Two More Treasures Acquired, Whistle Club and Jade Pot

"Dragon Nest... Shi Er... Gaoyou."

"Zhang Shicheng, huh? If you go to pledge allegiance to him, you can still muddle along for a while. With this elder brother vouching for you, the treatment shouldn't be bad."

Ge Xian's face was full of eagerness as he looked at the middle-aged scholar before him.

He had looked at the Red Robe Monk the same way before, but that was just putting on an act.

This time, he was much more serious.

However, he also knew that this world was completely different from the "late Yuan and early Ming" he knew from his past life. The Mr. Shi before him had a surging Qi within his body, even more powerful than that young monk from the [Maitreya Cult]. He must be a powerful cultivator, and he likely wouldn't be living in seclusion writing books in the future.

Although he felt a slight good impression and wanted to ask Mr. Shi for more guidance, his own life was more important.

Ge the great merchant didn't want to be delayed any longer. Another "contact" had just come looking for him, and he found the thought of what that scene would be like unbearable.

Thus, he picked and chose, and quickly shared some of the information with the two of them.

The reason he didn't reveal everything to gain greater benefits was simple: Ge Xian currently had no guarantee that other spies wouldn't come online later. He needed to keep some reserves so he wouldn't be unable to handle what came next.

The original body's courage was truly too great.

Ge Xian had indeed spied on many secrets during this period, even including the unknown secrets of Yelü Tianzheng's entire family.

Even revealing a portion of it was enough to make one excited.

As expected, as soon as he finished reporting, the two of them showed satisfied smiles. Especially the middle-aged scholar called "Shi Er," who felt in his heart that this young man was a talent worth cultivating. It was too much of a waste for him to be just an intermediary for spies; he should be cultivating properly.

So, Shi Er sized up Ge Xian, then glanced around the room, and reached into his sleeve, pinching something out.

A rather strange scene!

At first glance, it looked like a small wooden stick in his hand, but in the blink of an eye, it shimmered with a faint light and transformed into a dark, black baton. He handed it over.

"The intelligence you've provided is top-secret and very useful. However, I cannot reward you here in Qiantang County at the moment, so I'll give you this for now."

"This baton was refined by me personally. It can strike down all beasts and also blow a sound that repels evil. Ordinary malevolent spirits and ghosts cannot get close to you."

"We still have some matters to attend to on Sunset Mountain. After we're done, I'll come back to the city to find you and officially guide you into cultivation, so as not to waste your talent."

After speaking, Mr. Shi didn't even wait to see if Ge Xian would refuse. He left with the old fisherman, who hadn't had time to speak.

Clearly, they both believed that someone like Ge Huolang, who had talent but hadn't yet found a suitable Dao Path, was at the "bottom." Once an opportunity appeared before him, he would definitely seize it and would never refuse. In fact, this was indeed the case.

The fact that Ge Xian was an anomaly was something only he knew, or rather, only he himself thought so.

Two groups of spies came and went, representing the "rebel leaders" Liu Futong and Zhang Shicheng in this chaotic world. They each received a portion of the intelligence shared by Ge Xian, and at the same time, they gifted Ge Xian two protective treasures, both saying they would come to take him away in a few days.

Ge Huolang held the baton and felt the Blood Bodhi Prayer Beads in his embrace, his expression becoming complicated as he said:

"With these two items, even if I don't transform into the [Evil Dragon Aspect], I can still fight some less powerful Dao Entry Realm demons, monsters, and cultivators."

"One for offense, one for defense. Perfectly balanced."

"Tsk tsk, I suddenly understand what my Original Body intended. Was he determined to be a scumbag who wanted to eat fish from multiple ponds from the start?"

"Will there be a third wave?"

With his heart filled with apprehension, Ge Huolang didn't even dare to test the power of the two treasures he had obtained.

He quickly turned back, wrapped the cudgel, and placed it beside the Pretty Young Woman's soul residence, using her Qi to conceal it.

After all, everyone knew that he, Ge Huolang, had a penchant for collecting Female Fiends, Seductress Ghosts, and other strange creatures. Having a Broom Spirit in his room was a reasonable thing, wasn't it?

After settling everything, Ge Xian pretended to lie back on the bed, pondering whether the previous two waves of people had encountered each other. If they had, would they have given him benefits?

He then thought about whether a third wave would come looking for him.

If so, who would it be?

Would it be the spy organization under Ni Wenjun, or someone under Zhu Hongwu?

"I'm not familiar with that Ni Wenjun fellow. I only know of Chen Youliang, but that guy is a great general. He wouldn't stoop to following spies around."

"As for Zhu Hongwu, if I recall my past life, joining him would be the safest bet. No matter who comes, as long as I cling to the right person and serve them well, my future would be promising. I can think about how to break free from future troubles later."

