Chapter 324: The Rules of Zhongtu Are Like This

“This is impossible! Even if the ritual was discovered, it would only be a failed fengshui arrangement—the true ritual hasn’t even begun, so it couldn’t have been uncovered!”

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

“But the fact is, every cultivator in the entire port city has mobilized—if they hadn’t uncovered your setup, why would they act? Or are you suggesting that the ancient demon, who has survived multiple dynastic changes, is now running around over nothing more than a fengshui arrangement?”

“I don’t know, but according to the latest reports, cultivators from other cities are merely investigating the land 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 move for a long time. To continue the plan, we don’t know how long it’ll take. The message has already reached home; the situation is 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 changes nothing. 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 the 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 moving after visiting him. He knows a lot. Capture him—even if the plan fails, we’ll at least find out why!”

The man gritted his teeth, his fury seeming ready to overflow; this time, the pharmacy owner didn’t Quan again, only nodded:

“If you’ve made up your mind, I won’t stop you—but remember, you came to me only because they believe juniors need training, and your strength happens to be suitable. If you lack 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 aid. The only forces you can use are your own retainers and subordinates.”

“Of course, if you’ve resolved 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 is 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.

Perhaps because the poor of Jilongzhai visited each other on New Year’s Day, news of his night visit had spread by afternoon. Though seeking medical help during the holiday was considered unlucky, people here were ultimately practical.

With Feng Xue’s low fees and excellent results, more and more patients came.

Feng Xue welcomed these villagers who provided yuanli, and as for fees, he decided entirely by instinct. Since the medicine was made from air and water, only he knew how much he used. If you gave abundant yuanli, spoke kindly, and were poor, I’d charge less. If you gave little yuanli yet complained endlessly, sorry—I’ll treat it as a business transaction.

Fortunately, given the 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 illness for unknown reasons, the process went smoothly. Beyond collecting yuanli, Feng Xue also practiced his qi-reading technique.

Though he possessed the divine ability to observe heavenly lifespan and the over-the-shoulder view to detect spiritual entities, both had limitations and couldn’t fully replace qi-reading. Anyone who’s read webnovels, especially game-themed ones, understands how powerful the seemingly ordinary “identify” skill can be.

“Hmm, his qi is chaotic, his spiritual glow dim, his facial features unfavorable. No obvious symptoms, but his body bears many hidden injuries and some deformities—come for old wounds?” Feng Xue glanced at the new patient, scanned him with qi-reading, then activated Heavenly Lifespan Observation—only to frown.

His theoretical lifespan showed no anomaly—around thirty years. But paired with his appearance, it made no sense.

The man looked and dressed like an elderly poor man. In this world, ordinary people without cultivation rarely lived past sixty, let alone someone with his condition—how could he still have thirty years of yang life?

“Did I misread him? Or is he a hidden martial master? Or does he have another motive?”

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

“Old man, where 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, dying man.

“Could I have stumbled upon 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 vision erupted in a blinding red!

“Damn, there really is something wrong?” Feng Xue exerted force through his fingertips; the examination table groaned under unbearable strain, 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)