「The next day.」

Just as Bai Yuan had predicted, experts from the major powers of Ling Province wore a path to the Demon Slayer Guard’s door.

In just half a day, Bai Yuan had already met with Elders from eight different factions. The moment he saw one out, another was already waiting at the door.

These Elders, who were usually haughty and looked down on everyone, had clearly sensed Bai Yuan’s potential and came specifically to build a good relationship.

Of course, exceptional talent alone wouldn’t have been enough to warrant such a fuss on their part. After all, far too many talented individuals had been buried in obscurity.

The key factor was that Bai Yuan was highly regarded by Du Qinghui, which meant his meteoric rise was not far off.

Not to mention, Bai Yuan’s master was Dong Wanjun, and behind him was none other than Xu Dingchun, the Minister of War.

"Lord Bai, I hear you are not yet married. My clan has many young women of marriageable age. Perhaps..."

...

Many of the visiting Elders harbored the idea of pulling Bai Yuan into their fold.

In this era, the best way to win someone over was, of course, through a marriage alliance.

Exchanging a woman from one’s clan for a genius was a bargain that was simply too good to pass up.

However, Bai Yuan politely declined all of them.

It wasn’t because of Sister Qiao, but because he was unwilling to get too deeply entangled with these factions.

Marrying a woman from one of those great clans meant shouldering their karma. If the clan ran into trouble, it would be difficult for him to remain uninvolved.

That was why marriage alliances between great clans were always handled with extreme caution.

This was, for the most part, where the concept of "matching social standing" came from.

Otherwise, if one side fell into disaster, the other would be dragged down with it.

After seeing off wave after wave of visitors, it was already dusk when Bai Yuan finally left the Demon Slayer Guard headquarters.

Just as he stepped over the threshold, a figure in a gray robe appeared before him.

"Master."

Bai Yuan bowed respectfully.

Dong Wanjun gave a faint "mm," clasped his hands behind his back, and started walking out of the Prefecture Magistrate’s Office.

Seeing this, Bai Yuan followed behind Old Dong.

In truth, after breaking through to the Perception realm, Dong Wanjun hardly looked like an "old man" at all, but Bai Yuan was still used to calling him Old Dong.

Dong Wanjun walked ahead, showing Bai Yuan only his back.

He didn’t speak until they had walked out of the Prefecture Magistrate’s Office. "Official rank and status are all external things. Don’t let them disturb your state of mind. For us martial practitioners, strengthening ourselves is the only true foundation."

Bai Yuan nodded.

He had been riding a wave of success recently, with one good thing happening after another.

Dong Wanjun was reminding him not to get too conceited or become engrossed in the politics of officialdom.

Du Qinghui appreciated Bai Yuan because he was strong enough and had great potential. But if he stopped progressing because of this, he would eventually fade into mediocrity.

"How many Cultivation Techniques are you practicing now?" Dong Wanjun asked suddenly.

Bai Yuan mulled it over. "Twenty-seven."

Dong Wanjun nodded. "Not bad. Once you’ve mastered a hundred, you’ll have barely crossed the threshold."

...

’A hundred Cultivation Techniques is just barely crossing the threshold?’ Bai Yuan had originally thought that would be enough to be considered extraordinary, practically a saint.

Dong Wanjun’s back was to Bai Yuan, so his expression was hidden. His voice took on a reminiscent tone. "When I was young, I traveled to the Central Plains. I said I was traveling, but I was actually searching for our Ancestor Master’s whereabouts."

"Ancestor Master?"

Bai Yuan was a little surprised.

The only one Old Dong would call "Ancestor Master" could only be the founder of the Divine Mansion Sect, Murong Ancestor Master.

Dong Wanjun continued, "The world believes that Murong Ancestor Master went into seclusion in his later years and passed away on Shenfu Mountain. The truth is, he had already left the mountain for the Central Plains long before that. The Divine Mansion Sect simply suppressed this news. After a thousand years of changes, very few people still know about it."

"I only learned of this because I befriended a senior from the Murong Family."

