"Immortal Wealth never came to collect the goods? This is bad. I haven't seen him either. I waited at the agreed place for two days, but he never showed up, so I hired an immortal to bring me here. Could he have run into danger?" Yan Hu asked worriedly. "Things haven't been peaceful lately."
"Are you talking about the independent cultivators going missing?"
"That's right. Rogue Cultivators often disappear on the outskirts of the markets. The markets around Yanliang Mountain have all increased their patrols, but there are too many Rogue Cultivators to keep watch over them all. People still go missing from time to time." Yan Hu said anxiously, "I'm worried something terrible has happened to Immortal Wealth."
Mo Caihuan thought that the emperor was behind all of this. The Yue emperor needed to seize other people's blood essence to practice his demonic arts, and he secretly controlled an organization called the Black Fiend Cult, which abducted Rogue Cultivators everywhere.
Even if she knew where the suspect was, Mo Caihuan had no confidence that she could make everyone believe her. If she said the emperor of the Yue Kingdom was a demonic cultivator, people would probably think she was mad.
Everyone suspected that the Whale-Jiao Society had grand ambitions and intended to rebel, which made Mo Caihuan and the emperor enemies. If she spoke ill of him, people would see it as deliberate slander and refuse to believe her.
The Whale-Jiao Society's intelligence organization, the Secret Helm, had some information on the Black Fiend Cult. The cult usually prowled around mortal cities outside cultivator markets. Its movements were extremely secretive; its members hid by day and emerged at night, rarely having dealings with mortals.
The Whale-Jiao Society's Secret Helm occasionally sent information about the Black Fiend Cult, but there was not much of it.
"Which city did Daoist Wealth last visit?"
"He traveled a little farther this time, to a market on the border of the Yuanwu Kingdom."
"Where is the nearest mortal city?"
"That area belongs to Zhen Province. The nearest city should be North Sword Pass. It's already close to the border," Yan Hu said.
A map of the Yue Kingdom immediately surfaced in Mo Caihuan's mind. It was a long way away-three thousand kilometers in a straight line. If Daoist Wealth really had been captured by the Black Fiend Cult, he was most likely being held in North Sword Pass.
But that was only one of many possibilities.
"Fairy Mo, have you found a clue?" Yan Hu asked when he saw her thoughtful expression.
"No, just a few guesses. They may not be right. Immortal Wealth might have been delayed by some private business. Let's not worry ourselves needlessly."
Yan Hu nodded. He did not think Mo Caihuan could have any reliable clues either. There were many reasons a cultivator might disappear: they might have gone into seclusion or passed away in meditation. Encountering danger was only one possibility.
"Let's not assume the worst. Perhaps he's only been delayed a little," Yan Hu said. "Fairy, are my goods ready?"
"They're all ready. There's something I'd like to trouble you with, Yan Hu." She had originally hoped to ask Daoist Wealth for help, but now that he was missing, she could only ask Yan Hu.
"What is it? If it's something I can help with, I certainly will."
"I'd like to buy three high-quality Peiyuan Pills. Do you know if anyone sells them on Yanliang Mountain?"
"I'll ask around. If there are any, I'll bring them to you when I next collect the goods." Yan Hu made no guarantees; he would have to look first.
"Thank you."
Yan Hu left. Another three days passed, but Daoist Wealth still did not appear.
Just then, a carrier pigeon from the Whale-Jiao Society's Secret Helm brought a plea for help from Daoist Wealth.
Mo Juren had possessed a secret art for raising birds and had once raised a Cloud-Winged Bird to monitor Han Li. The Whale-Jiao Society trained carrier pigeons to carry messages, and they were twice as efficient as ordinary carrier pigeons.
Daoist Wealth had indeed been captured by the Black Fiend Cult. With no road to heaven and no door into the earth, he had thought he was doomed. Then he discovered that he had been lodged in an inn run by the Whale-Jiao Society's Secret Helm, so he secretly sent a distress signal to its members. Of course, he knew mortals could do nothing. He hoped they would contact Mo Caihuan, who could then contact the Covering Moon Sect.
By then, they had already left North Sword Pass and reached Fengyin City in Qing Province. They were clearly heading back to the Capital City.
To avoid being discovered by cultivators, the Black Fiend Cult traveled at night and stayed at inns during the day.
As soon as Mo Caihuan read the message, she went to find her martial aunt, not daring to delay. If she was even a little too slow, Daoist Wealth might die. He was a valuable business partner, and he always paid promptly.
"Martial Aunt, someone needs saving!" She arrived at the mine and called for help directly outside the stone chamber.
