My cultivation method shines upon all heavens.

Lu Ming smiled noncommittally and then asked about the situation in the city.

"The city is relatively stable."

Fan Wu tapped his pipe on the edge of the bed, his tone softening slightly:

"Our Lord Liu has been suppressing Wang An's promotion to the position of Registrar all these years, wielding absolute power and having a much stronger control over the city than we imagined."

"The Taiping Dao orchestrated several riots within the city, and also launched several feint attacks outside the city, all of which were easily thwarted by him."

He looked up, and a smile finally appeared on his face:

"The outer city is in chaos right now, but the inner city hasn't been affected yet. You don't need to worry about home."

"As for the outside world, according to the merchants who have ended up here, the situation is in a terrible state!"

In the end, he couldn't help but sigh again.

Lu Ming nodded and listened quietly to Fan Wu's rambling.

……

In the following days, the outside world was engulfed in flames of war.

The Taiping Dao attacked Yinhu County repeatedly like madmen. Although they were repelled one after another, they managed to keep the Zhenhu Camp tied up in the city, suffering heavy losses.

But at the same time, something strange is happening.

Liu Zhiyuan's reputation, which was originally ruined by greed, miraculously continued to rise in this chaotic world.

Those who used to curse him as a "ruthless scoundrel" now speak of him with more reverence and gratitude when they talk about him over tea.

Outside the city, demons were restless and repeatedly attacked the Underworld, causing the number of casualties in the Tiger Patrol Camp to rise day by day.

The Tiger Feeding Camp suffered severe damage to its personnel and supplies during the previous attack, and has been unable to restore normal supplies.

In particular, the supply of Red Scale Wine has been greatly reduced, which has had a significant impact on the soldiers' training, courage building, and recovery from injuries, leading to widespread discontent within the army.

With the help of certain individuals, rumors began to spread like wildfire throughout the military camp:

"Lu Ming clearly has the ability to kill demons single-handedly, yet he stays in the logistics department; he's truly a coward who's afraid of death!"

"That's right! They're not even willing to brew Crimson Scale Wine properly anymore; they simply don't value our lives!"

"I'd heard rumors about his past use of colleagues as bait, and seeing him today, I'm sure he's a real scoundrel!"

"He even falsely accused Centurion Shi of seeking revenge out of personal grudge! Only after Centurion Shi bowed his head and wept bitterly before the Lord did the Lord's suspicions dissipate!"

"Hmph...Why is it that we're charging ahead while he can peacefully recuperate in the rear?"

The commotion was deafening, and the entire camp was in turmoil.

Lu Ming, however, remained unperturbed.

Even though his injuries had long since healed, he still quietly played the role of a wounded soldier.

He spent his days half-reclined on the bed, perusing the books brought by Fan Wu, learning about everything in this world.

Occasionally, he would take a sip of the wine he was offered by the two elderly men, Zhou and Zhao.

The gray wolf corpse he killed was exchanged by Chen Xuan for ten bottles of Body Tempering Pills and thirty portions of Crimson Scale Wine materials.

Because of his meritorious service in protecting the brewery, Chen Xuan promised to provide him with a bottle of Body Tempering Pill every month from now on.

Lu Ming poured all these resources into cultivation, and simply settled down on his bed.

"Come, come, young Lu, try my newly brewed Crimson Scale Wine... see if you've improved?"

Zhou Changfa, his back hunched, held a bowl of blood-red wine and eagerly handed it to Lu Ming's bedside, his eyes full of expectation.

"Heh, ignore him!"

Taking advantage of his nimble physique, Zhao Hongyuan squeezed to the bedside, holding a bowl of purplish-glowing liquor in his hand:

"Try my placenta wine first. I've improved the recipe, and the cooking time is much more precise than last time!"

Looking at the two eager, smiling faces in front of him, Lu Ming couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time.

Ever since he saved the two elderly people from the jaws of wolves, they have treated him almost like their own grandson.

Any good food is served to him first, even Chen Xuan has to wait his turn.

Seeing the eager expressions on their faces, he simply sat up, took a bowl in each hand, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp.

The fiery heat of Chilin wine is like charcoal burning down the throat, while the mellow warmth of Zihe wine is like a gentle current seeping into the bones.

