New concept of the mysterious way to ascend to immortality

Chapter 163 A Temple in Cat Street

"Following the address provided by the chairman, I successfully contacted an organization in [Cat Street]. There is a black market dealer there who can provide all kinds of individual weapons you need, and he is known as 'A-Miao of Cat Street'. They not only provide individual weapons, but also have a lot of other illegal businesses. Because the details were too exaggerated, I was worried about encountering a scammer, so I did not finalize the negotiation intention immediately, but instead chose to inquire about 'A-Miao' in the vicinity."

Yuan Zhu asked, puzzled, "How exaggerated is it? He's just a black market merchant, isn't he?"

Zheng Hao tried hard to recall: "I didn't meet A Miao in person, but in a bar called 'Cat House,' I met one of his capable subordinates, who was also the bar owner. He seemed to be exaggerating, saying that the services 'Cat Street' could provide included: private arms customization, tactical training in firearms, border (coastline) smuggling, contraband smuggling, explosives hiring services, counterfeiting, theft and stolen goods disposal, robbery and escape route planning and subsequent intelligence erasure services, anti-language blessing rituals, special types of alcohol, rare animal trafficking, private detectives... After hearing this, would you choose to believe it or doubt it?"

Yuan Zhu nodded without hesitation: "The other party is lying!"

Zheng Hao nodded: "That's what I thought at the time too. So instead of rushing into a deeper conversation, I investigated and inquired about information about [Cat Street] through other channels."

"Oh? You have other channels?"

"I initially joined the Wishing Society because I was interested in 'safe and stable' supernatural powers. However, the high priest of the Old White Feather Society lacked real skills and relied entirely on unsafe evil sacrifices to please unknown evil spirits. The risks were too high, so I didn't continue. Besides the Wishing Society, I also investigated other secret societies, but the entry requirements were too high for me to join. However, I did meet a very capable detective. I spent a small amount of money to hire this guy."

Yuan Zhu: "What was the result?"

Zheng Hao: "According to the investigation, this [Cat Street Temple] has always had a good reputation and is very powerful and has many connections. He travels between [Taixi] and [Running] for many years and always manages to bring back a large amount of contraband. He regularly holds internal black market transactions in the [bar]. Almost all the services that the boss boasted about have been confirmed."

"However, [Cat House] does not actively participate in criminal activities such as robbery and kidnapping, but provides peripheral services. These include, but are not limited to: helping robbers plan their escape, preparing escape vehicles in advance, and arranging boats. [Cat House]'s main business focuses on: selling prohibited alcoholic beverages, counterfeiting, selling stolen goods, intelligence investigation, smuggling, human trafficking, trading in rare animals, arms, etc."

Yuan: "With such extraordinary abilities, being able to travel between two cities and do business back and forth, didn't you get noticed by the [Security Bureau]?"

Even an innocent victim like himself is being dragged into the security bureau for testing by investigators. How can such a heinous criminal, who has committed countless crimes, escape punishment?
Zheng Hao: "A Miao is a very smart person. He never participates in illegal activities himself, but directs from behind the scenes. At the same time, the business of [Cat House] sounds outrageous, taking on any kind of order. But he is very restrained, never crossing the line, and keeping his business within three streets near [Cat Street], never expanding. In addition to selling illegal alcohol and regularly holding black markets, [Cat House] provides long-term and stable 'stolen goods' services, but it never goes beyond [Cat Street], instead attracting people from other districts to spend money here."

"As for small-scale trade smuggling, arms dealing, smuggling people across borders, arranging escape routes for some foreign gangs, and erasing traces... these are Ah Miao's unique skills. Many underground forces have tried to seize over and replace each other's businesses, or secretly lay in ambush to snipe, but all of them ended in failure. Over time, everyone has accepted the current status of [Cat House]."

Yuan Zhu: "So this [Cat House] is able to provide the goods I need, and its reputation is reliable."

Zheng Hao confirmed, "That's right. I contacted [Cat House] afterwards and revealed my need for a large quantity of weapons. They said they were capable of handling the deal, but they didn't trust me. In addition, the bar owner said that 'A Miao' is not in Running right now, so he is not qualified to make a decision and we have to wait a week until A Miao returns before we can meet."

Yuan Zhu: "You mean that temple went to Taixi?"

"Yes, they are sourcing goods in Taixi. It is said that a batch of smuggled goods from the coast and a group of illegal immigrants are about to arrive. In addition, they have several commissioned missions to carry out."

Yuan Zhu: What a coincidence! I was also planning to travel to Taixi tomorrow.

So he asked, "What if I take the initiative to talk to Taixi? Would that show more sincerity?"

Zheng Hao quickly replied, "I've considered that, and [Cat House] says it's no problem. If you want to meet in Taixi, you can go directly to District 16 and inquire about a company called [Laser God Industries]. A Miao has a long-term contract with this arms company and they have a good relationship. As long as you make a meeting request to any of the sales representatives, they can notify A Miao."

