In less than a few seconds.

"Elder Ouyang, what is the matter?" Ji Qianqiu appeared before Su Qing and Ouyang Mingming.

Ji Qianqiu was wearing a mask.

"Sect Lord, my disciple saw an incomplete rune outside Qianjie City."

"Someone is deliberately scattering powder outside Qianjie City to form an Array Pattern. My knowledge is limited, so I don’t understand what kind of Array Pattern it is."

"Su Qing, show the Sect Lord," Ouyang Mingming instructed.

Su Qing once again traced the shape of the Array Pattern in his hand.

’This Array Pattern...’ Ji Qianqiu began to contemplate silently.

After a moment.

Suddenly, Ji Qianqiu grabbed Su Qing.

"You, come with me outside Qianjie City."

In an instant, Su Qing was whisked away to the area outside Qianjie City.

Su Qing immediately spotted a man—a mortal—in the middle of scattering Bone Powder.

Upon seeing this, Ji Qianqiu obliterated the man with a single thought.

He exploded into a shower of blood.

"Hmph!"

"To dare pull such a stunt right under my nose... Those things from the Demon Race are getting more and more audacious."

Ji Qianqiu picked up some of the powder and examined it.

A wisp of Demonic Qi appeared in Ji Qianqiu’s hand. The powder in his palm turned from red to black.

It even began to emit a trace of Demonic Qi.

"It really is the Bone Powder of a Demon-Connecting Demon." Ji Qianqiu’s expression instantly turned grim.

"Su Qing, you may return for now," Ji Qianqiu said to Su Qing.

Su Qing nodded. "Sect Lord, I’ll be taking my leave."

Su Qing went directly to the Ten Thousand Tribulations Sect instead of returning to Qianjie City.

After Su Qing left.

Ji Qianqiu swept his Divine Sense over the area, rooting out all the Demon-Connecting Demon Bone Powder within Qianjie City. While he was at it, he also killed the few mortals who were scattering it.

’They’re hidden quite deep. To think they’d even use mortals to scatter the Demon-Connecting Demon’s Bone Powder.’

Ji Qianqiu was actually being merciful. To mortals, the Demon-Connecting Demon’s Bone Powder was a deadly poison.

They might not feel it at first, but after coming into contact with the powder, they would suffer from demonic influence every night, an influence that would devour their souls, bite by bite.

Therefore, Ji Qianqiu was being merciful by allowing these mortals to enter the cycle of reincarnation.

Ji Qianqiu, however, was thinking, ’There’s a traitor within the Ten Thousand Tribulations Sect.’

...

Back at the Ten Thousand Tribulations Sect.

Su Qing went for a stroll in the Marketplace.

The place was as crowded as ever.

Su Qing just wanted to find something tasty to eat.

And maybe buy some ingredients to cook for himself.

The banquets were fine, but the food wasn’t great. Even though everything was made from Spiritual Artifacts, it was unfortunately not very tasty.

Besides, Su Qing didn’t want to linger there.

It was full of people he didn’t know well.

Su Qing quietly started cooking a meal for himself.

Halfway through his meal, Liu Linlin showed up.

After all, it was already evening.

Then, Ouyang Mingming appeared as well.

"Oh, I’m so exhausted today," Ouyang Mingming said. "My disciple is so thoughtful, knowing your master hasn’t eaten a bite all day."

"I’ve been entertaining people from the other Sects this whole time."

"Yeah, even though that Spiritual Food was pretty good, I still prefer truly delicious food," Liu Linlin said, her cheeks stuffed full.

Su Qing found this amusing.

"Some of it was good. Those crispy peanuts were tasty," Su Qing mumbled.

"Only the crispy peanuts were any good."

...

——

「Three months later.」

Ouyang Mingming returned, carrying the stench of blood with her.

"Disciple, one of the Ten Thousand Tribulations Sect’s Void Nether Stone Veins has no one guarding it. The Sect wants you to go stand watch."

"Stand watch?" Su Qing asked doubtfully, lounging on a rattan chair.

"You want me, a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator, to stand watch?"

Ouyang Mingming nodded. "There’s no other choice. Those of us at the Golden Core Realm are usually busy fighting Demon Beasts."

