Uncle

"Ding Ding had grown taller again."

"Yuanyuan, you'd gotten fatter again."

Uncle Lin Yong and Aunt teased them, prompting Jiang Yuan's displeased protest.

The family dining table was filled with drinks such as Sprite and orange juice. Aside from that brief period when they had lived with Father Jiang, Lin Wanqiu's family had never been fond of alcohol, dating back to her grandparents' generation.

His smile fading, Lin Yong asked, "Ding Ding, how have your grades been lately?"

Jiang Ding did not find the question irritating.

His uncle Lin Yong had square features and a tall build. As a teacher, he understood the awkward thoughts of middle and high school boys well, offering them appropriate attention and patience. He was therefore quite popular.

"Same as before."

Jiang Ding answered honestly, "I scored highly in Ideological and Moral Education. I think I can still improve, and I have some confidence of getting close to full marks. As for the other academic subjects, like mathematics, physics, and geography, my improvement has been slight."

"As for cultivation class, I should be able to advance to the Inner Qi Realm within a few months at most."

For the time being, he had no intention of telling his family about the other world.

The Immortal Sect was indeed a society governed by law. It was also true that Array Spirit Computers across urban public areas monitored everything at all times. Historically, even high-ranking cultivators who had seriously violated criminal law had swiftly been punished, even executed. It was extremely reliable.

But if the profits were great enough, there would always be people willing to risk everything.

The Immortal Sect was not the Demonic Sect. There were no restrictions that could directly kill someone.

Therefore, the fewer people who knew, the less risk there was of exposure.

"You're confident of getting close to full marks in Ideological and Moral Education?" Lin Yong froze, knowing that his nephew was not boasting.

He knew how important near-perfect marks in Ideological and Moral Education were.

It meant extreme recognition of the Immortal Sect's ideological system—or at least, that was what society and the Central Array Spirit Computer believed. It allowed someone to easily seize the commanding heights of political correctness within the Immortal Sect.

Whether for work or study opportunities, whenever the gap in grades was not large, anyone in a higher position who did not choose Jiang Ding would invite criticism.

Are you not supportive enough of the Immortal Sect? Do you have other thoughts?

"Ah, what a pity."

Lin Yong sighed again. His academic scores were a little too low. His cultivation class results were fairly good, but they clearly could not fill the huge pit left by his academic subjects.

"Wow, Jiang Ding, you'll soon be able to slice an entire potato into shreds with one sword!" Jiang Yuan exclaimed, her attention fixed on an entirely different matter.

Lin Wanqiu lightly patted her, signaling her not to interfere with the adults' conversation.

"Sis, there's something you should consider."

After pondering for a moment, Lin Yong said, "You know, Yuanwang has more or less settled down at Spirit Veil University. Yesterday, he told me that his department has an opportunity to exchange for an Azure-Flower Foundation-Nourishing Spirit Pill. He has earned some spirit coins himself to make up part of it. There's only another two hundred thousand ordinary coins needed before it can be exchanged for Ding Ding. What do you think?"

"If ordinary coins are not enough, I can lend some as well."

There were two currencies in the Immortal Sect: spirit coins and ordinary coins.

The distinction was simple. Any goods involving cultivator labor or spiritual materials had to be settled in spirit coins. Conversely, goods involving mortal labor and materials were settled in ordinary coins.

Many goods usually required both.

The Immortal Sect's industry was highly developed. Many processes in artifact refining, pill refining, cultivation, talismans, and the like involved large numbers of mortals and Immortal Path Industry machines carrying out preliminary processing. For example, at Rongcheng Steel Plant, where Lin Wanqiu worked, many Semi-magical Artifacts were produced by Inner Qi Realm martial artists using Optical Formation Engravers.

"An Azure-Flower Foundation-Nourishing Spirit Pill?"

Lin Wanqiu was stunned and urgently asked, "The Azure-Flower Foundation-Nourishing Spirit Pill that can improve a martial artist's aptitude without any harm?"

There were many spiritual pills and medicines on the Immortal Sect market, but once someone took some fierce medicine that damaged their foundation, no Cultivation Department would accept them, no matter how high their cultivation or how good their grades were.

Lin Yong said somewhat proudly, "That's right, Sis. It's the Azure-Flower Foundation-Nourishing Spirit Pill."

Aunt felt somewhat uncomfortable, but she did not stop her husband.

"This pill is far too precious."

Lin Wanqiu hesitated. "Yuanwang's aptitude is much better than Ding Ding's, and so are his future achievements. If this delays his cultivation..."

"Don't worry, Sis!" Lin Yong waved a large hand. "Yuanwang is in the Cultivation Department at Spirit Veil University. This little bit of spirit coin is nothing to him. Besides, Ding Ding is his own cousin. What's wrong with helping him out?"

"He was the one who brought it up himself. Otherwise, how would we have known about such things?"

By the end, a smile had appeared on his face as well, and he felt deeply gratified.

"That's right, Sis." Aunt also chimed in. "You and Lin Yong are blood siblings, so don't stand on ceremony over this."

"Then... thank you so much."

Lin Wanqiu nodded hesitantly. "I still have some savings. I'll transfer them to you tomorrow. Ah, thank Yuanwang for me."

After seeing Uncle's family off,

Lin Wanqiu sighed. "A real younger brother is dependable after all."

"Mom, do we have enough money?" Jiang Ding asked. Perhaps he should speed up his exploration of the other world, at least to obtain some wealth.

"More or less. We'll just have to tighten our belts for a while."

Lin Wanqiu sighed. For her, she could economize on clothes and other necessities, but food was the one thing she could not bear to skimp on.

"I have some savings..."

After hesitating for a long while, Jiang Yuan painfully raised her hand, her little face scrunching into a tangled knot.

"Good!"

