《Two Realms Shuttle Gate: Don t Call Me a Demon!》 Chapter 2 - 1: Demon Cultivator_2 Chapter 2: Chapter 1: Demon Cultivator_2 After entering, Su Jie realized the grandeur of an immortal¡¯s abode, with ptial buildings nestled amid the clouds on mountaintops, was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he was met with a Demon Cave scene full of skeletons forming forests, wandering ghostly fires, and poisonous creatures all over the ground. By the time Su Jie understood that Ghost Ridge Pce was a Demon Sect, it was toote for regrets. In half a year¡¯s time, Su Jie had learned somemon knowledge about this Cultivation World by constantly inquiring for news. For instance, Demon Cultivators are universally loathed. The idea of achieving immortality and longevity seems so enchanting. Yet these are terms associated with the orthodox Taoist sects. In this world, Demon Cultivators are the evils that everyone spurns and seeks to kill. Simply because the Cultivation Techniques practiced by Demon Cultivators are often sinister and bloody,monly involving living humans for Blood Sacrifice, Blood Extraction, and Soul Stripping. Such actions naturally lead to universal ostracism. After thest great war between the Taoists and the demons five hundred years ago, the Demon Path suffered defeat and gradually declined. Nowadays, Demon Sects can mostly only cling to survival in remote mountains, forests, and isted inds, no longer possessing the arrogance of their once flourishing era when they ughtered thousands unchallenged. Ghost Ridge Pce, where Su Jie resides, is one such Demon Sect. During this half-year, Su Jie gradually came to ept his fate, extinguishing any thoughts of escape. The deep mountains and dense forests are teeming with evil creatures, ferocious beasts, and hazardous terrains, with sect disciples stationed at all essential passages. Thinking of fleeing without a Pass Token? If caught, expect to be subjected to the Punishment Elder¡¯s Soul Extraction and the lighting of a Corpse Lamp. Fortunately, although it¡¯s the Demon Path being practiced, the principle of reaching the same goal by different means holds true. Attaining a high level of Demon Cultivation can still grant longevity, and this is Su Jie¡¯s hope. However¡­ Su Jie¡¯s Cultivation aptitude is poor. Otherwise, he would have joined the inner sect from the start, not needing to spend his days hunting insects. As an Outer Disciple, the Hundred Poison Refining Gu Scripture he studied specifically to catch insects is the mostmon Demon Cultivation Technique. After half a year of diligent practice, he had only reached the Second Level of the Yunling Realm, slightly enhancing his physique, developing some immunity to minor poisons, and gaining a certain affinity for Poison Insects. The Yunling Realm is divided into ten levels, and with Su Jie¡¯s level of power, he couldn¡¯t even count as cannon fodder within Ghost Ridge Pce. Outer Disciples with poor aptitude often reach their twilight years stranded at the Yunling Fourth and Fifth Levels, nothing more than expendables in the eyes of the higher-ups. Inner Disciples, however, have the potential to break through to the Secret Realm, typically possessing the Cultivation of the Yunling Sixth and Seventh Levels. Only at this level of power are disciples considered significant. As for breaking through the Secret Realm, that¡¯s no longer a disciple¡¯s concern but an ability to take on positions such as Manager, Master, Elder, etc. Both status and power would skyrocket, bing a part of the core forces of Ghost Ridge Pce. Su Jie is aware of his poor potential, but this is the only chance in his life to defy fate. In the modern civilized world, he was just an ordinary worker, where finding a job was extremely difficult. While here, he could hope to wield the immense power to move mountains andpel the seas, to exist as long as the heavens and the earth. Either way, he¡¯s selling his life; in the real world, working hard for a boss to afford a Ferrari. Working for Ghost Ridge Pce, at least, held a sliver of hope for immortality. ¡­n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om The sun hadpletely set behind the mountain tops. Before thest ray of light disappeared, Su Jie returned to the foothold of Ghost Ridge Pce. Corpse oil bonemps hung high, emitting pale fires as they lit up the blood candles. Owls hooted from the treetops, their cries as mournful as sobbing. Under the illumination of the bonemps, rows of stark and crude stone caves appeared in view. ¡°Brother Su, you¡¯re backte!¡± A lean-faced young man greeted Su Jie. ¡°No choice, if I don¡¯t catch more Poison Insects to sell, I won¡¯t be able to pay the Master¡¯s monthly fee.¡± Su Jie replied with a smile; the person in front of him was Peng Shiwen, Su Jie¡¯s neighbor and also a fellow disciple inducted into Ghost Ridge Pce at the same time. They were both disciples of Taoist Qiu and shared a Cultivation at the Yunling Second Level. Since they were neighbors and inducted together, their rtionship was somewhat better than with the average disciple. ¡°Sigh, who knows when we¡¯ll see the end of these hard days. Capturing insects day in and day out, I feel like I¡¯m turning into a bird.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re in luck, bird-type spiritual beasts are natural enemies to many poisonous insects. You should try strapping on a pair of wings someday.¡± Su Jie bantered with Peng Shiwen for a few more sentences before they said goodbye to each other. Arriving in front of a stone cave, he took out a key and unlocked the door; this was Su Jie¡¯s dwelling in Ghost Ridge Pce. Inside, which spanned about thirty square meters, there were a few scant items such as a bed, a cushion, a desk, and so on. The most precious were the assortment of bottles and jars on the shelves. They contained the poisonous creatures he had found on Ghost Ridge Mountain, such as the Blue-tailed Demon Scorpion, Rainbow Blood Patterned Snake, Evil Scissors Spider, Red Poison Fire Ant, and others¡ªall low-grade species. Upon seeing a living person appear, the agitated and ferocious poisonous creatures fluttered their wings and screeched. There was one, however, that remained calm at the sight of Su Jie. It was a centipede as long as an arm, colored in alternating bands of red and ck. Eerily, beneath its abdomen, the densely packed segments were actually pale human hands, looking incredibly sinister. The thousand-handed centipede, which thrived in moist and dark environments, was nocturnal and had highly toxic extremities. This was the lifebound poisonous insect that Su Jie had nurtured. Although it wasn¡¯t of high quality, it had grown considerably over more than half a year of nurturing. When he had first obtained it, it was merely the length of a finger. ¡°It¡¯s feeding time, little guy, and today it¡¯s a feast.¡± Su Jie lifted the lid off the thousand-handed centipede¡¯s container and took out five human-faced moths from today¡¯s haul, feeding them in with a pained expression. Crunch. The previously calm thousand-handed centipede suddenly sprang to action. Its jaws snapped a human-faced moth in two, chewing and swallowing it voraciously. The remaining human-faced moths screamed, and the thousand-handed centipede rose up, its underbelly hands unfurling, easily crushing several human-faced moths. With over half a year of nurturing, the thousand-handed centipede had grown robust, well, at least among creatures of its lowly caliber. Hiss, hiss. The thousand-handed centipede quickly finished off the human-faced moths and then began to wave its antenna at Su Jie, indicating its desire for more food. ¡°That¡¯s all, the food for today is just this much.¡± The insatiable thousand-handed centipede crawled restlessly inside the cultivation tank. ¡°Fine, fine, I¡¯ll give you some blood to drink.¡± Su Jie, resigned, took out the blood collection equipment provided by the sect and drew half a tube of fresh blood. The dripping blood collected in a small bowl and was ced before the thousand-handed centipede, quickly slurped up until not a drop remained. ¡°That¡¯s really it.¡± Knocking on the still beggarly thousand-handed centipede, Su Jie appeared dejected. The cultivation technique he practiced, the Hundred Poison Refining Gu Scripture, emphasized the mutual ughter and consumption of poisonous creatures to continuously refine and enhance the quality of the poisonous insects. The stronger the lifebound poisonous insect bound to Su Jie became, the more cultivation it fed back to him, greatly elerating his cultivation progress. Unfortunately, the poisonous insects he could gather each day were limited; besides feeding the thousand-handed centipede, he had to hand over ten Blood Marrow Crystals to his Master every month, and he also needed them for his own cultivation expenses. This led to the thousand-handed centipede¡¯s growth being a mere forty to fifty centimeters over half a year, severely malnourished. Su Jie had seen those inner disciples who, with ample money and resources, fed their lifebound poisonous insects a massive amount of toxic creatures. Some of the insects that mainly grew in size were generally several meters long, a far cry from Su Jie¡¯s own. Lacking resources, and as the thousand-handed centipede¡¯s growth increased its daily demand for poisonous creatures, Su Jie had no choice but to let his own blood for feeding. But even this could not satisfy its appetite; the situation was truly miserable. cing the still begging thousand-handed centipede on his arm, Su Jie closed his eyes and started running the Hundred Poison Refining Gu Scripture. The next moment, the thousand-handed centipede clung tightly to Su Jie¡¯s arm, harmonizing its breath with his. Energy flowed through his meridians, continuously drawing in the outside spiritual power into his body. By his own estimation, reaching the Yunling Third Level would take another year with normal cultivation. After practicing for a while, Su Jie¡¯s mood was far from pleasant, with the road to immortality seemingly endless. Two hourster, Su Jie, who hadpleted his cultivation, slowly opened his eyes, only to be dazzled by a brilliant light. Turning his head to look, the Ancient Mirror he had kept in his room was shining brightly, illuminating the stone cave. ¡°Damn, you can still be used? I thought you were a one-time consumable.¡± Su Jie was shaken, quickly stood up, and, with a mix of shock and joy, picked up the Ancient Mirror. He saw red light flowing across the Ancient Mirror, and a portal to another space quietly opened upon its surface. Through the portal, he could faintly make out a modern home on the other side. His mouth agape, Su Jie couldn¡¯t be more familiar with the setting. Because that was the rental room he lived in before transmigrating to this Tianyuan World. He had been sleeping there, when the Ancient Mirror had brought him here. Seeing this scene, Su Jie realized what had happened and, unable to contain his excitement, stepped through the doorway. Chapter 7 - 6: Liu Yingying Chapter 7: Chapter 6: Liu Yingying After several hours of cultivation practice, Su Jie opened his eyes again and looked at his own arm, which had undergone some changes. Compared to the skin on other parts of his body, his two arms were noticeably fairer, possessing a sickly pallor, much like¡­ the arm of a thousand-hand centipede. With a light press of his palm on the box, he expelled a burst of force, and a dark green handprint immediately appeared on the wooden box. If it had been pressed on a human body, the poison would have instantly invaded the flesh. ¡°As expected of the Hundred Poison Refining Gu Scripture, now I can also inherit the special abilities of this lifebound poisonous insect.¡± Su Jie smiled at the corner of his mouth, urged his spiritual power, and then from his shoulders and ribs, his flesh split and eight pale arms took form and drilled out before detaching from the flesh and falling to the ground on their own. The fallen arms spread their fingers, resembling swiftly scuttling spiders, with the part beyond the wrists arching high, moving nimbly following Su Jie¡¯s will. Finally, the eight arms simultaneously grabbed a steel pipe and managed to bend it forcefully. This is the way of a demon cultivator, no wonder they are shunned and despised in the Tianyuan World¡ªsuch magic skills are indeed horrifying and chilling. Su Jie, satisfied, ceased the supply of spiritual power, watching the eight arms quickly wither and disintegrate, unable to contain the joy on his face. The new ability of the thousand-hand centipede had also been inherited. Today¡¯s gains were indeed too great, not only confirming the avenues for earning money in both worlds but also evolving the thousand-hand centipede to the stage of Low Grade First Refinement. He furthermore confirmed that his approach was correct, that he could use the resources of Blue Star to assist in the practice of his cultivation technique. ¡°Hey, upstairs, what¡¯s with the ghostlyughter in the middle of the night, can¡¯t people sleep?¡± Caught up in his excitedughter, Su Jie heard theints of other tenants from downstairs. Without realizing it, his cultivation had taken him deep into the night. ¡°It looks like I need to find a new environment; this ce isn¡¯t suitable for cultivation.¡± That thought crossed Su Jie¡¯s mind, noting that cultivating in a densely popted environment easily attracts unwanted attention. ¡­¡­¡­.. The next day! Su Jie got out of bed and dressed neatly before going to thendlord to terminate his lease. Ignoring the incessant chatter of the old man, Su Jie, with no luggage to pack, directly hailed a cab to the nearest 4S car dealership. In the 4S store, Su Jie immediately set his sights on his target, paying over two million in full for a top-of-the-line BMW M8 with a temporary license te, and driving off, all within less than twenty minutes. So much so, the salesperson serving him was still in a daze even after Su Jie had left. It was their first time seeing someone treat buying a car as nonchntly as buying vegetables. Having obtained his driver¡¯s license during university, Su Jie quickly got familiar with the vehicle and drove off swiftly. After driving around Linping City for a while, Su Jie arrived at a real estate sales center. Jingjiang Manor! This was a well-known high-end residentialplex in Lin¡¯an City, with an average price per square meter that exceeded twenty thousand, and it was built in less than three years. However, its fame didn¡¯te from high prices but rather the opposite; due to a decline in housing prices in the past two years, the sales center began to discount and sell properties. Early homebuyers were not pleased, gathering inrge crowds to cause uproar at the sales center, making repeated appearances on Hannan Province¡¯s television news. Nevertheless, no matter what, this residentialplex was indeed one of the few with the highest property prices in Linping City. Now that Su Jie wasn¡¯t short on money, naturally, he wouldn¡¯t shortchange himself; his first choice for buying a home would certainly be one of the finer options. The BMW M8, priced over two million, was quite conspicuous. Salespeople, who are known to be observant, were quick to notice. As soon as Su Jie parked the car, several enthusiastic sales representatives rushed out from the sales office. These sales representatives were polished in their appearance, both handsome men and beautiful women, dressed in high-end tailored suits, looking exceptionally professional. ¡°Sir, how may I help you?¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om The sales reps clearly saw the BMW that Su Jie was driving, and their attitude became even more enthusiastic, hoping to earn amission in the sluggish housing market. ¡°I¡¯m here to buy a house, of course. Introduce me to the properties you have here. Hmm, I see you have detached vis for sale; let¡¯s start with those.¡± Su Jie got straight to the point, emphasizing his wealthy and bold demeanor. Upon hearing this, the eyes of each sales rep lit up. That tone of voice was unmistakably that of a tycoon! ¡°Ahem, sir, let me take you to see them. I am very familiar with themunity nning, buildingyouts, and pricing. I guarantee I can choose the most satisfactory property for you.