78: Chapter 78 Survive

A month later, Mo Xiaochuan had successively taken over the Cultivation Techniques, Medicinal Pills, weapons, Spiritual Veins, herb gardens, and various properties left behind by the Xuanyang Sect and the Baihe Sect.

Qingshi Town did not undergo any drastic changes because of this.

Nearby villagers entered the town as usual to sell grain, medicinal herbs, and mountain goods, and the restaurants, inns, and shops on the street opened their doors as usual.

Mo Xiaochuan did not force those merchants to submit to the Mo Family; as long as they ran their businesses peacefully, the Mo Family would not interfere.

However, the Mo Family's own properties had already taken on a new look.

Ordinary shop assistants in the shops wore grayish-white short jackets, with a striking character "Mo" printed on the back.

Shopkeepers and managers wore moon-white long gowns with black cloth trimming the collars and cuffs, and a smaller "Mo" character embroidered on their chests.

Mo Dahu was still in charge of the restaurant, while Mo Xiaohu and Xu Qiuniang were in charge of the apothecary; all three of them wore shopkeeper attire.

As for the Mo Family members responsible for escorting goods, guarding shops, and traveling between various properties, they wore ink-blue narrow-sleeved garments, tied white cloth belts around their waists, and also had the character "Mo" embroidered on their chests.

Whether in the shops of Qingshi Town or following the caravan to Jiuzhou City, as long as others saw these types of clothing, they knew these were the Mo Family's properties and personnel.

When Xianren Valley was first taken over, a few Loose Cultivators felt that the Mo Family's Foundation was too shallow and seized the opportunity to cause trouble in the shops, not only taking items without paying Spirit Stones but also injuring a shopkeeper.

After Mo Xiaochuan arrived and investigated the course of events, he executed the two ringleaders on the spot, and the remaining few were severely beaten and thrown out of the market city.

From then on, no more Loose Cultivators dared to cause trouble in Xianren Valley.

The merchants who had originally closed their doors to wait and see reopened, and the incoming Cultivators and caravans gradually increased, quickly restoring the market city to its former bustle.

The Mo Family did not force anyone to submit.

Yet within a hundred miles around Qingshi Town, whether Mortals or Cultivators, everyone already knew the name Mo Xiaochuan.

They also knew that the Mo Family's properties could not be casually touched, and the Mo Family members even less so easily provoked.

Inside the Alchemy room in the back courtyard of the Mo Family, Mo Xiaochuan opened a jade bottle and poured out a Foundation Establishment Pill.

"Master, can I refine this kind of Medicinal Pill right now?"

"You can refine it."

Qingli inside the broken jade said,

"Whether you can succeed in refining it is another matter entirely."

Mo Xiaochuan put the Foundation Establishment Pill back into the bottle.

"I still have to try."

"You certainly have more confidence now than before."

"The Mo Family will have use for it in the future."

Qingli did not try to dissuade him further.

"The Foundation Establishment Pill is much rarer and harder to refine than the Medicinal Pills you made before. Moreover, it consumes a lot of spiritual power."

"It is fine, Master."

Mo Xiaochuan moved the Pill Furnace in front of himself and took out the medicinal herbs he had prepared in advance.

Deep within Baitou Mountain, on a hillside that rarely anyone passed by,

Nannan and Xiao Niuzi stood in front of two pine trees.

The injuries on their bodies had already healed, and for the past month, they had been practicing the Spells Mo Xiaochuan gave them.

Nannan asked,

"How is your Split Stone Palm practice coming along?"

"Pretty much."

Xiao Niuzi looked at the bowl-thick pine tree in front of him.

"What do you mean by pretty much?"

"I didn't dare use my full strength at home; I'll only know after trying it out."

Xiao Niuzi walked up to the tree and raised his hand to strike the trunk with a palm strike.

With a bang,

the entire pine tree shook a few times, a large patch of bark fell off, and several cracks split open around the palm print.

Xiao Niuzi looked at the cracks on the tree and said,

"It is still lacking a bit."

"It is already not bad."

Nannan walked to the side and chose another pine tree.

Xiao Niuzi asked,

"What about your Condensing Yuan Finger?"

"Watch."

Nannan raised her right hand and pointed at a tree trunk several zhang away.

