Yu Changchun?!

The name struck Wang Ba like a physical blow.

The frenetic busyness of the past few days, combined with the sudden disappearance of the Ascension Society, had almost made him forget that sinister figure existed.

But Old Hou’s sudden warning sent a jolt of pure crisis through Wang Ba’s veins.

Don’t run around for the next few days? What does that mean?

Could Senior Brother Zhao Feng be right? Is a major upheaval about to strike the Sect the moment the leadership leaves?

Thoughts racing, Wang Ba called out to stop Old Hou. He dashed back up to the manor, retrieved a small bucket of Spirit Poultry eggs, and clattered back down the path to stuff them into the old man’s cart.

To Wang Ba’s surprise, Old Hou merely raised an eyebrow at the bucket of eggs. He remained silent, his expression unreadable.

Too little?

Wang Ba frowned internally, annoyed by the greed, but his face maintained a warm, ingratiating smile. “Wait one moment, Old Brother! I wasn’t prepared just now—there’s more I haven’t brought down yet.”

He sprinted back up the hill again. This time, he grabbed two live Spirit Poultry, twisting their wings to immobilize them, and brought them down to stuff into the donkey cart.

Right now, Wang Ba lacked everything except chickens.

With three of the four major markets outside the Sect destroyed, leaving only the North Pine Market operational, selling poultry had become a dangerous hassle. For the sake of safety, Wang Ba had drastically reduced his sales, preferring to let the birds die of old age in the coop rather than risk exposure.

Seeing the two plump spirit hens, a faint smile finally touched Old Hou’s lips. However, his tone shifted, becoming oddly formal compared to his usual rough demeanor.

“One should not accept a reward without merit. Brother Wang, do you have a favor to ask of me?”

Hearing that tone, Wang Ba’s heart went cold.

Yet, his face remained a mask of innocent confusion. He unconsciously rubbed his slightly twisted left pinky finger and offered a naive, simple-minded grin.

“Hehe, it’s nothing big. I just wanted to know if Manager Yu entrusted you with any other messages for me.”

“Also… I wanted to ask when I can undergo the bone replacement again? If I join the Ascension Society now, is there still a bone source available?”

Old Hou paused, seemingly lost in thought. After a moment, he spoke slowly.

“I… The Manager has no specific instructions. However, he did specifically tell me that your bone replacement is not urgent. Wait a few days before bringing it up.”

“A few days? How many, exactly?” Wang Ba pressed, putting on a show of anxious impatience.

Seeing Old Hou’s gaze turn wary, he quickly waved his hands. “I’m just getting desperate, you know? If I didn’t remember the Manager saying I couldn’t do it again within ten days, I would have tried to swap bones myself by now.”

“You don’t understand… those Sect disciples look down on me. I… I just…”

Old Hou’s gaze softened. As a fellow bottom-feeder, he understood the desperation of a Laborer Disciple. He thought for a moment. “Wait at least another ten days. The Manager has been extremely busy lately and cannot spare the time to arrange it.”

“So that’s how it is.”

Wang Ba’s face dawned with exaggerated realization. He stepped forward, grabbing Old Hou’s hand in both of his, shaking it with intense gratitude. “Old Hou, you have to remember to put in a good word for me with Manager Yu! Please!”

Old Hou seemed uncomfortable with the contact. He retreated two steps, pulling his hand away. “Easy to say, easy to say. I have to get back to work now.”

With that, he hopped onto the donkey cart and drove off at a brisk pace.

Wang Ba stood there, waving until the cart disappeared around the bend.

The moment Old Hou was gone, Wang Ba dropped the Yin Spirit power he had been using to mask his aura. His simple smile vanished instantly, replaced by a look of terrifying grimness.

“No Lifespan.”

“Old Hou has no Lifespan.”

He had noticed the subtle shifts in Old Hou’s tone and mannerisms—tiny, almost imperceptible discrepancies.

For a split second, Old Hou’s cadence had sounded exactly like Yu Changchun’s.

