Thirteenth District.

When Bubai approached the majestic sandstone archway, his divine sense extended outward, detecting some outer disciples lurking in the shadows of less conspicuous corners.

Their watchful eyes searched the passing disciples, comparing them to a portrait clutched in their hands.

To his surprise, the portrait depicted his own Xiongba face!

“Very smart.” Bubai couldn’t help but praise.

Rather than carpet searching the entire outer district for their prey, just guard the choke points. Unless their target never enters the inner sect, they will eventually find him.

The perpetrator who had the ability to organize this extensive layout suggested more than just a mere gang operation. Bubai suspected the mastermind might be the clan behind the Gemstone Paradise he had recently robbed.

Provoking such a powerful clan was just like stirring up a hornet's nest, but Bubai had no regrets. The spoils of his heist were more than worth the risk.

Of course, An Jali was just an extra bonus due to the situation. His original intention of visiting Hei Hua Lou wasn’t for a woman.

In fact, his true aim was to raid the intel room there, and it wasn’t for some trifling details on a Flower Picking Gang.

His main interest lay in gathering intel on the sect's disciples, particularly the outstanding ones participating in the upcoming Outer Disciple and Inner Disciple Exchanges!

Inner Disciple aside, Bubai knew the outer disciples that could gather the courage to challenge the inner disciple were definitely not simple.

They weren’t like the trash fish he had pummeled during his practice in the outer sect thus far. They were real geniuses – each most likely possessing a completely fleshed-out skill set for combat!

Some were even strong enough to occupy a quota to venture into this round’s secret realm!

While Bubai was confident that his current strength outclasses most of these outer disciples, he understood the importance of not revealing too much cards unless absolutely necessary.

Alas, under the fog of war, he couldn't afford to hold back too much.

A lion should still fight a rabbit with all its strength. Otherwise, his boat might accidentally overturn.

This is where intel comes into play. Intelligence – it had always been one of the greatest assets contributing to the success of a fighter, regardless of the world one inhabited.

With detailed information on each disciple, he could devise the most effective tactics to deal with any challenger as quickly as possible, minimizing the risk of unexpected complications!

However, acquiring such intel came at a steep price.

Information on outstanding outer disciples was already exorbitantly expensive, let alone those from the inner circle. Even the info of clan-less inner disciples were beyond the reach of a low-grade spirit stone.

Perhaps, the only reason he had even obtained Wu Dawei's name was likely because it had been intentionally divulged to serve as a deterrent, perhaps at Wu Dawei's own instructions.

As for acquiring details on other disciples, it was out of his league.

So, Bubai could only resort to a more cost-effective approach... A free viewing session – easily achievable with the assistance of his divine sense. Hence, his excursion to the intel agency.

As a result of the event, his newly acquired face landed on the wanted list.

Fortunately, his Xiongba face wasn’t the only disguise he had.

Already donning his stall owner Liang disguise, Bubai walked forward nonchalantly, betraying no hint of awareness of the prying eyes observing him, entering the West District without being stopped by any onlookers.

As he turned a corner, Bubai slipped into an alley.

By the time he walked out, he had already donned his original Ah Niu persona. His “borrowed” outer disciple token had been swapped for his inner disciple one, and he now carried his sack of formation supplies.

“Faces… they are just so useful.”

However, Bubai immediately quashed the insidious temptation to acquire more.

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There was no need to fall into the rhythm of a murderous maniac due to greed. His harvest this time was more than enough.

Though the gang leader’s talisman had been scrapped due to being half-activated, the one he had acquired from the broker at Gemstone Paradise remained in pristine condition thanks to the close distance that deprived the man of any time to react.

Shockingly, it was a mid-grade Lightning Bolt talisman, strong enough to inflict serious damage on the body of Foundation Establishment cultivators!

Of course, it was still questionable if the user could land the attack. So, this could only be considered a small gain, just like the pile of various illicit drugs, mortal currencies, and grains of spirit rice he looted from the base’s storage room.

The real gain lay in the cache of 13 low-grade spirit stones he had obtained - a windfall more than adequate to cover the expenses of his formation training and even compensate for the unexpected loss he had suffered in the Saintess tent!

This opened up a lot of new possibilities for him!

Now, he could even consider trying to cultivate with spirit stones or purchase some supplementary resources! His avenues for advancement had been expanded!

Not only that, outside of the significant gain in assets, a lot of his other objectives had also been fulfilled.

Last night, he got a lot of practice in, and the gang searching for his stall owner Liang identity had been neutralized.

Remarkably, no life was lost... at least not directly from his strikes.

