Volume One, Chapter Three: This Is Madam Lin's Rule!

Although Ye Feng had just entered the realm of cultivation, he had not once lowered his guard these past few days.

Even now, with the Return System at his disposal, he never considered himself invincible.

He wasn’t about to waste his potential and die recklessly before he had even grown stronger!

That would be a bitter fate indeed.

Although the Gathering of Immortals was small, there were quite a few solitary cultivators.

Cultivation was arduous, and the climb to the top was ruthless; true kindness was a rare commodity here.

So, even though the beautiful widow Li Yueyao offered a return rate as high as fifteen times, Ye Feng absolutely refused to believe it was a gift from the heavens.

The original body’s parents had both died; there was no way these two people had come just to see him.

The camaraderie of mere drinking buddies had long since faded.

The fact that they hadn’t appeared for such a long time was proof enough.

Yet now, they showed up again, pretending to be close and even claiming kinship.

If anyone believed that they had no ulterior motives, only the fool who once lived in this body could be so naive.

Moreover, the scar-faced Wu Changfu beside Li Yueyao exuded extreme hostility.

Ye Feng had no choice but to be wary.

So, the moment they left, Ye Feng didn’t hesitate to take out the high-grade directional eavesdropping talisman that had been triggered by Liu Ruyan’s critical strike earlier.

Originally, he planned to trade this high-level talisman for resources, or to use it elsewhere.

But the appearance of these two completely changed his mind.

They were clearly trouble.

In the Gathering of Immortals, anyone who had reached the tenth layer of Qi Refinement was considered a senior expert.

After all, the Gathering relied on the Backing Sect.

The Backing Sect’s admission standard for solitary cultivators was that anyone who reached the tenth layer of Qi Refinement could take the entrance examination.

Passing would grant them the status of an outer disciple of the Backing Sect.

These two had both reached such a cultivation level, yet instead of striving to break through or take the exam, they kept coming to him.

If there was no trickery involved, how could that be?

Lighting the talisman with spiritual power, Ye Feng’s hearing sharpened as if gifted with supernatural ears, sticking close to them.

Then, their voices came through.

Li Yueyao’s voice, hesitant and trembling, came from the bustling market.

“What exactly is going on?”

“You were so sure Ye Feng was doomed to die!”

“Why is he still fine now?”

At the same time, a furious voice snapped back: “You want me to ask? Who the hell else am I supposed to ask?”

“That’s a five-day death powder I spent sixty spiritual stones on; any Qi Refinement cultivator touched by it is guaranteed to die within five days.”

“I’ve never made a mistake when dealing with this stuff!”

“This kid is just uncanny. He clearly drank several full cups, but he’s still fine.”

Li Yueyao’s voice wavered.

“Changfu, I told you before, just give it up.”

“After all, Ye Feng is your brother’s descendant; killing him is just immoral.”

“Besides, that thing might not even be in his hands.”

“You should just let him go.”

Wu Changfu’s voice noticeably lowered, but the anger in his tone was unmistakable.

“Do you even hear what you’re saying?”

Years ago, although Ye Feng’s parents were severely injured by beasts, they managed to escape.

I refuse to believe they didn’t leave that inner core for that brat!

You know Elder Zheng needs that inner core.

Competition is fierce now. To enter the Backing Sect, Elder Zheng is the only hope.

Without that inner core, my path to immortality is cut off.

He sneered, “Yueyao!”

“Don’t think that just because you’re by my side, you have bargaining power.”

“The only reason I haven’t touched you yet is because I hope one day we can enter the immortal gate together as partners. With your Yin essence, I can break through again.”

“If by some stroke of luck I reach the Foundation Establishment stage, I’ll be able to provide you with a life of luxury. That’s a blessing you couldn’t earn in several lifetimes.”

“But if you lose this chance, you know exactly how I’ll treat you.”

The two fell into a long silence.

Just when Ye Feng suspected the talisman’s power was about to fade, Wu Changfu’s furious voice erupted again:

“Enough nonsense.”