¡± ¡°What should I call you, sir? My name is Liu, you can just call me Xiao Liu. I¡¯m mainly responsible for the vi sales in the eastern district. We happen to have several promotional vis on sale. Are you interested in learning more?¡± The sales repspeted covertly, as Su Jie was a potential big deal. Themission from closing this deal could be enough to cover a year¡¯s sry. More sales representatives crowded around, with several women in suits appearing particrly attentive, sending flirty nces his way. Su Jie looked around and set his eyes on the most beautiful female sales rep in the ce. This sales representative was wearing a petite suit, tall and slender, standing at about 1.7 meters, with bright and attractive facial features, dignified and elegant, and with a beauty score above 90, was truly a rare beauty. As it happened, Su Jie knew this saleswoman; her name was Liu Yingying. During his college years at Linping City Finance and Economics University, Liu Yingying was a year ahead of Su Jie and was recognized as the prettiest girl in the finance department. Su Jie remembered her, but she didn¡¯t remember him. ¡°Youe and introduce it to me; the rest of you can disperse.¡± Pointing at Liu Yingying, Su Jie chose the eye-pleasing Liu Yingying. The other sales reps were visibly disappointed. Su Jie¡¯s attitude made him seem like someone who wasn¡¯t short on cash, and the female reps were even more envious and resentful toward Liu Yingying. ¡°Sir, I will definitely serve you with sincerity. Let¡¯s go and see the properties in person, so you can get a more direct understanding of the value of the properties.¡± Liu Yingying was pleasantly surprised and proudly nced back at the other female sales reps, smugly puffing out her chest, which annoyed them, internally cursing her as a seductive fox. Coming out of the sales office, Su Jie looked at Liu Yingying, who was walking ahead with a light step and swaying peach-like hips, and smiled, asking, ¡°Liu Yingying, no need to go to those ordinary vi areas. Where¡¯s the best vi you have here? Just take me straight there.¡± ¡°Of course, sir. Eh, how do you know my name?¡± Liu Yingying¡¯s beautiful eyes shone, and then she paused in confusion. ¡°What do you think?¡± Su Jie pointed at her chest where two hefty pineapplesy, with her name tag hanging above them. ¡°Ahaha, I still don¡¯t know how to address you, sir. You seem to be about my age. My name is Liu Yingying; you can call me Xiao Liu, or Yingying if you like.¡± Liu Yingying brushed aside a strand of hair tousled by the wind, showing off her graceful figure and sweet smile. ¡°Su Jie. No need to be so formal with ¡®you.¡¯ If we¡¯re counting, I should probably be calling you ¡®Senior Sister Liu.''¡± Su Jie walked beside Liu Yingying, teasingly said. Chapter 12 - 11: Taoist Qiu Chapter 12: Chapter 11: Taoist Qiu It seemed that Yu Wenxian noticed Su Jie sizing her up. She smiled sweetly and said, ¡°Junior Brother Su, why do you keep looking at your sister? Could it be that you want to spend a lovely night with me?¡± Su Jie shivered and quickly waved his hands, ¡°Senior Yu is joking. I am far too humble and dare not aspire to such heights as to covet a flower like Senior Sister. If people knew, wouldn¡¯t I be drowned in saliva by your followers and admirers?¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡°Hehe, you¡¯re quite the wit.¡± Yu Wenxian pursed her lips and giggled, herrge assets quivering with a striking curve, yet not a single disciple dared to sneak a nce. ¡°Come on now, we¡¯re about to depart, and yet there¡¯s such ack of tact. Do you really expect me to walk to see Master? There isn¡¯t even a single neer with some sense.¡± The smile vanished, and Yu Wenxian huffed coldly, causing several male disciples to panic and rush out, kneeling at her feet. With a light tap of her jade foot, Yu Wenxian sat cross-legged on the backs of those men, as if riding a horse, letting the disciples kneel on all fours, crawling forward, carrying her. Su Jie exhaled in relief, grateful that the devilish woman hadn¡¯t set her sights on him. Looking again at the few male disciples being treated like beasts of burden, these were the unlucky fools who had sumbed to lust. Yu Wenxian had refined a special type of Mother-child Love Poisonous Insect, which, once a male disciple couldn¡¯t resist the temptation and became intimate, the Love Poison would enter through their ¡®vital root¡¯ into the heart, lying dormant under the control of the Mother Poison, manipted by Yu Wenxian. At Yu Wenxian¡¯smand, the affected person would suffer the agony of a thousand insects eating at their heart, bing entirely at her disposal, enved like beasts of burden to serve her. Many new recruits who didn¡¯t understand, upon meeting Yu Wenxian thought their luck in love had arrived, only to be controlled by her for life after falling into the trap. Su Jie truly did not want to provoke such a ruthless person. ¡°Is everyone here? Follow me to meet Master.¡± Pei Haibing¡¯s face was cold as ice, looking as if someone owed him a great sum of money. The group traveled several miles to arge estate halfway up the mountain. In front of the yard, a few willow trees were nted, their drooping branches like strands of hair, twisting freely in the breeze. Knock knock! Pei Haibing stepped forward and knocked on the gate. The gate opened automatically, revealing the sumptuous interioryout, with tall pavilions, covered walkways, pavilions, pools, rockeries¡ªeverything one could imagine, and the walls of each structure had exquisite bas-reliefs. It was hard to imagine such a luxurious estate hidden deep in the mountain forests. Upon entering this ce, everyone¡¯s expression grew somber as they stepped into the yard, including Yu Wenxian, who immediately stood up from the backs of others and tidied her attire. Many servants were busy in the yard, greeting the group of disciples as they saw them. These servants were ves bought from the ck Market, not only to clean and manage the estate but also to serve as a human resource for cultivating Demon Techniques when necessary. Apart from them, there were some figures with dull and murky eyes and swollen bellies that were particrly prominent, standing guard like sentinels. Regardless of gender, they all had bellies as if pregnant for ten months. These were not living people but Insect ves, created by cultivators through refinement. Inside their bellies were a multitude of tiny poisonous insects, with the human body serving as the nesting ground for the insects. Because they were cultivators, their flesh was rich with Spiritual Energy particles, creating a higher quality of insects in such an environment, with the insects bing more bloodthirsty and ferocious. Essentially, these people were already dead, left with nothing but their instinct-driven walking corpses. In the event of an enemy encounter, their flesh and blood would transform into nutrients for the insects, hatching poisonous insects of various sizes and creating a terrifying sea of insects. Su Jie dared not look further and continued to walk with his head down. After climbing over a hundred meters, Su Jie finally saw Taoist Qiu in front of a pond brimming with lotus blossoms. The man, donned in a purple robe, appeared somewhat lean and seemed to be in his seventies. His eyes were the ice-cold vertical pupils of a snake, and he was currently tossing bait into the pond with a jade cup as if feeding fish. But upon closer inspection, that was no fish food¡ªthose were human eyeballs, freshly gouged out and still streaked with blood. No sooner had the eyeballs hit the water than numerous enormous shadows darted beneath the surface, fiercelypeting for the food, causing water to ssh everywhere. ¡°Master, I have brought the people over, please give your instructions.¡± Pei Haibing quickly stepped forward beside Taoist Qiu, bending over respectfully to report. ¡°Hmm, fairly punctual.¡± The hoarse voice came through as Taoist Qiu slowly turned around. ¡°Serving you, elder, how could we dare to be negligent in the slightest.¡± Yu Wenxian, with her coquettish voice, eagerly agreed from the side while the other disciples dared not interject. ¡°Now that everyone is here, let me tell you something,¡± Taoist Qiu set down the jade cup and, with hands sped behind his back, faced the crowd and spoke, ¡°Just yesterday, the turbulence of the earth¡¯s foul qi caused the maic field of the Alien Ghosts here to be disorderly, resulting in a daytime feeding frenzy. After today¡¯s assembly at the mountain gate, the Sect Master has decided that, starting from today, in order to protect Insect Valley, the ck Market, the Blood Marrow Stone Mine, and the crucial transportation routes outside, we¡¯re establishing a protective patrol team. Disciples above the secondyer of Yunling must mobilize; groups of three will patrol the mountain and protect the roads day and night, ensuring the safety of the trade routes.¡± What! Upon hearing these words, the disciples erupted in shock, and many Outer Disciples¡¯plexions instantly turned extremely unsightly. The might of the Alien Ghosts is not something ordinary disciples can withstand, and even in groups of three, the situation is extremely perilous. But to voice objection was something no one dared, not even half a word. Just thinking about those Insect ves they saw in thepound was enough to imagine how cruel Taoist Qiu¡¯s methods were; the Sect¡¯s decisions were not something these disciples could oppose. Su Jie remained silent; although he wished to live quietly and practice cultivation, the collective action was a decision by the Sect, and he had no choice but to steel himself and participate. Peng Shiwen, on the other hand, had a grim expression, his face dark and purple like an eggnt beaten by frost. ¡°Our lineage¡¯s patrol team will be assembled in ten days. You all can choose the members yourselves; don¡¯t disappoint me.¡± Taoist Qiu reimed the fish feed, his face expressionless. All eyes turned towards Pei Haibing and Yu Wenxian as the disciples harbored different thoughts, each beginning to calcte their savings. ¡°Alright, you may all leave now and prepare well.¡± Taoist Qiu sent everyone away. The group of disciples exited the yard and immediately surrounded Pei Haibing and Yu Wenxian. ¡°Brother Pei, this Spiritual Tea that I bought from Cui Feng Pavilion, please try it and see how you like the taste.¡± ¡°Senior Yu, this Golden Jade Blood Hairpin is a Spiritual Object I came across by chance; it can elerate the gathering of Spiritual Energy and assist in cultivation, perfectly suited for a beauty like you.¡± The disciples vied with one another to show their eager ttery to the two, as being in one team with them, who were inner disciples, would naturally significantly increase their security. Su Jie did not join in. Setting aside whether he had enough money, he carried far too many secrets on him. To be in a team with inner disciples, he feared that any slip could allow them to detect something amiss. Chapter 20 - 19: Tit for Tat Chapter 20: Chapter 19: Tit for Tat ¡°` ¡°Go, check it out outside.¡± With a ferocious look in his eye, Brother Hu shoved one of hisckeys, ignoring his resistance, and sent him outside to investigate. However, no sooner had theckey vanished under the glow of their shlights than a scream erupted. The group watched in horror as the man appeared to be dragged away by some creature in the darkness. The cellphone he had been clutching tumbled to the ground, followed by a few more shrieks that ended abruptly, and then silence fell once again. When Brother Hu quickly shone his shlight toward the spot, he saw a contorted figure lying on the ground. The man looked like a broken toy, with his head folded onto his backside, his limbs twisted into a pretzel shape, his eyes wide open, filled with intense fear. Gulp! A group of tattooed brutes turned pale with fear, some of them unable to hold onto their metal rods and knives, which ttered to the ground. They had cut people, been to jail; to ordinary folks, they were extremely violent thugs. But killing people was one thing¨Caside from Brother Hu, none of them had actual experience with it, let alone had seen such a spectacle! Even Brother Hu felt his hair standing on end; he had never seen anything this bizarre before. Now he began to believe that they had encountered a ghost. Otherwise, how could a living person be twisted into such a strange shape in just a few seconds? ¡°There really are ghosts, there really are ghosts, wuu, we¡¯re done for.¡± ¡°Call the police, quickly, call the damn police! Let theme save us.¡± The group of tattooed toughs was on the verge of a mental copse, and even Brother Hu stopped insisting. Getting caught for a minor offense like stealing some wood would havended him in jail for a few years at most, but staying here could mean death! ¡°Be careful, I¡¯ll call the police.¡± Brother Hu turned cowardly and tried to dial 911 himself. But before the call could go through, something in the darkness was rapidly closing in. Whoosh! A nasty gust of wind blew in, and the thousand-hand centipede¡¯s grotesque body emerged from the darkness, biting down hard on Brother Hu. ¡°Monster¡­ Monster!¡± The thugs exploded into panic, scattering in terror. But what they didn¡¯t know was that escaping from this abandoned building was already an impossibility. Several pale human hands detached from the belly of the thousand-hand centipede and stealthily disappeared into the dark, and soon after, a few desperate screams echoed in the silent building, carrying far before everything turned quiet once more. The thousand-hand centipede made a sizzling noise twice, clutching Brother Hu, who was still struggling in terror. Behind it, the pale hands dragged the bodies, heading toward the ground floor. ¡­ On the ground floor of the abandoned building, Su Jie stood in front of several heavy trucks, pulling back the tarpaulins to reveal loads of intact, precious small-leaved rosewood logs. ¡°Stealing from anyone but me, why do they all have to follow Peng Shiwen¡¯s example?¡± With a sigh, Su Jiemented that he genuinely wanted to be aw-abiding citizen, so why did they insist on forcing his hand? At that moment, the thousand-hand centipede came down from the building, bringing back fourteen bodies, neatly arranged in front of Su Jie. Lastly, it dropped Brother Hu, whom it had been carrying in its mouth, at Su Jie¡¯s feet like a prized offering. ¡°Good boy.¡± Su Jie scratched the thousand-hand centipede¡¯s chin. The bulky tail of the thousand-hand centipede wagged back and forth like that of a happy puppy. ¡°Are you human or ghost, human or ghost¡­¡± Brother Hu trembled uncontrobly, ncing at the corpses of his subordinates all around him, his insides quaking with fear. He had never before encountered such a ruthless individual, and the methods of this person were beyond anything he had heard of. ¡°Who I am¡­ didn¡¯t you investigate that thoroughly enough?¡± A hint of a smile yed on Su Jie¡¯s lips as he stepped out from the shadows into the moonlight, bending down to face him. ¡°It¡¯s you, you are the owner of those materials¡­¡± Upon recognizing Su Jie¡¯s face, Brother Hu felt his legs go numb, realizing why Su Jie hade after them, and it was indeed no injustice. ¡°Now that you know, it will be easier to deal with you. I¡¯m interested in some information about your boss. If you give it up¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t betray the boss. In the movies, that¡¯s how it always goes, say it and you¡¯ll kill me to silence me.¡± Brother Hu wore a determined expression, and it almost made Su Jieugh. ¡°I didn¡¯t see you as the tough guy type. Good, I do have some expertise in making people talk. I hope you don¡¯t disappoint me.¡± Trying to y the hero in front of Su Jie, Brother Hu clearly didn¡¯t know the punitive measures of a Demon Cultivator. Ten minutester¡­ ¡°` ¡°I¡¯ve said everything I could, please, just give me a quick death.¡± The previously unyielding Brother Huy on the ground, consumed by despair and fear, wishing for nothing but death. ¡°Really, not even ten minutes endured. In the next life, remember to be a good person like me.