There were about twenty people from various alleys, and a mountaineering team of about a dozen men and women. The latter were no match for the former, especially since several women were in the mountaineering team, and some refused to join the fight. Only a handful of people were left to protect Zong Lin and Xiao Chen.

Mr. Wang was frantic, cursing Zong Lin in his heart. Why did he have to go back to find a local woman? The locals have different customs than the Xia people. It's perfectly reasonable to say that Xiao Chen and Zong Lin's actions have tarnished their reputation.

"Those two kids are in those tents!" Someone said in some local dialect, and the crowd rushed toward the two tents.

As expected, Zong Lin and Xiao Chen were hiding in the two tents. Upon realizing they had been discovered, the two immediately crawled out, their faces pale and running wildly in panic.

For some reason, it seemed that as soon as they saw that Zhang Guodong had a lot of people, they actually ran over here.

Zhang Guodong was sitting leisurely, taking out a barbecue grill and starting a fire, intending to boil some water for a drink. He looked at it for a moment, then was stunned, and then cursed, "Damn it, you want to start a fire here?"

Zong Lin and Xiao Chen actually had this idea. Zhang Guodong's side had a lot of people, and they all seemed very capable. If they fought with the locals, they could escape.

Perhaps the locals, in a moment of irrationality, would vandalize this place. Zhang Guodong, of course, couldn't let that happen, or he would be able to escape.

"Help us! There are so many of them!" Zong Lin was quick-witted; as he ran this way, he deliberately shouted this in their direction.

As expected, the men who were chasing them changed their expressions and became hostile towards Zhang Guodong and his group, surging forward.

Zhang Guodong sneered and said to the two cultivators, "Capture these two people and hand them over to these locals!"

The cultivators under his command had long disliked Zong Lin and Chen, and were immediately delighted when Zhang Guodong gave the order.

Just as Zong Lin and Xiao Chen arrived, two cultivators stepped forward, intercepted them, and kicked them to the ground.

Clean and efficient!

Zong Lin and Xiao Chen never dreamed that their plan was so treacherous. Zhang Guodong was no saint. How could he fall for their trick?

Yesterday's incident already angered Zhang Guodong. Today, they actually tried to drag him into this mess! These two deserve to have their necks snapped!

Zong Lin and Xiao Chen were groaning in pain, their faces ashen. The locals quickly caught up and surrounded them.

At this moment, Zhang Guodong said, "You can take these two away. This has nothing to do with us!"

Upon hearing this, Chairman Wang, who had rushed over, immediately turned pale and became extremely anxious.

They wondered if Zhang Guodong would lend a hand, but to their surprise, Zhang Guodong simply arrested the man and handed him over to the other party.

But he couldn't blame Zhang Guodong for this. Who told that bastard Zong Lin to deliberately shout something, trying to drag Zhang Guodong down with him? He had malicious intentions!

"Chairman Zhang, this is a misunderstanding," Chairman Wang immediately said to Zhang Guodong, hoping to persuade the other party to back down. After all, Zhang Guodong had many men, none of whom seemed to be benevolent.

That's considered leveraging the momentum!

“Chairman Wang, there’s no need to say more. If this were your private matter, I could give you face, but what happened last night made me very angry. And what happened just now... those two were even more treacherous. So I’ve already been generous by not kicking them while they’re down. You needn’t bring this up again!” Zhang Guodong waved his hand, interrupting him.

Zhang Guodong adopted an attitude of indifference, as if it were none of his business.

Among these locals were also Xia people; after a brief exchange in an incomprehensible language, several sharp blows rang out. Two screams and several gasps followed as Zong Lin and Xiao Chen's arms and legs were broken! The beatings left them bruised and swollen.

"Stop! Stop it!" Wang Dong's side didn't even have time to stop.

Finally, the fighting stopped. A representative from the locals, a member of the Xia tribe, stepped forward and solemnly said to Chairman Wang, "I spoke kindly this time, and although they let these two off the hook, if there's a next time, no one can save them! Also, you'll have to carry your own luggage; they're not doing it anymore!" After saying that, he left with his men, leaving the remaining people dumbfounded.

