Who Doesn't Have a Side Hustle?

Inside the cave dwelling, Wang Ping settled back onto the prayer mat and toyed with his newly acquired Spirit-Gathering Nail with keen interest, pouring his spiritual sense continuously into the magical artifact. On the other side of the room, Fairy Yuerou could only watch helplessly. Seeing the artifact that had once obeyed her every whim now trembling and wailing uncontrollably under the surge of Wang Ping's spiritual sense, she felt an overwhelming tangle of emotions. "Don't force it so hard..." Finally, Fairy Yuerou couldn't hold back and whispered, "The spiritual sense you're pouring in is too much for the Spirit-Gathering Nail. Ease up a little, be gentler." "Otherwise, you're just going to break it." "Really?" Curiosity flashed across Wang Ping's face, and he simply beckoned to her. "Then come over and lend a hand so the Spirit-Gathering Nail can recover sooner." "Ugh..." Fairy Yuerou flushed crimson with anger. Yet seeing that Wang Ping had no intention of treating the artifact gently—relentlessly ramming massive waves of spiritual sense into it—she truly couldn't bear to watch it suffer. Left with no choice, she stepped forward with an aggrieved pout and helped him adjust the amount and pace of his spiritual sense. With her assistance, the wails of the Spirit-Gathering Nail gradually shifted into joyful, ringing whistles. Brilliant light surged around it, finally revealing the full power that a magical artifact of its caliber ought to possess. Fairy Yuerou found the sight too painful to look at. Yet the moment she withdrew her spiritual sense and stopped helping, Wang Ping would lose his feel for the proper balance again, and the Spirit-Gathering Nail would resume its piteous wailing. It was almost as if it were pleading: *Please, give him a push, or he won't know how to move.* Helpless, Fairy Yuerou had to step forward repeatedly. Only after assisting him a dozen more times did Wang Ping finally grasp the knack of driving the Spirit-Gathering Nail. "My thanks for Fairy's guidance." Fairy Yuerou ground her silver teeth and said in a low voice, "Since you've decided to join us, Fellow Daoist, why not come with me to meet our senior brother?" "I'll pass." Wang Ping shook his head decisively. "Senior Brother Guo, right? An outer disciple who has crossed the Mortal Tribulation and refined dharmic power—such a high level of cultivation is far beyond what I can presume to climb toward." Fairy Yuerou wasn't surprised by his response. She could only lament in her heart: *Earlier, I fell for his tricks, and he pried a great deal of intelligence out of me with his illusion technique. Now that he knows Senior Brother Guo's strength, of course he won't willingly walk into a trap and place his life in an outsider's hands.* With that thought, she stopped pressing the matter. "Then forget it. I have a voice-transmitting ring here that connects directly to Senior Brother Guo." Fairy Yuerou took an earring from her earlobe. "As for the rest, please speak to Senior Brother Guo yourself, Fellow Daoist." Wang Ping gave a slight nod. "Very well." With that, he took the earring, drew a few strokes on a talisman paper, cut out a paper figurine, and handed the earring to it. Seeing this, Fairy Yuerou felt even more helpless. Where was the trust between people? Even though they were rogue cultivators, under the vast umbrella of the immortal sect they could be considered senior sister and junior brother. Why be so paranoid? *Boom!* The next instant, the earring exploded, blowing the paper figurine into scattered ashes on the spot. Wang Ping shot her a sidelong glance. "...My apologies. I grabbed the wrong earring just now. It's actually this one." Without batting an eye, Fairy Yuerou calmly removed the earring from her other ear. Wang Ping didn't bother wasting words. Following the same procedure, he had another paper figurine take the earring before infusing it with spiritual sense. This time, the earring did not explode. Instead, it glowed with a faint, soft light, and an elegant, genial voice sounded beside Wang Ping's ear: "Yuerou, how are things going?" "Very smoothly," Wang Ping answered. "I have already agreed to assist. Fairy Yuerou was so deeply moved that she lent me her Spirit-Gathering Nail to use and asked me to speak with you directly, Senior Brother Guo." With a single sentence, the atmosphere instantly dropped into silence. The voice on the other end paused for several breaths before sounding again: "In that case, we will trouble Junior Brother Ping Jiangzi to lead the way for us." There was not a shred of anger in his tone; instead, he sounded remarkably grave. His attitude left Wang Ping quite pleased: *As expected of an outer disciple of the immortal sect. The man has great tact; there's no need for me to spell everything out.