Uncle

"Dingding, you've grown taller again."

"Yuanyuan, you've gotten fatter again."

Uncle Lin Yong and Aunt teased them, prompting Jiang Yuan to protest indignantly.

The family dinner table was filled with drinks like Sprite and orange juice. Other than that brief period when they had lived with Jiang Ding's father, Lin Wanqiu's family had never been fond of alcohol, dating back to her own parents.

Lin Yong's smile faded as he asked, "Dingding, how have your grades been lately?"

Jiang Ding did not find the question irritating.

His uncle Lin Yong had a square, upright face and a tall build. As a teacher, he understood the awkward thoughts of middle and high school students well, and knew how to listen appropriately and patiently. He was therefore very popular.

"Same as before."

Jiang Ding answered honestly, "High marks in Ideological and Moral Education. I think I can still improve, and I have some confidence I can get close to full marks. As for the other academic subjects—math, physics, geography, and so on—the improvement has been minimal."

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

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

The Immortal Sect was indeed a society ruled by law. It was also true that Array-Spirit Computers monitored public areas in cities around the clock, and that historically, the occasional high-level cultivator who had seriously violated criminal law had swiftly been punished, even executed. It was extremely reliable.

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

The Immortal Sect was not some demonic sect. There were no restrictions that could simply kill someone outright.

Therefore, every person who knew was one more risk of exposure.

"You're confident you can get close to full marks in Ideological and Moral Education?" Lin Yong froze. He knew his nephew was not bragging.

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

It meant an 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 one to easily occupy the high ground of the Immortal Sect's political correctness.

Whether for work or study opportunities, whenever the gap in grades was not large, anyone who passed over Jiang Ding would invite criticism.

Were you not supportive enough of the Immortal Sect? Did you have other thoughts?

"Ah, what a pity."

Lin Yong sighed again. His academic scores were a little too low. His cultivation class results could be considered decent, but they clearly could not make up for the huge hole in his academic subjects.

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

Lin Wanqiu lightly patted her, signaling her not to interrupt 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 Qianling University. Yesterday, he told me that his department has an opportunity to exchange for an Azureflower Foundation Elixir. He has earned some spirit coins himself and can make up part of the cost. We'd only need another two hundred thousand mortal coins to exchange for one for Dingding. What do you think?"

"If mortal coins are short, I can lend some too."

The Immortal Sect had two kinds of currency: spirit coins and mortal coins.

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

Many products required both.

The Immortal Sect's industry was highly developed. Many processes in artifact refinement, pill refinement, cultivation, talismans, and more involved large numbers of mortals and immortal-path industrial machines in preliminary processing. For example, at the Rongcheng Steel Factory where Lin Wanqiu worked, many semi-artifacts were made by Inner Qi Realm martial artists using Optical Array Etching Machines.

"An Azureflower Foundation Elixir?"

Lin Wanqiu froze, then urgently asked, "The Azureflower Foundation Elixir that can improve a martial artist's aptitude without any harm?"

There were many spirit pills and spirit medicines on the Immortal Sect market, but once someone took those fierce tiger-and-wolf medicines that damaged one's foundation, no cultivation department would accept them no matter how high their cultivation or how good their grades were.

Lin Yong said with some pride, "Yes, Sis. The Azureflower Foundation Elixir."

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

"This pill is too precious."

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

"Don't worry, Sis!" Lin Yong waved a broad hand. "Yuanwang is in Qianling University's cultivation department. This little bit of spirit coins is nothing to him. Besides, Dingding is his own cousin. What's wrong with helping out?"

"He was the one who brought it up himself. Otherwise, how would we even know about something like this?"

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

"That's right, Sis." Aunt 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 still reliable."

"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 money.

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

Lin Wanqiu sighed. She could save on clothes, and she could save on other things, but food was the one thing she could not bear to cut back on.

"I have some savings..."

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

"Good!"

"You'll cover the grocery money from now on!"

Jiang Ding and Lin Wanqiu said in unison.

Jiang Yuan pulled a long face.