There's no one to carry our hiking gear. Plus, there are two disabled and sick people on the list. What are we going to do?

"Mr. Zhao, could we make a deal? Should we send the patient to the hospital first? If he doesn't receive timely treatment here, it could be fatal!" Chairman Wang put aside his pride and hurriedly spoke to the Xia clan representative.

Mr. Zhao glanced at the still indignant locals ahead and said helplessly, "It's not that I don't want to help you; we've been friends for a long time. But those two went too far this time. Taking their lives is already a mercy. They're from an ethnic minority. Unlike others, many of their customs are more important than their lives. If I try to persuade them further, we might end up having a falling out. I'm sorry!"

“Mr. Zhao, please don’t leave yet. Ask them if this was just a misunderstanding. They have already been punished, so let it go. We’ve always had a pleasant working relationship. Consider this compensation. I’ll offer double the price. Would you please go and talk to them?” Chairman Wang said.

Mr. Zhao gave a wry smile and said, "Boss Wang, it really won't work this time. If I could make the money, I definitely wouldn't give up. Maybe next time. They're all in a bad mood!"

After saying that, he didn't linger and followed the locals away.

"What a mess!" Chairman Wang cursed when he saw that things were beyond repair. With these two wounded men as a burden, climbing the mountain was obviously out of the question, and besides, everyone's enthusiasm had been ruined. It seemed that this trip would have to be canceled.

After Wang Dong and Zhang Guodong said goodbye, the campsite was quickly packed up. They decided not to climb anymore and planned to return to get the injured person to the hospital as soon as possible. If they delayed, someone might really die.

"Those two deserved it! Losing an arm or a leg is too lenient a punishment!" Wu Feng said unhappily after the others left. Xie Koumo smiled and said, "Fan Jing is quite good. The Puli people don't cultivate like us. Losing an arm or a leg can be healed in a day or two with medicine, but for ordinary people, a broken bone or tendon takes at least a hundred days, accompanied by pain and suffering. For these rich kids, this is already a great ordeal!"

"What is a second-generation rich kid?" Wu Feng asked curiously.

“This family is powerful, but their children are idle and useless; those children are called ‘second-generation rich!’” Zhang Guodong broke out in a cold sweat, realizing he had let something slip. So he explained briefly.

Zhang Guodong glossed over these new terms with a few words. A proper explanation would take a year. Zhang Guodong even wondered when he could send Xuan Qingwei and the others to primary school for basic literacy training, and then down to middle school, university, and so on.

"Alright, let's eat something first, then we'll head out!" Zhang Guodong ended his conversation with the curious child, waved his hand, and prepared the food.

However, this time he let Cai Zhou go, and whoever wants to eat can do it themselves.

Soon, several piles of firewood began to rise. A few pieces of charcoal were lit, and groups of three or five sat around them, chatting and preparing their own food.

On Zhang Guodong's side, Xuan Qingbai and Wu Feng are present.

"I don't think the weather looks good today. It might start snowing when we get to the mountain!" Zhang Guodong looked up and felt around. The wind had stopped, and it was quiet. The clouds covered the sky, gray and gloomy, which looked just like a sign that it was going to snow.

It's unlikely to snow in a human city this time of year, but it's very likely to happen on this mountain.

The current climate is abnormal; it might snow in June occasionally. That doesn't necessarily mean there's been a case of injustice caused by alcohol poisoning.

"The weather here is quite peculiar. Although the Plant Cultivation Realm also has similar weather, it's even worse. Cultivators can easily perish here, but that's due to special reasons. Some are caused by ice and snow-type demonic beasts, and some are naturally formed by the Heaven and Earth Array!" Wu Feng said. "Are there ice and snow-type demonic beasts here as well?" Zhang Guodong immediately wanted to deny it, but then felt he couldn't be so sure, and said, "I don't know if there were demonic beasts outside before, but now, with the large influx of cultivators, some species outside are also changing. Perhaps in a few years, quasi-demonic beasts or even demonic beasts might appear. This outside world was once a paradise for ancient cultivators, but I don't know why they abandoned it and all disappeared?"