¡± Su Jie snapped his fingers.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om You call yourself a good person, demons aren¡¯t as bad as you¡­ This thought shed through Brother Hu¡¯s mind. Then his consciousness was engulfed as swarms of Yin Fire Blood Bees covered his entire body, burrowing into him from his mouth and nose. Su Jie then opened the ancient mirror he had brought with him, tossing the corpse and the small-leaved red sandalwood into it, effectively erasing all traces of the scene. Having put everything in order, Su Jie vanished into the night. He was off to find the real mastermind; the ones he¡¯d killed were merely pawns. ¡­ ¡°What did you say, Ah Hu isn¡¯t answering his phone, what about Lei Zi and the others?¡± In a luxurious vi in Linping City, Cui Yunchun, dressed in pajamas and listening to Ma Lanfei¡¯s report, stood up abruptly. ¡°Chairman Cui, you told me to call Ah Hu every three hours. I did as you instructed, but half an hour ago, no one answered his phone, and nobody responded to Lei Zi and the others either.¡± Ma Lanfei spoke anxiously, as it wasn¡¯t yet midnight and her calls had gone unanswered, prompting her toe and report immediately. ¡°Could it be that Ah Hu and the rest got greedy and decided to keep the merchandise for themselves¡­¡± Ma Lanfei hesitated before venturing a guess. ¡°Impossible, I raised Ah Hu from an orphan, he¡¯s loyal to me. Something¡¯s definitely happened to them. Make inquiries immediately, and focus on this Su Jie fellow.¡± Cui Yunchun was livid, his eyes fierce as if to devour someone. Startled, Ma Lanfei was about to make a call when suddenly a voice echoed in the room. ¡°Boss Cui, so eager to find me, huh!¡± The voice came from outside the door, startling both upants of the bedroom. ¡°Who are you, wait, Mr. Su, you are Mr. Su, aren¡¯t you?¡± Cui Yunchun was initially taken aback but then quickly came to a realization. ¡°I admit I was wrong in this matter, and I am willing to apologize. I¡¯ll pay one hundred million yuan for your losses, how about that? I can add more if it¡¯s not enough.¡± True to his experience in surviving many upheavals, Cui Yunchun was quick to concede. If Su Jie could enter his home silently, it meant his life was under threat. ¡°One hundred million yuan is a big sum, but it¡¯s toote to talk about this now.¡± With a cold chuckle, footsteps approached from outside the bedroom. As the door opened, a figure stood in the moonlight, sending chills down the spine. Cui Yunchun and Ma Lanfei peered closely, and simultaneously shouted, ¡°Ah Hu!¡± The man at the door was their associate, Ah Hu. ¡°How are you here, did you actually betray me? You¡¯ve got some nerve.¡± Cui Yunchun seemed to realize something, his mix of shock and anger fixed on Ah Hu. ¡°Brother Hu, how could you do this? Chairman Cui had been so good to you, yet you conspire with outsiders to betray us.¡± Ma Lanfei was equally furious, her heart also secretly relieved. After so many years ofpanionship, at least Brother Hu wouldn¡¯t kill her, she hoped. However, facing Cui Yunchun¡¯s rage, Ah Hu responded strangely, lifting his arms stiffly, his eyes filled with despair: ¡°Save me, Mr. Cui, save me¡­¡± Before he could finish his plea, Ah Hu¡¯s face contorted, his skin twitched as if something was wriggling underneath, and he spoke in a hoarse, stiff voice: ¡°Tch, still far from perfect, a mere human can¡¯t maintain control. Well then, Boss Cui, you seem to like setting fires, so I¡¯ll offer you a fire in return. An eye for an eye, fair, isn¡¯t it?¡± It was only then that the two realized something was very wrong with Ah Hu, as if he was under someone¡¯s control. Unaware of Gu Masters, Cui Yunchun and Ma Lanfei didn¡¯t understand that this was a technique resulting from the application of spiritual power by a Gu Master, a skill that Su Jie had recently mastered while practicing the Insect Control Technique. Due to Su Jie¡¯s insufficient strength, coupled with inherent ws in the technique, such as time and distance limits, simr to signal fluctuations, sometimes the victims would break free from control, just as had happened moments ago. ¡°Mr. Su, we can still talk, name your price.¡± Feeling utterly uneasy, Cui Yunchun shouted out in panic, but this time Ah Hu did not respond. His flesh split and Yin Fire Blood Bees emerged, swarming towards the two. The gory and terrifying scene nearly sent both into shock; pleas for mercy came toote. Inside the bedroom, tiny fires started to burn, igniting a massive ze courtesy of the Yin Fire Blood Bees from Tianyuan World. Standing hundreds of meters away atop a tree, Su Jie surveyed the fiery ze engulfing the building. ¡°Not bad at all, the mes are spectacr; no wonder viins love arson after murder, it really is quite satisfying.¡± A smile lingered on Su Jie¡¯s face as he cast onest look at the sky-high mes and then turned away from the ce. ¡°Out for two hours, it¡¯s time to rest, tonight I can finally get some good sleep.¡± Chapter 22 - 21: Recruitment Chapter 22: Chapter 21: Recruitment ¡°Really, they even suspected you, those police reallyck professionalism.¡± Inside the vi, Liu Yingying was still indignant on Su Jie¡¯s behalf. ¡°The police are just serving the people, and as citizens, cooperating with them is the right thing to do. After all, if you¡¯re innocent, you have nothing to fear.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Speaking with integrity, Su Jie was telling the truth. All night long, he hadn¡¯tid a finger on anyone; it was all the doing of the thousand-hand centipede. When animals kill people, it¡¯s the thousand-hand centipede they should be catching, right? Thousand-hand centipede: Squeak? ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore, Yingying, are you interested in bing my secretary?¡± ¡°Ah! A secretary, me?¡± Taken aback by Su Jie¡¯s sudden change of subject, Liu Yingying was utterly bewildered. ¡°You heard just now, didn¡¯t you? I¡¯m dealing with some wood materials, and I don¡¯t have any reliable help on this side. I was thinking, since you¡¯ve got some abilities, why not quit your job ande help me?¡± With his legs crossed, Su Jie pushed a drafted employment contract across the table. When Liu Yingying saw the sry figure on the contract, her mouth fell open in shock. ¡°Does this¡­ does this count as being kept by you?¡± Liu Yingying¡¯s heart raced, the number causing her mouth to go dry. ¡°Don¡¯t speak so crudely, I appreciate your abilities.¡± Su Jie poked Liu Yingying¡¯s forehead; he had limited time in Blue Star and needed someone to help watch over things. Liu Yingying was rtively close to him. Regardless of her abilities, ensuring a certain level of loyalty was all that mattered. Besides, Su Jie wasn¡¯t afraid of betrayal; just look at what happened with Cui Yunchun. ¡°Hehe, I don¡¯t see any reason not to agree. From now on, I¡¯ll rely on Mr. Su to take good care of me.¡± After considering for a few seconds, Liu Yingying readily agreed, believing that making the right choices was more important than trying hard. In fact, she didn¡¯t mind being kept at all. Being a golden canary wasn¡¯t so bad, especially since Su Jie was neither old nor ugly. He was in great shape, thrilling her to death in bed, and not to mention, Su Jie had given her a tform to showcase herself. Patting Liu Yingying on the head, Su Jie said with a smile, ¡°You little rascal, I¡¯ll discipline you tonight. Go tell the auntie to prepare some tea; a guest will be arriving shortly.¡± ¡°Already bossing me around, huh!¡± Liu Yingying gave Su Jie a peck on the face and then left with a happy spring in her step. ¡­ Twenty minutester, the guest Su Jie mentioned arrived. At Jingjiang No.1 Vi, Liang Lianjun sat cautiously across from Su Jie, feeling very nervous. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Manager Liang? You¡¯ve grown distant after not seeing me for two days.¡± Serving Liang Lianjun a cup of tea personally, Su Jie said with a smile. ¡°No¡­ no, I just, I just didn¡¯t expect Mr. Su to invite me for tea.¡± Liang Lianjun hurriedly held the tea with both hands, yet what Su Jie said next made Liang Lianjun¡¯s heart tremble. ¡°Ah, what can I say? After that kind of incident, inviting you over for tea is just to understand the situation. Chairman Cui was a good man; how could he die so suddenly? I was even nning to sell him this batch of wood materials.¡± The cup ttered! His hand shaking, the scalding tea spilled, and Liang Lianjun almost jumped out of his seat. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is the tea not to your liking?¡± ¡°No, no, I¡¯m just a little excited, haha, haha, I¡¯m really fine.¡± Liang Lianjun¡¯s smile was extremely stiff. When he heard about Cui Yunchun¡¯s death in a fire a couple of days ago, a terrifying hypothesis crossed his mind. He had also heard that Cui Yunchun came from a shady background, and at the time, he wondered why Cui would refuse to purchase Su Jie¡¯s batch of wood. Putting together the fact that Su Jie¡¯s warehouse burned down, followed by the night when Cui Yunchun was burned to death at home, even without evidence, one could surmise a lot from the motives. ¡°You seem very afraid of me?¡± Su Jie¡¯s smile was amiable and sincere as he said, ¡°Let me make it clear! I¡¯m genuinely saddened by Chairman Cui¡¯s passing, but life must go on, right? You shouldn¡¯t dwell too much on it either.¡± ¡°Mr. Su, I¡¯m not¡­¡± ¡°Alright, I know you¡¯re a man of loyalty. I called you here because I value that loyalty. I¡¯m thinking of starting a furniturepany and you have many years of experience in the industry. I¡¯ll juste right out with it¡ªI want to poach you to work for me as the General Manager.¡± ¡°Cough, cough.¡± Choking on his tea, Liang Lianjun caught his breath. ¡°Su¡­ Mr. Su, wasn¡¯t your batch of wood burned? Howe you¡¯re still thinking of¡­¡± ¡°Oh, that? I¡¯ve already purchased a new batch, identical to the previous one in quality. You can rest assured.¡± Liang Lianjun became even more suspicious when he heard this. In his view, the ¡®material¡¯ Su Jie mentioned might very well be something snatched back from Chairman Cui. ¡°This is the annual sry I¡¯m offering you. Perform well and there¡¯s a bonus too. You can think it over. I¡¯m the kind of person who never shortchanges those who work earnestly for me.¡± Su Jie knew that talk is cheap, so he used the power of cash to put forth a contract. Just like Liu Yingying¡¯s reaction before, Liang Lianjun, who had intended to refuse Su Jie¡¯s offer, found himself unable to utter his rejection upon seeing the sincerity of the contract before him. Simply because the figures on the contract were too dazzling. ¡°You know my strength. If youe work for me, I can¡¯t promise other things, but a constant supply of high-quality wood material is guaranteed. Coupled with your abilities and connections, our newpany will surely be able to quickly break into the high-end furniture market.¡± Recruiting Liang Lianjun was a move Su Jie had contemted. Merely selling raw materials would always attract attention. If that was the case, it might be better to process the wood material himself and sell directly to consumers. Liang Lianjun, with his years of industry experience, capability, and connections, would certainly be more than adequate as a General Manager. Swallowing hard, although he surmised that Su Jie might be involved in illegal activities, the contract was just too tempting. Even though he knew that working with Su Jie came with risks, Liang Lianjun couldn¡¯t resist the lure. After several minutes of hesitation, he finally picked up the contract from the table. ¡°Mr. Su¡­ Mr. Su, I don¡¯t have experience in managing apany¡¯s overall operations, but since you hold me in high regard, as long as I¡¯m still in the position, I will absolutely manage thepany with dedication and help sell our furniture all over the country.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the spirit, I believe in you.¡± Su Jie shook hands with Liang Lianjun, then called over Liu Yingying: ¡°This is my personal secretary, Liu Yingying. When I¡¯m not around, you can go to her with anything, and she¡¯ll pass it on to me.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Secretary Liu.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Manager Liang.¡± After the introductions, Su Jie continued, ¡°You guys start with thepany registration. Elder Liang, take a look at acquiring a processing nt. I¡¯m allocating thirty million in funds for you, that should be enough, right?¡± The thirty million was what Su Jie had mortgaged Jingjiang No.1 Vi for from the bank. ¡°That¡¯s plenty, that¡¯s plenty. But Mr. Su, what¡¯s the name of our newpany?¡± Liang Lianjun was even more excited now, with abundantpany funds providing him the confidence to work energetically. ¡°Let¡¯s call it¡­ Tianyuan Home.¡± Chapter 28 - 27: Gentiana Chapter 28: Chapter 27: Gentiana Niu Jiao Ridge! Inside a wooden house on the southern peak. The six men from Meng Dongge¡¯s group had just returned here, jubnt beside themy the corpse of an Alien Ghost. ¡°Dongge, it¡¯s your strategy that¡¯s formidable, another sessful hunt for an Alien Ghost tonight, without any effort.¡± A disciple, extremely excited, spoke while caressing the Alien Ghost¡¯s body, utterly fascinated. ¡°Following my lead can¡¯t be wrong, those disciples are just paupers, how much money can they have? They don¡¯tpare to the value of an Alien Ghost, it¡¯s perfect for making use of such waste.¡± Meng Dongge¡¯s demeanor was no longer friendly and amiable, his face bore a trace of a cold sneer. ¡°Indeed, indeed, all thanks to you, Dongge, for getting a batch of Gentiana, otherwise this n wouldn¡¯t have been so easily sessful.¡± ¡°These demon-like Alien Ghosts, before I couldn¡¯t have even dreamed of hunting them without paying a price.¡± The disciples nearby continuously echoed in agreement, full of admiration and ttery in their words towards Meng Dongge. ¡°Speaking of which, what¡¯s with Su Jie and his people? I went over to the cabin earlier and noticed they¡¯ve moved to another hut. Could they have discovered something?¡± ¡°Impossible.¡± Meng Dongge immediately interjected, confidently iming: ¡°I buried the Gentiana under the roots in the soil; only an Alien Ghost can smell that unique scent, no one else could find it. They¡¯re probably just a bit suspicious, not fully trusting our arrangements. In that case, next time I pay a visit under the guise of benevolence, I¡¯ll take the opportunity to bury some Gentiana around their hut, let¡¯s see if they can still change their dwelling.¡± ¡°This will definitely work, when they lure the Alien Ghost over, we just have to wait for them to fight the Ghost to a standstill and reap the benefits like a fisherman.¡± The disciples¡¯ eyes shone brightly, as if seeing a torrent of wealth flowing into their pockets. Meng Dongge and his people discussed their schemes without any restraint, contemting how to set their trap. Little did they know, at the window, a moth quietly clung to the surface, hearing all their loud scheming loud and clear. ¡­.. ¡°Heh, just as I thought, thest piece of the puzzle is in ce.¡± At the same time. On the northern peak of Niu Jiao Ridge, Su Jie slowly opened his eyes, ceasing the vision sharing with the moth. In the main hall of the wooden house, Chen Yun, who had just been rescued, was temporarily ced here. Her wounds were severe, her body was ripped open by the Alien Ghost¡¯s sharp ws, leaving several deep gashes that exposed her bones, even her intestines were out in the open air. Had her body not been far superior to an ordinary human¡¯s, she would have died already. ¡°The bleeding has stopped for now, but the Alien Ghost¡¯s attack, due to its ws carrying some Corrosive Poison, will depend on whether she can survive without her wounds festering.¡± Gu Weonian checked and found Chen Yun¡¯s condition to be pessimistic. ¡°I understand, let¡¯s set Chen Yun aside for now and discuss other matters.¡± Su Jie stood up from the cushion, called Gu Weonian and Sun Zhihai over, and said, ¡°Regarding tonight¡¯s events, what are your thoughts?¡± ¡°Thoughts? Wasn¡¯t it just an ident? It¡¯s just that Chen Yun and the others were too unlucky. Ah, Brother Su, you don¡¯t think that they were attacked by Mr. Meng, do you? You saw the Alien Ghost corpse earlier, your previous suspicions weren¡¯t urate.