"Fellow Daoist, please wait."
The one who spoke was a sturdy young man. His demeanor and movements were completely different from the simple and unassuming nature of the other gravekeepers. There was an air of nobility between his brows, so even though his clothes were neither luxurious nor clean, he did not appear disheveled.
Wen Jiu had no interest in responding, but the man, along with another, directly blocked his path.
The young man spoke again, his gaze falling on the handkerchief given by Wang Nian. "I am Fang Zheng. My brother-in-law is Li Liang, a night patrol supervisor on the side peak of Dead Man's Summit... May I ask what your relationship with Supervisor Wang is?"
"Do you need something?"
Wen Jiu did not bother explaining.
Because there was no need to.
Not just anyone could question him, nor did he have to answer every inquiry.
That would be too low.
Fang Zheng continued, "Since you have connections in Dead Man's Summit, why not join our Justice Hall? Whether you remain a gravekeeper or become an apprentice in the future, we can all look out for each other."
"Not interested." Wen Jiu shook his head and stepped forward, intending to walk past them.
Fang Zheng was persistent. His final words were deliberately emphasized, as if afraid others would not hear them. "If you're willing to join, Justice Hall can offer you a managerial position in a business firm, with a monthly salary of one hundred taels of silver… That's equivalent to three years' wages as a gravekeeper!"
"Our Justice Hall has business spanning a hundred miles around the side peak and collaborates with many cultivation families. Once you join, you'll never lack connections. When you become an apprentice, we can support each other and ensure you aren't bullied by fellow disciples."
The man beside Fang Zheng also spoke, his tone filled with pride.
Clearly.
Justice Hall was not a small organization.
But Wen Jiu was still uninterested. Before fully understanding the situation on this side peak, he had no intention of joining any group.
He did not want to be used as a pawn.
"Step aside."
As Wen Jiu passed by the two, he noticed that the surrounding gravekeepers were all looking at him with envy.
It was obvious that they wished to join Justice Hall but were either unqualified or had not received an invitation.
This piqued Wen Jiu's curiosity.
What exactly was this Justice Hall?
It was impossible for them to openly poach people from Dead Man's Summit. Most likely, it was an organization formed by the summit's own disciples.
As Wen Jiu leisurely walked away, the third man—who had remained silent until now and seemed to be their leader—suddenly spoke.
His tone was deep and carried the weight of experience, as if he were offering well-meaning advice. It was as though refusing to join Justice Hall meant Wen Jiu was shortsighted.
"Fellow Daoist… Walking the cultivation path alone will not take you far. Without friends, even side-path cultivators won't be accepted anywhere. I can give you time to think and even arrange for you to learn more about Justice Hall. If you reconsider, come find us."
Wen Jiu acted as though he hadn't heard a word.
He continued walking.
…
A mile or two later.
Wang Nian suddenly descended beside Wen Jiu on his flying sword, as if he had been following him all along.
Sure enough, as soon as he spoke, it was about what had just happened. "Wen brat, do you know? Justice Hall was established by multiple supervisors of the side peak. Their business spans a hundred miles, and they collaborate with no fewer than eight or ten cultivation families. In the side peak, they are quite a force to be reckoned with. Once you join, you'll have backing."
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
"Brother Wang followed me all this way just to tell me that?"
To be honest, even if Wang Nian nodded, Wen Jiu would not believe it.
Wang Nian chuckled. "Of course not. I just wanted to remind you… Do not bargain with tigers. With your talent in side-path cultivation, Dead Man's Summit already has a proper path for you to rise through the ranks. It may be harder than for orthodox Qi Refinement cultivators, but you don't need to rely on those who conspire in the shadows."
"Thank you for the reminder, Brother Wang."
Wen Jiu bowed in gratitude.
Even if Wang Nian had not warned him, he would not have made rash choices.
But the fact that Wang Nian cared enough to remind him…
He appreciated it.
It showed that Wang Nian was a good person.
In an unfamiliar world, meeting a senior willing to offer guidance was a stroke of luck.
…
Soon, Wen Jiu returned home.
That night, as usual, he recited the Corpse-Nurturing Incantation for the white ghoul. Perhaps due to the increasing accumulation of corpse remains in the dead zone, his chanting unexpectedly attracted a newly formed wandering soul.
But it merely became the white ghoul's meal.
That was the end of the day.
The White Ghoul gained 20 experience points. Wen Jiu received 100 points of Death Energy—equivalent to sixteen days of cultivation plus his daily accumulation.
