Chapter 4 What are you doing here! Fu Ming looked back and thought to himself...
"Sir, are you looking for a meal or to stay at the inn?"
After hearing the visitor's request, the waiter bit his pen, looking troubled.
"A room for ten yuan a night? No way. As you know, the Tianyan Sect is holding its recruitment conference tomorrow, and we only have two or three Class 1 rooms left. They'll cost at least 50 low-grade spirit stones a night."
The boy in front of me was dressed in linen clothes and looked to be about sixteen or seventeen years old. At first glance, his appearance was delicate and youthful, but upon closer inspection, his eyebrows and eyes were somewhat sharp, suggesting that he was probably a poor boy with high aspirations.
"I have some low-grade spirit herbs and animal hides here; maybe I can make up the difference in price."
Money was one thing, but haggling at the counter could cause trouble if the older folks saw it. After considering the pros and cons, the waiter started to shoo the customers away.
"Alright, alright, you should just leave now."
This handsome young man was none other than Fu Ming in disguise. His main body was stationed in the Demon Realm, and he specially created an avatar to come to the Tianyan Sect to earn some merit points.
Maintaining the state of having one soul and two bodies takes a huge toll on the spirit, so I plan to find a guest room to rest for a while.
Back then, ten low-grade spirit stones were enough to stay in a top-tier room, so how come there's inflation in the cultivation world? Fu Ming wondered.
Just as they were haggling over the price, a loud, energetic voice came from outside the door.
“That girl dared to embarrass me in public. She is absolutely despicable. I have said before that these useless and destructive lowly cultivators should be expelled from the Tianyan Sect.”
"My cousin is absolutely right. Isn't it bad luck to put all sorts of rotten fish and shrimp into the clan?"
"That Fu Ming from back then was from some backwater village, he really was a scoundrel..."
A group of cultivators in brocade robes swaggered into the shop, surrounded by servants. But perhaps because of their plump figures, they not only lacked any refinement, but instead looked as wretched as black-haired boar demons.
Upon detecting the keyword "name," Fu Ming turned around in the direction of the sound and happened to meet their gaze.
"Tsk tsk, cousin, look at that guy, he looks so poor."
The tall, fat cultivator put his arm around the short, fat cultivator's shoulder, pointed at Fu Ming's face without any restraint, and then burst into laughter.
If the Tianyan Sect disciples in the training ground were here, they would immediately recognize that the man addressed as "cousin" was none other than Chen Cheng, the纨绔 (playboy) from the Weapon Refining Peak.
System: Wow, host, did you know that these two people's character scores are actually lower than yours?
Fu Ming remained silent, a half-smile playing on his lips, a hint of murderous intent surfacing beneath.
Are you here for a recruitment fair?
The short, stout cultivator stepped forward to confront Fu Ming, exhaling a breath of sour, alcoholic fumes.
"So what if it is?" Fu Ming replied.
"Bah! You country bumpkin, you don't deserve it! Guards, throw him out! I don't want to see him defile the Heavenly Evolution Sect's grounds—"
That day, in a moment of impulsiveness, he bet 10,000 low-grade spirit stones and was caught by the Surveillance Bureau. He had three months' salary deducted for disgracing the family. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He should have just ordered the servants to throw her out instead of wasting words with that woman. Therefore, he also harbored resentment towards Fu Ming, this poor prospective disciple whom he had never met.
Chen Cheng himself was a golden core created by piling up pills. He could put on a show of strength most of the time, but if it really came down to a fight, he would only be able to take the beating.
With a single glance, he summoned several servants who rolled up their sleeves and rushed forward. Suddenly, a thunderous shout came from behind.
"Chen Cheng, Chen Chong, you're causing trouble here again!"
A capable female cultivator arrived just in time, leading four or five other cultivators in single file. Their cuffs and hems were decorated with bronze patterns, making them quite different from Chen Cheng and his group. The two sides faced each other, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.
What was Fu Ming doing amidst the chaotic vortex? To onlookers, he seemed to be lost in thought.
