Chapter 4: Demon of Greed and Wrath

High noon.

Gu An, Meng Lang, and Li Ya stood in front of a wooden railing in a garden area, with Meng Lang curiously staring at the white-furred mouse in Gu An's hands.

Li Ya pondered and said, "This should be a White Spirit Rat. They are interested in spiritual energy-rich heavenly materials and earthly treasures, hence earning the moniker Treasure-Seeking Rat. It barely qualifies as a spirit beast."

Upon hearing this, Meng Lang couldn't help but ask, "What's the difference between a spirit beast and a demon beast?"

"Demon beasts cultivate themselves, while spirit beasts are born with the ability to perceive nature's spiritual energy. They can also practice cultivation and their aura isn't as bloody as demon qi. To put it simply, spirit beasts aren't as dangerous as demon beasts," Li Ya explained.

Upon hearing this, Gu An suddenly didn't want to kill the mouse.

Meng Lang became even more interested and chuckled, "Gu An, why not give me that mouse?"

Gu An raised an eyebrow and internally cursed the animal, bold enough to make such a request!

Li Ya said coldly, "White Spirit Rats generally do not live alone. If one appears, it means there's a nest nearby. Go catch one yourself. Resorting to snatching even a single mouse, you're really demeaning yourself."

Meng Lang's cheeks flushed red with anger as he huffed, "If I have to catch it, so be it!"

With that, he turned and left.

Once he was out of sight, Gu An said to Li Ya, "Thank you."

Gu An found that although Li Ya appeared aloof, he was actually quite amiable, generous, and didn't stop Gu An from watching him practice the sword. Today, he even spoke out on his behalf.

If Li Ya hadn't spoken up, Gu An would have been in real trouble.

If he had made Meng Lang cry, with that kid's loud voice, the commotion would undoubtedly be huge!

Li Ya looked at Gu An, sizing him up carefully, and said softly, "I feel like you've suddenly changed, but I can't quite point out what it is."

Suddenly, his right hand grabbed Gu An's wrist. His movement looked so slow in Gu An's eyes, but Gu An didn't dodge, instead feigning surprise.

"Brother Li, what are you..."

"It's nothing."

Li Ya withdrew his hand, hesitated for a moment, and then added, "Your qi is stable, no significant issues with your body, just no spiritual power. No matter how mediocre your talents, don't forget to cultivate. As long as one strives, there's always hope."

Gu An nodded and started an idle chat following his lead.

Li Ya seemed to be in a good mood and was very talkative that day. Through him, Gu An gained a better understanding of the Immortal Cultivation Realm.

It was undeniable that the members of the Imperial Dynasty were different; even without having traveled the world, they could be well-informed.

Half an incense stick's time later, Meng Lang hurried back.

"There's big trouble!" Meng Lang came next to Gu An, whispered tensely.

Gu An glanced towards the entrance of Medicine Valley.

Li Ya asked, "What's wrong?"

Meng Lang widened his eyes and said, "There's a cultivator guarding the entrance of the valley. I asked him a few questions, and he said he's an Inner Sect Disciple of the sect, here to undertake our master's bounty quest and protect us for a month."

"I suspect the reason master posted the bounty is because of the demons he mentioned earlier. If that Inner Sect Disciple can't keep the demons at bay, won't we all be doomed?"

Gu An had already seen the figure of the Inner Sect Disciple from afar. With his current eyesight, he could make out the person's true appearance.

It was a young man in a cyan robe, handsome and distinguished, obviously not an ordinary person.

[Chu Jingfeng (Foundation Establishment Realm First Level): 19/290/870]

To reach the first level of the Foundation Establishment Realm at nineteen?

A genius!

No wonder he became an Inner Sect Disciple.

Gu An marveled inwardly as he looked at the investigative prompt in front of him.

The Supreme Sect was indeed the foremost sect of the Tai Cang Dynasty, filled with geniuses.

Li Ya and Meng Lang started discussing the mysterious demon. Meng Lang found it incredible that such a powerful Supreme Sect could have demons infiltrate, and moreover, half a month had passed without capture.

Li Ya, however, found it reasonable. As he put it, the Supreme Sect was too vast, and Medicine Valley, being at the edge, meant it was normal for Disciples to encounter danger.

"A hundred years ago, a demon cultivator invaded the Supreme Sect, slaughtered hundreds of disciples, and got away. That demon might know some secret technique, making it hard to catch," Li Ya said with a somber tone.

"Don't just think about Supreme Sect; there's no absolutely safe place in this world. The Imperial Dynasty's annual provision of spiritual talent to various Demon Suppression Mansions is an immeasurably large figure..."

Li Ya started talking about the world, and Gu An and Meng Lang listened intently.

Being from a Cultivation Family, Gu An grew up in the Ji Family and knew little about the world. This was the first time he came to realize just how dangerous it was.

Demons everywhere, evil spirits rampant—the majority of cultivators die at the hands of these monsters and malevolents.

Gu An became more fearful after hearing this.

He resolved never to leave, to stay in the Supreme Sect and accumulate life span!

To live cautiously for a thousand, ten thousand years, until the Supreme Sect collapsed!

"But our Medicine Valley has so many medicinal herbs, it's so significant. Why would the sect only send one Inner Sect Disciple?" Meng Lang grumbled discontentedly.

Li Ya shook his head and said, "There are more than fifty such valleys in the Supreme Sect. The medicinal herbs cultivated here are not considered particularly valuable. Inside the sect, there are even more valuable valleys where they grow heavenly materials and earthly treasures, each plant capable of changing a mortal's destiny."

As soon as Gu An heard this, his eyes lit up, immediately inquiring about the situation in that valley.

However, Li Ya only knew of the existence of that valley and was unclear about its specifics.

