Adding in those thirteen Soul Path masteries, Wang Yu's upcoming study load was overwhelming. He couldn't leave everything to the placement slots. Moreover, having just broken through, the initial period would naturally prioritize the placement of his cultivation method. Once the progress speed slowed down, he could then further enhance his combat power.
He pondered for a moment.
The movement art had to be learned first; it was the top priority. Relying on the placement slot's effect, even without the aid of matching pills, he could force it to mastery. The Corpse Demon Secret Art was proof of that.
Next was a suitable Foundation Establishment magical instrument. There was no need to refine this himself; he could spend money to commission a master from the Artifact Refining Hall.
Then came the spirit refining method, the "Ancient Soul Art". It didn't need to be placed to perfection; reaching the beginner stage through placement and then practicing it himself would suffice. After all, many Soul Path spell legacies required a powerful soul and spirit sense to boost their potency.
After that, it was the Frost Serpent Alchemy Art. This one absolutely had to be patched up to the second grade. The sooner he could refine top-grade Ice Spirit Pills, the better.
Just from this rough inventory, Wang Yu felt a headache coming on. There were too many urgent matters to resolve. The next several years would be spent in busyness. It was a happy烦恼 (fánnǎo - worry, trouble).
Taking a deep breath, on his way out of the Legacy Transmission Hall, Wang Yu put on the set of first-grade high-tier ritual robes that came with being a Foundation Establishment Steward. It was a moon-white long robe with silver thread and subtle patterned medallions. Wearing it was quite comfortable.
The accessory was a Xie Zhi Crown. This item was engraved with a divine goat, symbolizing order and judgment, representing sect rules and the power of law enforcement. After changing clothes, Wang Yu was transformed. His handsome, youthful face now carried an air of authority.
He took flight, his destination: the Evil God Market.
Within a single day, he intended to settle all his affairs, then cultivate in peace.
When he arrived at the Enforcement Hall of the Evil God Market, the elite enforcement disciples who saw him saluted one after another. Many shifting eyes were sizing him up, as if confirming whether they knew him.
"Sir, you are here to..."
"I am the fourth Enforcement Steward of the Evil God Market. I look forward to your support in the future."
*Praise the palanquin everyone carries.* Wang Yu was relatively polite to these second-generation disciples. After all, the elders behind them were, at the very least, Core Formation cultivators. They came to the Enforcement Hall firstly because the benefits were substantial, secondly because the workload was light, and thirdly because their statuses were similar; they were part of the same circle, standing on a different starting line from those of humble origins. For them, exerting a little effort could secure a high-grade Foundation Establishment Pill, lowering the difficulty of becoming a Foundation Establishment cultivator by 80% compared to ordinary people. As for Core Formation, that was an unknown; the resources for that hurdle needed to be fought for by themselves.
In the future, they might work together, and there might be times he could借用 (jiè yòng - borrow, make use of) their connections. Taking the initiative to lower his posture also made it easier to blend in. After all, he was genuinely first-generation grassroots; his cultivation relied entirely on his own efforts.
"I am Wang Yu. Are Lord Zhuo, Lord Zuoqiu, and Lord Yu present?"
The disciple on guard immediately replied, "Lord Yu is present. The other two lords are probably at the Green Courtesan Pavilion and won't return until tomorrow."
Hearing this, Wang Yu still stepped inside. It was fine if not everyone was here; he wouldn't be leaving the sect in the short term anyway. He would have time to communicate with them eventually.
The Enforcement Hall was a typical symmetrical rectangular building. Entering from the front gate, there were elevated corridors on both sides, open front and back, hung with bamboo blinds and wind chimes. It was broadly divided into four areas. The foremost was the courtyard serving as the facade. Due to a Spirit Gathering Formation, thin spiritual mist drifted in the air. There were artificial rockeries, strange stones, a man-made stream, and colorful koi carp swimming within. It looked less like a public office and more like a private residence, likely renovated.
The second area was the office zone, containing a judgment hall, an instrument of punishment room, temporary detention cells, and a small open space specifically for spectators.
The third area was the residential zone. This place could only be described as luxurious, even more extravagant than Su Yulong's courtyard on Cold Blood Peak. Case closed, it had definitely been renovated!
The fourth area was the prison zone. Never mind the numerous formation restrictions, the outermost layer had biological traps: a third-grade early-stage Ghost Hand Vine and two Insight Stone Lions were kept there.
The Ghost Hand Vine usually looked like dark-colored Boston ivy. When someone entered the prison without a token or tried to escape, it would show them the meaning of cruelty. The Insight Stone Lions were a special type of creature, spirits born from stone, belonging to the category of essence monsters. Their eyes possessed the effect of piercing through falsehood, able to detect the authenticity of tokens, whether a person's identity was disguised, and so on. They preferred to remain motionless. For the Insight Stone Lions, staying put through wind and rain was the equivalent of daily activity for humans. They enjoyed it.
And this place would be Wang Yu's office and cultivation spot in the future, so he naturally needed to understand it well.
"Lord Yu."
Just as he stepped over the threshold into the third area, Wang Yu called out from a distance. Even though he had broken through to Foundation Establishment and Yu Xing was only at the third layer, the proper etiquette couldn't be omitted. The Reverse Spirit Three Young Masters carried significant weight.
"Wang Yu?!"
First surprise, then confusion, followed by shock—Yu Xing vividly displayed these three stages of psychological change right in front of him. He walked over quickly, scrutinizing him repeatedly.
