Demon Sword Sect’s Undercover
Chapter 97 - 97 96 Wilderness Pursuit 2

97: Chapter 96 Wilderness Pursuit 2 97: Chapter 96 Wilderness Pursuit 2 This was Hou Niao’s most challenging outdoor cooking experience.

Cultivators aren’t afraid of death, so why fear food?

However, things couldn’t be compared that simply.

There were several jars of wine but only one pot of food—Xiang Xunyou’s specialty, which was said to be unattainable by the average person, only those favored had the privilege to taste it.

Hou Niao was well aware that this was probably not just a pot of spicy dung beetles, it could also be considered a very special ritual.

No one would say it outright, but the meaning was understood by all.

He almost had no other choice, just like in the army where the veterans test the new soldiers.

You had to pass this test first, otherwise, it would be difficult to integrate into the group.

Pretending to be nonchalant, he scooped a spoonful into his mouth to show his boldness.

He chewed exaggeratedly; in fact, he couldn’t taste what it actually was, constantly reminding himself not to spit it out and embarrass himself!

The two seniors watched him, laughing inwardly, fully aware of what was happening.

Zhiwen then picked one up, sharing his experience, “Actually, when eating this, the key is to slowly chew each one to truly taste its essence!”

Dou Gong, “Each beetle has its own unique life; no two are completely the same, you should savor carefully…”

Zhiwen, “The fun in eating this is, you never know if the next one will taste good or bad?

If it tastes good, it’s because I did a good job; if it smells, it’s because Dou Gong didn’t clean it properly.”

“Like this one, it’s male, on the harder side, crunchy.”

“This one I have is female, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside…”

“This one is great, it has eggs!

Those are the tastiest, once you bite down, the juice just flows…”

Hou Niao somewhat regretted following this lead; but then again, would joining any of the other two teams really be any better?

Probably not!

This was life on the Yinling patrol, he must adapt to the pace quickly, soon becoming an old Hou Niao, and then…

it would be his turn to torment the newcomers!

This was tradition!

That night, Zhiwen kept watch, they weren’t mortals, so they didn’t need to split the watch into shifts.

Meditating through the night wasn’t a problem;

This was another tradition, starting with the most senior disciple, those of higher realms go first, tomorrow Dou Gong, the day after, him…

In such rest, the only feeling he had was peace, an unparalleled sense of safety.

The next morning, after their early lessons, the three continued their tracking.

Following the trail dog wasn’t a particularly hard job, nor was it complicated; thus, Zhiwen simply handed over the bottle and the trail dog to Hou Niao, letting him get used to tracking in Yinling— an essential skill for every patrol member, useful both for finding enemies and saving lives.

The two seniors followed behind him, chatting leisurely,

“Brother, I heard that once this three-year term expires, you’ll be heading back to Jin City?” Dou Gong asked casually, feigning disinterest.

Xiang Zhiwen sighed, “Yes!

Time is so cruel, in the blink of an eye, it’s been six years.

If I keep staying here, some might blame me for lingering unnecessarily.

The Central Military Mansion has already given me a heads-up, asking me to join them.

It’s all combatants there, and not so many trivial matters.”

The Central Military Mansion was the best career path for most of their kind from the Quanzhen Sect; they couldn’t enter the Mu Shuai Mansion, nor did they want to—too many schemes and deceits; the Capital Commandant’s office, on the other hand, gave off a daunting vibe and was not their destined place.

Dou Gong knew that it was difficult for people like them to be assigned to other townships; others wouldn’t be comfortable, and neither would they.

“It’s also uncertain who the next Patrol Envoy from above will be?”

Xiang Zhiwen shook his head, “The personnel affairs of the Mu Shuai Mansion, who can clarify?

You, Feng Yaochen, and Li Jingxi, if the three of you could advance another level in your realms, I could recommend in my report that our own people take charge here, which would be much better than outsiders.”

Dou Gong scoffed, “Brother, your recommendations are pointless; it’s not just about the realm!

Anyway, I’m not up for it, and that Li Jingxi is even less hopeful.

Only Brother Feng might stand a chance, but I see he’s not interested either.

I just hope the person they send is reliable, doesn’t give random orders, and doesn’t end up harming our brothers here.”

The internal positions in the Quanzhen Sect were not trivial; they related to the most crucial aspect for a cultivator—resource allocation.

Especially after reaching Bridge Connection, a lot of resources required for a breakthrough to the Tongxuan Realm could not be amassed by an individual and needed support from the sect.

Two factors—own realm and position held; realm demonstrated a cultivator’s strength, while the position represented one’s contributions to the sect.

Naturally, higher positions meant you had accumulated more merits; this was also a relatively comprehensive system combining the Quanzhen Sect with worldly practices.

Of course, the system established by the sect’s forebears was quite effective: lesser cultivators work hard while cultivating to contribute to the sect, and, with enough contributions, they could be promoted.

When facing the Tongxuan threshold, they could thus obtain the necessary resources from the sect, creating a virtuous cycle.

But over time, many elements began to change, with relationships and backing becoming increasingly significant, and those genuinely advancing on effort alone faced narrower paths.

The combination of cultivation and worldly methods gradually assumed the flaws of mundane practices.

Thus, what he actually wanted to ask was the kind of position Xiang Zhiwen would hold at the Central Military Mansion after moving.

If it fell short of expectations, it could affect his imminent ascension to the Upper Realm.

But these things, Xiang Zhiwen himself wasn’t certain about either.

With thirty-nine towns, not a few cultivators reaching Bridge Connection each year, so many competing for limited resource allocations, without some backing and the ability to network efficiently, relying solely on higher-ups’ favor was hardly easy.

Tongxuan was a major hurdle, greatly linked to the age of the cultivator.

The best strategy was to push through in one go, as delays only increased the chances of failure.

By the time you spent decades gathering resources for a breakthrough, the optimal opportunity might have already passed.

In the entirety of Shan Country, in terms of resources, it was just average, which remained a bottleneck inhibiting the growth of the Quanzhen Sect.

That’s how it was for the sects; loose cultivators had it even worse; the cultivation scenario in the Jinxiu land magnified the resource issue to a critical state.

Its spiritual energy had been reviving as humanity started cultivating.

While lacking hundreds of thousands of years of spiritual sediment, it also lacked deep-buried Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.

Human wisdom was high, but there hadn’t been tens of thousands of years of exploration into cultivation methods…

Longevity, for cultivators like them at the bottom, was actually quite a distant dream.

Xiang Zhiwen also wasn’t optimistic, as open as he was, he couldn’t just ignore his own future,

“Let’s take it one step at a time!

I am this way, and so are you.

If a new Patrol Envoy arrives, it’s better to cooperate as much as possible.

Our tempers are such…”

Dou Gong gave a cold smile, “Cooperation is fine, but no reckless actions!

Otherwise, burying a Patrol Envoy here in Yinling wouldn’t be anything new!”