Martial Saint with Passives

But the receptionist waved his hand impatiently, his tone dismissive.

”I know, I know. Strong in actual combat, you say? I’ve heard that plenty of times.”

The words had barely left his mouth when another disciple in the Force Integration Realm, who was lined up behind Jiang Che, spoke up.

”Senior Brother, Senior Brother! I’m really strong in actual combat, too!”

The receptionist scoffed and said to the two of them,

”Nine out of ten Force Integration cultivators claim they’re strong in actual combat! So what if you can really fight? Someone in the Bone Forging Realm doesn’t even have to lift a finger. Their Realm alone is enough to scare off those petty gangs! And you? Even if you can fight off three or five of them, trouble will just keep coming back! The merchants want peace and quiet. Who do you think they’re going to choose?”

Jiang Che was left speechless, unable to utter a word.

The reality of the situation left him with no rebuttal.

He shook his head and walked out of the Four Seas Commerce Association’s office.

Staring at the stream of people on the road, Jiang Che felt his plan had completely fallen through.

’Do I really have to go back to taking those missions for a few dozen taels of gold? Four months... three thousand taels... it’s simply impossible.’

Jiang Che felt a surge of anxiety.

Withered Soul Grass, the next volume of the Nine Heavens Azure Cloud Technique, tuition, the enormous expenses of daily cultivation...

All of this weighed on his heart like a giant boulder.

’Perhaps... that’s the only path left?’

The memory of killing the Demon Sect’s inside man and striking it rich by looting the body surfaced in his mind.

It was dangerous, and he might run into Demon Sect members of a higher Realm.

But the huge financial gap and the pressing deadline were suffocating him.

Jiang Che sighed helplessly.

’Fine, I’ll go look for information on the Demon Sect.’

...

...

...

Yin’s Cloth Shop.

Yin Rong and Yin Yingying were discussing matters in the main hall.

Suddenly, the old steward, Uncle Wang, hurried in from outside.

”Master, Young Miss!”

Uncle Wang bowed, his expression somewhat grave.

Seeing Uncle Wang, Yin Rong asked urgently, ”What did you find out?”

Uncle Wang sighed and said, ”Master, I’m afraid it’s not good. There are some rumors on the street about that Zhou Meng from the Taiyuan Sect... They say he secretly controls a few gangs! He allegedly orders them to harass merchants, then he steps in to ’solve’ the problem and demands a reward! What’s more, he keeps raising his price afterward, his greed growing larger and larger! Of course, these are just street rumors, and I don’t know if they’re true, but where there’s smoke, there’s fire...”

Yin Rong’s expression changed at his words, and he shot to his feet. ”This... isn’t that just letting a wolf in the house? Absolutely not! Then... what about that talented disciple from the Profound Sound Sect, Chu Xuanyi? He should be fine, right?”

The worry on Uncle Wang’s face deepened, and he shook his head. ”Master, as for Chu Xuanyi, there are no issues with his character or reputation. He is indeed young and promising. But... he’s just too popular! Many merchants in Cangzhou Prefecture, and even some Noble Families, are all competing to hire him as a Tributor... I hear the price has already been driven very high! Even if we wanted to hire him now, I’m afraid six thousand taels of gold wouldn’t be enough. We’d probably have to add more on top of that...”

Yin Rong sank back into his chair, defeated, and let out a long sigh. ”What are we to do...”

But then he thought about how the harassment from these thugs was so bad that the cloth shop could barely stay in business. He couldn’t delay any longer.

So be it. Expensive is expensive, as long as the business can be saved...

Just as he was about to speak, Yin Yingying, who was beside him, said, ”Father... do you remember Jiang Che? The one who escorted me to Cangzhou.”

Yin Rong looked up, a little puzzled. ”Of course, I remember. What about him?”

Yin Yingying’s eyes lit up slightly as she said, ”I remember when he left, he said he was coming to Cangzhou to join the Cangyun Sect and cultivate. His Talent is excellent; he’s very likely a disciple of the Cangyun Sect by now! Should we... try asking him for help?”

Yin Rong quickly pressed, ”A disciple of the Cangyun Sect? What Realm is he in now? Do you know?”

Yin Yingying hesitated slightly before answering, ”I don’t know the specifics. But when he escorted me, he was already at the Late Iron Skin Realm! After all this time, he must have reached Force Integration!”

At that moment, Mrs. Yin also walked out from an inner room. Having overheard the conversation, she couldn’t help but frown.

”Even if he became a disciple of the Cangyun Sect, he’s only at Force Integration right now, isn’t he? I’ve heard those gangs have experts at the Force Integration Level, and there might even be someone at the Bone Forging Realm backing them... Can one young man really control the situation?”

Yin Yingying quickly explained, ”Mother, Jiang Che is very strong! When he was escorting me, we were ambushed, and he killed two Wuxiang Alliance experts at Great Success in Force Integration all by himself! And he was only in the Iron Skin Realm back then! If he’s reached Force Integration now, he might even be able to hold his own against someone in the Bone Forging Realm!”

