Jiang Wang and the others drank heavily, deliberately controlling their Dao essence to ensure they were thoroughly drunk. After a chaotic, rambling conversation, they hadn’t solved any real problems.

In fact, the next day they barely remembered what they’d said, only vaguely recalling that they had all been roundly cursing Du Yeh Hu. But everyone felt much better in their hearts.

As luck would have it, the very next day after their cursing of Du Yeh Hu, the messenger sent to deliver a message from him arrived in Mapleleaf City.

It had a touch of telepathy about it.

The messenger was a simple-minded soldier, who first went to the Dao Academy to find Ling He.

Initially, Ling He’s heart sank when he saw the man without a letter, and he almost burst into tears on the spot, but then he learned that the soldier was carrying a verbal message. It wasn’t some kind of condolence or inquiry.

However, the soldier insisted that the message could only be delivered when all three of them were present.

Ling He reluctantly dragged the messenger on a trip to rouse the two hungover fellows, and they finally convened at Jiang Wang’s house.

“Alright, enough already? Just say it! What kind of message is it? Making such a fuss!” Zhao Rucheng asked with a yawn, his words tumbling out in quick succession, full of impatience.

He always had a bad temper when he woke up, and at that moment, his resentment toward Du Yeh Hu was overflowing.

Jiang An’an had been taken to school by Tang Dun, and Jiang Wang was slowly guiding a thin stream of water, brushing his teeth.

The soldier looked at him and said in a low voice, “Master Du said that you three have to listen respectfully.”

“What a big face he has, this young master won’t listen!” Zhao Rucheng flew into a rage, turning to leave.

Ling He grabbed him, playing peacemaker. “Let’s hear what nonsense comes out of his dog mouth, then you can leave.”

“Pfft, cough cough cough!” Jiang Wang choked on a mouthful of water.

Even a simple, honest man like Ling He couldn’t resist making a dig, showing just how deserving of a beating Du Yeh Hu’s actions were.

Jiang Wang’s curiosity was piqued, so he decided to skip brushing his teeth. He casually summoned three chairs and placed them in the courtyard, sitting down in the center.

Ling He pulled Zhao Rucheng down, and they sat together.

“Fine, we’re being very respectful. Speak.”

Zhao Rucheng was still indignant. “Why couldn’t he just write a letter? Why did he have to send someone all this way? Did he get promoted? Is his throat itchy?”

The soldier said timidly, “Master Du said writing a letter wouldn’t be enough, some emotions can’t be expressed in words. He insisted that I make this trip, saying it was essential to convey his tone accurately.”

“If he can’t read, just say so! Why brag…”

“Alright, alright, just deliver the message,” Jiang Wang quickly interrupted Zhao Rucheng, urging the soldier to continue.

The soldier cleared his throat twice, then imitated Du Yeh Hu’s voice, speaking in a rough tone: “Listen up, you lot, listen carefully to your Tiger Bro! Tiger Bro has broken through the Meridians and Qi Channels and is now at the Great Circle of the Small Heavenly Cycle! It’s been twenty years since the Nine Rivers Armored Cavalry has seen a genius like me! Tiger Bro is already a Commandant, only half a rank below that brat Zhao Lang in terms of position. But the Nine Rivers Armored Cavalry is two, three, even four grades stronger than the Mapleleaf City Garrison, you can figure that out yourselves!”

Saying this, the soldier tentatively reached out and touched Zhao Rucheng’s head.

Before Zhao Rucheng could react, he quickly explained, “Master Tiger told me to pat your head at this point.”

Of course, he didn’t dare say Du Yeh Hu’s original words: “Give that pretty boy’s head a slap.”

“Rucheng ah, I’m not worried about the other two, but you, such a lazy bum, the gap between you and your Tiger Bro is getting bigger and bigger, what are we going to do?”

The soldier continued to imitate, “Alright, too much talking and you won’t remember it all. That’s all. Oh right, my An’an must miss me a lot, tell her not to be too lovesick, Tiger Bro will be home for the Lunar New Year! I’ll bring her a gift! That’s it!”

The soldier finished reciting the message, letting out a long sigh of relief, with an expression that seemed to say, “I didn’t miss a single word, hurry up and praise me.”

