Chapter 81: Possessing the Qualities of a Honey Badger

Li Ling’er’s face paled with worry. “Could that spirit rice be poisoned?”
Su Ji’an noted her reaction—it seemed she’d eaten it before.
It appeared Li Lingguang already knew the Bai clan’s distributed spirit rice was harmless.
That explained why he hadn’t raised the alarm.
For the Daoist Academy to value Li Lingguang so highly, he could not possibly be an ordinary person.
Most likely, he possessed some means to conceal his true cultivation, like a suppressor of sorts.
The reason the Daoist Academy hadn’t killed Li Lingguang was simply because he still held value.
Su Ji’an’s gaze sharpened. He shook his head. “Though it’s harmless, it’s no different from fattening pigs for slaughter. Pigs are always fed well before they’re killed.”
Li Ling’er muttered under her breath, “You’re the pig, you big meanie.”
Su Ji’an asked casually, “So how are the villagers of Lingxiu reacting now?”
“Of course, they’re deeply shaken—who would have thought the Bai clan could be so vicious? You really can’t judge a book by its cover.” Li Ling’er’s expression was still full of lingering fear.
Su Ji’an pressed, “Didn’t anyone suspect anything?”
For matters like this, a detailed survey among the people was always worthwhile.
“The Immortal Lady had no reason to deceive us mere mortals, nor did she need to explain her reasons for destroying the Bai clan. Why can’t you understand something as simple as that, you big meanie?” Li Ling’er looked askance at Su Ji’an, a clear look of childish superiority in her eyes.
Su Ji’an: “...So you came here just for this?”
He hadn’t expected to be looked down upon by such a young girl.
Li Ling’er nodded.
“All right, you may leave now,” Su Ji’an waved her off, feigning indifference, then started walking toward the village entrance.
“Hmph, I won’t!” Li Ling’er huffed and quickly followed after him.
Suddenly—
A new message flashed through Su Ji’an’s mind:
[The Holy Lord once again located Xi Wang’s trail and launched an attack, unaware that Xi Wang had already set a vast net in secret. Deliberately revealing his whereabouts, he was waiting to lure the snake out of its hole.]
[The Holy Lord was captured, bound tightly with the Demon-Binding Rope, and suffered the loss of his storage ring.]
[While his captors were off guard, the Holy Lord used the Transformation Charm of the Monkey Talisman to escape, then employed several other talismans’ mysteries to get away safely.]
The Holy Lord was truly as tenacious as a honey badger...
Su Ji’an was pleased with the Holy Lord’s frequency of mission attempts. Though this one had failed, it was still valuable experience.
This time, it was clearly a trap set in advance for the Holy Lord; even with the Immobilization Talisman, he would have struggled to succeed against such preparation.

He Changsheng immediately decided to assign the Holy Lord a simple new task—deliver the Immobilization Talisman.
[Eliminate a Nascent Soul-stage cultivator of the Right Path Alliance.]
[Mission reward: one Immobilization Talisman. Usable against cultivators below the Void Return stage; the target’s entire cultivation is sealed, rendering them immobile for three days.]
Meanwhile—
On the player channel:
Holy Lord: “Does anyone know where I might find Right Path Alliance members near Yongdu City?”
He knew little of the Right Path Alliance and had no idea where to start.
His previous two assassination attempts on Xi Wang had failed because his target’s cultivation was formidable.
Even with his twelve talismans, he struggled against someone of the Soul Formation stage.
Clearly, the Immobilization Talisman was key to completing this mission.
Ouyang Feng: “Looks like you have a similar mission to hunt down the Right Path Alliance. Perhaps we should cooperate?”
Holy Lord promptly replied, “Where are you?”
Ouyang Feng: “Come to Wangchuan Pavilion and we’ll discuss the details.”
...
Su Ji’an: “...”
That old fox Ouyang Feng really seized every opportunity—now the Holy Lord was surely going to be led around by the nose.
But Su Ji’an had no intention of intervening.
After all, targeting the Right Path Alliance was also part of his overall plan.
At the very least, it meant he didn’t have to make a personal trip to Yongdu just yet.
If the Holy Lord failed again on his next attempt, Su Ji’an could always step in himself.
Xi Wang was both cunning and vengeful; it would be unwise to let him grow stronger unchecked.
He was, after all, a cultivator of the demonic path and not to be underestimated.
Arriving at the village entrance, Su Ji’an found only a few villagers gathered under the old pagoda tree.
It seemed that, because of the Bai clan incident, they’d shifted their gathering place for now.
In their stead were eight young men and two young women, all in a group, deep in conversation. Above each of their heads hovered names, modified in the player channel, creating a rather odd scene.
Su Ji’an quietly sat down nearby, observing them.

“It looks like we weren’t the first to descend into this world. I wonder what stage they’re at now, but it seems the main storyline has already begun for them.”
“Doesn’t that mean we’re way behind?”
“In this world of cultivation, as long as you have enough talent, you can always catch up.”
“I heard something else, too—last night, the only immortal cultivation clan within dozens of miles was wiped out. They say the whole family was hung from the wall, with their tongues stretched out long.”
Luo Xiaomi suddenly piped up sweetly, “But my big brothers will always protect me, won’t they?”
At this, the other girl in the group, Ruoshui, could not help but sneer to herself, thinking, “Hmph, what a little green tea.”
Ye Tiandi gasped, “Wait—doesn’t that mean we’re in trouble? Last night, we offended someone called the Holy Lord. What if he comes after us for revenge?”
“Correction—it wasn’t all of us, just you and Xianggu,” Jianxian said, scooting a little further away.
Ye Tiandi: “...We’re all the Fourth Calamity, who’s afraid of whom?”
Jianxian continued, “That silly NPC over there keeps staring at us. Has your beauty bewitched him, little sister?”
“You have good taste, brother—I was the campus belle at Jiaoda University,” Luo Xiaomi replied with a bashful glance.
Ruoshui snorted, “That little girl beside him is far more lovely than you. Give her a few more years, and you’ll be left in her dust.”
Luo Xiaomi glared, “You little wretch!”
“All right, enough infighting...”
...
Su Ji’an listened to their chatter, his expression calm, but in his mind he quietly made note of the one called Jianxian.
Soon, he noticed a player named Feng Chen approaching him.
So, there were clever ones among them—already seeking him out to trigger a quest.
“Excuse me, brother, could you move aside a bit?” Feng Chen asked genially.
Su Ji’an: “...”
He immediately took back his previous thought. This fellow had chosen the wrong path.
“Miss, is there anything you need my help with?” Feng Chen asked Li Ling’er eagerly.
Li Ling’er eyed him suspiciously. “You don’t seem to be from Lingxiu Village, are you?”
At this, the other players gathered around as well.
Regret was evident on their faces—they all wondered why it hadn’t occurred to them to trigger a quest proactively.