* In truth, Wang Ping's very first sentence had laid out the terms clearly: Fairy Yuerou had been captured, the Spirit-Gathering Nail was his spoil of war, and he knew Guo was an outer disciple with formidable cultivation. So let's drop the pretense and get straight to business. Senior Brother Guo had caught the subtext immediately. Thus, he dispensed with pleasantries and stated the primary objective behind spending so much effort to track down Wang Ping through Fairy Yuerou: guiding the predatory cultivators. "Your target is Soul-Drooping Study?" "Correct," Senior Brother Guo said calmly. "From what I know, Soul-Drooping Study will soon be escorting a high-grade magical artifact on behalf of a true disciple, heading to the Divine Weapon Courtyard for reforging." "I intend to intercept that artifact." "Therefore, I need an insider from Soul-Drooping Study." Wang Ping frowned slightly. "I've already been dismissed." "That doesn't matter," Senior Brother Guo continued. "What matters is the intelligence you possess." "I have already caught wind that the transport convoy will pass through a secret stronghold of Soul-Drooping Study, but I do not know its exact location." "That stronghold is named the Valley of Ten Thousand Spirits." "Well? Does that ring a bell?" At these words, Wang Ping immediately dug through Ping Jiangzi's memories and soon arrived at an answer: "...Yes. I do indeed know where that place is." Evidently, these predatory cultivators hadn't targeted him at random. "Splendid," Senior Brother Guo laughed. "Give me the location, and I will impart the Life-Stealing Thief to you. Paired with the incantation Yuerou gave you, it will be enough to make your cultivation advance by leaps and bounds." "However, the Life-Stealing Thief extracts vital essence, which inevitably requires killing. Even if you obtain the method, without vital essence you cannot make bricks without straw... Of course, if you join this ambush against Soul-Drooping Study, you'll have plenty of chances to amass vital essence." "The choice is yours." "Think it over carefully. Soul-Drooping Study has already set off for the Divine Weapon Courtyard, and time waits for no one. You must give me your decision before today is out." "The offer expires after that." With that, the voice cut off, and the faint light on the earring faded away. Standing where he was, Wang Ping pondered: *Though Senior Brother Guo's words were blunt, he has a point. In the end, the Life-Stealing Thief requires killing.* Without becoming a predatory cultivator and putting his life on the line, how could he accumulate vital essence? *Especially now, having exhausted my stock of vital essence pills to master cosmic circuit breathing, advancing further won't be nearly as easy.* Wang Ping urgently needed to restock. From that perspective, this ambush against Soul-Drooping Study was undoubtedly an opportunity—like someone tossing him a pillow just as he grew drowsy. There was only one small problem. *The cooldown for the Fiend from Beyond hasn't ended yet!* At that thought, Wang Ping's resolve hardened instantly: *So what if it's an opportunity? Opportunities come every day, but I only have one life. There is no way in hell I'm wading into these muddy waters!* After all, by now Wang Ping had gained a fair understanding of how the immortal sect operated. Who knew what kind of chaos this so-called ambush might trigger? Last time predatory cultivators tried to ambuscade Daoist Nun You, they were on the verge of winning when a Qi Refiner descended from the sky and reversed time itself... How was anyone supposed to play against that bullshit? After weighing the situation, Wang Ping made up his mind. Wasting no further time, he picked up the earring and activated it once more: "Senior Brother Guo, I've made my decision." "Oh? So quickly?" Senior Brother Guo's voice returned, carrying a smile. "Very well. I will tell you the gathering point before the ambush now, and you can make your way there..." "Senior Brother, you