Although the old man—or whatever he was—had corrected himself quickly, Wang Ba’s paranoia was already triggered. He suspected Old Hou might be Yu Changchun in disguise. Cultivators had thousands of strange arts; a disguise technique wasn’t impossible.

That was why he had grabbed Old Hou’s hand. It was a bold, high-stakes test.

He never expected the result.

When he gripped that hand—rough, calloused, warm, and full of strength—the System Panel did not appear.

It was like holding a piece of dead wood.

“Old Hou is dead. He’s been dead for a while.”

The conclusion made the hair on Wang Ba’s arms stand up. A chill seeped into his marrow.

He recalled Old Hou’s behavior over the past few weeks. The man had acted completely normal. He chatted, he laughed, he drove his cart. It was entirely possible that Old Hou didn’t even realize he was dead.

The Ascension Society… is this the ‘Buried Bone Secret Technique’?

Did Elder He Lin really create something this grotesque?

What are they trying to do?

In a world where power was concentrated in the individual, Wang Ba couldn’t fathom why a secret society would expend so much effort and complexity on lowly Laborer Disciples.

But he had a sinking feeling that the answer was coming soon.

“For the next few days, do not run around…”

Recalling the dead man’s warning, a suffocating sense of urgency gripped Wang Ba’s heart.

…

Ding Section Nine Manor.

Wang Ba arrived on time and immediately busied himself with work.

He had to act the part fully. With his departure from the Sect imminent, he couldn’t afford to arouse suspicion. It was just a few more days of shoveling manure, after all.

He didn’t bother using his Yin Spirit power to disguise himself.

Without active Spiritual Power fluctuation, a cultivator’s realm couldn’t be discerned by the naked eye unless there was a massive gap in cultivation or a specific observation technique.

The cultivators of the Ding Section were the Sect’s rejects. They barely had time to cultivate their main arts; none of them would waste precious time learning a useless “Qi Gazing” spell.

So, in the eyes of the trio at Ding Section Nine, Wang Ba was still just a lucky Laborer Disciple with a sturdy body and strong connections.

Senior Brother Shi (Stone) was uncharacteristically enthusiastic. Instead of hiding in his room to cultivate, he came out to work alongside Wang Ba.

He fermented the chicken feed and distributed the Extreme Blood Pills with surprising efficiency—faster, even, than Wang Ba.

“I studied under Elder Qian Jun of the Myriad Beast Department,” Stone explained with a touch of pride, noticing Wang Ba’s surprise. “The Art of Beast Rearing was my foundation. These are basic skills.”

Wang Ba nodded in understanding.

Nearby, Tao Yi was busy filling troughs, and even Lin Yu had emerged from her room to collect eggs.

It was the first time Wang Ba had seen the three cultivators of Ding Section Nine working together.

Once the chores were mostly done, Stone gathered them.

“I received a notification this morning. Junior Brother Zhu and his group have left the Sect. From today on, Ding Section Ten Manor is under our management.”

He looked at the group. “I’ll assign the tasks. Let me know if you have objections.”

The three waited silently.

Stone cleared his throat, turned to Lin Yu, and smiled warmly. “Junior Sister Lin, how about you and Junior Brother Tao take charge of Ding Section Nine together?”

“Him?”

“Her?”

“No!”

“Absolutely not!”

Tao Yi and Lin Yu looked at each other with mutual disgust, objecting in perfect unison.

“Senior Brother Shi,” Tao Yi said, glaring at Lin Yu, “I’ll work with Wang Ba. We’ve been a team these past few days. We know each other’s rhythm. It won’t delay the work.”

Lin Yu bit her lip and quickly interjected, “Senior Brother Shi, I… I want to work with Wang Ba too!”

Wang Ba looked at her, confused. Since when did she like working?

Tao Yi chuckled coldly. “Nice calculation, Lin Yu. Working with Wang Ba just means he does all the labor while you sit around leeching off the Spirit Vein!”

