Who could have imagined? Just yesterday, Hu Yao had sworn Jinyun Valley wouldn’t be affected, yet today, he was being sent to the front lines.

It just goes to show how unpredictable things are.

"Things can’t be that serious, can they?"

Chen Che said, trying to comfort him.

"It’s hard to say. This demon beast scourge is not as simple as it seems!"

Hu Yao had a bitter expression on his face.

He genuinely wasn’t sure he would make it back, which was why he had rushed here to say his goodbyes.

"What’s going on?" Chen Che’s expression was grim.

Hu Yao let out a long sigh. "From what I’ve been able to find out, there’s at least a ninety percent chance this news is true!"

"They say a Tiger Demon infiltrated the Qian Kingdom at some point. Over several years, it secretly devoured all the civil and military officials, turning them into Chang Ghosts. As a result, corrupt officials now run the court, demons are rampant, and the people are living in misery."

"That’s how this recent demon beast scourge started."

Chen Che frowned slightly.

Li Xiaoshuang had once said in class.

When a Dynasty is at its zenith, the way of humanity prevails. Demons and monsters can only flee and hide in remote lands. But once a Dynasty is in turmoil and the people are plunged into misery, demons and monsters will emerge from the woodwork.

The two are interconnected.

"How did this news get out?" Chen Che asked.

"A while ago, a Loose Cultivator returned to the Mortal World to sever his worldly ties. He ended up discovering that his entire family, young and old, had been devoured by demons. He followed the trail of clues and that’s how he uncovered the truth!"

As he said this, Hu Yao’s voice was filled with resignation.

"What is that Tiger Demon’s cultivation?" Ding Fei asked nervously from the side.

"No idea!"

Hu Yao took a deep breath. "Actually, most of the upper-class figures in the secular world have channels for cultivation, or they sponsor some cultivators. For that Tiger Demon to accomplish this so silently, it must be at least at the Foundation Establishment Realm!"

Chen Che was taken aback.

He suddenly recalled a comment he’d seen a few days ago under a video of a student from Rushou Attached Primary School petting the head of a Golden Core Demon Wolf:

When you’re strong enough, even the most terrifying Demon Beast can become a pet!

Otherwise...

You’re just food for the Demon Beasts.

In Yunzhou, this principle was on full, vivid display.

"You’re just going to drive away the beast herds, not fight a Foundation Establishment Great Demon. It’s not necessarily a suicide mission."

As he spoke, Chen Che took several bottles of pills from his Storage Pouch and handed them to Hu Yao. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"Take these pills. They might save your life."

They had become acquainted through mutual benefit, but Hu Yao had a good character and was worth befriending.

Naturally, Chen Che wasn’t going to be too stingy, and even gave him the Sun Gathering Pills that he had never put up for sale.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist. I will never forget this kindness!"

Hu Yao was visibly moved.

After taking the pills, he left in a hurry.

Jinyun Valley’s emergency Summoning Order required him to leave today; he had just squeezed in some time to come say goodbye.

...

"Senior!"

Watching Hu Yao’s hasty departure, Ding Fei gritted his teeth.

"Shouldn’t we be preparing an escape route?"

In fact, he had wanted to run the moment he heard the news about the Tiger Demon causing chaos.

But Chen Che was clearly a powerful backer. The Spirit Stones he had earned in just a few months of following him already surpassed what he had made in the first half of his life.

"Let’s not be hasty. The situation hasn’t reached that critical a point yet."

Chen Che mused for a moment.

If Jinyun Valley really couldn’t hold on, he would definitely run too.

But he couldn’t just give up on this world. He would still need to find another opportunity to make a comeback, and for that, manpower would be key.

With this in mind, he handed the Bright Moon Heart Nourishing Scripture he had acquired to Ding Fei:

"Take this and cultivate diligently. No matter where you are, strength is what matters most!"

"This?"

Ding Fei cradled the Bright Moon Heart Nourishing Scripture, saying in disbelief:

"Senior, you’re bestowing this upon me?"

The favor of passing on a cultivation technique was equivalent to the grace of giving someone a new life.

In this world, Cultivation Techniques and Martial Techniques were guarded with extreme secrecy. They were rarely passed on to outsiders, sometimes not even from father to daughter, only to sons. Therefore, even though he had personally seen Chen Che obtain this technique, he had never even thought of asking for it.

Taking a deep breath, Ding Fei’s expression turned solemn.

"I will definitely not fail your trust, Senior! From now on, wherever you go, I will follow!"

"Mm."

Chen Che nodded slightly.

Perhaps, at first, Ding Fei had stuck with him out of fear, and then reluctantly, for profit.

But now, because of this act of grace, he had finally become truly and utterly loyal.

Thinking of this, Chen Che added another instruction:

"Collect more Spirit Grass! If we really do have to leave, we’ll be well-prepared."

"Yes!"

Ding Fei nodded emphatically.

...

Several days after Hu Yao’s departure, no news came from the front lines.