It was worth noting that, perhaps due to the influence of a cultivator's blood essence, when the White Ghoul attacked the wandering souls, a faint crimson glow flickered across its corpse. This was something that had never appeared when it first stepped into the initial stage of Blood Transformation.
Moreover, when the blood glow emerged, the ghoul exuded a mix of blood energy and corpse energy so intense that even Wen Jiu felt a shiver down his spine.
This was despite the fact that he had already reached the first level of Qi Refinement.
And the White Ghoul was still just a White Ghoul.
So, Wen Jiu decided to test its strength.
At first, he didn't dare to go all out. Even though he hadn't cultivated any spells yet, the raw release of Qi Refinement-level energy could still be quite destructive.
But to his surprise, even when he struck with full force, he failed to harm the White Ghoul's Blood Transformation body.
He couldn't even shake it.
Yet, according to the Yinzhou Corpse Nurturing Record, a corpse's strength should not be this overwhelming. Even after evolving into a Black Ghoul, it was only supposed to be comparable to a first-stage Body Refining cultivator at best.
A first-stage Body Refining cultivator couldn't possibly withstand a full-powered strike from a Qi Refinement cultivator without taking damage. At most, if hit by a spell, they would reduce a severe wound to a minor injury—but they would still be injured. No matter how strong they were, this rule held true.
And yet, the White Ghoul's body completely defied the principles and rules stated in the Yinzhou Corpse Nurturing Record.
"It must be because of the cultivator's blood essence... But if its corpse is already this strong, just how powerful will it become once it evolves into a Black Ghoul?"
Wen Jiu murmured to himself, then buried the White Ghoul once more.
Back home, he fell into a deep sleep.
That night, he slept soundly.
No longer did he feel the anxiety of being a stranger in a foreign land.
Perhaps it was because he had stepped into the first level of Qi Refinement.
Perhaps it was because he had witnessed the terrifying power of the White Ghoul's Blood Transformation.
By the time he set out again the next morning to bury corpses in the Dead Grounds, his mindset had undergone a dramatic shift.
A bold thought arose in his mind.
I want to live forever!
I want to become an immortal!
Gotta admit…
That was one hell of an ambitious thought.
But when he arrived at the Dead Grounds, he immediately sensed that something was off. The atmosphere was different today, and there were more people around than usual. Even Wang Nian, who was usually slow and sluggish, had arrived earlier than most.
From a distance, Wen Jiu saw Wang Nian engaged in serious conversation with a group of cultivators clad in black armor. With every word spoken, Wang Nian's brows furrowed deeper.
A few moments later, Wang Nian walked toward him.
"Wen kid, were you here in the Dead Grounds last night?"
Wen Jiu nodded.
There was no point in hiding it.
Anyone at home could have heard him leaving—his door creaking open and shut.
Besides, when he displayed the White Ghoul before, proving its value for another transaction, he had already mentioned that he would come to the Dead Grounds at night to cultivate his corpse.
Hearing Wen Jiu's response, Wang Nian gestured for him to follow. "They'll ask you some questions later. Just answer honestly… Don't worry, it's got nothing to do with you. They just want information."
"Alright." Wen Jiu nodded.
As they approached the black-armored cultivators, Wen Jiu felt a chilling aura radiating from them. His heart skipped a beat.
Their sheer presence exuded a suffocating killing intent.
Even their spiritual energy fluctuations startled him.
Three of them had auras similar to Wang Nian's.
Likely all at the third level of Qi Refinement.
But one of them…
His aura surpassed Wang Nian's.
Mid-stage Qi Refinement?
What the hell happened last night to bring in a mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivator?
"You're Wen Jiu?"
One of the black-armored cultivators spoke, his voice cold and emotionless.
It made Wen Jiu worry that if he answered wrong, the man might cut him down on the spot.
He nodded.
The black-armored cultivator continued, "Why were you in the Severed Corpses Dead Grounds last night?"
"I was cultivating my corpse. I practice the Yinzhou Corpse Nurturing Record, so I need to come to burial sites at the Hour of the Boar to recite the Corpse Nurturing Chant."
Wen Jiu answered truthfully.
The black-armored cultivator glanced at Wang Nian. Wang Nian quickly nodded and confirmed that he had indeed seen the White Ghoul before.
Seeing this, the black-armored cultivator didn't seem suspicious. Instead, he continued questioning:
"Did you hear anything unusual last night?"
"Unusual? No." Wen Jiu shook his head.
The black-armored cultivator's expression darkened. He clearly didn't believe him.
Coldly, he warned, "Think carefully. If we find out later that you've hidden or lied about anything… The Night Patrol Division has full authority to execute you on the spot."