High-Paid Child Seeking!

The city gates stood wide open.

Chu Zisheng strolled in with the crowd.

The moment he passed through the gate, it felt like he had entered another world, one brimming with the atmosphere of daily life.

The streets were exceptionally broad, paved with bluestone slabs. Shops lined both sides one after another, densely packed together, with all kinds of signs hanging beneath the eaves. They sold everything.

There were vendors selling Soul Beast meat, spiritual herbs, weapons, armor... The sheer variety was dazzling.

Chu Zisheng walked through the crowd and casually looked around.

The proportion of Soul Masters in the city was extremely high as well. Everywhere he looked, he could see people carrying fluctuations of Soul Power.

Out of every ten people, at least six were Soul Masters!

Most wore hunting gear and carried weapons on their backs. One look was enough to tell they were hunters who often entered the forest to make a living.

Others wore the uniforms of sects or clans. They traveled in groups of three or five, full of youthful energy, occasionally breaking into chattering laughter that drew plenty of attention.

Chu Zisheng glanced at them.

They were all quite young, around fifteen or sixteen, yet their Soul Power fluctuations were impressive. Some had even reached the peak of Soul Grandmaster, needing only to absorb a Soul Ring before entering the Soul Elder realm. They counted as geniuses. They were currently following their clan elders toward the city gate, most likely heading to Star Dou Forest to hunt Soul Rings.

Of course, there were even more passersby gossiping and chatting.

Many sat in the roadside taverns, slapping tables as they loudly discussed what they had seen in the forest these past few days: so-and-so had slain a Soul Beast of an extremely high cultivation age, someone else had nearly died inside, another person had spotted some great figure like a Soul Emperor... Their spittle flew as they spoke with fervor.

It was certainly lively.

The city's public security was also quite good. From time to time, squads of city guards led by Grand Soul Ancestors could be seen running back and forth through the streets.

Whenever a dispute or fight broke out somewhere, they would intervene immediately.

Hmm...

It really was Abyssal City, where the people were so simple and honest.

As Chu Zisheng continued onward, however, he noticed something strange. Every few steps, there seemed to be walls plastered with more than a dozen notices.

He casually glanced at one.

[High-Paid Child Seeking]

[My wife and I were obsessed with arduous cultivation in our younger days and were accidentally injured, losing our ability to have children. In order to inherit our vast estate and pass down our unique skills, we have discussed the matter and are specially seeking a healthy child who has yet to awaken a Martial Soul. Birth and place of origin do not matter. We only wish to fulfill the dream of our husband-and-wife pair. If an agreement is reached, we will offer a generous reward of 50 Gold Soul Coins!]

After reading it, Chu Zisheng said nothing and raised his head to look at several more notices.

[High-Paid Child Seeking: I am a level 49 Grand Soul Ancestor, and my beloved wife is a level 47 Grand Soul Ancestor. We possess countless assets. Due to my wife's fertility issues, and in order to pass down our family business and preserve the family's image, we have jointly decided to sincerely seek a healthy child who has yet to awaken a Martial Soul. Speak with us in person, and if satisfied, we will offer 70 Gold Soul Coins in thanks! (Insincere applicants need not inquire.)]

[High-Paid Child Seeking: My wife and I are both level 57 Soul Kings and have founded three Soul Master martial arts academies. Due to events in our younger years... we are specially seeking a child who has yet to awaken a Martial Soul to inherit our vast estate...]

[High-Paid Child Seeking: Are you still worried that you cannot afford to raise your children? Are you still troubled because you cannot give them a good future? Good news! Good news! Your child is about to enjoy a life of luxury! A kind level 66 Soul Emperor couple currently has no children and is specially seeking a child who has yet to awaken a Martial Soul...]

[...]

They were all High-Paid Child Seeking notices.

No wonder Long Ling had said this city was always short on children.

Out of ten notices, eleven were asking to adopt children.

They practically spelled it out: regardless of status, birth, or origin, as long as it was a child, they wanted one—and would pay handsomely for it.

The most astonishing part was that these adopters were either important figures or wealthy magnates. Yet without exception, they all wanted children who had yet to awaken a Martial Soul.

Long Ling had probably only read the first half of those High-Paid Child Seeking notices and never clearly saw their requirements. Otherwise, she would not have kept trying to find him a kind couple in the city earlier so he would not have to remain an orphan.

Unfortunately, he was already eight years old, and he had awakened his Martial Soul. He would not get to enjoy that sort of blessing.

