Chapter 42: Idle Reading

Liang He returned to Tianyi Hall.

He hadn’t even stepped through the door when he saw Zhou Shulin waving at him.

After walking in.

Zhou Shulin said: “Ah He, thank heaven you’re safe—I heard many died in the alliance last night.”

This time, the Heaven and Earth Alliance sent nearly a hundred men.

Twenty of them died.

A death rate over twenty percent is unbearable in any era.

This time, the Heaven and Earth Alliance suffered heavy losses.

Especially since, besides ordinary disciples, one executive and one vice hallmaster also died.

“Did you hear? Hallmaster Ying is dead!”

There was no hiding the joy in Zhou Shulin’s voice.

Liang He widened his eyes.

Ying Liu was dead.

The battle last night was brutal, yet no one expected someone as seasoned as Ying Liu to fall.

His expression quickly turned strange.

In less than ten days, Tianyi Hall lost one vice hallmaster and one ordinary disciple.

Is he a lone star of doom?

Liang He felt a chill of fear—had Wu Tu not taught him that survival came first, his old nature would’ve driven him straight into the fray.

“The mortal world is treacherous; Tianyi Hall is safe.”

He spoke from the heart.

Zhou Shulin nodded vigorously.

“I’ll never leave again, no matter what.”

On this point, the two quickly reached consensus.

As they spoke, a man strode into Tianyi Hall.

Liang He saw the man and his eyes lit up with relief.

“Wu Executive.”

Wu Tu chuckled: “You’re a tough one, kid. Is your hallmaster here?”

Liang He pointed to a room in the corner downstairs.

“The hallmaster’s inside.”

Wu Tu: “Good. I’ll go find your hallmaster first—later, we’ll have a drink.”

With that, he headed straight for Li Rui’s room.

Zhou Shulin stared at Liang He in surprise: “When did you get so close to Wu Executive?”

Liang He: “No choice—we’ve shared death.”

“Wu younger brother, did things go smoothly last night?”

Li Rui looked at Wu Tu, legs spread, sitting before him.

Wu Tu said without preamble: “Li older brother, they say age brings wisdom—you’re truly a sage!”

Wu Tu spoke out of nowhere.

“??”

Li Rui felt Wu Tu was insulting him, but couldn’t prove it.

Then Wu Tu looked crestfallen and slapped his thigh:

“Li older brother, I should’ve listened to you—never meddle in those affairs, or I wouldn’t be lying here covered in wounds.”

Li Rui frowned in confusion:

“Wu younger brother, what exactly happened last night?”

Wu Tu sighed: “Xu Hua colluded with the Ghost Ming Sect—they say even a ghost demon appeared. Luckily, a master from Huaqing Sect slew it, but we still suffered heavy losses.”

Li Rui was startled:

“Ghost demon?”

Wu Tu showed a flicker of dread and explained: “The ghost demon is a monster bred by the Ghost Ming Sect—neither human nor beast. They say it’s grown from feeding human hearts to demonic beasts—deeply sinister.”

Li Rui’s heart pounded.

Demonic beasts were terrifying enough.

The ghost demon’s power was unquestionable.

He was no longer Zhu Family’s stable boy; during his time in Tianyi Hall, besides studying Daoist scriptures to aid the White Ape’s Blade-Breathing Method, he’d read many records of the mortal world’s strange tales.

Among them were accounts of demonic beasts.

This world truly held supernatural entities—demonic beasts were one.

Demonic beasts were a general term for powerful aberrant beasts lurking in the deep mountains beyond the city—low in intelligence, nightmares to mountain folk.

Wu Tu, too, felt a chill of fear.

“The Ghost Ming Sect’s heretics bred ghost demons with dark arts—possessing demonic beast strength and human cunning. A martial cultivator of the same level faces certain death. If not for Huaqing Sect’s Qiangzhe , all of Qinghe County would’ve been devastated.”

Li Rui pressed: “So who from Huaqing Sect intervened?”

Wu Tu shook his head, annoyed.

“I don’t know.”

He added: “Only the fleetmaster and two Huaqing emissaries saw anything.”

Li Rui nodded.

Wu Tu remembered something: “Funny thing—the Huaqing disciple was killed by the ghost demon during the chaos. Died horribly—just a pile of bone fragments left. That Kong disciple ended up taking back only a fragment of a hand to report.”

Li Rui’s face showed surprise; his mind stirred.

That Huaqing disciple was clever.

Xu Hua had already been crushed into mud. Ancient times had no modern instruments—no way the coroner could confirm it was Xu Hua with certainty.

But to Kong Xianian, it didn’t matter.

As long as he insisted it was Xu Hua, Huaqing Sect would likely drop the matter.

After all, the Ghost Ming Sect’s massive disturbance was enough proof.

Kong Xianian’s actions inadvertently removed many troubles for Li Rui.

If Huaqing Sect no longer pursued it, the secret technique would fade from memory.

His troubles vanished.

He felt a sudden ease in body and mind.

That constant feeling of being watched was unbearable—now Xu Hua was dead, the trail gone, no one would mention the ruined temple or the secret technique again.

Plainness was true peace.

He now bore martial bones and possessed the complete White Ape’s Blade-Breathing Method—enough to carry him far.

Once he grew strong enough,

he could find ways to extend his lifespan, then seek immortals and the Dao.

If he found the path to ascension, he’d never again be bound by mortality.

Li Rui glanced at the achievement on his panel: “Become an Immortal Ancestor.”

“Cultivate immortality!”

Tianyi Hall fell quiet again.

One vice hallmaster died, one disciple died.

Zhao Wei, helpless, temporarily abandoned plans to promote someone.

The other six halls found it ominous—even the disciples assigned to guard posts refused to come due to rumors.

Suddenly, Tianyi Hall was back to four people.

The most awkward was Han Peng.

His patron was gone, and he’d utterly alienated the hallmaster and two others.

He cowered for days, then promptly signed up for the most dangerous post.

Though he lost everything, at least he saved his life.

In Han Peng’s eyes, Li Rui was more dangerous than flood or beast—he had no doubt that staying in Tianyi Hall another few days would land him in the same grave as Ying Liu and Yang San.

Zhou Shulin and Liang He’s loyalty to Li Rui reached absolute devotion.

“The highest strategy defeats plans.”

“The hallmaster destroyed all enemies without lifting a fist or foot—that’s the pinnacle of the mortal world!”

“Violence isn’t sustainable. You must use your mind.”

These were Liang He’s summaries of Li Rui’s methods.

He even compiled them into a book.

Li Rui knew nothing of it.

He flipped through the Daoist scriptures as usual.

“Those who seek longevity must accumulate virtue and merit, cherish all things, and extend compassion to others.”

His hand paused as he turned the page.

Outside the door, Lianghe’s voice rang out:

“Chief, Deputy Chief Zhang invites you to drink tonight.”

(End of chapter)