Chapter 61: Advancement and Moving

In the end, from the shuriken and caltrops wielded by the masked assassin, as well as certain movements and techniques, Zhang Pu deduced that the assassin was likely a ninja from the island nation.

His battle with this ninja was grueling; he had to employ several minor spells from the cultivation world before finally driving the assassin away. But even though he had chased off his enemy, Zhang Pu was left exhausted, and at one point he had narrowly avoided being struck by the ninja’s crucifix-shaped caltrops.

He returned to his rented apartment, secretly grateful that the enemy had come alone. Had there been more than one, the consequences would have been unthinkable.

Now, who had sent this ninja?

Zhang Pu’s thoughts naturally turned to Ye Xiaoting—most likely, it was that troublesome girl who had called for this assassin. He’d already suspected that Ye Xiaoting had some connection to the island nation. Barely had he put a damper on her arrogance when she retaliated by sending a master ninja after him.

He used to think that Zheng Xiaoming’s timidity was mere paranoia; since his rebirth, he had cut more than a few people down to size. Yet he hadn’t expected Ye Xiaoting’s revenge to come so swiftly.

Hmph! But so what? Zhang Pu smirked coldly in his heart.

That ninja still left in defeat, did he not?

Given Ye Xiaoting’s current status, this must have been the best expert she could call upon—and even then, she failed. Zhang Pu stopped thinking about her. With a thousand years of cultivation experience, he was certain Ye Xiaoting wouldn’t dare make trouble again anytime soon. If she refused to mend her ways, he would make her suffer as much as he wished.

For now, two things took precedence: advancing his cultivation and finding a new residence—somewhere he could set up protective formations to prevent further disturbances.

Though he had his own apartment, the building housed other tenants. Arranging formations here would be awkward, and if trouble ever came knocking, innocent neighbors would inevitably be caught in the crossfire.

The following days passed uneventfully; Ye Xiaoting did not send any more attackers. People are prone to such instincts—perhaps it was because they now knew each other. On campus, even though Ye Xiaoting seemed to be deliberately avoiding him, Zhang Pu found that he ran into her much more often than before.

Ye Xiaoting, for her part, looked thoroughly deflated, like a stray dog. She pretended to know nothing about the attempt on his life, and Zhang Pu had no intention of exposing her; a mutual understanding sufficed.

Rather than seeking revenge, Zhang Pu thought it better to let her make regular offerings to him in the long term. Unless she courted death herself, there was no need for him to be ruthless.

Within a few days, aided by medicinal pills, Zhang Pu smoothly advanced to the Foundation Establishment stage.

As for housing, he set his sights on a high-end villa community a bit farther from South Lake Park. The villas were beautiful, but the cheapest cost at least five million yuan. Even with his recent earnings, the combined expenses of buying herbs for alchemy and purchasing a house left him feeling stretched thin.

What to do?

Naturally, he thought of Master Zeng Guoxing and his assistants, Wang Gang and Zhou Yu—they had been his main source of income lately. Yet, recalling how he’d made money by refining pills and treating illnesses, Zhang Pu felt he’d already profited enough and was embarrassed to ask for more.

Then, an ingenious idea struck him.

Why not move into Liu Yingde’s mountain estate?

Indeed, why had he not considered that perfect location before? Not only could he set up formations to guard against outsiders, but with Liu Yingde and his followers serving as protectors, the estate was doubly secure. The Witch Ghost Sect carried considerable influence in the surrounding area, deterring most people from approaching.

The more Zhang Pu thought about it, the brighter his eyes shone. Living there would be ideal for his cultivation.

Impulsively, he contacted Liu Yingde. Upon hearing his request, Liu Yingde seemed to experience a complex mix of emotions—excitement, anxiety, perhaps even trepidation—but he could hardly refuse Zhang Pu’s intention to move in.

For his part, Zhang Pu made up his mind on the spot. No matter what, he would live there for a while and see how it suited him. It wasn’t far from the city, and he could always ask Liu Yingde’s sect to provide transportation to and from school, as if his own family home were there.

Moreover, the school now treated him like the child of a high-ranking official. He could come and go as he pleased, and skipping classes would never be recorded as truancy. The school and his teachers would automatically file leave requests for him.

As for academics, Zhang Pu laughed inwardly. With the insight gained from the cultivation world, he could easily ace every subject. By employing a certain comprehension technique, he could deduce the answers to any test question, even at his current Foundation Establishment level, and it wouldn’t take long.

Thus, whether he attended class or not, exams posed no pressure.

Previously, Zhang Pu spent his after-school life in the city. Now, he would be moving to the outskirts. Though the distance was small, once settled there, his nights of city wandering would be over.

His primary plan was to focus on cultivation. The higher his level, the more time and energy it would demand. Compared to the trivialities of modern school life, this seemed a mere pastime.

As he prepared to move to Liu Yingde’s estate, Zhang Pu calculated that, by using the Summoning Art of the Bright Star Realm combined with the Eightfold Convergence of Heaven and Earth, he could still channel the spiritual energy from South Lake Park into the mountain villa.

Suddenly, realizing that his future nights would be spent in that remote, solitary estate, Zhang Pu felt a rare urge to stroll through the city.

He wandered alone through the streets. Near a hotel, he spotted a familiar figure.

"Chen Wenfa..."

Zhang Pu saw Chen Wenfa enter the hotel. Since he was about to move to his master’s estate, Zhang Pu felt a sudden urge to check on Chen Wenfa. The way he slipped into the hotel seemed suspicious.

Zhang Pu followed.

Inside, he saw Chen Wenfa heading to the hotel’s café with a stylish, elegant woman.

This guy… is he on a date?

Zhang Pu decided to sneak closer and see what was going on.