Chapter Twelve: The Plan

Cai Shiyi stood at the entrance of the marketplace, idly waving the three tails behind her. Six months ago, she had entered the sect alongside her sisters from the tribe. With cultivation only at the Blood Qi Realm and no other notable talents, she had to follow the arrangements of her senior sister, serving as a guide for the market.

“Remember, our Tri-Colored Fox Tribe is born beautiful and alluring. All you need to do is focus on those human male disciples—befriend them, encourage them to buy more, and I guarantee you’ll earn plenty of spiritual coins.”

Her senior sister’s words echoed in her mind, instilling the impression that earning spiritual coins would be a simple feat. Yet, once she actually began the work, she realized the competition was fierce. Nearly every male disciple who visited the marketplace was accompanied by a tribal sister—those were their clients, not to be poached.

And those without a sister beside them were hotly contested among the other fox sisters working here.

As she wondered idly whether she would attract any customers today, a figure riding a flying goose in the distance caught her attention. Human, male, alone—a perfect client. Today, she would finally make her first sale!

Xu Chen was just about to enter the marketplace when he saw a graceful figure running toward him from afar. A dazzling female disciple of the Tri-Colored Fox Tribe seized his arm, her tails flicking rapidly behind her, as if guarding him from the other sisters trailing behind.

“Sister, what are you doing?” Xu Chen felt the strength of the delicate, jade-white hand gripping his arm—it was clear she was stronger than him.

“Junior brother, you seem new here, is this your first time at the marketplace?”

“If you want to buy anything, just tell me. I’ll take you to get it at a good price,” Cai Shiyi said with her cheeks puffed out.

With spiritual coins comes resources, and with resources comes cultivation. If she could cultivate, she might one day lead her family to become nobles among the Tri-Colored Foxes.

“I’m just here to look around.”

“Then I’ll accompany you~”

This fresh-faced junior brother was much better than those greasy men who only sought to take advantage of her.

“Uh, alright then.”

Thus, Xu Chen let her lead him through the entire marketplace. Along the way, he couldn’t help but purchase a batch of fasting pills from the alchemy shop. One fasting pill would keep him full and his Blood Qi abundant for two days. They cost two spiritual coins apiece, and Xu Chen bought a hundred, storing them in a jade vial—sealed, their potency would only begin to fade after fifty years.

When Xu Chen took out two hundred spiritual coins, Cai Shiyi’s eyes sparkled.

“Junior brother, would you like to buy some cultivation pills?” Cai Shiyi’s tone was gentle.

“I’m not lacking cultivation resources right now, but thank you for your concern, sister.”

Xu Chen glanced at the red tail behind Cai Shiyi, feeling that Uncle Zhao’s advice wasn’t quite accurate.

As they neared the end of their tour, Xu Chen suddenly noticed several pavilions glowing with pink light.

“Spring Breeze Pavilion, Sister, what do they sell there?” Xu Chen asked with innocent curiosity.

“Junior brother, that is an evil place. You must never go there,” Cai Shiyi said, quickly pulling Xu Chen away.

At the marketplace entrance, after exchanging contact information, Xu Chen mounted his cloud sparrow and waved goodbye to Cai Shiyi.

“I wonder how much commission that sister will earn?” Xu Chen mused atop the cloud sparrow.

“One two hundredth, you spent a hundred coins, so that Tri-Colored Fox lady will get two coins,” the cloud sparrow replied with expertise.

“Two percent, not bad.”

At the front lines of the Vanguard Army, within the Holy City of the Four-Armed Jia Demon Tribe.

Squad after squad of Vanguard soldiers were rounding up the Four-Armed Jia Demons within the main city. Xu Qiangjia was herding a group of two hundred Blood Qi Realm demons toward a teleportation array.

“Submit quietly now, and you’ll still get a meal,” he said. “Your tribe’s chief and elders are all fools. With several Great Luo experts stationed here, they don’t even know their own limits. Now, you’ll all go be slaves.”

Xu Qiangjia looked at the newly established teleportation array in the distance, and for some reason, his thoughts drifted to his son.

“That rascal should have joined the sect by now.”

As his mind wandered, a flock of immortal cranes emerged from the teleportation array, flying in all directions. One crane flew directly toward Xu Qiangjia.

“Xu Qiangjia, your letter!”

The crane dropped a letter over his head before flying off to deliver more.

“Old Xu, head back to the camp. I’ll take this batch of slaves over myself,” said a Vanguard soldier behind him.

“Old Li, thanks. I’ll buy you a drink sometime,” Xu Qiangjia said, happily catching the letter drifting toward him.

“No need for thanks.”

Just as Xu Qiangjia hurried toward the camp, the sky suddenly darkened, plunging the world into shadow.

“Zhoutian Fourth Formation—seal!”

The Vanguard soldiers in the city acted swiftly, forming a grand defensive array. Xu Qiangjia merged into the formation as quickly as he could.

A massive battle array rose, its will manifesting as a battle apparition that looked up and let out a roar.

“Friend, if you’re just passing by, come down for a drink—our human tribe welcomes you. But if you have other intentions, I’ll call a few more people to discuss it with you.”

A calm, steady voice rang out from above the city.

“Ha ha, I’m only passing through, wanted to see the might of the dominant army in this region. No other intentions—I’m leaving~”

A sinister, cold voice echoed from the darkness, and then the sky returned to normal.

Xu Qiangjia gazed at the sky, his expression uncertain; the joy of receiving his son’s letter faded. The human strongman guarding this region hadn’t acted, which meant that the intruder’s strength and the backing of his race were enough to make even the humans wary.

Otherwise, the region’s guardian would have struck without hesitation.

“Let’s hope there are not too many changes.”

At Great Creek Sect, Xu Chen was practicing the Twelve Layered Wave Body-Tempering Technique in the training ground.

After entering Great Creek Sect, Xu Chen had decided to first visit the Library Pavilion. If he found no better Blood Qi Foundation method, he would master the Twelve Layered Wave Body-Tempering Technique to break through the Saint Ape Six Styles’ doppelganger.

“So what if the form and intent are united? If I put in the hard work, I’ll conquer you within ten years.”

Xu Chen struck out with his palm, a fivefold sonic boom reverberating through the training ground.

“As long as I master a Blood Qi Foundation method, the rest will be easy. With diligence, I can forge an unparalleled foundation at the Blood Qi Realm—just like the seventh Human Emperor Ze.”

Finishing a round of the Twelve Layered Wave Body-Tempering Technique, Xu Chen’s blood surged and his muscles tightened.

He entered a landscaped courtyard and jumped into the pond, sinking to the bottom to feel the power of the water’s currents.

In the water, Xu Chen entered a state of tranquility, able to sense the subtle flow of his blood and qi, as if his entire body was under his control.

After half an hour, Xu Chen surfaced.

“Next time, I should try the small river outside.”

Circulating his blood and qi, the water on his clothes evaporated instantly.

“In the afternoon, I’ll visit the sect’s Library Pavilion. If there’s no suitable Blood Qi Foundation method, I’ll start my closed-door cultivation.”