Harry stared at the letter blankly. Slughorn fled the city?
Why?
He reread the letter, and then once more. He even flipped the paper over, thinking there would be more on the back. But it was blank. The letter really was just that short.
"Where's Slughorn?" Harry repeated.
"No idea. But don't worry, he is safe. If he doesn't want to be found, then he won't be. It's not so easy to track him down."
But that response didn't assure Harry. The terse letter made him feel worried. He knew Slughorn and the Exalted Cat both had unfathomable strength. When he saw Slughorn, he got the feeling he was looking at a hidden master. Who could actually threaten him?
And he knew he was being selfish, but how was he going to get pills? He was still relying on Slughorn to concoct them.
"Should we go help him?"
The cat gave Harry a hard look.
"Boy, do you have the ability to help Slughorn?"
Harry closed his mouth. Of course he didn't.
"Well, should we go to this rendezvous point?"
"No. The agreed upon time is not for many months."
"Wait, did you two expect this?"
"Yes," the cat sighed. "You've wondered all this time why he lives in this dump, haven't you? There are people after him. In the past few months, Slughorn entered the city market a couple times to buy ingredients for Alchemy. Perhaps someone spotted him there."
Harry immediately felt guilty. Was it because of him?
"Boy, don't feel guilty. This isn't your fault, and this isn't something for you to be involved in. Let's go," the Exalted Cat said. With a wave of its paw, the letter and ring vanished.
"Exalted Cat, what about the underground room?"
"There is no underground room. The entire basement is one of Slughorn's artifacts. It's actually a small cube that contains a large independent space. Right now, the cube is probably in his pocket."
An independent space? Such a thing was possible?
"You mean, every time I entered the basement, I wasn't actually going below ground? I was just stepping into a small box?"
"That's right. Now, let's get going."
Harry's mind was blown. The more he learned about Slughorn and the Exalted Cat, the more unfathomable he realized they were.
But knowing that… who could actually force Slughorn into hiding?
"Exalted Cat, where are we going?"
"We knew this day might come, so we made some plans. The Swan Sea Sect will be holding an Outer Disciple recruitment event very soon. With your ability, you are sure to get in. I will drop you off there. While you are there, cultivate diligently, and break through the Qi Absorption Realm."
"Swan Sea Sect?" Harry was startled. Swan Sea City was one of the 20 Tier 2 cities of the empire, like Ox Ford City and West Minster City. The Swan Sea Sect was the sect they managed. It was one of the Tier 2 sects of the empire, making it very famous. Every young cultivator dreamed of entering one of the Tier 2 sects.
"Yes. Come, let's go."
"Wait – did you say you were dropping me off? You're not staying with me?"
"Boy, do you expect me to be your guardian for the rest of your life? You want me to protect you everywhere you go? Besides, as you can tell, I have other matters to take care of."
"Right. Sorry," Harry quickly apologized. He had grown so used to the Exalted Cat's company in the past few months that he didn't know how to deal with its departure. Even though it was full of insults and curses, it had grown to be his companion.
"However, there are a few things we must take care of first. The minimum requirement to enter the sect is for you to be at the high-level of the Body Tempering Realm. If you don't have that cultivation, you won't even make it past their front door. Slughorn left you his 12 remaining pills, but you still need a lot more. We'll go to the market first to get them."
"Alright," he agreed as they exited the house. "What are the other requirements to enter the sect?"
"The specifics change every year. But the minimal requirement is to be 18 or younger, and at the 7th level of the Body Tempering Realm."
18 or younger, at the 7th level of the Body Tempering Realm?
He was 18 now, and only at the 6th level!
"Are there a lot of applicants?" he asked doubtfully.
"There will be thousands," the Exalted Cat snorted.
Thousands? Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing.
The Swan Sea Sect was only one of the 20 Tier 2 sects in the empire. Presumably, the other 19 had similar requirements. And there were still the three Tier 1 cities in the empire, along with the Scarlet Phoenix Capital, where even more powerful cultivators dwelled. And of course, there were countless others across the empire, who didn't necessarily live in one of the major cities.
When considering them all together… perhaps there were many tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands, of people his age, yet with higher cultivation. Just that thought made him feel a bit depressed.
'Beyond every expert is another expert,' Harry sighed. 'I'm just a frog in a well.'
"I know what you're thinking. It can't really be blamed on you. That Crystal Mine City of yours is too low level. At places like Swan Sea City, cultivators have access to far better resources than you, and are more serious about cultivation. All you can do is make your best effort to catch up."
"Alright, I'll do my best."
"As I said, those are just the minimum requirements, to weed out the cultivators who have no chance. There will be some more tests, which change every year. But generally, you need to be at the 8th or 9th level of the Body Tempering Realm to pass."