"Going directly to Taixi for negotiations has another hidden advantage. [Laser God] is the source of arms for Cat Street, a company involved in the manufacture of weapons and vehicles. The bar owner was bragging to me about this, using the name of [Laser God] to embellish his own image and showcase the strength of [Cat House]. A-Miao is going to Taixi this time to pick up a shipment from [Laser God]. If you go in person, you can personally visit and experience the company's products and choose your favorite weapons and equipment on the spot."

Hearing this, Yuan Zhu had an idea. He could bring Meng Xiyue along as an advisor to investigate the product. She clearly understood the needs and pain points of the residents of [Insect City] better, and he could also try to negotiate a lower price.

Yuan Zhu suddenly said, "That's not right! According to you, [Cat House] is actually an illegal underground distributor of [Laser God] in Running City, right? [Laser God Industry] is located in Taixi, so close to Running, why doesn't it just come here to sell?"

"I do know a little about that."

Zheng Hao explained, "Compared to other surrounding cities, our [Running] seems to be somewhat special, implementing a 'strict entry, lenient exit' policy. In addition, the city hall's 'local trade protection' rules prohibit outside companies from freely entering Running to do business; they need to apply and obtain approval."

"Therefore, weapons companies like [Laser God] cannot openly sell arms to Running. Although our region is backward and poor, it is politically stable and harmonious, and there is no reason to increase the risk of social governance by dumping arms. Only people like A-Miao can secretly transport the goods in and sell them through special means. However, it is strange that the arms that flow out of [Cat Street] rarely appear on the market, as if they have evaporated into thin air."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Zhu's face behind the mask turned into a mess of embarrassment. How dare you say that Running is a godforsaken place with good governance and harmonious people?
Goblins are rampant in the sewers, spacetime turbulence is frequent, exotic creatures randomly spawn at midnight, large numbers of bikers and hunting parties hunt indiscriminately, and wild animals roam freely in the Misty Mountains. Any random residential area can suppress a [Garden of Disease], who knows how many [Gardens] are hidden in this city? Suburban manors can easily witness a 'Pinduoduo massacre sacrifice'... He knows them all like the back of his hand, after all, he's experienced them all firsthand!
Especially today, as he walked from the residential area to the warehouse area, thanks to the new mental perception amplification (detecting evil/contamination radar) brought by the [Soul Crystal], he scanned along the street and found batches of 'contamination energy signal sources' of varying strengths.

These signals are not the result of ordinary people suffering from pollution year after year. Rather, they are the effect of ordinary people actively accepting the source of pollution without professional guidance. They belong to the most primitive form of preparatory superhuman (demonic) beings.

The level of detail is similar to that during the "Little West Red Realm" period, ordinary citizens like him, Lü Rang, and Mai Lili were forcibly issued "uniforms" by "Happy Home," and were subtly corrupted.

They had made initial contact with the power of pollution, but these 'pollution signals' were far less stable than the [uniform], more like wild goblins that had eaten 'disease crops,' posing a huge hidden danger.

In other words, on the other side of Running City, where the government and people live in harmony, at least 5% of the ordinary population are secretly and actively coming into contact with different sources of pollution for different purposes.

Just thinking about the holiday benefits that come with each person having a dozen or twenty different beliefs, and how any salesperson could easily join the "White Feather Wish Club," and how even the rat heads hanging on the streets are 'extraordinary cameras'.

In such a terrible city, it's understandable that ordinary citizens would be bewitched by 'gods' and come into contact with the pollution system.

After all, who doesn't want to make a little money, find a capable girlfriend, improve their health, have a successful career, and have smarter children... and so they fall into different 'pollution traps'.

From this perspective, Running can be considered a place of political harmony and social stability. The potential "out-of-control" individuals' contamination levels are relatively low, indicating considerable restraint. A little pollution is harmless, but excessive pollution is fatal. At worst, if things get too messy, there's always a chance for a quick fix at the hospital.

Yuan Zhu: "You said that [Running] has something special about it, implementing a strict entry and lenient exit policy?"

"That's right. Locals born in Running can freely go to Taixi to do business, work, and study, and there are no restrictions on returning to their hometown. Running's businesses and factories are protected by the city hall's policies and have signed many trade contracts with Taixi, directly shipping and selling their products. However, companies from other places that want to invest in Running need to go through both Running and Taixi's approval processes. But tourists from other places are not restricted."

In Zheng Hao's eyes, [Running] was like a little good-for-nothing that was specially protected by [Taixi], lacking the ability to take care of itself. Therefore, he specially gave a large number of orders to maintain the vitality of local enterprises and prevented Running, a local good-for-nothing, from competing fairly with other large enterprises in the Federation.

At the same time, only a powerful being like [Tai Xi] can freely release obsolete waste production capacity to [Run Ning], taking over outdated production lines, industrial waste, serious criminals, and various hazardous waste pollutants...

However, according to the information revealed by the senior student, [Running] is an extremely special 'spirit descent site' with frequent spacetime disconnections, which is why it is firmly sealed and controlled by [Taixi]. It must be very valuable, which is why it is not shared with outsiders.

Only approved and well-connected entities are allowed to set up laboratories (observation sites) to jointly observe the changes in Running.

