novelraw Chapter 424 - 230, Seventh Prince
Chapter 424 - 230, Seventh Prince
"Miss, Young Master..."
Recruiting medicine men?
Xu Xing, cloaked in a black cape, felt his eyes flicker upon hearing these words. He squeezed into the crowd and looked toward the shop where the shouting originated.
Although Seven Sufferings Island was large, its market trade was not prosperous, boasting only two or three streets. The shops lining the market streets were all of a uniform size. However, the plaque of this particular shop had a flag with the character "Nan" inserted diagonally into it.
At the shop’s entrance, a long table was set up. A middle-aged Cultivator, dressed like a housekeeper, sat there, pen in hand, registering other Cultivators.
Among those present, most were Cultivators registering to become medicine men. Only about one in a dozen was an expert in Gu techniques.
The Nan family name is the surname of the Seven Sufferings Demon Lord; this is property of the Demon Lord’s Mansion.
Xu Xing first speculated about the origin of the shop with the "Nan" flag.
Each of the seven Demon Domains under the Mingquan Sect was governed by a Demon Lord, and that Demon Lord’s Daoist Name was automatically taken from the domain he was in charge of. The Demon Lord of the Seven Sufferings Demon Domain was, naturally, the Seven Sufferings Demon Lord. And this Daoist Name, Seven Sufferings Demon Lord, had always been inherited by Cultivators from the Nan Family within the Mingquan Sect. The Nan Family was equivalent in status to one of the Five Temple Surnames of the Flying Feather Immortal Palace.
There seem to be a lot of people signing up to be medicine men. Could there be some advantage to it?
Xu Xing’s eyes flickered as curiosity sparked within him.
Signing up as a medicine man came with an immediate remuneration of 100,000 Spirit Shells. However, these registered Cultivators were mostly at the Returning Core realm, with few possessing Immortal Bases. For a Returning Core Cultivator, 100,000 Spirit Shells wasn’t a strong enough temptation. It certainly wasn’t enough to compel them to sell their bodies.
A medicine man... someone who tests medicines. It’s obviously not a desirable position.
Xu Xing mulled it over, then withdrew from the crowd and entered a nearby shop. This shop specialized in selling Magical Artifacts. Various Magical Artifacts were displayed on the shelves.
Xu Xing pretended to browse the Magical Artifacts. During a lull, he casually asked the shopkeeper, "Shopkeeper, I saw many fellow Daoists next door signing up to be medicine men for the Third Miss. Is there some particular advantage to it?"
When the shopkeeper remained silent, Xu Xing promptly handed over a Blood Qi Pill. The Blood Qi Pill was a relatively common pill under the Mingquan Sect’s influence, moderately priced at several thousand Spirit Shells each. It was a fitting gesture for someone of his "Returning Core Lord" persona. On his way to Seven Sufferings Island, he had purchased some Demon Way pills, like the Blood Qi Pill, from various Spirit Islands. This was to smooth his path and make it easier to bribe Demon Way Cultivators if needed.
With the Blood Qi Pill paving the way, a smile spread wider on the shopkeeper’s face.
"Indeed, there are considerable benefits..." The shopkeeper nodded slightly. "The Third Miss of the Demon Lord’s Mansion is kind-hearted. Even when recruiting medicine men, she won’t give them any medicine that is certain to kill."
"If you happen to catch the Third Miss’s eye and become her guard, you might even get a chance to become one of her confidants."
At this point, the shopkeeper paused, then lowered his voice to a whisper, "Many believe that the Third Miss’s recruitment of medicine men for testing medicine is just a pretext. Their real purpose is to serve her in... absorbing yang to replenish her yin."
So, being a medicine man is actually a good opportunity, Xu Xing thought. He nodded, a look of understanding dawning on his face as he smiled. No wonder so many people are signing up.
The Demon Way signified the subversion of order. Concepts revered by the Righteous Path, such as reputation and chastity, meant nothing in the Demon Way.
After leaving the Artifact Shop, Xu Xing didn’t go to the Nan Family shop that was recruiting medicine men. Instead, he headed towards an Inn, planning to rent a Cave Mansion and reside on Seven Sufferings Island for a while. The search for Nan Lu could not be rushed.
However, just as Xu Xing reached the entrance of the Inn, he spotted a group of Cultivators flying towards his location from afar. These Cultivators wore matching uniforms: silver robes embroidered with seven stalks of black-streaked bamboo.
Xu Xing quickly moved to the side of the street to avoid them, not wanting to invite unnecessary trouble. The Demon Way adhered to the raw law of the jungle. If you weren’t perceptive and ended up killed by someone more powerful, you could only blame your own bad luck.
Seven Sufferings Island had a Forbidden Sky Array. Cultivators capable of flight on Seven Sufferings Island were by no means ordinary. They either possessed formidable Cultivation or belonged to a powerful faction.
As this group of Cultivators landed, the atmosphere in the market street abruptly stilled. All around, one could hear a pin drop.
A Masked Woman with a white gauze covering her face flew into the air, looking down upon the Cultivators in the street. After a brief, indifferent glance, she stated coldly, "The Seventh Prince has issued an order! All Cultivators at the Returning Core realm or above must submit one Gu worm as an island residence tax within three years. This Gu worm must be at least Level 2. Any delay will incur a fine of 200,000 Spirit Shells per year. Those who delay for more than five years will be expelled from Seven Sufferings Island!"
"A Level 2 Gu worm?"
"Cultivating a Level 2 Gu worm within three years? That’s no easy task!"
The Cultivators in the street grumbled incessantly, their faces etched with dissatisfaction. However, they only dared to complain about the difficulty of cultivating Gu worms; none dared to directly criticize the Seventh Prince mentioned by the Masked Woman.
Xu Xing, who had stepped aside to avoid the group, felt his expression darken upon hearing this. However, as he was wearing a black cloak, his displeasure went unnoticed by others.
He hadn’t expected to encounter such coercive taxation by the Demon Lord’s Mansion so soon after arriving on Seven Sufferings Island. This kind of sustainable exploitation was a common practice for demonic sects like the Mingquan Sect. The exorbitant entrance tax he had paid just moments ago upon entering Seven Sufferings Island was another of the Demon Lord’s Mansion’s oppressive policies...
Why don’t they look worried? They’re not cursing; instead, they seem... relieved?