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Once they took control of the spirit ship, the two teams of demonic cultivators began their search from the lower levels, working their way up.
At first, several screams echoed from the cargo hold below.
"Liang Kingdom sect lackeys, kill them!"
"Can't pay the ransom?"
"I'm contracted to a merchant guild. Could I borrow some spirit stones from the guild?"
Lan Chang'an silently observed the situation. Other than cultivators suspected of belonging to sects, most people were able to ransom their lives by paying a fee.
In general, a loose cultivator's status was better than a family-affiliated one, and much better than someone tied to a sect.
For Liang Kingdom cultivators under contract, if they couldn’t come up with enough spirit stones, they could borrow from their merchant guild.
Of course, this added debt gave the guild further control over them, tightening the grip of their indentured servitude.
Because there was still hope for survival, and due to the overwhelming power of the demonic sects, hardly any cultivators chose to resist.
Cultivators from Jing Kingdom's merchant guilds, who had to do long-term business, preferred to spend money to avoid calamity.
Moreover, Lan Chang'an suspected that the Jiuchen Merchant Association, who ran the ship, had some secret dealings with the Xuan Yin Demonic Sect.
The demonic sect's search was extremely thorough.
It took half an hour before Lan Chang'an finally heard footsteps approaching his room.
Two demonic cultivators entered.
At that same moment, Lan Chang'an sensed the spiritual sense of a Fake Dan cultivator lingering over him.
"Name, identity, origin?"
One of the demonic cultivators, a late-stage Foundation Establishment practitioner, held a special magical weapon and questioned him.
"I am Wu Fan, a loose cultivator from Liang Kingdom, now contracted to the Wufu Merchant Association of Jing Kingdom."
Lan Chang'an produced the spirit contract he had signed earlier.
The demonic cultivator took the contract, examined it carefully, and asked a few more probing questions to verify his identity as a loose cultivator.
Since Lan Chang'an truly was a loose cultivator, his answers were flawless.
With no issues regarding his identity, he was not a primary target of the demonic sect, meaning his life wasn’t in immediate danger.
"Loose cultivators at the Foundation Establishment level must pay six thousand spirit stones. For those associated with Jing Kingdom's merchant guilds, only half is required."
"Here is the ransom."
Lan Chang'an responded promptly, producing three thousand spirit stones.
He carried over a hundred thousand spirit stones—an amount far exceeding what most Fake Dan cultivators possessed—so parting with a mere three thousand was inconsequential.
Still, every unnecessary expense on this journey was noted in his mind.
Paying for the ticket had been unavoidable. However, the excessive room fees and now the ransom payment felt like exploitation, and Lan Chang'an made a mental note to settle this debt someday. It wasn't deep hatred, but life was long, and the path of cultivation tedious. There would be chances to repay this treatment.
"Open your storage pouch!"
A glint of interest flashed in the demonic cultivator’s eyes.
The Liang Kingdom cultivators they'd inspected earlier had been thoroughly squeezed dry—either stripped of most of their valuables or forced to borrow from their guilds.
It was rare to encounter a cultivator like Lan Chang'an who could still produce three thousand spirit stones without hesitation.
Lan Chang'an’s expression shifted, and he hesitated briefly.
"Hurry up! What are you waiting for?"
Urged on by the demonic cultivators, he opened his storage pouch.
After checking its contents, the two demonic cultivators looked disappointed.
The pouch had few remaining spirit stones, and the other items were only of average value for a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.
What little was there wasn’t worth extorting or pressing further.
Lan Chang'an remained expressionless, watching as the two demonic cultivators left.
This situation had been anticipated long before he moved into the cabin.
His more valuable items, including another storage pouch and a spirit beast bag, were wrapped in shadowstone materials that blocked detection. They were hidden in a corner of the room under concealment wards.
Unless a True Dan cultivator personally examined the room, they wouldn't be able to detect anything.
Lan Chang'an had passed the inspection with ease.
Next door, however, the purple-faced man, Fang Zhong, wasn't so lucky.
The demonic cultivators, using their special weapon, discerned that the techniques he practiced originated from a Liang Kingdom sect.