Yuan Zhu: "I need you to go to [Cat Street] again and ask them for a more detailed contact address. Tomorrow, I will personally go to Taixi to have a detailed talk with that A Miao. Once everything is settled, you will be responsible for receiving the weapons and storing them in the warehouse here. I will arrange for someone to pick them up when I have time."

Zheng Hao: "Chairman, everything else is fine. My only concern is that if someone notices this batch of 'weapons' and gets any improper ideas, my forces will have a hard time effectively resisting them."

"Don't they offer after-sales service for their cat shop?"

"Once the goods change hands, they are no longer their responsibility."

Looking at Zheng Hao, who was just a nobody among humans, Yuan Zhu couldn't bring himself to criticize him. He did have a large number of 'Shadow Demon Insects' at his disposal, and if he could plant 'Parasitic Eggplant (Ground Spirit)' in his warehouse, he could even harvest a batch of 'Earthbound Spirit Eggplant Security Guards' who neither eat nor drink.

However, this "New White Feather Cult Leader" is unwilling to associate the "Shadow System" with the church. Even if the "New White Feather's" true identity is exposed one day, it will still be linked to his "Sanctuary Identity".

He's nothing more than a young, greedy monk who, instead of honestly joining the [Sanctuary] to cultivate and preach, secretly uses the 'holy light' to bewitch mortals and amass wealth through an illegal society.

After a moment's thought, Yuan Zhu promised, "Don't worry, once I've reached an agreement with that 'Cat Street Temple,' you don't need to rush to pick up the goods. Let [Cat House] hold them for a while, and once I return from Taixi, I'll help you enter the Dao. I've said before that I won't mistreat loyal subordinates, and you joined [White Feather Wish Society] in the first place to pursue a safe and stable power, right?"

Upon hearing that he had the opportunity to enter the Dao, Zheng Hao immediately became excited, his eyes revealing a longing for 'transcendence'.

The thought of the mere 5% source of pollution, coupled with his predecessor's interest in underground fighting circles and inquiries about extraordinary powers, made him realize that the native inhabitants' understanding and perception of 'polluting power' were clearly vastly different from those of Earthlings.

They don't care about side effects at all; what they're pursuing is a sufficiently safe, stable, and promising 'pollution system,' and they've been aware of this for a long time.

What difference does it make who you sell your life to? Even if you don't sell it, can you live a smooth life? Everyone dies eventually, so why not choose a good seller and sell your soul in exchange for 'polluted power'?

Ordinary people spend over ten faith indicators a year, essentially comparing prices and resources. They also wait for some 'deity' to favor them and bestow a blessing (or defilement).

At this moment, Zheng Hao never imagined that simply buying a haunted house for the other party, ordering a batch of goods, and contacting other members to gather and stockpile the supplies would grant him a 'supernatural' opportunity that he had been longing for.

He asked incredulously, "Can I?"

“Starting tomorrow, you can ask your detective friends about the different [Transcendental Systems]. If you perform well, I can provide you with a total of five different powers: [Sword Immortal, Knowledge School, Path of Power, Holy Light, and Shadow School]. In addition, if you want to embrace [Laws], I also have connections to introduce you to them.”

Hearing that there were five paths to choose from, Zheng Hao was immediately excited and invigorated. He had certainly heard of the [Law], but he wouldn't choose it! He also seemed to have heard of the [Path of Power]—it was very difficult; he'd keep it as a backup!
【Holy Light and Sword Immortal】—one is renowned and popular worldwide; the other exudes a high-class aura and is closely associated with the military. Both are top-tier choices!
As for the "Historical School" and the "Shadow School," I've never heard of them before, but they shouldn't be bad. I'll definitely inquire about them thoroughly before making a decision.

Seeing that the other person was lost in thought, Yuan Zhu reminded him, "Don't worry, every path I've provided (except for [Shadow]) is a safe and legal system that can withstand the scrutiny of the [Security Bureau]!"

Of the six paths, the [Law and Decree] path has the lowest threshold. By contacting Zhou Chulai for a vacation in Running, one can help her pull a lost sheep out of the way.

Choose the "School of Wisdom" option to send Meng Xiyue as a test subject, as a testament to your friendship.

Want to become a Sword Immortal? Simply buy a Sword Blessing from the Exchange List and then indulge in the 'pain'!

The Path of Power is even cheaper and more cost-effective, consisting of Body Tempering Fluid + Blood Tomato + Elixir, guaranteeing entry-level progress.

Of all these paths, the one with the greatest potential is the [Shadow School]. Once he achieves the [Triple Law + Anti-Law], he will be able to [Shadow Lending], helping others become true superhumans in a safer and more controllable way.

With the protection of the higher-ranking [Anti-Herrscher], the amount of corruption and erosion they bear will be greatly reduced, and their safety will soar. This also shows the benefits of the Holy Light system aligning itself with powerful factions.

If he can protect his contractors through the [Anti-Law], how high can the even more powerful [Taihuang Daozhu] help him reach?
"President, please wait a moment, I'll go to the [Cat House] right away!"

(End of this chapter)