Wild cultivation begins with wielding the Taiyin talisman.

"I saw this woman outside your window, acting suspiciously, like she was up to no good, so I attacked her directly. But, but I didn't win," Zhao He explained.

Ning Che could tell that his tone softened slightly when he said he hadn't fought. So he patted him on the shoulder: "It's alright, I know you mean well. But next time, you can ask first; acting rashly is more harmful than helpful."

After saying that, he looked at Hu Xianxian: "And you?"

"I'm sorry, sir. I've already obtained the information you requested, so I came to report. I saw you reading outside the window and wasn't sure whether I should disturb you, so I was ambushed."

"This little demon truly didn't know he was an adult's friend, which is why he dared to fight back. Please punish him, sir!"

After saying that, Hu Xianxian was about to kneel down.

Ning Che stepped forward and helped him up, saying, "I told you, we can be friends as equals. Why call me 'sir' and give such a grand gesture? Since this wasn't intentional, I naturally won't blame you for it—how long have you been here?"

"...I just arrived, not even fifteen minutes ago." She seemed to still want to call him "sir," but when she met Ning Che's gaze, she swallowed her words.

Ning Che put the food box aside. Zhao He reached out to pick it up, but Ning Che stopped him.

Ning Che told him he didn't need to stand there, and to go find Old Qian to get some medicine to treat his hand injury. Then he led Hu Xianxian into a private room: "Tell me, what did you find out?"

Hu Xianxian took out a neatly folded piece of tattered hemp paper from her sleeve. On it, she had drawn a topographical map of the stream and mountains with charcoal pencil. Several circles that she had drawn with great force were particularly eye-catching.

She pushed the paper in front of Ning Che and pointed to one of the circles, saying:

"That girl, Zhong Hongyao, is still alive. This is her location. She doesn't seem to be trapped; rather, she seems to be on some kind of mission."

Because a seventh-rank expert is monitoring them, even the bird demons cannot approach, and we cannot ascertain any further details.

Ning Che seemed thoughtful, then asked, "How did you determine that you were a seventh-rank expert? Did you two exchange blows?"

"Then we won't be able to bring back this news," Hu Xianxian said with a wry smile.

"The reason it can tell the other party's cultivation level is because the sparrow demon in charge of this matter has unique demonic arts. It is extremely sensitive to qi, which is why it can make that judgment."

"There are several seventh-rank officials over there. Is Mu Qingming there?"

Hu Xianxian pointed to the other circles: "These two have the aura of the seventh rank. This aura is even higher than the seventh rank, so the sparrow demon dared not approach and was unable to meet it. But it should be Mu Qingming without a doubt."

Ning Che nodded, his serious expression softening slightly. This wasn't the worst-case scenario. Whatever Mu Qingming's plans, as long as Zhong Hongyao was alive, everything could be salvaged.

That makes sense. Mu Qingming is incredibly arrogant, and Zhong Hongyao is the eldest daughter of the Zhong family, so their relationship is quite significant. It's understandable that he would use Zhong Hongyao's life to vent his anger or threaten her.

Even though it's almost impossible for Mu Qingming to do such a thing, he and Zhong Lingsu couldn't help but worry.

"Have you found out what they were planning, or are there any other discoveries?"

"The sparrow demon's strength is weak, and these things haven't been discovered yet. Please, sir..."

Ning Che interrupted, "Alright, it's not your fault. You've already helped a lot; I should be thanking you. Now, just keep an eye on Zhong Hongyao's situation. If there's any danger, contact me immediately."

"Yes! Then... shall I leave first?" Hu Xianxian replied, and seeing that Ning Che did not intend to give any further instructions, she asked.

"Um."

Hu Xianxian bowed and left.

Ning Che pondered for a moment, then pushed open the door and went out. He first washed the dishes and chopsticks, then went to the Zhong residence to tell Zhong Lingsu that Zhong Hongyao was safe, so as not to worry her. After returning to the medicine warehouse, he continued to practice various spells.

He had just broken through to the next level, and his strength was increasing rapidly. Since Zhong Hongyao was not in danger, he naturally had to improve his strength as much as possible before trying to spar with Mu Qingming.

But what is Mu Qingming doing? Waiting for the gap in strength between the two to narrow step by step until Ning Che catches up?

That's obviously impossible. It's not a boss in a game; it can't really be waiting for players to challenge it at the end of a level.

So, he must be plotting something—the withered ghost?

Ning Che frowned.

Although Lin Caiwei is like a child, Ning Che doesn't really think that her mind is that of an ordinary child.

Admittedly, she stayed at the medical clinic well enough, but Ning Che would never forget how Black Rock Village disappeared.

So, could he use the withered ghost, or take Lin Caiwei with him to fight against Mu Qingming?

So far, he has dealt with Mu Qingming many times and witnessed his many deeds, but he still can't quite see through the fog and truly understand this person. Now, looking back, he feels overwhelmed by the sheer number of things he's dealing with, and doesn't know where to begin.

Very well, let's improve our strength first. Greater strength will always be of some use. If he were also a sixth-rank, how could he let Mu Qingming do as he pleased?

Ning Che suppressed his thoughts and continued practicing his magic.

He rehearsed "The Great Snow Blade" countless times.

After advancing to the eighth rank, the chill on the blade no longer only affects flesh and blood, but can penetrate into the opponent's body and suppress the flow of qi.

With a single slash, the wooden stakes in the barracks were instantly covered with a layer of white frost, while their interiors had already been frozen and cracked by the chilling aura of the blade.

"Catching the Cicada" has also been completely transformed.

In the past, the only pursuit was "speed".

Now, however, his movements are both fast and chaotic. With each step, his body can change position three times in a very small area, making it impossible for anyone to predict his movements.

He even reviewed and memorized the Ice Purification Mantra. Only the Six Ears Listening to the Moon was special; Ning Che didn't know how to practice it.

Activating the Six Ears Listening to the Moon at full power is like hitting yourself on the head with a hammer. But obviously, taking a few more hammer blows won't make you immune to the hammer; on the contrary, it might even leave some aftereffects.

Fortunately, the effect of Six Ears Listening to the Moon is already good enough, so it's fine to keep it as it is for the time being.

The practice takes no time; two days later, just past midnight.

The window paper moved almost imperceptibly.

There were no footsteps. Only a very faint, almost imperceptible fragrance quietly drifted into the room.

Ning Che suddenly opened his eyes.

"Come in."

The window was pushed open a crack.

A slender, dark figure flipped inside like a raccoon dog, landing on its toes without making a sound.

The newcomer was Hu Xianxian, dressed in a neat night outfit, her long hair tied up high, her face devoid of its usual charm, only a solemn expression.

After entering the room, she simply bowed slightly in Ning Che's direction and then spoke in a low voice.

"There's been a new discovery over in the Western Hills."

"how?"

Hu Xianxian's tone became somewhat strange. "If I'm not mistaken, they're probably digging something out of the mountain. The Sparrow Demon saw them carrying a very old coffin out of the mountain."

The coffin was stained with blood, suggesting someone had died there. The exact circumstances were unclear, but it was evident that panic had gripped the area.