Side Peak Steward

The next morning at dawn.

A drizzling rain fell, and the Yin Qi in the dead land thickened once more.

For Wen Jiu, this was good—the heavier the Yin Qi, the better.

But Wang Nian wore a grim face, forced to use another Yin Dispelling Talisman to scatter the surrounding Yin Qi.

This time.

Wang Nian was even more irritable.

He scared the Corpse Buriers so badly they barely dared to breathe.

"You there, boy... come here!" Wang Nian waved his hand, then pointed, "That's right, you!"

Wen Jiu, the one Wang Nian pointed at, quickly set down his cart and approached, speaking respectfully, "Senior, whatever you need, just command me."

"What's your name?"

"Wen Jiu."

"Old Wen's son?"

"Mm-hmm."

Wen Jiu nodded.

The words "Old Wen" were exactly the nickname his father had on Corpse Peak in his memories.

"Follow me."

Wang Nian strolled away from the Dead Corpse Land.

Wen Jiu hurried to keep up.

He waited for what came next.

After walking a hundred zhang, Wang Nian stopped with his hands behind his back and got straight to the point, "Do you still remember those words Elder Chen said back at the Dharma Transmission Tower? The Unorthodox Path harms the body when cultivated, shortens life—even if you reach the highest cultivation, nine times out of ten you won't enter the ranks of the apprentices."

He paused.

Wang Nian looked Wen Jiu up and down.

Wen Jiu nodded, his face showing no extra emotion—neither disappointment nor distress.

"I remember."

Wang Nian fixed his gaze and asked again, somewhat surprised by Wen Jiu's reaction, "Don't you want to join the ranks of Corpse Peak's apprentices?"

"I do." Wen Jiu answered without hesitation.

Hearing Wen Jiu's reply, Wang Nian grew more puzzled, "Then why do you look like you couldn't care less?"

Wen Jiu responded, "If I gain it, it's my fortune; if I lose it, it's my fate!"

He paused.

Wang Nian was taken aback.

He rolled Wen Jiu's words around in his mouth.

The more he thought about them, the more profound they seemed.

He couldn't help but regard Wen Jiu with higher esteem.

"You've got a decent temperament, kid..." Wang Nian praised, then added, "How about we make a deal?"

"A deal?"

This time, it was Wen Jiu's turn to be surprised.

Equality was needed for a deal.

But he and Wang Nian weren't equals.

He'd thought that showing a little skill would earn him Wang Nian's approval at best.

Wang Nian waved his hand, "If it weren't for your sister, do you think you'd be qualified to make a deal with me?"

"My sister?"

Wen Jiu was stunned.

But before he could say more, Wang Nian continued, "Starting in a few days, you'll clear out the overly Yin-heavy corpses in the dead land for me, reducing the Yin Qi there. In return, I'll give you a Corpse Nurturing Bead that hasn't even reached a rank. How about it? The Corpse Nurturing Bead is an excellent aid for Corpse Nurturers—even if it's unranked, someone of your status could never buy one... Do this for me, and I can give you the bead today."

"Deal!"

Wen Jiu nodded.

Without hesitation.

Seeing this, Wang Nian nodded in satisfaction.

Just as he was about to add a few more instructions, Wen Jiu spoke, "Senior, if I may ask, why did you mention my sister just now?"

Wang Nian didn't play riddles and answered frankly, "You're lucky—you have a sister with a good face, good personality, and good character. A few days ago, while she was working as a servant, Old Madam Xu took a liking to her and plans to take her into the Xu Family as a concubine for her son... Once Steward Xu returns, your sister's status will be completely different. Even I'll have to address her as Sixteenth Madam Xu."

Wang Nian's words carried a lot of information, which made Wen Jiu very happy. He wanted to ask in detail about that Steward Xu's background and character, but thinking it would be too abrupt to have Wang Nian gossip about others behind their backs, he only asked about his cultivation method.

"Senior, may I ask what cultivation method Steward Xu practices?"

Hearing this question, Wang Nian's face once again showed a satisfied smile. "I didn't expect your first reaction wouldn't be joy or excitement, but to ask about Steward Xu's cultivation method. You're a decent person. Rest assured, Steward Xu is one of the Side Peak Stewards, at Qi Refining Mid-stage, and cultivates the normal Qi Refining Method..."

Wang Nian suddenly hesitated, as if about to speak but stopping.

Wen Jiu quickly pressed on. "Please, Senior, tell me truthfully. I will keep my lips sealed and repay you handsomely in the future."

"It's only because I see you're a man of loyalty and righteousness. If it were anyone else, I wouldn't bother saying more." Wang Nian hesitated before speaking. "The Qi Refining Method is the Qi Refining Method, but Steward Xu is a man of unpredictable moods, greedy for wealth and lustful. In just one year since becoming a Side Peak Steward, he has already taken seventeen concubines... I reckon you'll ask why your sister is the Sixteenth Madam. It's because two of them died—I heard they displeased him, and he struck them dead with a single palm."