"My, you really succeeded. It wasn't the Foundation Seizing Art, was it?"
Wang Yu shook his head. "The Demonic Womb Profound Origin Secret Curse. To master this secret art, I suffered immensely, almost got lost in the heavenly demon's evil thoughts."
"You really are a freak. But that's good too." With that, Yu Xing suddenly took out a Voice Transmission Jade Talisman and sent a message to Zhuo Shouqing and Zuoqiu Ming. Only then did he continue, "These past few years, you were cultivating this curse?"
"Yes. I also tested its effects and made a trip back home. It's a long story. Let's wait until Lord Zhuo and Lord Zuoqiu return to explain it together."
"Very well."
Zuoqiu Ming and Zhuo Shouqing arrived quickly, their clothes disheveled, their fair skin covered in marks left by red lips and fragrant kisses, their hair a mess. This time, Zuoqiu Ming's hair was dyed purple. He was even more excited than Wang Yu, who had successfully cultivated the secret curse.
"Brother Wang! I knew I wasn't wrong about you! It wasn't in vain, all the effort your big brother spent to exchange for that secret curse for you! From now on, just follow your Brother Ming!"
"Hey, hey, hey—! What are you doing?! Wang Yu is *my* subordinate! What do you mean by that?" Zhuo Shouqing grabbed Zuoqiu Ming, his fists mercilessly aiming for that handsome face, as if he had been planning this. Two solid punches landed.
Zuoqiu Ming couldn't take it. "Zhuo Shouqing! You're just jealous of this face! Your subordinate? If it weren't for me, your grandpa, you would have given up on Brother Wang, right? And now, he's back, life essence abundant, lifespan extended by at least a hundred and fifty years, and you jump out to fight me for him? What do you want? Bullying people, huh?"
Watching the two of them bicker playfully, Wang Yu felt a twinge of envy. He had had brothers too, bound by blood. It was a pity they were already in his stomach, wholeheartedly helping him reach a higher realm. Not a bad deal, though.
"Alright, alright. Wang Yu is still here. Don't let him see you making fools of yourselves." Yu Xing spoke up, interrupting their argument. He was the most level-headed among the Reverse Spirit Three Young Masters, rarely swayed by emotion. More often, he acted as the social glue among the three, the key bond that kept their friendship intact.
"Hmph!"
"Hmph!"
"Haven't you noticed the change in Wang Yu's attire? Don't you want to hear about his experiences during this time?"
This sentence worked. Once the three were seated, Wang Yu began his tale leisurely. He attributed the deaths of Old Man Ning and the others entirely to the Sword Sect's Wandering Disciple. He focused mainly on the latter half of his experiences in the Withered Leaf Swamp. As for the Joyful Union Sect's activities in the Black Mountain Demon Territory and the matter of the [Desire] Demon, he only mentioned the tiniest bit. For example, he said he discovered Old Man Ning secretly capturing young maidens and selling them to an unknown location, and that they were killed by the Sword Sect's Wandering Disciple because of this, which also implicated him. He didn't dare investigate, leading to the subsequent events in the Withered Leaf Swamp. After all, in terms of living witnesses, aside from Changxi, the rest were dead witnesses. He could fabricate as he pleased, as long as the logic held up.
The three of them didn't have much of a reaction after listening, only Yu Xing showed a thoughtful expression.
"Tell us about the Sword Sect's Wandering Disciple! Is she strong? Is she pretty?!!" This was from Zuoqiu Ming.
"You killed a mid-Foundation Establishment Sword Sect disciple??" This was from Zhuo Shouqing. Their focuses were completely different.
Wang Yu sighed. "Lord Zhuo, it was merely luck. While searching for me, he accidentally got into a fight with a late second-grade Tuolong. There was also an early second-grade Tuolong assisting in the fight. I, Wang, was just fortunate to pick up the pieces."
"As for Lord Zuoqiu's question, I..."
Before he could finish, Zhuo Shouqing said, "Why bother answering his improper questions? Don't call us 'Lord' anymore. You're a Foundation Establishment cultivator now. Address us as 'elder brothers'."
Wang Yu immediately seized the opportunity, agreeing, "Brother Zhuo, Brother Ming, Brother Yu."
"Aye~" Zuoqiu Ming grinned from ear to ear. "From now on, you're the fourth brother. If you have any troubles, your big brothers will help you."
Beside him, Yu Xing frowned. He wanted to refuse but didn't want to spoil his brother's face. In the end, he remained silent. His impression of Wang Yu was neither good nor bad, but he was somewhat averse to those who curried favor and attached themselves. It made him feel his own status was a讽刺 (fěngcì - irony, satire), since the three of them were the infamous "Reverse Spirit Three Young Masters" (the good-for-nothing young masters).
"By the way, we haven't asked where you got this uniform. Are you planning to become an Enforcement Steward?"
"Yes, right here in the Evil God Market."
"Good, good, good! From now on, you'll live in the hall. Old Yu, let Fourth Brother Wang be in charge of the hall from now on. Hehe." Zuoqiu Ming winked at his two brothers. Even a dog could see his plan: using Wang Yu as free labor to liberate themselves from their boring lives.
Wang Yu was indifferent to this idea, even happy about it. He needed time to cultivate; being the stationed steward was perfect. He could occasionally lead enforcement teams to earn some extra income on the side.
"Let's arrange it like this for now." Yu Xing brought the conversation to a close. He noticed Wang Yu seemed to have something more to say, so he proactively pulled his two brothers away, probably wanting to discuss something privately.
(End of Chapter)