"Ding, the progress of the [Joining the Heavenly Evolution Sect] has been updated, triggering the side story: The Struggle Between the Humble and the Powerful Families. Upon completion, you will receive an additional reward of cultivation resources*1, conduct points*5, and merit points*5."
but.
The chaotic fight ultimately failed before it even began. Upon hearing the news, the shop owner quickly stepped in to mediate, leading his waiter to bow and apologize to both groups one by one. He also tearfully recounted how difficult it was to do business, begging everyone to calm down and let the matter rest for the time being.
Only the tall, fat monk named Chen Chong turned back and glared at him before leaving, uttering a classic harsh remark.
"You wait, I'll remember you."
Although he did not name names, it was obvious to everyone who he was referring to.
Fu Ming thought to himself, "It's been a long time since I've encountered such a low-level provocation. I really miss the excellent spirit of the Demon Realm, where people would rather take action than waste words."
The courageous female cultivator first introduced herself as Lin Han, a squad leader in the Tianyan Sect's Surveillance Division. Today, as usual, she was leading a team of three women and two men on patrol in the attached city when she heard the commotion and came to investigate, thus preventing a potential disaster.
Fortunately, we arrived in time; otherwise, who knows what those spoiled brats might have done.
They were all sitting around the round table, and they brewed a cup of hot tea for the slender Fu Ming.
"This young man is deathly pale; he's probably quite frightened. By the way, I haven't asked your name yet."
...Actually, it's just that I haven't rested enough.
However, Fu Ming was indeed quite weak after his soul was split. He only recovered slightly after sipping a whole cup of tea.
"Just call me Ming Chen."
Then he pulled out the explanation he had prepared beforehand: his home was in Yongcheng on the border, he was separated from his parents and siblings when he was young, and he was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to embark on the path of cultivation. Now his cultivation was at the early stage of Foundation Establishment - just enough to meet the minimum requirements for inner disciples of the Tianyan Sect.
"So he's a pitiful person without family, clan, or sect protection," Lin Han said solemnly as he handed Fu Ming a bronze token.
“Chen Cheng and his gang have memorized your appearance. If they come looking for trouble in the future, they can use their spiritual power to activate their tokens to contact us. We belong to the Surveillance Department and are under the jurisdiction of our acting sect leader, Senior Brother Xiao. We have always upheld the law impartially and have never oppressed ordinary cultivators, so you can rest assured.”
Fu Ming lowered his eyelashes and blew away the steam rising from the rim of the cup.
"It's alright. If they dare to come, they should be prepared for the possibility that they might not be able to return."
"Good! This is the kind of courage we cultivators should have!"
Everyone couldn't help but laugh, and the table was filled with laughter for a moment. Suddenly, Fu Ming felt his head being rubbed, but he didn't know who the culprit was.
He remembered that when he left Tianyan Sect, there was no such institution as the Supervisory Department; it turned out to be Xiao Huaiyuan's doing.
Night had fallen outside the window, and the city lights were just coming on. The twinkling lights stretched up the mountain path steps, looking like two winding fire snakes that would soon burn everything away.
Junior brother, after all these years, how much have you grown?
The following day, before the recruitment fair began, Fu Ming encountered a small problem.
Yesterday, the innkeeper saw him chatting and laughing with the people from the Surveillance Bureau and, wanting to please them, offered to waive his room fee, so Fu Ming stayed here for the night.
This morning, Fu Ming used his divine sense to scan the area and, sure enough, there was a thief lurking on the roof. Fu Ming walked, the thief walked; Fu Ming stopped, the thief stopped. Fu Ming deliberately circled around the market, but the thief patiently maintained a distance that was neither too close nor too far. His professionalism was quite remarkable.
As you step into the alleyway, the shadows of the surrounding buildings press down, completely blocking out the sunlight.
Fu Ming finally felt a chill on his neck. His hands were bound, and a cold, poisoned dagger was silently pressed against his throat.
Under the threat of the blade, he was forced to look up, his peach blossom eyes wide with fear, his appearance truly fragile and pitiful.
