Having just returned on his sword, Chen Ping’an deliberately flew higher than when he was chasing Fan Yunluo. As expected, the Golden Core ghost registered in White Cage City quickly led the others away.

It wasn’t that Chen Ping’an didn’t want to pay some price to try and eliminate them all in one fell swoop, or at least engage in a prolonged battle. Originally, these Yin creatures scurrying about south of the Ghost Domain Valley were Chen Ping’an’s prime targets for this trip to Qinglu Town.

However, the sudden appearance of Pu Rang, the city lord of White Cage City, made Chen Ping’an change his mind. The “Reliable Collection” contained an almost verbose description of this heroic spirit, detailing every aspect meticulously. When Chen Ping’an first read the book, he almost thought that the master scribe of the Pi Ma Sect, who wrote the “Reliable Collection,” was an admirer of Pu Rang.

The laudatory words in the book, which seemed to reek of blood, didn’t influence Chen Ping’an’s decision. What truly made Chen Ping’an choose to avoid trouble were four words: Peak Nascent Soul.

Since the other party ultimately revealed himself but chose not to attack, Chen Ping’an was willing to take a step back.

Chen Ping’an looked at the ground covered in jade-like white bones, no fewer than twenty sets, slain by Sword Immortal and Chu Yishi Wu. The souls of these charming female ghosts from Funi City had long dissipated, becoming the Yin Qi essence of this small world.

Just as Chen Ping’an was about to collect the bones into his Miniature World, his brow suddenly furrowed. He steered Sword Immortal, intending to leave, but after a moment’s thought, he paused. He gathered most of the bones, leaving only six or seven gleaming skeletons in the forest. Then, he rode his sword swiftly, leaving Crow Ridge in haste.

He saw the two figures on the winding path from afar. Chen Ping’an breathed a sigh of relief, but still felt uneasy. He sheathed his sword, put on his bamboo hat, and landed silently in a secluded spot. He walked onto the road, standing still, waiting quietly for the Daoist couple to approach. The couple also saw Chen Ping’an and, as before, intended to veer off the path, pretending to search for herbs and stones to sell for money. But they realized that the young swordsman had only removed his hat and hadn’t moved. The husband and wife exchanged a glance, somewhat helplessly, and had no choice but to return to the road, the man in front, the woman behind, walking towards Chen Ping’an. If it was good fortune, it would be, if it was bad luck, there was no avoiding it. They silently prayed for the protection of the Three Pure Ones.

As the Daoist couple approached, Chen Ping’an held his hat in one hand and pointed to the dense forest behind him with the other. He said, “I just fought a fierce battle with a group of vicious ghosts in Crow Ridge. Although I narrowly won, many ghosts escaped. I’ve made mortal enemies of them. There will inevitably be more fighting later. If you’re not afraid of being implicated, and you want to continue north, you must be very careful.”

The Daoist couple looked at each other, their expressions miserable.

The toll paid at the Paifang Tower, five snowflakes per person, was manageable. But for wandering rogue cultivators like them, with no backing, and not skilled in ghost arts, entering the Ghost Domain Valley meant constantly消耗 spirit energy. It was physically and mentally exhausting. They had even bought an expensive bottle of pills to help them go further into the Ghost Domain Valley and recoup their losses through unexpected gains in some deserted areas. Otherwise, if they only sought safety, they would have chosen the well-trodden road to Lanshe Town.

As long as one could become a cultivator and embark on the path of longevity, how many would be fools? Especially rogue cultivators earning money; it could be described as exhausting their minds and using every trick in the book.

The couple’s faces were pale. The young woman tugged at her husband’s sleeve. “Let’s just forget it. If that’s our fate, it’s better to cultivate slowly than to die.”

The man shook his head, took the woman’s hand, and said softly, “You can’t wait any longer. When water is full, it overflows; when the moon is full, it wanes. If we delay any longer, it will only harm you. A good thing will turn into a disaster.”

The man released her hand, faced Chen Ping’an, and said with determination, cupping his fist in thanks, “On the path of cultivation, there are many unexpected events. Since my wife and I are of low cultivation, we can only accept fate. We can’t blame you, young master. We still thank you for your kind reminder.”

Chen Ping’an asked, “Is this lady about to enter the Cave Realm, but is hindered by an unstable foundation, and needs to rely on Celestial Coins and magical artifacts to increase the chances of breaking through?”

The woman sighed softly.

The man nodded and said, “Young master has keen eyes. That is indeed the case.”

Chen Ping’an asked, “May I ask, how big is the shortfall?”

The man said helplessly, “For my wife and I, the amount is enormous. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have ventured into this Ghost Domain Valley, truly facing the gates of hell head-on.”