¡± Gu Weonian was perplexed, recalling how not long ago, Su Jie had doubted Meng Dongge. But the facts proved Su Jie was wrong; instead, Meng Dongge heroically saved others, fully proving himself to be a good person. ¡°Yeah, Brother Su, isn¡¯t Mr. Meng good enough? Braving the threat of the Alien Ghost, he personally led the rescue. We can¡¯t falsely use someone.¡± Sun Zhihai also defended Meng Dongge. Both appeared to hold Meng Dongge in high regard, his helpful characterbined with the personal risk he took was indeed very convincing. ¡°Don¡¯t you find it all too coincidental?¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Su Jie knew they would question him, and he analyzed the night¡¯s events one by one: ¡°Chen Yun and I just arrived today, and her group was attacked by an Alien Ghost, which seems far too coincidental. Also, wasn¡¯t Meng Dongge¡¯s group¡¯s response too quick after the attack? They were even further from Chen Yun¡¯s hut, yet they arrived before us and even had a fierce battle with the Alien Ghost, as if¡­ they had been waiting there in advance.¡± Silence! The hall fell silent at Su Jie¡¯s words. Gu Weonian swallowed nervously, uneasy, and said, ¡°Su¡­ Brother Su, with no concrete evidence, this might just be overthinking on your part.¡± Though he said this, Gu Weonian pondered Su Jie¡¯s words and indeed found several questionable points. ¡°Brother Gu, think about it, when Meng Dongge¡¯s group appeared, the items they were carrying, the Nine Curves Net, the Earth Sinking Thunder Fire Mirror, the Heavenly Gang Rope¡­ do you remember? These items are all used for setting traps and ambushes. Do you think, if Meng Dongge really went on a rescue, would he bring all these items with him?¡± Su Jie¡¯s voice was eerily calm, not angered by Gu Weonian¡¯s skepticism but insteadid out the facts for analysis. Gu Weonian turned pale with nothing to retort, as Su Jie¡¯s analysis was all based on facts. ¡°Brother Su, this is all just your spection, they don¡¯t count as evidence. I know you want to get your hands on that Alien Ghost¡¯s corpse, but we don¡¯t have the strength for it, and we can¡¯t just go and snatch it, please don¡¯t drag us down with you.¡± Sun Zhihai stood up angrily, feeling that Su Jie coveted the value of the Alien Ghost and hade up with these seemingly equivocal spections to drag himself and Gu Weonian into the mess. Yet he didn¡¯t consider theirbined strengths; all three of them together might not even match Meng Dongge, let alone the fact that they were outnumbered, as there were six disciples on Meng Dongge¡¯s side. Chapter 31 - 29: Alien Ghost Night Attack Chapter 31: Chapter 29: Alien Ghost Night Attack Night! The silvery moonlight bathed the earth, and besides a few insect chirps, the forest was silent. Drip! Suddenly, a sound so faint it was almost undetectable reached the ear. A creature with a terrifying form hunched its body, stealthily prowling through the night. With the appearance of this creature, a sinister aura began to spread through the nocturnal forest. It was an Alien Ghost, a robust and muscr one, over three meters tall. Its nostrils red slightly as if catching a whiff of something special. It became incredibly excited and ran swiftly toward the south side of Niu Jiao Ridge, its heavy body hitting the ground nearly silently. After covering several thousand meters, the Alien Ghost raised its head, its crimson gaze confirming something through the darkness.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om A few hundred meters away stood a wooden house, its faint light barely piercing the gloom. The Alien Ghost slowly opened its mouth, scenting the air for the living; its primal hunting instinct, encoded in its gics, activated. It crouched lower, approaching the wooden house in a bizarre posture. ¡­ Atop the roof of the wooden house, a Ghost Ridge Pce Disciple was on lookout duty ¨C one of Meng Dongge¡¯s followers. The night wind blew, prompting a yawn. He tightened his clothes around him, cursing under his breath, ¡°Damn this ghostly weather, not even winter yet and it¡¯s already this cold.¡± The Disciple failed to notice that as heined, a grotesque and eerie Alien Ghost had silently climbed up the exterior wall of the wooden house and was now behind him. Its huge mouth, split to the ear, opened wide, each sharp tooth like a small dagger, drool dripping steadily. The Disciple touched his head and grumbled to himself, ¡°Is it raining? Just my luck.¡± But the next moment, as he instinctively looked up, all he saw was a gaping maw swiftly closing in on him. With a single bite, the Disciple¡¯s head vanished, chewed up and swallowed by the Alien Ghost. The headless corpse spurted blood meters into the air, like a blood-red firework blooming in the night, adding anotheryer of horror to the already terrifying scene. The smell of fresh blood was distinct. Within the wooden house, some sleeping Disciples were sensitive to blood because of their poisonous insects, which were already alerting their hosts. ¡°There¡¯s a disturbance.¡± ¡°Such a strong scent of blood.¡± ¡°Not good, something¡¯s happened.¡± Voices of rm rose from within the wooden house asmps were lit, weapons in hand, and Meng Dongge, apanied by four Ghost Ridge Pce Disciples, rushed out. No sooner had they exited the wooden house than a massive figure leaped down from the rooftop. ¡°It¡¯s the Alien Ghost.¡± The Disciples were utterly terrified, their cries of fright piercing the sky. Meng Dongge¡¯s face darkened, and he clenched his teeth, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, there are five of us, enough to kill this beast.¡± A few Ghost Ridge Pce Disciples called forth swarms of poisonous insects, knowing they had no choice but to face the threat head-on. ¡°Attack.¡± With a loud shout, Meng Dongge knew the night would likely not end well. This wasn¡¯t like the previous times, setting ambushes for Alien Ghosts; the one in their presence was in peak condition. shing head-on, who knew how many would perish. Meng Dongge was irritated by his bad luck tonight, having actually encountered a roaming Alien Ghost. From beginning to end, Meng Dongge had never imagined that the Alien Ghost had been lured there by someone. ¡­ At the southern foot of Niu Jiao Ridge. With the tree tops swaying slightly in the night breeze, Su Jie sat cross-legged among them, watching the mes and explosions light up from the distant wooden house, listening to the furious roars of the Alien Ghost, the wails of humans in theirst moments before death, and clicked his tongue, ¡°Impressive! Even Fire Poison Cockroaches self-detonate, it¡¯s an all-in fighting style.¡± Standing under the tree, Gu Weonian rubbed his arms, which were prickling with nervous goosebumps, and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Brother Su, when do we make our move?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t rush, with an Alien Ghost, I believe Meng Dongge and his team can handle it. It¡¯s not yet time for both sides to suffer.¡± Su Jie was in no hurry at all, letting the Alien Ghost wear itself out a little more. ¡°Good riddance, let them taste what it¡¯s like to be ughtered by an Alien Ghost.¡± Compared to Gu Weonian¡¯s anxiousness, Chen Yun was exceptionally excited, her face bearing a crazed smile that never ceased. The battle was longer than imagined, almost twenty minutes passed before the distant conflict finally ceased, returning to tranquility. ¡°It¡¯s our turn to enter the scene.¡± Su Jie jumped down from the treetops, unhurriedly leading Gu Weonian and the other person forward. Merely seven or eight hundred meters ahead, the burning wooden house, fallen bodies, and countless dead insects were scattered everywhere. What was once a team of six from Meng Dongge, now only four remained, and they all bore injuries. One disciple was critically injured; his lower body was severed at the waist, blood and entrails flowing freely, his upper body still struggling and crawling on the ground, not yet having sumbed. This disciple also knew his fate was sealed, casting a pleading look towards Meng Dongge. ¡°End his suffering quickly.¡± Meng Dongge shook his head, about to put an end to the disciple¡¯s agony, when he suddenly heard abnormal sounds and abruptly turned his head shouting, ¡°Who¡¯s over there, show yourself!¡± Rustling crawling sounds emerged from the forest, several pale corpse hands wriggled out of the darkness, their bases raised high, fingers spread to crawl like spiders, entering Meng Dongge¡¯s field of view. The half-severed disciple was closest and was immediately caught by several pale corpse hands that twisted his head around, rotating it a full 360 degrees on the spot. The sound of breaking bones was particrly distinct in the dark and silent surroundings, bringing an end to his suffering. ¡°Enemy attack.¡± Meng Dongge¡¯s expression turned vignt, and using the moonlight that pierced the dark sky, he witnessed a hair-raising scene. Su Jie, Gu Weonian, and Chen Yun emerged from the darkness, surrounding them in an encircling manner. ¡°Mr. Meng, we came here to kill you, no need to be nervous.¡± Su Jie wore a friendly smile as several pale corpse hands moved swiftly, climbing up his trouser leg, eventually disappearing into the wide sleeves of his robe. ¡°Mr. Su, what is the meaning of this? What have I done to offend you to warrant such a ruthless attack?¡± Meng Dongge¡¯s eyes were filled with confusion and bewilderment, seeminglypletely unaware of any grievance. ¡°Stop pretending, Meng Dongge, you caused the death of my brother and husband, and today I demand that you go down and apany them.¡± Chen Yun stared at Meng Dongge with an intense venomous hatred, her disheveled hair wild and with a hideous scar stitched across her face, like a terrifying female ghost wing her way back from Hell. ¡°The one who killed your brother and husband was the Alien Ghost, what does that have to do with us? I even tried to save you yesterday.¡± Meng Dongge hastily defended himself, unwilling to admit to the usations, and even called out to Gu Weonian, ¡°Mr. Gu, don¡¯t you believe me either?¡± Gu Weonian¡¯s eyes held aplex look as he said, ¡°Mr. Meng, we have already discovered something about the Gentiana. The reason you encountered the Alien Ghost tonight is that I buried the Gentiana near your location.¡± Upon hearing this, Meng Dongge fell silent for several seconds, then his expression calmed down as he countered, ¡°When did you find out?¡± Meng Dongge no longer feigned innocence, for his secrets had beenid bare, continuing the charade was pointless. Chapter 37 - 35: Manager Wu Chapter 37: Chapter 35: Manager Wu Ghost Ridge Pce, Command Hall. Su Jie and his twopanions entered the Mountain Gate and went directly to the Command Hall for task handover. This was a high tower a hundred meters tall, topped with swirling ck smoke, like a dark behemoth swallowing clouds and spewing mist. At the entrance of the tower hung a que carved from blood, bearing the words ¡°Command Hall¡± in bold. The bright blood on the que seemed to flow continuously. ¡°You two watch the goods here; I¡¯ll go in to hand over the task.¡± Su Jie instructed Gu Weonian and Chen Yun, then walked into the Command Hall. Stepping inside, he entered a deep, dimly lit hall, where the temperature had dropped several degrees. There were very few disciples inside the hall, apart from those at the counter handling task handovers and assignments; ordinary disciples wouldn¡¯te here to wander without reason. Su Jie approached a counter. ¡°What do you want?¡± Behind the counter, a man in a ck uniform, about thirty years old, looked over. This was Manager Wu of the Command Hall. Su Jie had been here before, and knew his cultivation was only at the Third Level of Yunling Realm, but one shouldn¡¯t underestimate him. The Command Hall specifically managed task allocations for the inner and outer disciples of Ghost Ridge Pce. Those who could be a manager here might not be powerful in strength, but they must be confidants of the Sect Master. For instance, Manager Wu here had a distant blood rtion with the Sect Master of Ghost Ridge Pce. ¡°Outer Disciple Su Jie, here to submit a rest task.¡± Su Jie handed over his Task Token, along with the envelope allowing him to return for rest. Manager Wu took them and looked through the files briefly, then said indifferently, ¡°Howe you lost so many people?¡± ¡°We were attacked by Alien Ghosts; out of twelve, only the three of us survived. We were lucky.¡± Su Jie reported truthfully. All traces of evidence had been erased, and since they were just Outer Disciples, the Command Hall wouldn¡¯t go to great lengths to investigate. Sure enough, Manager Wu had no further questions. After a brief inspection, he had Su Jie and his friends press their handprints to confirm the task handover. ¡°By the way, did you kill any Alien Ghosts?¡± Manager Wu seemed to recall something and asked another question.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°Yes, we brought back the bodies of the Alien Ghosts.¡± Su Jie nodded, since he couldn¡¯t hide that fact anyway; the bodies were indeed to be sold off. ¡°Do you have a buyer lined up? I know a few reliable merchants who offer fair prices.¡± Manager Wu suddenly became enthusiastic, his attitude changing by 360 degrees. ¡°We appreciate your help, Manager Wu. We were just on our way to auction in the ck Market. If it¡¯s convenient for you, could you lead the way and help us with the certification?¡± Su Jie seized the opportunity to say, knowing that these managers stationed in the Command Hall, being well-informed and well-acquainted, liked getting involved in business deals. Ordinary Outer Disciples would also engage a manager to act as a notary duringrge transactions to ensure that the dealings went smoothly. While talking, Su Jie also took out some Blood Marrow Crystals from his pocket and handed them over: ¡°Manager Wu, have these for tea.¡± Manager Wu quickly pocketed the Blood Marrow Crystals, smiling broadly, ¡°Well said, well said. The price of Alien Ghosts in the ck Market has gone up recently¡ªno less than six hundred fifty Blood Marrow Crystals per head. Make sure you don¡¯t sell them cheap. I know many merchants in the ck Market, and I absolutely won¡¯t let you suffer a loss.¡± Manager Wu promised earnestly, then stood up and left his post. The other managers acted as if they saw nothing; after all, they were all insiders, and a little cking off was nothing. The two walked out of the Command Hall together and soon reconvened with Chen Yun and Gu Weonian, who had been watching the goods outside. ¡°This is Manager Wu of the Command Hall, and these are the friends I mentioned before, Mr. Gu Weonian and Ms. Chen Yun.¡± Su Jie made introductions for both sides. ¡°My real name is Wu Bin; no need to be so formal. Mr. Su, let¡¯s first check the quality of the bodies, as the prices of Alien Ghost bodies differ slightly depending on their size.¡± Wu Bin¡¯s gaze shifted toward the tbed cart that Gu Weonian and Chen Yun were guarding, asking, ¡°Are they kept up there?¡± Su Jie gave a signal; Chen Yun stepped forward, grabbing the cover tarp and lifting a corner to reveal the true form of the Alien Ghosts underneath. ¡°You caught a good time. Previously, an Alien Ghost was only worth about three hundred Blood Marrow Crystals. They have surged in price recently. You were lucky to catch one at all, so you should capitalize on¡­¡± Wu Bin was still enticingly murmuring, but his words suddenly faltered, his eyes widening in astonishment as he stared at the three Alien Ghost bodies stacked on the tbed cart. It wasn¡¯t just one body as he had expected, but three Alien Ghost bodies piled together, which left Wu Binpletely stunned. ¡°Three bodies, did you kill three Alien Ghosts?¡± His voice filled with disbelief, Wu Bin had seen more valuable goods handled before. But just a few Outer Disciplesing up with three Alien Ghosts? That he had never seen. ¡°It was just luck; we simply seized a good opportunity.