Once everyone had a full belly and thirst quenched, it was time to move on to the second round for the Qi Gatherers! Everyone was in an excited and festive mood thanks to Jing’s efforts. While cultivators didn’t need to eat or drink nearly as much as mortals, it didn’t mean they disliked eating! Jing made sure to advertise her cake shop, she decided to call Heavenly Desserts. Plenty of people ranging from Qi Gatherers all the way to the elders promised to visit her store in the future while others seemed to have plans of their own about it. Maybe later down the line, she’ll begin to sell more than just cakes but as of now, she saw no reason to do so.

  Lei Zhi also remembered to advertise his clinic after hearing Jing talk about her store. He forgot to talk about it after his victory but only now done it. With this, many more people would come to visit his store and receive treatment. Of course, at the cost of making a deal with him depending on the severity of their problem.

  Lei received that idea from Jing. The more severe the problem, the more Lei should request from them in the Contract Scroll. Someone that has a toothache will only have to sign the contract and promise to do something like buying a meal for someone less fortunate than themself. While someone that’s experiencing qi deviation and has the chance of losing their ability to cultivate permanently would have to sign a multi-year long contract in where they have to do multiple good acts daily until the end of the contract period. Of course, Lei Zhi never forced anyone into signing the contracts but there was no other option for them to receive treatment from him besides signing the contract. He no longer accepted spirit stones, spirit tools, and the like as payment options. How could he go about making a better world if he doesn’t do at least this much?

“Since you’re the only one selling medical services in the sect, eventually they’ll have no choice but to come to you. Regardless of how they feel about the contract.” Jing informed. “Until your little apprentices make clinics of their own and run it their way, you are the only option. And everyone falls sick or gets injured eventually, you know?” Jing smiled.

  It felt a little wrong but at the same time, did it really hurt anyone to do good acts? Thinking that way, allowed Lei Zhi to feel better about following Jing’s advice. His disciples also won’t be skilled enough to run a clinic on their own for a few years. So, he had plenty of time to reform and correct the ways of the people inside the sect. With a little help, perhaps he could even speed up the reformation process...

“Bing. How would you feel about helping me reform the youth?” Lei Zhi asked.

“As long as I don’t have to fight anyone strong, I don’t mind.” Bing replied, stuffing a fishy tasting cake down his throat.

“Ah, your Devil Arts also need people to progress...” Lei Zhi remembered. “Is your hand able to only slightly devour people or must it eat in whole?” He soon asked.

“It can take a good amount without killing someone. Why?” Bing burped.

“You know about that scroll that Jing gave me? With it, I can make fair deals with people who sign it. These deals are something that both sides must agree to and cannot break no matter what.”

“Sounds ridiculous.” Bing got started on another cake.

“Yes, it is. I only need you to injure the most wicked and irredeemable disciples in the sect.”

“I think Ying would be better suited for a plan like this... but I do need to improve my karma.” Bing thought about it while eating. “Okay, I'll help you, Lei. But you’ll have to give me a list of the people. Finding out information about people is not my strong suit.”

“Thank you, Bing. And don’t worry, I know an Angel that can help us with information.” Lei smiled.

“Who? The Empress?” Bing couldn’t think of anyone else.

“We haven’t been formally introduced to him yet. I believe that Jing is the only person he comes in contact with.”

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“Oh. Maybe because he gets information for the Empress, she doesn’t want his relation to us to be known.” Bing guessed.

“I wouldn’t know any more than you.”

  Lei Zhi only recently found out about this fellow. During the week before the tournament, Lei came across multiple people with the exact same body on the inside. All of their organs, qi points, and pathways had no differences between them when everyone has at least minute differences with each other. Even twins had significant differences when looked at on the inside. Only when focusing his qi and martial arts to the extreme was he capable of finding the original body of the young man.

