Chapter One: On the Road

Bibo Town Guardian Hall.

Study.

Chen Ruhai and Fan Tian Tiao sat facing each other.

Chen Ruhai had taken off his shoes and was rubbing his feet together under the table, looking utterly content. He felt even more delighted when he saw the helplessness in Fan Tian Tiao’s eyes. Consequently, he scrubbed his feet even more vigorously, leaving a pile of dead skin on the floor.

Fan Tian Tiao wore a look of utter misery. He often wondered if his parents had possessed foresight, gifting him this naturally sorrowful face from birth because they knew he would eventually have to work with Chen Ruhai. Being around this fellow was pure torture, yet he couldn't escape it, leaving him with a splitting headache every single day. Was he truly a sinner against heaven, he wondered, to be punished in such a way?

"Any intelligence?" Fan Tian Tiao sighed heavily.

"Fang Che has already left Bibo Town, taking 'Shadow' with him. It seems he truly regards her as his trusted maidservant," Chen Ruhai said.

"Isn't that perfect?"

"Yes. We finally managed to use this opportunity to make Shadow's infiltration a success. Furthermore, Fang Che is talented enough that he will surely provide more intelligence in the future. Therefore, we cannot allow any mishaps to occur during his journey," Chen Ruhai replied.

The two of them had long since abandoned their original plan of "letting him gain some experience by Fang Che’s side before using him for other tasks." Moreover, they had successfully resisted the pressure from the Dark Division to demand her back. This position was critical! She could not be moved! This had prompted the higher-ups of the Dark Division to curse them roundly: it was you who said she would return after a few months of training! Now that she’s just started, you’ve changed your tune—you are truly shameless.

"Indeed, Fang Che’s safety cannot be compromised. I will follow him secretly myself," Fan Tian Tiao said, immediately standing up. Being trapped in this great hall with Chen Ruhai every day was driving him to the brink of a breakdown; he needed any excuse to leave.

"You’re going personally?" Chen Ruhai was surprised. "Is that really necessary?"

"It is."

"Fang Che is linked to the massive wealth of the Su family. In Bibo Town, he is naturally safe, but once he heads out alone, there will surely be constant waves of trouble. After all, the interests involved are vast enough to tempt people into taking risks."

"That is inevitable. Fang Che is traveling alone and will certainly be carrying a large amount of wealth to White Cloud Continent. It’s normal for people to have designs on him, but does it really warrant the Vice Hall Master of the Guardian Hall to go out personally?"

"Heh..." Fan Tian Tiao said with immense disdain, "I’ll come back when you’ve cured this disgusting habit of yours."

Chen Ruhai lifted a foot that was emitting a steaming, foul odor. "You mean this?"

"...Ugh!" Caught off guard and having inhaled, Fan Tian Tiao’s face changed drastically as he bolted out the door.

With a slam, the door shut.

Chen Ruhai burst into loud laughter, but then his laughter ceased. He looked at his feet and sighed.

...

Elsewhere.

Within the Yi Xin Sect.

"Night Demon has taken his maidservant and set off for White Cloud Continent. He has left Bibo Town."

"The journey is not very far, less than two thousand miles. But the road crosses many mountain ranges and dangerous terrain."

"Night Demon’s safety must not be compromised!" Yin Shen Gong decided decisively. If he dies, where am I supposed to find someone to intercept those geniuses?

"How about you make the trip, Venerable Qian?"

"Very well." Qian Sanjiang immediately agreed. He was quite happy with this errand. Ever since his initiation into the sect, Qian Sanjiang had realized that this "Night Demon," Fang Che, had already caught the Sect Master’s attention. Once his cultivation reached a higher level, his future would certainly not be limited to just the Yi Xin Sect! Building a good relationship now would mean... heh heh...

"I shall depart immediately."

"Good."

...

Two days had passed.

Fang Che had leisurely traveled three hundred miles.

Under Fang Che’s "training," Ye Meng had successfully evolved from a "regular person" to a "Martial Apprentice." Furthermore, she now possessed the cultivation of a "Third-Rank Martial Apprentice"! It was significant progress! It could even be considered the pace of a genius.

The main reason was that she had consumed two Heavenly Pulse Vermilion Fruits, so she had to improve. And she had to do it quickly, or it would arouse Fang Che’s suspicion. Thus, Chen Ruhai and Fan Tian Tiao had made the decision: advance! The faster, the better. Since Fang Che wanted to cultivate an assistant, only with higher cultivation could she be of greater use to him.

So, Ye Meng performed very diligently. She made great progress. But Fang Che was still unsatisfied. "Why are you so slow? Why is your brain so dim?"

