Chapter 339: He Chooses

Chapter 339: Chapter 339: He Chooses

Ah Er finally came to.

Groggy, it realized it was hanging. It swayed a couple of times, arching its body in an attempt to cut the rope with its claws.

But after trying for ages, its claws failed to cut the rope. Instead, it just exhausted itself, and its body slumped back down.

All its daily labor was no match for the pills it popped.

Not only was its fur glossy and sleek, but it had also developed a paunch.

Hanging like this, the fat on its belly folded into several rolls. This was clearly a difficult position for it.

Bai Mo finally understood why it always slept on its back. ’It’s probably more comfortable for it when all that flab can spread out flat.’

"You’ve gotten lazy."

Bai Mo untied the specially made rope, and Ah Er landed on the ground with a stagger.

"Nngh..."

It let out a feeble cry.

Bai Mo went and got its precious Feeding Pills.

As he watched it gobble them down, Bai Mo stroked its fur, simultaneously examining its body.

’It seems to have benefited quite a bit.’

Normally, the badger couldn’t eat this many Feeding Pills; its body wouldn’t have been able to handle their potency.

’But for now, I can’t quite see the specific changes.’

「Three more days passed.」

The badger grew even larger, now standing taller than Bai Mo’s waist.

When it reared up on its hind legs, it looked rather like a small, very sturdy bear.

Its shoulders were especially broad, making it look like a natural for manual labor.

Bai Mo fed it two Feeding Pills and sensed that its aura had become much purer.

"That should do it. Now if you were to go out, anyone could tell at a glance that you’re a domesticated Spirit Beast."

"Next time I leave, I’ll take you with me to see the world and find you some means of self-defense and travel."

"Once you learn how, you can start running some errands for me..."

With Li Wuji yet to return, Bai Mo couldn’t set his plans in motion just yet.

In the days he spent training Ah Er, the Black Cells received a new guest.

Bai Mo inspected the command token and took the prisoner into custody.

Bai Mo looked at the two disciples, who were both beaming. He didn’t know their background, but they were in the Foundation Establishment Realm and their cultivation didn’t seem particularly deep.

"This villain... did you two capture him from the Unfordable River?"

The two disciples nodded repeatedly, clearly eager to talk.

"That’s right. We figured it was already a long shot for two cultivators like us, with our shallow foundations, to go join the excitement at the Unfordable River."

"We never expected to find someone at the half-step to Core Formation, daring to wander the Unfordable River while heavily injured. He was just asking to be captured by us!"

Bai Mo glanced back, giving the new prisoner a closer look.

’To be imprisoned by order of the Foreign Affairs Hall... he must be someone of note.’

"Of course! We heard he’s the disciple of some renowned Core Formation Cultivator. Immensely talented, he even has a record of killing cultivators in a higher realm..."

Once outside the Black Cells, Bai Mo recorded a confirmation on the command token and handed it back to the two disciples.

The two were clearly unfamiliar with the procedure, taking the token back with a look of uncertainty.

Bai Mo reminded them, "You need to return that token to the Foreign Affairs Hall. They need the confirmation of receipt from the Black Cells."

"Oh..."

The two of them carefully stowed the token away as if it were a precious treasure.

The prisoner was no simple character, which meant the reward the two disciples would receive would be substantial.

Bai Mo waited until they were done, then asked:

"What brought you two to the Unfordable River?"

The two disciples sighed, and one of them explained:

"It was all because we were short on cash."

"He just married his Dao companion, which was a huge expense, so he’s strapped for cash. As for me, I was worried about my own cultivation resources."

"So, on impulse, we plucked up our courage and followed a group to the Unfordable River."

This piqued Bai Mo’s curiosity.

"How so?"

"The Sea Eye!"

The two disciples explained, chiming in one after the other.

"The Sea Eye has been suppressed! The seawater is churning and the waves are wild. Who knows what kinds of treasures it will spew forth."

"All those cultivators gathered there are after the treasures."

