No one disturbed him, and Jia Ren returned to his previous life.
By day, he focused on the Turtle Breath Technique, and only in the still of the night would he sit and cultivate. His cultivation time shortened, and without elixirs to aid his cultivation, his progress inevitably plummeted. Jia Ren was not annoyed. Even if his cultivation speed was slow, it was much better than before. Assisted by Spirit Rice, his cultivation progress could still increase a bit every three days—slow yet steady. In the past, an unlimited supply of Spirit Rice was unimaginable. Busy with making a living every day, how could he have much time to cultivate? Contentment brings long-lasting happiness.
Three days flew by in the blink of an eye. Five hundred Corner Worm eggs entered their growth phase, growing to the size of a fingernail with blackening shells. Jia Ren did not skimp on turning six catties of Spirit Rice into Spiritual Liquid to aid the Corner Worms’ growth.
Six catties of Spirit Rice a day—I can’t afford to raise them!
They can’t just eat without working.
It’s time for them to go to work!
The Corner Worms, now in their growth phase, possessed impressive digging abilities. Jia Ren didn’t need to worry about dealing with the excavated soil; the worms were capable of digesting it. Otherwise, the amount of soil they dug out daily could pile up into a small mountain. Over a hundred mature Corner Worms and five hundred growing ones digging at full force made for astonishing efficiency. Even ten cultivators specializing in earth-element spells working tirelessly couldn’t match the efficiency of the six hundred-plus Corner Worms. Corner Worms also had an advantage: they could dig anytime, anywhere, without worrying about Spiritual Power Fluctuations drawing the attention of the Five Elements Sect, unlike cultivators.
The tunnel plan can proceed smoothly. I need to prepare three escape routes, Jia Ren thought. They’ll be classified by distance into short, medium, and long routes for various emergencies. The short-distance route, for less dangerous situations, will be for changing stone house dwellings. The long-distance tunnels need to be extensive enough to deal with captures by the Five Elements Sect. Lastly, an emergency escape route leading outside the Great Wilderness Market. Hopefully, it will never be needed.
Jia Ren became an absentee manager, occasionally guiding the Corner Worms to ensure their digging did not veer off the expected route.
As night fell, a warning came from the mosquitoes in the deserted stone house.
Is it the Five Elements Sect again?
Every so often, the Five Elements Sect would send people to hunt cultivators. Sometimes once a day, sometimes several times a day; Jia Ren had grown accustomed to it. The deserted stone house showed no signs of life, and in his Turtle Breath State, the Five Elements Sect cultivators could not find him. Days went by without incident.
No movement came from above for a long time, and no one entered the abandoned stone house.
He sent out Corner Worms to confirm there was no danger before he boldly left the tunnel.
What’s this... an aged stone house?
Jia Ren peered through the crevices of the stone house and saw something three zhang away that left him with a peculiar expression. It wasn’t Five Elements Sect cultivators. Instead, someone was aging a stone house. If you don’t do the business, someone else naturally will. Fang Wu hadn’t given up on the aged stone house business; after Master Jia ran off, he found a new partner. Their first attempt at aging a stone house was located nearby.
As always, Fang Wu was responsible for keeping watch, while a short, plump cultivator with the surname Shen took over Jia Ren’s work of aging the stone house.
"Daoist Shen, you truly are a master of forgery."
"How does he compare to the previous master of aging houses?"
Fang Wu smiled without answering; the answer was obvious.
"Tomorrow, I’ll introduce a client to move in. Make sure nothing goes wrong." Fang Wu mentioned a few points, all of which were warnings Jia Ren had previously given, pointing out mistakes and how to fix them.
"The fee for aging a stone house is five Spirit Stones. I take three, and you take two. Any objections, Daoist?"
"Let’s do as Daoist Fang suggests."
Jia Ren listened for a bit, then left, uninterested.
A false alarm. Back to cultivation.
Aging stone houses might affect the safety of the abandoned one. I’d better prepare in advance.
Jia Ren returned to the underground chamber and looked at the three tunnels leading in different directions. The nearest tunnel had been dug a hundred zhang out, its exit right beneath a collapsed stone house. The second and third tunnels were not yet complete. Underneath the collapsed stone house, he dispatched the Corner Worms to start digging a new underground chamber.