misunderstand," Wang Ping said in a deep voice. "I don't intend to participate in the ambush, nor do I need the Life-Stealing Thief. I only hope Senior Brother can bestow upon me another orthodox, superior immortal method instead." "...What?" At Wang Ping's words, a hint of genuine astonishment finally crept into Senior Brother Guo's voice. "You don't want the Life-Stealing Thief, and instead you want some other orthodox immortal method?" "May Senior Brother see clearly." Wang Ping wore an upright, resolute expression as he declared with utmost gravity, "To be frank, what I loathe most in my life is taking shortcuts in cultivation. Although the Life-Stealing Thief is wondrous beyond compare, it is sinister and unpredictable. Furthermore, cultivation gained through it does not truly belong to oneself, and its foundation surely cannot match the orthodox path." "Even if it brings rapid advancement in the short term, it offers no benefit to the immortal dao in the long run." "Therefore, I will have none of it!" This high-minded speech left Senior Brother Guo completely dumbfounded. Cultivation plundered by devouring others with the Life-Stealing Thief was inferior to orthodox immortal methods? What kind of unprecedented nonsense was this? How could a foundation built step by step through orthodox immortal methods ever compare in stability to the rapid, potent foundation forged by the Life-Stealing Thief through gathering the strengths of countless victims? Besides, you're a rogue cultivator. A mere rogue cultivator, someone who might not even cross the Mortal Tribulation in this lifetime, has the nerve to lecture me about how the Life-Stealing Thief offers no benefit to the immortal dao in the long run? Who do you think you are? At that thought, Senior Brother Guo nearly burst out laughing, managing to keep a straight face only with tremendous effort. "Good, good, good! I never expected you to possess such a steadfast dao heart." "No matter, I shall grant your wish." "I hear that as a rogue cultivator, the art you were bestowed back then was the Secret Record of Dispelling Calamities Through the Three Corpses and Nine Worms. That method was originally excerpted from another immortal art." "Since you don't want the Life-Stealing Thief, I will transmit this art to you." "How about it?" Wang Ping naturally agreed without hesitation. Before long, the transaction was complete. Senior Brother Guo recited a complete passage of scripture on the spot, and after Wang Ping verified its authenticity, he disclosed the location of the Valley of Ten Thousand Spirits. "All right, let Yuerou come back." Having spoken his final piece, Senior Brother Guo severed the connection immediately, clearly devoid of any further interest in this "ambitious yet incompetent rogue cultivator." Wang Ping couldn't care less. "Safe travels, Fairy!" A moment later, Wang Ping courteously saw Fairy Yuerou out of the cave dwelling, then turned back without looking again to activate the grand formation, sealing off the interior and paying her no further mind. *** Inside the cave dwelling, Wang Ping unfurled a scroll. Dense lines of characters covered the paper—the very immortal art Senior Brother Guo had recited to him, titled the Scripture of Supreme Yin Form-Refining and Sky-Ascension Register. The Secret Record of Dispelling Calamities Through the Three Corpses and Nine Worms had been excerpted from this very art. To cultivate it, one had to first bring the Secret Record to perfection until crossing the Mortal Tribulation before daring to attempt it; otherwise, it was sheer suicide. The opening sentence alone made that clear: *"To cultivate this art, one must first take one's own life."* Indeed, the very first step in cultivating the Scripture of Supreme Yin Form-Refining and Sky-Ascension Register was to slit one's throat and return to heaven. If the prerequisites were not met, taking one's life meant dying for real. *"When a man dies, his soul returns to the heavens and his corporeal spirit enters the earth; the Three Corpses transform into ghosts, and the Nine Worms devour the flesh.* *"Yet if one takes one's life through the secret method of the Scripture of Supreme Yin Form-Refining and Sky-Ascension Register, the Three Corpses will guard the soul and corporeal spirit after death, while the Nine Worms attend the physical body.* *"Thus one may die without perishing, passing temporarily through Supreme Yin.