Yin Rong was astonished. ”Really? An Iron Skin Realm killing experts at Great Success in Force Integration? Two of them?”

Yin Yingying nodded emphatically. ”It’s absolutely true! I saw it with my own eyes!”

She recalled the scene of Jiang Che transforming into the Black-armored Giant, and her heart still trembled with shock.

However, she naturally wouldn’t mention the part about his transformation.

Yin Rong fell into thought, his fingers tapping lightly on the tabletop. After a long moment, he said:

”If that’s the case... then let’s give it a try. Uncle Wang, send someone to the Cangyun Sect immediately to inquire if Jiang Che is there and what his cultivation is now. Remember, if he hasn’t reached Force Integration or hasn’t entered the Inner Courtyard, then forget about it. An Iron Skin Realm cultivator, no matter how good he is at fighting, probably can’t handle the current situation!”

”Yes, Master.”

Uncle Wang answered respectfully, then turned and quickly departed.

Watching Uncle Wang’s departing figure, Yin Yingying silently hoped.

She could only hope that Jiang Che had already established himself in the sect and that his cultivation had greatly improved...

...

...

...

Jiang Che returned to his residence, his mind still working on how to find traces of the Demon Sect.

He picked up a copy of the Cangzhou Wind and Cloud Chronicles that had just been delivered today from his table.

It was a small newspaper he subscribed to from Cheng Yuzhi, published twice a month. After coming to the Cangyun Sect, Jiang Che had learned a lot of news from it.

This paper was especially good at digging up secret stories and interesting tidbits about the Three Great Sects and the various Noble Families.

He flipped through the paper. The first few pages were mostly filled with harmless gossip:

”Shocking! A talented female disciple from the Profound Sound Sect and the Chief Disciple of the Taiyuan Sect suspected of having a secret rendezvous under the moon!”

”Exclusive: The dark horse of the Cangyun Sect’s Inner Courtyard annual competition is actually from a humble background?”

”The Prefect of Cangzhou’s daughter to choose a husband by tossing an embroidered ball, causing a sensation among all the young talents in the city...”

Jiang Che skimmed quickly, his expression turning serious only when he reached the middle and back pages.

”Recently, multiple merchants in the west of the city have been extorted by unknown individuals. The incidents are suspected to be related to the new gang, the ’Black Death Gang’. This gang is known for its ruthless methods and is rumored to have a Demon Sect background...”

”Warning: Strange noises are frequently heard at night near the abandoned charity cemetery on the city outskirts. A woodcutter even claimed to have seen will-o’-the-wisps and flickering shadows. The Government Office has begun an investigation, and citizens are advised to take a detour.”

”Cases of desiccated corpses have appeared in multiple locations. The victims’ Qi Blood was completely drained, suspected to be the work of someone cultivating a life-draining Demon Technique. The Three Great Sects have already sent disciples to assist with patrols...”

As the reports entered his view one by one, Jiang Che’s gaze gradually sharpened.

’The Black Death Gang, the abandoned charity cemetery, the desiccated corpse cases... I might be able to find some clues at these places,’ he mused.

Although it was dangerous, he was confident in his [Invisibility] Talent, which allowed him to hide his form in darkness, and his [Omen] Talent, which could predict danger. If he couldn’t win a fight, he should have no problem escaping.

If things got really bad, he would flee immediately.

Just as he was planning his route for a nighttime investigation, there was a knock on his courtyard gate.

”Is Young Master Jiang Che present? This old man is the steward of the Yin Mansion. I have come to pay a visit on the orders of my master and young miss.”

Jiang Che was taken aback. ’The Yin Mansion? Yin Yingying?’

He got up and opened the door, only to see a well-dressed, hale and hearty old man standing outside, looking at him with a pleasant smile.

”I am Jiang Che. Please come in, Steward Wang.” Jiang Che recognized him as the old steward from the Yin Family.

Steward Wang walked into the small courtyard. He didn’t state his purpose immediately, but instead sized Jiang Che up carefully. A subtle glint flashed in his eyes before he spoke tentatively:

”Forgive my boldness, but may I ask, is Young Master Jiang now in the Force Integration Realm? And are you already an Inner Courtyard Disciple of the Cangyun Sect?”

Although Jiang Che was a bit confused, he still answered truthfully, ”I have indeed reached Force Integration, and I am an Inner Courtyard Disciple.”

He subtly circulated his Qi Force, and an invisible pressure naturally emanated from him.

Steward Wang’s face immediately lit up with joy. ”Indeed! Young Master Jiang, your talent is truly extraordinary! To be such a high-achieving disciple of the Cangyun Sect at such a young age!”

He paused, his expression turning serious, and continued.

”To be honest, this old man has come today on behalf of Yin’s Cloth Shop. We would like to invite you, Young Master Jiang, to become our cloth shop’s Tributor!”