Chapter Forty-Two: Truly, It Doesn't Devour People

“Is this really a place for cultivators to train?” Wang Changsheng entered the small courtyard, peering at the tangled weeds and overgrown grounds, his voice tinged with doubt. “Is this truly a sect?”

Since he was here, he could only make peace with it. He had already been abducted, and by some twist of fate survived the ordeal, so Wang Changsheng had no choice but to remain for now. In truth, he had no other option—his strength was nowhere near enough to escape.

In Wang Changsheng’s own words, he had never seen a place so filthy and disorderly.

“Even if it’s just the servant’s quarters, it shouldn’t be like this…” He pushed open the door, and was immediately assaulted by a pungent musty odor.

No matter how tightly he pinched his nose, it couldn’t keep the smell out.

“Has this servant’s quarters been uninhabited all along?” Wang Changsheng’s expression was full of suspicion.

“Who says it’s uninhabited?”

Just as he finished speaking, a voice reached his ears. Wang Changsheng turned to see a gaunt, skeletal man rising from the corner of the room.

The man’s hair was matted, his face grimy beyond recognition; Wang Changsheng couldn’t even make out his features. Yet judging by his bone structure, he should still be in his prime.

“And you are…?” Wang Changsheng asked, uncertain.

“I’m the caretaker of the servant’s quarters.” The middle-aged man’s voice was low and gruff. “Just call me Old Mou.”

“Old Mou!” Wang Changsheng immediately clasped his hands in a respectful greeting.

“No need for such formalities!” Old Mou waved his hand dismissively. “There’s only me here in the servant’s quarters now. Not much to do. The only job is to keep yourself plump and well-fed!”

Wang Changsheng: “…”

“Just you alone now?” Wang Changsheng asked nervously. “What about before?”

“Before?” Old Mou’s lips twisted into a sinister, chilling smile. “There used to be at least twenty or thirty people here… When I first arrived, there were still twenty or thirty…”

“And they…” Wang Changsheng’s face twisted into a horrified smile.

Piecing together Old Mou’s words with his own recent experiences, Wang Changsheng started to form a theory—one he felt was dangerously close to the truth.

“The only thing to do… is to keep yourself plump and well-fed…” Wang Changsheng muttered.

“They? They went to serve tea and water to the elders!” Old Mou chuckled.

“What… what?” Wang Changsheng was stunned. “Serve tea and water? That simple?!”

No wonder he didn’t believe it. To fatten oneself up was practically waiting to be slaughtered. And with Old Mou so gaunt and sickly, it was hard to believe those people truly went off to serve the elders.

Besides, if tea and water servers were really needed, it wouldn’t be the lowly servants who were chosen. Serving the elders was a prestigious job—if one did well, they might rise rapidly!

Impossible!

Wang Changsheng truly couldn’t believe it.

“There’s another room next door. Go tidy it up yourself!” Old Mou said. “Don’t bother me unless necessary, and don’t tell me your name—I won’t remember it anyway!”

With that, Old Mou promptly shoved Wang Changsheng out the door and slammed it shut.

“What… what is going on here?” Wang Changsheng was utterly confused.

He had just arrived in the Divine Sky Realm, had yet to grasp its workings, and already found himself abducted to this strange place.

He’d nearly been made a tribute, survived by sheer luck, and now was thrown into the servant’s quarters, only to encounter a caretaker with a muddled mind!

Helpless, Wang Changsheng moved to the adjacent room, only to be greeted by another wave of musty air.

“Can people really live here?” His expression grew increasingly resigned.

Since his second uncle brought him to the cultivation world, nothing had gone smoothly. Once, he was a force to be reckoned with in his own homeland; now, even surviving was a question in this new world.

His pride in his strength had been shattered by the harsh reality of the cultivation world, and now even his life and death were not his own!

After some cleaning, the room was much neater, though the moldy stench lingered stubbornly.

With no other choice, Wang Changsheng opened all the doors and windows, waiting in the courtyard for the smell to dissipate.

Creak—

Two days later, as Wang Changsheng sat in the courtyard, he heard a door open and saw Old Mou emerge from his room, skeletal and sickly, as if death might claim him at any moment.