"The problem is, this world is the [Dayuan Dynasty], and it's a version with Immortal Gods, demons, and monsters. Any county magistrate would love to cut off people's legs for meat. How could my past life memories still be accurate? What backing does Zhu Hongwu have to ascend to the throne in such a world? Can he withstand the Myriad Laws Sect? I'm afraid it's difficult."

"Therefore, I still have to rely on myself to carefully discern."

"Hmm? They're here..."

Just as Ge Xian was contemplating whose coattails to cling to, he suddenly felt that familiar sensation again.

And this time, the one approaching was clearly a reckless individual.

Ge Xian had just gotten up and lit the oil lamp, but before he could open the door.

The thin wooden door was roughly blown open by the night wind, and then a very exquisite Jade Porcelain Jar rolled into the room with a "clang."

Coincidentally, it rolled right to Ge Xian's feet and stood upright.

The dark opening of the jar was aimed directly at him, accompanied by a chilling chuckle. Ge Xian saw a face inside the jar that was both comical and terrifying. Its features were all squeezed together, and it had a large, bulbous nose, two prominent front teeth, and eyes that were mere slits. Anyone who saw it would call it ugly.

The moment their eyes met, Ge Huolang's Original Body's memories resurfaced, and a subtle feeling welled up in his heart.

This ugly face!

Truly impressive.

Ge Huolang had accepted so many spy missions and met so many handlers. Most of them were utterly unremarkable, the kind you could throw into a crowd and immediately lose track of. They were also very strict about secrecy, making it difficult for his Original Body to guess which handler belonged to which organization.

This person, however, was an exception.

The reason was that when they first met for recruitment, although this fellow had taken off his official uniform, he was careless enough to forget his official boots. This allowed even a young lad like his Original Body to guess that he must be an official spy.

Furthermore, this fellow hadn't given his Original Body any benefits, just empty promises:

"Young lad, gather information for me diligently here in Qiantang County."

"When I come to find you in a few days, if you can provide some weighty intelligence, I will surely be able to help you rise in rank and get rich, live a life of luxury, eat spicy food, and have whatever you desire."

He was clearly a spy, yet he spoke with such official pomp.

The tone was so strong that his Original Body didn't need to rack his brain to guess this fellow's origins.

However, Ge Xian hadn't expected to see this person again looking like this. The last time, he was also ugly, but at least he was still "human."

How had he ended up stuffed inside a Jade Porcelain Jar now?

Just as Ge Xian was about to say something, the ugly face in the clay jar spoke first.

"Hehehe!"

"Young lad, don't panic, don't panic. This is a reward I received from my superiors. A jar of [Fat Monster Blood] plus a manual of Pot Heaven Technique allowed me to stabilize myself in the Foundation Establishment Realm with ease. Ordinary Demonic Creatures, cultivators, and wild gods in this realm are no match for me."

"However, you, young lad, are not even in the Dao Entry Realm. Speaking to you in this state, I'm afraid you won't understand anything."

"Step back a bit. I shall reveal my true form now."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ge Xian immediately felt a sense of foreboding and quickly retreated.

But the room wasn't large to begin with, and there wasn't much space to retreat to.

He had just reached the bed when the exquisite Jade Porcelain Jar suddenly exploded. The next moment, a mass of huge flesh appeared.

Like a pile of cotton, a grotesque "Humanoid Demon" of bulging, comical fat filled almost Ge Huolang's room. It only left just enough space for him to lie on his bed. As soon as he opened his eyes, all he saw were soft, fleshy folds, as if any attack landing on them would be unable to inflict the slightest harm.

This scene, along with the perception that instantly arose, allowed Ge Xian to fully understand this fellow's name and origin.

He had only seen it on the last few pages of the Anle Zishen's Logbook not long ago.

"Fei Zhong, a clerk in the Jiangnan Zhejiang West Dao Supervisory Censorate."

"Shameless scoundrel, devoid of talent and virtue, lustful, insatiably greedy, and utterly foolish..."

"Even before I attained enlightenment, he would often come to extort me. Because I had to consider the prestige of the Supervisory Censorate, I had no choice but to hand over my wealth and shut the fat pig's stinking mouth."

"This ugly fat pig is here again today, even swapping out his demonic body for one called [Fat Monster]... Heh, it suits the ugly fellow. It's a pity that even if this fat pig takes a shortcut, using the blood essence of strange spirits and visualization secret techniques to force his way into Foundation Establishment, he still won't be my match after I've attained enlightenment."

"He's also a stupid pig. He clearly has an official position in the Dayuan Dynasty and could have taken advantage of the Myriad Laws Sect, but he chose this path of no return. He still wants to extort money and women from me? Hmph, not a chance."

As Ge Xian recalled these words smeared with filth and excrement, his eyes couldn't help but gleam.

Speaking of which, this was his first contact with a legitimate official organization.

"The Bureau of Political Supervision and Investigation!"

"So that's its origin, it's quite fitting..."