Jia Ren’s speculation proved correct. As he continued his cultivation on the second night, he was disturbed by voices talking above.
"Daoist Wang, what do you think of this place?"
"Not bad. I’ll have to rely on Daoist Fang," a delicate female voice rang out, revealing the new resident of the abandoned stone house to be a female cultivator.
"We’re all fellow Daoists; it’s only right to help each other."
Their conversation lasted for a moment, then their voices faded away.
The deserted stone house had caught someone’s attention and would soon become a dwelling for a loose cultivator. I can’t expose myself. I must block the entrance to the underground chamber to prevent anyone from discovering me and the tunnel.
Soil from other places was brought in his storage bag, and the Corner Worms were tasked with transporting it. Their efficiency was quite high; in less than an hour, they had filled in the chamber beneath the stone bed.
"This humble one has troubled Master Shen for his help."
"Rest assured, Daoist. If you don’t expose yourself, you are safe."
"The price for aging a stone house is always five Spirit Stones, but in such times, safety is priceless."
"You’re straightforward, Daoist. I almost forgot to remind you: in a few days, I will organize a trade meeting. Make sure you don’t forget to attend."
"Don’t worry. If Five Elements Sect cultivators weren’t covertly supporting it, I wouldn’t dare to hold a trade meeting. The timing of its opening is absolutely safe."
The voices came to an abrupt halt.
Jia Ren, who had been preparing to leave, stopped in his tracks and listened intently, focusing on the details about the trade meeting.
A trade meeting among loose cultivators? And with the support of Five Elements Sect cultivators behind it? The Five Elements Sect isn’t a monolith; not everyone places the greater good above all else. Fleeing loose cultivators still have value to be exploited, and surely some Five Elements Sect cultivators would entertain corrupt thoughts. With the Outer City Market closed, loose cultivators who want to purchase cultivation resources have nowhere to turn. Selling to them now could be massively profitable, fetching prices several times higher. With enough profit at stake, some would naturally take the risk. If the trade meeting can guarantee safety, wouldn’t it be possible to purchase the Demon Beast Blood needed for the Exotic Black Mosquito, as well as cultivation elixirs?
Jia Ren’s heart stirred uncontrollably, but in the end, he prudently decided to leave.
It can’t be ruled out as a trap. Or perhaps, it’s a fishing scheme by the Five Elements Sect. When the time is ripe, they’ll swoop in for the catch. More information is needed.
Rustling sounds came from the stone bed; the female cultivator had started to dig. An underground chamber was standard for evading capture by the Five Elements Sect. Aging stone houses was a deceptive tactic; the underground chamber was the true sanctuary. The new female cultivator followed local customs and started creating her own underground chamber.
Compared to the astounding digging speed of the Corner Worms, and without daring to use spells, she relied solely on manual labor, resulting in low efficiency. It was only by the third day that she barely finished. The underground chamber was only ten feet deep, falling short of the thirty-foot safety standard.
After hesitating for a moment, Jia Ren sent out Corner Worms to dig a small living space below hers. They both now had underground dwellings, separated vertically by less than ten feet. When cultivating, he would return to his other residence, but when focusing on the Turtle Breath Technique, he would come over to listen for information.
His Proficiency Level in the Turtle Breath Technique reached Master Level, beginning to reveal its wondrous effects. It could not only conceal his breath, heartbeat, and footstep sounds, but he could also enter the Turtle Breath State, similar to suspended animation.
Jia Ren continued to hide underground, ensuring his safety. The downside was clear: he was cut off from news. He had no idea when the conflict between the Five Elements Sect and Thousand Beasts Mountain would end. He couldn’t stay hidden underground indefinitely; he needed channels and sources for gathering information.
"The trade meeting starts at the third quarter of the Hour of the Dog tomorrow."
"Don’t forget, Daoist."
Jia Ren’s efforts were not in vain; on the second day, he overheard this important information. He was, however, uncertain.
In the end, Jia Ren chose to prioritize stability. With the situation unclear, he decided to use the female cultivator as a test first. If she could return safely, the trade meeting posed no problems. If his resources became scarce later on, it wouldn’t be too late to attend the trade meeting then.