"Your junior sister is at the Golden Core Realm now. I saw her outside the Demon Court’s territory last time. I have no idea what that girl is up to."

"Alright then." Su Qing nodded.

Ouyang Mingming pointed out the location of the Ten Thousand Tribulations Sect’s Void Nether Stone Vein and gave Su Qing a Token.

It was a Ten Thousand Tribulations Order.

The Token of the Ten Thousand Tribulations Sect.

Because the miners consisted of mortals, Loose Cultivators, and even Demon Cultivators.

The Steward would need to see the Token to confirm that the guard was sent by the Ten Thousand Tribulations Sect.

Typically, the assignment was to stand guard for over a year.

Su Qing felt he was rather unlucky.

——

——

The Void Nether Stone Vein.

It was located in the central region of the southeastern part of the Ten Thousand Tribulations Sect’s territory.

The area was surrounded by mountains, and the Spiritual Qi seemed less abundant here.

When Su Qing saw the buildings, he knew this was an outpost of the Ten Thousand Tribulations Sect.

The moment Su Qing landed, several Qi Cultivation Realm cultivators approached and bowed to him. "We welcome you, milord."

Su Qing presented a Token. "From now on, I will be guarding this place. Do not report to me unless it is a matter of great importance."

Then, he released the aura of the Foundation Establishment Realm.

It made the few Qi Cultivation Realm cultivators tremble. They were all wearing the attire of Ten Thousand Tribulations Sect Servant Disciples.

"Yes, milord," the Qi Cultivation Realm cultivators said in unison.

Only then was Su Qing satisfied.

"I am only here to guard this place. I will not interfere in any other matters," Su Qing stated coldly.

"Arrange a good house for me."

"Milord, please follow me."

...

Everywhere you go, there are conflicts of interest.

Anyone who tried to pull Su Qing into their faction was slapped to death.

After a month, all the cultivators at the vein had come to fear Su Qing.

’How can one establish authority without using thunderous methods?’

Su Qing just wanted a comfortable environment, that’s all.

....

"Report!"

"Milord."

Su Qing was leisurely sunbathing. Without even opening his eyes, he said, "What is it?"

"There’s been a death in the mines."

"Man-made or something else?" Su Qing asked. If it was man-made, Su Qing would just find the perpetrator and kill them.

That was why after a month, Su Qing had earned the title of Yama of the mines.

"It might be a Demon Beast."

"Several High Tier Qi Cultivation Demon Cultivators have died. Their bodies are covered in a Demon Beast’s claw marks, and their hearts and lungs are gone."

"A Demon Beast?" Su Qing frowned. "Those Demon Cultivators, have your people touched the bodies?"

"No, they’re still in the mine shaft."

Su Qing let out a deep breath. "Never a moment of peace. Take me to see."

Su Qing followed the Steward into the mine shaft.

Sure enough, he saw a chaotic scene. The bodies were strewn about.

It was a gruesome sight. Six people in total—four Demon Cultivators and two ordinary people.

All of them had their hearts and lungs torn out.

’Looks like I’ve gotten lax lately.’

Su Qing hadn’t been paying much attention to the mine shafts. The shafts were full of Void Nether Stone Ore, which could easily interfere with his perception.

"It really is a Demon Beast." Su Qing knew as soon as he saw the wounds. Besides, there was still a trace of the Demon Beast’s aura in their empty chests.

Su Qing instructed, "Look around for any fur from the Demon Beast. Find some for me."

Su Qing scanned his surroundings, but he didn’t see anything related to a Demon Beast on his Synthesizer.

So, after saying that to the Steward, he left.

"Understood, milord."

...

Su Qing lived at a place not too far from, but not too close to, the mining area. There was a large town there, inhabited mostly by cultivators and mortals.

Their only source of income, it seemed, was mining.

Half a day after Su Qing returned.

One of the stewards came to him with several strands of fur.

"Milord, we found some fur, but we don’t know if it’s from a Demon Beast."

"Let me see."

[Fur of a Spirit Rabbit: Fur naturally shed from a Spirit Rabbit...]

[Fur of a Black Jade Monkey: A Tier One Demon Beast, an Intelligent Type demon beast, with a pure bloodline.]

....