Two distinctly different warmths converged within the body, flowing through the meridians and permeating the skin, like warm spring water overflowing a dried-up riverbed.

He squinted comfortably, subconsciously glancing at the image on the back of his eye:

[Martial Arts: Azure Ox Transformation (Low-grade Earth-level Manual; Mastery 10000/30000)]

[Martial Arts: White Serpent Crossing (Low-grade Spiritual Scripture; Perfected 4000/4000)]

[Martial Arts: Shaking Mountain Palm (Superior Spiritual Manual; Mastery 1000/3000)]

[Skill: Crimson Scale Wine (Perfect 4000/4000)]

[Skill: Placenta Wine (Perfect 4000/4000)]

[Skill: Bloodlust Wine (Perfect 4000/4000)]

"Link... I see, that's what it means."

As he watched the progress of "The Green Ox Transformation," a smile appeared on his lips.

Today, the fellow cultivators of "The Green Ox Transformation" are still a solitary "1".

The difficulty of cultivating the Earth Book is evident.

However, his cultivation progress was not slow at all, because the Heavenly Heart Scroll directly linked Xu Lingxian's cultivation progress to him.

He no longer merely received fragmented progress contributions from the other party, but completely synchronized with their cultivation progress.

The insights he gained from enlightenment at Hangu Pass, the feelings he experienced while refining his boxing stance day and night... flowed into his mind like a silent river.

With the massive amounts of Crimson Scale Wine he'd been drinking during this period, his progress on "The Transformation of the Green Ox" was incredibly rapid.

"Oh, right..."

Lu Ming suddenly put down his bowl. "Where's Fifth Uncle? I haven't seen him for two or three days."

Upon hearing this, the smiles on Zhou Changfa and Zhao Hongyuan's faces froze simultaneously.

The two exchanged a quick glance, then simultaneously looked away.

Lu Ming's heart sank, and a bad premonition immediately arose in his mind.

Just then, a series of footsteps approached from afar.

A moment later, Chen Xuan appeared at the door.

He glanced at Zhou Changfa and the other man, said nothing, and simply waved his hand gently.

The two old men breathed a sigh of relief, gave Lu Ming an apologetic look, then lowered their heads and quickly left the room.

Don't blame them.

Chen Xuan walked to the edge of the bed with his hands behind his back, his tone indifferent:

"I asked them to keep this from you."

He paused, gazing out the window at the chaotic training ground:

"Now that Shi Lei is handling all matters of the Yin Tiger Guard on behalf of the Guard Master, even I have no choice but to obey his orders."

"Using the excuse of 'the army is short-staffed,' he forcibly conscripted half of the soldiers from the Tiger Feeding Battalion into the Tiger Patrol Battalion, and even specifically asked Fan Wu, this newly recruited martial arts prodigy, to go out and 'train'... I couldn't refuse."

Upon hearing this, Lu Ming threw off the covers, stood up, and bowed respectfully to Chen Xuan:

"I understand your intention to protect me, sir."

Chen Xuan's expression relaxed slightly, and he reached out to offer a helping hand:

"But don't worry too much... Fan Wu just broke through to the Skin Tempering Realm not long ago."

"In addition, his decades of experience in civilian life gave him a better chance of survival than the average person."

Lu Ming nodded, then changed the subject and inquired about the recent battle situation.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan finally showed a slight smile:

"Lord Liu is incredibly insightful; he always manages to anticipate the Taiping Dao sorcerers' plans and thwart their schemes. This is a rare and welcome development lately."

Lu Ming's expression faltered slightly, his eyes filled with an unreadable expression.

But he didn't press further, only lowered his eyes for a moment before looking up at Chen Xuan:

"Sir, you must have come here on other business."

He didn't believe that a centurion of the prestigious Yinhu Guard would have nothing better to do than seek out a mere brewer like him for a chat.

The smile on Chen Xuan's face slowly faded, and he said in a deep voice:

"The war is now intensifying, with constant riots in the county town and the demons and rebels of the Taiping Dao outside the city becoming increasingly rampant."

"Shi Lei requested that the Tiger-Feeding Camp increase its daily supply of Crimson Scale Wine by three jars, and also requested... that you, 'the one with the ability to slay demons,' be included in the Underworld Patrol Team."

