It was getting late when Jia Ren bid farewell to Yang Bingzhi and hurried towards the Great Wilderness Market.
On the way there, as expected, he encountered an ambush by Bizarre Cultivators, but he left them doubting their life choices as he streaked away.
Even though it wasn't the first time he had experienced the speed of the Grandmaster Level Wind-Riding Technique, he was still awestruck.
I still need to keep practicing the Wind Control Skill. Once the skill breaks its limits, its power will become even more terrifying.
He returned to his dwelling without incident and closed the door behind him.
First thing, he took out seven Exotic Black Mosquitoes from the Spirit Beast Bag, filled with anticipation.
I wonder if they can be saved?
The seven Exotic Black Mosquitoes were nearly wingless and at death's door after being scorched by the Fire Bird Technique.
Two of the Exotic Black Mosquitoes didn't survive, losing all signs of life.
Jia Ren placed the five surviving Exotic Black Mosquitoes into the Spiritual Liquid prepared for Spirit Insects, hoping to save as many as he could.
After all was done, he began his routine seclusion for cultivation.
With an ample supply of Elixirs on hand and the effective Spirit Bud Elixirs, his cultivation progress was swift.
The Turtle Spirit Technique might not progress as quickly as the Return to Origin Technique, but it wasn't too slow either.
Supported by both Elixirs and Spirit Rice, his daily increase in Cultivation Level was substantial.
Both his progress in cultivation and the Proficiency Level of the Turtle Spirit Technique were steadily growing.
To stimulate my interest in cultivation, progress is essential.
Thanks to the Proficiency Panel, Jia Ren's speed and efficiency in cultivation were visibly higher compared to ordinary Cultivators, which made it easier to inspire a passion for cultivation and immersion in it.
It's no wonder that ordinary Cultivators who don't make progress after years of practice lose the heart to cultivate and crave pleasure instead.
The original owner is the best example, with a stagnant Cultivation Level and addicted to dual cultivation, unable to extricate himself.
Time flew by during cultivation, and before he knew it, three days had passed.
The tunnel is finally through!
After the incident with the Bizarre Cultivators, Jia Ren had the Corner Worms work day and night, and eventually, the tunnel was completed.
The tunnel was just wide enough for Jia Ren to pass through and connected to a stone house a hundred meters away.
Now he had a retreat path in case of danger.
Jia Ren had hollowed out two secret chambers below the two stone houses.
At night, he would erase all traces, sprinkling dust everywhere inside to create the appearance of a long-unoccupied home.
He would then hide in the underground chamber to cultivate in peace.
With this strategy, Jia Ren never had Bizarre Cultivators knock on his door again.
In contrast, the other stone house owners suffered more or less from Bizarre Cultivators or were affected by malicious contamination; the number of familiar Loose Cultivator faces was gradually diminishing.
"Could it be that Daoist Jia has left?"
"Just a few days ago, his residence didn't look so old..."
"We were hoping to recruit him into the Safeguard Team."
A female seafood merchant Cultivator and a Fifth Layer of Qi Refining Loose Cultivator came to Jia Ren's place, looking at the dilapidated stone house with puzzled expressions.
The stone house was full of holes, the ground was layered with dust, and cobwebs hung in the corners.
It very much looked like it had been uninhabited for a long time.
If it weren't for the fact that the female Cultivator had visited a few days earlier, they would have seriously suspected Jia Ren had already left.
Just as the two became impatient and were about to leave, the door opened.
"Do my fellow Daoists need something?"
Jia Ren stepped back twice to maintain a safe distance, especially looking at the female Cultivator with a look of wariness in his eyes.
Last night, when the Bizarre Cultivators came, the female Cultivator fled, and her stout Loose Cultivator companion was killed. Not only did she survive, but she also quickly found a new protector. This one did not have a low status.
"What brings the two of you here?" Jia Ren, already aware they had mentioned the Safeguard Team, feigned ignorance.
Interrupting someone's quiet cultivation and not getting angry was already a sign of good temper.
"Fellow Daoist, you are capable of slaying Bizarre Cultivators, which shows your great strength. Our Safeguard Team invites you to join and help protect the residents' safety at night," the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining Loose Cultivator said. "I have already invited several fellow Daoists to join."
"Not interested!"
