Li Muyang, accompanied by Little Wild Grass, walked along the deserted mountain path; however, once they entered the mountain road, Li Muyang did not take the main path. Instead, he led Little Wild Grass into the rugged and difficult forest.
Little Wild Grass was utterly confused.
“Big Brother, where are we going? Aren’t we supposed to go to the Blood Chamber to find Steward Wu?”
In Little Wild Grass’s perspective, Big Brother had just agreed to kill Steward Wu at Granny Valley’s request, but upon leaving the fort, he headed straight for the woods… Were they running away?
Li Muyang shook his head, “Just follow me for now, we need to search this forest.”
There might be some sort of plot clue in this forest.
The attitude of Steward Wu today was too strange, he was too irritable.
Since he could not find any plot clues in the cave or the fort, Li Muyang had no choice but to try his luck in the wilderness.
Without a game guide, this is how it works; you have to rely on the process of elimination, ruling out wrong options one by one.
The two threaded their way through the dense and rugged forest, straying far from the mountain path leading to the caverns.
However, a faint scent of blood wafted in the air.
Little Wild Grass blinked, expressing her surprise.
“This scent is so familiar… Big Brother, what’s ahead?”
The girl’s face was full of curiosity.
Because it seemed Big Brother knew something, leading her straight into the forest upon leaving the fort.
But after she asked, Li Muyang didn’t answer her and continued walking with his head down.
In his field of vision, a system option popped up.
[I smell a strange, yet strangely familiar, scent of blood… should I go deeper into the forest to see what it is? I really want to know what this blood scent is.]
[The odd scent of blood seems to be calling to me… but I must not go. I have to meet Steward Wu, and any further delay is sure to enrage him.]
The options that appeared before Li Muyang visibly excited him.
Finally, he had found it!
What he was searching for was this—a plot clue!
The blood scent indeed was a plot clue.
Li Muyang didn’t hesitate to choose the first option and continued searching for the source of the blood scent.
However, after roaming the forest with Little Wild Grass for quite a while, they still could not locate the origin of the blood scent.
This strange blood scent seemed to fill the entire forest, pervasive everywhere, but without a source to be found.
Li Muyang was somewhat vexed; the blood scent was obviously a plot clue, but without finding its source, he couldn’t trigger the subsequent plot. Explore more adventures at мѵʟ
But at this moment, the somber figure of Steward Wu appeared within the forest.
He looked at Li Muyang and Little Wild Grass in the forest with a cold expression, saying coldly.
“Jiang Xiaoyu, what are you doing here? Why haven’t you gone to the Blood Chamber to draw blood?”
The eyes of Steward Wu were ice-cold, as if he were about to lash out and kill at any second.
In Li Muyang’s field of vision, two options popped up.
[Apologize to Steward Wu and obediently leave.]
[Tell Steward Wu truthfully that I was led here by a familiar and inviting blood scent.]
After the two options popped up, Li Muyang saved the game and then chose the second one.
After hearing Li Muyang’s words, the eyes of Steward Wu remained as cold as ever.
But instead of erupting in a murderous rage, he said with an unpleasant look.
“What does the blood scent in this mountain have to do with you? Hurry up and take the soul-lost back to the Blood Chamber to draw blood!”
Steward Wu did not kill Li Muyang; instead, he ordered Li Muyang to leave.
This was the first time Li Muyang had seen him and not ended up being immediately killed.
Li Muyang blinked his eyes, obediently listened, and left with Little Wild Grass.
But he remembered the blood scent in the forest.
The gamer’s sharp instincts made him immediately realize that this was undoubtedly an important clue in the third stage of the story.
Taking Little Wild Grass out of the forest and back to the mountain path within it, Li Muyang safely accompanied Little Wild Grass to finish blood collection at the blood room and returned to Black Cloud Fort.
A night passed, and Manager Wu did not come to kill him, nor did Granny Gu.
Clearly, he had safely passed the first day’s plot.
So, what was the story behind the blood scent in the forest?
Why did Manager Wu’s attitude soften so much upon seeing him in the forest, to the point where he didn’t even kill him…
Li Muyang’s heart was filled with curiosity, planning to continue unraveling the mystery.
Just then, the voice of his affordable sister, Li Yuechan, rang in his ears.
“Brother, it’s time to eat, let’s have our meal.”
The voice of the girl sounded in his ear, and it was only then that Li Muyang opened his eyes and saw the girl standing lively by the ridge, holding a food box.
Li Yuechan was wearing a light blue dress with small flowers today, looking delicate and innocent, like the girl next door.
She curiously asked Li Muyang, “Brother, why do you sleep here every day?”
“Usually, on sunny days, you can lie here and enjoy the sun, but today it’s overcast, almost raining, and you’re still lying under this tree… Aren’t you afraid of getting rained on?”
Li Muyang looked up at the sky, which was indeed overcast and about to rain.
He stood up and said.
“No rush, isn’t that why you are here to call me? If it rains tomorrow, I just won’t sleep here.”
The old tile house was sealed on all sides without glass windows, and the room was both dark and cold; Li Muyang did not like staying in such old-fashioned houses, feeling it was very oppressive and stuffy.
Therefore, most of the time, he would be outside playing games.
But after hearing Li Muyang’s words, Li Yuechan shook her head.
“Tomorrow you won’t be able to sleep anywhere, brother. It seems you have forgotten that tomorrow is the Sect’s grand selection day. All new Outer Sect Disciples must participate in the selection and measure their aptitude.”
“We have to go out tomorrow.”
Li Yuechan voiced a reminder about this matter.
This was a major event for the entire Outer Sect, and Li Muyang was probably the only one who would forget about it.
With the Sect selection approaching, countless new Outer Sect Disciples couldn’t sleep at night, tossing and turning with anxiety.
Even Li Yuechan, with the guidance of a senior, wanted to enter the Inner Sect.
She didn’t lack the instruction of a strong mentor, but entering the Inner Sect would mean a completely different status and position, which would also benefit her second uncle and aunt back in Jiyuan City.
The saying went, “When one person achieves the Dao, even their pets ascend to heaven.” Li Yuechan hoped her second uncle and aunt could lead better lives.
But Li Muyang didn’t care about the Sect’s grand selection at all.
Seeing the tension in his affordable sister’s eyes, Li Muyang hesitated for a moment before deciding to remind his affordable sister.
“You don’t need to worry too much about the Sect’s grand selection. I have already asked, and there are very few of us new disciples who can rely on talent and innate ability to be directly promoted to the Inner Sect…”
For most Outer Sect Disciples, there was only one path to promotion to the Inner Sect, and that was to reach the ninth heavens of the Refining Qi Realm through cultivation within ten years. Only then would they be eligible to become an Inner Sect Disciple.
If this ten-year limit is exceeded, even if one reaches the correct Cultivation Realm, the Refinement Demon Sect’s Inner Sect would not accept them.
Because anyone unable to reach the ninth heavens of the Refining Qi Realm within ten years is basically deemed as having poor talent.
The fate of such disciples was either to figure out how to stay as a manager in the Outer Sect or to return to their hometowns and become minor officials.
Tomorrow’s Sect grand selection was basically just a formality, a spectacle to observe.
Its main purpose was for the Inner Sect Disciples of the Refinement Demon Sect to show off their muscular strength to these rural, miscellaneous Outer Sect workers, giving them something to aspire to.
It also served as a warning to these newcomers, to be cautious and not mess around in the territory of the Demon Sect.