Chapter 145: Channels for Information

Despite his youthful appearance, Chen Mu exuded a chilling and murderous aura completely unbefitting a fifteen-year-old boy. At a single glance, he looked like a ruthless executioner whose hands were stained with blood.

How could such a gaze belong to a mere youth? Consequently, everyone assumed that Chen Mu was deliberately putting on a youthful facade to trick and lower the guard of cultivators who had just stepped into the path of cultivation.

As to why he would do this, they offered various speculations. For instance, they guessed that Chen Mu must be a rogue cultivator with meager strength, which was why he constantly engaged in ambushing and hunting down low-tier cultivators. That would easily explain the faint aura of slaughter lingering around him.

With this thought, the onlookers felt even more contempt for Chen Mu. How could such scum, who preyed exclusively on cultivators weaker than himself, ever catch their eye? Of course, all of this was entirely a product of the townsfolk's active imaginations.

Chen Mu was completely unaware that the contrast between his attire and the aura of prolonged slaughter he carried had provoked such wild conjectures among the cultivators the moment he entered the city gates. Nor did he care what others thought; the only thing he wanted to know right now was whether there were any reliable factions nearby that he could join.

He had no idea where to go to gather information on various sects recruiting disciples. Pondering over it, he recalled that back in the Yuanyao Continent, apart from information brokers, teahouses were major hubs for gathering intelligence. After all, all sorts of people frequented teahouses to chat idly, and the waiters, running back and forth constantly, were bound to overhear bits and pieces of news.

Therefore, one could usually acquire desired information by bribing a teahouse waiter. Naturally, such intelligence would only concern trivial matters; otherwise, the patrons drinking tea would never discuss important secrets out in the open.

With this in mind, Chen Mu sought out a teahouse and walked straight inside. As soon as he entered, several cultivators sized him up, all of them finding his attire utterly bizarre.

However, the patrons drinking tea in this modest establishment were not high-tier cultivators—at best, they were at the Origin Dan or Origin Infant realm. Initially, upon seeing Chen Mu dressed in mortal garments and looking so young, they assumed he was some wet-behind-the-ears rookie at the Origin Meridian realm. Such a fledgling coming to a teahouse to drink tea instead of properly cultivating naturally failed to win any favor among the crowd.

After all, how many low-grade origin stones could an Origin Meridian cultivator possibly possess? He certainly wouldn't even be able to afford a single cup of spirit tea.

Thus, this teahouse did not welcome fledgling newcomers to the cultivation world. But when the people inside probed Chen Mu's cultivation level and sensed that his aura fell within the Origin Dan realm, they dropped any intention of giving him a hard time, merely finding it bizarre that someone who had reached the Origin Dan realm could be so destitute as to wear clothes made for mortals.

Chen Mu found a seat, ordered a cup of spirit tea, and began to sip it slowly. This single cup of tea cost him thirty low-grade origin stones, which gave him a slight pang of heartache. Back in Zhutai City, Xue Tian had been the host, so he hadn't paid attention, but now he fully grasped just how exorbitant the prices were on the Bixiao Continent.

He could say with certainty that thirty origin stones were at least what an Origin Meridian cultivator earned from sect-allotted resources over several months. No wonder not a single Origin Meridian cultivator could be seen coming here for tea.

Chen Mu drank his tea quietly, but halfway through, he realized things were not going as smoothly as he had hoped.

The cultivators with slightly higher cultivation levels all used sound-isolation techniques when conversing, making it completely impossible to overhear the content of their discussions.

If even he couldn't hear them, how could the waiter? The waiter appeared to be nothing more than a young man at the Origin Foundation realm, with strength even lower than his own.

Back on the Yuanyao Continent, very few people used sound-isolation techniques. Firstly, the general level of cultivation was too low, and secondly, records concerning such methods were genuinely scarce.

During his time on the Yuanyao Continent, only Rou'er had used sound-isolation in her room to hide her secrets, and of course, Xue Tian had used it as well. But that was simply because neither Rou'er nor Xue Tian were native living beings of the Yuanyao Continent, meaning they naturally understood far more than the indigenous people there.

