Chapter 1253: Better to Be a Dog in Daozhou Than a Man of the Great Wilderness

Jin Wu, disguised and altered, walked alone through the remote mountains, and half a day later arrived at a small mountain hamlet nestled in desolate wilderness.

This small mountain hamlet was a minor marketplace amid chaos.

Tribesmen, displaced or fleeing with crimes upon them, occasionally met here to exchange or trade goods, and to conduct shadowy dealings.

Jin Wu entered the hamlet; the mountain path was narrow, flanked by stalls piled with goods, their vendors all ragged-clad or with cruel, venomous eyes—like snakes—fixing their gaze upon Jin Wu.

Jin Wu paid them no mind; he stared straight ahead, walking steadily forward until he reached the very back, before a deserted little teahouse.

The teahouse was tiny—so small it had only one broken door, a withered wooden sign, and a single tea table.

On the table sat a teapot and two teacups.

There were no other customers, nor any owner.

Jin Wu walked to the tea table, both guest and host, poured himself a cup of tea, sliced his finger, let a drop of blood fall into the cup, then raised it and drank it down in one gulp.

After the cup of tea went down, Jin Wu's entire body trembled.

His skin began to bubble, his muscles began to twist.

The tea water, like a fierce poison, flowed through his blood, swept rapidly through his body, and after a moment seemed to find nothing amiss, then dissolved into faint smoke that drifted from the top of his head.

Jin Wu's skin and flesh gradually returned to their original state.

At the same time, a middle-aged man's voice spoke softly: "Passable. Your flesh bears no marks, and you've drawn no unsavory entities near—"

Jin Wu looked up and saw, without warning, a figure clad in a straw rain cape standing before him.

The figure was short, slightly plump, wearing a conical hat that obscured his face, yet his demeanor still betrayed a gentle, prosperous air.

Jin Wu, as if seeing a "great noble," immediately rose and bowed apologetically: "Elder You, long time no see."

The middle-aged man in the straw cape, called "Elder You," nodded.

But suddenly, a surge of spiritual sense rippled through the air.

It seemed the words "Elder You" had stirred the thoughts of hidden figures.

Elder You, quick-witted and suspicious, immediately changed expression, turned his head—and saw only emptiness. His gaze sharpened, locking onto Jin Wu:

"When you came, did you leave any trace?"

Jin Wu hurriedly replied: "I left no trace whatsoever—I changed clothes twice, replaced my skin twice, altered my flesh and blood, and traveled with utmost caution. No one could possibly have followed me."

Elder You frowned.

He could tell Jin Wu was not lying.

His flesh-transformation technique indeed possessed such ability—no one could leave a mark upon him.

That was precisely why he valued him.

Even if his technique were unreliable, the "Clear Blood Tea" he had made Jin Wu drink would have erased every trace of pursuit—from organs to blood.

This had pushed anti-tracking to its absolute limit.

Relying on Elder You's years of experience as a mole embedded within various factions, it was impossible for anyone to trace him this far.

Unless some "ancient monsters" had acted personally—but such beings were all ancient, cunning, deeply cultivated, lurking in shadows to manipulate grand schemes; they would never deign to handle such trivial tasks as surveillance.

Elder You extended his spiritual sense once more, scanning every corner, every blade of grass, every tree—then finally exhaled softly and sat down across from Jin Wu.

Jin Wu remained bowed, standing stiffly.

Elder You glanced at him and said: "Sit."

Jin Wu waved his hands frantically: "I dare not, I dare not!"

Elder You grew impatient: "Sit."

Only then did Jin Wu sit with utmost reverence—but immediately rose again, fetched another teapot, poured Elder You a full cup, and respectfully said, "Elder, please partake," before bowing again and resuming his seat.

Jin Wu was at the early Foundation Establishment realm; Elder You was also at the early Foundation Establishment realm.

Yet before Elder You, Jin Wu was as humble as a Qi Condensation cultivator.

Elder You glanced at the teacup, lifted it, took a sip, and asked:

"Is everything done?"

Jin Wu replied: "All done."

Seeing Elder You say nothing, he whispered:

"The deal is complete. The Great Chief is dead. Now Lord Lugu is chief of the Tie Shugu Tribe. But the tribe's wealth has been entirely drained." Elder You gave a slight nod.

A brief silence settled over the air.

