Returning after 10000 Years Cultivation - Chapter 106

Shen Mange trembled with anger, too furious to spare Jiang Tian another glance. She stormed upstairs to sleep, seething with rage.

“Hah, to these spoiled rich kids, human life is as worthless as grass, and the law is nothing but a joke!”

Jiang Tian picked up the bottle of red wine Han Yan’er had left behind, poured himself a full glass, and took a slow sip. His eyes darkened as he murmured,

“In my past life, I was naive and ignorant—I never saw the cruel truth of this world.”

“Now that I’ve been reborn, I realize that beneath the surface of order, this world is nothing but a bloody, ruthless battleground of slaughter and oppression!”

He drained the last of his wine in one gulp, exhaling in satisfaction. “But that’s what makes it fun, isn’t it?”

The next morning, Jiang Tian and his group checked out of the hotel and prepared to leave. Coincidentally, they ran into Han Yan’er, Mai Shilong, and their entourage downstairs.

When Han Yan’er spotted Jiang Tian, her pretty face turned icy, her eyes flashing with resentment.

Last night, though she had only used Jiang Tian as a shield—nothing more than an act—his public rejection in front of Mai Shilong had humiliated her. As someone who saw herself as a high-society princess, she couldn’t stand him.

“Who does this nobody think he is, acting so arrogant? Once we reach the Shennong Sect, I’ll convince the masters to kick him out!”

She shot Jiang Tian a disdainful glance, silently plotting.

“Young Master Mai, Miss Han, I hope I’m not late!”

Just then, the young man they had met at the Yaodu Hotel—Young Master Jiang—pulled up in an off-road vehicle, rushing over to Han Yan’er and Mai Shilong with an ingratiating smile.

“Not at all! Thanks for your hard work, Young Master Jiang!” Mai Shilong patted his shoulder and grinned. “As long as you get us to the Shennong Sect, the investment we discussed will be finalized immediately!”

Though Young Master Jiang seemed like a spoiled, useless playboy, he was actually quite shrewd. Over the years, he had secured numerous investments for his father by guiding people to the Shennong Sect—of course, skimming a little off the top for himself.

This trip alone, guiding Mai Shilong and Han Yan’er, had earned him shares worth millions in their soon-to-be-established company.

“Young Master Mai is too kind!”

Overjoyed, Young Master Jiang glanced around and suddenly noticed Shen Mange and Chen Bo standing with Jiang Tian. His eyes widened in shock. “Senior Sister, Young Master Chen, why are you with him?”

Silence.

No one answered him.

Shen Mange was in low spirits and couldn’t be bothered to speak. Chen Bo was still terrified of Jiang Tian and didn’t dare utter a word. Qiu Gong and Tang Linglong, following Jiang Tian’s orders to keep a low profile, also stayed quiet.

Finally, Jiang Tian smiled faintly and said, “We’re friends now. They’re taking me to the Shennong Sect to seek medicine.”

“Oh, really? Perfect! I’m guiding them there too. We can go together!”

Young Master Jiang, oblivious to the tension, handed Jiang Tian a cigarette and quickly started treating him like an old buddy.

Seeing that Jiang Tian also knew Young Master Jiang—and seemed to have some status—Mai Shilong’s expression darkened. He had originally planned to find an opportunity to kill Jiang Tian in the wilderness, but now it wouldn’t be so easy.

The two groups merged into one convoy and set off. Soon, they arrived at Shennong Town. After driving a few more kilometers, the road ended, forcing them to continue on foot.

As they trekked through the dense forest, Han Yan’er was soon drenched in sweat. She grumbled, “How can a place this remote be so poor? Not even a proper road—this is unbearable!”

“Miss Han, you’re underestimating the Shennong Sect. They’re incredibly wealthy. The government has offered to build roads for them, but the sect’s masters prefer seclusion. They refuse, worried that too many visitors seeking medicine would disturb their peace.”

Young Master Jiang panted as he explained.

“They’re rich?” Han Yan’er was surprised.

“You saw Shennong Town, right? Even though it’s deep in the mountains, every family owns cars and lives in villas!”

Young Master Jiang chuckled. “How? By selling food, vegetables, and handmade goods to the Shennong Sect! A single household’s annual income is around half a million!”

“That’s impressive—higher than some white-collar salaries!” Mai Shilong nodded.

“And that’s nothing!”

Young Master Jiang grinned. “If the Shennong Sect takes a liking to you and accepts you as a disciple, the earnings are even higher! Even an outer-sect disciple makes at least a million a year. That’s why the surrounding villages are all prosperous!”

Jiang Tian, however, remained unfazed.

A major alchemy sect like this—how could they lack money?

Even the smallest scraps they let slip would be enough to make any mountain family rich.