During the confrontations, he deliberately restrained his strength to avoid killing them.

This approach certainly had a decent effect on his mastery of martial arts.

After all, it is always harder to incapacitate a target than to outright kill. Otherwise, a certain superhero wouldn’t be so revered due to his steadfast commitment to a no-kill policy.

Of course, there was still another logical reason for his own commitment...

He hadn’t forgotten: these were all outer disciples.

Indiscriminate slaughter of a couple could already attract unwanted scrutiny. If an entire gang was wiped out… it’ll be strange if the sect doesn’t investigate till the end.

On the other hand, beating them up is fine. The Law Enforcement Hall typically won’t meddle in small conflicts like these because it was commonplace. The Hall had its hands full with more serious matters.

At most, the gang members would go cry to their backer, who will consider the situation before deciding whether to seek revenge for his dog… assuming the culprit could be found.

Well… can they find him? Who knows. But even if that Wu guy manages to lock onto him, he wasn’t too worried about offending him.

Messing with this Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Wu Clan might be a bit troublesome, but when he takes a step back and thinks about it… it was not really that terrible or scary.

Since this man stayed in the sect instead of going to the secret realm, he probably didn’t have the mentality of the strong – a characteristic of the true geniuses.

Hiding in a shell might be prudent for the weak, but true progress required a shift in mindset as one's strength grew. Otherwise, growth would be limited or stagnant.

In this case, Wu Dawei would be a small character that Bubai didn’t have to worry about.

Of course, there are always special circumstances to consider.

For instance, Bubai himself could be a turtle and still get stronger with his golden finger.

On a similar note, Bubai can’t rule out the possibility that this Wu Dawei was actually a hidden genius left behind to preserve the roots of the clan, just in case something happens in the secret realm.

Well, if there were really unfortunate changes in the Wu clan’s situation, perhaps he might not even have to worry about the man’s retaliation…

Uh... he couldn’t be so lucky right? Even a protagonist didn't always enjoy plot armor that conveniently disposed of an opponent for no reason. After all, such a narrative twist would just make a boring story…

Er... Bubai admitted, he wouldn't necessarily mind if fortune favored him in such a manner.

Alas, Bubai knew he should always prepare for the worst-case scenarios. Even with his alternate identities tucked away in the cold storage, he might not be completely safe.

Plus, it’s not viable to rely on others to cover him for everything. Certain precautions needed to be taken into his own hands.

But first… let’s handle another matter.

Bubai glanced up at the ascending sun, “Still morning, there’s still plenty of time.”

His steps then set a course toward the South District.

South District. Old Shen Fu’s Workshop.

“40 points.” Bubai's eyes followed the slow descent of the old man's hand, watching him place down his monocle.

As expected, the black mist was still lingering there. Alas, he still wasn’t able to discover anything special after his promotion to Foundation Establishment.

“What’s wrong?” The old man's words pulled his attention back.

Bubai reached out to accept the jade slip being handed to him, responding with a polite assurance, "There's no problem, Old Shen.”

Though skeptical, Old Shen simply nodded, his eyes still carrying the wisdom of years spent immersed in social relationships.

"If you find yourself interested in acquiring a monocle, I could craft you a brand new one. However, this old friend of mine," he gestured towards the monocle resting on the table, "Holds a special place in my heart. It's not for sale, I hope you understand."

Bubai sensed there might be more to the old man's reluctance, but he chose not to pry.

Instead, he bowed respectfully, appreciating the sentiment behind the offer. "No need, Old Shen. I appreciate the offer. It’s just a moment of curiosity."

Old Shen remained mum, waving toward the wooden boxes in silence before his attention returned to his work.

Without further words, Bubai moved towards the boxes. Carefully selecting his deserved share from the respective boxes, he stowed them away in his sack.

With a final bow of gratitude towards the old man, Bubai left the workshop, the door closing softly behind him.

East District. Late Afternoon.

Squatting just outside his tower, Bubai wiped the perspiration from his brow, his gaze fixed on the small hole he manually chiseled into the ground right beside the tower's foundation.

After his promotion, his fine control over his strength now allowed him to chip away at the white jade, and this was already ample evidence for him to confirm his future escape plan.

Lifting up a thin, small slab of sandstone, Bubai slotted it back over the hole, “I should have done this sooner. Now, some loopholes could be filled.”

With his sack slung over his shoulder, Bubai rose to his feet and took out a jade slip from his robe, slotting it into the key slot of the tower.

The sweet voices of home welcomed him. “Master, welcome home!”

Alas, how much longer can this home last?