Chapter 375: A Good Seed

Chapter 375: A Good Seed

While the cheetah-like demi-human before us continues with his report, with Gong giving directions on how to handle situations, I consider whether the ‘Madame Wei’ he spoke of is the same person.

Yeah.

She definitely is.

After all, I already knew she had an intelligence network and gave her that superior spirit stone to use it to the group’s benefit.

Considering how much she already knew about me, it would be obvious to her that there’s a deep connection between Gong and I. Not only that, but it was more than a couple of weeks ago that I healed her and set her as the intelligence officer of our Foundations of Heaven faction.

With Sister Nuan making it clear she wanted me to head back to Monchon City, she would have had plenty of time to make preparations and establish relationships with Gong’s group.

A look over at Gong shows me she doesn’t seem surprised by the name and has heard of her before, as well. As the demi-human runs back towards the gates, Gong’s next words confirm it.

“Your people are pretty skilled, James. We had to do a few checks to verify that this ‘Madame Wei’ was actually part of your group. But the information they’ve been feeding us has been very helpful.”

She lowers her voice a bit, leaning down so I can hear her whisper.

“She’s even been able to notify us about some attacks on our section hours before a large assault. Letting me take care of it quietly.

“Honestly, we might have had a few casualties in the village without that notice, so I’m quite grateful. Of course, we’ve paid her back in our own way, but I’m curious about her sources... especially since she must be back in the sect in your area.”

After saying that, she straightens her back again, having said her piece. Leaving me with another consistent thought.

Man. Thank goodness for the scan.

It looks like she was a good choice to bring on.

... Even if she can be weird.

Things are a bit muted after that conversation, with the rest of the walk allowing me to gaze over the changes in architecture up ahead.

Previously like cement, the stone walls were pieced with web serving as the cement, but now it seems they’ve been increased in size and reinforced with concrete and metal, likely from the salvaged urban areas that used to surround this land.

The walls and gates still have the elegant patterns of dragons and giant sea creatures battling, with men facing rising tides of water, decorating and repeating across the bottom and top surface of them. However, now the middle sections have a new design that wasn’t previously there.

Glyphs of spiders, creating webs that interlace with the actual webs covering the walls' surface. An interesting design, that seems to have a more practical purpose, of leading the spiders along common paths when laying their webs.

Somehow, even with the recent additions, they still give off that feeling of collective beauty.

The gates themselves still rise above the surrounding walls, having been increased in size to compensate. Instead of the plain stone they were before, now they are filled with spider like designs and, interestingly, a small formation that seems to be an alert system tied to the entire circle of walls.

I’m surprised that she got a formation expert, even a low-ranking one, to come out here to do this for demi-humans. Though, I suspect it wouldn’t be too hard with a word from Big Sis Crane.

It makes me wonder how much Gong truly leans on her and how much she doesn’t.

Personally, I can’t help but give an open laugh at that, though I make sure not to make it condescending with my next words.

“Hahaha, those are some great dreams, young man! Well, while that might be tough to help you with at this point, I can give you something to get started on a sustainable path for yourself.

“Would you like that?”

At my question, his eyes go blank again in shock, but he’s already nodding subconsciously.

“Good. Here, this will give you a way to help others and become ‘powerful’ in your own way. Do good where and how you can, as you pursue this path.”

I say this while fishing out a jade slip from my space bracelet, touching it to the kid’s forehead.

Of course, considering that he’s a demi-human, there’s only one path that he can pursue that wouldn’t fully require cultivation to be powerful.

Alchemy.

A route that at the early middle levels requires cultivation, but below that can be handled without. With some exceptions, depending on the skill and knowledge of the alchemist.

All on that jade slip is the foundational training for being an alchemist, as well as the knowledge of how and where to pursue more knowledge.

This was my original idea on how to help the demihumans out of poverty, though Gong has already mostly succeeded on a macro-scale.

It’s part of the reason that most of the alchemist suppliers in the city were instructed to not trade with demi-humans, as it had the possibility of them gaining a form of strength. After all, with enough and the right talismans and elixirs, a demi-human could even be better than cultivators.

And while this kid, without cultivation and much talent, won’t be able to become a powerhouse, he’ll at least be able to defend those around him and heal those in his community. Potentially more, if he spends his life on it.

Not everyone has the skills or talent to excel. But with extraordinary effort, the right guidance, environment, and resources, they still have a chance to succeed.

My scan may show that he isn’t anything special right now or in the future, but it’ll be up to him to change that. Though, sadly, it’s likely that no alchemist organization will regard him or any demi-human like him as an alchemist.

Heck, I’m technically not an ‘Alchemist’ yet, either. Something that I believe will get rectified here, in Monchon City.

I leave some parting words to the boy, as his eyes clear back up from the influx of information that entered his mind.

“Study and practice well, keeping in mind the purpose of power. Do good with it, for both you and those around you.”

Gong and I keep walking on, as the attention naturally lands on the young boy with the new gift of knowledge.

Knowing Gong, she’ll make sure that he’s protected and won’t be taken advantage of. And that this is only the start for public facing changes we’ll make to protect people here.

Once we pass through the large gates and finally reach the inner section of her area, I finally see my group again in the village area Gong had first built.

And wow... do they look comfortable.