136: Chapter 136 If you're not going to take my kindness, then don't bother.

Yunlan Sect, West Peak, Law Enforcement Hall.

The entire main hall was constructed from obsidian, with the floor paved in heavy black iron plates. Walking through it, one's footsteps echoed with a dull thud, as if treading upon the spine of some colossal beast. The air was permeated with a murderous chill—the scent of blood accumulated from years of interrogations and punishments.

There were not many people in the hall.

A few deacons dressed in black robes were organizing case files. Upon seeing a new face enter, they merely glanced up before coldly withdrawing their gaze. Here, indifference was the norm; enthusiasm was the anomaly.

Gu Yan walked to the counter and placed the Guest Elder token on the table.

"Gu Yan of Baifeng City, here to report for duty and receive my Guest Elder stipend and Immortal Cave."

Sitting behind the counter was a man with triangular eyes named Wang De, a senior deacon of the Law Enforcement Hall. He was currently sitting with his legs crossed, toying with a high-quality jade thumb ring, not even bothering to lift his eyelids.

"Baifeng City?"

Wang De sneered and picked at his teeth with a pinky nail. "Can that godforsaken place even produce a Guest Elder? Has Elder Su Ming gone senile, bringing just any stray cat or dog into the hall?"

The voice was not loud, but it was enough for everyone around to hear.

The few busy black-robed deacons stopped their work and exchanged a mocking look. They recognized Gu Yan, or rather, they recognized the meaning behind this token—a "wild path" Cultivator brought back by Elder Su Ming, naturally standing in opposition to the Lin family. And Wang De was a loyal dog of the Lin family.

Gu Yan did not speak, simply watching him quietly.

Seeing him remain silent, Wang De thought he was a soft target, and his arrogance grew even more. He slowly fished out a dusty register from the drawer, flipped through a few pages, and pointed to a line.

"Unfortunately, all the good Immortal Caves have been distributed. There is only one place left—Number Nine, Grade C, 'Shafeng Cave'."

As he spoke, he tossed a cracked Jade Slip onto the table, making a sharp sound.

"Take it and get lost. Remember, this is the Yunlan Sect. If you are a Dragon, you must coil; if you are a Tiger, you must crouch. Do not bring your country bumpkin attitude here."

Shafeng Cave.

Suppressed chuckles immediately echoed around the room.

Who did not know that this was an abandoned death trap on the West Peak? Located at the vent of the Earth Vein's Evil Qi, it was filled with howling sinister winds all year round. Let alone Cultivate, one would be lucky to survive without suffering Qi Deviation after staying there for long.

Gu Yan glanced at the Jade Slip, then at Wang De's face, which was full of provocation.

[Beep—]

[Low-level taunting behavior detected. Opponent combat power assessment: Foundation Establishment Stage Early Stage (Unstable). Suggestion: Beat the hell out of him! Are you keeping this kind of villain for the New Year?]

Gu Yan reached out his hand.

Wang De thought he was reaching for the Jade Slip, and a flash of smugness crossed his eyes. "You know what's good for you..."

Bang!

A loud crash shattered the silence in the hall. Gu Yan's hand did not reach for the Jade Slip; instead, he pressed down directly on Wang De's head, and with an extremely brutal posture, smashed his face fiercely into the hard obsidian tabletop.

Stone debris flew everywhere.

"Ah—!"

Wang De let out a shrill scream, his hands flailing wildly in an attempt to struggle. But he discovered with horror that the hand pressing on the back of his head was as heavy as a mountain. No matter how he urged his spiritual Qi, it did not move an inch.

"What was that you said earlier? About being a Dragon or a Tiger?"

Gu Yan's voice was calm, devoid of any anger, yet it chilled one to the bone. He did not use a shred of true energy, relying solely on the strength of his Physical Body as his five fingers slowly tightened.

Crack, crack, crack.

Wang De's skull let out a groan of unbearable pressure, his entire face distorted from the compression, and blood snaked down through the cracks in the table.

"Let... let go! I am from the Lin family..."

Bang!

Another strike. This time, the entire table shattered from the center, and Wang De, along with the table, was pressed into the floor by Gu Yan. The black iron-forged floor instantly dented into a large pit.

