Something's wrong with this demon.

North Street, pawnshop.

The black flag in front of the shop fluttered in the cold, gray morning wind.

It was as if it were beckoning guests.

Just like when Luo Qingchen first saw it.

The woman sitting in the shop was still the same pale-faced woman.

When Luo Qingchen walked into the shop, the woman recognized him at a glance.

Then, he took out the pre-prepared contract from the counter and said coldly, "A month has passed. I thought you weren't planning to come. After today, I'll send someone to find you. So, will you pay nine hundred taels of silver to redeem your soul, or will you make a blood oath and give up your soul?"

Luo Qingchen said, "I don't have any money right now. Could you please be more lenient with me for a while?"

The woman didn't answer. Instead, she took out a jade tablet from the counter, placed it on the counter, and said, "Drip your blood. After today, your soul will officially belong to us. We can take it back at any time if needed."

"Can it be taken back at any time if needed?"

That's not what was said at the beginning.

Luo Qingchen naturally wouldn't give up his soul with a drop of blood. He took out the black wooden plaque from his waist, placed it on the counter, and said, "I'm now a formal disciple of the sect. Could you make an exception? Or is there another alternative?"

The woman paused, then reached for the black wooden plaque, examined it carefully, looked up at him, and said incredulously, "You're one of the medicine people here? You've broken through to the Blood Exchange Realm now?"

Luo Qingchen nodded: "Yes."

The woman's expression shifted, and she stared at him intently for a few moments before placing the black wooden plaque on the counter. Her tone immediately became very polite: "Junior Brother Luo, please wait a moment. I'll go ask the shopkeeper in the back."

After saying that, she immediately picked up the contract, turned around, lifted the curtain, and hurriedly went into the inner room.

A short while later, she returned with the contract.

A middle-aged man with a full head of red hair accompanied her back.

The red-haired man carefully examined him for a moment, then took the contract from the woman's hand, placed it on the counter, and said with a smile, "Junior Brother Luo, you can take back this contract. We will draft a new one, with a term of one year. Within one year, as long as Junior Brother Luo comes and returns one thousand taels of silver to us, we can take back the new contract. During this period, Junior Brother Luo's soul will remain here temporarily, but we will never forcibly take it back."

Luo Qingchen was very satisfied with the new plan and nodded, saying, "Thank you, Senior Brother."

The red-haired man's smile deepened. He instructed the woman to immediately draft a new contract, then exclaimed in admiration, "Junior Brother Luo is so young, yet he has managed to break through from a medicine man to the Blood Exchange Realm. His future is limitless. You must know, even if you were to choose one in a thousand medicine men in this Medicine Man Town, you wouldn't find one as powerful as Junior Brother Luo."

This is a very high compliment, but it is also the truth.

Luo Qingchen said a few words of modesty.

The woman quickly drafted a new contract, pressed her fingerprint on it, stamped it, and handed it to the red-haired man.

The red-haired man first carefully examined it, then held it with both hands and presented it to Luo Qingchen, smiling as he said, "Junior Brother Luo, you've taken a close look. If you have any questions or are dissatisfied with anything, please feel free to ask."

Luo Qingchen took it, bowed her head, and carefully checked it word by word. Finding nothing missing or overly critical, she thanked him again.

Then sign and press your fingerprint.

The red-haired man put away one copy and handed the other to him, laughing, "Junior Brother Luo, don't worry. With your abilities, you should be able to earn this thousand taels of silver very quickly. Even if you can't pay it back within a year, it doesn't matter. Just come and let us know when the time comes, and we'll sign a new contract and extend the period."

That's a very comforting thing to hear.

Normal business owners wouldn't keep changing contracts and extending them with their customers like this.

But now, the guests in front of me are a little different.

The red-haired man knew very well that every single disciple who came from Medicine Man Town was extraordinary.

They were more hardworking and ruthless than the other disciples, and they were also quite lucky, so they had a brighter future.

Therefore, he doesn't mind taking the initiative to show goodwill at this time.

Offering help in times of need is always more memorable than adding to someone's already good fortune.

"Thank you, senior brother."

Luo Qingchen exchanged a few more pleasantries with him, then left the shop with the new contract in her hand.

He went straight to the stone house in the center of town.

