BZZZ BZZZ BZZZ...

Just as he stepped out of the Magic Laboratory, the Sound Transmission Talisman in his robes began to vibrate nonstop.

Chu Mu took out the Sound Transmission Talisman, and a series of urgent voices resounded crystal clear in his mind via his Divine Sense.

The faint smile on Chu Mu’s face instantly vanished, replaced by a grave expression.

’Wang Mazi is being targeted!’

Putting away the Sound Transmission Talisman, Chu Mu hurried out of the Magic Experiment Hall. Upon reaching the Marketplace, he stopped and glanced at the lanterns lining the streets, a flicker in his eyes.

Then, just as always, he found a secluded corner and changed his face and figure several times before re-entering the Marketplace.

He weaved through the D-Class Housing Area for some time before finally stopping in front of a small alley.

Inside the alley, a strange, middle-aged man in a gray robe was looking around. He seemed a bit hesitant when he saw Chu Mu appear.

Chu Mu took out his Sound Transmission Talisman and sent a message. The strange middle-aged man also produced a talisman. A voice sounded from it, and the same voice simultaneously came from the talisman in Chu Mu’s hand.

This strange middle-aged man was undoubtedly Wang Mazi!

"Brother Wang."

Chu Mu stepped forward. "What’s the situation?"

"I’m being targeted. And by more than one group!"

Wang Mazi’s expression was grim.

"I was ambushed the moment I left the Black Market. Luckily, there was more than one group after us... otherwise, I would’ve really been done for this time!"

"There were probably people from the Longevity Sect among them. We’ve likely been making too much noise lately and attracted their attention..."

"The Longevity Sect..."

Chu Mu frowned slightly, though a sense of understanding dawned on him.

After all, their small-time dealings with Grain Avoidance Pills had been fine, amounting to only a few thousand Spirit Stones in total.

But the Vein Nourishing Pills were a different story. He produced thirty furnaces’ worth each time, and even though he only gave Wang Mazi a portion of the output, it had accumulated to eight or nine hundred pills over the past half-year.

A quantity like that could disrupt a market worth over ten thousand Spirit Stones.

Taking someone’s livelihood is like killing their parents.

It was only natural to be watched, spied on, and even ambushed.

In fact, there were surely many people trying to find him, the Alchemist behind it all.

As for the Longevity Sect’s involvement, that was even more expected. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

The Longevity Sect ruled Jade Emperor Valley, so the Black Markets nearby, and indeed the profits made within them, were inextricably linked to the Sect.

He had anticipated all of this. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been living in the Marketplace under his new identity, Li Gang.

"Brother Wang, they didn’t figure out your real identity, did they?"

After a moment of thought, Chu Mu asked again.

"I didn’t slip up this time, but I left too many traces. If someone decides to investigate seriously, I doubt I can stay hidden for long."

Wang Mazi handed over a Storage Talisman. "The materials for this batch are all here. I’ve checked them myself; there are no problems."

"You take this for now. I’ll contact you when the time is right."

As he spoke, Wang Mazi hesitated for a moment before finally asking, "This identity of yours... it’s fake too, right?"

Chu Mu didn’t answer.

"Alright. It’s good that it’s fake."

Wang Mazi let out a huge sigh of relief. "You should change your identity for now, too. Don’t let them follow the trail and find you."

"The Longevity Sect is a massive organization; they won’t care about our petty dealings. The ones targeting us must be certain individuals within this Jade Emperor Valley."

"Those people... they’re as ruthless as they come!"

With that, Wang Mazi said no more and turned to leave.

Chu Mu watched Wang Mazi’s retreating back, his gaze deep and his expression unreadable.

After a moment, Chu Mu looked down at the Storage Talisman in his hand. He swept his Divine Sense over it, inspecting it meticulously from the inside out, before finally placing it inside his robes.

After changing his appearance a few more times, Chu Mu assumed yet another identity.

’Wang Mazi’s last words were right. If it were the Longevity Sect or some major Clan targeting him, given his demonstrated talent for Alchemy, the worst-case scenario upon being found would likely be recruitment or coercion.’

’He’d be forced into a binding contract, either as a Sect Disciple or an Honored Guest Elder for a Clan, and that would be it.’

’But if it was certain individuals from within a Sect or Clan...’

’Wang Mazi’s earlier tragic experience was a clear indicator of what could happen.’

’To lose one’s freedom... that would mean truly becoming someone’s dog, with no will of his own.’

’Wang Mazi had managed to escape because he was just a middleman, not valuable enough to be put under extreme restrictions.’

’But if it were him...’

’The profits from controlling an Alchemist were incomparable to those from a mere middleman.’

’The means used to restrain him would surely be far more than a mere Divine Soul Contract, which was only effective on those in the Qi Cultivation Realm!’

’As for the possibility of it being other Loose Cultivators with ill intentions...’

Chu Mu wasn’t too concerned about that.

’As long as he stayed within a two-hundred-li radius of the Jade Emperor Valley Marketplace, who could possibly barge into Jade Emperor Valley and capture him alive?’

’As for being ambushed within the Marketplace, he was no longer the paper tiger he once was. He had some real substance to him now.’

Clearly, the only threat he truly needed to worry about was that one.

After all, he was currently living right here in Jade Emperor Valley, under the Longevity Sect’s rule.

’If they really found him, they could arrest him under any pretext and do whatever they pleased with him.’

Chu Mu looked up at the sky, where he could faintly make out a transparent membrane of light enveloping the entire valley.

He considered what he would do. ’If a Cultivator from the Longevity Sect really does find me and abuses their authority for personal gain, how can I possibly resist?’

’He seemed to have no way to resist at all. In fact, being inside this Marketplace, there was nowhere for him to even run.’

’Although his Illusion God Mask, an Upper Grade Spiritual Artifact, had powerful disguise capabilities, it wasn’t omnipotent.’

’With the Longevity Sect’s resources, could they really not have Secret Technique Items designed specifically to detect such disguises?’

’They almost certainly did.’

’But for now, at least, thanks to his caution, the identity of Li Gang had absolutely no connection to his true self, Chu Mu.’

’This meant he could shed his skin like a golden cicada at any moment.’

"I need to add another layer of insurance..."

A flicker appeared in Chu Mu’s eyes; a plan had already formed in his mind.

He wandered aimlessly through the Marketplace for a while before finally appearing in a small town to the Northwest.

In the mountains outside the Jade Emperor Valley Marketplace lay nine small towns. The rent was a mere three Broken Spirits, and because they were outside the main Marketplace, the Cultivators who lived there were a motley crew.

Consequently, the Longevity Sect’s administration of these towns was merely superficial.

By paying a single Lower Grade Spirit Stone, Chu Mu bypassed the Longevity Sect’s local administration and, using a brand-new identity, rented a residence in Yuning Town, Northwest of the Marketplace.

With the creation of this new identity, the persona of Li Gang was temporarily retired.

A new identity, a new home.

Amidst the bleak desolation of early winter, an inconspicuous Loose Cultivator took up residence in Yuning Town. It seemed to be the start of another new journey...

...