"I am a sect traitor! A battlefield deserter! I’m listed on the wanted boards... I beg the holy sect to investigate!"
Fang Zhong’s face turned deathly pale as he confessed everything.
"A sect traitor on the wanted list? Let him go."
Nearby, Xiang Jinglong, now one of the demonic sect's Fake Dan cultivators, pulled out a jade slip for verification before issuing the order.
Fang Zhong was as relieved as if he had received a royal pardon. His spirit stones were almost depleted, so he offered up his magic weapons, pills, and talismans as collateral, barely scraping together the ransom.
...
Two hours later, the demonic cultivators had finished searching the rooms on the first and second floors of the spirit ship.
Almost none of the Jing Kingdom merchant guild cultivators had been harmed.
However, some Liang Kingdom cultivators had been killed, and several "suspicious individuals" were taken away.
Lan Chang'an noticed that many of those taken were particularly skilled Liang Kingdom cultivators.
Some of these skilled artisans had even negotiated with Lady Wei at the earlier trade fair.
Because Lan Chang'an had deliberately concealed his true skills, he avoided attracting any unwanted attention.
The Liang Kingdom cultivators on this ship were, in essence, illegal stowaways, dependent on others for their survival.
Being able to safely reach Jing Kingdom would already be a stroke of luck.
There was no way they could expect to receive the same treatment they might have enjoyed back in the Liang Kingdom, regardless of whether they were once powerful Foundation Establishment patriarchs or respected craftsmen.
Only if they reached the Jing Kingdom and gained legal status could they hope to regain their former prestige.
"They’re finished with the second floor. Now they’re heading to the third."
Lan Chang'an observed Xiang Jinglong and another Fake Dan demonic cultivator leading most of the team to the third floor.
The third floor of the spirit ship housed many high-end cabins, and the cultivators staying there, regardless of their nation of origin, had significant backgrounds.
Even the Xuan Yin Demonic Sect had to proceed with caution when dealing with them.
This demon bull wasn’t like the specialized Profound Water Turtle; it was the complete package, a well-rounded powerhouse excelling in strength, spells, defense, and speed, with almost no weaknesses.
Even Lan Chang'an's most powerful treasure talismans would struggle to inflict serious harm on it.
Above the True Dan stage, late-stage Core Formation cultivators represented the pinnacle of a sect's strength.
Even the weakest sects in the Liang and Jing Kingdoms had at least one late-stage Core Formation cultivator as their pillar.
"That hunchbacked elder is doomed. I wonder if Young Master Wang will be able to escape the demonic sect’s pursuit."
As Lan Chang'an pondered this, the Jiuchen Merchant Association's spirit ship resumed its course.
Order was restored within the ship, as the guild cultivators and bodyguards worked to calm the passengers.
...
A few days later, the spirit ship entered a dangerous area plagued by perpetual icy rain.
As far as the eye could see, a vast expanse of pale gray rain filled the sky. The rain carried a chilling, corrosive force.
These treacherous zones between the Liang and Jing Kingdoms had appeared before, though it wasn’t the first time they had encountered such natural hazards.
Fortunately, though this spirit ship wasn’t particularly fast, its protective capabilities were strong, allowing it to pass through these zones smoothly.
However, the spirit stones required to power the ship’s defenses consumed a significant amount of resources.
The ship's speed also slowed considerably.
It was these vast distances, combined with spiritual energy depleted zones and natural danger zones, that had kept Jing Kingdom, a mid-tier cultivation nation, from being easily swallowed up by its neighbors.
Half a month later...
The spirit ship's speed noticeably increased.
"We’re getting close to Jing Kingdom."
Lan Chang'an sensed the spiritual energy in the surrounding area beginning to stir, as if awakening.
Spiritual energy depleted zones affected the power of spells, including a cultivator's ability to fly and the efficiency of formations.
If they had been traveling through a normal cultivation nation, the journey would have taken just half a month.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Along the way, they occasionally encountered Jing Kingdom cultivators flying through the sky.
"Fellow Daoist Wu, once we reach 'Lonely Sun Immortal City,' I’ll help you apply for a merchant guild-certified identity token."
