I Pick up a Lost Godhood-Chapter 65 - 63: Tongming City

Aunt Lin was a mortal, and it seemed Lin Xiu hadn’t inherited her father’s talent, meaning she would be an ordinary person as well. Relationships between Cultivators and mortals were rarely looked upon with favor, but Lin Ying didn’t care about that. And for all these years, they had lived a very good life.

One could faintly tell that Aunt Lin must have been very beautiful in her youth. Though the years had left their marks, Lin Ying’s gaze held nothing but love for her.

As soon as Wang Meng walked away, Lin Xiu relaxed and began whispering with Suo Ming, as if they had an endless supply of things to discuss.

Only after the two had finished chatting did Lin Ying ask, "Kid, what layer is your cultivation at now?"

"The Sixteenth Layer. I’ll keep working hard!" Suo Ming said.

"Haha, the Sixteenth Layer. That’s quite impressive. It’s good you came. I happen to have some fine materials on hand. I’ll forge you a weapon to take back with you."

"Thank you, Uncle Lin."

"We’re family, no need to be so formal. By the way, how did you end up in Thunderlight Hall? I heard it’s fallen on hard times these past few years."

Lin Ying asked. Currently, Hengshan Hall was the place to be for Body Cultivators.

Suo Ming scratched his head and briefly explained what had happened, which piqued Lin Ying’s curiosity. "A little interesting, haha. No matter where you are, you have to do your best. Don’t bring shame to the Holy Hall."

"Yes, Uncle Lin. Well, I’m going to go check on my boss now."

"Go on."

Lin Ying was left with a nagging question. ’How could someone see through Suo Ming’s Vital Point? It must have been a fluke.’

"Boss, want me to show you around? I know this place like the back of my hand!" Suo Ming said excitedly upon his return.

"You’re not going to chat a little longer?" Wang Meng asked. "I can see this family treats you well."

"Of course! Actually, in the future, once I’ve mastered my skills and can leave the sect, I plan to come here to protect them!"

Suo Ming patted his chest.

So what if he became a Cultivator? They were just stronger people, that’s all. Some had their personalities twisted by their power, while others remained the same as they’d always been.

"Let’s go. We’ll take a look around."

Cities for Cultivators initially served as mere stopping points, places to occasionally trade goods. But they had since evolved into special hubs where anything and everything could be exchanged.

The street where Lin Ying lived was rather unique in Tongming City. A faction of the Holy Hall Sect, led by Lin Yin, accepted mortals, and they constituted a considerable force.

"Boss, the most famous place in any city is always its auction house. The Tongming Auction House has a formidable backer, too. Rumor has it, it’s someone at the Ancestral Master Level."

Whether from a Major Sect or a small school, one had to be at the Fiftieth Layer or higher to qualify as an Ancestral Master.

And without such a figure presiding over it, an auction house could never keep things under control.

Wang Meng wasn’t particularly interested in auctions, but he figured such places were hubs for information. ’It’s been long enough,’ he thought. ’With the power of the Demon God Sect, if they’re going to make a move, they’ve probably reached the Small Thousand World by now.’

’Wangtian isn’t dead, and he definitely won’t let me off the hook. I’m well aware that once I successfully enter the Grand Thousand World, even if I don’t achieve godhood, I’ll be unrivaled. That would be a fatal blow to the traditional Divine Cultivation powers of the Grand Thousand World—especially the Demon God Sect, its number one Major Sect. Even if Wangtian were dead, given his abilities, he would’ve found a way to send word back. I have to be prepared.’

’I’m not worried about them finding me. At least in the Small Thousand World, they’re powerless. But I still need to be ready.’

"Alright, let’s go check it out."

"You got it, Boss! Do you have a lot of Spirit Stones? I heard you guys split a bunch. Is that true?"

"I don’t have many on me, but the rumor is true. And you’re a disciple of Thunderlight Hall now. With your strength, you can definitely receive Spirit Stones too."

