Originally, Mo Tiange hadn't planned to reveal her identity. She intended to use mundane gold and silver treasures to have the local fishermen help her collect all the Dragon Bones. Unexpectedly, this woman was quite shrewd and recognized her identity as a cultivator.
However, since the fishermen here held cultivators in such awe, it made things even easier. Along with their reverence, enticing them with benefits would make them more diligent in their tasks.
Seeing this bag of golden pearls, the woman's eyes went wide. Living in such poverty, they had at most seen some broken silver pieces, which were already a great fortune. Gold and such were only occasionally glimpsed in nearby towns.
Mo Tiange lightly coughed. "Sister-in-law, if you can gather all these bones for me, then these golden pearls are all yours." This bag of golden pearls was a tribute from the Ye family when she left. Traveling in the mortal world, having wealth was convenient, so Mo Tiange had accepted them without ceremony. Now they were perfect for having these mortals do her bidding.
The woman snapped back to reality, momentarily unsure how to respond, both delighted and nervous. "Is what the Immortal says true?" No sooner had she spoken than she slapped her own mouth. "Of course what the Immortal says is true. This humble woman speaks out of turn. But, what bones is the Immortal referring to? Where are they?"
Mo Tiange smiled at Xiaobao. "Xiaobao, you know where they are, right?"
Xiaobao quickly nodded. "Mhm, the Immortal Sister means the mountain over there." He then widened his eyes curiously. "Immortal Sister, are these bones? Why are they different from the bones Daddy talks about?"
Mo Tiange smiled without answering Xiaobao's question. She took a small bag from her bosom and handed it to him, speaking softly. "Xiaobao, you take your mother to the mountain to collect the bones. These fruits are for you to eat, alright?"
These were the remaining Bubble Fruits, very sweet, perfect for coaxing a child.
Taking the Bubble Fruits and biting into one, Xiaobao was indeed very happy. "So tasty!"
Seeing his delight, Mo Tiange said to the woman, "Xiaobao knows the place. Go with him. The sooner you bring them back, the better. It's best to call more people; some bones are very large. Don't worry about others taking your share. Your family alone can't collect them all. I'll reward you extra then."
"Yes, yes, yes." How would the woman dare to object? She hurriedly took her young son's hand and called out loudly, "Anan, stop cooking! Go call your father back!" Turning back to Mo Tiange with an apologetic smile, she said, "Immortal, please wait here. We'll go right away."
Mo Tiange nodded with a smile, watching the family begin their busy preparations.
Not long after, the man of the house was called back by the girl. Hearing his wife's words, he hurried over to kowtow to Mo Tiange. Mo Tiange then kept the girl to talk, sending the couple off to collect the Dragon Bones for her.
Knowing she was a cultivator, the girl's attitude was one of reverence, standing respectfully to the side, answering each question Mo Tiange asked.
This was a small fishing village by the East Sea. Besides some similar fishing villages nearby, there was only one large city called Linhai City. Behind Linhai City was the sect Bixuan Pavilion. Their location was too remote, not even part of any country, so the most powerful force here was Bixuan Pavilion.
The girl was still young and didn't know much about other matters. Mo Tiange calculated in her heart, roughly understanding her current location.
The Kunwu Mountain Range spanned the southern part of the Tianji Region, extending all the way to the southeast, where Mount Tianmo lay, blocking the Demonic Path in the northeast. Therefore, the southern section of the East Sea was the territory of the Tiandao Sect, while the northern section belonged to the Demonic Path. Based on Mo Tiange's deduction, their location was likely a small stretch of sea in the north. That is to say, to their west was very likely the Demonic Path.
Reaching this conclusion, Mo Tiange felt somewhat troubled. This place was likely a stretch of sea right next to Mount Tianmo of the Demonic Path, making it dangerous. If she were unlucky enough to encounter the Demonic Path, trouble would be unavoidable. It seemed the best way to leave this place was still to find Bixuan Pavilion. Since their Bixuan Pavilion was located here, they must have a safe method to connect with the outside world.
Of course, her most important task at the moment was still to retrieve the Dragon Bones. Though she didn't yet know their use, the Divine Dragon Breath on these bones from millions of years ago was genuine; they would surely be useful.
However, there were many Dragon Bones, and when the underwater palace collapsed, many must have been washed away by the water. Thinking of this, Mo Tiange felt a bit regretful. If she could assemble a complete set of Dragon Bones, studying them would be more convenient. For now, she had to settle for whatever she could collect.
After questioning the little girl, Mo Tiange learned this family's surname was Shui. Their father was called Shui San. Their mother was addressed as Sister-in-Law Shui San. The girl herself had no name. She was the only girl in the family. From birth, the adults just called her 'Anan, Anan,' and others only called her 'Shui Family's Anan.'
What kind of name was 'Anan'? Among the dozens of families here, most daughters were called 'Anan' from birth until marriage, when they became 'So-and-so's sister-in-law.' When older, they were 'Auntie,' and finally, 'So-and-so's mother-in-law.' From birth to death, most girls had no name.
Seeing the girl's secretly envious look, Mo Tiange felt a bit sorry for her. Both siblings were clever. Though young, Anan spoke logically and knew to be wary of outsiders. Xiaobao was even more intelligent. For a four- or five-year-old child to speak so fluently was already not easy, especially given his family's circumstances where no one had taught him from childhood.