Lu Ming remained calm as he quietly looked at the other person.

"Regarding the share of Red Scale Wine, citing the shortage of materials and limited production capacity, I only promised two jars, to be shared by Elder Zhou and his companion. As for your patrol outside the city..."

A hint of helplessness flashed in Chen Xuan's eyes:

"I can only get you... half a day at the brewery, half a day on patrol outside, plus three days of rest."

Lu Ming narrowed his eyes, a cold smile playing on his lips.

Three days later, the work at the brewery couldn't be reduced, but the time was cut in half.

The two elders shared the burden more, but when you think about it, he was still the one who was exploited the most.

At the same time, they also had to do logistical work and patrol the underworld, a job that involved licking blood from the edge of a knife.

Shi Lei clearly had ill intentions and wanted to ruin him.

But he still wisely stood up and bowed respectfully:

"Thank you for your protection, sir. I am deeply grateful."

Now that Shi Lei has gained power, he has no choice but to accept these things, even if he doesn't want to.

Even if the other party clearly wants him dead, he has nowhere to appeal.

Chen Xuan nodded, gave a few more words of concern, and then turned and left.

Lu Ming stood alone by the window, watching Chen Xuan's departing figure with a deep gaze.

……

The main tent of the Tiger Patrol Camp.

The tent curtains hung low, and the charcoal fires in the braziers on both sides burned brightly, making the entire tent bright and hot.

Shi Lei sat upright in the main seat, his back leaning against the large tiger-skin chair, his cheeks flushed red by the firelight.

Below, dozens of deputies stood on both sides, the air thick with the smell of alcohol mixed with the leather of their armor.

"Congratulations, my lord... on your promotion to Acting Guard Commander!"

A burly man with a full beard raised his wine cup first, his gruff voice making the tent walls tremble slightly.

"The Lord of the Guard regards you as a confidant. Even if he were to act as the Lord of the Guard... sooner or later, the position of Lord of the Guard will inevitably be passed down to you!"

Another lean man followed suit, loudly echoing him with a fawning smile.

"Excellent! Congratulations on your bright future, sir!"

Everyone raised their glasses, and the cheers of the crowd surged like a tidal wave, drowning out the faint groans of the wounded coming from afar.

Wang Chengbao, his hands wrapped in white gauze, also raised his glass and spoke loudly:

"Your Excellency is truly awe-inspiring. That little bastard Lu Ming dared to offend you; he's simply courting death."

The tent fell silent instantly.

Shi Lei's smiling face stiffened slightly, and his hand holding the glass froze in mid-air.

A moment later, he tilted his head back, downed the wine in his glass in one gulp, and then slammed it heavily onto the table.

With a "bang," the bottom of the glass shattered, leaving several shallow cracks, and the wine trickled down the table.

"Something like a dog..."

He let out a cold laugh, the scar on his left cheek twitching slightly with the twitching of his lips:

"Just a lowly commoner who's had some extraordinary encounters, does he really think he can stand on equal footing with us?"

Upon hearing that Lu Ming had single-handedly killed a demon, greed spread even more uncontrollably in his heart.

No one knew better than him what it meant to kill a demon of the Ghost level before entering the Bone Forging Realm!

That peasant is probably at the third realm, and all his martial arts are at the Spirit Classic level, or even far above the low grade.

As a master of the Marrow Refining Realm, he was only rewarded by the Guardian Lord with a spiritual-level martial art for his merits.

Jealousy, greed, and desire burned within him like wildfire.

His tiger-like eyes turned to Wang Chengbao, his gaze like fire:

"I'll reintegrate him into your team... You know what to do, right?"

A smile immediately appeared on Wang Chengbao's face, and he clasped his hands in a respectful manner, saying:

"Rest assured, sir... I will certainly not disappoint you."

Shi Lei narrowed his eyes slightly before picking up his wine glass again, a slow smile spreading across his face.

If you refuse a toast offered politely, you'll have to drink the penalty shot.

He wanted to make that little bastard kneel down and beg him to accept his ultimate technique, then break his limbs, cripple his cultivation, and throw him into the wilderness to be devoured by demons, to vent his hatred.

Thinking of this, the smile on his face became even more sinister.

Soon, the sounds of clinking glasses and toasts filled the tent once again.