Chapter Twenty-Four: Survival Is the True Path

Suddenly, Su Ji'an appeared right in front of Gao Zhengde.

Before he could even speak, a series of messages from the system unexpectedly flashed through his mind.

[Option One: Gladly accept Gao Zhengde's request.]
[Reward: Instantly unlock Ultimate Evolution of a low-level cultivation technique.]

[Option Two: Expose Gao Zhengde's ulterior motives with a single remark, then strike him down.]
[Reward: Instantly embark on your journey as a Culinary God.]

[Option Three: Stall for time, investigate Gao Zhengde's true intentions, and then decide.]
[Reward: Instantly unlock Infinite Player Summoning Mode.]

[Note: Failing this mission means you will forever lose the opportunity to obtain the reward. Choose carefully.]

Su Ji'an paused for a moment—this time, the rewards were three different modes.

There's no reason not to choose.

After all, failing the task brought no real punishment; it would simply be revoked, and he wouldn't get a second chance. That was all.

Compared to his previous trials, this mission was relatively simple. Whether it was taking Gao Zhengde's life or stalling for time to probe his schemes, both seemed like easy tasks.

But he couldn't afford to be careless... or he might stumble in unexpected ways.

Rationality told him he should just eliminate Gao Zhengde without hesitation, then escape with Zhao Qianxue, avoiding the relentless pursuit of the righteous alliance.

However, even if Gao Zhengde spoke the truth, he had no interest in saving the masses. Lingzhou was no place to linger; the death of the Blade King would soon be public knowledge. It wouldn't be long before Lingzhou became a land of turmoil and strife.

After a brief hesitation, Su Ji'an chose the third option.

As the saying goes, fortune favors the bold.

Besides, there was no reason to cower because of a mere mortal. If he truly fell for the other's schemes, what was the point of cultivating immortality? He might as well lay down his sword and retire to some remote valley to farm.

He felt no particular enthusiasm for the Culinary God mode—he'd be happy enough to have someone else play the chef for him.

Moreover, after building his foundation, he had long since ceased to eat, having little interest in food.

[Mission accepted. Time limit: one month. Good luck.]

[Reward obtained: Infinite Player Summoning Mode unlocked.]

[Detailed Explanation—Infinite Player Summoning Mode: You may select players from the myriad worlds. You are the sole quest giver for these players. Only by completing a mission you assign can a player return to their original world. If the player dies, the mission fails automatically. Players cannot inflict any real harm upon you. For every fifty thousand spiritual energy points you expend, you gain the right to summon one player.]

[Congratulations, you have received a free first-time player summon.]

[Note: Your binding limit for modes has been reached. You now have the right to unbind modes at will.]

When Su Ji'an saw that summoning a player would cost fifty thousand spiritual energy points, he couldn't help but wince.

Only when he read of the complimentary summon did his mood improve.

Truthfully, spending spiritual energy would not be a problem in the future—once he began his mercantile ventures and occasionally seized treasures by force, he would hardly lack spiritual energy.

But for now, he was truly strapped for resources.

Being hunted by the righteous alliance, any ostentation would be courting death.

Even Zhao Qianxue, until she could defend herself, was better off keeping a low profile.

Lying low was the wisest course.

Yet Su Ji'an did not immediately summon a player—who knew if the summon would appear right before him? If a stranger suddenly materialized in his room, it would be more than a little strange.

Such things were best done in private, away from prying eyes.

In addition, it turned out that there was an upper limit to the number of modes he could bind.

For the moment, he was content with the three modes he already had—they suited his current needs.

Su Ji'an dismissed further thoughts; whatever happened next would be dealt with in due time. There was no point in overthinking, especially since no new modes had appeared.

He rose and stepped outside. At that moment, Zhao Qianxue was still fast asleep. Sensing the empty space beside her, she instinctively rolled over and continued to sleep soundly.

Gao Zhengde greeted him with a sycophantic smile. "Immortal Master... about the matter we discussed earlier, when do you think would be the best time to act? The sooner the better, in my opinion. The demons have already begun to stir. With your prowess, even a fiend as formidable as Su Henli fell at your hand. Dealing with a demon that's little more than a walking corpse should be nothing to you."

"The tens of thousands of common folk in Lingzhou City will surely be eternally grateful to you, Immortal Master, never forgetting your immense kindness. I will even urge everyone to set up longevity plaques for you in their homes."

Damn!

Such fawning was deadly.

Did this scoundrel really think a few flattering words would make him lose his wits?

And it was all empty promises—what was a longevity plaque, anyway? It sounded suspiciously like a memorial tablet...

Ugh, what ill-omened nonsense.

Not even a dog would want that!

Clearly, he had spent too much time among worldly rulers and now mistook Su Ji'an for a glory-seeker.

But empty fame was fleeting. He couldn't profit from it.

He had always been a practical man, caring only for tangible benefits.

Su Ji'an chuckled coldly. "There’s one thing you may not know. Though Su Henli is dead, matters are far from over. To put it simply, our greatest crisis is yet to come. It's a bit premature to talk of eradicating evil and upholding the way right now."

Gao Zhengde looked confused, even a little stunned, but could not afford to think too much about it and quickly pressed for an explanation.

Su Ji'an explained calmly, "You remember the bearded man who died at Su Henli's hand? He was a member of the Righteous Alliance. And that Xi Wang, who escaped from Su Henli’s side, is the true culprit behind all of this."

"The Righteous Alliance knows nothing of these details; to them, Su Henli was their associate. Xi Wang has vanished without a trace, and you and I have become their scapegoats. The Righteous Alliance will not rest until they have their ‘justice.’"

Gao Zhengde's expression changed, but he did not doubt the truth of Su Ji'an's words.

After all, he had witnessed much of it himself, and Su Ji'an’s explanation made everything fit.

Gao Zhengde tentatively asked, "Then surely, Immortal Master, you have a way to resolve this?"

Otherwise, why would the man seem so calm and composed?

Su Ji'an smiled serenely. "It's actually simple to avert the crisis to come. As long as we don’t take the blame for Xi Wang, and the Righteous Alliance finds the true culprit, all our troubles will be resolved."

Gao Zhengde’s eyes lit up. "Wise words, Immortal Master. But forgive my ignorance—what should we do next? I still need your guidance."

Su Ji'an answered directly, "You’ve seen his face and know him even better than I do. Find an artist to draw his likeness and post it across the city. Make clear that Su Henli practiced the Blood Refining technique and was responsible for the tragedies in Lingzhou. That way, the missing children cases can be closed."

He continued, "But more importantly, you need to announce that my master’s wife and I fell victim to Su Henli. He claimed a powerful treasure, but as the saying goes, the higher the path, the stronger the devil—he was ultimately betrayed by Xi Wang, who devoured all his cultivation. Just then, the Blade King appeared and was also slain by the now-powerful Xi Wang. Now, Xi Wang has vanished with the treasure."