Chapter 26: Return the Points

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Pain—an endless, overwhelming tide of pain surged forth—this was the sensation Zong Anze felt as the monster tore into him.

He soon slipped into darkness, or perhaps into a dream.

In dreams, as in the realm, there was boundless blackness, eroding both his body and soul.

Why had he come to such a fate... Zong Anze struggled to recall.

Ah, now he remembered.

He and his companions had encountered several mortals and decided to bring them back to the inn.

They escorted the mortals along the way, but eventually encountered a flock of flying birds—rotting bodies with eyes glowing red—that swarmed toward them in great numbers.

They fought fiercely to protect the mortals, and after finally dispatching the monstrous birds, Zong Anze felt his spiritual power completely drained. He had just taken a pill when a cry rang out.

He saw that one of the mortals—a man who seemed to have some basic martial arts skills—was calling for help not far away.

Zong Anze didn’t know how the man had wandered out of their protective circle, so he leapt over to investigate.

Ah, it was a group of fish monsters.

Zong Anze urged the others to flee quickly; they had just fought a battle and were not yet recovered, making another fight difficult.

A fish monster leapt up and lunged at the man.

Caught unprepared and still recovering, the man was pushed by the mortal, falling into the midst of the fish monsters.

The fish monster bit off a large chunk of his flesh, and the man fought back fiercely.

He escaped immediately, and Zong Anze heard the shouts of his companions and screams of agony...

Then...

He gradually lost consciousness.

How long he wandered in this darkness, he did not know. Suddenly, he saw a faint green glow ahead.

His instinct to move toward the light compelled him forward.

He thought: This must be the path to the underworld.

Did he regret it? Losing his life for a mortal?

At the moment he surged into the green light, Zong Anze realized he had his answer: No regrets.

A cultivator must uphold peace in the world and protect all living beings!

“Boom—”

A surge of power erupted from Zong Anze, scattering the room’s contents in disarray.

Sikong Fengyun’s joy doubled: Zong Anze had awakened, and he had broken through.

But seeing the chaotic room, Sikong Fengyun’s forehead twitched: This is terrible, how many points will this cost?!

Zong Anze, now awake, first rejoiced: He was not dead! And he had broken through!

He looked up to see Sikong Fengyun’s expression full of pain and confusion.

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Sikong Fengyun silently gestured around, covering her face and sighing.

Zong Anze’s pupils trembled instantly: “...”

Ah! This was it! He was a poor sword cultivator!!!

The two exchanged a silent look. After a moment, Zong Anze asked, “Where are Daoist Li and Daoist Wu?”

“They’re behind us, but should be back soon. I used spiritual power to paddle the raft all the way back with you,” Sikong Fengyun said. “If the pill hadn’t had some purifying effect, you probably wouldn’t have lasted until Boss Qin saved you.”

Next second, Sikong Fengyun held out her hand: “350,000 points. Please pay your debt.”

Zong Anze: “...”

Oh, what terrible news.

Now Zong Anze only wished to faint again, but obviously, that was impossible.

“No matter what, thank you for not abandoning me.”

Sikong Fengyun raised an eyebrow: “We’re teammates after all, and you usually take good care of us.”

Among their loose alliance of four independent cultivators, Zong Anze was the sole sword cultivator. Daoist Li was a sound cultivator; both were damage dealers, with Zong Anze being the top output.

Sikong Fengyun, an artifact cultivator, also dealt considerable damage and had plenty of strength—one hammer could crack a skull.

But she was obsessed with forging artifacts and lacked experience in combat.

Financially, artifact cultivators were better off than sword cultivators, as others paid her handsomely for forging. She could also sell her creations to increase income, so she was not as poor as Zong Anze.

Ha, to be precise, few were poorer than sword cultivators.

Oh, physical cultivators were another story—they were the two most costly types with little income.

As for Daoist Wu, a pill cultivator, nobody knew his lineage.

After all, a good pill cultivator without strong backing or resources found early advancement difficult.

Of course, artifact cultivators faced similar challenges.

Thinking of this, Sikong Fengyun silently thanked her parents for the inheritance that allowed her such extravagance.

Zong Anze rubbed his nose: “What about that mortal?”

Sikong Fengyun’s usually gentle face grew cold, and she shrugged: “An eye for an eye. We pushed him into the sea to save you.”

Zong Anze replied indifferently: “Oh.”

Sikong Fengyun smiled: “I thought you’d object, since you’re the kindest among us four.”

Zong Anze shook his head: “I believe in repaying kindness and vengeance alike. Even if you hadn’t acted, I would have come myself.”

But he did not harbor grudges or become paranoid from one bad experience.

If a mortal needed help, he would still assist, just with more caution.

This time he had been careless, assuming mortals posed no threat to cultivators.

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Sikong Fengyun nodded, then delivered a knowing remark: “Alright, now pay up.”

Zong Anze: “...”

...

Qin Yuerran had received the message when Zong Anze wrecked the room, but she was chatting with Gu Yuanyuan and didn’t seek him out immediately.

Gu Yuanyuan arrived at the inn shortly after Sikong Fengyun and the others.

He learned from the staff that someone had taken Qin Yuerran away earlier, so he waited quietly while ordering food at the restaurant.

As dawn broke, Gu Yuanyuan finally saw Qin Yuerran.

He was sitting on the sofa, holding a newly popular drink—a pearl milk tea.

“Boss Qin,” Gu Yuanyuan waved.

The staff had also informed her that Gu Yuanyuan was looking for her; otherwise, she would have gone straight to the top floor.

Qin Yuerran approached and sat down on the sofa: “What’s the matter?”

“Ah...” Gu Yuanyuan sighed, chewing on something. “It’s a long story.” (Chew, chew)

He couldn’t help but sip his milk tea. (Chew, chew, chew) “Why are those black things called pearls so delightfully chewy?” (Chew, chew, chew, chew) — Gu Yuanyuan thought to himself.

Qin Yuerran twitched at the corner of her mouth and found herself craving it too.

Soon, she had a cup in hand while Gu Yuanyuan recounted why he had returned late.

On his way back from posting, he encountered a humanoid monster.

Everyone knew that humanoid monsters were usually people who had been corrupted after coming here.

Though they lost consciousness, they retained their fighting instincts.

Because of this, if the monster had been a strong cultivator before, the battle could be very difficult.

Gu Yuanyuan and several other disciples fought the creature, and he found it strangely familiar. Upon closer observation, they realized it was one of their sect’s elders.

Moreover, she had been a kind elder, always answering questions and caring for juniors, respected by all disciples.

When they realized the monster was her, they hesitated to strike, not wanting to destroy her body, even though her form was unrecognizable.

The earlier fight had already badly damaged her corpse. Later, they changed strategy and fought for a long time, managing to preserve the body when the battle ended.

Remembering that Qin Yuerran could purify corruption, they brought the body back to see if she could restore the elder’s original form.

Gu Yuanyuan’s mood was somber: “After entering, we found many familiar people had become monsters in the end. We wanted to bring their remains home.”

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