Without any familiar Jinyun Valley disciples to help him out, Chen Che was quite cut off from outside news. As for the Market, it was filled with swirling rumors, and it was impossible to tell what was true or false. A few people discussed the Tiger Demon affair, but most didn’t believe it.

After all, it was too sensational.

However, in many cases, no news was the best news.

If the Jinyun Valley disciples at the front were completely wiped out, now that would be a truly earth-shattering event.

’No matter where you are, if you’re not strong enough, even a Cultivator is just a piece of duckweed adrift in turbulent times!’

「In the days that followed.」

Chen Che cultivated diligently in his Cave Mansion every day, not daring to slack off in the slightest. At the same time, his Divine Sense Seed gradually solidified.

In addition, thanks to the abundant Spiritual Qi in his Cave Mansion and the Spiritual Objects he occasionally captured, his Realm and his Qi and Blood were all steadily improving.

「On this day.」

Chen Che arrived at the Market as usual. Before he could even step into the Pill Shop, a hair-raising feeling suddenly washed over him, as if a powerful presence was inside.

While he was still reeling in surprise, a man with a square face, a wide mouth, and a greatsword on his back strode out of the Pill Shop.

The two of them passed each other, their eyes meeting for a moment.

The man with the greatsword glanced at him, then looked away, strolling leisurely into the Market.

’This person is very strong!’

Having already condensed a Divine Sense Seed, Chen Che’s five senses were sharpened to their absolute peak. He felt that the other person’s aura was as vast as a lake.

But Chen Che, having felt the aura of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator from Li Xiaoshuang, judged that this man was likely at the Qi Refining Eighth Layer. Furthermore, the man’s aura was incredibly powerful and overbearing, a clear sign of a battle-hardened veteran.

’Looks like the battle on the front lines isn’t going well.’

’I didn’t expect even Late-stage Qi Refining Cultivators to show up here.’

Chen Che thought to himself as he stepped into the Pill Shop.

The atmosphere inside the shop, however, was a bit strange.

Zhao Deyou stood there pale-faced and trembling, while Ding Fei was expressionless, clearly suppressing his anger.

"What happened?"

Chen Che asked.

"Someone just came into the shop to extort us. We had no choice but to pay him fifty Spirit Stones!"

Ding Fei nearly ground his teeth to dust.

"What do you mean?"

Chen Che was taken aback.

Zhao Deyou began to explain what had happened, his voice trembling:

Apparently, a Cultivator had come to the shop to resell a pill. Their shop handled this kind of business. But according to the rules, they had to inspect the goods first. After the inspection, they bought one pill from the man, and the transaction was settled on the spot.

In reality, this whole process was just the man testing the shop’s strength.

Sensing that the shop was an easy target, the man didn’t leave. He then took out another bottle of pills and asked if the shop would buy them.

Naturally, the shop was interested.

But when Zhao Deyou opened the bottle, he found the pills inside had no medicinal power at all. Before he could even ask about it, the man accused them of swapping out the pills.

"You weren’t here, and neither were Master Hu or any of the Jinyun Valley disciples we know. We had no other choice. We were forced to compensate him fifty Spirit Stones,"

Ding Fei added.

The more Chen Che listened, the uglier his expression became. By the end, he couldn’t hold back anymore:

"The nerve! Someone actually dared to pull a scam in my shop!"

Fifty Spirit Stones.

That was equivalent to a month’s revenue for the shop, extorted just like that.

’Why is it so hard to run a peaceful business in this world!’

"Tell me, who was it?"

Ding Fei quickly stepped forward to stop Chen Che, whispering, "Senior, he’s at least at the Qi Refining Eighth Layer, maybe even the Ninth Layer!"

The image of the man who had just left the shop flashed through Chen Che’s mind. "Could it be the person who just walked out?"

"Yes!" Ding Fei nodded.

Chen Che suddenly fell silent.

’Fight him? I’m not sure I could win.’

’But if I don’t fight, I can’t just swallow this insult.’

Just then, a commotion broke out outside the shop.

"Sir, you can’t just take that! My family’s livelihood depends on these!"

"Put it on my tab. My cousin will come pay you tomorrow!"

Chen Che looked up to see a swaggering young man snatching something from a stall. He ignored the stall owner’s desperate pleas, tossed out that line, and simply sauntered away. The stall owner whimpered and cried, not daring to stop him.

Chen Che found the young man not only somewhat familiar, but his style was also incredibly familiar.

"Who’s that?"

"That’s Zhao Ping’s cousin, Zhao Kang..."

Since Chen Che wasn’t often in the Market, Ding Fei added an explanation:

"Zhao Ping wasn’t sent to the front lines. They say his master is from the Valley Master’s faction. After Zhao Ang died, he brought his cousin over. And now his cousin uses Zhao Ping’s name to extort and take whatever he wants in the Market all day long."

Chen Che watched the departing Zhao Kang, and his eyes suddenly lit up:

"Go tell Zhao Ping that the man who killed his cousin has returned to the Market today."