The Great Sword Sect? He had never heard of it.
But the words "Miaowa Kingdom" made countless youths present turn pale. Most had lost all color from their faces, their eyes filled with terror.
"Chang'an, what kind of place is the Great Sword Sect?"
Li Han's single question immediately exposed how little he knew, yet Lin Chang'an had no mood to care about that now. His face was pale, and he looked ready to cry without tears.
"What Great Sword Sect? The important part is Miaowa Kingdom!"
"Miaowa Kingdom?" Li Han looked confused, but seeing the ugly expressions on the young men and women around him, he could only guess that it was not a good place.
Lin Chang'an felt even more stifled. He had thought he would be joining a great sect, only to end up with such rotten luck.
"Miaowa Kingdom lies southwest of Great Jin, wedged between the righteous and demonic paths. It is therefore a land of chaos, known as Dark Hell."
Seeing Li Han's bewildered expression, Lin Chang'an lowered his head and tried to appear as inconspicuous as possible. He lowered his voice and said gravely, "Put simply, everything you can imagine—and everything you cannot—exists in Miaowa Kingdom."
At that moment, Lin Chang'an nearly passed out from rage. Hatred burned in his eyes. In his previous life, he had not been tricked by his companions into Miaowa, yet in the Cultivation World, he had been deceived into this damned place by his Uncle and cousin.
"How is that possible?! Aren't we in Great Jin?"
A young girl in the crowd spoke with a trembling voice. Yet the sect cultivators around them only laughed more wantonly. One of them even laughed loudly. "Little sister, don't be afraid. Big brother will dote on you from now on."
"Hahaha, these idiots really thought they were joining the Heavenly Sword Sect. They should take a look at what they are first."
Amid the unrestrained laughter, the middle-aged steward barked, "Shut up!"
The wild laughter stopped abruptly. The middle-aged cultivator swept his icy gaze across everyone. Countless sect disciples held nothing but fear in their eyes, and some were so frightened that they lowered their heads outright.
After a while, the middle-aged steward finally revealed a mocking sneer. "You're laughing so happily now. Have you forgotten this group's aptitudes and ages? In a few years, these youths will be riding on your heads."
Instantly, the Great Sword Sect cultivators' expressions changed drastically, their faces turning ugly.
"This old man is Lu Pingyuan, one of this sect's steward elders. From now on, you may address this old man as Elder Lu."
Steward Lu had long gray-white hair draped over his shoulders, and an imposing air that commanded respect without anger radiated from between his brows. As he looked at everyone, a smile curled at the corner of his lips.
"This old man assumes Miaowa Kingdom needs no explanation. I hope none of you ruin this old man's good mood today."
Steward Lu calmly looked over the crowd. "Do not delude yourselves into thinking anyone will come save you. This old man bought you from Great Jin. As for the Heavenly Sword Sect, you should go find the people who deceived you."
After hearing the words "Miaowa Kingdom," everyone in the crowd looked as though their parents had died. Their faces were deathly pale, and none of the earlier joy and excitement remained.
"E-Elder Lu, my family has money. I am the son of the Bu clan chief of Qingbei Mountain in Great Jin. My father will pay Spirit Stones to redeem me."
A youth in the crowd spoke tremblingly. Upon hearing this, Steward Lu's smile grew wider, and he nodded approvingly. "Good. This old man likes clever people."
"This old man remembers you. Bu Mingbai, Mid-grade Spirit Root, C-grade Aptitude. So long as the payment is made, this old man will certainly release you."
The moment the youth spoke up, the crowd exploded. One after another, trembling youths began declaring their family backgrounds, hoping their families could redeem them.
At last, Li Han understood where he had been brought. But after understanding, his expression became even uglier, like he had swallowed dog shit.
"Don't think too much."
Lin Chang'an took a deep breath. In that brief span of time, he had already accepted reality. Having entered a den of thieves this time, there was no escaping. Suppressing the pounding in his heart, he sighed helplessly and patted Li Han on the shoulder.
"Do everything you can to display your talent. Here, we can only pray for our own fortunes."
Thinking of Miaowa Kingdom's reputation, Lin Chang'an gave a bitter smile. "Let me put it this way: even a rat from the mortal world would have to leave behind a layer of rat-hide coat if it came here."
Li Han's face turned green at those words. His eyes widened. "Does no one care?!"
At this moment, Qi Feng, the brocade-robed youth from earlier, slipped over with a pale face. Hearing this, he trembled in fear and said, "Care? A few years ago, I heard that five Foundation Establishment Ancestors came here to rescue their younger clan members. In the end, none of them returned."
Foundation Establishment Ancestors!
Before Li Han and Qi Feng could react, Lin Chang'an took a deep breath, and a flicker of determination burst forth in his eyes.
Since he had failed the civil service exam—bah! Since he had failed to enter a great sect and ended up in this godforsaken place, he could only do everything he could to gain a foothold first. Otherwise, they could squeeze even the marrow from his bones.
"I am an alchemist! I am proficient in refining Bigu Pills, Qi Gathering Pills, and other medicinal pills!"
Lin Chang'an stepped forward and shouted, instantly plunging the scene into silence. Even the Great Sword Sect cultivators turned their eyes toward him.
Alchemists were one of the four major branches among the hundred arts of cultivation, and they were also a scarce resource.
When Steward Lu saw the white-robed youth Lin Chang'an step forward, the corner of his lips rose. He clapped and laughed. "Good, good! Truly an outstanding young man. This old man appreciates those who know the times."
Under everyone's gaze, Lin Chang'an forced a stiff smile onto his face, while inside he was already cursing furiously. His Uncle and cousin had probably already revealed every detail about him.
Rather than being dragged out by others, it was better to step out himself and turn unfavorable factors into favorable ones.
After taking a deep breath, Lin Chang'an looked directly at Steward Lu and said in a deep voice, "Elder Lu, my Uncle wrote in his letter that so long as I prove my value, I can obtain endless cultivation resources."
"After suffering for so many years as a Rogue Cultivator... I don't want to strive anymore."
Amid everyone's astonished and bewildered gazes, Lin Chang'an stepped forward, cupped his fists, stood tall with his chest out, and revealed a resolute look. He loudly declared that he did not want to strive anymore and was willing to join the Great Sword Sect.
"Hahaha, clever boy. This old man likes you."
Steward Lu laughed heartily as he stroked the short beard on his chin, clapping in approval as he pointed at Lin Chang'an before the crowd.
"Look at this boy. Learn from him more in the future."
Li Han's eyes widened in the crowd. Good heavens, that worked too?
Beside him, Qi Feng's lips trembled as he revealed a smile uglier than crying. "Fellow Daoist Chang'an is wise. Give up the thought of returning. The sooner you recognize reality and show your value, the better you can live."
Li Han narrowed his eyes after hearing that, silently pondering whether he should do the same.
"I-I can draw talismans..."
"I know animal husbandry. My father raised animals for the Wang Family his entire life..."
"I know medicine..."
After Lin Chang'an took the lead, the young men and women in the crowd came to their senses and hurriedly began stating their own value.
Among the youths here, aside from cultivation novices like Li Han, nearly everyone understood what kind of place Miaowa Kingdom was.
For the next few days, updates will tentatively be at eight in the evening.
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