively, but unexpectedly it was flanked by grand houses on both sides, with only a few ordinary-looking demon cultivators at the street corner.
From what they were saying, it seemed related to the appearance of evil cultivators.
Jiang Yuan was about to step forward and ask, when one demon cultivator, the most talkative, sized him up and spoke first, "First time in Bamboo Mountain City, fellow cultivator?
If you came to buy specialty paper, the closest is Dengjia Alley, full of all kinds of shops;
If you’re seeking or selling things on the black market, the nearest is three streets away at Xiuzhu House;
If you’re here for the bounty, you’ll need to go a bit further — the site of the grim white bones is ten miles north of the city, at the north side of the stream.
Many cultivators wish to try their luck; capturing the culprit offers a bounty of ten thousand spirit stones, not a small amount."
As the location was mentioned, Jiang Yuan found it on the newly updated map of the city and its surroundings.
After listening, he curiously pursued, "Could fellow cultivator explain more about the bounty matter?"
"We’re all demon cultivators hired to guard mansions for dignitaries; we know nothing about such things."
"Exactly, if you’re here for the bounty, hurry out of the city and see for yourself. These days, bounty hunters are coming in waves, even some demon cultivators with cultivation from the city are heading to the stream, trying to find clues and capture the culprit to earn the bounty."
In the past, Jiang Yuan would have thanked them and left upon hearing this, but now he’s learning some of the ways of the world.
Seeing the flickering gaze of the other party, obviously unwilling to tell a stranger like himself, he then took some spirit stones and stuffed a few into each one’s hand.
Sure enough, without spending much, he could hear the most detailed and comprehensive gossip from the local demons.
Bamboo Mountain City, as its name implies, was built in a bamboo valley. Surrounded by mountains, the hills filled with various species of bamboo, the demon cultivators in the city make a living selling various bamboo products made in the mountains.
About four or five days ago, a demon cultivator ventured into the mountains searching for a relatively rare species of bamboo.
As he wandered to the remote area north of the stream, he suddenly caught the smell of rotting bones, thinking a demon beast might have died in the bamboo forest, he considered digging it up to see if he could sell its parts for some spirit stones.
After digging the soil for a while, he discovered a decaying white bone.
The realm of cultivation is rife with the survival of the fittest, it’s not uncommon to kill a few demon cultivators and discard their bodies in the wilderness. But when he casually swiped to reveal a pile of white bones, he started to panic.
This quickly startled the city lord. According to one demon cultivator who personally witnessed it, the heap of white bones was at least fifty or sixty bodies, all clearly eroded by some evil cultivation techniques, if not discovered they’d have long rotted into dust.
After the city lord personally investigated, he issued the bounty order.
But before the culprit evil cultivators were tracked down, another demon cultivator discovered a pile of fresh white bones in the deeper bamboo forest north of the stream!
"What does this imply? That the evil cultivator is not only unrestrained but also continues to murder!" The most gossip-prone demon cultivator said, lowering his voice with narrowed eyes, "Plenty of bounty hunters have arrived, there’s pervasive panic in the city; I bet the evil cultivators have long fled upon hearing the news.
Heh... let’s be blunt, while Bamboo Mountain City might be a bit remote, it makes plenty from bamboo in spirit stones!
But most of the profits are taken by the grand households, unwilling to spend even a penny for reforging the city’s array to protect the common folk’s safety.
Anyway, they have enough spirit stones to hire us as cannon fodder, no need to worry about evil cultivators appearing..."
Listening to the gossip, Jiang Yuan calculated and found it matching what Qian Duoduo said!
Liu Zifu deceiving him with an excuse for going out on business instead of heading to Cloud City for goods is likely due to his partnered evil cultivator’s exposure. But why, when things are already tight, hasn’t the evil cultivator left, insisting on contending with Liu Zifu here?
Could it be... the evil cultivators are actually residents of Bamboo Mountain City, making departure inconvenient? Or is there something binding them here, preventing their leave...
"Thank you for detailing the matter, I’ll head over to the stream side for a look at the situation." Jiang Yuan expressed gratitude and bid farewell, patting the Mandarin Duck Swords on his back after walking some distance, and spoke softly, "Since you both possess spirits, shall we discuss a thing or two?"
In a crowd of sword-flying cultivators, traveling around with paper as whole cloth is rather conspicuous.
He only wanted to quietly and discreetly make money, so being able to fly with swords would be best; moreover, the side quest is about finding new owners for the Mandarin Duck Twin Swords, carrying them along would make completing the quest convenient.
Having come all this way, why not exert some effort?
"I must find suitable new owners for you in the vast sea of people, yet you always lie flat and exert no effort, letting me carry you everywhere, isn’t that a bit embarrassing?"
Jiang Yuan softly negotiated, "So I’ve thought of a compromise; when needed, come out and lend a hand, we mutually benefit and expedite finding new owners for you both, isn’t that better?
For instance, now, I need sword flight at the fastest speed to the north side of the stream to check out the scene.
If it’s not too much trouble, carry me for a stretch, who knows, along the way we might just come across a congenial cultivator and you’ll find your new abode."