“Old Mou!” Wang Changsheng called out.

He still had many unanswered questions, but Old Mou’s temperament made him wary of approaching. Now, seeing Old Mou come out, he seized the chance to ask.

But as soon as Wang Changsheng greeted him, Old Mou’s expression turned guarded.

“Who are you? Why are you here?”

“How do you know my name?”

Old Mou was wary, true energy surging around him, as though ready to attack at any moment.

“What… what’s happening?” Wang Changsheng was at a loss. “Could it be Old Mou really is not all there?”

Just two days ago, he had spoken to Old Mou. Although he hadn’t given his name, at least they’d met. Yet Old Mou acted as if he was seeing him for the first time, leaving Wang Changsheng thoroughly confused.

“I am… I am…” Wang Changsheng didn’t know how to explain.

The crucial point was, Old Mou’s true energy was surging!

True energy! At least, he must have broken through the Meridian Opening realm, reached the Elemental Transformation realm; only then does the vital energy gradually become true energy!

In terms of cultivation level and strength, Old Mou was leagues ahead of Wang Changsheng!

Before Wang Changsheng could think of what to say, Old Mou glanced at the neighboring room, withdrew his true energy, and said in a low voice, “No need to explain. You’re new, aren’t you?”

“Yes!” Wang Changsheng replied quickly. “I am…”

Before he could introduce himself, Old Mou interrupted, “No need, I won’t remember anyway.”

“This…”

Wang Changsheng was baffled!

But thinking it over, it seemed Old Mou really was scatterbrained—no matter what was said, he wouldn’t remember it next time.

Ignoring the confused Wang Changsheng, Old Mou kept his head down, hunched, and shuffled out of the courtyard.

“Old…”

Wang Changsheng still had many questions to ask, but when he looked up, Old Mou’s figure had vanished!

“What kind of place is this? Either they want to eat you, or they’re scatterbrained!”

“What kind of sect is this!”

Wang Changsheng was on the verge of tears.

He felt he’d fallen into a pit—and this pit had no bottom!

Wang Changsheng dared not chase after Old Mou. For days, he stayed in the courtyard, not daring to wander. If he met Elder Yun, it would be fine; the elder disliked his weak blood and ignored him. But if he encountered someone indiscriminate, wouldn’t he be eaten alive?

Nearly two hours passed before Wang Changsheng saw a hunched figure appear—it was Old Mou!

When Old Mou returned, he carried a large bundle on his shoulder.

At the sight of the bundle, Wang Changsheng’s expression changed instantly; it closely resembled the sack in which he himself had been abducted.

“Old Mou… did he go out hunting for food?” Wang Changsheng’s face grew darker.

If that were true, then this sect was truly terrifying—from the elders down to the servant’s quarters, everyone ate people!

Old Mou stepped into the courtyard, eyed Wang Changsheng warily. Though his face was too grimy to read, Wang Changsheng could only guess by the look in his eyes.

“Who are you?” Old Mou scrutinized him and asked in a low voice, “Why are you here?”

Wang Changsheng: “…”

He spread his hands. “I’m new, living next door. My surname is Wang, you can call me Old Wang.”

“Hmm, Old Wang next door.” Old Mou actually nodded. “I’ll remember you!”

“Could he really remember…” Wang Changsheng muttered helplessly.

Old Mou paid him no further mind, shouldering his bundle and heading towards his room.

“Oh, this is for you!”

Before entering, Old Mou turned and called Wang Changsheng, then tossed the bundle at his feet. “This is your food.”

Wang Changsheng: “…”

He stepped back, staring at the sack that was roughly the size of a person, on the verge of tears.

“Thank… thank you… thank you!” Wang Changsheng stammered nervously.

“No need for thanks,” Old Mou replied.

“This is fine!” Wang Changsheng quickly said, “It’s better to be polite—he’s yours!”

“No, he’s yours,” Old Mou said solemnly. “This is what the sect allotted to you.”

Wang Changsheng: “…”

Seeing Old Mou’s earnest gaze, Wang Changsheng was at a loss for words. After some thought, his heart was filled with rejection, an absolute refusal that would not be compromised!

“Old Mou… I really…”

“I really… don’t eat people…”