Chen Ping’an tentatively asked, “How many Celestial Coins are you short?”

The man hesitated, then said with a bitter expression, “To be honest, in recent years, my wife and I traveled through dozens of countries, carefully selecting, and finally found a Natal Artifact suitable for my wife’s refinement in a Celestial Shop west of Skeleton Beach. It was already the fairest price, but it still requires eight hundred Snowflake Coins. And that’s thanks to the shopkeeper’s compassionate heart, willing to keep that Spiritual Artifact, which is not difficult to sell at all, as long as my wife and I can raise enough Celestial Coins within five years, we can buy it at any time. We are both rogue cultivators below the Fifth Realm. Over the years, we have traveled through the markets of various countries, willing to earn any money, but unfortunately, our abilities are limited, and we are still short five hundred Snowflake Coins.”

The woman felt sorrow in her heart.

In fact, her husband had something else to say, which was really hard to say. This time, in order to earn enough five hundred Snowflake Coins to enter the Ghost Domain Valley, the bottle of pills used to replenish Qi cost more than one hundred Snowflake Coins.

The money they had earned along the way, converted into Celestial Coins, was less than one Snowflake Coin.

How easy was it to earn money in the Ghost Domain Valley?

They saw the young swordsman in green seemed to be hesitating about something, reaching out to press the vermilion wine gourd at his waist, probably thinking about something.

The couple stopped talking, lest it seem like they were complaining. On the path of cultivation, when rogue cultivators encounter higher-level immortals, it was already a great blessing if both parties could coexist peacefully. They dared not expect more. Having wandered the world for many years, the couple had seen countless scenes of rogue cultivators dying tragically. After seeing too much, they no longer felt even the sadness of a rabbit mourning the death of a fox.

When the young swordsman raised his head, the couple’s hearts tightened.

Chen Ping’an asked, “I entered the Ghost Domain Valley this time for training. I didn’t have the intention of seeking wealth, so I didn’t bring anything to carry things. Unexpectedly, I was inexplicably attacked by vicious ghosts in Crow Ridge. Although there will be endless troubles later, it can be considered a small gain. How about this, you two happen to have large boxes. Just help me carry away those white bones. I estimate they can sell for a few Minor Heat Coins. You can sell the bones first at the Naihe Pass market, and then wait for me for a month. If you wait for me, you can share 20% of the profits. If I don’t appear, then you don’t have to wait for me, and no matter how many Celestial Coins you sell, it will be your private property.”

The woman was stunned. Just as she was about to speak, the man grabbed her hand tightly, interrupting her, “Has the young master ever thought that if we sell the bones, get the Snowflake Coins, and just leave, wouldn’t the young master be worried?”

Chen Ping’an laughed and said, “Since I dare to do this kind of business, am I afraid of not being able to find you two rogue cultivators afterward?”

The man asked again, “Why doesn’t the young master simply leave the Ghost Domain Valley with us? My wife and I will be porters for the young master, earning some hard-earned money, as long as we don’t lose money. The young master can also sell the bones himself.”

Chen Ping’an frowned and said, “I said that the trip to the Ghost Domain Valley is for honing my cultivation, not for seeking wealth. If you are worried about a trap, then let’s just forget about it.”

The man glanced at the distant dense forest and said loudly with a smile, “Then I will accompany the young master to Crow Ridge. A windfall from heaven, missing such a good thing would be punished by the heavens. The young master can rest assured, my wife and I will definitely wait for a month at the Naihe Pass market!”

Without allowing his wife to refuse, the man made her take off the large boxes, carrying one in each hand, following Chen Ping’an to Crow Ridge.

When he saw the five sets of white bones in excellent condition, he was dumbfounded and carefully put them into the wooden boxes.

The young man wearing a bamboo hat squatted not far away, looking at some rusty armor and weapons.

Finally, as the couple walked back on the small road, each carrying heavy boxes, they felt like they were in a dream, unbelievable.

The man was silent for a long time, then grinned and said, “Like a dream.”

The woman said softly, “Is there really such a good thing in the world?”

The man looked back, and the figure was long gone. After turning his head, he comforted her, “The actions of experts are unexpected. Just think of it as if we met a Sword Immortal.”

The man gradually realized something, whispering, “Think about it, how many mountain rogue cultivators dare to say ‘can sell for a few Minor Heat Coins’? Can we say such things? Even if we were to bluff, could we say it so naturally to this young master? I guess this person must be a direct disciple of those Sect-level immortal residences. He is definitely not the rogue cultivator we initially guessed, that he can be so generous and act so boldly. And that threat he made, listen, he must be from a powerful background.”