Knowing the origin of the fat pig before him, Ge Xian subconsciously thought of reporting him.

Although the Dayuan Dynasty was now on the verge of collapse, it hadn't completely fallen apart yet.

From eavesdropping earlier, he had clearly heard that even a high-ranking official like "Yelü Tianzheng," a powerful regional governor, had a great official named [Bao Hanzhang] opposing him.

This meant that if he exposed the fact that Lu Hualong and Yelü Yuyan, that monstrous couple, were secretly selling Qiantang County, they would surely face disaster.

And the Bureau of Political Supervision and Investigation happened to have the duty of overseeing local affairs.

Unfortunately, this thought, as soon as it arose, was temporarily extinguished.

The reason was simple: the clerk before him, named "Fei Zhong," didn't look like a good person at all.

It was possible that as soon as Ge Xian reported him, he would be sold out.

Fei Zhong, a clerk in the Bureau of Political Supervision and Investigation and also a spy, had no idea that the young peddler before him had so many thoughts racing through his mind in an instant.

Seeing his silence, he assumed the young man was simply awestruck by his "mighty and imposing" demonic body.

He chuckled with his ugly face and lowered his head, saying:

"Young lad, we haven't seen each other for days. Have you gathered any good intel?"

"If you have anything good, this lord will surely keep his promise."

"Although I can't let you ascend to heaven in one step and gain a mighty demonic body like this lord's, I can at least introduce you to a suitable place to begin your cultivation."

"Since you've awakened a perception-type talent, it's most suitable for you to begin your cultivation at the [Kaiming Spirit God]. This lord can issue you a letter of introduction."

Hearing these words, Ge Xian wasn't surprised.

He already knew that the Dayuan Dynasty, combined with the Myriad Laws Sect, had a complete set of paths for promotion and cultivation within its system.

Although Fei Zhong was just a small clerk, his background in the Bureau of Political Supervision and Investigation, coupled with his cultivation of the [Foundation Establishment Realm], meant he indeed might have such connections.

But Ge Xian already knew that there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world, especially compared to the cultivators under the rebels like the Red Robe Monk and Shi Er.

Officials of the Dayuan Dynasty, regardless of their rank, found it difficult to gain Ge Huolang's trust in a short period.

Even so, it didn't stop him from probing.

Ge Xian once again put on an act, feigning a look of joy and fear, and then recounted some recent events in Qiantang County, gradually touching upon secret intelligence and eventually involving Lu Hualong, the Demon County Magistrate.

He narrated straightforwardly, without any commentary.

At the same time, he quietly observed Fei Zhong's expression, watching the greedy clerk go from expressionless to gradually showing interest.

When Ge Xian mentioned that the supposed County Magistrate's Wife, Yelü Yuyan, was actually the madam of a Fox Whore in the city who often harmed human girls, he saw Fei Zhong first rejoice, then shake his head and mutter, "No, no, the evidence is too light. It won't bring down this pair of scoundrels..."

Hearing this, Ge Xian's heart stirred, and he couldn't help but guess that the entity behind Fei Zhong was likely a political rival of the Yelü Family.

After thinking for a moment, Ge Xian continued to feign impartiality:

"One day, I learned from the Two Ghoul Generals, Zhang Buzu and Zhao Wuyou, that the recent battle between Lu Hualong and the Eternal Life Cult's Evil Cultivators was a ruse."

"As if to cover up something?"

"Also, the Two Ghosts General said that the rest of their brothers have gone far away, seemingly to find some buyers?"

"What did you say?"

"Is all this information true?"

Almost the instant he finished speaking, Ge Xian personally saw a glint of light burst from Fei Zhong's narrow eye slit, and a look of pleasant surprise appeared on his greasy, ugly face.

He looked down at Ge Xian as if looking at a treasure and a great hero.

"Good, good, good!"

"Young man, you are about to achieve great merit."

"Continue to stay in the propaganda team, continue to mingle with the Ghoul Generals under Lu Hualong, and continue to gather useful intelligence."

"This pot is for you to defend yourself. When this great matter is accomplished, have you heard of the Supervisory Censorate? It's very powerful. When I get promoted, you'll get a share of the spoils."

Fei Zhong was clearly in a hurry to leave. As soon as he finished speaking.

With a "bang," the grotesque, fleshy monster he had transformed into disappeared, shrinking back into the inexplicably restored Jade Porcelain Jar right before Ge Xian's eyes.

Then, four holes broke open in the Jade Porcelain Jar. Fei Zhong's limbs stretched out from within. In a way Ge Xian couldn't understand, he leaped and crawled, smashed open the door, summoned a strong wind, and disappeared into it.

When Ge Xian looked again, a Jade Porcelain Jar of the same kind was now on his table, and the method of use was transmitted to his mind at the appropriate time.

That's right!

This item was an escape artifact.

The method of use was exactly as Fei Zhong had demonstrated when he left.