"If you have someone to blame, it's that you offended the wrong person."
The thug whispered in his ear.
As the blade relentlessly slashed toward his throat, Fu Ming, clutching the Surveillance Bureau token, suddenly sighed.
"pity……"
"You've met me."
Now it was the thief's turn to widen his eyes. He clearly felt the sensation of something sinking into flesh and blood, so why was his target completely unharmed?
He instinctively looked down and saw blood gushing from his chest. Before he could even think, the intense pain easily tore his mind apart.
Why, why? He couldn't understand it at all. The dagger that was supposed to end the mission target's life had instead plunged into his left chest. Wasn't this guy a novice in the early stages of Foundation Establishment? Ugh...
Hehe, it's just a variation of teleportation.
It's one thing for righteous cultivators to be inflexible, but how come you, an assassin, don't even know some essential household tips?
Fu Ming, after all, left himself an out. He deliberately avoided vital organs like the heart and crushed the token to summon the Surveillance Department to rescue the thief. It would be best if he could find out who his superior was, but even if he couldn't, he didn't want the thief to die at his hands; this disguise would have to be used for quite some time.
"System, will my conduct points be deducted for acting in self-defense like this?"
The system loaded for a long time before finally replying word by word. "...Beep, we have detected that the host's credit rating has improved and there is a legitimate reason. No conduct points will be deducted this time."
Just then, an extremely threatening divine sense pressure briefly intersected with the divine sense network he had previously deployed. This divine sense was extremely powerful, and the newcomer's cultivation was at least at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage.
Could I be so unlucky as to run into an elder right away?
Fu Ming quickly withdrew his divine sense and withstood all the pressure. He was so shocked that his knees buckled and he knelt down in front of the assassin's body.
The man asked, "What happened here?"
Fu Mingqiang swallowed the metallic taste in his throat, slowly turned around, and looked up at the powerful cultivator whose face was blurred in the morning light.
"...Your Excellency, cough cough, this thief suddenly attacked me without warning. I fought him to the death, and accidentally plunged my dagger into his chest."
He was sweating profusely as he spoke, his mind filled with a torrent of vulgar swear words.
Damn it, what is Xiao Huaiyuan doing here!
Xiao Huaiyuan's gaze moved from the bloody mark on Fu Ming's Adam's apple to the bruises on his wrists after he broke free of the ropes, and finally settled on the assassin's body lying in the open.
Is it just my imagination? They only look three parts alike, but their fighting style of striking after the opponent has already struck, and their eyes are so cunning and sharp.
It really looks just like that person.
"Immortal Venerable? I still have to go to the recruitment conference. Could you please let me through? I'll be late in about an incense stick's time."
Xiao Huaiyuan remained silent for a long time before replying.
"Okay, I'll take you there."
...
There's no need to do that.
Within his consciousness, Fu Ming interrogated the system: Why didn't you warn me when Xiao Huaiyuan appeared? Weren't you shouting happily before?
System: Hey, honey, I'm automatically upgrading! ><
Fu Ming: ...Can we return this system within seven days without giving a reason? We'd like to throw it as far away as possible.
In the past few days, Fu Ming has attempted to disconnect the system no less than five times, all of which ended in failure.
The unique characteristic of the Primordial Devouring Heaven Record is that once it merges with its master, it can only be separated after the master's death. Just as a person cannot tear themselves in two, Fu Ming naturally cannot separate the Primordial Devouring Heaven Record from his living self.
In short, we can only put up with this broken system for now.
While Fu Ming was still questioning the dereliction of duty system, Xiao Huaiyuan had already pulled him onto the flying sword without saying a word.
Fu Ming stood in front, and Xiao Huaiyuan stood behind, the two only a fist's distance apart. Such a close distance made Fu Ming's hair stand on end.
If he still had the Tang sword, he would have drawn it by now.
Fu Ming's right hand unconsciously moved backward, and sure enough, it touched nothing. Xiao Huaiyuan took in his little movement without saying a word.
Did he see something amiss?
A note from the author:
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