Wang Meng said, his gaze sweeping over the people coming and going on the street as scenes from his past flashed through his mind.

In the days he’d spent with Wang Meng, Suo Ming had come to know a completely different kind of person. He hadn’t realized people like this actually existed in the world.

"You’re all good people!" Suo Ming said with a nod.

"Good people?" Wang Meng laughed. He was the furthest thing from a "good person." He simply followed his own code.

"Boss, out here, Holy Hall Contribution points are useless. Spirit Stones are the real currency; they’re accepted everywhere. But don’t flash your wealth. It’s dangerous."

Suo Ming rambled on, worried that Wang Meng was inexperienced.

"We’re two broke guys. What wealth is there to flash?"

"Also, you don’t really have to be afraid of Evil Cultivators. They generally live by the principle of ’I won’t bother you if you don’t bother me.’ But you have to be careful of Demon Cultivators. Some of them practice selfish Magic that harms others for their own benefit, allowing them to devour another person’s Elemental Power to strengthen themselves."

"Then you’d better be careful. Witches have a particular fondness for strapping Saint Cultivators."

Wang Meng teased. A chill ran down Suo Ming’s spine. A Body Cultivator’s Elemental Power was the best kind to plunder.

The Tongming Auction House didn’t just regularly auction off various Cultivation Treasures and resources; it also sold information and posted missions. Places like this generally had a certain degree of credibility, though that credibility was relative. One still had to act within their own capabilities.

Suo Ming loved a lively atmosphere, so the two of them found a corner and sat down. The number of Cultivators in the auction house gradually increased. They were a motley crew of Demon Cultivators, Saint Cultivators, and Evil Cultivators. If not for their ability to conceal their Elemental Power, the three types would be easy to tell apart. However, it was impossible to judge which faction they belonged to.

Beyond the Three Sects and Five Schools, there were countless other types of Sects. The auction house quickly grew boisterous. It was clear that this was a relatively low-level auction, drawing a motley and raucous crowd.

Wang Meng sat quietly, his Divine Sense slowly spreading out to take in the entire situation on the first floor.

"Have you heard? The Mad Sword Sect has thrown in their lot with the Ten Thousand Demons Sect. Now the Ten Thousand Demons Sect is even more powerful."

"The Ten Thousand Demons Sect has been eyeing the Demon Heart Sect’s position as the top dog among Demon Cultivators for a long time now. That business is way above our pay grade, but now the Mad Sword Sect is going to be even more arrogant. They’re already the biggest power in this area. With the Ten Thousand Demons Sect backing them, we’ll really have to watch our step from now on."

"Yeah, a few days ago they brazenly ambushed and killed several visiting Cultivators right outside the city. They’re ruthless and completely out of control."

"There’s nothing to be done. Tongming City is too sensitive of a location for the Three Sects and Five Schools to interfere openly, which just plays right into the Mad Sword Sect’s hands."

"I wonder if there’ll be anything good today."

"You think they’d have the guts to cause trouble here?"

"Probably not. Anyone who can run an auction house has to have significant backing."

"I, for one, would love to see some action."

Wang Meng noticed that the crowd was mostly talking about the Mad Sword Sect, and a good number of them were Loose Cultivators. His Divine Sense began to expand upward, passing through the Second Layer. When it reached the Third Layer, he found it blocked by an Array Technique, but how could something like that possibly stop Wang Meng?

There were only three people on the Third Layer.

"The Mad Sword Sect has been getting way out of line lately. There can be no order without rules! For them to be brazenly ambushing people outside the city like this... they’re clearly trying to send us a message!"

"I heard Pu Ba got his hands on an Ancient Technique with astonishing power. How else would he have caught the eye of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect? We’ll watch and wait for now. If things get truly out of hand, we’ll have to ask the Ancestral Master to intervene."

(Thank you, everyone, for your support this week. Also, I’d like to recommend Ximen Feixue’s *Hall of the Gods*. ^_^)