9th level? Harry was extremely startled. Were there actually people at the 9th level of the Body Tempering Realm, before they even turned 18?
At Crystal Mine City, perhaps only Vernon Dursley was near the 9th level, and he was a middle-aged man. Yet, the cat seemed to be implying that hundreds of people his age would meet that requirement. The more Harry learned about the world, the more he realized how small and insignificant he was.
"You think that's impressive? Go to the Scarlet Phoenix Capital and you will be shocked to death. Anyways, it is best to not dwell on such things. There is no changing your background, all you can do is catch up."
"Yes, Exalted Cat. How does the Swan Sea Sect compare to the Ox Ford Sect?"
"Hmph. Among the 20 Tier 2 sects, the Ox Ford Sect is in the bottom two. Some years, they are even dead last. Even some Tier 3 groups in other areas of the empire can rival them."
"As you saw, their disciples are all bark and no bite. But even then, don't think that all Ox Ford Sect disciples are weak. You only met some outer disciples who just started training. Even in the Ox Ford Sect, there are bound to be a few geniuses. You just haven't met them yet."
"As for the Swan Sea Sect, they are ranked somewhere around the middle, but not quite the top. Expect the cultivators there to be stronger. After all, the Swan Sea Sect doesn't accept those below the 7th level of the Body Tempering Realm, while the Ox Ford Sect does. It will be a better environment for you."
"Besides," the cat added as an afterthought, "they have a peculiar set of rules, but they are well-suited for you. I hope you make good use of them. Now, turn at that intersection, and follow the signs. The Ox Ford Market is just around the corner."
Harry did so, and entered the market area. The transition from the run-down area where Slughorn lived into the market was jarring. It was a bustling place, full of stalls and shoppers milling around. People yelled their wares and advertised on enormous signs – Harry had never seen so many people at once.
He saw people selling Magic Plants, selling food, selling weapons, clothing, pots and cooking equipment, it almost seemed like anything could be bought and sold here. With so many people around, Harry had no clue where to search for pills.
"Where do we go?" Harry had to shout to make his voice heard over the din.
'Just keep walking until you see an Alchemist, or someone selling pills,' the Exalted Cat's voice rang in his mind. For some reason, the cat didn't want to talk when other people were around.
He strolled through the market, looking left and right. He walked past shops and stalls selling vegetables, fruits, grains, meat and fish, even armor and a pawn shop. He also noticed a number of armed guards walking around.
'Those are enforcers from the Ox Ford Clan. They keep order in the marketplace, and catch shoplifters. But mostly they just collect tax,' the cat snorted.
"What's their cultivation level?"
'Qi Absorption Realm, middle and high-level. Don't even think about robbing anyone here.'
"I won't, I won't. I was just asking," Harry quickly said.
The Qi Absorption Realm may have been nothing to the Exalted Cat, but it was an unbeatable cultivation level to Harry. Any one of those guards could kill or cripple him in a single hit, even if he used Strengthening Flesh.
The market was an enormous place, so large Harry aimlessly walked for almost an hour until the Exalted Cat found what they were looking for.
'Over there, 6 stalls down, there is a woman selling pills,' the cat mentally directed.
Indeed, there was a small stall set up, with an elderly looking woman sitting behind it. In front of the stall was a line of shoppers waiting to purchase. The only thing on the stall was a sign, which listed pills and their prices. Scanning through the dozens of types of pills, Harry eventually found it.
Body Nourishing Pill – High-quality: 1000 Qi Crystals. Stock: 24
Harry rubbed his eyes, and looked at the sign again. It still said 1000 Qi Crystals.
"1000 Qi Crystals?" he whispered to the cat. "Is that real?"
'Boy, you lack worldly experience. Pills are always in demand, and demand drives the price. Why do you think so many people want to become Alchemists?'
"But I only have 12 pills, and I'll need around 18 more! Do you have 18,000 Qi Crystals?" Harry urgently whispered as he got in line.
'You will need more than 18. Her Alchemy is not as skilled as Slughorn's. You're a bottomless pit, so just get all 24 to be safe.'
"Do you have 24,000 Qi Crystals?" Harry anxiously asked.
'Boy, what do you think I am, a mineral deposit? What would I carry so many Qi Crystals for?'
"Then what are we going to do?" Harry half-whispered, half-cried.
'Don't worry. Just ask for the pills, and I'll tell you how to handle it.'
That didn't alleviate Harry's concerns at all. The Exalted Cat didn't want him to rob the woman, did it? Just a few minutes ago, it told him to not even think about robbing anyone here. Surely it couldn't be that fickle?