The accusation hit the mark. Lin Yu’s face went icy. Even Stone looked a bit awkward—because that had been his exact plan for himself.

Furious, Lin Yu reached up and pulled the hairpin from her bun. She infused it with Spiritual Power, and the accessory swelled in the wind, transforming into a gleaming sword-like weapon pointed straight at Tao Yi’s throat.

“Tao Yi… say that again. I dare you.”

Tao Yi’s face paled as he sensed the sharp Qi. He clamped his mouth shut.

Stone’s expression darkened. “Junior Sister! Do not be impulsive!”

As he spoke, a black weasel with a leopard’s face poked its head out from his sleeve. Its beady eyes locked onto Lin Yu, flashing with a dangerous, predatory light.

“Hmph!”

Sensing the threat from the spirit beast, Lin Yu snorted coldly and reluctantly retracted her magic hairpin.

Seeing the situation de-escalate, Stone nodded slightly. He thought for a moment.

“In that case, the three of us will remain here at Ding Section Nine. Wang Ba will take sole responsibility for Ding Section Ten. That way, we avoid… idle gossip.”

He turned to Wang Ba benevolently. “It will be hard work for you, Brother Wang.”

Wang Ba bowed deeply, hiding his delight. “Immortal, you jest. This is my duty.”

This was perfect. Ding Section Ten had fewer chickens, meaning less work. More importantly, being alone meant he wouldn’t have to worry about prying eyes noticing his cultivation. It suited him perfectly.

After the meeting adjourned, Tao Yi pulled Wang Ba aside.

Nearby, Lin Yu paused, watching them, but seeing she wasn’t welcome, she stomped back to her room in frustration.

“I’m sorry,” Tao Yi said, his voice full of genuine apology. “I really wanted to partner with you. I didn’t mean to dump all the work on your shoulders.”

Wang Ba felt a pang of sadness. Tao Yi was one of his few friends in this ruthless Sect.

The sadness wasn’t about the work; it was the knowledge that Wang Ba would be fleeing soon. This was likely the last time they would ever speak.

He smiled and cupped his hands. “It’s fine. I only hope that the next time we meet, you’ll be a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator!”

Tao Yi looked surprised by the grand blessing but smiled warmly. “I accept your auspicious words! And may you, too, have hope of Ascension!”

“Hope of Ascension,” Wang Ba echoed.

Later, Stone invited Wang Ba into his room.

He pointed to a bookshelf filled with volumes. “If any of these interest you, feel free to borrow them. just remember to return them—I painstakingly copied many of these from my Master’s library.”

“And if you have questions, ask away.”

Wang Ba thought for a moment. He actually did have questions regarding Spirit Poultry. Since his lifespan growth depended on them, he paid great attention to the theory.

I’m leaving soon. I won’t get another chance like this.

He decided to ask.

At first, Stone answered casually, treating it as a way to maintain their relationship. But as Wang Ba spoke, Stone’s eyes widened. He discovered that this Laborer Disciple possessed unique and profound insights into the biology of Spirit Beasts.

His interest piqued, Stone began to discuss the topics seriously.

When Wang Ba started explaining his theories on Spirit Poultry breakthroughs—concepts like “Use and Disuse,” “Natural Selection,” and “Induced Mutation”—Stone couldn’t help but slap the table in admiration. He looked at Wang Ba with new eyes.

“What you’re describing… the cultivation world has discussed these phenomena for ages, but no one has ever summarized them as concisely as you have.”

He sighed repeatedly, shaking his head.

“What a pity! What a tragedy that you are merely a Laborer Disciple. If you had the aptitude, perhaps our Myriad Beast Department would have produced another beast-rearing prodigy like Patriarch Horn-Pot!”

Daoist Horn-Pot was from the Myriad Beast Department?

Wang Ba was stunned.

Seeing his surprise, Stone proceeded to reveal an unexpected piece of Sect history.

“Back when our Eastern Sage Sect was first established here, it was Patriarch Horn-Pot who insisted on choosing this location…”