Chapter 41 - Chapter 41: Chapter 31: Taking Care of Business i

Chapter 41: Chapter 31: Taking Care of Business i

Translator: 549690339

The cultivator looked down at the sketch, then back up at him, his eyebrows furrowed deeply.

“Hold out your hand for me to see!”

“Yes!

Xu Mu complied obediently, extending his hand which was delicate and fair, rivaling that of a woman’s.

There were no calluses left from practicing with a sword!

Go!”

The cultivator stowed away the sketch, waved his hand impatiently, and stopped the next passer-by with a huff.

This time, he didn’t take out the sketch for comparison.

“Thank you, thank you very much!”

Xu Mu squeezed out a smile on his face, nodded slightly like an ordinary passer-by, and quickly walked away.

Not until he was a good distance away did he suddenly duck into a nearby alley, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and suppressed the tumultuous waves surging in his heart.

When the other party took out the sketch earlier, he had stolen a glance and seen its contents.

In the sketch was a man in his fifties, holding a crimson longsword, with a black mask on his face.

If not him, then who else could it be!

Fortunately, he hadn’t shown any oddness just now and after his breakthrough to the Marrow-Cleansing Stage, his whole person had undergone a huge transformation in appearance and demeanor.

Otherwise

“I would have had to kill them all, then retreat into the wilderness with Yingying and Little Ling’er!”

As to whether he could escape the ensuing pursuit, he could only leave it to fate.

“I was really lucky this time!”

Xu Mu was still frightened, feeling chilly along his spine.

“I must be more careful when doing such things in the future!”

He couldn’t understand something, though. He had done everything he could at that time, stopping short of only turning them to ashes.

Logically, they shouldn’t have a sketch of him, right?

“Did they use some method or did I leave behind some critical clues?”

Xu Mu furrowed his brow, unable to figure it out.

Although he had lived in this world for decades, he had always been toiling and struggling in White Stone City so he didn’t know the methods high-level cultivators used.

In the end, when he couldn’t figure it out, he decided if he ran into such an incident again, he’ll completely destroy his opponents, obliterating their souls. Only then would he be completely at ease.

Once calmed down, he left the alley and headed for the inn where Lan Shijin was staying.

The streets were as bustling as always, filled mostly with cultivators who had murderous eyes and injuries on their bodies.

Now it was already April, and the peak season for Monster Beasts was imminent. This was also the most active, highest earning period for the cultivators.

The number of cultivators this year was much more than before, so the competition was fiercer.

“Next time our team should venture further in. We can’t even find a single Monster Beast fur in the outskirts now; if this continues we won’t be able to eat!”

“The area within 300 li is now considered outskirts, any further and we’ll be in the 500 li range! Tier-four Monster Beasts have appeared there before, it’s too risky!”

“We’ll prepare more then! After eating, let’s buy more high-tier talismans, get more people. We can’t neglect opportunity because of danger! After all, we’re here not to live peacefully, but to take our chance to become high-tier cultivators!”

“You’re right, Friend Yang! We really should seize our youth and take some risks!”

“The Flying Boats transporting materials haven’t been arriving recently, I feel prices are going to rise. We should stock up more when we shop later!”

“Speaking of this, I regret that last time if only…”

Xu Mu entered the inn. The first floor was full of diners, each chatting and feasting, their faces glistening with oil.

The attire of the crowd was diverse—some wore Taoist robes, others wore armors, and some wore animal hides.

But having lived here for decades, Xu Mu was no longer surprised by such scenes.

After a casual glance, he headed towards the counter.

“Shopkeeper, I’m Xu Mu and would like to see my friend. She’s staying in Room

6 on the ground floor!”

“Please wait a moment, sir!”

The innkeeper beckoned a waiter over and whispered something in his ear.

The waiter hurried upstairs.

Soon after, Lan Shijin, dressed in a green robe, descended from upstairs gracefully.

Many of the diners in the inn had halted their actions, their attention drawn towards her.

The elegantly beautiful and voluptuous Lan Shijin was quite popular.

Especially because she was older!

Why is it that the older she is, the more popular she becomes?

You need to ponder!

You need to ponder deeply!

Then you will understand!

Seeing Lan Shijin descending the stairs, Xu Mu revealed a look of delight. He had originally worried that she had already left White Stone City.

Xu Mu immediately greeted her.

“Friend Lan, long time no see!”

“You… you are Friend Xu?!”

Looking at the strange but familiar man in front of her, Lan Shijin furrowed her eyebrows, her beautiful face filled with confusion.

When the waiter came up to announce his arrival earlier, he had already said that the person looking for her was Xu Mu.

However, the man in front of her was quite different from the Xu Mu she knew.

“It’s a long story. If it’s convenient for you, could we discuss it upstairs?”

Xu Mu didn’t want everybody on the first floor to know about him asking her to set up a Spirit Gathering Array.

After Lan Shijin took a closer look at him and was fairly certain that it was Xu Mu, she beckoned him upstairs.

They soon entered the room of the inn.

Leng Yuening, who was practicing her skills in the room, saw Xu Mu and immediately dispersed the ice cones she had been forming. A look of surprise appeared on her face.

She didn’t understand why her mother would bring a strange man into the room. Weren’t they supposed to meet Master Xu?

“Miss Leng, long time no see!”

Xu Mu politely greeted Leng Yuening with a salute..

Leng Yuening’s eyes widened in surprise. She blinked hard, revealing even greater confusion in her eyes.

She recognized Xu Mu’s voice, but his appearance was quite different…

“Both of you needn’t be surprised. I just recently came by a medicinal pill unexpectedly, which caused this transformation,” Xu Mu explained.

