A White-Bearded Old Man Was Spying on Him?

"You comprehended the Heaven Concealment Art. Congratulations, you triggered a Triple Critical Hit and gained three times the insight!"

"You comprehended the Heaven Concealment Art. Congratulations, you triggered a Fivefold Critical Hit and gained five times the insight!"

In the days that followed, Qin Dongcheng set aside some time to study the Heaven Concealment Art while cultivating, refining pills, and gathering herbs.

This supreme secret art was astonishingly effective at concealment and disguise. It would be of great importance to him in the future, helping him hide his identity and evade his enemies' pursuit.

Although it was somewhat difficult to comprehend, he wasn't in a hurry to use it. He could take his time studying and practicing it. Most of his time and energy would still go toward other things.

That night, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse. Since there was no one around, Qin Dongcheng deliberately practiced outside.

The Practice Room still felt a little stuffy. After all, it was inside a Bamboo House, and both the space and the room itself were limited. Practicing outside felt much more comfortable.

These days, Qin Dongcheng practiced outside every night. The bamboo forest was dense, and since it was nighttime, no one usually came near.

If anyone did approach, he could spot them right away. It was safe enough.

"Mount Tai Pressing Down!"

"Mount Tai Towering!"

He struck out one move after another, fluid and effortless. In Qin Dongcheng's hands, the nearly Perfected Realm Mount Tai Body Strengthening Fist wielded astonishing power.

He could clearly feel his cultivation improving. The sensation was truly intoxicating.

Before he knew it, it was almost midnight—the period between eleven at night and one in the morning in his previous life. Qin Dongcheng had practiced the Mount Tai Body Strengthening Fist dozens of times, and the food he'd eaten that evening had long since been digested. He had to replenish himself with some Medicinal Meal.

He would practice one more round, then get some rest. He understood the importance of balancing work and rest.

But just as he was about to finish, a sense of unease welled up inside him, as if something were watching him.

Qin Dongcheng's expression shifted. He slowed his punches and quietly surveyed his surroundings.

"Hmm..."

At one point, Qin Dongcheng peered through the bamboo and spotted what seemed to be a white-bearded old man, about a hundred meters away, staring at him.

Its eyes glowed green, giving it a sinister look that sent a chill through him.

The other party seemed to realize Qin Dongcheng had spotted it. It suddenly lowered its head, and when he looked again, it was gone.

Qin Dongcheng didn't bother to keep practicing. He immediately returned to the Bamboo House, intending to rely on its defenses to fend off whoever was spying on him.

He didn't rest for the rest of the night. Instead, he kept practicing the Mount Tai Body Strengthening Fist in the Practice Room, maintaining peak condition in case the enemy tried to ambush him.

He had a feeling the white-bearded old man wasn't human. Otherwise, how could its eyes glow green? It also seemed a little too short.

Unfortunately, he knew very little about Demons and Ghosts. He had no idea what the creature was, or even whether it was human.

Tomorrow, he needed to go to the Bamboo Forest Black Market and buy a book about Demons and Ghosts. Knowing yourself and your enemy meant victory in a hundred battles. If he didn't even know what the enemy was, how could he deal with it?

He practiced all night. Perhaps it had noticed that Qin Dongcheng was still practicing and hadn't rested, making him difficult to deal with; the white-bearded old man never launched an attack.

Qin Dongcheng was also puzzled. He didn't know whether that thing had really been human, or whether Demons and Ghosts had actually infiltrated Bamboo Forest Valley without the Patrol Team noticing.

But early the next morning, he received word from other Herb Field laborers that workers from nearby fields had gone missing, vanishing without a trace. Everyone suspected that some fearsome beast had come to the area.

As for Demons and Ghosts, no one thought they could possibly be real. After all, this was near the headquarters of the Five Elements Sect, and there were many Patrol Teams in the area. How could those creatures enter so easily?

Qin Dongcheng still felt uneasy. After finishing his work in the morning, he disguised himself and went to the Black Market that afternoon. He bought a copy of the Brief Record of Demons and Monsters, which briefly described hundreds of common Demons and Ghosts, along with ways to deal with some of them.

It wasn't cheap. It cost a full ten taels of silver, enough to cover several years of income for an ordinary family of three.

As soon as he returned, he began leafing through it. Before long, his gaze stopped on a particular page.

Rat Demon!

Most Rat Demons were only Level One, comparable to Body Phase Realm Martial Artists. A small number could advance to Level Two, matching Skin Phase Realm Martial Artists.

With long whiskers like a beard, they looked like old men at night. They feared fire, were timid, and had mildly poisonous bodies.

If nothing unexpected had happened, the creature spying on him in the bamboo forest the previous night was most likely a Rat Demon. It should have been an ordinary Level One Rat Demon, not a Level Two one. Otherwise, it wouldn't have stayed hidden instead of daring to attack him.

But even a Level One Rat Demon was more than most Herb Field laborers could handle. After all, most Herb Field laborers hadn't even entered the First Martial Realm; they were merely ordinary people.

The Herb Field laborer who had gone missing the previous night had most likely been dragged off and eaten by that Level One Rat Demon. Otherwise, Bamboo Forest Valley had been peaceful for so long—why would a Herb Field laborer suddenly disappear?

When something out of the ordinary happened, there was always a monster behind it. Most likely, a Rat Demon had infiltrated the area.

Moreover, the higher a Martial Artist's cultivation, the more likely they were to become a target for Demons and Ghosts. The stronger a Martial Artist was, the more abundant the Blood Qi within them. Devouring one would bring the creatures greater benefits.

If the Level One Rat Demon saw an opportunity to ambush Qin Dongcheng, it might very well come after him again. After all, its cultivation was about on par with his. If it caught him off guard, his life would be in danger.

He would have to be careful over the next few days and make sure the Rat Demon didn't get the chance to attack.

Qin Dongcheng's expression was grave. He asked Lu Gen to notify the dozen or so Herb Field laborers who often practiced with him nearby. He told them his suspicions and explained how something that might have been a Rat Demon had spied on him the previous night, urging them all to be prepared.

The Herb Field laborers were shocked when they heard. They hurriedly agreed, each deciding not to go outside at night again, lest they give the Rat Demon an opening.

Qin Dongcheng also took special care to teach them the moves of the Mount Tai Body Strengthening Fist. That way, if they encountered the Rat Demon, they might have a chance to survive.

At night, Qin Dongcheng no longer went outside to practice. Instead, he hid in the Practice Room, reinforcing the house in particular. That way, even if the Rat Demon attacked, the house could hold it off for a while and give him a chance to fight back.

He chose to rest during the day and spend as much of the night as possible practicing, hoping to break through to a higher level as soon as he could. Only then would he be able to deal with the Rat Demon with ease.

Unexpectedly, a few days later, he heard that another Herb Field laborer had gone missing nearby. Fortunately, it wasn't one of the dozen who often practiced the Mount Tai Body Strengthening Fist with Qin Dongcheng.

Clearly, they had all listened to Qin Dongcheng and stayed inside at night.