Young Master Xia of the Wufu Merchant Association took the initiative to visit Lan Chang'an's cabin, extending some courtesy with his words.
The journey’s dangers were now behind them.
For the merchant guilds, their only leverage over these cultivators was the second-rank spirit contracts they had signed.
Other than the high-end guests in the luxury cabins, most of the Liang Kingdom cultivators, who had essentially stowed away, were under contract with the merchant guilds.
The contract Lan Chang'an had signed was relatively lenient, closer to a typical employment agreement. This was fundamentally different from the indentured servitude contracts signed by people like Fang Zhong.
"Then I’ll trouble Young Master Xia."
Lan Chang'an cupped his hands in thanks.
During their conversation, Lan Chang'an learned more about the Wufu Merchant Association.
The Wufu Merchant Association had originally been established by five Foundation Establishment families who had banded together.
At the time, the families had been weak, with most having only a single Foundation Establishment ancestor as their protector.
By joining forces and intermarrying, the five families had weathered hundreds of years of trials and had earned a stable position within Jing Kingdom’s Merchant Alliance. Their strength was not to be underestimated.
Young Master Xia’s full name was Xia Mingqu, and he was the current heir to the Wufu Merchant Association, belonging to the Xia Family—the most powerful of the five.
"Dare I ask, does your guild possess a second-rank high-grade spiritual vein?"
"My Xia family and the main headquarters of the guild both have second-rank high-grade spiritual veins."
Xia Mingqu answered with a smile.
This young master, with his fair skin and jade-like features, had an appearance and demeanor that stood out even among the cultivators Lan Chang'an had encountered.
Half a day later...
The Jiuchen Merchant Association's spirit ship descended upon a towering mountain city shrouded in white light.
Lonely Sun Immortal City was a major border town in Jing Kingdom’s cultivation world, boasting a thriving trade scene. Its scale even surpassed that of Huanglong Immortal City.
The Liang Kingdom cultivators disembarking from the ship had to undergo identity verification by the merchant guilds.
Thanks to Xia Mingqu’s assistance, Lan Chang'an presented his second-rank spirit contract and passed the inspection smoothly.
When Lan Chang'an’s feet touched the ground of this neutral cultivation nation, he felt an unfamiliar sense of security.
"Fellow Daoist Wu! It seems we part ways here."
Fang Zhong, speaking in a neutral tone, bid farewell to Lan Chang'an before returning to the Xinyue Merchant Association’s ranks.
Lan Chang'an responded with a faint smile and waved him off, watching as they went their separate ways.
...
Half an hour later...
Lan Chang'an stepped out of the merchant guild’s main hall in the center of Lonely Sun Immortal City, examining a bronze token in his hand.
"This is your identity token within the merchant guilds. Carrying this token allows you to travel freely within Jing Kingdom’s various immortal cities and marketplaces, and engage in lawful trade."
Xia Mingqu explained.
Lan Chang'an nodded in understanding, expressing his gratitude once more.
Without the Wufu Merchant Association’s contract and assistance, he wouldn’t have been able to land so easily and obtain the status of a Jing Kingdom merchant guild cultivator.
Glancing at the Jing Kingdom cultivators bustling around the city, many of whom were dressed as wandering merchants, he smiled and asked, "Young Master Xia, how do you plan to arrange my next steps? Will I be heading to the Xia family’s territory or to the Wufu Merchant Association?"
Having successfully settled in Jing Kingdom...
The Hundred Illusions Mask had successfully disguised his aura, fooling the second-rank spirit contract.
In reality, Lan Chang'an could now find an opportunity to slip away. The Wufu Merchant Association would be powerless to stop him.
However, he had just arrived in Jing Kingdom, an unfamiliar land. What he needed now was a stable place to cultivate, preferably one with a second-rank high-grade spiritual vein.
The Wufu Merchant Association had helped him solve many problems and spent both money and effort on him.
Aside from the contractual obligations, Xia Mingqu had also treated him with respect.
Lan Chang'an decided to go along with things for now.
He would temporarily honor the contract and join the Wufu Merchant Association as a second-rank alchemist, albeit a mediocre one, to spend a few years cultivating.