Jiang Wang and the others exchanged glances, all seeing the word “simpleton” in each other’s eyes.

Zhao Rucheng coughed lightly and said to the soldier, “What’s your name?”

The soldier replied loudly, “I am Zhao Erting! A soldier under Master Du’s command! I happened to be going home to visit my family, and Master Du asked me to bring this message!”

“How many soldiers are there under your Master Du’s command?”

“Thr…” Zhao Erting shuddered. “Master Du told me not to say!”

“Looks like there are only three,” Zhao Rucheng stroked his chin. “Alright, you did well. You’re a qualified lackey. Be careful on your way back.”

Ling He was generous and even offered him a meal. But Zhao Erting, realizing he’d let something slip, had already run off in a puff of smoke.

Regardless, it seemed that Du Tiger was doing well in Nine Rivers, even though the way he “wrote” the letter was annoying. In the end, it still put everyone’s minds at ease.

Ling He got up and returned to the Dao Academy to cultivate. His foundation had been laid, and he was now trying to build his own Small Heavenly Cycle.

Zhao Rucheng yawned and walked toward the bedroom. “Third Brother, I’m going to take a nap on your bed.”

……

……

Inside a dark mountain cave, the scene was horrific.

Corpses lay scattered and piled on top of each other, the stench of blood so thick it was sickening.

The smell bored into one’s heart, making the hair stand on end and the scalp crawl.

Fang Heling knelt on the ground, begging loudly, “Spare my life, I am useful to you, very useful!”

He had been pursuing two heretical demonic cultivators who were causing trouble for the townspeople with his fellow disciples from the Dao Academy. Initially, everything had gone smoothly, but after pursuing them here, they discovered it was a trap.

They were surrounded.

His fellow disciples had almost all been killed in a single exchange. He had been quick to realize the danger and immediately knelt to beg for mercy, managing to survive this long.

Shadowy figures surrounded him, no one spoke, all coldly watching him.

Fang Heling trembled like a sieve, constantly throwing out bargaining chips. “No matter who you are, or what you want to do, I can help! I am a direct descendant of the Fang family of Mapleleaf City. My father has complete control over the entire Fang family!”

“Oh?”

With this voice, Fang Heling finally saw a figure sitting with their back to him on a stone in front.

The figure turned around. The skull-shaped white bone mask on their face emitted a faint, ghastly white light. In the dark cave, it made the eyes, which only revealed a sharp glint, seem particularly terrifying.

“What use are you?” the person wearing the white bone mask asked.

“I…I, I am on good terms with many geniuses in the Dao Academy! Zhang Linchuan! Zhang Linchuan is my sworn brother! He is also from one of the Three Great Clans, we have a good relationship!” Fang Heling wracked his brains, quickly searching for his bargaining chips.

He thought he heard the masked person laugh, but he wasn’t sure.

“Anything else?”

“There’s also Shen Nanqi! Fifth on the Mapleleaf City Dao Merit List, he always takes me on missions!”

“Are you familiar with Zhu Weiwo?”

“I’ve met him, I’ve met him!” Fang Heling wasn’t stupid. He knew that lying at a time like this, with lies that were easily exposed, would certainly result in losing the last chance to survive.

So he said, “I’ve only met him, but a person like Senior Brother Zhu cannot be controlled. I’ll listen, I’ll cooperate! And he’s already gone to Xin’an!”

The person wearing the white bone mask remained noncommittal, then suddenly asked, “Can you control the Fang family?”

Fang Heling only hesitated for a moment before immediately saying, “Yes! Yes! Completely! My father only has one son!”

“Very good,” the masked person said.

Then someone came forward and put a white pill in Fang Heling’s mouth.

Fang Heling didn’t dare to hesitate and swallowed it directly.

“I will contact you when needed,” the white bone masked person said, standing up and walking into the depths of the cave.

It wasn’t until everyone around him had disappeared that Fang Heling finally realized he had survived!

After a long, long silence, he walked alone out of the dark mountain cave, back into the light of day.

He supported himself on his weak knees, taking a few deep breaths.

Then, he walked towards Mapleleaf City.