With a whoosh, her martial aunt appeared outside and asked, "What happened? Why are you shouting?"
"I have a friend, an independent cultivator known as Daoist Wealth. Some villains captured him. The day before yesterday, he finally found a chance to send a plea for help. Please save him, Martial Aunt."
"Such a thing happened? Where are they?" Her martial aunt had previously promised to do one thing for Mo Caihuan. Now that the opportunity had arrived, she naturally would not refuse.
"The message was sent the day before yesterday from Fengyang City. They've probably left by now," Mo Caihuan said uncertainly.
"No matter. As long as they are cultivators, they are bound to leave some trace. Wait here. I'll be back shortly." With that, she flung out a flying sword glowing gray. Her figure flashed, then vanished into the horizon.
Since she had to wait anyway, Mo Caihuan took the opportunity to inspect the mine.
Tracks and mine carts were now in use throughout the mine, making travel back and forth much easier. She checked the steam engine, which was running well.
She also inspected the meals. Mining was physical labor, so she required meat at every meal and sufficient staple food. Anyone skimping on the workers' rations would be severely punished.
Two days later, her martial aunt returned to the mine with a fat man whose face was bruised and swollen.
"Thank you for saving my life, Senior." Daoist Wealth thanked her over and over, kneeling before the golden core cultivator with tears and snot streaming down his face.
"I merely did something for my martial niece. There's no need to thank me. Thank her instead."
Mo Caihuan hurriedly said, "Thank you for stepping forward so nobly, Martial Aunt. You truly are the embodiment of justice and beauty, a hero to us all."
"Enough flattery. I still need to cultivate. Go home, both of you." The corners of her martial aunt's lips lifted, and she turned back into the stone chamber.
"Thank you for saving my life, little sister." Daoist Wealth knew how difficult it was to enlist the help of a golden core cultivator. "This kindness is like giving me a second life. I would like us to become sworn brother and sister."
"Since we're family, there's no need for such formalities, elder brother. What exactly happened?" Mo Caihuan asked.
Daoist Wealth sighed. "I don't know either. Some people suddenly rushed out and gave me a vicious beating, then sealed my meridians and started transporting me elsewhere. I didn't even know them."
"Where are they now?"
"Heh, they're all dead. They were only around the thirteenth level of Qi Refining and relied on numbers to bully lone targets. How could they stand against a golden core expert?" Daoist Wealth said, still shaken, "I really owe you this time, little sister. If you hadn't built up such an extensive business, with Whale-Jiao City's properties spread throughout the Yue Kingdom, I would never have had a chance to send that plea for help."
"Elder brother, will you keep doing business?" Daoist Wealth was clearly terrified, and she did not know whether he still had the courage to continue.
"Yes. Why wouldn't I? But I can't handle it personally anymore. I can hire others. Rogue Cultivators will be happy to earn that money." He had a safer plan to reduce the risks, at the cost of lowering his profits.
"Then we'll keep working together."
"Little sister, if you ever need your elder brother's help, just say the word," Daoist Wealth said sincerely.
Mo Caihuan said, "There actually is something I need your help with."
"What is it? Just tell me!" Daoist Wealth said, thumping his chest.
"Are you proficient at arithmetic, elder brother?" Through their many previous dealings, she had already noticed Daoist Wealth's skill with numbers.
"Hehe, my cultivation may be nothing special, but when it comes to arithmetic, I'm quite confident. I'm one of the best in the Yue Kingdom," he boasted. Though he had some talent for numbers, he was nowhere near being one of the best.
"That's wonderful." Mo Caihuan hoped to quantify the various attributes of cultivation, and she needed someone good at mathematics.
She immediately explained her plans to Daoist Wealth in full detail.
"You certainly have some remarkable ideas, little sister," Daoist Wealth said with a peculiar expression.
"It's only an idea, but it isn't a passing whim. As far as I know, cultivators divide the Qi Refining Stage into thirteen levels. They've already begun quantifying cultivation."
Daoist Wealth said, "Only the Qi Refining Stage is divided into thirteen levels. After Foundation Establishment, it's broadly divided into early, middle, and late stages, with no further subdivisions. Do you know why?"
"No."
"Because after the Foundation Establishment Stage, the differences between individuals' cultivation grow greater and greater, and their magic power becomes increasingly vast. It's difficult to set a specific standard," Daoist Wealth said. "Still, since you have this idea, I can try to help. But I'll need something."
"What?"
"The Thousand Mechanism Bell," Daoist Wealth said.
"Is it a magic treasure?" If it's a magic treasure, this will be difficult, she thought.