¡± Su Jie narrated his past encounter very ¡®honestly,¡¯ with only a slight revision that altered Meng Dongge¡¯s death to being killed by an Alien Ghost, which made the story more usible. Upon hearing that it was Meng Dongge who led the team to achieve most of the aplishments, Wu Bin reluctantly epted this reality. ¡°Meng Dongge, I¡¯ve heard of him, at the Fifth Level of Yunling Realm, a formidable figure among the Outer Disciples, even with the potential to be promoted to Inner Sect Disciple. Such a pity.¡± Wu Bin sighed, then couldn¡¯t help but gaze at Su Jie from the corner of his eye. ¡°Seeing that you, Mr. Su, are so young and yet achieved such great results, I had no idea but was quite startled upon finding out, truly a case of a hero being a youth!¡± No matter whether Su Jie had just picked up an easy opportunity, managing to acquire three Alien Ghosts definitely showed his exceptional abilities, and he might rise to prominence in the future, Wu Bin instantly thought about fostering a good rtionship with him. ¡°Manager Wu, you tter me, this is nothing really.¡± Su Jie waved his hands continuously, but Wu Bin grabbed him by the arm. ¡°Don¡¯t call me Manager Wu, I¡¯m just a few years older than you; just call me Brother Wu.¡± ¡°Brother Wu.¡± ¡°Ah, young brother.¡± The two thus nauseatingly addressed each other, showing no signs of the awkwardness typical of new acquaintances. ¡­¡­¡­ Central Street of the ck Market. Juxian Tower, where two men with extraordinary demeanors were sitting, having been engaged in a game of chess for a long time. One of the elders, dressed in a purple robe, with a ck python coiled around his arm, had a gaunt face and piercingly deep eyes, emanating a cold aura that discouraged direct eye contact. Across from him sat a short, middle-aged man with an ordinary face and a string of ck prayer beads around his neck, from which faint wails and cries could be heard, as if someone were being tortured inside them, sending shivers down the spine. Both individuals were Hidden Realm Elders of the Ghost Ridge Pce, namely Taoist Qiu and Elder Yi. Next to them, a maid was serving them tea, who was none other than the inner disciple Yu Wenxian. ¡°It¡¯s a stalemate, shall we continue?¡± Pinching a white piece and cing it on the board, Taoist Qiu slowly spoke. Elder Yi tossed down his chess piece, his gaze cold and fierce as he turned to look out the window, ¡°I lost the game today, but when ites to our wager, it¡¯s still unclear who between us will win or lose.¡± As his voice faded, Elder Yi pulled off a ck prayer bead from around his neck and threw it out the window. The bead flew on its own towards a particr location. ¡°Let¡¯s see whose disciple catches more Alien Ghosts.¡± Taoist Qiu plucked a hair from his head, which transformed into a colourful little snake, flicking its tongue and quickly disappearing from sight. Soon, the disciples from both sides who received the message headed straight for Juxian Tower. Pei Haibing rode on a tall horse, followed closely by two disciples. Behind them, a high tform drawn by four horses carried two pale corpses of Alien Ghosts suspended from a pole. This eye-catching scene immediately caused an uproar in the ck Market as soon as it appeared. Merchants from half the street crowded around Pei Haibing, eagerly bidding for them. ¡°Mr. Pei, one thousand two, twelve hundred Blood Marrow Crystals, our Bright Moon Hall is willing to buy these two Alien Ghosts.¡± ¡°I represent Zhang¡¯s Trading Team offering one thousand three hundred Blood Marrow Crystals, and also a piece of Blood God Wood for Mr. Pei¡¯s cultivation, just for these two Alien Ghosts¡¯ bodies.¡± ¡°Our Taixu Pavilion¡­¡± Among these merchants, a plump young woman also joined the bidding, who was none other than Manager Cai from the Taixu Pavilion. Meanwhile, at the front, with arms crossed and a frosty expression, Pei Haibing seemed to think that the crowd was too noisy, saying coldly, ¡°All of you shut up, after the Master has reviewed them, the auction for these Alien Ghosts will begin.¡± ¡°Junior Brother Pei, having caught two Alien Ghosts at once, it seems the White Bone Sky ying Sword is destined for you.¡± Yu Wenxian stood waiting below Juxian Tower, now looking up at the two Alien Ghost bodies, she opened her mouth in a sweet smile. ¡°It took some effort, but fortunately, I didn¡¯t embarrass Master. Senior Yu, what did Master say?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, Elder Yi seems pretty confident as well.¡± Yu Wenxian was speaking when from the other end of the street came anothermotion. A few disciples from the Ghost Ridge Pce were pushing arge vehicle, on which two Alien Ghosts¡¯ bodies were ced. The leader, a man in a blue robe with a handsome face, gracefully greeted the group, it was Feng Wenjin, an Inner Sect Disciple from Elder Yi¡¯s lineage. ¡°They also have two Alien Ghosts.¡± Yu Wenxian covered her mouth in shock. ¡°He¡¯s just lucky. If it weren¡¯t for the difficulty in finding Alien Ghosts that flee at the first sign of trouble, I could kill even ten of them.¡± Pei Haibing scoffed, attributing his results purely to bad luck, as Alien Ghosts were not something that the Outer Disciples feared, it was just bad luck that they didn¡¯t encounter many. Fortunately, he could somewhat ept this oue since at least no one surpassed him, otherwise Taoist Qiu might be so furious he wouldn¡¯t even offer up the White Bone Sky ying Sword. Chapter 43 - 41: I Want This Land to Take the Surname Su Chapter 43: Chapter 41: I Want This Land to Take the Surname Su Chan Country, East Qin State, Mande City, Sh Airport. After ayover, Su Jie and his group had just disembarked from the airne when a wave of heat swept over them. Situated in the tropics, Chan Country still experienced quite high temperatures, even though it was already autumn. ¡°So this is Chan Country!¡± Su Jie looked around the airport, which wasn¡¯t very crowded; the locals, both men and women, wore rather simple clothing. Most men wore a type of skirt, with slippers on their feet, while most women wore colorful scarves and had their hair done up in high, sleek buns. As they exited the airport, many drivers immediately surrounded them to offer their services. Many even recognized that Su Jie and his group were from Hua Country and switched to speaking Huanguage, albeit with a heavy ent which was mostly understandable. Because Chan Country bordered Hua Country, it had been culturally influenced since ancient times. Many locals in Chan Country could speak and write the Huanguage, and Hua Yuan could even be used directly here and was especially stablepared to the local currency, which suffered from severe exchange rate fluctuations. ¡°Arrange for the staff to go to the hotel first; Yingying and Elder Liang can apany me to the office,¡± Mr. Su instructed. Everyone got into the cars, and the vehicles started up, heading toward thepany on the outskirts of the city. The driver, who was a talkative man, asked, ¡°Are you going to Lamao District to do the wood business as well?¡± ¡°How could you tell?¡± ¡°Haha, there are many wood merchants from Hua Country like you. I¡¯ve driven quite a few around.¡± The driver chuckled and then cautioned, ¡°However, while doing business, don¡¯t go too far into remote areas. It¡¯s safer to stay around the city; otherwise, there might be danger.¡± ¡°Is it very chaotic around here?¡± ¡°Very chaotic, very poor, nowhere near your Hua Country people; the average wage here is only equivalent to four or five hundred Hua Yuan. With no money, people often resort to dishonest means,¡± exined the driver. His words made Liang Lianjun fidget nervously, thinking of the various legends of opium nting, scam operations, and kidney harvesting in Chan Country. ¡°Do local officials not do anything?¡± ¡°Oh, they do something all right¡ªthey sit on top and collect benefits. What else can they do? Look at this road we¡¯re driving on, full of potholes. It hasn¡¯t been repaired for many years, the money all embezzled.¡± A few exchanges with the driver revealed his evident bitterness. At that moment, the car passed a checkpoint where several soldiers, armed with AKs and dressed in green military uniforms, were stopping cars and collecting fees. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything for a minute.¡± He advised and then stopped the car, handing 500 Zen Coins to one of the soldiers while speaking in the localnguage; they were then allowed to proceed. As the vehicle started moving again, Liang Lianjun curiously asked, ¡°Who are those people, and why are they collecting money?¡± ¡°That¡¯s our military here, the Mande United Army. They charge a vehicle operation fee, applicable to all vehicles including motorcycles and bicycles,¡± exined the driver. The driver gave a wryugh, and fearing that Liang Lianjun might not understand, added, ¡°It¡¯s not a government army, but a local militia.¡± Liang Lianjun responded, exasperated, ¡°Setting up roadblocks everywhere to charge fees, they really dare to do all sorts of things.¡± Liu Yingying chimed in, ¡°Chan Country is very chaotic. It¡¯s a multi-ethnic nation with over a hundred ethnic groups, leading to manyrge and small local warlords; their rtionships are veryplex, continually in a semi-independent state, much like our Tang Dynasty in itster stages.¡± She had been to Chan Country before and had some impressions of the severe chaos and fragmentation in the country. As they chatted, the car gradually left the city area and arrived at a vast expanse of warehouses. This area was filled with numerous logs, some stored outdoors, others stacked in warehouse buildings, and vehicles carrying logs frequently passed by, kicking up clouds of dust. This was Lamao District, a center for wood storage and trading. Chan Country was a major exporter of wood, shipping out millions of tons annually; this was a pir industry for Chan Country, with numerous such wood trading centers scattered across the nation. The car continued driving and eventually stopped in front of a three-story building. The building bore the sign of Jinde Di Company, with a row of warehouses behind it. This was the shellpany that Liu Yingying had registered in Chan Country as per Su Jie¡¯s instructions. The office inside the building was not heavily staffed¡ªjust six local employees, who greeted Liu Yingying in slightly awkward Huanguage as soon as they saw her. ¡°This building and the warehouses behind have been purchased; the building is for office use, and the warehouses are for storing and transferring wood,¡± Liu Yingying briefly exined and then said to Su Jie, ¡°All the procedures have beenpleted; I am waiting for yourmands.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing else; just follow me to pick up the goods,¡± he responded. Su Jie smiled and immediately energized Liang Lianjun at his side, who had been waiting a long time for the timber Su Jie had promised. ¡­ The next day. In an empty area, Su Jie took out the Ancient Mirror and stealthily returned to Tianyuan World. He found the timber he had initially cut near the ck Market, then transported it through the Ancient Mirror to Blue Star for the truck team to haul away. Su Jiepleted the whole process quickly, as he discovered that some disciples were tracking him again. He could only swiftly blend into the crowd at the ck Market and then enter a room to shake off the pursuers. The quantity of timber was even greater than before as Su Jie, having nothing to do in Tianyuan World, had indulged in excessive logging. When all the timber entered Jinde Di¡¯s warehouse, Liang Lianjun was almost moved to tears in excitement. ¡°Small-leaf rosewood, Golden Nan Wood, Yellow pear wood, Golden Camphor¡­¡± Mouth clearly naming each kind of timber, Liang Lianjun touched the piled wood in the warehouse, his fingers trembling slightly. Because just the value of these timbers alone was already worth several billion. If turned into furniture, the prices would double even further.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°Mr. Su, when do we start shipping? With this batch of timber, Tianyuan Furniture can make an immediate name for itself domestically.¡± Liang Lianjun¡¯s face flushed with excitement, foreseeing the huge sess of Tianyuan Home once this batch of timber was back in the country. Su Jie turned his head to Liu Yingying and said, ¡°Yingying, have Jinde Di Company contact an international air freightpany and ship all this timber back to the country.¡± ¡°Are we going for air freight? That¡¯s quite expensive.¡± ¡°No worries, we can afford the freight fee, time is more important.¡± Generally speaking, timber transportation mostly uses sea andnd routes due to the high cost of air freight, but these timbers had no original cost for Su Jie, so a few million or a hundred million in freight charges was nothing. Liu Yingying nodded her acknowledgment and immediately went to make arrangements. In the following days, the entire Jinde Di Company operated at full capacity. Contacting international air freight, dering goods with Hua Country customs, and pre-disinfecting and segmenting the timber, and more. Only when each piece of timber was loaded onto five cargo nes flying to Hua Country, could the matter be considered concluded. Meanwhile, Liang Lianjun returned to the country, overseeing the manufacture and sale of furniture made from this precious wood, working overtime. Su Jie did not return but rather registered a newpany locally, named Jieke Biology Development Company. ¡°How much money is left in thepany ounts?¡± In the office, Su Jie asked his personal secretary. ¡°We still have 5.5 million Hua Yuan.¡± Liu Yingying replied without hesitation. That was all the liquid funds they had until that batch of timber was sold. ¡°It¡¯s a bit low, but it¡¯s almost enough for the initial phase.¡± Su Jie stroked his chin and turned around. On the wall behind him, there hung a map of Mande City and its surrounding towns, home to three different ethnic groups, with a poption of about 700,000. Mande City was part of East Qin State, which had an approximate poption of 3.5 million. ¡°Let¡¯s start with this, Yingying. Have the employees of Jieke Biology go out to the viges for promotion, start the first n, and let Jieke Company buy various poisonous insects in bulk from the locals without a limit, telling them to go up into the mountains to catch insects.¡± Liu Yingying nodded, then, unable to restrain herself while looking at Su Jie¡¯s back, asked, ¡°Su Jie, what exactly are we doing this for?¡± She knew that Su Jie owned an insect farm, but she did not understand why he needed to start a new insect farmingpany in Chan Country. ¡°You think I¡¯m really just doing this for raising insects?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s only one aspect.¡± Su Jie chuckled softly, drew a circle on Mande City with a pen, and said slowly, ¡°It¡¯s just the beginning right now. Next, I¡¯m only doing one thing. I want the Mande City region to henceforth carry thest name ¡®Su¡¯ and be my personal kingdom.¡± Oh! Liu Yingying¡¯s heart nearly stopped, her eyes wide open, speechless for a long time as she didn¡¯t know whether to say Su Jie was fantasizing or simply too ambitious. Su Jie¡¯s gaze did not waver; he simply waved his hand and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry, just go on and work.¡± After Liu Yingying left, Su Jie touched the thousand-hand centipede that was crawling out of his cor and muttered to himself, ¡°Don¡¯t rush, very soon, very soon, this will be your paradise, the opening of our Kingdom of Poisonous Insects will be grand on thisnd.