Seeing this, Jin Wu hesitated, then finally made up his mind and asked softly: "Elder, what about my matter—"

Elder You shot him a sharp look: "Your matter?"

"Yes, yes—" Jin Wu pleaded, "You once promised—graciously offered—that if I completed these tasks wholeheartedly, you would find a way to bring me to Daozhou."

Elder You spoke coolly: "You're so eager to go to Daozhou?"

"Naturally," Jin Wu said, his eyes filled with longing. "Since I could remember, I've yearned for Daozhou. I vowed my entire life must be spent cultivating there."

Here, a suppressed fury flashed in Jin Wu's eyes: "My greatest sin in this life was being born in the wrong womb—I should never have been born in the Great Wilderness."

"The Great Wilderness is savage, ignorant, coarse, vile, steeped in slave mentality—a place for the lowborn to live."

"All my faults stem from my birth—from being born in the Great Wilderness."

"But if I had lived in Daozhou, everything would be different—"

"Daozhou is the sacred land of cultivation, where all cultivate, all are equal, where love and freedom abound, where cultivation resources are inexhaustible, where cultivation arts are boundless, the very center of heaven and earth, like the Morning Star, eternally bright. No one does not wish to go to Daozhou. Only in Daozhou is true cultivation possible; only there can one become a true cultivator—"

"Better to be a dog in Daozhou than a man in the Great Wilderness."

Jin Wu spoke with all his heart, his face alight with yearning.

Yet Elder You, born, raised, and serving as an elder in Daozhou, wore a faintly peculiar expression—mixed with condescension toward ignorance.

After a moment, that condescension transformed into deep approval.

Elder You nodded and sighed: "A man is noble for having ambition. You possess this ambition—you are already far superior to most."

Only someone like you has the qualifications to be born in Daozhou and live in Daozhou.

Jin Wu's face glowed with joy, as if his life's path had been illuminated, and he felt utterly "transcended."

"Elder You, when can I go to Daozhou?" Jin Wu trembled with excitement.

Elder You sipped his tea and said coolly, "No rush—"

But this indifferent remark stirred Jin Wu's emotions; he could not help rising to his feet, his expression frantic.

"Elder You—I cannot afford to wait—"

Jin Wu paced in place, then frowned and said:

"I can't take it anymore—I truly can't take it. I'm sick of the Great Wilderness, sick of these ugly barbarians, sick of this godforsaken place, sick of this coarse food, sick of these stinking barbarian hides, even the air stinks—I'm done—I'm done—"

"My entire life, my only purpose for living is to reach Daozhou."

"Even my cultivation technique was learned for this purpose."

"The ancestral method of shedding flesh and skin, transforming one's appearance, is hard to master; each shedding is excruciating. I've endured it all because I want to go to Daozhou."

"When I reach Daozhou, I will be reborn with new flesh and blood, shed this inferior barbarian skin I was born with, become a Daozhou cultivator, truly be reborn and start anew."

"I've endured too long, too long. If I don't go to Daozhou now, I—I truly can't—"

Elder You gave Jin Wu a cold glance.

Jin Wu instantly calmed, realizing he had lost composure before a "noble one."

Elder You would surely look down on him.

He couldn't help feeling remorse, thinking it must be his base barbarian bloodline that made him lose control and behave so poorly.

Jin Wu quickly apologized: "Please, Elder, forgive me."

Elder You nodded, saying nothing.

Jin Wu fell silent for a moment, but his impatience returned, mixed with lingering fear.

"Elder You, I truly can't stay here any longer."

"I must leave the Great Wilderness as soon as possible."

"I followed your instructions, allied with the Bifang tribe, sowed discord and manipulated events, turning the Grand Chief, who originally only intended to kill, into one who actually ordered the assassination of Lord Lugu."

"After I was captured, I turned the tables and blamed everything on the Grand Chief, provoking Lord Lugu's fury and causing him to lead troops to kill the Grand Chief."

"Now, our deal with the Grand Chief is complete—he is dead, and all evidence is gone."

"I've done everything I was supposed to do. I truly cannot stay any longer. If anyone finds out what I've done, Lord Lugu will tear me apart and eat me—"

"And—and" Jin Wu's face twisted with terror, "Lord Lugu… he seems dead, but he also seems alive. I always feel—he's still haunting me—"

Elder You frowned.