"Utterly useless!"

"Get out of the carriage and walk! Practice your cultivation while you walk!"

"You haven't improved your cultivation, yet you still want to ride in the carriage! Only thinking about comfort—when will you ever be of use?"

"A young girl like you, if you don't suffer, how can you grow into a qualified vase?"

"In the future, you won't just be warming the bed; you'll be my guard, you'll fight for me, you'll take care of every aspect of my life, and you’ll need to look beautiful... In short, I have high expectations for you!"

"If you don't work harder, I'll sell you into a brothel!"

"Get out! Get out!"

Fang Che chased Ye Meng out of the carriage. This action was too much even for the driver, who felt indignant. "These young masters from wealthy families are rarely good people! Such a delicate, beautiful girl, and he won't even let her ride in the carriage, forcing her to walk..."

"Does he have any humanity at all?"

Little did the driver know that being chased out of the carriage was exactly what Ye Meng wanted. Being in the carriage with Fang Che was uncomfortable; she didn't even dare to circulate her internal spiritual energy for fear of being discovered. Getting out meant freedom. Moreover, she could practice the correct posture for walking and recall the techniques Fang Che had taught her, correcting her long-standing bad habits.

So, puffing out her cheeks and looking ahead with wide, innocent eyes, she began to walk with a pout, looking as if she were deeply dissatisfied with being kicked out. While walking, she worked hard to practice and correct herself.

Inside the carriage, a faint smile appeared on Fang Che’s face.

[Ye Meng’s talent is indeed quite good. As long as I continue to temper her, she will surely become an expert in the future.]

[She didn't even dare to practice inside the carriage; I need to account for that as well. I hope she won't let down my cultivation of her and will kill many members of the Weiwo Zheng Sect in the future.]

[Looking back with the knowledge I’ve gained from the Infinite True Scripture and the various martial arts, my past self’s standing, sitting, walking, gripping a sword, attacking, and footwork... were all full of flaws. The gap is truly immense.]

[Although Ye Meng has learned less than a tenth, just the basics, it is enough to significantly improve her combat effectiveness. She is different from me. I can practice multiple techniques because the Infinite True Scripture’s speed of absorbing spiritual energy can keep up; but for Ye Meng, she can only practice one type of weapon in this life to maximize her combat strength.]

[Judging by her habitual movements, her talent should be the sword. I must let her come into contact with the sword early and begin her training, to avoid her being exposed in the future.]

[The Su family’s wealth is in my hands. Many in the city had designs on it; they had no opportunity in Bibo Town, but now that I’ve come out, they should start showing their heads.]

Fang Che’s body swayed with the bumping of the carriage, and his thoughts were like the rolling waves of the sea—one after another.

He was in no rush to arrive. The distance to White Cloud Continent was not great, but the rugged mountains and evil waters were real. Fang Che was also not worried about the Martial Academy’s test. Currently, students from all directions were fighting desperately to earn points for the academy.

Earning points was simple. Once a student’s academy medallion was bound by blood, they would kill spirit beasts, retrieve the cores, and drip fresh beast blood onto the medallion, which would automatically display their points. The more beasts killed, the more points earned. There were countless academy instructors following in the shadows; any cheater, no matter how talented, would not be admitted.

Points below thirty meant no qualification for the academy. Above thirty and below one hundred, one paid the fees and underwent a simple cultivation test to enroll. Above one hundred, no cultivation test was required. In other words, if one wanted to break the rule that "only Martial Warriors can enroll," one had the ability to earn over one hundred points, even a Martial Apprentice could pay the fees to enroll. Because that proved combat talent and sensory potential.

Above two hundred points, one could enroll for free without a test and would be entered into martial duels. From the top martial scholars down to the top one hundred, there were corresponding rewards. And these rewards were the goal of every new student. It was not just about the benefits; it was about honor and credentials.

...

White Cloud Martial Academy was a top-tier institution; those who graduated from it had a different future compared to those from ordinary academies. However, their post-graduation career paths were also determined by their academy credits, honors, and credentials.

Therefore, the academy’s honors and credentials were extremely important. Generally, there were three paths for graduates. First, entering the government at various levels, joining the roster of state officials to punish evil, suppress crime, and govern a region—positions like constables, chief inspectors, or working in judicial departments. They could also hold official posts depending on their ability.

The second choice was joining the military, entering the state’s military departments, local armies, or border guards, rising through the ranks based on military merit.

However, once these first two paths were chosen, one was essentially stuck within that framework for life.

The third path was entering the Guardian Army, starting from a low-level position and seeking promotion. This was the sequence of the "Guardians," such as the various Guardian Halls. This was different from the normal government or military positions; it belonged to a special category. From then on, one would fight endlessly against various demonic sects.