¡± Chapter 45 - 43: Funds in Place Chapter 45: Chapter 43: Funds in ce The purchasing n for the insects proceeded smoothly and in an orderly fashion. Within a warehouse in Lamao District, various Poison Insects and snakes that had been acquired from the outside world were brought to this ce. At this moment, the thousand-hand centipedey on the ground, its body now stretching over nine meters in length. The copious amount of food it consumed during this period allowed it to grow crazily in size; if anyone were to discover the centipede in this state, they would probably faint from fright. Not far from the thousand-hand centipede, Su Jie sat cross-legged on a purple cushion, with the invigorating scent of sandalwood burning beside him. He took out a Nine Yang Pill from the Jade Bottle and swallowed it. Overwhelming Spiritual Energy navigated through his limbs and marrow before being absorbed and stored in the meridians. During cultivation, the thousand-hand centipede shrank its body,ying on Su Jie¡¯s waist and abdomen, attaching its pale corpse hands one by one. Time moved on, and several hours went by. Su Jie¡¯s Spirit Essence grew stronger and stronger, like a lotus breaking through the mud and surfacing from the water. Eventually, the umted Spiritual Power reached its peak, breaking through a clogged meridian pathway. Bang! Spiritual Power shimmered around Su Jie¡¯s body, and as naturally as water flows along a channel, he advanced to the Fifth Level of the Yunling Realm. The resources bought with the thousands of Blood Marrow Crystal prepared in the Tianyuan World allowed Su Jie¡¯s cultivation to skyrocket in just two weeks. He had now reached the Fifth Level of the Yunling Realm, something he hadn¡¯t dared to dream of in the past. The thousand-hand centipede climbed up Su Jie¡¯s neck, happily rubbing back and forth, sharing in the joy of Su Jie¡¯s advancement. ¡°You¡¯re about to level up too, huh?¡± Touching the cold body of the thousand-hand centipede, Su Jie could feel the abundant vitality and vigor within it. Sizzle. The thousand-hand centipede responded with a hissing sound. It was steadily progressing toward its third evolution of Spirit Refining. With an abundant supply of poisonous insects, it would face almost no obstacles before advancing to a Mid-grade poisonous insect. But Su Jie had even more considerations. Because ording to the records in the books, after advancing to a Mid-grade poisonous insect, to continue evolving, apart from relying on Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures and the passage of time, swallowing ordinary Poison Insects would be of no effect; it would require Grade-Entry Poison Insects, and at that point, the insects from Blue Star would no longer serve a purpose. Su Jie hade to Chan Country to n ahead and make preparations. Once the thousand-hand centipede advanced to Mid-grade, Su Jie would bring some of the Tianyuan World¡¯s poisonous insects over at that time. For instance, he would feed arge number of Poison Insects to a non-Grade human-faced moth in order to advance it to Low Grade, and then have the thousand-hand centipede devour it. In this way, small fish would eat shrimp, and big fish would eat small fish,pleting a new evolutionary process. To achieve this, Su Jie must gainplete control over a region. After all, if the Poison Insects from the Tianyuan World were brought to Blue Star and discovered, Su Jie would inevitably be the focus of everyone¡¯s attention, ced under scrutiny by various powers and countries. In Hua Country, such undertakings by Su Jie would certainly not be feasible. The number of poisonous insects he dealt with was too great, making it very easy to arouse curiosity and investigation from others. If a checkup urred, the truth would be uncovered. However, Chan Country was entirely different; the national machinery here was weak. Controlling one region meant it was essentially independent, allowing for far greater secrecy. Leaving the thousand-hand centipede in the warehouse to continue feeding, Su Jie left and drove back to Jieke Company¡¯s residence. Just as he entered, he saw Liu Yingying walking towards him, brimming with joy.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡°Su Jie, we¡¯ve seeded.¡± She wrapped her arms around Su Jie¡¯s neck, jumping and shouting happily. ¡°` ¡°Stop, stop, stop, what¡¯s going on?¡± Su Jie patted the girl¡¯s buttocks, signaling her to be mindful of her image. ¡°Hehe, Manager Liang is back, and he brings good news.¡± Liu Yingying¡¯s pretty face turned red with a hint of guilt, she looked around and sighed in relief when she noticed that no employees were paying attention. As soon as Su Jie heard this, he knew what it was about. Walking into thepany¡¯s office, indeed, he saw Liang Lianjun¡¯s figure. ¡°Mission aplished, Mr. Su, our furniture has sessfully prated the market.¡± The moment he saw Su Jie, Liang Lianjun immediately stood up to report, his eyes brimming with joy. ¡°Let¡¯s hear the details.¡± Su Jie asked Liu Yingying to pour some tea, and he sat opposite Liang Lianjun. ¡°Yes.¡± Liang Lianjun cleared his throat and began, ¡°After we transported the batch of timber back to the factory, I immediately arranged for staff to work overtime on the design and construction. We rushed the production of a batch of furniture, then I contacted some wealthy businessmen I knew from before and organized a small furniture sale. Our furniture was an instant hit as soon as it was showcased, with many pieces being bought on the spot by those businessmen. Most of their friends are also wealthy, and the remaining furniture was sold the next day. And as the news spread by word of mouth, many other wealthy people came to ce deposits for custom-made high-end furniture at Tianyuan Home. The first batch of payments and deposits we received totaled up to 500 million yuan. We estimate that once all the timber is sold, we can recover funds between 4.5 and 5 billion yuan.¡± Suppressing his excitement, Liang Lianjun went through Tianyuan Home¡¯s progress one by one. The high-end furniture market in Hua Country has always been in short supply, and Tianyuan Home easily carved out the most delicious slice of the market pie for itself with those top-quality timbers. Given the nature of wealthy people in Hua Country, faced with high-end furniture that can demonstrate their taste and wealth, they couldn¡¯t help but be tempted. That¡¯s why the discovery of Tianyuan Home¡¯s high-end furniture sparked such a frenzy of purchasing. Su Jie¡¯s eyelids twitched when he heard the number 500 million. It¡¯s no wonder he¡¯s ovee with emotion. Just a year ago, he was an ordinary person who had just graduated and couldn¡¯t even find a job, and now he controls a cash flow of hundreds of millions and has goods worth tens of billions under hismand. Even with mental preparation, Su Jie still felt excited. ¡°Haha, Manager Liang, I really didn¡¯t misjudge you. I won¡¯t say anything else, but tonight, you must stay for a good drink, and rest assured, you won¡¯t be shortchanged on your bonus either.¡± ¡°I dare not, I dare not, it¡¯s all thanks to Mr. Su¡¯s batch of timber; otherwise, with all the ability in the world, I couldn¡¯t have sold it for that price.¡± Liang Lianjun humbly waved his hands in declination, speaking the truth. The great sess of Tianyuan Home lies in the extremely high quality of the timber. Su Jie¡¯s words made him blush with modesty. ¡°Don¡¯t be humble, Manager Liang. With such great news, how can we not celebrate with a drink?¡± ¡°Then I shall apany Mr. Su for a couple of drinks.¡± Liang Lianjun, feeling valued by Su Jie, was filled with the sentiment that one would die for a confidante. After talking with Liang Lianjun for a while and noticing that he was somewhat tired from catching a ride over, Su Jie told him to go and rest. ¡°Yingying, notify Jieke Biology to start the second n. It¡¯s time for our Jieke Company to expand.¡± Su Jie instructed Liu Yingying. Previously, due to a shortage of funds, their insect-catching n was only carried out in a dozen viges and towns. Now that the funds were in ce, Su Jie naturally didn¡¯t want to y small anymore; he nned topletely cover the entire surrounding area of Mande City. Chapter 47 - 45: Security Department Chapter 47: Chapter 45: Security Department ¡°The Mande United Army attacked ourpany headquarters this morning, injuring one of our employees with gunfire. General Lu Wenbo of the Mande United Army even demanded that you¡­ that you go see him at the military camp.¡± Liu Yingying quickly reviewed the incident at Jieke Company. From her hurried tone, her anxiety was unmistakable. After more than a month of doing business in Mande City, who hadn¡¯t heard of the notorious Mande United Army and Lu Wenbo? ¡°He wants me to see him, interesting.¡± After listening to Liu Yingying¡¯s ount, Su Jie appeared quite calm. ¡°Su Jie, that warlord intends to take our industry. They don¡¯t seem like they¡¯ll let this go easily.¡± Seeing Su Jie still smiling, Liu Yingying thought he didn¡¯t grasp the seriousness of the situation. ¡°I know.¡± Su Jie nodded, responding coolly, ¡°After all, we¡¯ve touched their interests, so I¡¯m not at all surprised by this reaction.¡± ¡°Lu Wenbo¡­ Boss Su, Lu Wenbo is causing you trouble.¡± Miao Lun, who stood by, overheard Liu Yingying due to his proximity, his eyes turning fierce. Su Jie looked at him and asked, ¡°You have a grudge against him?¡± ¡°Not just me, many people hold a grudge against him. His cultivation of opium has harmed so many, he controls the grainpanies in the city too, selling fertilizer and pesticide at high prices every year, and buys grain at prices so low that we can¡¯t make any money all year, sometimes even at a loss.¡± Grinding his teeth, Miao Lun shouted to the surrounding vigers, ¡°Everyone, Jieke Company is about to be destroyed by that bastard Lu Wenbo, we absolutely can¡¯t sit by and do nothing.¡± ¡°What, they¡¯re going to destroy Jieke Company? No, absolutely not.¡± ¡°We need to sell the bugs, we can¡¯t let that bastard ruin a good thing!¡± ¡°But that¡¯s Lu Wenbo, he has the army, what can we do?¡± At his words, many nearby vigers responded in unison, though some were fearful, bowing their heads, not daring to speak, or quietly hiding back in their homes. ¡°See, the people¡¯s hearts are with us!¡± Su Jie smiled at Liu Yingying, maybe these vigers were only standing up for the promise of Jieke Company, for the life improvement that the annual insect buying contract brought. But their willingness to stand up at this moment showed the weight Jieke Company held in their hearts, and that they were willing to exert effort on its behalf ¨C Su Jie was already very gratified. ¡°I see everyone¡¯s sentiment, those interested can join the newly established Security Department of Jieke Company, to protect Jieke Company from the harm ofw offenders.¡± Seeing the public sentiment, Su Jie announced the news. ¡°The Security Department, can we sign up to join now?¡± The speaker was still Miao Lun; his support for Jieke Company was genuine. Without Jieke Company, his mother would still be bedridden, and it would be impossible for his sister to go to school to study, so he was thest one who wanted to see Jieke Company destroyed. Quite a few vigers were in the same situation as Miao Lun, with Jieke Company having brought them a new life, so they echoed in agreement one after another. ¡°Yingying, go arrange for people to get ready for registration, write down everyone who signs up,¡± Su Jie ordered before he walked onto a tform, looked around, and began, ¡°Think about what thisnd has brought you, aside from poverty and chaos. The rulers here only need you to be a honest toiling machine, toiling for their glory and wealth, selling your sweat and blood. Now, seeing Jieke Company leading you to prosperity, they have be anxious, afraid, terrified¡­ afraid that you people will no longer obey theirmands, no longer toil obediently to make money for them.¡± Su Jie slowly raised his right hand, his voice calm butced with a seductive power. ¡°Think about your past wages, three to four hundred Hua Yuan a month, living hand to mouth, how many of you fell ill and couldn¡¯t afford to see a doctor, how many children couldn¡¯t recognize a single character, and the dpidated mud houses you lived in. ¡°Now, look at the present. Since Jieke Company arrived, we¡¯ve built roads for your vige, erected a schoolhouse, and increased your ies several fold. Justst week, we even brought doctors to the countryside to examine and treat the vigers for free.¡± Su Jie¡¯s tone grew increasingly intense, and the genuine emotion in his gaze made many vigers reflect on their past and feel even more grateful for Jieke Company¡¯s goodness. ¡°I am a Chinese, not long in Mande City, but I¡¯ve heard of Lu Wenbo¡¯s reputation. This warlord monopolizes local transportation and electricity, operates illegal mining, gambling, brothels, opium trade, and so forth. Your poverty is brought on by him. ¡°And Jieke Company, which leads you towards wealth, naturally bes a thorn in their side.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°Some may ask, ¡®You¡¯re just a Chinese, what does this have to do with you?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll tell you, it¡¯s because I¡¯ve suffered poverty and hardship too, just like you have all experienced brutal autocratic rule. I empathize with you, and that is why I¡¯ve traveled thousands of miles to establish Jieke Company here, doing everything to lead you all out of poverty.¡± ¡°Now, there are people who don¡¯t want you to live a good life, who want to destroy everything you have. You tell me, what should we do?¡± The final question was delivered in a roar. ¡°Kill them!¡± ¡°If Jieke Company is driven away, won¡¯t we just have to live a hard life like before? Anyone who dares touch Jieke Company, I¡¯ll fight them to the end.¡± ¡°My family has five children, now able to eat their fill all thanks to Jieke Company. If Jieke Company is gone, who will feed my children¡­¡± The vigers were stirred by Su Jie¡¯s words and immediately became agitated, wielding sickles and hoes. Some even brought homemade shotguns from their homes, and shouts rose one after another. Liu Yingying¡¯s body trembled slightly, seeing the vigers around her stirred up, their faces so unfamiliar. Pairs of blood-red eyes, faces distorted in anger; it was a scene she had never witnessed before. Chen Yaoguang took a sharp intake of breath. What he had only read about in history books was unfolding before him; he couldn¡¯t help fearing that Su Jie¡¯s actions might trigger a major upheaval in Mande City. Su Jie saw the heated scene below and a smile curled the edges of his mouth. Chan Country itself was a poor and chaotic nation, where civil wars had never ceased since its inception, and news of warring warlords was a constant. Such a fragile country, especially in the areas surrounding Mande City where Lu Wenbo held sway over most money-making ventures and operated various illegal businesses, exploiting the local poor farmers. This also caused particrly intense ss conflicts in the area that needed only a spark to explode. Jieke Company was the key that ignited this powder keg. People, once they have experienced better things, cannot ept a return to a past of poverty and backwardness. The contrast is too painful to bear. Having experienced Lu Wenbo¡¯s rule and now Jieke Company¡¯s better life, it goes without saying whom the vigers would choose. Chapter 49 - 47: Mande United Army Chapter 49: Chapter 47: Mande United Army Fifty kilometers southwest of Mande City, there was a military camp dotted with watchtowers,bat readiness warehouses, barracks, and drill grounds, where soldiers patrolled back and forth. This was the headquarters of the Mande United Army, with thousands of soldiers stationed here. These troops, cultivated with financial support from drug trafficking, casinos, scam parks, brothels, and such, were Lu Wenbo¡¯s greatest asset and the capital that allowed him to dominate the Mande region. At this moment, inside avishly decorated vi in the military camp, Lu Wenbo clenched the phone tightly and roared, ¡°You can¡¯t even handle a bunch of farmers, useless, all of you are useless, what¡¯s the point of having you.¡± On the other end of the phone was the Mande City Mayor, who was frantically reporting the unrest that had urred in Mande City to him. Finding out hisrge swathes of industry had been upied and destroyed by Jieke Company¡¯s Security Department, the warlord leader was beyond furious and ignored the calls for help on the phone, abruptly smashing the handset down. ¡°Bring me someone, immediately order a full military mobilization, prepare the weapons and ammunition, and follow me into the city to suppress the unrest. Whoever sees Jieke Company¡¯s people, show no mercy and kill them all.¡± Lu Wenbo summoned his aide-de-camp and issued the murderousmand. ¡°Yes, General, I will mobilize the troops right now.