Jin Wu hurried to say: "Truly! Elder You, I'm not making this up. That night, I really saw Lord Lugu—I don't know if he's dead or alive—"

"I have a feeling he'll return, crawl back from hell, and seek revenge on me—"

Jin Wu's face turned as white as paper.

Elder You said coolly, "Life is life, death is death. The boundary between life and death cannot be crossed. Even if you truly saw Lord Lugu, it was likely just some 'reanimated corpse' trickery—don't take it to heart."

Jin Wu slowly nodded, though still shaken.

Elder You's gaze flickered slightly as he reassured him: "Rest easy. I remember everything you've done. Your merits are enough to change your fate, escape this swamp of the Great Wilderness, and be reborn in Daozhou."

Jin Wu's expression brightened with excitement.

"But—" Elder You said, "it's not yet the right time—"

"Then—when will it be?" Jin Wu asked.

Elder You sighed. "It's not that I don't want to take you away. If I could, I'd take you to Daozhou right now. But the mission bestowed upon me by Laozu remains unfulfilled. If I return now, I would have no face to meet Laozu."

Elder You said: "Think—how can I take you to Daozhou when I myself cannot return, burdened as I am?"

Jin Wu paused, pondering, realizing this made sense. "And—" Elder You asked, "is this how you want to go to Daozhou?"

Jin Wu blinked, confused.

Elder You said slowly: "You are a Jin Dan. In the Great Wilderness, you may be an elder, a general—but in Daozhou, with no backing, you're nothing but an ant. Even if Daozhou is your rebirth, going there now means a very ordinary rebirth."

Jin Wu's expression shifted slightly. "Elder, are you suggesting—"

Elder You said: "A person is reborn only once—that cannot change. But the rebirth you are undergoing now can still be altered."

"In the coming turmoil, if you achieve greater merit and help me fulfill Laozu's ancient vow, it will be as if you've shown yourself to Laozu. With a few kind words from me, I can secure you a noble birth. In Daozhou, you'll have a higher platform, saving you centuries of struggle."

"In other words, if you go to Daozhou now, you'll be reborn into a 'commoner' family."

"But if you strive harder, you can be reborn directly into a 'noble' family."

"There is a world of difference between the two."

Rebirth into a noble family in Daozhou—Jin Wu's heart burned hot, his eyes reddening.

Yet a sliver of clarity remained in his mind—he feared Elder You was merely painting him a false picture. "Elder, how long until your task is done?"

Elder You rubbed his fingers slowly. "Not long. Before I came, Laozu foretold that though the Great Wilderness is in chaos, with no clear end, a resolution will come within a few years."

"Though we don't know what that resolution will be, it won't be far off."

"A resolution within a few years—" Jin Wu murmured, his mind turning as he formed a plan.

Jin Wu fell to his knees before Elder You and said solemnly:

"I, Jin Wu, vow to serve you faithfully, to brave fire and water for your Laozu. Please, Elder You, command me as you will."

Elder You helped him up and sighed. "You yourself said Daozhou is a sacred land of cultivation, where all are equal and free—no need to kneel."

Jin Wu, lost in his dreams, rose to his feet, though his knees still trembled.

Elder You pulled out a jade slip and handed it to Jin Wu. "Now, find a way to infiltrate the Wujiu tribe and follow the instructions in this slip."

Jin Wu took the slip, startled. "The Wujiu tribe?"

Elder You nodded. "The Wujiu tribe has vast armies and many generals. Their power is now too great. The future of the Great Wilderness will be shaped by them—so we must prepare early."

Jin Wu nodded. "Yes."

Elder You said with a sincere expression, "Once it's done, I won't treat you poorly. You know I'm a merchant—I've always acted fairly and never shortchanged anyone."

"Once the Old Ancestor's grand plan succeeds, you'll come with me to Daozhou, and I'll personally arrange a glorious future for you."

Jin Wu was overjoyed, so grateful his eyes welled up, and said, "For Elder You, I will go through fire and water!"

Elder You nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Go and attend to your task now."

Jin Wu put away Elder You's jade slip, cupped his fists in farewell, and then left.

Before the tea table, only Elder You remained.

Elder You sat alone drinking tea, watching Jin Wu's departing back from the corner of his eye, his expression somewhat meaningful and profound.

A moment later, he suddenly started, felt at something hidden inside his sleeve, his expression shifted slightly, and then he looked around, his gaze somewhat deep.