Chapter 2211 — Hidden Dragons and Crouching Tigers

"Indeed! Exactly so!" The local expert nodded. "That's why this task has so many Yellow Rank rogue cultivators flocking to it. Getting your hands on a Spirit Gathering Pill is as good as a guaranteed promotion to the Black Rank. A temptation like that, heh heh..."

"The Tagan family has an alchemist?" Wei Zhao asked.

Although the Spirit Gathering Pill was only a Yellow Rank first-grade pill, it was a Yellow Rank first-grade pill of exceptionally high quality, far harder to refine than a Spirit Gathering Pellet. Only an alchemist at the Yellow Rank second-grade level could possibly succeed at refining one; a mere Yellow Rank first-grade alchemist had almost no chance of success.

"Heh heh, naturally!" The local expert nodded. "The Tagan family's alchemist is not only a Yellow Rank second-grade alchemist, but also possesses an artificer's constitution. Word has it he's been delving into the mysteries of artifice..."

"An artificer? Really? Hasn't the way of artifice been lost to this world long ago?" Wei Zhao's eyes widened in surprise.

Wei Zhao's astonishment seemed routine to the local expert. Chuckling, he said, "That's right, but the Tagan family's alchemist does have an artificer's constitution. If he didn't study artifice, it would be a waste of his gift, so he's researching it. He may not be able to forge divine weapons, but he can still produce small trinkets—first- and second-grade pill cauldrons, for instance. Only a third-grade alchemist could make those, yet with his second-grade alchemist strength and his special constitution, he can produce them as well."

"So this fellow is quite formidable!" Though Wei Zhao could not tell whether the local expert's words were true or false, this little town of Ruileida was indeed a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers!

"Naturally." The local expert nodded. "And that is precisely why the Tagan family is the strongest of the three great families in Ruileida Town. With an alchemist holding the seat of power, cultivators flock to them in great numbers. I don't know their exact strength, but I fear they must have at least Earth Rank experts among them!"

"Earth Rank experts..." Wei Zhao had underestimated Ruileida Town before this.

"Quite so. Moreover, because of their partnership with Red Conch, the Tagan family's coffers run deep. Their alchemist specially invented a method of purifying and refining a drug for Red Conch, one that boosts both purity and yield. In return, Red Conch naturally never fails to give the Tagan family its annual cut," the local expert said.

"An alchemist purifying narcotics..." Wei Zhao frowned. Many alchemists disdained such work, yet this Tagan family alchemist had stooped to it. It seemed the families and cultivators here did not play by the rules at all.

"What's so strange about that? The Lu family even has cultivators keeping watch over the venues for the Fire Wolf Gang!" the local expert laughed.

"But if the Tagan family has such experts, why recruit adventurers to help?" Wei Zhao asked, puzzled.

"That's simple enough. Catching spirit beasts is dangerous work; who would want to risk the family's core strength? If the Tagan family's cultivators were all injured, would the other two families not kick them while they were down? Would the Fire Wolf Gang just sit by and watch?" the local expert said. "So the simplest way is to offer a reward and hire help. If it succeeds, every participant gets a Spirit Gathering Pill; if it fails, every participant gets five Spirit Gathering Pellets. Of course, anyone who flees the field gets nothing. A reward like that is enough to make plenty of cultivators risk their lives!"

"That makes sense!" Wei Zhao nodded.

The local expert then rambled on, explaining the situation in Ruileida Town and how to find the Tagan family, among other things. Wei Zhao's money had not been spent in vain.

After Wei Zhao and Sun Jingyan finished their meal, they prepared to cross the border under the local expert's arrangements.

The local expert did have plenty of news, but it was all surface-level knowledge. Of the deeper, more specific matters he knew nothing, so Wei Zhao had only gained a rough picture.

If Wei Zhao had been alone, crossing the border would have been no trouble at all, but with Sun Jingyan in tow, having the local expert escort them was the best choice.

Sure enough, the local expert knew the border terrain like the back of his hand. He led Wei Zhao to a river of unfathomable depth, and soon a speedboat came gliding over from nearby, neatly slipping past the patrols. The boat belonged to the local expert's people; after a few words with him, they took Wei Zhao and Sun Jingyan aboard.

"When you come back, meet me here again and give me a call. You can get a cell signal on that side too. This is the number—call ahead and I'll arrange a time to pick you up. The fare is still the agreed fifteen thousand," the local expert told Wei Zhao.

"All right." Wei Zhao nodded. Still, now that he knew the way, a river of this size would pose no difficulty for him. He might not have mastered any legendary art of walking on water, but if he tossed a plank onto the surface, he could leap up and, using the plank for support, carry Sun Jingyan across the river entirely.

The man steering the speedboat said little. He simply ferried Wei Zhao and Sun Jingyan across, then sped away. By now, Wei Zhao and Sun Jingyan were standing on the soil of Ruileida Town.

The Thunder Pig, meanwhile, was stowed in a bag Wei Zhao carried. No one suspected anything, taking it for his luggage.

Beyond the jungle lay a town somewhat like the previous one, except that all the buildings preserved a classical artistic style—quaint and antique, thoroughly rustic. It was night now, yet the nightlife here was rich and lively. Taverns and brothels were all open for business, and the streets were bustling—a far cry from the lawless town Wei Zhao had imagined!

In truth, though there was no government administration here, because the town was the territory of the three great families and the two gangs, its security was jointly managed by those five powers. So the law and order here was not as bad as one might imagine.

Besides these five powers, the town held any number of small families and minor factions, large and small, as well as many tourists who came from the kingdom beyond. This was a paradise for criminals seeking refuge, a paradise for adventurers chasing handsome bounties, and at the same time a paradise for those tourists!

Food, drink, whoring, gambling, and drugs—the town had it all. So when Wei Zhao and Sun Jingyan, two outsiders, arrived, they drew no particular attention; they were merely solicited along the way by the staff of nightclubs, casinos, and taverns.

The Ruileida Town Adventurers' Guild was where adventurers who came here registered. Missions were posted here all year round—some issued by the three great families and the two major gangs, and others by ordinary folk.