They didn't stay in the teahouse for long before a waiter politely asked them to leave, claiming all the seats were full.
Lanshan looked back and said, "This teahouse is even more of a rip-off. Five Spirit Stones for one table for a day."
The two left the teahouse, and Bai Mo asked:
"So this Mountain Entrance Map... is it very valuable?"
He had only heard of it before but didn't know the specifics.
Lanshan explained, "Celestial Barrier Mountain is massive. The territories of Demon Beasts border one another, but there are always relatively safe paths between them."
"The Mountain Entrance Map records these very routes. Moreover, it often marks treasure-filled locations—locations that can be sustainably harvested."
Bai Mo took a sharp breath.
"This is the foundation of the Li family's power?"
Lanshan nodded in satisfaction but then added:
"As long as there are no major changes among the Demon Beasts along the route, the Mountain Entrance Map doesn't need to be updated. But if there are... well, then it has to be readjusted."
Bai Mo understood what he meant.
Conditions in the mountains were always changing, so the Mountain Entrance Map needed constant updates.
Furthermore, something could happen to the treasured locations, causing the route to lose much of its value.
Seeing that Bai Mo understood, Lanshan said, "In truth, for a Demon Hunting Team like ours, we only get a Mountain Entrance Map for a relatively safe route."
"We can't enjoy the riches it points to for long. It's nowhere near enough to support ourselves."
"Why is that?" Bai Mo asked.
"Shopkeeper Bai, do you know how they scout the routes again when there's a change?"
Before Bai Mo could respond, Lanshan continued:
"House slaves. Once people are registered as slaves, they're much easier to control. They send them to test the waters, and they do it with all their might."
"We don't have such methods."
...
Lanshan planned to keep watch day and night. If someone was really going to make the first move, it would most likely be at night.
It would only take an hour. As long as the enforcement squad held back for an hour before arriving, the Li Mansion could be plundered clean.
If things went smoothly, it might not even take half an hour.
Naturally, Bai Mo had no intention of stubbornly standing guard with them and left ahead of time.
Before Bai Mo left, Lanshan gave him a tip.
"The foundation of a great family isn't just the Mountain Entrance Map. They have even more books and records. I've heard they have some decent Pill Books and Pill Formulas."
It was only then that Bai Mo learned the Li Mansion actually kept quite a few medicinal apprentices.
Following the route from memory, Bai Mo casually strolled back to his shop.
'The Li family's Patriarch can kill a Tier Two Demon Beast. It's too dangerous for me to get involved.'
'How much could I possibly gain in the middle of all that chaos?'
He glanced at the sun. Seeing that it was getting late, he decided against opening the shop after all.
He bought some groceries from a street stall on his way back to his residence.
Just as he was washing the vegetables and rinsing the rice, he heard his neighbor's footsteps.
Bai Mo looked up and saw his neighbor, the young man who bought Talismans.
"Shopkeeper Bai, has your landlord come looking for you?"
Bai Mo shook his head. Other than when he came to collect rent, he almost never saw Elder Tao.
"What's wrong?"
The young man said with some irritation, "An odd-jobs disciple from the Miaofa Sect came to see me."
"For what?"
"They want to take back this shop."
Bai Mo was startled. "When your family first leased this shop, how many years was it for?"
The young man said, "My father leased it for twenty years straight. There are still three years left on the lease, but they're willing to offer compensation!"
Bai Mo's mind was in turmoil. 'This doesn't sound like it's only targeting my neighbor.'
"What are you going to do about it?"
The young man waved his hand dismissively and walked off, lost in his own thoughts.
"I'll try to pull some strings. If it doesn't work, I guess we won't be neighbors anymore."
Bai Mo found it strange. 'Why is the Miaofa Sect taking back these shops? What are their plans for the future?'
Since his own interests were at stake, Bai Mo couldn't remain indifferent. His mind a tangled mess, he finished washing the vegetables, only to see Elder Tao.
