42: Chapter 42 Xuan Yang Order

Mo Shoutian stood outside Xianyuan Pavilion for a moment before walking in.

It was already close to noon, but there weren't many guests eating inside the pavilion.

Instead, people came down from the second and third floors from time to time.

Most of these people were disheveled with unsteady steps, and a few had brightly dressed and seductive women following behind them.

Mo Shoutian had initially been somewhat skeptical of Mo Chunhe's words, but now it seemed what he said was indeed true.

At this moment, a waiter hurried over to welcome him.

"You've arrived quite early, sir. Do you have a favorite lady?"

Mo Shoutian didn't waste words with him and said directly,

"I am here to see Elder Zhou Xuanze, the outer Sect Elder of the Xuanyang Sect."

The smile on the waiter's face instantly vanished.

"May I ask who you are?"

"Mo Shoutian, the owner of the Mo Family shop in Qingshi Town."

Hearing this, the waiter quickly said,

"So it's Boss Mo. Elder Zhou has already given instructions. Please follow me."

With that, he led Mo Shoutian up to the third floor.

When they reached the corner of the stairs, Mo Shoutian lowered his voice and asked,

"Why would Elder Zhou live in a place like this?"

The waiter glanced back to make sure there was no one around before whispering,

"Boss Mo might not know this, but Elder Zhou has no interest in gold or jewels; he only loves women."

Mo Shoutian nodded and asked no more.

The two came to the innermost door on the third floor.

A wooden plaque hung on the door, with the three characters "Immortal Drunk" written on it.

The waiter stood outside the door and knocked carefully a few times.

"Elder Zhou, Elder Zhou."

"What is it?"

The voice from inside sounded clearly impatient.

Shaken, the waiter shivered and hurriedly said,

"Elder Zhou, Mo Shoutian, the owner of the Mo Family shop in Qingshi Town, requests an audience."

No further sound came from inside the room.

Mo Shoutian waited outside the door for nearly the time it takes to burn a stick of incense before the door was opened from the inside.

Several scantily clad, brightly dressed women walked out one after another, followed by a heavy scent of powder and rouge drifting out.

After the women went downstairs, a voice came from inside the room.

"Come in."

The waiter quickly said to Mo Shoutian,

"Boss Mo, please go in by yourself."

With that, he trotted away from the third floor.

Mo Shoutian lowered his head to tidy his clothes before pushing the door open and walking in.

A man around fifty years old sat inside the room, slightly plump, without his outer robe on, wearing only a white inner garment.

He was sitting at the table pouring tea.

After Mo Shoutian came in, he merely glanced up, picked up his teacup and took a sip, showing no intention of pouring tea for Mo Shoutian.

From arranging to meet at Xianyuan Pavilion to making him wait outside the door for so long, Mo Shoutian could already see that Elder Zhou Xuanze didn't take him seriously at all.

Mo Shoutian walked to the table and bowed with cupped hands.

"Mo Shoutian of the Mo Family shop in Qingshi Town greets Elder Zhou."

If it were a year ago, facing a Cultivator, he probably would have knelt on the ground long ago.

But in this past year, he had seen too many things and was no longer as fearful of Cultivators as before.

Elder Zhou Xuanze ignored him and continued to slowly drink the tea in his hand.

Mo Shoutian took out a gift box from his bosom.

"This is my first time meeting Elder Zhou. Not knowing what Elder Zhou likes, I specially prepared two hundred-year-old Bamboo Blood Grass. Please accept them, Elder Zhou."

Hearing the words "hundred-year-old Bamboo Blood Grass", Elder Zhou Xuanze finally put down his teacup and looked at the gift box in Mo Shoutian's hand.

He raised his right hand and gently grabbed through the air.

Mo Shoutian only felt his hand grow empty as the gift box flew into Elder Zhou Xuanze's hand.

Elder Zhou Xuanze opened the gift box, looked at the two stalks of Bamboo Blood Grass inside, and finally wore a bit more of a smile on his face.

"Not bad, you are quite sensible indeed."

He casually placed the gift box on the table and re-examined Mo Shoutian.

"You are the owner of the Mo Family shop?"

"Indeed, it is this humble one."

Elder Zhou Xuanze leaned back in his chair and said,

"This old man is an outer Sect Elder of the Xuanyang Sect, usually mainly responsible for some of the Sect's affairs in the Mortal world."

"Your Mo Family has developed well in Qingshi Town this past year. Your medicine shops and restaurants have gained some fame, and you even have business in Jiuzhou City."

"Calling you over today is to have the Mo Family attach itself to my Xuanyang Sect."

Speaking up to this point, Elder Zhou Xuanze looked at Mo Shoutian.

