From the Carp that Brings Children to the Celestial Officials

Chapter 96 The Secret Realm Within the City

This is You Ming's first time visiting the [Slave Control Bureau].

He initially thought it was outside the city, since a small space wouldn't be enough to accommodate thousands of living beings.

Unexpectedly, the [Slave Control Bureau] was located within the city, and on the most bustling street.

Near Chengshun Gate in the south of the city, there is a huge banyan tree that takes several people to encircle. Its canopy is like an umbrella, providing shade from the sun.

Beneath the tree was a small shrine, with some unburnt incense sticks around it. As soon as you got close, you could smell the strong aroma of incense.

At the entrance to the shrine, a rat dressed in tattered clothes stood upright, holding a broom and sweeping the floor while muttering to itself.

Dust swirled all around, as if trying to bury the brooms into the stone slabs.

Suddenly, a beam of light flew from afar and instantly appeared not far from the shrine.

The mouse blankly raised its head.

“Yuanling Mountain intends to recruit some more people. This is the City God's order. Please open the secret realm portal.”

Wu Mo cupped his hands in greeting and spoke loudly.

The large banyan tree in front trembled slightly, and then its entire body suddenly spread out, its lush branches and massive green shade almost completely obscuring the Chengshun Gate.

The banyan tree trunk flipped over, revealing a face full of mottled marks and vicissitudes. Its gray-green eyes moved slightly, seemingly sizing up You Ming and Wu Mo.

A document appeared in Wu Mo's hand, bearing the official seal of the City God's Office.

"Kaka."

The trunk of the banyan tree slowly cracked open, revealing a deep, winding path that stretched far underground.

"Thank you, Master Shu."

Wu Mo thanked him again, then walked ahead and stepped into the crevice first.

You Ming followed behind and came in.

"Boom."

The moment he entered, a deep rumble reached his ears, and the crack behind him closed again.

However, the environment did not feel oppressive or gloomy. On the walls of the surrounding passageways, streaks of green fluorescence immediately appeared, as if countless fireflies were taking turns to glow.

A gentle breeze blew, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees.

"It's amazing."

You Ming couldn't help but sigh, as he spent more and more time as a god, he always encountered things that refreshed his understanding of the world.

The two continued forward. The ground seemed to be covered with a layer of moss, slightly soft and slippery. However, the road gradually widened, and some low vegetation began to grow around them. A misty fog was spreading above.

"Swish."

Among the bushes, a group of spiders with backs like human faces and movements as nimble as feathers scurried past quickly and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Further in, the ground was covered with red mud swamps, where a group of small creatures resembling shrews, covered in mud and with no pupils in their eyes, burrowed in and out of the mud. According to Wu Mo, these little creatures are called "mud shrews" and have exceptionally good hearing.

"Squeak."

A swarm of goiters, each about the size of a thumb, flew over the heads of the two men.

These little sprites have already been recruited by Yuanling Mountain; they can sense various miasma, plagues, and diseases. They are quite useful to command, the only problem being their short lifespan. Behind a small hill, a fox with a long, curly tail, ending in a ring of bony spikes, was licking its fur, its tail flapping to produce a low-frequency resonant sound.

Further away on a stone platform stood some "porcelain-faced maidens." Their faces were like plain porcelain, with delicate eyebrows and eyes. Although their bodies were cold ceramic, they possessed a captivating charm.

Looking at all this, You Ming felt that these creatures were actually completely different from demons, and not even spirit beasts, but should be called "monsters".

"There are so many creatures here. Is there any guard here?"

You Ming and Wu Mo toured the secret realm, broadening their horizons and encountering all sorts of strange creatures. They seemed to be life forms created arbitrarily by the Creator from mixing various strange substances together.

After looking around, You Ming had a plan in mind, but he still needed to ask in detail which races to choose.

As he spoke, a wisp of green smoke suddenly rose from the ground, and in the blink of an eye, it transformed into a kind-faced old man.

"I am the local deity of this Spirit Taming Garden. If you have any questions, please feel free to consult me."

The old man was all smiles.

Recruiting creatures from the [Slave Management Bureau] requires not only the City God's permission but also a fee, which is their main source of income.

Nowadays, everyone in Changning County knows that Yuanling Mountain is a popular place of worship; this must be a huge business opportunity.

"I just saw a group of living beings. Can you tell me about them? There were some paper figures hanging in that house. I wonder what their origins are and what abilities they have?"

You Ming nodded, but didn't waste any more words with the old man, and went straight to the point.

"You must be referring to... the Pale Paper Princess."

"The pale paper maidens we cultivate here are silhouettes of Xuan paper, with flawless pale skin and delicate, ribbon-like limbs. They are gentle and obedient, making them the best choice whether you want to add fragrance to your life or do other odd jobs..."

The land was even happier upon hearing this.

Humanoid slaves are generally more expensive. This Pale Paper Princess is skilled in writing and has a light and flexible figure, so many gods would buy her to use as a maid.

"The only downside might be that it can't get wet..."

He was about to continue his explanation, but You Ming immediately lost interest when he heard that it couldn't get wet.

During childbirth, there is blood, amniotic fluid, and sweat everywhere; even someone as delicate as her cannot be treated this way.

"Tell me about those women who are as delicate as porcelain?"

You Ming interrupted him directly.

The land was initially disappointed, but when it was heard that You Ming had inquired about the "Porcelain-faced Maid Spirit," its smile widened.

"You're asking about the [Porcelain-Faced Maid Spirits], right? These maid spirits are as white as porcelain, with delicate eyebrows and eyes, and lips dotted with vermilion. Their manners are graceful and ancient... Although they have the body of porcelain, they feel warm to the touch, and their five fingers are like those of a fine porcelain craftsman. Although their texture is different from that of humans, they have a unique charm..."

"Cough cough."

Seeing that the old man was going off on a tangent, Wu Mo coughed and said, "Is this the kind of thing you should say in front of adults?"
"The downsides are, of course, that the body is relatively fragile and the selling price is very high."

The land deity quickly changed his tune, realizing that this carp spirit was only a few years old and that the carp spirit probably wouldn't understand what he had just said.

"I think the [Porcelain-faced Maid Spirit] is good. Let's buy ten of them first."

You Ming nodded. These spirit maids were a little smaller than normal humans. He had observed them and they had ten fingers, so they should be quite suitable for operating instruments or delivering babies.

(End of this chapter)