The bald senior brother Wang had already called for a backup, who was waiting there.

The person who came to meet them was a young man in his early twenties dressed in a black robe, but his hair was already gray and wrinkles had appeared at the corners of his eyes.

"Junior Brother Luo, this is Senior Brother Wang Jing, who shares the same surname as me."

"Junior Brother Wang, this is Junior Brother Luo. Look how young he is!"

Wang Jing quickly introduced the two.

After exchanging greetings and pleasantries, Luo Qingchen said to Wang Jing, "Junior Brother Luo, if there's nothing else, let's go upstairs."

Luo Qingchen nodded in agreement.

Wang Jing led the way, passing through the alleyway next to them and heading towards the steep stone steps at the back of the town.

Luo Qingchen took one last look at Zhao Shi on the street and followed him.

The two quickly arrived at the stone steps.

Luo Qingchen looked up and could only see a hundred-meter-long staircase, above which was shrouded in black mist, obscuring everything else.

Wang Jing walked ahead and climbed the stone steps.

Luo Qingchen followed silently behind. After traveling some distance, she turned around and saw that Yaoren Town was already faintly visible in the black mist.

He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but when he first went up the stone steps, he felt someone following him.

But when he turned around, he didn't find anything unusual.

"Is that Zhou Qingyang?"

It's likely that the other party still suspects him, but there's nothing they can do about it now.

He has now officially become a disciple of the sect.

Moreover, they broke through the deadlock in Medicine Man Town.

Even if evidence of his murders were found now, the higher-ups would not punish an outstanding disciple for a few dead bodies.

The ultimate interests that the Demonic Sect talks about are not some bullshit rules.

The stone steps were steep and long.

After walking for nearly an hour, Luo Qingchen finally caught a glimpse of some buildings above.

They are all black.

Wang Jing doesn't seem to like talking much.

However, at this moment, he still spoke up, "Junior Brother Luo, the mountain peak and cave dwelling have already been assigned to you. You are currently ranked last on Black Phoenix Peak. I will take you to the steward's office to make your disciple's waist token later. After you get the waist token, we can go to Black Phoenix Peak."

"Thank you, Senior Brother Wang."

Luo Qingchen thanked him first, then asked curiously, "How many peaks are there in total? And how many people are on Black Phoenix Peak?"

Wang Jingdao said, "There are a total of seventy-two peaks in the outer sect, with about fifty to one hundred people on each peak. As for the exact number of people on Black Phoenix Peak, I'm not quite sure."

"Then how should I cultivate?"

"Cultivation? Naturally, it's done in your own cave dwelling. The cave dwelling is very large and has everything you need. Each disciple can receive a sufficient amount of cultivation herbs, a large piece of magic stone, and some meat each month. If you need anything else, you'll have to buy it with silver."

"What about cultivation techniques?"

Luo Qingchen asked the most important question.

He has now broken through the Blood Exchange Realm and should need a new cultivation technique.

Wang Jing smiled and was about to reply when a hoarse voice suddenly came from above: "A new disciple?"

Wang Jing quickly bowed and said, "Yes, Uncle Liang."

Luo Qingchen looked up and saw that Uncle Liang, with a hunched back and wearing a black robe, was standing in front of a small dark wooden house, staring at him with sharp eyes.

"Tsk tsk, it's been a long time since Medicine Man Town has sent any new disciples, and they're still so young... Not bad, not bad."

Wang Jing quickly turned around and said, "Junior Brother Luo, go to Uncle Liang's place. He needs to use the Demon-Detecting Stone to examine him."

Luo Qingchen walked over and bowed respectfully.

Uncle Liang nodded, took out the Demon-Detecting Stone, placed it between his eyebrows for a few moments, and said, "Alright, you can go up now."

Wang Jing quickly thanked him and led Luo Qingchen to continue climbing the steps.

Before long, a huge stone tablet appeared in front of them, with the words "Outer Gate of the Demon Extermination Sect, Ten Thousand Bones Peak" written on it in large scarlet characters.

Luo Qingchen followed Wang Jing through a stone gate and finally arrived at flat ground.

The surrounding trees were towering into the clouds, their branches and leaves so thick that they blocked out the sun. They were all black, giving people an extremely oppressive, dark, and apocalyptic feeling.

