Chapter 299: The Rules of Zhongtu Are Like This

"This is impossible! Even if the ritual was discovered, it's just a failed feng shui arrangement—the true ritual hasn't even begun yet, so it couldn't possibly have been uncovered!"

Inside the pharmacy's storage room, a man in his early thirties, dressed plainly, spoke with absolute certainty; hearing his words, the pharmacy owner frowned and said:

"But the fact is, the entire Cultivator Realm of the harbor city has been stirred into action—if they hadn't uncovered your setup, why would they move? Or are you suggesting that the ancient demon, who has survived multiple dynastic changes, is now running around over just a feng shui arrangement?"

"I don't know, but according to the latest reports, cultivators from other cities in Zhongtu are only inspecting the earth veins. Though some surface elements have been exposed, the core interests haven't been touched—there must be some other reason."

The man's tone remained firm; the owner found this somewhat reasonable but still frowned and said:

"Even if they haven't discovered anything, our people are already under constant surveillance—we can't make any moves for a long time. To continue the plan, we don't know how long it'll take. The message has already been sent back home; the situation is extremely tense. Stay here for now. As for the others, I'll get the consulate to extract them."

"Those useless fools—whether they're rescued or not doesn't matter! This concerns a century-long plan; we can't afford mistakes here. Miss this year, and we'll have to wait another twelve years. Do you think the family can wait that long?" The man's face had grown twisted with rage, but the pharmacy owner still shook his head:

"Even if you say that, it doesn't change anything. We don't even know what the Zhongtu people have discovered. If all of this is a trap, acting rashly could lead to irreversible disaster."

"That brat!" The man suddenly blurted out; the pharmacy owner froze—

"What did you say?"

"I mean that brat who broke into the ritual yesterday! His route was too direct—he must know something. And according to intelligence, that ancient demon only began running around after visiting him. He must know a lot. Capture him—even if the plan fails, at least we'll know why!"

The man clenched his teeth, his fury seeming ready to overflow; this time, the pharmacy owner didn't劝 again, only nodded:

"If you've made up your mind, I won't stop you—but remember, you came to me only because they thought a junior needed training, and your strength happened to be suitable. If you don't have the resolve to die, stay here quietly."

"Don't expect help from other Masters. Once you act, neither I nor the consulate will offer you any assistance. The only ones you can mobilize are your household retainers and subordinates."

"Of course, if you've made the vow to die trying, I won't hold you back—but success or failure rests solely on you. All consequences are yours alone to bear. That's the rule of Zhongtu."

"For now, you can still hide here. Think carefully about what you'll do."

"…"

The man fell silent for a long time, then finally nodded:

"I understand!"

…

Feng Xue felt no real sense of being watched—he was currently at the pharmacy, treating local civilians.

Probably because the poor folks from Jilongzhai visited each other on New Year's Day, word of last night's house call had spread by afternoon. Though seeking medical help during the New Year was considered unlucky, people on this land were ultimately practical.

With Feng Xue's low consultation fees and excellent healing results, more and more people came to see him.

Feng Xue welcomed these villagers who provided vital energy; as for fees, he decided entirely by his own feeling. Since the medicine was made from air and water, only he knew how much he used. If you gave plenty of vital energy, spoke kindly, and were poor, I'd charge less. If you gave little vital energy yet complained endlessly, sorry—I'll treat it as business: business is business.

Fortunately, due to the relatively high concentration of cultivators, the people of Jilongzhai weren't exactly simple-minded, but they weren't outright malicious either.

Aside from the occasional few pretending to be sick for unknown reasons, the process went smoothly. Besides collecting vital energy, Feng Xue also practiced his aura-reading technique.

Though he had the divine ability "Guan Tian Shou," which involved fate, and the over-the-shoulder perspective to observe spiritual entities, both had limitations and couldn't fully replace aura reading. Anyone who's read web novels, especially game-themed ones, understands just how powerful the seemingly ordinary "Identification" skill can be.

"Hmm, his aura is chaotic, his spiritual light dim, his facial features unfavorable. Though no symptoms of illness, his body clearly has many hidden injuries and some deformities—come to treat old wounds?" Feng Xue glanced at the new patient, scanned him with aura reading, then activated Guan Tian Shou—but as he did, his brow furrowed.

The man's theoretical lifespan showed no anomaly—around thirty years—but paired with his facial features, it made no sense.

His appearance and attire clearly marked him as an elderly man from poverty. Yet in this world, ordinary people without cultivation rarely lived past sixty, let alone someone with his condition of hidden injuries—how could he still have thirty years of yang life?

"Did I misread him? Or is he actually a hidden martial arts master? Or does he have some other motive?"

Feng Xue grew quietly wary, but the man's anomalies weren't severe enough to warrant panic. He quietly channeled spiritual power and gestured:

"Old man, where exactly do you feel discomfort?"

"Cough, cough… My waist and legs have been aching terribly lately. Doctor Feng, please take a look…"

The old man coughed twice, clutching his waist, shuffling forward with trembling steps. Feng Xue communicated with Xiao Lingdang, monitoring the man's muscle state—but even Xiao Lingdang's big data concluded the man was truly an elderly person nearing death.

"Could I really have met a longevity king?"

Though Feng Xue thought this, he didn't lower his guard. He extended one hand as if to take the pulse—but the instant the old man offered his wrist, Xiao Lingdang's visual feed exploded with a blinding red!

"Damn, he really is a problem?" Feng Xue exerted force through his fingertips; the examination table groaned under unbearable stress, and he used the moment to step back two meters.

Though he wore an exoskeleton, he still chose to evade—after all, this was an assassin who could deceive even AI big data!

So…

"Ying Bao, attack!"

(End of Chapter)