"This matter is not up for discussion with you. Do you understand?"

Mo Shoutian cupped his hands again.

"This one understands."

"For the Mo Family to be able to attach itself to the Xuanyang Sect is the Mo Family's honor. For this one to be able to meet Elder Zhou today is also an extreme honor."

Hearing this, Elder Zhou Xuanze laughed out loud.

"You are quite an interesting person."

"Not bad, you know the rules and how to speak."

"Since that is the case, this old man will tell you the rules of attaching to the Xuanyang Sect."

"Every year in the spring and autumn seasons, the Mo Family must send a batch of tributes."

"You deal in medicinal herbs and large beast businesses, so the tributes will mainly consist of medicinal herbs, beast meat, and hides. In addition, you must hand over one hundred Spirit Stones every year. However, since the Mo Family has just attached to the Sect, the first year will be halved, and you only need to pay fifty."

Just as Mo Shoutian heard one hundred Spirit Stones and was about to speak, he then heard Elder Zhou Xuanze say that the first year would only require fifty.

Yet his expression did not improve much.

Elder Zhou Xuanze ignored his reaction and continued,

"If the Sect makes a requisition requiring food, carriages, or manpower, the Mo Family must also comply and must not shirk."

After listening, Mo Shoutian cupped his hands and said,

"Elder Zhou, the Mo Family can find ways to provide medicinal herbs, beast meat and hides, including food, carriages, and manpower."

"But let alone fifty Spirit Stones, even five Spirit Stones are truly beyond this one's ability to produce right now."

Elder Zhou Xuanze took a token from his bosom and placed it on the table.

"Holding this xuanyang token, your Mo Family can enter Xianrengu Market to do business."

"Xianren Valley?"

Mo Shoutian had never heard of this place.

"Please enlighten this one, Elder Zhou, where is Xianren Valley?"

Elder Zhou Xuanze poured himself another cup of tea.

"Xianren Valley is right under Xianren Mountain, fifty miles north of Qingshi Town. It is a place where nearby Cultivators trade items."

"Besides Cultivators, there are also quite a few Mortal families attached to the Sect doing business there."

"Those large beast hides, meat, bones, beast cores, and medicinal herbs that your Mo Family sells to Jiuzhou City should all be able to be exchanged for Spirit Stones in Xianren Valley."

Hearing this, Mo Shoutian already understood.

The Xuanyang Sect had long since investigated the Mo Family's business thoroughly.

Mo Shoutian looked at the xuanyang token on the table and asked,

"Elder Zhou, our Mo Family are all Mortals. Even if we take things to Xianren Valley, how could we dare to do business with those Cultivators?"

Elder Zhou Xuanze picked up his teacup and said,

"Since you are attached to the Xuanyang Sect, the Xuanyang Sect will naturally protect you."

"Holding the xuanyang token, no one in Xianren Valley dares to break the rules. Ordinary Loose Cultivators and nearby small families who want to touch the Mo Family's property must first think about whether they dare to offend the Xuanyang Sect."

"However, the Xuanyang Sect will not send people to follow by your side. Wherever you go and whatever business you do, you must also be careful yourselves."

This sentence was crystal clear.

What the Xuanyang Sect gave the Mo Family was merely a signboard; they wouldn't actually dispatch Cultivators to protect every single person of the Mo Family.

But for the current Mo Family, having this signboard was already enough.

Mo Shoutian picked up the xuanyang token with both hands.

"Many thanks, Elder Zhou."

Elder Zhou Xuanze looked at him and smiled.

"Seeing that you, the head of the Family, are quite sensible, this old man will give the Mo Family another chance."

"Every three years, the Xuanyang Sect will select Disciples from the appropriate-aged children of its affiliated families."

"As long as they test positive for Cultivation Aptitude, they will have the opportunity to enter the Xuanyang Sect to Cultivate."

"Ten days from now happens to be the start of this year's selection. This old man will submit the Mo Family's name. After you go back, prepare the children of appropriate age and wait for the Sect's people to go over."

Mo Shoutian had not knelt when he entered the door.

Upon hearing these words, however, he knelt directly in front of Elder Zhou Xuanze.

"Many thanks, Elder Zhou, for giving the children of the Mo Family a path to Immortality."

"This kindness today, I, Mo Shoutian, will definitely remember it."

Holding his teacup, Elder Zhou Xuanze didn't even raise his head.

"This old man is merely giving them a chance to test their Aptitude."

"Whether they can enter the Xuanyang Sect depends on their own destiny."

Mo Shoutian lowering his head said,

"Being able to have this opportunity is already enough for the Mo Family."

Hearing this, Elder Zhou Xuanze waved his hand.

"Alright, get up."

"Don't miss it in ten days."