Chapter 163
"I’m telling you this because I want to remind you that in the Lei Chi, you need to be cautious not only of the disciples from the Demon Gate but also of some fellow cultivators."
"Understood, Master."
"When necessary, strike first."
"…"
"Be polite on the surface, but discreet in action."
"…"
"If you can act in secret, don’t do it openly. If you can get others to act, don’t do it yourself. Do you understand?"
"…"
Zheng Fa glanced at the calm and patient Uncle Pang, then recalled how enthusiastic he had been towards that Ling Zhenren.
He couldn’t help but marvel again—his master had a keen eye for talent in sending Uncle Pang.
…
As more and more sects passed by, the procession following the Wulong Tiangong grew increasingly grand.
By nightfall, the flow of light on the road resembled a magnificent meteor shower.
During the day, the brilliance of hundreds of magical artifacts gathered together, dazzling enough to rival the sunlight.
It was evident just how many cultivators were converging towards the Lei Chi.
There were also four more Yuanying Zhenren accompanying them. Whether familiar or not, Uncle Pang treated everyone with respect, even when encountering that Ling Zhenren again, his words remained courteous.
This was very much in line with his earlier teachings to Zheng Fa.
"These few Yuanying Zhenren represent half of the major sects of the Bai Xian Meng, and they all agree to your proposal for an exclusive market."
One day, after a banquet with the Yuanying Zhenren, Uncle Pang returned with a smile and said to Zheng Fa.
"Uncle, you truly know how to navigate social waters."
"This matter mainly stems from their lack of concern," Uncle Pang waved his hand. "This is our territory; we let them come to comprehend, and they have to save face."
Zheng Fa nodded lightly.
"Of course, to ensure they commit to jointly protecting the market, we need to allocate a few shop shares to them; otherwise, they won’t be willing to put in the effort."
"That’s only fair."
…
By the time Zheng Fa and the others arrived at Taiyang County, half a month had already passed.
"We’ve reached the Lei Chi!"
A senior brother in the hall exclaimed with excitement.
Zheng Fa turned to look outside.
Even from the sky, the Lei Chi appeared vast and boundless.
At a glance, he couldn’t see the end.
What surprised him even more was that it truly was a pool.
Or rather, a gigantic, seemingly bottomless pit—within it surged a purple-blue hue.
It looked like an ocean filled with ink.
Upon closer inspection, he realized that the purple-blue wasn’t water, but rather roiling, entwined lightning.
The Wulong Tiangong slowly descended to the edge of the Lei Chi, where many people were already waiting.
At the forefront was Huang Zhenren, accompanied by some disciples from the market who had come with Zhang Shijie.
Although she had been summoned back by the sect leader, these market disciples wouldn’t return. On one hand, they were familiar with Taiyang County, and on the other, they knew the market well.
They were just in time to assist in establishing the new market.
So, Huang Zhenren had been waiting here, ready to hand over responsibilities to Uncle Pang.
Thinking of Uncle Pang’s teachings, and considering the relationship between the two, Zheng Fa couldn’t help but reasonably suspect that Uncle Pang had a third reason for taking a detour.
Zheng Fa carefully observed the disciples; they bore no visible injuries, but their expressions were quite dejected, and there seemed to be fewer of them.
What puzzled Zheng Fa was the look Huang Zhenren cast at him, which seemed tinged with resentment.
Shouldn’t you be glaring at Uncle Pang instead?
…
Due to the need to plan the new market, Zheng Fa followed Senior Brother Yang, who had arrived earlier, to stroll around the Lei Chi, familiarizing himself with the environment and searching for a suitable location.
Senior Brother Yang was a law enforcement disciple from the previous market and was somewhat familiar with Zheng Fa.
"Senior Brother Yang, where are the others?"
"Some are recuperating, and some…"
He didn’t elaborate, and Zheng Fa didn’t press further.
The two walked along the edge of the Lei Chi, listening to the continuous rumble of thunder, falling into a moment of silence.
Until they came across a mortal.
He knelt by the edge of the Lei Chi, staring blankly into it, lost in thought.
"Senior Brother Yang, who is this…?"
"A mortal who used to live here."
"Used to live here?"
"Zheng Shidi, do you know what a spiritual vein eruption is like?"
