14: Chapter 14 Nursery Human-Faced Fruit

A Mortal Transformation Realm Cultivator is on the same level as the East Mountain City Lord.

Leaving the private School, Jiang Zhiqiu's magic power circulated as he donned a navy-blue official robe embroidered with cloud patterns; his Aura was gentle yet heavy.

"Little friend, your Aptitude is quite good. At such a young age, you're already at the Qi Gathering Ninth Layer."

Jiang Zhiqiu felt very gratified to see such a brilliantly talented Human Race Cultivator.

"Are you also from outside East Mountain City?"

"Naturally. I have been drifting about and happened to pick up a Qi Gathering technique in the Wildlands, thus beginning my cultivation journey in a haphazard manner," Shen Moyan fabricated a background for himself.

"But from what I can see, your Physical Body's strength is already no less than that of an average Mortal Transformation Realm Cultivator." Jiang Zhiqiu stared at Shen Moyan; there was an unprecedented sophistication in the boy's eyes, along with an Aura similar to that of a regional Governor.

"Very well, you have your own fortuitous encounters, and I shall not pry," Jiang Zhiqiu shook his head.

"Leave East Mountain City, the sooner the better."

He spoke abruptly; the coming days in East Mountain City would not be peaceful.

Shen Moyan did not ask why he should leave. Through the lecture just now, he had a general idea of what kind of person Jiang Zhiqiu was.

He was a good person; perhaps he could seize this opportunity.

"Lord Inspector, my parents died early, and all my skills were forged in the Wildlands. With no one to teach me, I only hope to find a way forward."

An Inspector assigned to a prefecture, no matter how low the rank, was an official with real power and knew the ropes better than the Cultivators of East Mountain City.

Jiang Zhiqiu used his Divine Sense to scan Shen Moyan briefly, and a look of surprise appeared on his face.

This person's bone age was very young, appearing to be around twelve or thirteen years old.

To think such a talent existed in this peripheral region of the prefecture; his potential was limitless.

"I wish to catch a glimpse of the path to the Great Dao, but I suffer from a lack of guidance. Perhaps you..."

Shen Moyan took out the Spirit Stones from the Cen father and son, having switched them into a different silk pouch.

Sensing the clinking of the Spirit Stones inside, Jiang Zhiqiu set aside his surprise and instead frowned. "At such a young age, you're already playing such tricks."

Well, who could blame the boy for being an orphan?

Growing up like that, he would naturally be well-versed in the ways of the world.

Jiang Zhiqiu couldn't help but think of the entirety of East Mountain City being kept like livestock, and he let out a long sigh.

"Put it away."

"If you truly want to set upon the right path, go to the Academy in Yunze City."

"The Academy is run by the Langya Prefecture government and only cares about strength. There is an Instructor Zhou inside who is a close friend of mine. If you run into trouble after entering, just give my name, or go find Instructor Zhou and mention me."

Jiang Zhiqiu paused and added, "With your cultivation Aptitude, you can enter the Academy directly. Afterward, the Academy will provide students with ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones as a monthly allowance."

"Thank you for your guidance, my Lord. Actually, I only have a superficial understanding of cultivation. After I successfully gathered Qi and entered the city, I realized that the immortal dao known to the world was not what I imagined. Only after hearing your explanation today did I avoid going astray!" Shen Moyan expressed his tearful gratitude.

"I've just been trapped in this corner of the world, and I really want to know what the powers of this world are truly like."

Hearing this, Jiang Zhiqiu chuckled.

"Very well, since you are so thirsty for knowledge, let's step aside and talk."

"However, I still have official business to attend to. Tomorrow at the third mark of noon, I will wait for you here at this private School."

"Alright."

For the rest of the day, Shen Moyan wandered alone through the vast East Mountain City.

He discovered that there were very few Cultivators in this city, and almost none had an Aura stronger than his.

Aside from Jiang Zhiqiu, there were only a few Auras no weaker than his own coming from the direction of the City Lord's Mansion.

"May I ask the honorable name of this city's Upper Sect?" Shen Moyan mingled with a group of playing children.

"Hey! There's a fool here!"

