A Bear's Life Depends Entirely on Acting!

The Purple Firmament Peak.

Shi Jian lay by the Thunder Pool, listening to the Lord Rat's vivid report.

"Ancestor, you didn't see it. Sun Mao and Zhao Yanshan were exchanging barbs and veiled barbs in the spirit medicine Hall."

"Sun Mao's phrase 'concealing one's edge' was truly bold!" Lord Rat exclaimed, beaming with pride.

Shi Jian tossed a spirit fruit into his mouth and chewed it with a crunching sound.

Sun Mao has improved.

Shi Jian spat out the fruit pit. "Knowing not to compete with the Zhao Clan for short-term gains, and instead focusing on collecting exotic beasts and rare treasures, that was the right path."

"That's because of your excellent teaching, Ancestor!" the Lord Rat quickly flattered.

"Alright, stop flattering me."

Shi Jian yawned and shook off the arcs of lightning on his body. "We've been ignoring the Sun Clan for so long, it's time to give them a treat."

"Go and fetch Sun Mao."

"Okay, I got it."

The Lord Rat acknowledged the order and left.

Before long, Sun Mao hurriedly arrived at the Purple Firmament Peak to meet the patriarch.

As he entered the cave abode, he respectfully performed a grand salute, and then took out several spirit beast pouches and several jade boxes from his waist.

"Ancestor, these are some trinkets that the clan has recently collected, offered as a token of our respect."

Sun Mao respectfully presented it with both hands.

Shi Jian scanned it with his Divine Sense.

Inside the several spirit beast pouches were three snow-white Icefield Bear cubs exuding a chilling aura, and two Thunderfeather Eagle with diluted bloodlines.

The Icefield Bear is an extremely rare type of Demon Beast.

Only in special snow-covered plains and mountains can rare mutated bear species participate in the gathering. These few Icefield Bear are just right to fill the bloodline gap of the Frost and Snow Line.

Inside the jade boxes were several aged blood ginseng and lightning-struck wood heartwood.

The items weren't top-of-the-line, but they were diverse, clearly the result of a great deal of effort spent scavenging from various remote areas.

That's thoughtful of you.

Shi Jian raised his paw, temporarily placing the item beside him, and accepted the token of his appreciation.

Sun Mao secretly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling half of his anxiety lifted.

"The Zhao Clan has been making waves lately, Xiao Mao, do you have any thoughts on this?" Shi Jian leaned back on the stone platform, his tone casual.

But upon hearing this, Sun Mao felt something different. His heart tightened, and he immediately lowered his head, saying, "Peak Master is exceptionally capable. He handled the matter of Beast Pasturing Mountain perfectly for the Ancestor and deserves a reward."

"The Sun Clan is happy for their ancestor; besides that, Mao dares not think any further."

"Is that really what you think?"

Shi Jian's purplish-gold thunderous eyes stared at him. Sun Mao gritted his teeth, looked up and stared directly at Shi Jian: "This junior dares not deceive the ancestor."

"Of course, I feel resentment and anxiety."

"But I understand even better that what our ancestor needs are capable people. The Sun Clan is currently unable to get involved in this matter, so we can only retreat to avoid ruining our ancestor's plans."

"Good."

"You've grown up and matured."

Shi Jian let out a low laugh, "Your self-control shows you're a valuable asset. I knew I hadn't misjudged you."

Upon hearing this, Sun Mao was secretly delighted, but dared not show it.

"Zhao Clan was an outsourced manager whose job was to welcome and send off guests and handle the transfer of benefits."

"But some dirty and unsavory work still has to be done by our own people. After all, the Sun Clan and I have a connection, and I have never forgotten the kindness we showed each other in the past."

"I still remember Bo'an, how he went to great lengths for me, dealing with all sorts of family matters, and tragically perished in the end. It was truly my fault..."

"I also remember the time when I carefully taught you when you were little, and I remember the days when you refined elixirs for me..."

"At that time, the Sun Clan was doing very well."

Everything was so peaceful...

"I never imagined that decades would pass in such a short time, and you've grown into an adult. Time waits for no one..."

"And Wanqing, Kezheng, and the others..."

"My old friends have all gone far away. Seasons have changed, and I know not what year it is tonight, under the moon of yesteryear..."

Shi Jian recounted his experiences over the years, his voice filled with emotion and reminiscence...

When the conversation turned to the most emotional parts, even Sun Mao couldn't help but get teary-eyed:

"Please give your orders, Ancestor! The Sun Clan will go through fire and water without hesitation!"