“Elder Zheng assigned me a mission, and I accepted. I have to take care of some things.”

“No matter what methods you use, get that thing to me as soon as possible.”

“Or you know what will happen.”

...

“Pfft, I knew it was a bad fart!”

The high-grade talisman turned to ashes.

Ye Feng finally understood.

His transmigration was inseparable from the ‘concern’ of these two.

Wu Changfu was clearly the mastermind behind his predecessor’s death.

Five-day death powder...

There was no mention of this in his memories.

They were literally targeting his life.

If the scar-faced Wu Changfu hadn’t been restrained by the rules of the Gathering and the marketplace, and hadn’t been so uncertain, he would have killed Ye Feng just now.

With Ye Feng’s current cultivation at the fourth layer of Qi Refinement, he had no chance against the two.

The only option now was to outwit them.

If he had any advantage, it was knowing their plan, plus the system’s ability to rewind time.

That gave him room to maneuver.

The cultivation world was chaotic, where killing happened at the drop of a hat.

Strength was the ultimate truth.

Without cultivation or backing, one lived a miserable, undignified life.

This only strengthened Ye Feng’s resolve to become stronger.

Gather resources, deal with Wu Changfu, enter the Backing Sect.

The road ahead was long and arduous.

To establish himself in the cultivation world, he needed everything: cultivation techniques, magical instruments, spells, physical techniques, escape treasures, and cultivation resources.

With the system, Ye Feng was determined to excel in all aspects.

To forge himself into a perfect hexagonal warrior.

And the first step, naturally, was safety.

With Wu Changfu’s threat and Liu Ruyan’s demands, Ye Feng realized it was best to acquire a defensive magical instrument.

The higher the grade of the defensive instrument he obtained, the greater the return he would receive after gifting it.

Although Li Yueyao’s return rate was higher than Liu Ruyan’s, there was no reason to give gifts to her for now.

What if he went up to flirt and she snapped and killed him to claim credit?

Relying on coercion and temptation between the two was too risky.

Ye Feng kept his wits about him; he wasn’t some favored child, adored by all.

With Wu Changfu’s threat looming, this woman would definitely come back to find him.

He would think of a way to stabilize her then.

As long as she wanted to take advantage, Ye Feng had no fear.

He would just be generous and satisfy her demands.

Ye Feng was genuinely interested in Li Yueyao.

Her mature charm and the complex relationship between them stirred an inexplicable excitement within him.

He was determined to avenge his predecessor’s grievances.

He would also make sure to reap the returns from Li Yueyao’s flattery.

He was curious to see Wu Changfu’s reaction when he learned that Li Yueyao had been fully armed and even capable of resisting.

He also knew Liu Ruyan only wanted to dangle herself before him.

But wasn’t he doing the same?

Top hunters often used the simplest methods.

Even if Liu Ruyan didn’t lose out, Ye Feng would always come out ahead.

A spiritual garment!

A defensive magical garment was the best.

Liu Ruyan sure had good taste.

...

At the other end of the Gathering of Immortals’ Crossroads, a grand shop stood, its clientele composed entirely of female cultivators.

The four large characters “Pinru Clothing” made Ye Feng grit his teeth.

Female cultivators stared at him like a monkey, occasionally whispering and pointing.

Those who didn’t understand had helpful female cultivators nearby to explain.

“The most devoted lover of Ju Xian Residence...”

“The strongest simp in the Gathering of Immortals...”

Sometimes accompanied by murmurs:

“Eek~”

“Oh?”

“My goodness!”

“Is it true...?”

Good deeds don’t leave home, but his reputation as a simp spread far and wide.

Yet for the sake of his own strength, Ye Feng relaxed his clenched fists and put on a smile, ready to enter the shop.

A stunning figure crossed her arms and blocked the entrance.

“Oh, isn’t this the prodigious shopkeeper Ye?”

“Are you here to exchange for a spiritual garment today?”

“You’ve got an eye for quality.”

“But the Pinru Shop only does business with female cultivators!”

“No male cultivators are allowed in.”

“That’s Mrs. Lin’s rule.”