"From now on, you're covering the grocery money!"

Jiang Ding and Lin Wanqiu said in unison.

Jiang Yuan wore a miserable expression.

The family cleared the table together, cleaned up, and took out the trash. Then Jiang Ding returned to his room.

He donned his equipment and opened his eyes.

Vast mountains stretched before him. The mountain wind swept through, stirring up waves of green. Through the drone, he could still see traces of yesterday's campfire.

After standing in place with a hand on his sword for a moment, Jiang Ding stepped onto the narrow path and headed toward the mountains' outskirts.

Several hours later, the mountain path gradually widened. The grass that occasionally grew along the road vanished as well. There were gradually more passersby, mostly farmers from the mountain villages gathering fodder or chopping firewood.

Upon seeing Jiang Ding, a youth dressed in green robes with a longsword at his waist, they all gave way. No one approached him.

Jiang Ding's expression shifted slightly.

From the drone's perspective, several hundred meters away on the main road, people were fighting—a bloody fight, with people falling from time to time.

Zooming in, he saw over a dozen donkey carts and more than ten people on one side, their carts loaded with goods. Using the carts for cover, they resisted the siege of dozens of masked men. Not far behind those masked men stood a tiger-skin banner several meters tall, imposing and majestic.

It looked like the many were besieging the few, yet the situation was not entirely one-sided.

That was entirely because the caravan had an Inner Qi Realm martial artist whose life-force intensity was a notch below Gong Caiyu's.

The other attendants were fairly capable as well.

The masked men also had an Inner Qi Realm martial artist among them. Aside from a few, most wore tattered clothing, and their fighting strength was worrying. Only some Blood Courage was commendable, but they had enough numbers.

Under the siege, the caravan attendants suffered mounting casualties. The Inner Qi Realm steward had also accumulated more wounds. Escape was hopeless, and his face was filled with despair.

Jiang Ding found it strange. "There really are Inner Qi Realm martial artists weaker than Gong Caiyu?"

Taking several steps to the edge of the battlefield, Jiang Ding rested a hand on his sword and remained still. Faint roars drifted over.

"Who are you? How dare you rob the goods of the Four Seas Merchant Guild?"

"Heroes! The Four Seas Merchant Guild does business throughout the Yue Kingdom. We have always sought harmony and prosperity, and we have many ties with friends of the martial world. Is there some misunderstanding here?"

The masked men did not answer. Instead, they attacked even more viciously.

Especially the masked Inner Qi Realm martial artist. His iron spear whirled with the force of a tiger and the wind of a dragon, heavy and ruthless. Any lapse in attention would leave a fist-sized bloody hole in someone's body.

"Who's there?"

Jiang Ding had become absorbed in watching when a furious shout rang out beside his ear.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The shout was not a warning. Using the sound as cover, two crossbow bolts tore through the air. Then three tall, powerfully built masked men rushed at him with long spears, forming a triangular formation. They were clearly well trained.

Clang!

He drew his sword—Exhibiting Sword Style!

A snow-bright arc slashed diagonally, knocking aside the two powerful crossbow bolts. His longsword pointed diagonally at the ground.

"I'm just passing through."

Jiang Ding watched the three men charging at him, and some bloodthirsty desire quietly stirred within his heart.

"Die!"

The three bandits thrust their three long spears at his throat and both sides of his chest and abdomen almost simultaneously, like a three-headed, six-armed giant delivering one united blow.

Most importantly, they had not sensed the distinctive inner-force aura of an Inner Qi Realm martial artist.

"Killing people at the drop of a hat..."

Jiang Ding frowned. He did not much like this sort of social atmosphere.

He stepped diagonally aside, easily escaping the situation of being surrounded by the three men.

With one sword stroke, he deflected the last spearhead still stabbing toward his chest. Then he suddenly stepped forward, nearly brushing the masked man's clothing.

Step Sword Style!

The sword tip slashed diagonally past. The masked brute revealed a horrified expression. Before the two spears that had fully extended could retract, another sword swept across.

His sword returned to its sheath, and Jiang Ding walked toward the center of the battlefield without looking back.

It was perfect. He felt that even if he tried to conceal himself, traveling alone was still too conspicuous. He wanted to find some companions heading into the city, and these people before him were suitable enough.

Behind him, the three masked men's bodies stiffened before collapsing limply. Their spearheads struck the ground with clanging sounds. Three nearly identical bloody marks appeared on their throats, and great streams of blood gushed out, quickly soaking the ground.

Along the way, whenever someone occasionally blocked him, one flash of his sword made the obstacle vanish. The same held true even when several people besieged him. There was only one wound each.

Those who dodged away, he ignored. He simply continued straight ahead.

"Who are you?"

Before long, the bandit leader noticed the situation here. He knocked the caravan leader back with one spear strike and shouted, "Fierce Tiger Stronghold is conducting business! Uninvolved people, keep away!"

Jiang Ding ignored him. Wherever his longsword passed, sprays of blood scattered, and one bandit after another collapsed helplessly.

If it had been some army, sect, or school, he would certainly have seriously considered whether to advance or retreat. But a name like Fierce Tiger Stronghold, which sounded insignificant at a glance, would not interrupt his plans.

"Ghost!"

Bandits fell in swathes, unable to fight back at all. Before long, their morale had half collapsed. Yet with their leader still present, countless gazes turned toward him.

Every single one had been killed by a slit throat!

The bandit leader glanced at the corpses covering the ground, and his heart turned cold.

This was something even he could not accomplish.

The area around Jiang Ding emptied. No one dared step forward again. He shook the blood from his sword and turned his gaze toward the Inner Qi Realm martial artist holding the iron spear.

"The wind is tight! Run!"

The bandit leader fled without looking back, and the surrounding bandits scattered like birds and beasts.