It seems to be the same as the Medicine Man Town below.

Even some houses not far away were made of black wood, resembling eerie coffins.

It was midday.

But the sky above was completely obscured by dense black foliage and a thin layer of black mist, with only a few scattered dim lights visible.

This place seems even more oppressive than the one below.

Wang Jing led him straight ahead and soon arrived at a small black wooden hut, where he spoke respectfully to an old man in black robes inside.

The old man in black robes only had one eye; the other eye had been gouged out, making him look quite ferocious.

"Medicine Man Town, Luo Qingchen, Blood Exchange Realm, Black Phoenix Peak..."

The old man in black robes held a piece of paper, looked at the introduction on it and repeated it, then raised his one eye, stared at Luo Qingchen for a couple of seconds, and then turned and left.

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

The old man in black robes returned with a black jade token and several sets of clothes and shoes.

The black jade tablet already bears Luo Qingchen's name, cultivation level, and the mountain to which he belongs.

Wang Jing hurriedly said, "Junior Brother Luo, come here and drip blood."

Luo Qingchen stepped forward, took out a dagger, cut her fingertip, and dripped a drop of blood onto the black jade tablet.

The blood disappeared immediately upon landing on the jade tablet, as if it had been swallowed up by the tablet.

"Hand over your Medicine Man Town pass, and then you can leave."

The old man in black robes handed him the jade pendant, clothes, and shoes, and then took out two books from the cabinet and handed them to him, his tone somewhat impatient.

Luo Qingchen quickly took out the wooden plaque, handed it over, and then put away the things he had given her.

"Thank you very much, Senior Uncle Yang."

After thanking him, Wang Jing immediately led him toward Black Phoenix Peak.

On the way, Wang Jing explained, "The main road we're walking on now is called White Road. See the bone tablets by the roadside? Remember this in the future. Whenever you go out to buy something or have any other business, take this White Road. Only by walking here will you avoid being ambushed."

"A sneak attack?"

Luo Qingchen looked puzzled.

Wang Jing continued walking forward, explaining coldly, "You've just arrived, so you probably don't know the rules here yet. They're all written in those two books you have; go back and read them carefully. Here, everyone can kill. You can kill your senior brothers and sisters, even your master, as long as you have the ability. Once you kill someone, their body, their blood, and all their cultivation resources are yours."

"Also, you can't kill people during the day; you can only ambush and injure them, or rob them of their blood and silver. You can only kill people at night."

"Remember, it's best not to go into other people's caves. Even during the day, if you enter someone else's cave, they can kill you by any means necessary."

As Luo Qingchen listened with growing alarm, Wang Jing turned to her and said, "However, new disciples have a one-month safety period. During this month, no other disciple can harm you, and you can do whatever you want. Most new disciples will immediately go down the mountain to find their own medicine people, because new disciples only have one month to find their own medicine people. You can find many medicine people, but in the end, you can only bring one into Medicine People Town."

As Wang Jing spoke, he continued walking forward.

Soon, the two crossed a black stone bridge and arrived at a mountain peak full of black caves.

"This is Black Phoenix Peak, named after your master."

Wang Jing stopped at the end of the bridge, turned around and looked at him, saying, "Junior Brother Luo, you've just broken through to the Blood Exchange Realm, you must be eager to cultivate your techniques, right?"

Luo Qingchen nodded.

Wang Jing pointed behind him and said, "When we came here just now, we passed a black stone lion statue. Turn left from there and continue along the main road. Less than a hundred meters ahead, you'll see a small building filled with flowers, called Chunqiu Tower. If you need cultivation techniques, you might need to go there to get them."

Luo Qingchen looked in that direction and asked, "Who should I ask for it from?"

Wang Jing said, "Your senior sister Yuwen Rou from Black Phoenix Peak has all her cultivation techniques. You can just go find her. However..."

He paused for a moment, then added, "However, you may need to pay one hundred taels of silver."

Luo Qingchen was taken aback: "I have to pay another hundred taels of silver?"

Wang Jing nodded: "Not only do you have to pay one hundred taels of silver, but you also have to sleep with your senior sister for one night, otherwise it's probably impossible to get the cultivation technique."