"I was young at the time and thought I had stumbled upon a tremendous opportunity, so I went to the Central Plains without telling your grandmaster."

"I didn’t find any trace of Murong Ancestor Master, but I did end up starving for several meals."

Bai Yuan blinked. ’It seems Old Dong’s fondness for food must have started back then.’

Dong Wanjun said, "Although I failed to find Murong Ancestor, I did have some fortunate encounters."

"On my journey searching for Murong Ancestor, I accidentally stumbled into a cave. Inside, I found a desiccated corpse, and on the cave walls were written insights on martial arts."

"He who masters a hundred techniques is a Grandmaster; he who masters a thousand is an Emperor; he who masters ten thousand becomes a Saint..."

"Ten thousand techniques become one, overcoming immortals with pure strength."

Old Dong’s tone grew increasingly ethereal.

’Ten thousand techniques become one...’ Bai Yuan repeated silently in his mind.

He couldn’t help but feel it was describing the synthesis function on his status panel.

"It was because of that passage, no more than a hundred characters, that I chose the path of cultivating all techniques."

"Thinking back on it later, the corpse I found might have been the remains of Murong Ancestor Master. But when I went back to look for it, I could no longer find any trace of the cave."

Bai Yuan remained silent, listening quietly.

If he hadn’t heard it from Old Dong’s own mouth, he would have dismissed it as some legend about gods and spirits.

"Since you have also chosen this path, you must persevere and endure the loneliness."

"I will follow my master’s teachings."

Old Dong was extraordinarily gifted, yet it still took him a full thirty years to break through to the Perception realm.

Cultivating all techniques made Old Dong’s energy terrifyingly profound, but it was also a burden when breaking through. He needed ten times the power of an ordinary Entering Martial Artist to shatter his energy and convert it into perceptual power.

Bai Yuan was on the same path as Old Dong, but his innate constitution was far inferior, so his breakthrough would only be more difficult.

Of course, one’s realm didn’t necessarily represent one’s combat prowess.

For both him and Old Dong, killing a Perception-realm expert as an Entering Martial Artist had become commonplace.

Bai Yuan even suspected that Old Dong already had the strength to contend with a Mingxin Grandmaster.

In the Jianghu, until a life-or-death battle was decided, no one could say for sure.

"That woman from the Soul-Chasing Tower has a few tricks up her sleeve. She’s probably targeting you, so be careful."

"The same goes for the Celestial Profound Sect."

...

Bai Yuan nodded.

Dong Wanjun said, "You should come to Ling Province less often from now on. Return to Huanglong Prefecture tomorrow."

"As you command, Master."

「Early the next morning.」

When the Elders from Ling Province’s various powers arrived at the Demon Slayer Guard headquarters with lavish gifts to visit Bai Yuan, they found that the Demon-slaying Guard General had already returned to Huanglong Prefecture overnight.

...

「An underground palace somewhere in Ling Province.」

Eerie red lanterns hung high on the palace’s flying eaves.

In the largest hall at the very center of the palace.

Han Min was kneeling on the ground, her head bowed and her body hunched over. The right side of her face, rotted by Bai Yuan’s poison, had become even more terrifying and showed no signs of healing.

And before her was none other than Kuaidong.

The mockery in the eyes of the several others in the hall vanished as quickly as it appeared.

"Poison techniques?"

Kuaidong murmured, then walked over to Han Min. He grabbed her chin with a large hand, forcing her head up and revealing the putrid scar in its entirety.

"Interesting indeed."

Kuaidong withdrew his hand, and Han Min’s head drooped once more, like a marionette with its strings cut.

"The one who injured you is named Bai Yuan?"

"That is correct."

Han Min replied in a low voice.

Kuaidong recalled the intelligence report he had seen yesterday. It seemed a young official named Bai Yuan had won Du Qinghui’s favor.

’Saber techniques, poison arts, and even disguise skills.’

’What an interesting little fellow.’

Kuaidong suddenly grinned. "I’ll give you a chance to redeem yourself."