¡± Seeing that Lu Wenbo was in a bad mood, the aide-de-camp dared not irritate him further and hastily left to carry out the orders. Soon, the entire camp was filled with rallying calls and assembly shouts as squads of soldiers ran out of the barracks and gathered on the drill ground. Lu Wenbo donned a general¡¯s uniform adorned with medals, strapped amand saber to his waist, and stepped onto themand tform at the front of the drill ground. Standing in front of the microphone, he shouted loudly, ¡°My children, today Mande City has experienced a premeditated, vicious unrest. Hired thugs from Jieke Company have attacked Mande City, taking over and destroying our casinos, brothels, and scam parks, and they have even imed they will wipe out our Mande United Army.¡± His voice echoed across the field through the microphone, and the soldiers in green uniforms changed their expressions slightly, their gazes bing particrly fierce. ¡°You joined the Mande United Army, the funds that let you livefortably all came from my industries in Mande City; Jieke Company is cutting off our roots, can we let them go?¡± ¡°No!¡± A roar like a mountain tsunami came back as thousands of soldiers, holding their guns, responded to Lu Wenbo with fury against Jieke Company. As soldiers of the Mande United Army, they clearly knew what they were doing, and never hesitated to follow the warlord inmitting crimes. As long as they could make money and grow rich, they were more than willing, even if it meant murder and evil deeds. ¡°Jieke Company, a despicable and shameless corporation, daring to unite with those mud-legged farmers to overthrow my rule. Today we will tell them that no matter how capable Jieke Company is, only we, the Mande United Army, rule in Mande City. My children, take up your Long Spears and steel knives, follow me into Mande City, and exterminate everyone from Jieke Company.¡± Lu Wenbo revealed a cruel smile as he loudly announced the mobilizationmand for war. ¡°Kill, kill, kill them all!¡± The soldiers stood up thunderously, slung their steel guns over their shoulders, and headed orderly towards the military trucks. A few armored fighting vehicles started to move, and overhead a military helicopter hovered¡ªthese were all of Lu Wenbo¡¯s assets. ¡°Jieke Company, really think it¡¯s still ancient times, eh? Wanting to get by with just a bunch of mud-legged farmers.¡± Looking at the mighty exodus of his own army, Lu Wenbo felt a surge of pride. What nonsense Jieke Company was, it was just relying on a group of mud-legged farmers, and they hardly had any decent guns. Once his army arrived, they would be able to crush them effortlessly. Just as the vanguard of the army had left the camp, heading towards Mande City, the leading military truck suddenly slowed down and stopped, causing the following convoy toe to a halt as well. ¡°What¡¯s the matter.¡± Sitting in the jeep, Lu Wenbo asked dissatisfiedly as the staff officer hung up themunicator and said in astonishment, ¡°General, there¡¯s someone blocking the way ahead, who also ims to be the boss of Jieke Company and wants toe see you.¡± ¡°What, you heard that right?¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Lu Wenbo was equally stunned when he heard this and almost thought he had heard wrong. He hadn¡¯t gone looking for trouble with Jieke Company, yet their boss dared toe and find him alone. Was he not afraid of death? ¡°General, the person ims to be Su Jie, which is indeed the name of Jieke Company¡¯s boss.¡± The staff officer affirmed, his face filled with surprise. If they could capture the big boss of Jieke Company first, then they would have won more than half of this battle. ¡°Ha ha, such a fool. Have him brought to me; I want to see what he looks like, daring to provoke our Mande United Army.¡± Lu Wenbo¡¯s lips curled into an icy smile. If not for Jieke Company, he wouldn¡¯t have faced such heavy losses, and behind it all, the mastermind Su Jie, he wished nothing more than to tear him limb from limb. ¡­ At this moment, in front of the army, Su Jie stood alone with his arms crossed, his gaze fixed on this military force. Most of the soldiers were marching on foot, with nothing more than an AK for their personal equipment. The entire force¡¯s firepower consisted of just a few dozen vehicles, including several armored infantry vehicles, and one armed helicopter. ¡°Quite shabby! They earn so much money but don¡¯t even bother to equip the troops with better gear, spending it all on their own pleasures.¡± Su Jie shook his head, thinking about the news he had heard. It was said that Lu Wenbo enjoyed his luxuries, having not only a private ne but also many mansions and luxurious cars around the world. Most of the money he earned through illegal means was spent on his own pleasures. While Su Jie was observing the troops, a dozen armed soldiers surrounded him, their eyes mocking and indifferent as they looked at Su Jie. ¡°He¡¯s the boss of Jieke Company, so young. It¡¯s going to be so much fun to torture him; I want to see him kneeling and begging for mercy.¡± ¡°I heard he¡¯s Chinese. He mustn¡¯t think we¡¯d reason with him, daring toe here all by himself.¡± ¡°Ha ha, I love killing Chinese the most. When I was dispatched to guard the scam zone, those Chinese were so much fun. When they first arrived, they all mored to go home, but after we chopped their hands, cut their feet and threw them into watery dungeons, they all became as meek andpliant as could be.¡± The soldiers talked about Su Jie without any restraint,ughing mockingly from time to time. ¡°The General said to capture him and bring him over.¡± A toon leader put down the walkie-talkie. Having received the order, he waved his hand and the soldiers immediately rushed forward to apprehend Su Jie and take him to Lu Wenbo. Su Jie loosened his shoulders and said with a light chuckle, ¡°No need for you to bother. I will go see him myself.¡± As soon as his voice fell, the soldiers caught a glimpse of a sh of silver light out of the corners of their eyes, followed by a pain in their necks, their vision spinning, and they lost consciousness. The soldiers who had surrounded Su Jie, in just an instant, had their necks sliced through, their heads rolling to the feet of Su Jie. Chapter 55 - 53: The Situation (Request for Follow-up Reading) Chapter 55: Chapter 53: The Situation (Request for Follow-up Reading) After the misunderstanding was cleared, Su Jie no longer acted hostilely but asked Cai Chun¡¯e about the recent situation at Ghost Ridge Pce. ¡°Are you saying the Alien Ghosts are wreaking havoc more severely now?¡± Su Jie set down his teacup, his fingers gently tapping the tea table as he looked across at Cai Chun¡¯e. ¡°Why would I lie to you? Just go out and ask around a little, and you¡¯ll find it¡¯s very difficult for us merchants to bring in goods now. Many types of elixirs, talismans, and Magic Artifacts in the ck Market are out of stock.¡± When Cai Chun¡¯e talked about this, she was full ofints. ¡°Aren¡¯t there disciples stationed around the trade routes? Is that ineffective?¡± Before he returned to Blue Star, Su Jie recalled, Ghost Ridge Pce had mobilized most of its disciples to station outside. Cai Chun¡¯e shook her head and said, ¡°It was effective at first, butter the Alien Ghosts got smarter. They no longer move alone but travel in groups of twos and threes, and many stationed disciples have be the targets of the Alien Ghosts. Without a numerical advantage, the Outer Disciples are no match for the Alien Ghosts. Later, this strategy was canceled, and now the disciples primarily form trade route patrol teams of dozens or more, or they get involved in merchant convoy transports, acting as guards. Even so, the casualties and losses remain high.¡± Due to the threat of the Alien Ghosts, the number of merchant convoysing to the ck Market has decreased by seventy percent, including our Taixu Pavilion. We can¡¯t bring in goods from Qingzhou, and many talismans and Magic Artifacts cannot be replenished. Each one sold reduces the stock further. Mr. Su, you might want to buy some now, orter, you might not even have a ce to buy them,¡± warned Cai Chun¡¯e as her merchant nature revealed itself, trying to sell her products to Su Jie. ¡°I¡¯m penniless now, where would I get the money to buy goods, besides¡­¡± Su Jie pointed at the disyed talismans and Magic Artifacts andined, ¡°Besides, your prices have soared too terrifyingly. They¡¯ve tripled in just two months¡ªwho can afford that? You really think all disciples are easy marks!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the market situation now. It¡¯s because Ghost Ridge Pce has been unable to eliminate the threat of the Alien Ghosts that we¡¯ve had to raise our prices out of necessity.¡± Cai Chun¡¯e was quite indignant, attributing the problem to the inaction of Ghost Ridge Pce. This time, Su Jie did not refute, understanding that one cannot hold ck Market merchants to too high a moral standard, and changed the subject, ¡°Sister Cai, being well-informed in the ck Market, I want to know, with the ck Market doing so poorly, has the business of trafficking human ves also declined?¡± Cai Chun¡¯e was slightly startled and looked at Su Jie with a trace of significance, ¡°Are you also looking to use ¡®Human Refining¡¯?¡± So-called Human Refining involves using humans to practice Demon Techniques, such as consuming human flesh to enhance one¡¯s body, using human blood for Array Drawing, and Soul Extraction for nourishing elixirs, etc. These methods often provide rapid progression in cultivation, and although there are hidden dangerster on, they are powerful in the early stages. ¡°I¡¯m just asking. After all, if the ve traders in the ck Market have decreased, the Elders will certainly not let it go,¡± said Su Jie with a shrug, unbothered by the topic of Human Refining as a Demon Cultivator.N?v(el)B\\jnn ¡°That¡¯s still okay,¡± Cai Chun¡¯e breathed a sigh of relief; she disliked those Demon Cultivators who practiced using human ves, finding it too creepy and evil. After thinking for a moment, Cai Chun¡¯e said, ¡°Indeed, as you guessed, the ck Market currently has ny percent fewer human ves for sale, and most of the ve trading businesses have already closed down. Think about it! With the Alien Ghosts being so dangerous, and even the disciples struggling to resist, bringing along a group of powerless ves into the mountains, caring for their food, drink, and travel along the way not only slows them down but also makesrge-scale actions more likely to be targeted by the Alien Ghosts. Just from what I¡¯ve heard, there have been no fewer than a dozen cases of ve traders being annihted by groups of Alien Ghosts, and who knows how many more there have been that haven¡¯t been reported.¡± ¡°I see!¡± Su Jie¡¯s brows furrowed slightly as he pondered the impact of the current situation. Although Su Jie wasn¡¯t aware of other Demon Cultivation Sects, the higher-ups and Elders of Ghost Ridge Pce, if not all, most practiced the Human Refining Demon Technique and needed human ves to sustain their daily consumption. You could tell by looking at the flourishing human ve market on the ck Market. It was like smoking opium; once you started practicing the Human Refining Demon Technique, it was very hard to stop. If there was a prolonged stoppage in the intake of human ves, the withdrawal symptoms of practicing the Human Refining Demon Technique would be apparent. Getting easily angered or going insane were the lesser evils, some would even undergo flesh mutations and soul disarray, turning into deformed monsters, which were much more horrifying than the Righteous Cultivators running amok. This was precisely what Su Jie was worried about. The high-ranking Elders of Ghost Ridge Pce would certainly not disregard a decline in the number of human ves avable on the ck Market. In the end, to solve this problem, orders were issued one after another, but it was still the Disciples like him who had to run the errands. Unfortunately, he was just an Outer Disciple and, despite feeling a storming and being fraught with anxiety, he was utterly helpless. After learning some information from Cai Chun¡¯e, Su Jie didn¡¯t continue to bother her and said, ¡°Thank you for telling me, Sister Cai. While I still have some free time, I need to find something to do. Eh, the weather is nice today, perfect for fishing. Sister Cai, would you like to join me?¡± Cai Chun¡¯e thought Su Jie was joking and rolled her pretty eyes, ¡°You still have the leisure for that, but I don¡¯t have the time; I still need to mind the store.¡± ¡°Then, all right. I¡¯ll just go by myself then, Sister Cai, I take my leave.¡± Cai Chun¡¯e nodded and said, ¡°Be extra careful out there on your own. I¡¯m still counting on you to look after my business.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Su Jie grinned, didn¡¯t say much else, and got up to leave Taixu Pavilion. Cai Chun¡¯e watched Su Jie leave, but just as he reached the door, Cai Chun¡¯e suddenly gasped, saw the mask left on the table, and realizing something, hurriedly picked up the mask and chased after Su Jie. ¡°Wait a minute, Mr. Su, you haven¡¯t put on your mask yet, don¡¯t go out yet.¡± However, by the time she said this, Su Jie had already pushed open the door and walked out boldly. ¡°Sister Cai, one can¡¯t fish without baiting the hook,¡± he said. Su Jie didn¡¯t go to take the mask, just waved his hand and, without turning back, walked into the streets of the ck Market. ¡°Wait, he¡¯s going to¡­¡± After a moment of stunned silence, Cai Chun¡¯e quickly understood the reason behind Su Jie¡¯s actions. She stared in shock at the gradually receding figure and couldn¡¯t resist blurting out after quite a while, ¡°This madman.¡± ¡­ Although the ck Market was in decline, there were still Disciples around. Acquiring resources for war preparation was a rigid demand for the Disciples, regardless of how high the prices soared, it was insignificant inparison to the value of life. And Su Jie, who had be a notable personality in the ck Market just two months ago, was recognized by many Disciples, and those ck Market merchants remembered his face even more clearly. Much like the rtionship between Su Jie and Cai Chun¡¯e, the merchants always had some familiar Disciples. Seeing Su Jie appear on the ck Market, some merchants¡¯ eyes flickered and they stealthily went to pass on the news. Su Jie, seemingly oblivious, wandered the ck Market several times, attracting a lot of attention before finally leaving the ck Market and heading toward Insect Valley. Chapter 67 - 65: Dangerous Ground Chapter 67: Chapter 65: Dangerous Ground Clip-clop! The crisp sound of horse hooves echoed through the forest. After more than a day of traveling, Su Jie and his group of several dozen people had moved away from near the mountain gate of Ghost Ridge Pce and had entered the outer area. ¡°That is Cloud Mist Mountain.¡± Mounted on a Horned Scale Horse, Su Jie held a map in his hand and looked towards a mountain over six thousand meters high. This mountain was lofty, with clouds twisting around its middle and its form imposing and extraordinary, resembling a crouching Pixiu overseeing the mortal realm. Eerie shrieks emitted from the mountain periodically. Residing on this mountain were a male and a female Golden Winged Luan Bird, whose strength was terrifying. Even when the Sect Master of Ghost Ridge Pce had led a team to encircle and suppress them, he had been unable to subdue these two spiritual beasts. Fortunately, these two Golden Winged Luan Birds had mild temperaments and usually stayed around Cloud Mist Mountain, coexisting peacefully with Ghost Ridge Pce. As long as the disciples did not invade their territory, there generally was no danger. After walking tens of miles, Su Jie and the others arrived at a strange region. Ahead, the ground was scorched and yellowed. Numerous pitch-ck holes were scattered haphazardly, from which a foul-smelling ck smoke rose slowly and sinister shadows flickered within the holes. This ce also had an unusual type of flower, blood-red in color, with blooms half a meter in diameter when fully opened, extremely delicate and beautiful. ¡°Dismount and pass quietly.