My Golden Core is a Star, do you call this cultivating?

Chapter 302: The Sights of Wu Gui

In the small town, a few tall buildings stood out, rising prominently against the backdrop of the low structures around them. The glass on these buildings appeared as though it hadn't been cleaned in over a decade, giving them a gray, grimy look.

Inside the buildings, the stairway railings were greasy and darkened from years of neglect. A man dressed in an indeterminate military uniform looked at Wen Min and Qi Yuan, then belched, "Old Chen asked me to take you across. No problem, but... you gotta listen to me on the way. Got it?"

As he spoke, the man in the military uniform lifted his coat, revealing a gun tucked at his waist.

"No problem!" the burly man, Wen Min, quickly agreed.

Qi Yuan didn’t say anything, which was taken as agreement.

"And according to the rules... you'll need to surrender your weapons," the man in the uniform said, looking at the two of them.

Without hesitation, Wen Min pulled out two guns from his waist and handed them over to the military man.

The man then looked at Qi Yuan. "And you?"

Sizing up Qi Yuan, who appeared neat and clean, with a refined appearance, the man looked puzzled. Qi Yuan didn’t look like a local; rather, he looked like a pampered young master. Why would someone like him be involved in smuggling?

"What about your weapon?"

At that moment, Qi Yuan thought for a moment, then handed an imaginary handful of air to the military man.

"Does this count?"

Wen Min was baffled at this sight.

The military man was taken aback for a second, then asked, "You don’t have any weapons on you?"

"As a martial artist, my fists and my legs are my weapons. Unfortunately, those... I can't give to you," Qi Yuan replied sincerely.

They had asked for weapons, so he gave them a handful of air. As a cultivator, even the air around him could be used as a weapon. However, he had too many weapons, and he feared this guy couldn't handle them all, so he just gave him a bit of air.

"Even if we're not Yue Lang soldiers, if we get killed by a drone, the Wu Gui soldiers can still count it as a military achievement."

"You’re exaggerating. Those drones? I could take them all down with a single Kamehameha," Qi Yuan said, looking at the drones without a hint of concern.

At this point, he was confident in his ability to protect himself. The only things that might pose a threat to him were missiles or more advanced weapons.

Wen Min was already used to Qi Yuan's way of speaking. He chuckled, "Well, Mr. Qi, your Kamehameha had better be stronger than bullets. These drones, regular bullets can't even destroy them."

The car continued to move quickly, and from time to time, the sound of artillery fire could be heard.

Wen Min explained that it was probably the border skirmishes between Yue Lang and Wu Gui.

About two hours later, the convoy arrived at a checkpoint in Wu Gui territory.

There, a squad of Wu Gui soldiers was stationed.

These soldiers were well-armed, wearing bulletproof vests, and they thoroughly inspected the convoy.

The inspection lasted for about half an hour before they were allowed to pass.

After passing, Wen Min breathed a sigh of relief, though he remained somewhat nervous. "From here on, everything depends on you, Mr. Qi."

Once they entered Wu Gui, leaving wouldn’t be easy.

The smugglers were only responsible for bringing them in, not taking them out.

"Alright..." Qi Yuan took a deep breath, then looked out the car window and asked curiously, "What’s with the red cloths hanging on the trees? Are these trees... members of the Young Pioneers?"

Wen Min was momentarily stunned, then explained, "That’s part of the Quiran people's sacred ritual. The red cloths on the trees signify that this area is under the protection of Wu Shen."

Wu Gui was a theocratic state where religious authority often surpassed royal authority.

The state religion of Wu Gui was called Wu Jiao, worshipping a deity known as Wu Shen.

It could be said that more than ninety percent of Wu Gui’s population worshipped Wu Shen.

One of Wu Shen’s teachings was that all heretics should be hanged on trees.

Of course, in a civilized society, Wu Jiao had to maintain a facade and wouldn’t openly persecute people. Only a few fanatics would engage in such persecution.

They would kill heretics, drain their blood, dye a cloth red, and hang it on a tree.

So, some of the red cloths on the trees were ordinary, while others could have been stained with the blood of heretics.

Once they crossed into Wu Gui territory, the likelihood of seeing red cloths on trees increased.

About three hours later, the car finally stopped in a small town.

The man in military uniform walked up to Qi Yuan’s car and knocked on the window. "My job was just to get you here. If you want to leave, contact me. But the price... well, it’s a bit high, just like it is for those people."

As he spoke, he pointed to a group of people not far away who were clamoring noisily.

With that, he walked away.

Qi Yuan looked over at the noisy group in the distance. Among them were elderly people, young adults, and children. Some were dressed in rags, while others were in relatively bright clothes.

Wen Min explained, "Most of these people aren’t Quiran. They’re just trying to leave Wu Gui. There’s war here now, and they want to get out. They don’t have many options. The smuggling convoy is their only chance. But most of them can’t afford the fare, so they have to offer something else in exchange. And many of them don’t even have anything to trade."

Qi Yuan scanned the crowd, his eyes filled with curiosity. "Let’s go over and take a look."

Wen Min was surprised, but he didn’t hesitate. He drove the car over to the group.

Sure enough, as they approached, the people extended their hands, as if trying to pry open the car doors.

From outside, their voices could be heard.

"Please, take me with you!"

"My daughter is beautiful. She can serve you on the way, just take us out of here!"

"I have money!"

"Antiques, relics a thousand years old!"

These people shouted, their eyes filled with desperation.

Most of them weren’t Quiran but had come to Wu Gui to work or had crossed over illegally. Some, more tragically, had been captured and brought here.