Elder Tao also looked like he had something on his mind.
Seeing this, Bai Mo's heart sank.
'If this is happening all over the city, I'll have to find a way to pull some strings and lease a new shop.'
'Finding a satisfactory one will be a winding road with no guarantee of success.'
"Elder Tao, is there something important?"
Seeing Bai Mo's concerned expression, Elder Tao sighed and said:
"You've heard the rumors?"
Bai Mo nodded. "I just don't understand why the Miaofa Sect is doing this."
As he spoke, he carried the vegetables and white rice and invited him inside.
One of the chairs in the room had been destroyed when the thugs from the Li Mansion snuck in.
Bai Mo had no choice but to offer him the seat while he himself remained standing.
"From now on, the sect's management of Immortal Arrival City will be very different."
"We won't talk about simple residences. For businesses like yours that are open to the public, shops will be divided into three tiers."
"And different tiers of shops will be charged different rents."
Bai Mo's brow furrowed immediately.
"What about the street stalls?"
Elder Tao said, "Don't even think about it. Their stall fees are exorbitant. In the long run, it's in no way comparable to having a proper shop."
'This is cutting off the livelihood of most of the Loose Cultivators in the city.'
"The regulations will be much stricter from now on. Your shop will probably be ranked in the lowest tier, but you'll still have to pay fifty Spirit Stones a month."
Bai Mo's eyes widened, and he almost burst out cursing.
'How many shops in this city have a gross monthly profit of less than fifty Spirit Stones?'
'Even if I could afford it, I'd just be drinking the broth. The Miaofa Sect would still be eating the meat.'
Elder Tao took in Bai Mo's expression and said:
"The reason I came is actually to ask if you still want to rent this shop from me in the future. As a private arrangement between us."
Bai Mo's spirits lifted, and he quickly asked, "Elder Tao, you have a way?"
"Mhm, my son was part of the Miaofa Sect. Though he's gone now, I still have some of the connections from back then."
Elder Tao said, "This place is still registered as a residence. That way, your shop won't be officially tiered, though you'll be at a bit of a disadvantage when it comes to competition."
"Also, the future rent will have to increase to thirty-five Spirit Stones. Otherwise, it'll be very difficult for me to manage."
Bai Mo was, of course, more than happy to agree.
As for competing with others in the same trade, he wasn't too concerned.
'Pills are something that rely more on word-of-mouth. With my skills, once customers use my products, they'll know that everything else out there is just flashy trash.'
Initially, the old man wanted to collect a deposit in advance, but Bai Mo had no spare funds. After much persuasion, he managed to delay it for another half-month.
Just before leaving, Elder Tao paused.
"Is there a family with the surname Li in the city? The one whose affairs have caused a big stir?"
Bai Mo was taken aback, not understanding why he had suddenly brought it up.
"There is such a family."
"I heard this family is involved with a group of bandit cultivators wanted by the sect. The enforcement squad is planning to use them as bait to lure out those hiding in the mountains."
"Don't get involved if you don't have to. It would be bad if you got caught in the crossfire."
After saying that, Elder Tao finally left.
But Bai Mo's mind felt like it had been struck by lightning.
'That's it!'
'At such a critical moment, why did the Li family's Patriarch enter Celestial Barrier Mountain? It probably wasn't to kill someone, but to contact his allies!'
Bai Mo paced back and forth on the spot, quickly forming his own theory.
'He probably saw that his men were late in reporting back, which is why the Li family's Patriarch decided to risk the trip himself.'
'But he was ambushed right after entering the mountain, which led to his current predicament.'
With a flip of his hand, the jade stone he had taken from the thug appeared in his palm.
'This jade stone... could it be the token used to contact the bandit cultivators?'
He raised the jade stone and examined it closely.
'If that's true, then the room for maneuvering here... is huge!'
'But how can I confirm it? Did the Li family's Patriarch manage to contact them or not?'