Shi Jian made a statement, Sun Mao responded; everything was perfect.

After a frank and open conversation, Sun Mao's restless heart calmed down once again. For the Sun Clan family, knowing that their ancestor's heart was still with them was enough.

Then nothing else matters!

Inside the cave abode on Purple Firmament Peak, lightning flashed, illuminating Sun Mao's resolute face.

Shi Jian opened his mouth wide and spat out a blood-red Jade Slip. The Jade Slip spun in mid-air, emitting a faint aura of Blood Sha.

"This is..." Sun Mao felt a jolt in his heart as he sensed that aura.

"This is an item belonging to the Blood Sha Sect of the Demonic Path."

"This Jade Slip contains records of the remaining forces of the Blood Sha Sect."

Shi Jian said calmly, "When the Blood Sha Sect was destroyed, the Illusory Devil Sect took over their territory, but in this world, even a centipede with a hundred legs doesn't die easily."

"The Blood Sha Sect located deep within the Wei Kingdom, and in its early years, it had several hidden agents."

Sun Mao accepted the Jade Slip with both hands, probed it with his Divine Sense, and his expression changed slightly.

The Jade Slip recorded three secret contact points, seven code names, and an extremely complicated set of coded language.

If used properly, this power can be a deadly weapon that kills without drawing blood.

"What does the ancestor mean?"

Go contact them.

"But do not reveal your true identity, and even more so, do not reveal my identity."

"Use the identity of Rogue Cultivator, or fabricate the name of a remnant of the demonic path, to contact and negotiate with them..."

Sun Mao quickly calmed down and began to think rapidly.

What does the Ancestor need them to do?

Two things.

"The first is resource gathering."

"Have them conduct a large-scale search for all kinds of Demon Beast flesh and blood, and other exotic creatures, in the border area between the Wei Kingdom and Jin Kingdom, with a focus on bears, rats, and dogs."

Shi Jian glanced at the Lord Rat hiding in the corner. "The required Spirit Stone and resources will come from me; you'll be in charge of the transfer."

"Or it could be deducted directly from the monthly stipend I receive from the temple."

Sun Mao nodded and noted it down.

"The second thing is to go to Fenghe Commandery."

"Old Monster Mu of the Fenghe Sect has already gone to the front line in the North Sea. Now Fenghe Commandery is empty, with only the half-crippled Yan Qiu in charge."

With that, Shi Jian sneered, "How they treated White Cloud Temple back then, now I will make them pay back tenfold."

"Let those undercover agents infiltrate Fenghe Commandery."

"Intercept and kill Rogue Cultivator, ambush disciples of the Fenghe Sect who are out on training, burn down their spirit medicine gardens, and destroy their markets."

"I will bring chaos and turmoil to Fenghe Commandery!"

"Due to the rules of our sect, we can't touch that old dog Yan Qiu, but that doesn't stop us from secretly taking action to cut off his branches and limbs."

Shi Jian's voice, like muffled thunder, echoed within the cave abode.

Sun Mao took a deep breath, a ruthless glint in his eyes. Back then, the Sun Clan was almost wiped out in Hongtian City, and the Fenghe Sect was behind it all.

He had always kept this blood debt in his heart, and how could he not want to avenge it!

"Mao obeys!"

"I will handle this matter personally and will not let a word of it leak out."

After expressing his loyalty, Shi Jian waved his paw, signaling Sun Mao to step back.

No sooner had Sun Mao left than the Lord Rat approached.

"Ancestor, aren't you afraid that handing over the Blood Sha Sect's informants to the Sun Clan will make them too powerful to control?"

How can you know if a knife is sharp if you don't sharpen it?

"Sun Mao is a smart man. He knows that this power was lent to him by me, and that I am still entangled with the Sun Clan to him."

"On this point, he has no reason to turn against us."

"As far as the Sun Clan as a whole is concerned, they dare not harbor any disloyal thoughts."

"Furthermore, this clandestine operation cannot be conducted in the light of day; it can only operate in the shadows, which perfectly complements the Zhao Clan's success in the open."

"Having one overt and one covert operation, with each checking and balancing the other, is actually in our best interest."

"Let these two take their time, let them fight it out."

"There's still a long way to go; there's plenty of time to find a balance."

As Shi Jian spoke, the cave abode Returning to Stillness, save for the occasional, deep rumble of thunder...