At his words, Han Min’s body trembled.

Kuaidong took a medicinal pill from his robes. "Eat this."

Han Min slowly raised her head and finally took the pill from Kuaidong’s hand. Without any further hesitation, she tilted her head back and swallowed it.

Even if it was poison, she had no choice but to take it. Otherwise, her fate would be worse than death.

As the pill went down, Han Min’s eyes grew brighter and brighter.

’It’s not poison!’

’Not only is it not poison, it’s a sacred healing medicine!’

The rotten scars on Han Min’s face healed at a visible rate. A long-lost power reawakened within her. Before long, she would be back to her peak combat strength.

"Thank you, my lord."

She kowtowed three times, her forehead striking the ground with heavy, audible thuds.

The other Soul-Chasing Tower experts, who had been preparing to watch the show, also revealed expressions of astonishment.

’Kuaidong actually healed someone?’

That was simply unheard of.

Kuaidong said, "Bring me the head of that man, Bai Yuan."

"Yes, sir!"

Han Min cupped her fist and accepted the order, killing intent filling her eyes.

At her peak, killing Bai Yuan would be as easy as slaughtering a dog!

She had suffered at Bai Yuan’s hands repeatedly. Now it was time to collect the debt, with interest.

...

「Elsewhere.」

「Lingzhou City.」

"Senior Brother Jiu Zhen."

Cangsong Taoist gazed at the old Daoist before him, who had white hair but a youthful face and a full, broad forehead.

This was Jiu Zhen True Man, a True Man from the Daoist Sect of the Celestial Profound Sect.

He was also the master of Xu Hui and Zhou Yun.

Jiu Zhen True Man said, "Junior Brother Cangsong, I’ve troubled you."

"I feel ashamed that I was unable to look after Nephew Xu."

Jiu Zhen True Man waved his hand dismissively. "Everything is fated, determined by the heavens. I had long ago calculated that my disciple would face a calamity in Ling Province. I just didn’t expect it to truly come to pass."

The Daoist Sect placed the greatest importance on fate and heavenly secrets. Thus, even though Jiu Zhen True Man had foreseen this day, he hadn’t the slightest intention of preventing it.

In the view of the Daoist Sect, to interfere forcefully would be to disrupt the secrets of heaven, which would inevitably invite heavenly retribution.

Cangsong Taoist breathed a sigh of relief internally. From Jiu Zhen True Man’s demeanor, it seemed he had no intention of blaming him.

Just as he was about to speak—

He noticed that Jiu Zhen True Man’s expression was a little strange.

Although Jiu Zhen True Man’s gaze was in his direction, he wasn’t looking at him.

Cangsong Taoist frowned and looked behind him.

His disciples, Chen Qing and Luo Dao Yi... and also Zhou Yun.

His gaze finally landed on Zhou Yun. He sharply sensed that she was nervous.

Jiu Zhen True Man was Zhou Yun’s master. Why would she be nervous?

Cangsong Taoist’s eyes narrowed. He had always felt something was off about Zhou Yun ever since she returned from Shenfu Mountain. He had originally wanted to use absolute power to suppress the Divine Mansion Sect and find out the truth, but he was stopped by Dong Wanjun.

Now it seemed there really was something wrong with Zhou Yun.

Just as Zhou Yun was about to speak, Jiu Zhen True Man appeared before her in an instant. His right index and middle fingers tapped rapidly on her body, moving so fast that only afterimages were visible.

Zhou Yun felt her stomach churn, and with a wretched gag, she threw up.

A puddle of black liquid lay starkly on the ground before her.

In the black liquid, a small, moth-like insect was writhing feebly.

Cangsong Taoist took a deep breath. "A Gu insect?!"

He finally understood. Zhou Yun had been poisoned with a Gu.

Jiu Zhen True Man said, "Yun’Er, tell your master everything that happened, from beginning to end. You must not hide a single detail."

Zhou Yun looked at her master with a complicated expression.

"Master, on Shenfu Mountain..."