“Young Master Jiang, what kind of gifts would impress the sect’s immortals?” Han Yan’er asked sweetly, resting a hand on his shoulder as she leaped over a boulder.

Coming from a mere deputy mayor’s family in a small city, Young Master Jiang was nothing compared to heirs of major clans like Han Yan’er and Mai Shilong.

“You’ve asked the right person!”

Flattered by Han Yan’er’s respectful tone, he puffed up with pride. “These masters are otherworldly beings—mundane things like money won’t sway them!”

“I don’t believe that!”

Mai Shilong scoffed. “If five million won’t do it, then fifty million, or a hundred million! Pile enough cash in front of them, and I refuse to believe they won’t budge!”

“Young Master Mai, you really don’t understand them.”

Young Master Jiang rolled his eyes and smirked. “Do you know the Guo family of Nanyang?”

“The Guo family? What about them?” Mai Shilong and Han Yan’er exchanged startled glances.

The Guo family of Nanyang was a century-old dynasty, a constant name on the list of wealthiest Chinese families. With assets in the hundreds of billions, their influence and fortune far surpassed upstarts like the Han and Mai families.

“A few months ago, the Guo family’s heiress, Guo Lili, hired me to take them to the Shennong Sect. They offered a billion for medicine to cure her grandfather. But guess what? The sect’s masters kicked them out!” Young Master Jiang declared smugly.

“What? They turned down a billion?!”

“Even the Guo family couldn’t get face?!” Han Yan’er and Mai Shilong gasped in unison, stunned.

Jiang Tian raised an eyebrow.

So, before Guo Lili went to White Ape Valley for the life crystals, she must have visited the Shennong Sect first.

His gaze shifted to Shen Mange beside him. The woman lifted her chin proudly, as if saying:

“See now, brat? This is the kind of power the Shennong Sect wields. You’re out of your depth!”

Jiang Tian found it amusing.

What did the Guo family’s failed attempt prove? Only that the Shennong Sect had treasures worth taking!

Han Yan’er bit her lip, then forced a smile. “Brother Jiang, what kind of gifts would please these mountain immortals, then?”

The term “Brother Jiang” sent Young Master Jiang into euphoria. Grinning ear to ear, he spilled everything: “The masters have two loves—first, rare herbs and exotic plants, and second, antiques, jade, famous paintings…”

“Oh, that’s manageable.” Han Yan’er relaxed slightly.

Fortunately, they had brought plenty of jade and antiques. Otherwise, this trip would’ve been wasted.

She shot Jiang Tian a smug glance.

His group carried no luggage—clearly, they had brought no gifts. The sect’s masters would probably throw them out on sight!

The forest was thick with white mist, crawling with venomous insects. The path was rugged, nearly invisible under tangled vines and shrubs.

Even Young Master Jiang, who had visited the Shennong Sect multiple times, nearly got lost.

“This terrain is manageable for martial artists, but ordinary people wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“No wonder the Shennong Sect remains secluded and transcendent, even in this modern age of technology and information.”

Jiang Tian sighed softly.

Suddenly, a wild boar burst from the undergrowth, charging straight at them.

The beast stood half a man’s height, nearly five feet long—like a small calf—with bristly fur and tusks dripping with saliva.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The bodyguards panicked, drawing their guns and firing.

The boar was hit, tumbling mid-charge. But it quickly scrambled up, even angrier, barreling toward them like a bulldozer.

“Holy shit, it’s not dying!” The bodyguards paled.

The boar’s hide, toughened by years of rubbing against pine trees and caked with resin, was like armor—even bullets couldn’t pierce it.

“No worries. Let it come.”

An elderly man behind Han Yan’er—dubbed “Uncle Lu”—stepped forward calmly.

The boar closed the distance in a black blur. Five meters away, it leaped off a rock, hurtling toward Uncle Lu like a cannonball.

Uncle Lu raised his right hand and delivered a seemingly light tap to the boar’s skull.

Thud!

Blood and brain matter sprayed as the several-hundred-pound boar flew back seven or eight meters, dead before it hit the ground.

“Incredible! The old master’s skills are almost on par with the sect’s immortals!”

Young Master Jiang wiped his sweat, giving a thumbs-up.

Uncle Lu merely smiled faintly. “Let’s keep moving.”

Han Yan’er shot Jiang Tian a haughty look—“See that? Even my family’s bodyguard is stronger than you!”

They pressed on, finally arriving at their destination by noon the next day.

A sheer, sword-like peak towered before them, piercing the sky. At its base lay a massive valley enclosed by a stone wall, forming a sprawling fortress nearly five miles across.

The Shennong Sect had finally come into view.

“It’s beautiful… like a paradise untouched by the world!” Han Yan’er murmured, her eyes filled with longing and awe.