"This..."

Wen Jiu's heart tightened.

A man like that—wouldn't marrying his sister off to him be like jumping into a pit of fire?

"Thank you, Senior." After snapping back to reality, Wen Jiu quickly expressed his gratitude, while silently making a firm resolve in his heart.

No.

He had to raise his cultivation quickly.

See if he could find a way to stop his sister from marrying into that.

Thus, Wen Jiu asked, "Senior, besides becoming an apprentice by ranking in the top three in cultivation after a year, is there any other way?"

"There is, naturally, but that method is beyond the reach of ordinary people. I advise you not to think about it."

Wang Nian seemed unwilling to discuss it further.

Wen Jiu bowed again, bending to a full ninety degrees, his main goal being to show utmost respect. "Please, Senior, guide me."

"You little brat... Actually, telling you won't hurt. Once you know, you'll back off on your own anyway. It's to kill a disciple from a Hostile Sect, requiring at least Qi Refining Second Layer. Even if the Unorthodox Path cultivates faster than normal Qi Refining, to kill a Qi Refining Second Layer cultivator, you'd need at least Qi Refining Second Layer Perfection. Qi Refining Second Layer Perfection... that'll probably take you five or six years."

Having said that.

Wang Nian said no more.

He waved his hand, signaling Wen Jiu to leave.

Wen Jiu bowed respectfully.

As he turned to leave, he made up his mind on the spot—if the first path didn't work, he'd use the second.

Qi Refining Second Layer?

Fine.

I'll remember that.

By evening.

Wang Nian handed the Corpse Nurturing Bead to Wen Jiu.

Last night, Wen Jiu had thoroughly researched the Corpse Nurturing Bead. As Wang Nian had said, it was indeed an excellent auxiliary treasure for Corpse Nurturers. Even an ungraded Corpse Nurturing Bead had very powerful effects.

Its first effect.

Gathering Yin Qi.

As long as the White Zombie held the bead in its mouth, Yin Qi within a thousand zhang radius would automatically converge and draw near.

Its second effect.

Purification.

The White Zombie's speed in absorbing Yin Qi was limited. The Corpse Nurturing Bead could automatically purify it—in other words, in the same amount of time, the White Zombie could absorb more Yin Qi.

After obtaining it, Wen Jiu compared the daily settlement of experience gains that very day. The effect was surprisingly significant.

Gathering Earth Fiend Yin Qi, supplemented with a large amount of cultivator blood, nurturing the corpse with Yin Qi for twelve hours. Panel experience +1, Corpse Raising Experience +6, +13.5, Corpse Nurturer Experience +1, Blood Transformation Body Experience +12

"After I got the Corpse Nurturing Bead, I gave it to the White Zombie right away... By midnight settlement, it had been exactly three hours."

Three hours gave an extra 1.5 experience points!

In other words.

Twelve hours would give an extra six experience points.

The efficiency of corpse nurturing with corpse Qi had increased by as much as fifty percent!

"Indeed, showing a little skill was the right choice." Seeing the results, Wen Jiu was very satisfied with his decision.

If he hadn't shown himself off.

Would Wang Nian have traded with him?

Would he have gotten this Corpse Nurturing Bead?

Maybe he could buy one later.

But that would only be after becoming an apprentice.

How long would that take?

Probably three to five years.

But obtaining the Corpse Nurturing Bead in advance simply reduced the time needed to become an Apprentice Disciple.

Of course.

Becoming an Apprentice Disciple was not the goal.

Wen Jiu's aim was to climb higher and thus gain more resources—having lived two lives, he understood all too well the principle that vast resources were concentrated in the hands of a few.

Moreover, since he was cultivating the Unorthodox Path, he had to climb upward and latch onto a powerful patron; only then would he avoid being mistakenly killed by the "Righteous Path."

"Still, if I want to stop my sister from marrying that Steward Xu, this cultivation speed probably isn't fast enough."

Wen Jiu's expression hardened.

He decided to seek out Wang Nian again tomorrow.

He needed Yin Souls!

But at night, Yin Souls were too strong and too dangerous.

Yin Souls.

Belonged to Yin.

And night was precisely when Yin Qi was heaviest.

Yin Souls formed in death grounds became even more ferocious at night.

Sending the White Zombie to search at night, or accompanying it himself, was not the best strategy.

What if the White Zombie was torn apart by a powerful Yin Soul?

Raise another from scratch?

So he had to hunt Yin Souls during the day.

In the daytime.

Yin Souls were weak.

They hid in dark places.

Ordinary people could hardly find them, but the White Zombie could.

Although the White Zombie feared sunlight, the death ground was shrouded in Yin Qi, Death Qi, Blood Qi, and the like, preventing sunlight from penetrating.

Thus, going during the day was the optimal choice.