* *"Until mortal form sloughs away and divine form is forged, attaining the merit of ascending the skies to receive the register—an achievement that, within the immortal sect's system, represents the fruit of Qi Refinement and entering the Dao."* In other words— "This is a cultivation manual that leads straight to Qi Refinement!" Wang Ping slammed his hand onto the table and sprang to his feet, unable to conceal the excitement surging within his heart. *This* was a true legacy of the immortal sect! For a time, Wang Ping felt an unbearable itch in his heart. With such an immortal art placed right before his eyes, yet unable to immediately practice it because he had not met the prerequisites, the craving was truly gnawing at his marrow. Just then— *Boom! Boom!* Abruptly, a deafening crash of thunder erupted from high above the vault of heaven, completely bypassing the layers of formations protecting the cave dwelling and smashing straight inside. Jolted, Wang Ping snapped back to his senses. "What happened?" Startled, he hurried out of the cave dwelling, only to find that the previously clear, cloudless sky had been swallowed by an oppressive canopy of pitch-black storm clouds. Within the clouds, flashes of light flickered like wild golden serpents dancing across the dark expanse, illuminating the earth while unleashing hair-raising rumbles of thunder. Soon after, a torrential downpour began. Every drop of rain was packed with dense spiritual energy, crashing against the ground with the force of thousand-jin boulders. *Hiss!* Standing in the rain, Wang Ping pushed the Thirteen Taipo Horizontal Training Hard Qi Art to its absolute limit, barely withstanding the crushing weight of the downpour slamming onto his body. Thanks to his endurance, he also managed to see the source of this deluge. It was two people. One of them was someone he knew all too well: bright eyes and pearly teeth, clad in a Daoist robe, an aura where aloof purity and alluring charm coexisted—Daoist Nun You, whom he hadn't seen in ages. Confronting Daoist Nun You was a woman in white with a sword strapped to her back. The oppressive dark clouds and torrential rain covering the earth were born entirely from her. Far from showing any signs of weakening, the tempest grew fiercer with each passing moment, as if she had hauled an entire ocean into the firmament. *A spell? Or a divine ability?* *Who is Daoist Nun You fighting? Another true disciple?* Before Wang Ping could get a clearer look, his spiritual sense perspective was tainted by a crimson haze of blood, followed by an agonizing headache that forced him to tear his gaze away. *This is bad.* How long were they going to fight? Wang Ping spat a mouthful of blood, horror chilling his heart. This torrential rain was unquestionably nothing more than the aftermath of their duel—a casual byproduct of their clash. Yet to him, and to the countless rogue cultivators beneath the battlefield, this was an unadulterated catastrophe, a disaster that could claim their lives at any moment! *I can still hold out right now, but if this battle drags on for a day or two, even I will be crushed into meat paste by the rain. Forget about me—even the cave dwelling, fortified by formations, won't hold out. It will collapse all the same. I have to escape the range of this battlefield before that happens...* Wang Ping's thoughts raced, and in the end, he buried his face in his hands. "The Valley of Ten Thousand Spirits..." That was a secret stronghold of Soul-Drooping Study's blessed land within the immortal sect. Its formations were comprehensive enough that they should be able to withstand the shockwaves from this duel between true disciples. But the problem was that the predatory cultivators had chosen that very place for their ambush. It wasn't safe either. "And in the end, I still have to wade into these muddy waters?" You've got to be kidding me! Wang Ping found it hard to accept, but the raindrops slashing across his body like blades quickly brought him back to reality: "I can only take this one step at a time." Predatory cultivators, then. "These days, who the hell doesn't have a side hustle... Fuck me!" Stamping his foot in frustration, Wang Ping bolted straight into the curtain of rain, sprinting at full speed toward the direction of the Valley of Ten Thousand Spirits. Pitter-patter went the rain, falling on and on through day and night...