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

He put on his equipment and opened his eyes.

Vast mountains stretched before him. A mountain wind swept through, raising waves of green, and the traces of yesterday's campfire were still visible through the drone.

Standing in place with a hand on his sword, Jiang Ding hesitated for a moment before stepping onto the path and heading out of the mountains.

Several hours later, the mountain trail gradually widened. The grass that occasionally grew in the middle of the road disappeared as well, and passersby began to appear. Most were farmers from the mountain villages, cutting grass and gathering firewood in the wilds.

When they saw this youth in a green robe with a longsword at his waist, they all moved aside. No one approached him.

Jiang Ding's expression shifted slightly.

From the drone's perspective, a fight was taking place on the main road several hundred meters away. Blood had been spilled, and people fell from time to time.

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

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

That was entirely because the caravan had an Inner Qi Realm martial artist whose life aura was only a notch weaker than Gong Caiyu's.

The other caravan hands were fairly capable as well.

The masked men also had one Inner Qi Realm martial artist. Other than a handful of them, most wore ragged clothes and had worrying combat ability. Only their bloodthirsty courage was worth mentioning, but they had the numbers.

Under the siege, the caravan hands were continuously killed and wounded. The Inner Qi Realm steward had also suffered several injuries. With no hope of escape, his face was filled with despair.

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

He took a few steps to the edge of the battlefield and stood still with his hand on his sword. Faint roars reached his ears.

"Who are you people, daring to rob the goods of our Four Seas Chamber of Commerce?"

"Good sirs! Our Four Seas Chamber of Commerce does business throughout the Yue Kingdom. We have always sought harmony and profit, and have many ties with friends of the road. Could there be 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, heavy and ruthless, and the slightest carelessness would leave a bloody hole the size of a fist in someone's body.

"Who goes there?"

Jiang Ding had become engrossed in watching when an explosive shout rang 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, burly masked men charged in with long spears, forming a triangular formation. They were well trained.

Clang!

He drew his sword—Sword Unfurling Form!

A dazzling arc slashed diagonally, knocking aside the two powerful crossbow bolts. His longsword pointed diagonally toward the ground.

"I'm just passing through."

Jiang Ding looked at the three men charging toward him, and a bloodthirsty desire quietly began to grow within his heart.

"Die!"

The three bandits thrust their three long spears at his throat and both sides of his chest and abdomen at the same time, like a giant with three heads and six arms striking in unison.

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 like this sort of social climate.

He stepped diagonally, easily avoiding being surrounded by the three.

With one sword strike, he knocked aside the last spearhead still aimed at his chest. Then he suddenly stepped forward, nearly brushing the masked man's clothes.

Step Sword Form!

The sword tip swept diagonally past. Horror appeared in the masked man's eyes. Before the two long spears that had already thrust too far could turn back, another sword swept horizontally.

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

Just as well. He felt that even if he tried hard to conceal himself, traveling alone was still too conspicuous. He wanted to find some fellow travelers to enter the city with, and these people before him were perfectly suitable.

Behind him, the three masked men stiffened and crumpled to the ground. Their spearheads struck the earth with clanging sounds. Three nearly identical bloody marks appeared on their throats, and torrents of blood gushed out, quickly soaking the ground.

Along the way, whenever someone happened to block him, a flash of his sword sent the obstacle away. The same was true even when several attacked together; each wound was singular.

Those who dodged aside were ignored. He simply continued forward in a straight line.

"Who are you?"

Before long, the bandit leader noticed what was happening here. He knocked the caravan leader back with a sweep of his spear and shouted, "Tiger Den is conducting business! Idle people, stay away!"

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

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

"Ghost!"

The bandits fell in swathes, utterly unable to fight back. Their morale soon half collapsed. Yet with their leader still present, countless gazes turned toward him.

Every one of them had been cut across the throat!

The bandit leader took one look at the corpses on the ground, and his heart turned cold.

Even he could not accomplish such a thing.

The space 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 an iron spear.

"The wind's tight! Run!"

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