37: Chapter 37: Simulations can be restarted, but you only have one life.

For the past two days, Chu Sheng treated the small courtyard of the Listening to Bamboo Pavilion as a temporary cultivation ground.

Practicing swordplay in the early morning, secretly refining pills during the day, and meditating at night to stabilize his cultivation.

Xiao Huan served by his side, occasionally stealing a few glances at him before quickly lowering her head, the tips of her ears slightly red.

The insights from reaching minor accomplishment in the Nine Swords of Swift Wind had already integrated into his flesh and blood. Combined with that Yellow-rank Low Grade qing feng sword, his movements were quite impressive.

Although he couldn't compare to those experts who had immersed themselves in the way of the sword for over a decade, it was enough to deal with ordinary cultivators.

On the evening of the third day, Chu Sheng was calculating whether to go to the town to buy some medicinal herbs when he suddenly slapped his forehead.

"Holy crap, the Black Wind Stockade!"

He had almost forgotten about this matter.

In the third simulation, he was assigned a bandit suppression mission. He had directly killed Song He and embezzled a pile of medicinal herbs as startup capital, which also led to a blood feud with Han Li.

But that was an operation in the simulation; in reality... Song He was still alive and well.

Moreover, there was that shocking secret revealed by the simulation.

The Condensing True Great Demon beneath Danxia Peak, and those mortal corpses being used as blood food.

As Han Li's man, could Song He also be related to that lead?

Chu Sheng frowned.

"If Song He is just an ordinary bandit leader, killing him is fine. But if he has a connection to that Great Demon..."

He remembered the mountains of mortal corpses in the simulation, and a chill ran through his heart.

"No, I have to go investigate first."

Early the next morning, Chu Sheng gave Xiao Huan a few instructions and left the Lin Mansion.

Fifty miles was just a matter of about two hours for him at the Qi Induction Fourth Grade.

He didn't go directly to the Black Wind Hollow, but first crept to a nearby mountain village to ask around several households.

"Black Wind Stockade? Oh, don't even mention it!"

An old farmer waved his hand repeatedly.

"Those god-forsaken bastards come down every few days to collect protection fees, and they snatch people who can't pay! My neighbor Wang Laosan's son was taken away last month, and to this day, he's neither seen alive nor found dead..."

Chu Sheng's gaze sharpened.

"Snatching people? What for?"

"Who knows! Some say they're sent to the mines as hard labor, others say they're sold to those evil cultivators... In any case, not a single one has returned."

The old farmer sighed and walked away.

Chu Sheng stood in place, his expression grim.

The images of those corpses from the simulation surfaced in his mind again.

If Song He really was supplying blood food to that Great Demon...

"Then I definitely can't kill him directly."

He took a deep breath.

"I must first figure out his background and see how much connection he has with Han Li and the Qinglan Sect."

He changed into unremarkable coarse cloth clothes, restrained his aura, and crept toward the Black Wind Hollow.

The stockade was built halfway up the mountain, with cliffs on three sides and only one path up and down, making it easy to defend and hard to attack.

But that was for mortal martial artists.

For a cultivator at the Qi Induction Fourth Grade, such terrain obstacles were as good as non-existent.

Chu Sheng circled to the cliff below the back of the stockade, circulated his spiritual power, and climbed up the rock wall like a gecko.

In less than the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, he flipped over the stockade wall.

The night was deep, and the stockade was brightly lit, with the faint sounds of rowdy drinking and finger-guessing games.

Chu Sheng crept into the shadows behind the Juyi Hall, holding his breath and focusing his mind.

Inside the hall, a dark-skinned, short, and stout middle-aged man was drinking with a woman in his arms.

Seven or eight lackeys around him were accompanying him with smiles.

It was Song He.

"Big Brother, I heard the Lin family recently sent another consecrated expert to suppress us?"

A sharp-featured, monkey-faced lackey leaned in. "Should we hide first?"

"Hide? Why hide?"

Song He sneered and gulped down some wine.

"Which of those consecrated experts from the Lin family doesn't know Master Han? Coming here is just for show. Besides..."

He lowered his voice, a flash of smugness in his eyes.

"Besides, we have a behemoth behind us! Even if they had ten times the courage, they wouldn't dare touch us."

Chu Sheng's heart skipped a beat.