The line steadily grew shorter. The first person bought a Sleep-Inducing Pill for 200 Qi Crystals, and the next person bought a Bone Regrowth Pill for 1600 Qi Crystals, which were carried in a bulging sack.
Just 1600 Qi Crystals needed a large bag for storage. 24,000… Harry didn't even want to think about it.
The other thing he didn't want to think about was how many pills he had eaten so far, and how many Qi Crystals that was equivalent to. If he knew these pills were so expensive, he wouldn't have guzzled Slughorn's pills down his throat like he was drinking water. He felt sick to his stomach.
He thought about 1000 Qi Crystals, then he thought back on his days in Crystal Mine City.
For the first time in his life, he felt like a prodigal son.
He was 5th in line, then 4th, then 3rd, until finally there was only a single person in front of him.
He started to fidget out of nervousness. If the cat wanted him to grab the pills and make a run for it, how far could he get? The guards patrolling in the marketplace were at the Qi Absorption Realm, and could move at a speed many times faster than him. He wouldn't get past 10 stalls before being pinned down.
Actually, just making it past 10 stalls was questionable. A few of the people milling around were also Body Tempering Realm cultivators, but there were many who Harry couldn't sense any strength from. In a Tier 2 city, it was common for adults to be at the Qi Absorption Realm. If any one of them got involved, Harry wouldn't even make it five steps.
After he was captured, he'd no doubt undergo some sort of tremendous punishment. At minimum he'd be banished from the market. At worst, perhaps the Ox Ford Clan would cripple him as an example. But the Exalted Cat would protect him, wouldn't it?
Finally, Harry made his way up to the stall. Hiding his nervousness, he spoke up.
"I would like 24 high-quality Body Nourishing Pills."
The old women narrowed her eyes.
"24 high-quality pills? What are you trying to do, get to the 18th level of the Body Tempering Realm?"
Some laughter rang out from behind him.
"It's not all for me," Harry quickly lied. For normal people, just two of these pills could help them advance one level in the Body Tempering Realm. 24 pills would be enough for 12 levels.
If he told the old lady he needed not just 24 pills, but also the 12 Slughorn left him, to advance just to the 7th level, she would be speechless.
"Boy, do you have 24,000 Qi Crystals?" she asked doubtfully.
Of course, it was natural to be doubtful. Where could one find a young man who had 24,000 Qi Crystals?
'Tell her you have something else, of even better value'
"I don't have Qi Crystals, but I have something else of better value," Harry said confidently, far more confident than had actually was. The Exalted Cat still hadn't told him its plan.
"What do you have?"
However, right at that moment, a loud shout interrupted their conversation.
"Stop! We need those Body Nourishing Pills!"
Harry turned to look at the new arrivals. A group of ten people, dressed in the robes of the Ox Ford Sect, were sprinting through the marketplace.
"We are from – ah, it's you!" the person was yelling exclaimed, and backed up in fright.
Of the ten arrivals, Harry recognized five of them. They were the five disciples he met back in the Wyvern Woods, who tried to kill him and use him as bait for Magic Beasts. They left after he gave them a beating. If he recalled correctly, they were Robert, Ralph, Richard, Roger, and Roy.
One of them had a crooked nose, another's arm was in a sling. All five immediately backed up, putting a distance of 10 meters between themselves and Harry. Obviously, they hadn't forgotten their last encounter. The other five that Harry didn't recognize just looked at their frightened companions with questioning expressions.
'The five from last time are now at the 7th level of the Body Tempering Realm, while the other five are at the 8th level. You're on your own,' the cat mentally told him.
'Even now, you're still thinking of fighting them?' Harry groaned.
He had the confidence to fight them, but this was the marketplace, in the middle of Ox Ford City! The Ox Ford Sect, where their Elders and fellow disciples were, was just a few minutes away.
If the cat wanted him to beat them up in the forest, then fine. But he couldn't do it right outside their sect!
"Who's this?" one of the unfamiliar disciples asked.
"Raymond, this is that James boy from the forest! He knew we're disciples of the Ox Ford Sect, yet he still savagely attacked us! You must seek vengeance for us!" the man with his arm in a sling cried.
The five disciples at the 8th level turned back to look at Harry, now with hostile expressions.
"Brat, you have guts to attack members of the Ox Ford Clan! You scram out of the market now and let us take those pills, and we'll forget about this matter."
"No!" Robert roared. "James, you bastard, you're not getting off so lightly! You think can beat all 10 of us this time? Kneel on the ground, apologize by slapping yourself 100 times, and obediently follow us back to the sect for your punishment!"
Hearing that threat, Harry just stared at Robert with an amused expression. He said the first thing that came to his mind.
"Robert, does your cheek still hurt?"