Jiang Hao still didn’t turn back. They kept walking at their usual pace. The people in front of them had moved aside due to fear of getting involved. This worked perfectly in their favour.
The bulky man clenched his fists tightly. He didn’t like getting ignored, but he still didn’t attack them.
"If you are so brave, then stay in the city for a while." After saying that, the bulky man who was in the Soul Sea realm flew up and left, leaving the two women, who were in Foundation Establishment realm, behind.
Jiang Hao sighed. Some fools would always be fools. Their useless pride becomes their end, and they don’t die alone, but drag their whole family with them.
No matter who this man would bring, it wouldn’t change anything. If they were too strong for him, then senior Yao could take care of them. She wouldn’t let a junior like him face old seniors, right?
There was one more noticeable thing that had happened. He didn’t feel the gaze on him anymore. Did they leave because he killed the handler, or because the people of Ling Clan were coming here? He wasn’t sure of it.
He had already heard the whispers of people standing nearby him, so he knew about Ling Clan now.
He wondered if the fate of the city had changed somehow or not. Although inwardly he doubted that. Fate would have considered this occurrence in its mechanism already.
Now that he thought of it , he really felt a little sour for playing in the hands of fate. Nonetheless, he got over it quickly. They arrived at the gates.
The guards didn’t react rudely just because of what had happened. They let them pass, and since it was evident they were cultivators... they were given free pass.
Seeing cultivators in other cities which are not on the border of Dark Forest isn’t rare, but not casual either.
Jiang Hao could already see that there were very few cultivators here, and all were low level. Looks like there was nothing in this city which could attract cultivators.
After entering, the first thing that entered his eyes were small vendors who were selling various stuffs, but mostly food. When he used to visit the city with others, their favourite thing was eating.
He sighed and side-glanced at Yao Ying. "Senior, would you like to eat something?"
Although mortal food isn’t something which interests cultivators, he was eating just to relive some memories.
"Sure." Yao Ying nodded.
Jiang Hao was a little surprised, as he thought she might decline.
He went to a vendor who was selling some meat skewers and purchased two. He gave a silver coin and took the change back. The shopkeeper bowed happily.
Jiang Hao was a little lost seeing that smile, but he didn’t mull over it for long.
He came back and handed one skewer to senior Yao and took a bite of his own. The flavours and crispiness were just right. It really felt a little nostalgic.
"What do you think of mortals?" Yao Ying spoke while taking a bite out of the skewer.
Jiang Hao didn’t answer immediately. He looked towards all the mortals... some were sad, some were happy, some were nonchalant, but most of them seemed content with what they had.
If he had to think in the perspective of the question, then he had a different opinion. He thought them helpless.
Those who didn’t have any way to become strong—they are weak not because they want to be, but because they don’t have the choice to become strong.
Yao Ying nodded. "They are helpless indeed, but do you know what the most amusing part is? Till now I have read many fates—mortals and cultivators alike—but the most content with their lives were mortals in general.
Even if they live only for 100 years, most of them are happy with it as long as they can live securely."
Jiang Hao nodded. He understood her implications.
It’s not those who are strong and have better and longer life who are content with their situation, but those who accepted their fate are.
"Do you know, it is not that no one had ever tried to help mortals... some seniors from lower worlds had studied some unique treasures which could refine bodies to imbue mortals with spiritual roots. They wanted to develop a cultivation technique which completed this process first before stepping into Qi Refinement stage.
But in the end, they failed. No method was able to create a genuine spiritual root. But this didn’t stop them—they started creating a new cultivation technique.
A technique which didn’t require absorbing qi from nature. If they were successful, then mortals wouldn’t even need spiritual roots to cultivate.
They even succeeded in creating the basic stage of technique, but the results weren’t as they expected.
The technique used consumption of a spirit herb or beast meat—anything that contains qi can be eaten. Once the qi entered the stomach, you use a set of breathing techniques which allows you to move the qi towards other parts of your body.
But there was one thing they had discarded—spirit qi in itself is violent. There is a reason why concentration in handling it is very important. Spiritual roots didn’t only help to sense the spirit qi, but also made it a little docile enough to move through meridians.
For a mortal who can’t even sense it, how is he going to move a violent qi through his body? Breathing techniques just give you basic control—they can’t be totally compatible with everyone’s body. In the end, everyone has a different structure.
So since they weren’t able to control it, the violent qi tore through their bodies, killing them on the spot.
This was the last time before they gave up, because everyone understood that although spiritual roots wither later on in cultivation, their initial requirement is a must to even step on the path of cultivation.
So in the end, everyone stopped helping mortals... they are seen as cursed—whom Heavens have banished from the normal route—but look here, these mortals who are cursed are far more content with their lives than even the strongest cultivators in the whole world..."
Jiang Hao was stunned. So there were some people who had gone as far as to create a proper cultivation technique for mortals. They must have wasted most of their lives in it.
Even though they failed, he must say that they were quite magnanimous in their ways.
"So what do you think... are mortals really cursed, or is it cultivators who are cursed?" Yao Ying took another bite and asked.
After listening to her story, Jiang Hao thought deeply. This question wasn’t as simple as it looked.