The Qinglan Sect! There really is a connection!

"But Big Brother, the one coming is probably some green youth who just reached Qi Induction. Could he be lacking in discretion..."

Another lackey chimed in.

"Are you talking about the one named Chu?"

Song He's face darkened.

"A piece of trash who started as a servant, and he's worthy of being called a consecrated expert? Master Han said that kid is a weakling, probably unable to even beat me, a Ninth Grade Martial Artist, hahahaha!"

Immediately, several people burst into laughter.

Chu Sheng was amused.

Unable to beat Song He?

I'm standing right above your head right now.

He resisted the urge to go down and continued eavesdropping.

Unfortunately, there wasn't much valuable information afterward.

It was nothing more than bragging and chatting, complaining about how hard it was to catch goods recently, and how the city side was pressing hard, etcetera.

"The city?"

Chu Sheng was startled. "How is Jin Xiao City involved now? The Chen Family of Jin Xiao City?"

The more he thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong.

The Black Wind Stockade, Han Li, the Qinglan Sect, Jin Xiao City...

Just how much collusion was there between these forces?

An hour later, the banquet dispersed.

Song He went back to his bedroom with the woman in his arms.

Chu Sheng silently followed.

Soon, rustling sounds came from the bedroom.

Chu Sheng crouched outside the window, listening to the movements inside, calculating whether to go straight in and force a confession.

After thinking about it, he held back.

"Startling the snake now will only make Han Li and the others prepare in advance," he thought to himself.

"Moreover, a small character like Song He probably knows limited information. The real thread is with Han Li."

He decided to spare Song He's life for now.

Before leaving, he silently sprinkled a little something into the crack of Song He's bedroom window.

It was a weakened version of the Spirit-Eroding Powder he had made.

It was colorless and odorless; it wouldn't take effect immediately after being ingested, but after a month, he would completely lose his ability to move.

"Consider it a mark I'm leaving for you."

Chu Sheng grinned. "Just in case it comes in handy later."

By the time he returned to the Lin Mansion, it was already late into the night.

Chu Sheng sat in the courtyard, reviewing the night's gains.

The Black Wind Stockade indeed had a connection with the Qinglan Sect, and it was very likely they were supplying blood food to that Great Demon.

Jin Xiao City was also involved, though he didn't know exactly which family.

"The lead on Han Li needs to be thoroughly dug into."

He remembered Han Li's final outcome in the simulation.

In the third simulation, he hadn't lived long enough to see Han Li's result.

"In the next simulation, I must specifically target him."

He suddenly thought of something else.

[Strong Luck].

At the end of the third simulation, he had reflected in a desperate situation:

Does Strong Luck have side effects?

Is it overdrawing the luck of those around me to achieve my own success?

Xiao Huan's death, the Lin family's suffering, and the tragedies of his relatives in the simulation...

Were they really just coincidences?

He fell into deep thought.

"But if I don't use Strong Luck..."

He touched the qing feng sword in his arms.

"I would have died in the first simulation long ago and wouldn't have lived until now."

This was the truth.

Simulations can be redone, but reality only happens once.

"So even if it has side effects, I must use it."

His gaze became firm. "Survival comes first. Everything else... can be discussed once I'm alive."

He remembered that multiple-choice question in the simulator.

If you encounter a pill that shortens your life in reality, would you use it?

He had previously chosen Option 1: Surviving in a desperate situation; when you don't use it, you die immediately.

"Strong Luck is the same."

He murmured.

"If I don't use it and die immediately, then I'll use it. As for the side effects... that's a matter for the future."

He stood up and looked at the night sky.

"However, in the next simulation, I can try taking off Strong Luck."

The corners of his mouth curled up.

"It's fine to die in the simulation anyway. Let's see how well I can manage during the days without Strong Luck."

The morning sunlight spilled into the small courtyard.

Chu Sheng practiced his swordplay and refined pills as usual.

Xiao Huan was drying medicinal herbs nearby, occasionally looking up at him with eyes full of dependence.

The days were so peaceful it was as if nothing had ever happened.

But Chu Sheng knew this was just the calm before the storm.

The Black Wind Stockade, Han Li, the Qinglan Sect, Jin Xiao City... these threads were slowly drawing together.

[Fourth Simulation Cooling Down... Remaining Time: 10 days.]