Zhang Guodong thought that although Huangji Sanren left him with an "Ascension Token," cultivators at the hundredth level of perfection could be guided to a higher spatial level by using the "Ascension Token."

But what about those with lower cultivation levels?

Clearly, the cultivators in the plant cultivation world only have records of their understanding of the outside world, as if there is a gap in their memory.

Are they all dead? Or where did they go?

I don't understand!

"Are species changing?"

“That’s right. I’ve witnessed it firsthand. I planted some secondary spiritual crops, but this brought about some very small new species of organisms. They have transcended the ordinary. I’m worried that as the spatial barrier of the cultivation world continues to open, the impact on the outside world will become more and more severe! Isn’t it said that there is a common understanding in the cultivation world that overseas, especially in the boundless ocean, on the seabed, some people have encountered powerful creatures. Perhaps there are even more powerful ones!” Zhang Guodong said with a smile.

"Senior Brother Zhang is truly amazing! He can actually grow sub-spiritual level crops in the outside world! Could it be that the ingredients in the Wanxian Restaurant also come from this?" Wu Feng's eyes lit up as he asked.

She also learned that Zhang Guodong was the owner of the Wanxian Restaurant.

I never imagined that all the precious ingredients used in the restaurant were grown outside! This is truly amazing news!

If Qingxuan Sect has a bountiful harvest of spiritual crops, why worry about not being able to expand?

"That's a secret! However, if the Qingxuan Sect finds a suitable base, I will provide some secondary spiritual crops that can be grown outside, at least ensuring everyone has enough to eat, and it will also be very beneficial for cultivation! Qingji, what do you say?" Zhang Guodong turned to look at Xuan Qingwen and asked with a smile.

Xuan Qingban almost rolled her eyes at him, but with Wu Feng in front of her, she couldn't let go. She thought to herself, "Of course I wouldn't refuse such a good thing; that's such a hypocritical question!"

However, I also felt a slight tremor in my heart. Was this something this guy did for me?

Her ears turned a little red.

"Excellent!" Xuan Qingban nodded slightly and said, "On behalf of the Qingxuan Sect, I thank Junior Brother Zhang!"

"Haha, Qingban, you're too kind! When we get married, we'll be family. Contributing to the sect will be a good dowry, it's worth it!" Zhang Guodong said with a touch of smug hypocrisy.

"Congratulations to Senior Brother Zhang and Fairy Xuan! Senior Brother Zhang, there's something I've been wanting to say. Are you also a disciple of the Qingxuan Sect?" Wu Feng chuckled to herself as she looked at the two of them. Senior Brother Zhang had Fairy Xuan completely under his thumb, he was truly amazing! But she said aloud, "..."

"Junior Brother Zhang is not a disciple of the Qingxuan Sect. However, he has a great connection with my Qingxuan Pill. I have invited Junior Brother Zhang to join the Qingxuan Sect several times, but Junior Brother Zhang looks down on this small sect and refuses to join!" Xuan Qingban said preemptively.

But after saying that, Xuan Qingji himself was stunned. Was this resentment? His emotional fluctuations were becoming increasingly obvious!

His expression immediately became very awkward. Fortunately, Zhang Guodong smoothed things over with a smile, "Who dares to say that the Qingxuan Sect is a lie? I don't like being constrained. Rather than constantly breaking the sect rules and incurring the wrath of everyone, making everyone uncomfortable, it's better to be a rogue cultivator from the start! That way, I can still help Qingban, right?"

Editor's Note: Two chapters complete. I was originally planning a third, but I can't write anything today. So, two chapters, about 7,000 words. To find out what happens next, please log in to [website name - likely a gaming site]. More chapters available to support the author. Support genuine reading!