Chapter 408: Different
At some point, many new shops selling Demon Beast parts had appeared in the city.
The shops weren’t large, displaying items like fur, bones, and teeth.
As for the flesh and blood, unless it was something special, one had to go to the market to buy and sell it.
The shop owners all had the same strange, beaming expression, as if they were hiding some treasure.
Bai Mo saw them from a distance and was surprised to recognize a few faces. They were, in fact, the same men who used to be with the Demon Hunting Teams.
You could tell at a glance that the shops were meant to fleece outsiders, but it was still a decent path for those who had retired injured from the Demon Hunting Teams.
One of the men minding a shop felt a faint premonition. Following his intuition, he looked back, only to catch a fleeting glimpse of Bai Mo’s retreating figure.
’He looks a little familiar...’
They were all men who had retreated from the front lines of Celestial Barrier Mountain, so their spiritual perception was naturally extraordinary.
Bai Mo glanced around and saw that the Demon Beast business in the city was somewhat sluggish.
However, there were still Demon Hunting Teams keeping the scene alive.
It was likely because Celestial Barrier Mountain had become more dangerous, so ordinary Demon Hunting Teams were no longer willing to go. Only the truly powerful still controlled their old trade.
This, then, was how the great waves sifted the sand.
Once this difficult period was over, the demon-hunting landscape in Immortal Arrival City would be dominated by this new group of people.
Ah Er was a little nervous.
As a Spirit Beast, it could smell far more than Bai Mo could.
The demonic stench in this city was overpowering, an accumulation of who knows how many years.
However, the herbs displayed at a roadside stall were still very tempting to it.
It stole a glance at Bai Mo, then suddenly scurried over to a nearby stall.
The barking stall owner was startled when a Demon Beast suddenly ran up to him. He only breathed a sigh of relief when he took a closer look and saw the expression in Ah Er’s eyes.
"Shoo, shoo! Whose Spirit Beast is this? Can’t you even keep an eye on it..."
Unconcerned, Ah Er took out two Spirit Stones.
The stall owner froze, his eyes instantly lighting up.
A moment later, Ah Er came running back to Bai Mo’s feet, clutching a bundle of roots.
"How many Spirit Stones did that cost?"
Bai Mo glanced back and could still see the stall owner grinning happily, a gap showing where a front tooth was missing.
Ah Er held up two claws.
"Ah-er!"
"Not bad. A fair price."
Before he knew it, he had arrived at the long street where his own shop was located.
The end of the street was quiet, but he could hear waves of loud shouting from the distance.
It sounded like it was coming from his shop.
Bai Mo guessed it was probably the day his shop released a new batch of Pills.
’No need to get caught up in that commotion.’
He quietly slipped into the bookstore and, sure enough, saw the old Shopkeeper leisurely dusting his books.
Feeling the sunlight from the entrance being blocked, the old Shopkeeper turned his head instinctively and saw Bai Mo.
Bai Mo led Ah Er inside and greeted him with a smiling bow.
"I’m back, sir. How have you been?"
A smile appeared on the old Shopkeeper’s face.
"You’ve really changed. Now that you’ve joined a sect, it’s rare to see you back here."
Bai Mo sighed.
"The sect’s errands aren’t exactly arduous, but they keep me tied up."
The old Shopkeeper curiously sized up the badger on the floor, and he and Ah Er stared at each other.
"How long are you planning to stay this time? I hope you’re not leaving in a hurry like last time."
"I can stay for about a month," Bai Mo replied.
The bookstore had few customers and it was a slow period, so Bai Mo decided to hang around and wait for the crowd at his own shop to disperse.
At the same time, he chatted with the old Shopkeeper about matters in the sect.
The old man was quite knowledgeable, though it was hard to say whether it was from adventures in his youth or from being well-read.
In any case, he could always keep up with the conversation.
The two chatted about all sorts of things, and Bai Mo learned from the old Shopkeeper about many of the recent changes in the city.
