Chapter 49: Gaining Generously
Since his two friends had said as much, He Song naturally wouldn't argue.
If there were benefits to be had, he would take them first and deal with the consequences later.
As for the favors he owed, he could repay them slowly over time.
After all, he had a long life ahead.
If he couldn't repay them in his lifetime, paying back their descendants would be an option too.
Thinking this, He Song casually stowed away the pile of items in front of him. Then, he cupped his hands to the two before him as a gesture of gratitude.
The two simply waved it off, indicating they didn't mind.
The matter of Chen Zhou was settled.
He Song lightly rubbed the storage bag in his hand, letting out a deep breath of relief in his heart.
Dead.
Dead was good.
Only the dead posed no threat.
Someone like Chen Zhou, who He Song had offended and who had even begun discreetly investigating him, was someone He Song absolutely wouldn't allow the opportunity for revenge.
He would never let an enemy grow into a threat to him.
The moment he felt threatened, he would act swiftly to eliminate it.
If he didn't strike, that was one thing. But when he did, it would be with overwhelming force.
If he couldn't handle it himself, no problem—he'd have friends lend a hand, which would achieve the same result.
Though asking friends for help came at a cost, it wasn't a significant issue in the long run. As his cultivation advanced and his income in spirit stones increased, the cost would be negligible.
Moreover, Chen Zhou's death had brought him a storage bag and several dozen spirit stones as a bonus.
While these items would need to be repaid in the future, having them in advance would allow He Song to strengthen himself more quickly.
Several dozen spirit stones.
If used to purchase techniques, He Song felt his abilities could improve somewhat.
Not drastically, and it would take time to become familiar with new techniques, but it would still be an enhancement.
Once his own strength was sufficient and his enemies were relatively weak, He Song would then consider taking action himself, snuffing out potential threats before they could fully develop.
As he replayed in his mind the series of events, from his encounter with Chen Zhou to Wei Fan returning with Chen Zhou's ashes, He Song's mind gradually settled.
The way he handled this crisis was, in his eyes, nearly flawless.
From offending Chen Zhou to seeing him reduced to ashes and presented to him in less than a day—such swift crisis resolution left no room for error in He Song's perspective.
That Chen Zhou…
He must have never imagined in his wildest dreams—
That after offending someone in the morning, not even in a dramatic fallout but just by quietly probing into the other party's affairs—
By evening, he would already be dead and gone.
Not only reduced to ashes, but his remains were brought back in a small urn and handed to He Song.
He likely never knew, even in death, who had wanted him dead.
But now that Chen Zhou was gone, all He Song needed to do in the future was occasionally watch for anyone seeking revenge.
With Wei Fan and his own connections in Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market, they would certainly catch wind of anything suspicious at the earliest opportunity.
There was no need to worry too much.
He Song's brows gradually relaxed.
Beside him, Wei Fan and Meng Guan began discussing their experiences over the past three years.
Listening to them, He Song gained a better understanding of the changes in Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market and the Crimson Spirit Gold Mine over the last three years.
Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market.
What Wei Fan knew was mostly consistent with what He Song had gathered.
Since the return of True Master Chengshan three years ago, Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market had begun a large-scale recruitment of wandering cultivators.
However, this very recruitment process caused the new members within Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market to vary significantly in quality.
Some were like He Song, recruited into the Immortal Market while still at the first level of Qi Refinement.
Others were like Chen Zhou, who joined during the mid-stage of Qi Refinement.
The majority, however, were wandering cultivators at the second or third levels of Qi Refinement, also absorbed into the market.
Among these three categories of cultivators, clear distinctions emerged:
First Category:
Cultivators like He Song, who joined the Immortal Market during the first level of Qi Refinement, tended to quickly adapt to life within the market. Their cultivation progressed steadily, and they generally refrained from causing trouble.
Three years ago, when the Immortal Market began recruiting internal cultivators, they primarily selected individuals with pure intentions who had not endured the hardships of a wandering cultivator's life.
Such cultivators, if fortunate enough to reach the Foundation Establishment stage, were highly likely to join the Vast Earth Sect. Naturally, the sect preferred recruits with untainted minds, making it easier for them to focus on cultivation after joining.
Second Category:
Cultivators like Chen Zhou, who joined during the mid-stage of Qi Refinement, were somewhat tamed compared to their wandering cultivator days. However, deep down, they still retained their old temepranment.
Take Chen Zhou as an example. He was violent and domineering, bullying the weak, extorting spirit stones, and committing all kinds of misdeeds. Such behavior was typical among mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivators.
The higher-ups of the Immortal Market had their reservations about this group but tolerated them for the time being since they were needed to perform tasks for the market.
However, once these individuals were no longer needed, their fate might very well mirror that of a rabbit killed after the hounds had served their purpose.
Third Category:
wandering cultivators in the second or third levels of Qi Refinement.
These individuals had endured the harsh realities of life as wandering cultivators, understanding how bitter and dangerous it was, with high mortality rates.
Because of their low cultivation level, they were generally cautious and unassuming.
Though they made little noise within the Immortal Market, they were significant in numbers.
Having experienced the struggles of wandering cultivation, few of them had displayed problematic behavior since joining the market.
Over the past three years, there had been occasional rumors of evil cultivators appearing near the Immortal Market.
However, such rumors were largely ignored.
As long as these evil cultivators didn't enter the market, no one bothered to pay them any attention.
After Wei Fan finished recounting the changes in Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market over the past three years, giving Meng Guan a deeper understanding, he and He Song both turned their attention to Meng Guan.
With both friends looking at him, Meng Guan understood it was his turn to speak.
Before long, He Song and Wei Fan learned some hidden truths about the Crimson Spirit Gold Mine.
According to Meng Guan, the Crimson Spirit Gold Mine was rich in a material called Crimson Spirit Gold.
Three years ago, the mine suffered an attack by several Foundation Establishment cultivators, resulting in heavy casualties among the wandering cultivators working there. Since then, the mine had been continually recruiting more wandering cultivators to dig.
During Meng Guan's three years as a junior overseer in the mine, the tunnels had been dug deeper and deeper.
It was common for wandering cultivators to lose their lives after uncovering strange objects.
Conversely, there were those who were rewarded for discovering rare treasures.
But most notably, the deeper the tunnels went, the richer the veins of Crimson Spirit Gold became.
Fortunately for Meng Guan, his role as a junior overseer spared him from having to descend into the mines himself, allowing him to avoid countless dangers.
At this point, Meng Guan couldn't help but repeatedly express his gratitude to He Song and Wei Fan.
When he was preparing to leave for the Crimson Spirit Gold Mine, it was only He Song and Wei Fan who tried to dissuade him.
Wei Fan, in particular, had given him crucial information in advance, an act of immense kindness.
If not for Wei Fan's tip, Meng Guan wouldn't have become a junior overseer. If he had been forced to work as a miner, he might have perished long ago.
Three years ago, Meng Guan had already vowed to properly thank the two of them when he returned.
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