Wu Gui was very xenophobic, and these people lived under terrible conditions.

Especially now that Wu Gui and Yue Lang were at war. Occasionally, to make their stats look better, Wu Gui would even kill some of these people.

So, for them, staying in Wu Gui was like being sheep waiting to be slaughtered.

Seeing this scene, Wen Min couldn’t help but sigh deeply. "You won’t see scenes like this online. People in Qin Yuan don’t see the miserable state of these people either."

For some of these people, being born was perhaps a mistake, a fate sealed from the start.

Wu Gui, though a religious state, didn’t consider you one of their own just because you believed in their god. If you didn’t have Quiran blood, you were seen as inferior. And who knows when a fanatic might drain your blood to dye a red cloth to hang on a tree.

The car moved slowly.

Qi Yuan remained calm, unaffected by what he saw.

"Stop."

The car came to a halt.

Chaotic noises filled the air.

Some of the mob rushed over. "Boss!"

"Move aside!" Wen Min barked, his voice gruff.

Immediately, the crowd quieted down. They recognized that Qi Yuan’s car was part of the smuggling convoy. Such people were powerful, and killing them wouldn’t have any consequences.

Qi Yuan scanned the crowd and his gaze settled on a dark-skinned boy.

The boy looked about eleven or twelve years old. He held the hand of a little girl who looked filthy, with hair that hadn’t been washed for months.

The girl seemed to be around seven or eight years old.

Looking at them, Qi Yuan’s eyes showed a hint of interest.

"You two want to leave Wu Gui?" he asked the boy and the girl.

The boy, upon hearing Qi Yuan’s question, was filled with excitement but also displayed fear and caution.

"Yes... sir. I... I don’t have money, but I’m strong and very obedient. I can do hard labor," the boy, named Aji, said nervously, still shielding the little girl behind him, worried that Qi Yuan might be some kind of pervert.

"I can take you out, but... I’ll need a bit of your blood," Qi Yuan stated his intention.

He had discovered that many people in this world had special blood.

For example, Wu Qi.

And now, this boy and the little girl.

Of course, the special qualities were not the same.

Qi Yuan hadn’t yet studied what was unique about Wu Qi. But the boy and the girl had something special in their blood that was evidently related to Qi Yuan’s own "bloodline."

To break through in martial arts, to enhance his martial arts aptitude, their blood... could be researched and utilized to some extent.

Qi Yuan’s words confused not only the siblings but also Wen Min.

The boy hesitated for a moment, then nodded vigorously, bending his back in agreement. "Alright!"

Regardless, leaving here seemed the safest option for them now.

After all, not long ago, their parents had already been taken away to be used as "military contributions."

They never knew when it might be their turn next.

Now, their only hope of survival was to follow this car and leave Wu Gui.

Looking at Qi Yuan, the dark-skinned boy’s face was full of gratitude.

The filthy little girl seemed scared, unable to look directly at Qi Yuan.

"Do you have anything with you? Bring it," Qi Yuan asked.

The dark-skinned boy, carrying a big bundle on his back and holding his sister’s hand, said, "No." The bundle was their family's entire belongings.

"Alright, get in," Qi Yuan instructed.

Without any hesitation, the dark-skinned boy took his sister and got in the car.

Wen Min’s car had three rows of seats.

The boy and his sister sat in the back row. The boy had a respectful look on his face, using the phrases commonly used by the people of Wu Gui.

"May Wu Shen bless you!"

"You are the most generous person!"

Aji wasn’t a believer in Wu Jiao, but to survive in Wu Gui, he had learned to say things like "May Wu Shen bless you."

Hearing this, Qi Yuan smiled, "If I wanted to kill the Yang God of Taihuang Palace, could Wu Shen bless me?"

The Yang God of Taihuang Palace was the one behind the catastrophe, and he was also the strongest enemy Qi Yuan faced in Cang Lan Realm.

Qi Yuan’s words left Aji stunned, not knowing how to respond.

But the little girl, still dirty and unkempt, spoke up, "They say Wu Shen is really powerful, able to run with a mountain on his back. He should... be able to protect you!"

Living in Wu Gui, it was natural for them to hear about the might of Wu Shen.

Qi Yuan chuckled, "It’s all made-up stories, and not even very impressive ones. Running with a mountain on your back... that’s kind of weak."

Qi Yuan noticed that people in this world were very pragmatic. Even when fabricating myths, they didn’t exaggerate too much. Not even a god was described as omnipotent. He wondered if it was because they were too pragmatic or if there was a deeper reason.

Aji didn’t quite understand Qi Yuan’s words. He looked out the car window, feeling somewhat calmer, and quietly asked, "Sir... when will we leave Wu Gui?"

Leaving Wu Gui was his greatest wish.

In this foreign land, aside from his sister, he had no other relatives.

As for revenge, it wasn’t even a consideration.

People like them, struggling just to survive, couldn’t even think about revenge.

"After I pick up a friend, we’ll leave," Qi Yuan replied casually.

Wen Min, who was driving, remained silent.

He didn’t understand why Qi Yuan wanted to bring these two kids along.

Nor did he understand what Qi Yuan had up his sleeve, daring to attempt rescuing his boss from a military camp.

The car sped along, Wen Min refueling once, pushing the speed to the maximum.

Following the navigation, the car quickly headed towards the location of the military camp.

The number of drones in the sky increased.

But clearly, at this moment, the drones didn’t pay any attention to this vehicle moving within their territory.