B2 - Chapter 3: A Little Detour

B2 - Chapter 3: A Little Detour

They were far from the crowd of mortals waiting before the archway, and William was glad for it.

That brought up a feeling of guilt, which was quickly stamped down. This wasn’t the first time his plan to help mortals fell through, and he was sure it wouldn’t be the last. So be it.

Mei Lingxi was right. It would soothe his feelings to help out personally, but it didn't change much in the grand scheme of things. He needed to focus on becoming strong enough, or influential enough, to make the changes he desired.

Sophia had laid the foundations, and he would need to build on it.

“Amazing,” William broke the prolonged silence, mainly as a peace offering, “I completely understand why you said there are people in need here.”

Zheng Tao’s face lit up, even though his words were entirely sarcastic. There were no people in sight, as it should be, since it was forbidden for anyone but sect members to enter. “I’m glad you understand, Junior Brother.”

They ignored Mei Lingxi’s amused scoff as they entered the dense forest.

William always knew they existed on the edges of the Jade Healing Sect’s territory, but he had never visited. Mostly because he didn’t see a point. As interesting as it was to see the trees where the sect sourced the building materials for almost every structure, it was not a priority. After all, it wasn’t like the Jade Tree forest would suddenly uproot itself and run away.

That raised a question that came to his mind when he saw the gem-like trees decorating the surroundings.

“What stops others from taking some of the trees, Brother Zheng?” William asked curiously, “They must fetch a high price in the market.”

Zheng Tao looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “This should be something you already know if you paid attention.”

“As if that would stop somebody that was determined,” William rolled his eyes, “It isn’t enough for it to be difficult to cut and transport. If there is profit to be had, somebody will find a way to make it.”

“That is wise, Young Master,” Mei Lingxi praised, standing far enough to give them a semblance of privacy. Also, it was far enough that Zheng Tao seemed to have forgotten that she was there.

A hard thing to do. William wouldn’t be capable of himself. However, he had seen Zheng Tao do something similar when focused on his task. He truly deserved the title William had given him in his mind.

The most responsible disciple in the Outer Court.

“You’re not wrong,” Zheng Tao said between glances at Mei Lingxi, “There are some that try to steal the Jade Trees, but most are easily caught. The only source in the Tianxia Empire is this forest, and most won’t dare to buy them from elsewhere. To have a chance to profit, they will need to sell in the surrounding kingdoms.”

“I see,” William commented as he looked around, “Brother Zheng? What did you want me to identify exactly? All I see are Jade Trees.”N0v3lRealm was the platform where this chapter was initially revealed on N0v3l.B1n.

That wasn’t an over-exaggeration. It really was all that was present, though they came in different shades of green and white.

“Look closer at the ground, Junior Brother.”

William did so and saw nothing that stood out. The soil was uniform. But he didn’t give up so easily, not when Zheng Tao practically told him something was there.

He wanted to get back to studying the formation manuals. One of the many things that he needed to become competent in. He had gotten trapped in an array in the secret realm, and if it happened again in the future, he didn't want to rely on luck to escape.

However, William had done his best to ensure that would be an option if necessary.

The Luck attribute had been the only thing he had increased in the past two weeks. The other attributes might have varying levels of importance depending on his needs, but Luck was something he always intended to have at its maximum.

It is an easy decision compared to the others. There was no longer an enforced maximum on any attribute except for Luck, so he could now specialize instead of being an all-rounder like he had been in the Qi Gathering Realm.

Name: Wei Liang (William Davis)

Age: 13

Level: 113

Experience: 8757/14125

Cultivation: Foundation Establishment (Early Stage)

Health: 2100/2100

Spiritual Energy: 550/550 (20% per Hour)

Spirit: 110

Strength: 110

Stamina: 110

Agility: 110

Luck: 150

Points: 293

William was glad for it but sometimes missed the easy choice of maxing out every single attribute.

“Why did you slow down? Follow, Junior Brother!”

He sighed and picked up the pace.