Chen Mu felt rather depressed. It seemed he would not be able to glean any useful intelligence. He had never expected that almost the majority of cultivators on the Bixiao Continent would know sound-isolation techniques. It seemed this cup of tea had been drunk in vain.

Of course, the tea itself tasted exceptionally good. Furthermore, it was infused with numerous spiritual materials; not only did it have a superior flavor, but it also possessed the effect of accelerating the absorption of origin energy. Once it entered his stomach, he could clearly feel that his body was absorbing origin energy much faster than usual, making it quite beneficial for cultivation.

However, Chen Mu did not place his mind on this. Instead, he wanted to gather intelligence regarding the various factions recruiting disciples. After all, if he wanted to find a path to acquire cultivation resources, he had to join some faction.

Unless he could produce some previous items to sell and sustain himself, but everything he carried on him was far too valuable to be put on the market—unless it was something like alchemy.

Although Rou'er had previously taught him alchemy, he could only refine first-grade pills for the Origin Meridian realm. Though he had once intended to learn alchemy seriously, all his time had been consumed by revenge, and by now his study of alchemy had been completely shelved.

Therefore, the path of refining pills and then selling them was a dead end. After all, first-grade pills used by Origin Meridian cultivators were practically worthless here, and on the Bixiao Continent, an Origin-Enhancing Pill used to forge an Origin Foundation for an Origin Meridian cultivator cost only two low-grade origin stones. Such a cheap price thoroughly dispelled Chen Mu's notion of selling pills.

He could only sigh. Since covert inquiry was out of the question, he had no choice but to ask where in this city one could gather intelligence. Having not a single acquaintance here, he had to bite the bullet, call the waiter over, and question him.

Summoned by Chen Mu, the waiter walked over unhurriedly, clearly wearing an expression that did not take Chen Mu seriously.

After all, the proprietor backed this place, and Chen Mu's impoverished appearance screamed of someone lacking origin stones. If not for the fact that he possessed the Origin Dan realm, he wouldn't even have been allowed inside.

Seeing the waiter approach, Chen Mu inquired, "May I ask if there is any place nearby for gathering intelligence, such as places tracking recent events? I have just arrived in Kun'an City and am unfamiliar with the situation within the city. Since I am a stranger here, I wish to find a place where I can understand such information."

Although the waiter's expression remained neither servile nor overbearing, he held the utmost contempt for Chen Mu and replied, "A place to gather intelligence? Just give me ten low-grade origin stones as a tip, and I'll tell you, patron."

Chen Mu frowned. He was merely asking for a place known to everyone in the city, and yet he had to pay a tip? The information he was asking for was not something that genuinely required deep investigation; he simply didn't know because he was an outsider. Anyone could answer such a question by simply asking a random person on the street, yet the waiter still demanded a tip?

Chen Mu said coldly, "You want a tip for something anyone can answer by asking a random person? Never mind then. Once I step out of the teahouse, I'll just ask someone on the street."

Seeing that he wouldn't profit, the waiter also deemed Chen Mu utterly stingy. Stripping away his previous unservile-yet-subservient mask, he sneered, "You come to a teahouse to drink tea without any origin stones? One look at your impoverished appearance tells me you're some wild, rootless rogue cultivator crawling out of who-knows-what ditch. Why don't you look in a mirror—do you really think someone of your caliber has the face to enter our Kun'an City? If you don't have origin stones, get out and stop being an eyesore here."

Chen Mu's aura gradually escalated, though he still refrained from acting out. After all, there were Origin Infant realm cultivators present, and the proprietor himself clearly possessed a higher cultivation level than him.

Moreover, resorting to violence would likely draw the intervention of the city's law enforcement patrols, and the one who would end up in trouble then would be himself.

However, Chen Mu was not someone to be bullied so easily. He said coldly, "Is this the hospitality of your teahouse? A mere lackey at the Origin Foundation realm dares to disregard us Origin Dan cultivators. You truly are lawless. I have never seen such an arrogant Origin Foundation cultivator. I suppose the master of this teahouse must be some heaven-shaching figure? On one hand, you take money from us Origin Dan cultivators, while secretly holding us in contempt. You sure run a brisk business."