Those within the Guardian sequence who made significant contributions, and whose own cultivation reached a certain level, could apply to join the "Protector" sequence. Once one became a Protector, the responsibilities, pressure, enemies, and dangers faced were on an entirely different level. The title of "Protector" generally represented the strongest combat power on the continent.

Fang Che had been a Protector in his previous life, though only at the lower end of the combat power spectrum.

How one chose did not matter in terms of right or wrong; however, the path of the Guardian was the only one that allowed one to forge ahead toward the supreme peak of martial arts. Although the danger was many times higher than the other paths.

Fang Che’s goal in this life was to become a Protector—a peak Protector who could completely wipe the Weiwo Zheng Sect off the face of the world.

The starting point of these three choices had everything to do with one’s honors and credentials at the academy. Everyone had to fight with all their might to seize every opportunity. Thus, many new students, from the moment they set off, were frantically searching for all kinds of spirit beasts.

They were scouring the land with bloodshot eyes.

...

Fang Che had his own plans.

[To start hunting spirit beasts now is truly unwise, as we have just left home, meaning we are still near populated areas. Even if there are mountains and forests here, how many spirit beasts could there be? It is a classic case of wasted effort with little gain.]

[The total journey is fifteen hundred miles. Ahead lies the Wanling Mountain Range, which stretches for thirty thousand miles. Crossing through it covers only seven or eight hundred miles. That is where the opportunity to earn points should be.]

Fang Che took out his academy medallion, calmly cut his finger with a small knife, and smeared his blood on it. The medallion glowed faintly. A line of text appeared: Bibo Town, Fang Che.

The previously solid medallion now had a small hole, below which was an empty frame.

"The blood and cores of spirit beasts are placed here, and then the points are revealed."

Fang Che was truly amazed. Six hundred years later, development had indeed progressed significantly; this kind of technology was almost unimaginable six hundred years ago. He really didn't know how it was made.

From outside came the whimpering sounds of Ye Meng. Clearly, the little girl was deliberately showing how tired she was, practicing her "cultivation," and using her actions to tell Fang Che: I really have low cultivation.

Fang Che poked his head out of the window. "What are you whimpering about? What rank of Martial Apprentice have you reached?"

"S-still the third rank," Ye Meng said, startled and stammering.

"Useless! You’re only good for producing waste! If you don't reach the fifth rank of Martial Apprentice before we arrive at White Cloud Continent, I’ll sell you into a brothel!" Fang Che said with great anger.

"Wuu wuu..." Ye Meng began to sob. "Young Master, please spare me... this servant, this servant will try her best..."

Fang Che snorted. "Trying your best isn't enough. You must succeed!"

Even the carriage driver couldn't listen anymore. "This young master, isn't that a bit too harsh on your servant?"

"What do you know?" Fang Che said. "This is my bodyguard. Have you ever seen a bodyguard weaker than their employer?"

The driver was dumbfounded. "I have never seen that, no."

A bodyguard? This delicate, stunning beauty was a bodyguard? It didn't look like it at all... This young master from a wealthy family was truly no good; he couldn't even speak a single word of truth.

"Did you hear that? Fifth rank! Fifth rank Martial Apprentice! Otherwise, sold to a brothel!"

"Yes..."

Ye Meng’s tears were almost falling. From happiness. The more you push me, the faster and more fully I can recover my strength! But she also felt it was a pity. Fang Che was so talented, yet he had joined the Yi Xin Sect; it was truly a shame.

As they moved forward, martial students continuously passed them—some in groups of three or five, some in pairs, others traveling alone. At most, they were shocked by Ye Meng’s beauty and would take a second look before hurrying on.

Surprisingly, no one came over to flirt or tease her. This made Fang Che somewhat puzzled. Was the moral standard of people these days this high?

After many people had passed, Fang Che stuck his head out and said, "You look so ugly that even walking on the road like this, no one teases you. I guess you wouldn't fetch a good price even if sold to a brothel. You still haven't hurried up and practiced your cultivation—what else do you have to look forward to?"

Ye Meng was so angry her chest heaved. She puffed out her cheeks and refused to speak, stomping her feet in frustration as she walked. *No one teasing me is my fault? If I weren't here for intelligence, for the sake of being an undercover agent, I’d slap you back to Bibo Town, believe me!*

Just then, two people suddenly burst out of the woods ahead. The leader rolled his eyes and said, "Stop!"

He held a sword, its blade glinting brightly. He pointed the tip at the carriage, smiling coldly. "The righteous and heroic Young Master Fang, why don't you come out?"