The Need for Increased Vigilance

Unlike government organizations, which could recruit talent from the surrounding towns and those under their jurisdiction,

private organizations like the Heavenly Merchant Alliance couldn't compete with the authorities for people.

They could only recruit from the lower end of the market—

the mercenaries and the unaffiliated Martial Artists.

Fortunately, Chu Nuan City was already in the middle of the Martial Competition.

The Martial Competition not only drew Merchant Groups back to Chu Nuan City, where they halted some of their business activities, but also attracted large numbers of Martial Artists seeking a living or trying to make a name for themselves.

Not everyone belonged to an organization.

Out in the martial world, many unaffiliated Martial Artists found their progress stalling because they lacked resources.

Scholarship required wealth, and so did the Martial Path.

Martial Artists' consumption of resources was always high.

Without enough resources, their strength couldn't keep up; without strength, they couldn't obtain more resources. It was a vicious cycle.

So many Martial Artists whose growth had stalled, or who lacked the supplies to cultivate, ventured out into the martial world and took part in all kinds of events.

Killing Great Anomalies and making a name for themselves to raise their value was one common approach.

On a special occasion like the Martial Competition, joining a good Merchant Group and representing it in battle could also greatly raise one's profile.

Fame brought business, and business brought a steady stream of cultivation resources.

That was how most Martial Artists lived, and how they made their way in the world.

Even people from sects sent their disciples down the mountain to gain experience and participate in events like the Martial Competition. They could build their sect's reputation, give their disciples practical experience, and improve their combat ability if they encountered Anomalies