To lay down one's life for others? Guarding someone else's safety in the middle of the night? Isn't that risking one's own life?
"It's not for nothing; the Safeguard Team is willing to pay with Spirit Stones," Zhu Yuanzheng, the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining Loose Cultivator, added, fearing Jia Ren might misunderstand.
Jia Ren remained unmoved.
How many Spirit Stones for one night of guarding? What if you encounter an evil-possessed Loose Cultivator? What happens if you get possessed? Are you going to provide Evil Warding Talismans for the night guards? An Evil Warding Talisman costs forty Spirit Stones, no small sum for lower-level Loose Cultivators. Can the Safeguard Team afford it?
"If Daoist Jia doesn't want to join, you can just pay a protection fee of three Spirit Stones every month, and the Safeguard Team will ensure your safety at night."
So if the invitation is declined, they switch to demanding Spirit Stones? Three Spirit Stones? How many lower-level Loose Cultivators are willing to part with so many Spirit Stones?
"I will not join your Safeguard Team, nor do I need your protection."
"If there's nothing else, you Daoists may leave now."
Jia Ren had no interest in joining a Safeguard Team doomed to become a mess, and even less interest in wasting Spirit Stones, so he bluntly told them to leave.
"Why must Daoist Jia refuse people from a thousand miles away?" Zhu Yuanzheng pressed.
"I also have a piece of news for you."
"The Five Elements Sect and the Heavenly Sword Sect are at odds, seemingly ready for war, with no energy to care for the life and death of the Outer City."
"Do you still harbor hope that the Five Elements Sect will take action?"
"I'll give you three days to consider. I hope Daoist will make a wise decision."
Zhu Yuanzheng smiled, turned his head, and left.
Jia Ren paid no attention to the minor interlude and calmly continued his secluded cultivation.
Zhu Yuanzheng was not without abilities; he managed to persuade a group of Loose Cultivators by promising them a future.
In the early stages, he paid out of his own pocket, offering high night-guard fees to attract Mid Stage of Qi Refinement Loose Cultivators to stand guard, then used the protection fees collected from the Loose Cultivators to fill the gap in the guarding expenses, thus forming a cycle.
On the first night, all was well.
The Loose Cultivators were elated, and even more people paid the protection fee.
Three Spirit Stones were indeed a lot, but compared to their safety... it was still acceptable.
Just when the Loose Cultivators thought they were in for stable nights, Zhu Yuanzheng took the Spirit Stones and ran...
The newly formed Safeguard Team fell apart.
Those who paid the Spirit Stones were the ones who suffered the most; three Spirit Stones were not a small amount, and their already meager living conditions became even harder.
He ran away?
Jia Ren had been in seclusion all this time, only finding out the news on the third day while cooking outside.
The fee for guarding at night was too low; no Cultivator was willing to risk standing guard. It would take a sufficient number of Spirit Stones to motivate them. The protection fee collected was three Spirit Stones per Loose Cultivator household, and there were at most a hundred such households. Three hundred Spirit Stones might seem like a lot, but ensuring the safety of a hundred households was no easy task. There had to be enough guards, and they had to be strong enough. Ten Mid Stage of Qi Refinement Cultivators standing guard at night, at two Spirit Stones per person per night, would cost twenty Spirit Stones a day for this alone. This did not include combat supplies, Evil Warding Talismans to dispel evil, post-mortem compensation for the Safeguard Team members, and a series of other issues. Compared to these needs, three hundred Spirit Stones were just a drop in the bucket. Charge more Spirit Stones? Three Spirit Stones already caused much dissatisfaction among many Loose Cultivators; if the price were to be raised further, the protection fees collected would not increase but decrease instead. Without enough Spirit Stones to maintain the Safeguard Team, failure was inevitable. Zhu Yuanzheng, realizing the situation was unfavorable, made a wise decision to run away. The only ones who were hurt were the Loose Cultivators seeking safety... Bizarre Cultivators, the spread of evil energy pollution, fraud, soaring prices... Lower-level Loose Cultivators not only fail to earn Spirit Stones but also have to endure a series of hardships; it's too difficult. The only thing to do now is to protect myself.
After Jia Ren had his meal and cleaned up the traces, he returned to the underground chamber and looked at the Exotic Black Mosquitoes soaking in the Spiritual Liquid.