¡± With a serious expression, Pei Haibing dismounted, gripping the reins and muffling the horse¡¯s mouth as he cautiously stepped into this eeriend. The disciples followed suit, leading their horses carefully by the reins. ¡°Earth Shadow Cave, ranked among the top ten most dangerous ces within the domain of Ghost Ridge Pce.¡± This was also Su Jie¡¯s first time here. In the continuous mountain range where Ghost Ridge Pce was situated, this Earth Shadow Cave was indeed well-known. It was one of the main transit points to the outer world, and over the years, countless lives had been lost here. Su Jie had seen numerous human skeletons half-buried in the ground. ¡°Alien Ghost, we have Alien Ghosts behind us.¡± As the group was halfway through Earth Shadow Cave, an unexpected event urred¡ªseveral Alien Ghosts appeared within sight. The disciples began to panic at the sight of the Alien Ghosts; fear was evident in many of the disciples¡¯ eyes. Some, driven by instinct, quickened their steps, only to miss one and step half into a hole. The falling rocks made a noise, and the ck smoke in the holes immediately changed. The ck smoke surged out violently, as if alive, coiling around this disciple like a creature. Within the smoke, strands of ck fungal fments spread out, invading the disciple¡¯s eyes, mouth, nose, ears, and other parts of his body, filling him with spores. Shortly after, he was dragged into the hole, without even having time to cry out. A minuteter, a new hole appeared nearby, and green vines grew out of it, bearing buds of bright red flowers waiting to bloom. Through the holes in the ground, the disciple who had been devoured was now entwined and covered with white fungal fments, with vines emerging from his eyes and mouth, serving as nutrients for the flowers. Seeing this scene, the remaining disciples felt a chill in their limbs and dared not make any noise. Fortunately, the Alien Ghosts also feared the dangerousnd of Earth Shadow Cave and merely lingered outside without entering. Otherwise, a battle here would have made too much noise, and both sides would have been swallowed up by Earth Shadow Cave entirely. Because they dared not make any noise, everyone moved slowly and took a half-hour to finally get through Earth Shadow Cave. After leaving Earth Shadow Cave, they walked for another two hours, and the sky was almost dark. Su Jie and his group of several dozen people found a t area, tied the Horned Scale Horses to trees, and began setting up tents to camp. ¡­.. Under the night sky! The disciples who had been traveling for a whole day were mostly exhausted and asleep under the cover of night. Only a few disciples on night duty were sitting around a campfire to keep warm. At this time, winter had already set in. Although it had not yet started snowing, the temperature was very low, making the cold night wind especially hard to endure. ¡°This damn weather; if it weren¡¯t for the mission, I¡¯d still be sleeping in a warm bed right now,¡± one grumbled. ¡°Tell me about it; we¡¯ve only been out for a little more than a day, and we¡¯ve already lost a brother. Once we¡¯re out of Ghost Ridge Pce territory, if the Righteous Sect discovers us, who knows how many of us will die,¡± another added. As the disciples heated themselves by the fire, theyined, but they remained vignt, having set up numerous noise traps around, continuously scanning the surroundings to monitor any movement around the campsite. Being in the dangerous wilderness, having a sense of alertness could save lives. Yet, despite their vignce, an ident still happened. While the disciples were talking, several vague, towering dark shadows were approaching stealthily from the darkness not illuminated by the fire. Crack! A disciple heard a noise and was about to turn to check when he saw several Alien Ghosts lunging out of the darkness. ¡°Enemy attack!¡± The disciples on guard screamed in shock; they hadn¡¯t expected that with so many of them, Alien Ghosts would still venture tounch a night attack. The screams disturbed the entire camp; as the fire flickered, disciples sleeping in their armor rushed out of their tents, only to see the shapes of Alien Ghosts. ¡°A bunch of useless fools, you can¡¯t even keep watch properly,¡± Pei Haibing said, his face frosty. Instead of dealing with the Alien Ghosts, he confronted the disciples responsible for standing guard first. Of the five disciples who were originally on duty, only two had survived. ¡°Were you on guard tonight?¡± Pei Haibing¡¯s gaze settled on them. The two disciples, with expressions of having narrowly escaped death, nodded repeatedly, ¡°Brother Pei, we didn¡¯t know how the Alien Ghosts got so close. We had the perimeter secured, but then¡­¡± Before they could exin further, Pei Haibing had already made his move. His slender, pale hands shot out like lightning, instantly crushing the necks of the two disciples, cutting off any further exnations. ¡°The useless only look for excuses,¡± Pei Haibing coldly stated as he flung away the corpses of the two disciples who died with their eyes wide open. ¡°Finish off these Alien Ghosts, what are you standing around for?¡± The disciples hurriedly turned away, not daring to look anymore, and focused on dealing with the Alien Ghosts. One by one, poisonous insects were summoned, swarming towards the Alien Ghosts. There were four Alien Ghosts that had appeared this time, while there were more than fifty disciples, more than ten times the number of the Alien Ghosts. Despite the powerfulbat abilities of the Alien Ghosts, the difference in numbers was too great. The disciples gained the upper hand in the fight, and two of the Alien Ghosts were quickly torn apart by the poisonous insects, the toxins overwhelming their bodies and ending their lives right there.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om The remaining two Alien Ghosts, seeing that things were going badly and being not low in intelligence, immediately turned and fled. They jumped into a hole outside the forest and disappeared from sight in a blink. The disciples surrounding the Alien Ghosts looked at each other and at the hole before them, none daring to jump down to pursue. Su Jie stepped out from the crowd, waved a torch inside the hole, and pinched some fresh soil near the hole, saying, ¡°These are the Alien Ghosts that appeared in the Earth Shadow Cave during the day. They are quite clever, following our trail here and having learned to dig tunnels there, approaching us undetected in this manner.¡± At this statement, the disciples exchanged strange looks, astonished at Su Jie¡¯s audacity. His words were tantamount to pping Pei Haibing in the face on the spot. Just before, Pei Haibing had killed two guard disciples indiscriminately, but it turned out that those killed weren¡¯t negligent in their duties, they just hadn¡¯t expected the Alien Ghosts wouldunch an attack from underground¡ªa scenario no one had anticipated, making their deaths truly unjust. Chapter 70 - 68: Chu Family Chapter 70: Chapter 68: Chu Family Su Jie watched as Chen Yun and a few others entered the store to fetch supplies. That so-called Chu Family was clearly the owner of the spirit field; they were used to throwing their weight around in the town. Today, they hadn¡¯t expected to be beaten by neers, and surely they wouldn¡¯t let it go. If one wished to avoid trouble, it would be wise to leave as soon as possible. Su Jie did not participate in gathering supplies; instead, he strolled around the town. ¡°Uncle, may I know your name? I¡¯m a businessman from out of town. I¡¯m a bit thirsty after my travels. Could I trouble you for a bowl of water at your ce?¡± Su Jie stopped an old farmer who had just finished tilling thend and was carrying his hoe back to his house, his face crisscrossed with deep wrinkles. ¡°Everyone just calls me Old Man Chen. You look like youe from a wealthy family, as long as you don¡¯t mind our humble little home.¡± Old Man Chen was slightly taken aback, then he pushed open the door to his house and invited Su Jie inside. The interior of the house was simple, with a set of old and damaged furniture, and a corner rice bin piled with coarse grains, not many in quantity. There were other people in the house too, an old woman with white hair lying on a bed in an inner room, fast asleep. In addition, there were five children, the oldest about twelve or thirteen years old and the youngest three or four. Curious yet somewhat fearful, the children hid inside the house and took furtive nces at Su Jie, the unfamiliar guest, through a crack in the door. ¡°We don¡¯t have much to offer. If you¡¯re really thirsty¡­¡± Old Man Chen was somewhat restrained as he brought over a bowl of water. The bowl was chipped in several ces; perhaps feeling embarrassed to present it, Old Man Chen¡¯s dark face flushed slightly. Su Jie took the bowl and drained it in one gulp. Wiping his mouth, he smiled and said, ¡°Uncle, what are you talking about? We who travel and trade in the wilderness drink from rivers when we¡¯re thirsty. Why should I be so finicky?¡± Old Man Chen sighed in relief. Seeing that Su Jie was easy to talk to, he rxed and called out to the inner room, ¡°Eng, mind your siblings and don¡¯t disturb the honored guest.¡± Su Jie pat himself down and, secretly from his storage bag, took out a bag of unwrapped candy, slipping it into the hands of the children and patting their heads, ¡°Take these candies to eat.¡± ¡°Oh, oh, this isn¡¯t right.¡± The children¡¯s faces lit up with joy, but Old Man Chen repeatedly tried to refuse. ¡°It¡¯s fine, we¡¯re fated to have met. Besides, I have to ask the uncle here some questions.¡± Su Jie waved his hand, and Old Man Chen, unable to stop him, let the children go out to y. ¡°Thank you, big brother.¡± The children sweetly called out their thanks, delightedly running out the door. In the Tianyuan World, just like in ancient times on Blue Star, sugar was a preciousmodity; these children rarely had the chance to taste something sweet. Putting down the bowl, Su Jie started to ask, ¡°I¡¯d like to inquire about this Chu Family from you, uncle. I¡¯ve noticed many people in the town paying rent to them. Are your fields not your own?¡± Old Man Chen¡¯s face darkened as he said, ¡°Not to deceive you, young master, in our Shaoshan Town, those who still own their fields are few and far between. That ursed Chu Family hired experts from the big city to cast spells, diverting local underground water veins to the spirit field, forcing us to rent from them because we haven¡¯t water to irrigate ournds. Otherwise, we can only watch helplessly as our fields yield nothing.¡± Su Jie pondered in his heart. Major Sects generally look down on the trivial produce ofmoners, but it¡¯s different for the smaller households of cultivators. By consolidatingnd and making the popce tenants, they could amass arge output of grain.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Grain could be exchanged for gold and silver, and gold and silver are rted to artifact refining materials. Although the value was low, for cultivators of small households, it was entirely possible to exchange gold and silver for cultivation resources, making it a very decent way to realize assets. After a moment of reflection, Su Jie asked, ¡°Doesn¡¯t the government care?¡± ¡°The Chu Family is a major local n. For generations, they produce schrs, and some of their people hold office in the city. Plus, with their reliance on the output of the spirit field to cultivate cultivators, the government turns a blind eye.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Su Jie nodded and continued to query Old Man Chen about the situation in Shaoshan Town. ¡°Child, why are there strangers at home? Could it be the government officials havee to collect the Demon Extermination Tax again, haven¡¯t we already paid it this year?¡± Just then, an elderly woman with white hair fumbled her way out from the inner room, awakened by the conversation between the two. She was Old Man Chen¡¯s mother. The olddy walked unsteadily, with a vacant look in her eyes¡ªit was clear she could no longer see clearly. ¡°Mother, it¡¯s not that, we have a guest at home.¡± Old Man Chen quickly helped his mother back to her bed, afraid that she would fall because she couldn¡¯t see the path. When Old Man Chen had returned, Su Jie curiously asked, ¡°Uncle, what is this Demon Extermination Tax that the elder mentioned?¡± ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t know, young master?¡± Old Man Chen was taken aback and then smacked his forehead: ¡°I almost forgot, with your background, young master, surely the tax doesn¡¯t fall upon you. The Demon Extermination Tax is imposed by the Jia Shao Government. They im it¡¯s to guard against the havoc wrought by the Demon Ghost Ridge Pce on themon folk. They collect this tax to train armies, with the aim of securing peace for the realm and eradicating the cancer that is the Ghost Ridge Pce once and for all. The tax is especially burdensome, and each year we have to dish out quite a bit of our wealth to cover it. However, I¡¯ve heard that if a family has produced a cultivator, then they can be exempt from this tax. It¡¯s said that since cultivators contribute to the fight against the Ghost Ridge Pce, there¡¯s no need for them to pay taxes. I¡¯m sure someone from your family must have practiced cultivation, right?¡± ¡°Ah, something like that.¡± Having heard this, Su Jie was speechless and, at the same time, a certain phrase came to mind involuntarily. We certainlyck the guts to wipe out the bandits, yet we have the audacity, and quite substantial at that, to amass wealth under the pretext of doing so. The Demon Ghost Ridge Pce has taken root in the mountains for so many years, and Su Jie had neither heard nor seen any government troops entering the mountains. On the contrary, the prosperity of the ck market at the Ghost Ridge Pce likely had much to do with the local government¡¯sissez-faire approach. As the topic of the Demon Extermination Tax grew somber, Old Man Chen¡¯s mood sank. Seeing his state, Su Jie did not continue to bother him, and suggested that he should take his leave. Before leaving, Su Jie discreetly ced a piece of broken silver beneath the water bowl, then departed from the ce. By the time Su Jie returned to the shop and grain store, Chen Yun and the others had already gathered the supplies, loading them onto the Horned Scale Horses. It was unexpected how quickly the Chu Family had mobilized; just as Su Jie and hispanions were about to mount their horses and leave, arge group of Chu Family members blocked their path. ¡°Esteemed Heavenly Masters, it was they who assaulted our Chu Family members.¡± Among this group of Chu Family members, several cultivators distinguished by their elegant clothing adorned with embroidered patterns and silk bandanas emerged, exuding an air of nobility. The one at the lead had the appearance of an ancient, with the poise of both a dragon and a tiger, and eyes that shone with vitality, creating the image of a venerable person. ¡°I am Lu Feng, the Sacrificial Elder of the Chu Family. Who might you young ones be apprenticed to, and what brings you here? Speak the truth promptly, or else do not me me for being discourteous.¡± With a cold snort, Lu Feng guessed that Su Jie and hispanions possessed cultivation, yet he did not fear them, instead he demonstrated his power, allowing his spiritual power to surge unabashedly within him. His cultivation was at the Yunling Realm Second Level; the fluctuation of spiritual power was not like a tidal wave but more like a refreshing breeze brushing against the face. The cultivators following Lu Feng did the same, proudly releasing their spiritual power fluctuations, and these individuals were even more formidable, each possessing the cultivation of the Yunling Realm First Level. The expressions of Su Jie and his group were peculiar, especially Chen Yun, who had previously engaged in the fight. She had thought that Lu Feng was a great hidden expert living discreetly in town, with cultivation no less than her Master, Taoist Qiu of the Secret Realm. Yet, after this introduction, such modest ability proved anticlimactic, and all of her fright had been for naught. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!