The Divide Between Immortal and Mortal

Life in the Immortal Slave Mining District was even more unchanging than in Biyou Market.

Every day, apart from clocking in to mine and eating, they spent the rest of their time lying dead on their beds like lumps of rotten flesh.

Sometimes Wang Quan could not help wondering: if he had not acted on a momentary impulse back then, or if his beautiful childhood sweetheart had forcibly held him back, would everything have been different?

Even if he had died on the road to seeking immortality back then, it would probably have been better than this.

At the very least, he would not be living like a walking corpse as he was now.

Shrill curses rang nonstop beside his ears. Through blurred eyes, Wang Quan looked at the girl before him. He had often visited her before, and she had always been pleasant enough. Who would have thought that merely asking to put it on credit once today would make her turn so sharp-tongued and biting?

As her insults grew ever nastier, escalating from personal attacks to curses upon his parents and elders, Wang Quan frowned and moved to cut her off.

But at that moment, her entire body suddenly trembled. With a thud, she dropped straight to her knees.

Wang Quan: "?"

Since when did I have such imposing might? Was she cowed by my kingly aura?

Just as Wang Quan was feeling rather pleased with himself and was about to tell her to rise, a calm voice suddenly sounded behind him.

"Wang Quan."

"Who called—" Maintaining his smile, he turned around. The next instant, the smile froze on his face.

What he saw first was not the face of the speaker, but the speaker's clothes. It was those clothes that made him instinctively fall to his knees.

Within the Hidden Moon Sect, anyone qualified to wear a Daoist robe was an immortal cultivator. No matter what kind of immortal cultivator they were, to the lowliest immortal slaves like them, they were beings who absolutely could not be provoked.

Wang Quan lowered his head as deeply as he could. Thinking of how he had actually stood before an immortal cultivator for so long just now, cold sweat began to bead on his forehead.

At that moment, the calm voice sounded again, now carrying a trace of amusement.

"What are you doing? Hurry up and get up."

Hmm, why does this voice sound somewhat familiar? Wang Quan was puzzled. Then he slowly raised his head, and in an instant, the two faces overlapped before his eyes.

"Xu Yuan!" Wang Quan shot to his feet. Seeing that it was Xu Yuan who had returned, all his earlier terror turned into excitement. Almost instinctively, he moved closer, intending to pat his friend's shoulder as he had before.

But as if recalling something, the hand he had extended stiffened in midair, its five fingers frozen. Then all the joy in his heart at reuniting with an old friend transformed into respectful etiquette.

"Wang Quan greets Immortal Elder Xu."

Xu Yuan blanked for a moment, then suddenly smiled. He swung his arm out and slapped Wang Quan on the shoulder.

"What, you don't dare acknowledge me now?"

"N-No, it's not that." For some reason, Wang Quan's voice suddenly became hoarse. Looking at Xu Yuan before him, he remembered that just over a year ago, they had been digging for mushrooms together in a patch of wasteland, nearly getting skewered to death by an old corpse buried underground.

But now, Xu Yuan had risen like a fish leaping over the Dragon Gate and entered the immortal sect, while he himself was still trapped here, having just been thoroughly cursed out by Firefly.

Still, when he thought of how Xu Yuan had worked quietly every day and never squandered even a single contribution point, this outcome was only what he deserved.

The two walked back together. Along the way, immortal slaves constantly came forward to salute them. Some bolder ones even dared to approach and greet him, and Xu Yuan answered every one of them, without the slightest air of an "immortal elder."

"Xu Yuan, what does it look like up in the heavens? Is it really filled with drifting white clouds and rows upon rows of immortal palaces? Is every breath full of spiritual qi?"

"Mm." Xu Yuan thought of the twin moons, the singing, the son selling his husband, the little girl who had died a violent death, and exploitation laid even more bare. He could only answer vaguely, "It's not that wonderful. It's barely passable."

As he spoke, Xu Yuan had arrived at Wang Quan's door. Not far next door stood what had once been his own home.

Everything was still unchanged, yet a sense of unfamiliarity and distance suddenly rose in his heart. After leaving this place, he likely would never return in this lifetime.

He took out the pills he had bought at the market. This was a bottle of Qingling Pills, far better than the Bailing Pills immortal slaves could exchange for. It had cost Xu Yuan a full low-grade spirit stone and ten spirit crystals.

If this bottle of pills were placed here in the mining district, accounting for the portion skimmed away, it would be enough to make a healthy immortal slave labor for three to five years.

"Save up some contribution points later and exchange them for a breathing technique that's easy to get started with. You can take two of these pills first to clear away the turbid qi in your body. Once you're familiar with the breathing method, take the rest."

Xu Yuan placed the bottle of pills in Wang Quan's hand and patted his shoulder again. "Life in the mountains isn't all that easy either. This is all your brother can help you with."

"Brother..."

Wang Quan kept repeating that word as he watched Xu Yuan's figure walk farther and farther away, gradually vanishing ahead.

The road was not long, yet it was already the divide between immortal and mortal.

Walking through the mining grounds, Xu Yuan went to the Seek Immortals Society base where Bi Qiong had once been and gave the others identical bottles of pills.

Bi Qiong had asked him to bring them, and naturally, Bi Qiong had paid for the spirit stones.

After finishing this small task, Xu Yuan silently made his way to the exit. At that moment, he noticed that an extra figure had suddenly appeared ahead.

"Fellow Daoist Xu Yuan, it has been a long time."

Tu Fang gave Xu Yuan a Daoist salute. After not seeing him for some time, the old dog's face had grown much rosier. One look was enough to tell that he had been lining his pockets quite well.

Tu Fang was also sizing Xu Yuan up. In truth, he had already prepared a response for these two "runaway slaves." Seeing that Xu Yuan's aura was full and abundant, and that he was even willing to spend spirit stones on those immortal slaves, clearly doing rather well for himself, Tu Fang was only then willing to meet him.

"Some spirit fruits back in my hometown ripened recently, and the juniors in my family sent some over. Today, I happened to see you returning to visit old friends, so I invite you to have a taste as well."

With that, he handed over the gift box in his hand and said sincerely, "There were many misunderstandings between us in this mining district in the past. We thought you had stolen some precious spiritual object from the sect, which was why we fought so fiercely. I hope you will not hold it against us."

"That is all in the past." Xu Yuan waved it off indifferently, then added,

"Bi Qiong and I are now cultivating peacefully in Biyou Market. I am about to break through to the second level of Qi Refining, and Bi Qiong has become a talisman apprentice. We have long since forgotten those matters."

"Oh, oh." Tu Fang nodded repeatedly. "That's good, that's good."

"Oh, right." Xu Yuan seemed to remember something. "Bi Qiong and I still have some friends in this mining district. I hope Brother Tu Fang will look after them a little."

"I understand, I understand."

Tu Fang replied with a cheerful smile, and the two then left in opposite directions.

After one step, both were still smiling. After another, both had already darkened their faces.

Hmph, those two damned runaway slaves. How did they enter Qi Refining back then? And why are they actually able to make a go of it in Biyou Market? Could Lord Rong Ling possibly think highly of those two worthless breeds? Forget it, forget it. They probably have no hope of reaching mid-stage Qi Refining anyway. Since this grudge can be resolved, then let it be resolved, Tu Fang thought.

On the other side, Xu Yuan thought as well, Tsk, does he think a few spirit fruits can settle our grudge? Accepting the gift does not mean I agree! When I get the chance, I'll cut off that old dog's head!