Wild cultivation begins with wielding the Taiyin talisman.

Yu Congrong stared at him for two seconds, scrutinizing the truthfulness of his words. After a moment, she walked back to her desk and sat down, waving her hand: "Go. You can go to the library whenever you want. Focus on improving your strength as soon as possible; that's what you should be doing."

"You can go now. Soon, you'll be needed."

Ning Che said goodbye and left the study, letting out a long sigh.

Of course, he didn't really have anything to be resentful about. In order to achieve true victory, even the most righteous person has to tolerate certain things.

Besides, he wasn't really a naive young man; he was already quite adept at understanding the cutthroat world of officialdom. To expect Yu Congrong to be some kind of otherworldly Bao Zheng was to be treating the world like a fairy tale.

Ning Che thought to himself, then gave a wry smile.

Even if things are indeed as they are, and the reasoning is indeed as it is, it is never easy to calm one's mind.

But regardless of his thoughts or willingness, he is still in the early stages of his career and has to keep playing this role.

After a few steps, he calmed down a bit, quickened his pace, and headed down the mountain.

Suddenly, a man appeared around the corner. He had a gentle smile and a hearty tone: "What's wrong? Got scolded?"

Ning Che composed himself and looked closely. The person who had come was none other than Shi Bingzhu. He was dressed in casual clothes, had a stubble beard, slightly flushed cheeks, and was holding a gourd in his hand. He looked somewhat like a drunkard.

He cupped his hands in a respectful bow: "Senior Shi."

"Don't call me senior, just call me Old Shi." Shi Bingzhu stepped forward, patted Ning Che on the shoulder, and said, "Come on, let's go down the mountain. I'll treat you to a good drink to get rid of your illness."

"Can drinking alcohol really cure illness?"

"Hey, brother, you're so ignorant. Ordinary wine might not be enough, but the place we're going to today, Sanhe Restaurant! It's the best restaurant in the city, and their medicinal wine is extraordinary; it can even enhance your cultivation!"

Perhaps because he had been drinking, Shi Bingzhu seemed unusually enthusiastic today. He put his arm around Ning Che's shoulder and led him outside.

Ning Che was a little overwhelmed and kept reminding him of etiquette, which finally made him stop putting his arm around Ning Che's shoulder.

Somewhat unexpectedly, Shi Bingzhu did not go to the bustling streets of the city, but instead went around to the alley and entered a secluded two-story building.

The restaurant was small, with only four or five tables, and the owner was a one-eyed old man. Shi Bingzhu called out familiarly, "The usual, two servings, please." The old man skillfully brought over two plates of braised beef and two small jars of liquor.

Shi Bingzhu filled two bowls with wine and pushed one of them to Ning Che.

"drink."

Ning Che picked up the bowl and drank it all in one gulp.

The liquor was strong, burning down my throat and easing some of the pent-up frustration in my chest. Moreover, I could feel a warm power slowly creeping up my limbs and bones.

"Can't figure it out?" Shi Bingzhu picked up a piece of beef, threw it into his mouth, and asked while chewing.

"The adults have their own considerations," Ning Che replied casually, neither confirming nor denying.

Shi Bingzhu laughed and pointed at him with his chopsticks: "You rascal, you're cunning and wary. But there's no need for formalities with me."

He put down his chopsticks and sighed, "Commander Yu has it tough. Mu Qingming is backed by powerful and influential families in the city. Commander Yu is all alone. She has to do everything she can to avoid revealing any weaknesses in order to have any hope of winning."

You want to save a few people; she wants to uphold the rules of the mountains. Neither of you is wrong, just in different positions. If you were in the leadership position, what do you think you could do?

Ning Che twirled his wine bowl: "If we can't even save the people right in front of us, how can we talk about protecting the mountains and the people?"

"Too much rigidity leads to breakage, my brother." Shi Bingzhu picked up his wine bowl and clinked it against Ning Che's. "Your temper is too straightforward and too stubborn. You can't tolerate any imperfections."

But the waters run very muddy in this mountain camp. If you want to do anything, you have to learn to survive first. Survive, climb up, and once you have the strength to kick over the table, then you can talk about rules.

Ning Che remained silent.

This is a veteran's philosophy of survival.

"I've noted it down," he simply said, then poured himself a bowl of wine and offered it to Shi Bingzhu.

"That's more like it." Shi Bingzhu laughed and downed the wine in his bowl. He leaned closer and lowered his voice, "Don't investigate the Rat Swamp case openly. Mu Qingming has already noticed. Lin Ye has been behaving himself lately, but that's not normal. That kid is a mad dog. If a mad dog doesn't bite, it means he's brewing something big."

Ning Che nodded. He had seen Lin Ye at the martial arts training ground; that venomous look in his eyes meant he wouldn't let the matter rest.

"There's one more thing." Shi Bingzhu's smile faded, and his expression turned serious. "Regarding the snake demon you encountered today, I've reviewed the preliminary files from the Internal Affairs Bureau. Semi-transformed demons rarely operate on the outskirts of Changyang Mountain. They usually hide deep in the mountains and only emerge when they receive orders from higher-ranking demons."

Ning Che's gaze sharpened: "What does Senior mean?"

"Something's watching you." Shi Bingzhu tapped the table. "Moreover, they've tracked your movements. They have an inside man in the mountain guard camp."

The snake demon's dying words flashed through Ning Che's mind.

"The wise teacher is watching over you from the source."

source.

What does that mean?

"I'll be careful," Ning Che said.

The drinking party ended. Ning Che declined Shi Bingzhu's offer to accompany him and walked up the mountain alone.

As night deepened, the silhouette of Changyang Mountain under the starlight resembled a lurking beast.

Ning Che replayed the conversation from tonight in his mind: Yu Congrong's ruthlessness, Shi Bingzhu's worldliness, and the "wise teacher" lurking in the shadows.

He stopped and looked up at the mountain peak.

Yu Congrong is right, he needs strength.

But Yu Congrong was also wrong.

Some bottom lines, if you take a step back, you'll end up taking ten thousand steps back. He won't compromise for the sake of the so-called "big picture"; he'll only use his sword to cut down all obstacles in his way. If he can't use Yu Congrong's influence to investigate, then he'll investigate himself.

He took out the porcelain bottle given to him by Zhong Lingsu, poured out a Qingxin Pill, and put it in his mouth. The medicinal effects dissipated, and his mind became clear.

He sensed the surging Yin energy within his dantian. Tomorrow, he would go to the library. He needed more spells, more methods. Since Mu Qingming and those demons wanted to play, he would play along to the end.

Ning Che quickened his pace and headed towards the Jiazi Barracks.

Just as he rounded a bend, he caught a glimpse of a dark figure flashing through the trees out of the corner of his eye.

It moved extremely fast, carrying a faint, almost imperceptible, fishy smell.

Ning Che did not give chase. His right hand rested on the hilt of his sword, his feet never faltering, and his Six Ears Listening to the Moon instantly activated.

Every sound within a hundred meters was clearly audible. The rustling of leaves in the wind, the chirping of insects, and... a very faint breathing sound thirty paces to the right.

The other party is deliberately suppressing their aura.

Ning Che's lips curled into a cold smile.

The fox's tail is showing now.

He pretended not to notice and continued walking forward, but his direction deviated from the barracks and headed towards a secluded rocky forest behind the mountain.