Things like which rising star had emerged from the Demon Hunting Teams, who had developed feuds, and the arrival of outside forces.
Ah Er, meanwhile, was happily munching on its newly bought snack to the side.
As for the primer Bai Mo had slipped it, it made a show of flipping through the pages but didn’t read a single word.
The commotion at the shop lasted until noon, finally drawing to a close with a wave of noisy shouts.
Bai Mo sat in the bookstore, watching the Cultivators—some fierce-looking, others lavishly dressed—walk down the long street.
He waited for a long time, but the stream of people seemed endless.
The old Shopkeeper stroked his beard.
"Your shop has been doing quite well for itself lately."
"What level has your skill in the Alchemy Dao reached now?"
Bai Mo replied,
"I could be called a Grandmaster. Within a thousand miles, there probably isn’t a single Loose Cultivator who can compare to me."
A look of confusion flashed in the old Shopkeeper’s eyes.
He knew such a realm existed, but he didn’t really have a concept of what it meant.
After a moment’s thought, he said, "You’ve certainly become skilled."
"But don’t get arrogant. The Cultivation Realm is vast, full of extraordinary people and strange happenings. You still have a long road ahead of you, so go out and see more of the world."
"I know."
Bai Mo replied humbly.
After noon, when the long street had quieted down, Bai Mo finally took his leave and ambled toward his shop with Ah Er in tow.
In broad daylight, the shop’s door was half-closed.
With his excellent hearing, Bai Mo could make out faint whispers.
Stepping inside, he saw Wei An and Qin Wen huddled behind the counter, hunched over and doing something.
Wei An heard the noise but didn’t look up, asking automatically,
"What kind of Pills are you looking for?"
"Feel free to look at the pill racks, customer. If we’re out of something, it’ll be restocked tomorrow..."
Bai Mo walked forward and peered over the counter.
"Ahem!"
He cleared his throat, and both Wei An and Qin Wen jolted behind the counter.
They looked up as quick as lightning.
"Shopkeeper!!"
Upon seeing Bai Mo, Qin Wen was composed, but Wei An was so excited he looked ready to jump for joy.
In the days Bai Mo was away, he had eaten and drunk well, and had grown into a capable-looking young man.
Casually placing a hand on his shoulder, Bai Mo leaned forward to look behind the counter.
"What are you two doing?"
What met his eyes were several thick account books.
The date on the open pages was clearly today’s, but the contents of the books were not the same.
"Two sets of books?"
Bai Mo was truly astonished.
’Since when did my shop start doing this sort of thing?’
Wei An’s excitement faded slightly as he hurriedly explained,
"The shop’s gotten bigger, so this is standard procedure! After all, the people coming to check the books and collect taxes have been showing up more and more frequently these days."
"Don’t worry, Shopkeeper! I’ve consulted with experts. There’s no way this can go wrong!"
"Taxes?"
Bai Mo was even more surprised.
Beside him, Qin Wen let out a muffled cough.
"It’s because so many outsiders have moved in. Business in the city has become complex, and a lot of the old rules no longer apply."
"The Immortal Masters from the Xuandao Sect who manage Immortal Arrival City are just now figuring out a system like this."
Bai Mo waved his hand dismissively.
"There’s no need for this. Our shop isn’t short on Spirit Stones; we can afford to pay the taxes."
Wei An cut in.
"Affording it is one thing, but we can’t let people see the true state of our shop’s finances!"
"Many of your fellow sect members have set up businesses in the city recently! Even though our Pills are one-of-a-kind, there’s no guarantee they won’t try to stick their fingers in our pie eventually!"
"Everyone’s doing it!"
On this point, Wei An wouldn’t budge an inch.
Since it was apparently common practice, Bai Mo let him be.
Qin Wen glanced at the clueless Ah Er on the floor, wondering when Bai Mo had started raising a Spirit Beast, and simply said with a smile,
"It’s a rare occasion for you to be back, Shopkeeper. We’ll make preparations tonight to give you a proper welcome..."