A streak of spiritual power shot out from her fingertips.

The bark instantly exploded, wood shavings flew several steps away, and an over-two-inch-deep finger hole appeared on the tree trunk.

Xiao Niuzi walked over to the tree Nannan had just struck and reached out to touch the finger hole.

"You are still the amazing one."

Nannan was happy to hear this, but she said with her mouth,

"Of course, I am definitely better than an idiot like you."

Xiao Niuzi was not angry either, and he felt around in his bosom, pulling out something wrapped in old cloth.

"Nannan, this is for you."

"What is this?"

Xiao Niuzi unwrapped the outer cloth layer by layer, revealing a silver bracelet inside.

The bracelet was somewhat old, with no patterns on it, leaving only a shallow dent on the edge.

Nannan picked it up and looked at it.

"Where did you get this?"

"My dad bought this for my mom in the past."

Xiao Niuzi said,

"My mom kept it all along and only handed it to me a few days ago. She said when I get a wife in the future, I should give it to her."

Nannan's hand holding the silver bracelet froze there.

"Then why are you giving it to me?"

Xiao Niuzi looked at her.

"Don't you really know?"

Nannan looked at Xiao Niuzi and couldn't help laughing.

"I don't know."

After finishing her words, she turned and ran off with the silver bracelet.

Xiao Niuzi was stunned for a moment and hurriedly chased after her.

"If you don't know, why did you still take the bracelet?"

"Didn't you just give it to me?"

"But you haven't agreed to me yet."

Nannan turned back to look at him.

"Agreed to what?"

Xiao Niuzi was stumped by the question, chasing behind her for a long time without being able to say a word.

Seeing his appearance, Nannan smiled even more happily.

"You really are an idiot."

"Then do you want it or not?"

"Catch up to me first before talking."

After saying that, Nannan quickened her pace and ran down the hillside.

Xiao Niuzi also hurriedly chased after her.

"Slow down, don't lose the bracelet!"

Over five hundred miles west of Baitou Mountain, a narrow mountain path was sandwiched between two barren mountains.

Han Qingshan and three others were hiding in the woods by the roadside.

Their Xuanyang Sect robes were long gone, and they had all changed into ordinary coarse cloth clothes.

Junior Brother Zhao held a piece of black cloth, hesitating for a long time to cover his face.

"Eldest Senior Brother, are we really going to be bandits?"

The other two Disciples also looked toward Han Qingshan.

This past month, they headed west all the way, inquiring about many places, yet they couldn't find even a single Xuanyang Sect Disciple.

The silver on their bodies had almost been spent, and the Spirit Stones they brought out had long since been used up.

The four of them went into the mountains to hunt, so they wouldn't starve to death.

But they couldn't always live in caves and dilapidated temples.

Wanting to find a place to settle down and re-establish the Xuanyang Sect required money everywhere.

Han Qingshan said,

"We have to live on."

Junior Brother Zhao gripped the black cloth in his hand tightly.

"But we used to be Xuanyang Sect Disciples."

"I know."

Han Qingshan covered his face with the black cloth.

"Only rob wealthy merchants, do not touch ordinary folk. Take enough silver for our use and leave; no one is allowed to hurt others, and even less so to kill."

Junior Brother Zhao hesitated for a moment and also covered his face with the black cloth.

The other two followed suit.

This was their first time committing highway robbery.

The four people hid in the woods, and none of them spoke again.

Before long, the sound of hooves came from the end of the mountain path.

A carriage slowly drove toward this side.

The horse pulling the carriage was a pitch-black tall steed. The carriage body was spacious, with its four corners wrapped in copper skin, and thick cyan curtains hung from the carriage windows. At a glance, it was clearly not a carriage ridden by ordinary people.

Sitting in front of the carriage was a man around fifty years old, holding the reins in his hands, with no guards following around him.

Junior Brother Zhao poked his head out from behind a tree and whispered,

"Eldest Senior Brother, just this one?"

Han Qingshan did not answer immediately.

Such a fine carriage without even a single guard by its side looked somewhat wrong no matter how one looked at it.

But the carriage was already getting closer and closer.

Han Qingshan gripped the long sword at his waist.

"Let's stop them first and talk."

The four of them walked out from the woods and blocked the middle of the mountain path.