Senior Brother Yang suddenly asked.
"Please enlighten me, Senior Brother."
"This entire Lei Chi spans at least a thousand miles… it used to be a plain, even had a county town."
Zheng Fa was taken aback.
"In a single night, the ground collapsed, and when one opened their eyes, it was a sky full of lightning." Senior Brother Yang briefly described the scene: "He is fortunate."
"…"
"At least he survived."
"Then why…"
Zheng Fa glanced at the man again.
"His home is gone, his fields are gone, his family is gone, and he has nowhere to go."
…
In the distance, more streams of light flew in.
Soon, more cultivators arrived. In a short time, over a thousand cultivators had gathered here, all drawn by the news of the Tian Bei being present, seeking opportunities.
They approached the mortal and gazed into the Lei Chi.
Yet the mortal’s eyes reflected an endless abyss of suffering.
While these newcomers wore expressions of longing and excitement.
Zheng Fa found himself at a loss for words, unconsciously recalling the Senior Brother Zhuang he had met when he first entered the sect.
"Senior Brother, what’s become of Senior Brother Zhuang from the Fu Fa Pavilion?"
"Are you familiar with him?" Senior Brother Yang paused, then recalled, "He must be dead by now."
"Dead."
"Yes, he didn’t come out of the Lei Chi… and no one went to look for him."
"…"
"Aside from Zhang Shijie, he had little contact with others, and with her not around…"
Senior Brother Yang explained.
"…"
Zheng Fa returned to the Wulong Tiangong.
He sat at his desk, holding a brush, slowly writing on paper.
He started with the patterns of the talismans from Old Bai.
He wrote all the way to the Three-Child Talisman Law.
He even completed Tang Lingwu’s conjecture.
Then he continued to jot down many of his thoughts on talismans and cultivation.
One could say he wrote down everything he had learned.
He was acutely aware that some things, if exposed at his current level of cultivation, would be unsustainable—he needed stronger power and a higher status.
This was evident in the study of talismans, where rashly proposing new ideas would encounter resistance.
Yet today, he had written all of this down.
On one hand, it was because, without Zhang Shijie, he had no one to discuss with; many things could only be pondered alone. The act of writing was, in fact, a form of summarization and self-learning.
But the main reason was that today’s scene had shaken him, making him acutely aware of the fragility of life.
He suddenly had a thought—
Although he had already begun cultivating, the situation in the Xuanwei Realm was deteriorating.
If something were to happen to him, he hoped to leave something behind for the Xuanwei Realm.
With that thought, he gently paused his brush and chuckled at himself.
Wasn’t this the mindset of Old Bai when he wrote that textbook?
That old man just wouldn’t stop talking, almost brainwashing himself.
"Zheng Shizi, what are you writing?"
Uncle Pang suddenly walked in, curious about his contemplative demeanor.
"Nothing much," Zheng Fa shook his head, putting the papers into his storage bag. He had kept this storage bag in the Wulong Tiangong, containing all his wealth and secret manuals, and he generally wouldn’t take it outside.
Mainly to avoid having his corpse rifled through if he died.
The Wulong Tiangong had restrictions, making it difficult for anyone other than Uncle Pang to enter Zheng Fa’s room unnoticed.
As for Uncle Pang…
Well, Zheng Fa still trusted his character.
Uncle Pang scrutinized him for a while, seemingly suspicious yet curious to see.
"Not going to show me?"
"If something unfortunate were to happen to me, and if Zhang Shijie doesn’t return, I’ll leave these to you, Uncle."
"Unfortunate?"
Uncle Pang’s brow furrowed, and his expression shifted.
…
That night, Zheng Fa was practicing the "Five Thunder Body Technique" with a Xuan Lei Stone in hand.
Suddenly, Huang Zhenren arrived.
She didn’t disturb Zheng Fa, merely standing in front of his room, patiently waiting.
By the time Zheng Fa noticed her standing at the door, the night had grown quite late.
"Uncle?"
Huang Zhenren glanced at him twice, then suddenly tossed a jade tube.
Zheng Fa instinctively caught it.
"What’s this?"
"This is a map of the Lei Chi left for you by my disciple," Huang Zhenren said with a pout. "She’s something else, leaving nothing for me, her master, but specifically instructing those disciples to give this to you."
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