“Volume One of the Buried Bone Secret Technique is the bait. Volume Two is the hook… The Ascension Society certainly knows how to play the game.”

Wang Ba saw through Yu Changchun’s intentions at a glance.

Yet, he had to admit that while the method was simple, its effectiveness was brutal.

Putting himself in their shoes, imagine an ordinary Laborer Disciple who knew the Physique Strengthening Scripture was a dead end, only to suddenly discover the miraculous effects of the Buried Bone Secret Technique. They would likely throw themselves at it like moths to a flame, disregarding all consequences.

In terms from his past life, this was an “Open Scheme”—a Yangmou.

It was a trap laid out in plain sight. As long as you were trapped in the Eastern Sage Sect, stuck as a hopeless Laborer Disciple, and still harbored a desperate desire for the path of longevity, you met the three fatal criteria. You had no choice but to join the Ascension Society.

And once inside, you would guard their secrets with your life.

The critical question remained: What exactly was this organization plotting?

Wang Ba didn’t know.

But one thing was clear. The fact that they operated in such deep secrecy—without a single whisper circulating in the bustling market district—proved one terrifying fact.

Their ambitions were massive.

However, whatever grand conspiracy they were cooking up had little to do with him.

“Fifteen days. In fifteen days, I exit through the tunnel. Whatever the Ascension Society is planning, it won’t be my problem.”

Wang Ba tossed the palm-sized booklet in his hand before casually stuffing it into his robes.

He didn’t throw it away.

If the Physique Strengthening Scripture truly proved useless, this Buried Bone Secret Technique might serve as a desperate fallback option.

After a moment of thought, he carefully maintained the disguise of his Yin Spirit power and stepped out of his room.

Instantly, he felt the Yin Spirit power residing in his Yin Spirit Abode begin to churn and spin violently.

Wang Ba cursed inwardly.

He didn’t retreat immediately, fearing that a sudden U-turn would trigger Yu Changchun’s suspicion. Instead, he feigned a casual stroll to get a drink of water. Then, putting on a hurried expression—as if suddenly struck by an epiphany regarding the secret manual—he rushed back into his room.

Sure enough, the moment the door closed, the spinning of the Yin Spirit power ceased.

Wang Ba’s expression turned grim.

“What does this mean? Continuous real-time monitoring? Are they that afraid I’ll run out and expose them? Cautious doesn’t even begin to cover it.”

Now he understood why the market district was completely silent regarding the Society. Clearly, most Laborer Disciples succumbed to the temptation of the Buried Bone Secret Technique. And for the few who might hesitate, this level of constant surveillance was enough to strangle any potential leaks in the cradle.

“If that’s true, then the information Old Hou ‘accidentally’ revealed about the Ascension Society… it was likely a deliberate leak. They wanted me to extract it. It seems they’ve had their eyes on me for a long time.”

The realization hit him late, cold and sharp. Details from the past that had seemed insignificant now looked like pieces of a carefully orchestrated setup.

“If they’ve been watching me, then the Dung Tyrant Niu Yong, and even Deacon Li, might also be targets! No… it’s possible they are already members. Just what is the Ascension Society trying to achieve?!”

The question surfaced in his mind again, but he forcefully shoved it aside.

Knowing their goal wouldn’t solve his immediate problem.

The priority was survival. He had to figure out how to deal with this surveillance. If he didn’t solve this, the Ascension Society would likely “deal” with him long before he ever saw the tunnel.

He didn’t doubt their ruthlessness for a second.

On what appeared to be a mundane afternoon, Wang Ba had quietly stumbled into his greatest crisis since joining the Sect.

One wrong move, and he was dead.

“Calm down. Calm down. Hoo—”

Wang Ba took a deep, stabilizing breath.

He was no longer the greenhorn who had just stumbled into the Sect. Nearly a year of raising chickens and navigating the treacherous waters of the Outer Sect disciples had tempered his heart. He was tougher now.

After strategizing, he reactivated the Yin Spirit power disguise and walked out again.

To any observer, it was a normal afternoon. He picked up a broom and shovel and began his daily chores around the manor.

The only difference was his speed. He worked fast. Yu Changchun’s gaze triggered a reaction in his Yin Spirit power that consumed energy rapidly; he couldn’t afford to waste it.

He swept a full circle around the manor, shoveled the chicken dung into buckets, and hauled them outside. Then, broom in hand, he headed toward Old Man Sun’s quarters, appearing as though he intended to clean there as well.

The moment he stepped inside, Wang Ba’s face darkened.

The entire manor is under surveillance, except for the interiors of the rooms.

Even when I leave the manor, the gaze follows.

Two possibilities.

One: The surveillance is a static array looking down from above, unable to penetrate roofs.

Two: They are either watching the whole manor at once or manually tracking my movements. Currently, the former seems more likely.

So, under normal circumstances, escaping their watch without alerting them is statistically impossible.

Wang Ba frowned, his mind racing.

His gaze inadvertently swept across the room and landed on the wardrobe. He froze.

“Huh? What happened here?”

Old Man Sun’s room was a disaster zone.

The old wooden cabinets had been smashed to splinters. But what truly shocked Wang Ba was the bed. The solid stone block that served as a bed had been pulverized into jagged chunks of rock.

Amidst the wreckage, a few Spirit Poultry were leisurely strolling about, pecking at the ground near several severely deformed chicken cages.

“Alpha-Five, did you do this?”

Wang Ba’s suspicion immediately fell on the rooster. Compared to the others, Alpha-Five was smarter and physically superior.

“Cluck?”

Alpha-Five tilted its head, its beady eyes filled with innocent confusion.

“No, not him.”

Wang Ba dismissed the thought. Although Alpha-Five was a Middle Grade first-tier Spirit Poultry—technically comparable to a Qi Refining cultivator—Wang Ba knew the bird better than anyone. It was a meat chicken.

The defining trait of a meat chicken was a complete lack of aggression and combat capability. Alpha-Five fit the mold perfectly. It simply didn’t have the strength to shatter a stone bed.

Stepping closer, Wang Ba examined the debris. The broken stones were covered in short, sharp chisel marks. They looked like they had been gouged out by claws—either human or beast.

But… what kind of person or beast would break into a dead man’s room and unleash such fury on a stone bed?

What kind of grudge was this?

Did they just have nothing better to do?

Who did this?

Until he solved this mystery, Wang Ba couldn’t feel a shred of safety.

“Did the Ascension Society sneak someone in to intimidate me? A warning shot?”

“No, that doesn’t make sense.”

Wang Ba racked his brain, but the answer eluded him.

The surrounding Spirit Poultry ignored him, but three specific chickens came waddling over. These were the third-generation hatchlings, only ten days old, yet thanks to Wang Ba’s investment of Lifespan, they had grown at a terrifying rate.

They gathered around him, their small eyes shining with a hint of intelligence and curiosity.

One little hen hopped onto Wang Ba’s leg. It backed up, raised its tail feathers, and dropped a fresh pile of dung on his robe.

Enraged, Wang Ba slapped it away.

But meat chickens, while lacking attack power, were incredibly durable. The little hen tumbled through the air, landed, and stood up as if nothing had happened. Thinking Wang Ba was playing a game, it waddled back, shaking its large rear. It half-flew, half-jumped back onto his leg, raised its tail, and—plop—another pile.

Wang Ba: “…”

Why is this chicken so damn wretched?