  He watched him from a distance entering Jing’s home. That was all the information Lei Zhi needed to know that he was on their side at least. The young man had some of his clones watching his clinic, which is how Lei found out about him at all. Apparently, he must be watching it on Jing’s orders for his safety or another purpose.

“Wanna meet him?” Lei asked.

“Nah, I'm good. Since I'm a loser, I don’t got to do anything but enjoy watching the rest of the tournament.” Bing smiled.

“It would’ve been fun to contend against you. Perhaps another time if the future allows it.” Lei kindly smiled.

“Haha, fighting against you? Sounds like a nightmare.” Bing chuckled heartily with some cake flying out of his mouth.

“I wouldn’t be so sure. Your body is changing every day. My medical techniques might not prove useful against you at all.” Lei hinted.

  Lei Zhi could see the insides of everyone around him. With the thousands of people in every direction, he could accurately see the condition of their bodies clearly. It didn’t take him any effort at all to see. Because of this, he could discern exactly just how inhuman Bing’s body was shaping day by day. All of those cakes that should be filling up his stomach were refined by his Devil Arts into nourishing his qi points, widening his qi pathway, and strengthening his body. From what he could see, there was no chance of Bing ever getting full unless he was fed something with so much qi that his body couldn’t handle it. Lei had a hard time categorizing that Bing could be considered human anymore. Similar to Jing, Li Li, and the bunny.

“I guess we’ll have to see eventually.” Bing tossed a completely black cake into his shadow that disappeared into it as soon as it made contact with it.

“I didn’t know she could get hungry for normal food.” Lei realized.

“Since these cakes are filled with qi, they’re passable she says. That cake, in particular, was mixed with yin qi.” Bing replied.

“How has it been ever since she’s merged with your shadow?” Lei Zhi couldn’t help Bing with this. Ghostly problems weren’t his forte nor was there any information about them in his medical book.

“It’s been something...” Bing cautiously looked over to Ying in the distance.

“Ah, I understand.” Lei Zhi smiled. Two women, one guy. Must be quite stressful. Especially since one was living and the other was dead.

“But not like I can do anything about it. She’s kind of grown on me by now.” Bing was about to take a bite of a new cake only for his hand to be slapped and the cake to fall into his shadow. “Ow! I didn’t mean it that way! I was just saying I'm used to you being with me now.” Bing explained while rubbing his hand.

“Well, that’s all I wanted Bing. Thanks for helping me out after this.” Lei waved goodbye.

“No problem, Lei. I needed some good karma anyway. Better to use my Devil Arts on wicked people than anyone else.” Bing shrugged. He’s planned to do something similar to this anyway eventually to progress his Devil Arts. He just never got around to it.

  Runt walked up next to Lei with Jue closely behind him.

“We’re going to be fighting first.” Runt explained.

“Oh, I wasn’t aware of that. Why is that happening? Our fights weren’t very close.” Lei was confused by this information.

“Jie asked Jing and Jing said the elders manipulated it. They wanted to see us fight to see how strong we are. It was difficult for them to find our limits facing the others, so they thought it would be best if we fought each other and drew out our strength on our own.” Runt relayed everything he heard.

“Hmm. Do you want to reveal your strength?” Lei asked.

“Not really...” Runt rubbed the back of his head. “But I can do it if you don’t want to. Since I'm the youngest, I don’t mind doing my keep to stay in the group.” Runt shared. As a beggar, he knew life was about give and take. If you don’t provide your worth, you were worthless.

“You should try and win. Since Hu Tao is gone, it will be difficult for you to gain resources on your own. Gaining good placement in this tournament will reward some useful prizes. I don’t need an elder to notice my potential or any of the rewards that the Qi Gatherers could gain at the end either. So, make sure to do your best to defeat me.” Lei Zhi smiled.

“I won’t hold back.” Runt kind of knew how strong Lei Zhi was. If he used his needles, he didn’t stand a chance. With the fishing rod, maybe it wouldn’t be impossible...