With this praise, Anan immediately puffed out her little chest proudly. "Xiaobao could talk just after his first birthday. Everyone in our village says Xiaobao is a star descended from heaven. Daddy also says when Xiaobao is a bit older, he'll send him to the city to study. Then he can find work in the city and become a city person."
"Oh?" Mo Tiange asked with a smile. "Why not take the imperial examinations to become a scholar? Couldn't he become an official?"
Anan shook her head. "Daddy says we can never leave. Monsters live to the west. If we go there, we'll be eaten."
Hearing this, Mo Tiange frowned inwardly. Just as she thought. The 'monsters' Anan mentioned were likely members of the Demonic Path.
Anan continued, "It's a pity I wasn't selected by Bixuan Pavilion. If only I could enter Bixuan Pavilion..."
Mo Tiange was slightly surprised and asked, "How does Bixuan Pavilion select disciples?"
Anan answered, "Girls near Linhai City, when they turn eight, go to Bixuan Pavilion to check... check their Spirit Roots. If they pass, they can enter Bixuan Pavilion. Then, the whole family can move to the city and become city people." Speaking, Anan added proudly, "But, I do have Spirit Roots. The Bixuan Pavilion's receiving auntie said my Spirit Roots were just a bit poor, so I couldn't enter Bixuan Pavilion. But she registered me. If they need maidservants, they'll call for me."
"You have Spirit Roots too?" Mo Tiange was somewhat astonished. Among mortals, those with Spirit Roots were not many. What a coincidence to encounter one here.
"Mhm." Anan nodded, her face slightly flushed. "The receiving auntie said I'm... I'm Five Spirit Roots."
"Oh, I see." Mo Tiange nodded. Five Spirit Roots weren't exactly rare. In her memory, Bixuan Pavilion was a small-to-medium sect similar to the Cloud Mist Sect. Now knowing it was located in this small area sandwiched between the East Sea coast and the Demonic Path, it made sense that even with Five Spirit Roots qualification, they might accept her as a maidservant. It was just a pity for Anan. Though her Spirit Roots weren't remarkable, her temperament was good, and she was clever.
Furthermore, since Bixuan Pavilion's influence was so great here, she should collect the Dragon Bones as quickly as possible and leave, lest the news leak. Bones of a Divine Dragon from a million years ago—not just a small sect like Bixuan Pavilion, even the Seven Great Sects would be moved.
After some thought, Mo Tiange changed the subject. "By the way, if girls have Spirit Roots they can enter Bixuan Pavilion. What about boys? Does Bixuan Pavilion only accept female disciples?"
Anan nodded. "Mhm. So unless a boy has very good Spirit Roots, Bixuan Pavilion will only accept him as an outer sect disciple. I heard the receiving auntie say male disciples only count as true Bixuan Pavilion disciples after they form a cultivation partnership with a female disciple in the sect."
Mo Tiange raised her eyebrows in surprise. This Bixuan Pavilion was truly an anomaly. Not only was it built in such a strange place, but it also had such strange rules.
This place bordered the Demonic Path to the west. The mortals here could never leave in their lifetimes, so they could only join Bixuan Pavilion. Yet Bixuan Pavilion was a sect that only accepted women. Thus, within this Bixuan Pavilion, the status of men was far inferior to that of women, making it an anomaly in the entire Tianji Region.
Having roughly learned about the East Sea from Anan's words, by the afternoon, people collecting the Dragon Bones began returning one after another.
The Shui couple had indeed been obedient, mobilizing the entire village. Carrying or lifting, the Dragon Bones were all brought back. The largest was a leg bone that took four or five people to carry together.
Mo Tiange gave the golden pearls to Anan. When someone brought Dragon Bones, she would distribute some to them. For large pieces like the leg bone, she gave more.
Receiving the golden pearls, the villagers, still wanting more, made arrangements among themselves to search the beach again. This search lasted until evening.
Mo Tiange wasn't in a hurry. She asked the fishing family for an empty room and waited another two days until they could no longer find any Dragon Bones.
These Dragon Bones must have been scattered a lot when the palace collapsed. Piecing them together left and right, she could only assemble one leg and some scattered bones.
However, as long as she collected all the Dragon Bones here, if the people of Bixuan Pavilion had never seen these bones, even if they heard a strange cultivator was looking for some bones here, they wouldn't become suspicious.
The fishermen here, having received her golden pearls, were all very happy, especially the Shui couple. Mo Tiange gave them some extra gold leaves, making them even more diligent.
After collecting the Dragon Bones, Mo Tiange finally asked the Shui couple about Bixuan Pavilion, planning to leave.
Sure enough, the Shui couple said besides the sea, they had no road connecting to the outside world. But they only had small boats, and going to sea was dangerous. Moreover, since ancient times, they simply didn't know where the sea led.
Mo Tiange then asked how the people of Bixuan Pavilion left. The Shui couple didn't dare speculate, saying if she wanted to leave, she could go to Linhai City and ask; Bixuan Pavilion had a shop there.
Mo Tiange was quite surprised. With only one cultivation sect here, why open a shop? After the Shui couple's explanation, she learned that although there was only one sect here, there were quite a few rogue cultivators, especially low-talent male cultivators. Bixuan Pavilion wouldn't accept them into the sect, so they had to figure out the cultivation path themselves. Over time, many small cultivation families and rogue cultivators appeared.
Having stayed in this fishing village for several days and dealt with the Dragon Bone matter, Mo Tiange decided to go to Linhai City.
To return to Kunwu, seeking help from Bixuan Pavilion was still the most convenient way.