The three chatted a bit more before dispersing; they each had to check the gardens on time to prevent any mishaps with the herbs.

After performing their checks, they returned to their respective rooms.

Gu An tied the White Spirit Rat with a string to prevent it from escaping.

He sat cross-legged on the bed, placed the White Spirit Rat on his lap, and commenced his cultivation.

He cultivated the Dragon Strength Divine Primordial Skill, which could enhance his Qi power and life span. As for other cultivation techniques, he found it too bothersome to cultivate—he figured that once his life span increased sufficiently, directly using "life points" to upgrade would do.

When night fell, Medicine Valley became more silent than ever.

Gu An's sensory perception was exceptionally outstanding. Even from a hundred yards away, he heard Cheng Xuan Pill conversing with Inner Sect Disciple Chu Jingfeng. Cheng Xuan Pill was highly respectful towards Chu Jingfeng, indicating that Chu Jingfeng was not as simple as just an Inner Sect Disciple.

Through their conversation, Gu An learned the name of the demon.

Demon of Greed and Wrath!

Chu Jingfeng was quite disdainful of the Demon of Greed and Wrath, and his confident tone also comforted Cheng Xuan Pill's heart. Gu An distinctly felt Cheng Xuan Pill's heartbeat return to normal.

"Demon of Greed and Wrath..."

Gu An's eyes flickered. He was curious whether his Dragon Strength Divine Primordial Skill could eliminate the Demon of Greed and Wrath.

According to the ancestral memories of Dragon Strength Divine Primordial Skill, its Dragon Force had the power to suppress and execute demons.

He had to prepare for the worst-case scenario, in case Chu Jingfeng couldn't withstand it!

His life might be long, but he only had one!

He couldn't afford to gamble!

That night, everyone in Medicine Valley had unstable breathing, clearly affected by emotions. Gu An, having picked up on this, became even more tense.

It wasn't until dawn that Gu An finally started to fall asleep.

For the next five days, the Demon of Greed and Wrath did not show up, and Gu An's tension gradually relaxed.

The sixth day.

As per usual, Gu An went back to his room to rest after dark. This time, he brought back four travelogues from the library, planning to expand his understanding of this world.

The White Spirit Rat darted out from under the bed and quickly hopped onto the table. Ever since it had sensed Gu An cultivating the Dragon Strength Divine Primordial Skill, it had become dependent on him, and now it wouldn't run away even if it wasn't tied up.

Gu An sat down at the table, teased the White Spirit Rat a bit, and then began to leaf through a book called "Green Hero Travelogue."

The window was half-open, allowing the cool night breeze to come through and cause the candle flame on the oil lamp to flicker, making the shadow of the White Spirit Rat occasionally elongate on the table.

Gu An found this travelogue quite interesting.

It just had too many affairs of men and women. The Green Hero wandered around the world, experiencing the scenery far and wide, with demon-slaying heroics and transitory romantic encounters.

He read on into the night until something felt off to him.

Why did every woman the Green Hero met like him, and why did this guy always pretend to be distressed, half-heartedly rejecting these women...

Could it have been written by a scholar?

Gu An inwardly scorned the book's author but still read on with relish.

Whoosh—

A gust of cold wind blew in from outside. Even Gu An, who had cultivated the Dragon Strength Divine Primordial Skill, couldn't help but shiver. He put down the book and stood up to close the window.

Before he reached the window, he suddenly heard a disturbance from afar. He stopped and listened carefully.

"Evil demon! Meet your end!"

Chu Jingfeng's low shout made Gu An's hair stand on end.

Had the Demon of Greed and Wrath arrived?

But Chu Jingfeng didn't seem to be afraid; he actually sounded excited and reliable.

"Ah—"

Just as Gu An's heart had settled slightly, he heard Chu Jingfeng's scream, scaring him enough to quickly step forward, close the window, and turn to blow out the oil lamp.

Gu An retreated to a corner inside the room, and the White Spirit Rat, evidently sensing something, quickly jumped into his arms.

This little beast was trembling too!

Its trembling intensified Gu An's fear.

From childhood, Gu An had never encountered a demon or evil spirit. He had no choice; the Ji Family was too safe. When he was young, the scariest thing in his eyes was the Ji Family's Courtyard Guardian, something akin to Zhang Fei or Li Kui.

"Chu Jingfeng, you'd better live up to the bravado you've blown, and Li Ya next door—I've noticed your outstanding talent and unique destiny pattern; you must be the protagonist in novels. Slay the demon, and you will ascend to great heights..."

Gu An tried to calm his emotions, his fists clenched tightly as he began to gather the Dragon Force within his body.

Soon, he heard the sound of the door from the adjacent room being pushed open. It was Li Ya, this guy gripping his sword, rushing out to support Chu Jingfeng.

As for Meng Lang, he was even worse off than Gu An, hiding under the bed, which tempted Gu An to curse aloud.

This turtle grandchild plastered on airs of greatness in front of him, styling himself as an elder brother, but turned out to be such a coward when it really mattered.

These were Gu An's thoughts, and each second that followed felt like an agony.

In his perception, Chu Jingfeng's presence suddenly disappeared, and he didn't know if Chu Jingfeng had died.

"Evil demon! Shut up!"

Li Ya's voice reached Gu An, sending shivers down his spine.

Was the demon going to eat them?

Immediately following, Gu An heard a thud, and Li Ya's voice abruptly ceased.

Was it over?

Was he that useless?

Gu An's heart pounded like the beating of war drums, and he couldn't calm it down.

Cheng Xuan Pill, Zhang Chunqiu—they all hid in their own rooms. With such a commotion, they could pretend not to hear. Like mentor, like disciple...

The outside fell silent again, and even with his exceptional perception, Gu An couldn't detect any movement or breath from the Demon of Greed and Wrath.