Of course... only a busty, brainless woman as foolishly obvious as Long Ling would believe notices meant to fool idiots.

Chu Zisheng shook his head.

He walked a few more steps and stopped before another wall.

A similar notice was pasted there, except its corners had curled up and the paper had yellowed, as if it had been there for quite some time.

Most importantly...

That notice had not been posted by an ordinary person. It even bore the great seal of the Snow Prince!

It had been posted by Snow Prince's Estate!

He looked at it curiously.

The wording on the notice was quite polite, and its reasoning sounded legitimate.

In essence, Snow Prince's Estate was recruiting children in order to cultivate the future generation of Soul Masters who could protect Abyssal City. Any child five or six years old who had yet to awaken a Martial Soul, regardless of birth, status, or origin, could be sent to the estate if willing. The estate would adopt them at a high price, provide food and lodging, carefully educate them, and have them serve the city in the future by resisting the Beast Tide!

There was also a line of small print beneath it: Limited places available. First come, first served.

Cultivating Soul Masters... to resist the Beast Tide?

Chu Zisheng's gaze flickered.

On the surface, it truly was a perfectly legitimate reason.

After all, Soul Masters held a noble profession with many paths open to them.

Besides, the world was vast. Where could one not go?

Did they really have to stay in this city and risk their lives fighting the Beast Tide?

Everyone who had witnessed a Beast Tide knew how terrifying it was. Every assault caused massive casualties.

Chu Zisheng had seen a Beast Tide himself, so he was not speaking recklessly based on assumptions.

If they were not raised here from childhood, ordinary people would indeed find it difficult to develop any sense of belonging toward Abyssal City. Forget fighting to the death to protect it—even staying an extra day would feel unlucky.

Still...

He could not shake the feeling that something about this was strange.

Just then, several women gathered nearby and spoke in hushed voices.

"A Zhen, did you really send your third child, Little Tiger, to Snow Prince's Estate?"

"I did... What else could I do... My man met with an accident while hunting last year. I had to raise three children alone... I... I truly had no choice. At least he could live a stable life in the estate..."

"...Sigh, how is Little Tiger doing? Have you heard anything?"

"For the first two months, he sent word through someone. He said he ate well in the estate, and he had awakened the same Tiger Martial Soul as his father. His Innate Soul Power was level 4! The estate had already decided to focus on training him, and they even sent me thirty Gold Soul Coins..."

"Tut, tut, tut. Innate level 4? Little Tiger is that impressive? That's a good thing! Why aren't you happy?"

"But after that... after that, there was no more news. I'm worried. I'm worried about him."

"No news? What happened? As his mother, shouldn't you go ask?"

"Ask what? What kind of place is Snow Prince's Estate? A Zhen is a widow raising children alone. How could she possibly get in? Besides, asking would be pointless. They would only say that the child entered the estate to enjoy a good life, that it was better than starving to death with us... But I know they simply do not want the children to have any more contact with us..."

One of the women sneered.

It seemed she had also sent a child into the estate and knew more of the details.

As A Zhen listened, she lowered her head and wiped the corners of her eyes. She nodded and said nothing further.

The other two women listened, and the expressions of interest that had originally appeared on their faces stiffened awkwardly. They exchanged glances, unsure of what to say.

Put nicely,

they were unable to raise their children and could only reluctantly let Snow Prince's Estate adopt them. The estate was being kind, and they even had to be grateful to it.

But put bluntly, there was not much difference between this and selling children.

Chu Zisheng stood several steps away and listened to their conversation.

He withdrew his gaze, said nothing, and continued walking.

The city was still the same bustling city.

The fragrance of food drifted from inns and restaurants, while the streets carried the mingled scent of roasted meat and medicinal herbs.

Merchants, carriage drivers, and laborers carrying goods shouted one after another. The place was prosperous, yet there was not a single sight of children playing by the roadside or in the corners of houses.

The passersby all wore hurried expressions.

It was as though everyone knew something, yet everyone pretended it did not exist.

After all, this was the city closest to Star Dou Forest.

It was also a wall between humans and Soul Beasts.

But what was a city wall? What were humans and Soul Beasts?

Few people who could gain a foothold and live in such a place were soft-hearted.

Everyone had their own way of surviving.

Chu Zisheng could not concern himself with so much.

But just then.

A disturbance suddenly erupted ahead.

"Move! Move! Are you blind? Get out of the way!!!"

"Smack! Smack! Smack—!"

A burst of miserable screams immediately rang out.