The surrounding deacons were all stunned.

This was the Law Enforcement Hall! They were the ones who always interrogated others; when had they ever seen anyone dare to lay a hand here? And with such unadorned, purely violent physical combat?

"Audacious!"

Two Foundation Establishment Stage guards who had reacted shouted and drew their swords to strike. "Daring to commit violence in the Law Enforcement Hall, you are seeking death!"

The sword light was chilling, aiming straight for Gu Yan's vital heart.

Gu Yan did not even turn his head, striking back with a slap.

Slap!

This slap was so fast that no afterimage could be seen; the air was blasted apart, emitting a thunderous explosion. The two guards were sent flying along with their swords, crashing into a distant stone pillar, sliding down like two pieces of paper, and passing out on the spot.

The entire hall was deathly silent.

Only the sound of Wang De's heavy breathing remained, a product of oxygen deprivation and terror. Gu Yan released his hand and disdainfully wiped the bloodstains on Wang De's relatively clean Daoist robe. He crouched down and picked up the cracked Jade Slip from the floor.

"Shafeng Cave, quite good."

Gu Yan blew the dust off it, looking down at Wang De, who was sprawled in the ruins and covered in blood. "I prefer quiet, and I happen to dislike being disturbed."

"Also."

Gu Yan stood up and scanned his surroundings. The gazes that had been ready to watch a show now retreated as if burned the moment they met his eyes.

"Elder Su Ming truly did not misjudge his man."

Gu Yan kicked away a half-broken table leg blocking his path. He paused at the main entrance, speaking with his back to the crowd.

"What he brought back is not a cat or a dog, but a Vicious Beast that eats people. If anyone wants to set rules for me in the future, remember to harden your bones first."

Having said that, he stepped over the threshold and strode away.

It was not until his figure disappeared around the corner of the mountain path that a collective gasp of cold air echoed through the main hall.

In the shadows of a corner.

Elder Su Ming held a wine gourd in his hand. Looking at the mess on the ground, he was not furious at all; instead, a low chuckle squeezed out from his beard.

"Good lad."

"The Lin family has had their hands in the Law Enforcement Hall for too long; these brats have forgotten how to write the words 'grit'. We need such an unreasonable bastard to stir up this stagnant pool."

He tilted his head back, took a swig of wine, and turned to disappear into the darkness.

"Shafeng Cave... that is a good place. If this lad truly has the ability to suppress that Evil Qi, this Yunlan Sect will be very lively from now on."

...

West Peak, back mountain, Shafeng Cave.

It was indeed as desolate as the rumors suggested. The entrance was overgrown with weeds, and a visible black wind whistled out from within. The surrounding vegetation had been eroded into a grayish-black by this wind, turning to fly ash at the slightest touch.

Ordinary Cultivators standing here would have to circulate their energy to resist the cold air entering their bodies.

Gu Yan, however, took a deep breath.

"Smells great."

[Warning! High concentration of Earth Vein Evil Qi detected! Long-term exposure will lead to Meridians hardening, confusion of consciousness... wait!]

The System suddenly changed its tone:

[Detected that the host possesses the core component of the 'Heavens Bloodline Continuation System'! Evil Qi can be converted into 'Blood Evil Essence'! This is no abandoned Immortal Cave; this is a 'bonus experience room' tailor-made for you!]

Gu Yan walked into the Immortal Cave.

The violent Evil wind slammed into him, but was greedily devoured by the bottomless pit of a Dantian within his body. He casually waved a burst of energy, clearing away the weeds at the entrance, and then took out a new plaque from his storage ring, carving two words into it with his finger strength—Gu Mansion.

The handwriting was vigorous, revealing an lawless, wild air.

"System, initiate environmental scan."

Gu Yan sat cross-legged on the dusty stone bed, feeling the true energy in his body begin to accelerate under the stimulation of the Evil Qi.

[Scan complete. Apart from being a bit dirty and messy, the security is extremely high. After all, no one is willing to come to this godforsaken place to visit.]

"Very good."

Gu Yan closed his eyes.

The welcome gift for his arrival had already been returned.

Next, it was time to see just how many dogs wanting to bite were hiding in this Yunlan Sect.