Hearing these words, many Origin Dan cultivators furrowed their brows. They had been observing Chen Mu's table earlier, and indeed, the Origin Foundation waiter had been far too arrogant.

Although Chen Mu looked destitute, an Origin Foundation lackey dared to show disrespect toward Origin Dan cultivators. For a low-tier cultivator to disregard someone a whole major realm above them was a grave offense. This waiter had practically offended every single Origin Dan cultivator present.

The waiter immediately felt a barrage of icy glares cast upon him by numerous Origin Dan cultivators. If not for the strict ban on killing within the city, this waiter would already be a dead man.

The waiter panicked slightly, knowing full well that he had spoken out of turn. With his low strength, he had been unable to probe Chen Mu's exact cultivation level. Chen Mu simply looked too poor and too young, leading the waiter to assume he couldn't possibly have reached the Origin Dan realm, guessing him to be at most an Origin Foundation cultivator.

He hurriedly explained, "I don't hold Origin Dan cultivators in contempt. It's just that you lack origin stones, which is why I spoke that way."

Chen Mu sneered and retorted, "I lack origin stones? Did I not pay for this cup of spirit tea? How do you know I lack origin stones? I merely asked you for a widely known location, and you actually demanded payment from me. Since you treated this as a transaction, I can choose not to make it. You didn't tell me the answer I wanted, and I didn't pay you—that's fair, isn't it? After all, I can ask anyone at random on the street for this kind of thing; why should I pay you to find out? Just because I didn't give you ten low-grade origin stones, you dared to offend an Origin Dan cultivator a whole major realm higher than you? And you claimed I had no origin stones and wanted to chase me out? The waiter of this teahouse is certainly overbearing; it seems you completely disregard us Origin Dan cultivators. Do you know that if not for a proprietor stronger than me backing you and the strict ban on killing in Kun'an City, you would already be a corpse? I expect the proprietor to give me an explanation. Does this waiter represent the stance of your entire teahouse?"

Hearing Chen Mu's words, the waiter's face turned as pale as a sheet in an instant. Cold sweat streamed down his back as he realized with certainty that he was doomed.

Merely because of Chen Mu's words, this corner of the teahouse had turned the waiter into a public enemy of every single Origin Dan cultivator present. It had effectively placed him in opposition to all cultivators at and above the Origin Dan realm in the entire teahouse, as even the Origin Infant experts despised the behavior of a lower-realm cultivator looking down on a superior one.

At this moment, many Origin Dan cultivators let out cold huffs, expressing their displeasure with the matter as they waited for the teahouse's master to step out and offer an explanation.

If they were not given a satisfactory reply, they would immediately shake off their robes and leave, vowing never to drink tea in this establishment again.

The waiter was now kneeling on the ground in sheer terror, completely at a loss. At that moment, a middle-aged man walked out, cupping his fists and bowing apologetically to the assembled cultivators: "Fellow Daoists, this is merely a misunderstanding. Our establishment holds no intention of looking down upon Origin Dan cultivators. I must ask this young brother not to pin such a heavy charge on us. It is true that this waiter was somewhat greedy for petty gains; failing to discern the young brother's cultivation and throwing his weight around behind our establishment's backing, he indeed deserves his punishment. But to say that my teahouse disregards all Origin Dan cultivators is going rather too far, isn't it?"

"Oh? Then you mean your target was just me? Those who look like they have origin stones are flattered, while those who look poor are told to scram—is that what you mean?" Chen Mu taunted. "How do you know I lack origin stones? I never expected a mere teahouse to be so snobbish. So an Origin Dan cultivator like me is supposed to scram just because of your waiter's whim? In the future, I must tell others how a mere teahouse can drive away an Origin Dan cultivator just because they assume the person lacks origin stones. What a magnificent tale that will be for Kun'an City."

The primary clientele of such teahouses consisted of Origin Dan cultivators. Who would ever believe that an Origin Dan cultivator wouldn't have the origin stones to buy tea?

Once these rumors spread, this teahouse would undoubtedly be forced to close down.