"The Upper Sect is just the Upper Sect. The adults said we can't just say their name; it's taboo."

The children chasing and playing on the street laughed and directly ignored Shen Moyan.

"This is going to be difficult."

Shen Moyan sighed deeply.

He went straight to a corner of the city and performed a Soul Search on a wandering beggar.

"Even in the Soul, the name of this Sect cannot appear. This is too strange."

Shen Moyan felt a chill down his spine as he thought deeper.

The beggar did indeed know the honorable title of that Sect, but in Shen Moyan's Soul Search, everything related to that Sect had turned into a blank.

"Even the instances where the beggar had spoken the Sect's name were turned into '□□□ Sect,' distorted by a great power."

"Those who know the Upper Sect's name take its existence for granted. Since I don't know it, I've actually been spared."

Shen Moyan didn't dare investigate further and could only return to the private School to Cultivate.

The next day, inside the private School.

Jiang Zhiqiu arrived as promised.

Shen Moyan's brow twitched; he noticed that Jiang Zhiqiu's Aura was somewhat withered—he was clearly injured.

"Now then, let us continue our topic from yesterday."

"The world's powers are generally divided into three."

"Among them, the Mountain and Sea Holy Court is the primary one, with one court overseeing the Three Thousand Prefectures. The Xuanhuang Emperor Lord's majesty reaches the eight desolations, and the various prefects govern separately."

"Ordinary people who wish to Cultivate must pass through the City Examination, Prefecture Examination, and Prefecture Level Examination—three levels of testing to filter candidates based on Heart-Nature, talent, and wisdom. Suitable Cultivators are then granted Heavenly Positions by the Holy Court, acting on behalf of the Heavenly Dao to patrol the Mortal world."

"I am unworthy, but I just passed the Prefecture Level Examination last year and became an Inspector of Langya Prefecture," Jiang Zhiqiu said, a hint of pride appearing on his face.

"The second is the world's various cultivation Schools—the twenty-one Immortal Lineages. Legend has it that they all have close ties to the Immortal Realm."

"After the great changes in heaven and earth, the old immortal dao deteriorated. They keep the people of the world like livestock and feed on humans; they are Mortal enemies of the Holy Court," Jiang Zhiqiu stated.

"For nearly ten thousand years, the Holy Court has been striking at the remnants of the old immortal dao Sects, destroying their ginseng nurseries."

"Ginseng nurseries? Like this East Mountain City?" Shen Moyan pressed.

"Yes, and no."

"East Mountain City has an influx of outsiders and isn't entirely closed off, so it's not yet considered a nursery."

Saying this, Jiang Zhiqiu took out a fruit.

Then, in front of Shen Moyan, he turned the fruit around.

On the fruit was a bizarre human face.

"When I first became an Inspector and was patrolling near Kongsang Prefecture in Langya Prefecture, I once found a thirty-thousand-zhang tree where all the fruits bore such human faces."

"I was terrified at the time and immediately reported it to my superiors, then took a fruit to study."

"I later learned that these fruits were all transformed from humans."

"Disciples of an old immortal dao Sect uprooted a Mortal Imperial Dynasty and refined it to Cultivate a Human-Faced Fruit Tree."

"In that Dynasty, two million Mortals had their life forms entirely changed into fruits."

"Those fruits lived out their entire lives on that tree named 'Imperial Dynasty'—being born, growing up, living, working, and even marrying and having children."

It sounded incredible, once again reshaping Shen Moyan's impression of this world.

"Once those human-faced fruits ripen, they fall, either merging into the tree's roots as nourishment or being plucked to be used in medicine."

Jiang Zhiqiu grew more indignant as he spoke. How could such a tragic and inhumane thing exist in this world?

"However, when the higher-ups arrived and I saw the calm expressions of my Seniors, along with the densely packed records in the archives, I realized that this was only the tip of the iceberg!"

"In many corners of these Three Thousand Prefectures that I cannot see, such things are happening every single moment!"

Jiang Zhiqiu cursed repeatedly like an angry youth.

Hearing this, Shen Moyan fell silent.

He hadn't expected this world to be so insane.