He had anticipated their amazement.

After all, even Ye Yingying, who spent day and night with him, didn’t recognize him at once.

“A medicinal pill?!!”

Both women’s eyes burst into brightness almost simultaneously.

Lan Shijin, who usually handled matters calmly and with a relaxed demeanor, appeared slightly excited at this moment.

The always icy Leng Yuening also suddenly stood up from her chair.

As expected, no woman can resist this kind of temptation.

“Friend Xu, do you still have that kind of pill? Can you sell me a couple of them? You can name your price!”

Their tones were exactly the same.

Xu Mu felt a mix of amusement and frustration.

If he had known earlier, perhaps he should have come up with a different excuse.

“Friend Lan, that pill was a fortunate discovery and I only had one. I truly wish I could help more,” Xu Mu laughed bitterly.

“Ah? That… That’s too bad!”

Disappointment appeared in Lan Shijin’s eyes.

Despite her exceptional maintenance, she was already in her fifties or sixties. Without a special pill, or without making a breakthrough into the Foundation Establishment Stage, she would age rapidly in a few years.

For women, looks might be more important than life itself.

If Xu Mu still had that kind of pill, Lan Shijin would definitely spare no cost to get it.

Let alone Lan Shijin, even Leng Yuening, who usually remained untouched by worldly matters, appeared slightly disappointed.

“I came here this time to ask Friend Lan to help me set up another Spirit Gathering Array in my house. The fee can be based on the market price. I wonder if Friend Lan is available?”

“Yes!”

A hint of joy flashed in Lan Shijin’s eyes, and she immediately agreed.

During this period, she and her daughter had been living in an inn, spending a considerable amount of Spirit Stones. The savings she had were almost depleted after this period of turbulence.

Originally, she was thinking about going out to earn some extra money, but Xu Mu took the initiative to seek her help.

“That’s great! Does Friend Lan think we should start today, or in another two days?”

“We can start today!”

After instructing Leng Yuening a few things, Lan Shijin left the inn with Xu Mu, heading towards the outskirts of the Marketplace.

While passing the entrance, the cultivator who was conducting the search simply glanced at them and didn’t stop them for another comparison.

This gave Xu Mu a slight sigh of relief.

It seemed that his transformation was quite significant. Otherwise, with such detail in their portraits, even wearing a facial mask wouldn’t prevent him from being recognized.

After leaving the Marketplace, Xu Mu asked about Lan Shijin’s recent situation and why she had not left yet.

“Don’t even mention it! Sigh!”

Lan Shijin frowned, sighing.

Subsequently, she didn’t hide anything and told Xu Mu the reason.

Her friend was very keen in his initial promise, but when it was time to leave, he kept making all sorts of excuses.

So far, there had not been any concrete information.

Lan Shijin worried that the Spirit Stones she had spent might end up being wasted.

At this moment, Xu Mu suddenly remembered that he had overheard Jia An and others mentioning that all the Flying Boats were commandeered by the big families for the front line. No one could leave in the short term.

It was precisely because of this that they dared to extort him so unscrupulously.

Otherwise, he would simply walk away.

“Friend Lan, don’t worry. I believe the war will end soon. Not only will there be Flying Boats available to leave, but the prices may also drop significantly,” Xu Mu comforted.

“I hope so!” Lan Shijin sighed softly.

As they chatted and walked, they quickly returned to the familiar alley.

When Xu Mu reached his house’s door, he was about to knock when he heard a series of thumping sounds and seductive whispers from the next house.

Both Lan Shijin and Xu Mu recognized what was going on from the sounds.

A rare flush crept up Lan Shijin’s fair face, while Xu Mu’s expression grew chilly.

First, he knocked on his door to let Ye Yingying lead Lan Shijin inside. Then he forcefully knocked on Li Moqing’s door.

“Friend Li! Friend Li!

H

After calling out several times, a leisurely Li Moqing, dressed in loose clothing that seemed likely to fall with a slight pull, finally opened the door.

Seeing Xu Mu at the door, a seductive smile danced on her lips, teasing, “My dear Friend Xu, you couldn’t wait any longer so soon! I still have some guests now. You can wait a while longer. If you really can’t wait, I can ask my guests if they’d like to include you.”

Xu Mu completely ignored her flirtatious words, speaking coldly, “I don’t wish to hear any such sounds again!”

“What’s the meaning of these words, Friend Xu? Are you not here to take care of my business?” Li Moqing narrowed her eyes, annoyed.

“My words are meant just as they are.”

Xu Mu’s gaze was frosty.

“Humph!”

Li Moqing snorted disdainfully. “This is my house. I can make as much noise as

I want. What’s it to you? If you don’t want to hear it, move to the Marketplace…”

Swish!

Suddenly, Xu Mu’s arm shot out and before Li Moqing could react, he held her by the throat.

His eyes were bright, full of murderous intent!

“If I hear a single sound again, believe it or not, tomorrow I’ll leave you lying in the gutter!”

“Gulp Gulp!”

Li Moqing swallowed nervously and nodded vigorously. Just from that one move, she felt a chilling sense of impending death.

Xu Mu retracted his hand and returned to his house.

Phew Phew!

As soon as Xu Mu left, Li Moqing began breathing heavily and it took her a while to recover.

“That bastard! I…”

Just when Li Moqing was about to curse, she stopped herself abruptly. For some reason, thinking about Xu Mu’s eyes, she felt an inexplicable fear.

After pondering for a moment, she decided not to provoke him anymore. However, it meant she had to conduct her business only by home visits in the future..