"But after we caught our man and saw the sky over the sea filled with both iridescent light and terrifying waves, we lost our nerve to join the fray."

The two disciples had looks of lingering fear.

"A battle of that scale... who knows how many villains will be captured. You might run out of prison cells here."

Bai Mo remained noncommittal.

’Never mind the question of how many cultivators would even qualify for imprisonment here,’ he thought. ’There were still over a hundred empty cells available.’

Besides, during his repeated inspections, Bai Mo had noticed something.

He suspected that the cultivators in a dozen or so of the cells had reached the end of their lifespans and died.

He hadn’t noticed before simply because many of the prisoners sat in that same listless, head-bowed posture, making it easy to overlook.

Furthermore, because of their high cultivation realms in life, their bodies didn’t decompose easily.

It was only because Bai Mo was new and had made a point to observe everything carefully that he had noticed these details.

After seeing off the two overjoyed disciples, Bai Mo turned and registered the new prisoner on the roster.

As the ink from his brush dried, Bai Mo’s mind was already elsewhere.

’The treasures being spewed out by the Sea Eye...’

According to the books, treasures that have been hidden away from the world for a long time often contain rare and potent essences.

Perfect ingredients for Alchemy!

’Hmm... in a few days, the cultivators who went to the Unfordable River should start trickling back.’

’When that happens, a lot of new items will probably hit the market. I need to figure out a way to get my hands on some.’

Bai Mo was short on funds. His most recent income was the five thousand Spirit Stones from Yin Zhen.

’Bartering would be the best way. Otherwise, I’m afraid I won’t be able to afford any real treasures.’

’Or maybe... I could have the shop send over some Spirit Stones?’

Bai Mo mused.

’The Foreign Affairs Hall’s messenger bird hasn’t come in a while. I should keep an eye out.’

...

「Seven days later, Li Wuji returned.」

His trip, originally planned for five or six days, had been delayed until now.

"I’ve returned to say goodbye."

His first words made Bai Mo’s eye twitch.

"Brother Li, what are you talking about?"

"Was the elder unable to help?"

Li Wuji shook his head, his expression completely placid.

"He examined me for a long time and confirmed that I have an innate deficiency."

"Although I have some aptitude for cultivation and progress much faster than others, I’m unable to stabilize the process when it comes to consolidating a Golden Core..."

"Unless I can find something to remedy this innate flaw, I’m afraid reaching the Golden Core realm is hopeless for me."

He said this with a slight cupping of his hands.

"I’ve already submitted a request to the Foreign Affairs Hall for an external posting."

"Out there, I can repay the sect for its grace while also trying my luck, to see if I might stumble upon such a rare treasure."

The two men looked at each other, speechless. Ah Er watched from the side, thoroughly confused.

However, the reply from the Foreign Affairs Hall messenger, when they arrived, stunned them both.

Li Wuji frowned and asked:

"Why was it denied?"

The messenger explained, "We are in great need of personnel right now, and it is not easy to find another disciple with a disposition like yours, Brother Li."

"We must trouble you to remain at Mi Mountain a while longer."

Li Wuji was silent for a moment before nodding.

"Very well."

The man from the Foreign Affairs Hall left. Knowing Li Wuji’s situation, he offered some words of comfort before departing:

"Brother, you can endure hardship and withstand loneliness. Why not look for other paths...?"

After the man left, Li Wuji shook his head.

"I’ve poured my entire life into cultivation and never touched any other path. How could I start over from scratch now?"

Hearing this, an idea sparked in Bai Mo’s mind.

"Not necessarily!"

"Brother Li, have you ever considered Body Refinement? While it might not help you break through, it could still increase your overall strength and give you more options."

Li Wuji pondered this.

"I have a Body Refining Skill, but I’m not particularly talented in that path."

Bai Mo said, "When I was dissolving the Golden Cores of the prisoners, I made another discovery."

"If you are interested, Brother Li, you might want to give it a try..."