Chapter 66

Chapter 66: Rong Shu’s Secret?Realm Opportunity Was Snatched

After that little interlude, Rong Shu continued harvesting spirit herbs in the forest. The secret realm truly lived up to its name: spirit herbs were everywhere, and their quality was generally excellent. Beyond herbs, many demonic beasts also thrived here, and from pelt to demon core, nearly every part of a beast was a treasure.

However, other Heaven’s Evolution Sect disciples were also in the realm. More than once, just as Rong Shu was picking a herb or preparing to extract a demon core from a slain beast, someone leapt from the shadows to cut her off. Those with weaker cultivation who could not beat her were, in turn, plucked clean by Rong Shu. When she ran into disciples at Qi Refining eighth layer or higher and lacked confidence that she could subdue them within ten moves without injury, she refused to tangle. If she got her hands on a treasure first, she used Gale Step to withdraw at once without even trading blows. If she truly could not escape, she abandoned the prize to preserve herself. With two whole months to work with, getting injured over a moment’s scuffle and then missing other opportunities would be the real loss.

As time trickled by and Heaven’s Evolution Sect disciples gradually mapped parts of the realm, fights over chances and treasures became more and more frequent. After being robbed seven or eight times, Rong Shu was forced to counterattack, and she discovered that the loot she took that way was not only more than what she had painstakingly hunted for hours but also far easier to obtain. Rong Shu had an epiphany: so this is how one “finds” fortune in a secret realm.

She turned her attention to her fellow Heaven’s Evolution Sect disciples. Were they fellow disciples? No. They were leeks, self?fertilizing and self?fattening, waiting for her to harvest.

Half a month later, in a certain forest, three large men in outer sect garb howled in three different voices as if suffering unspeakable torments. “Shut it. Stop wailing,” Rong Shu said, face full of exasperation. In front of her, the three men lay on the ground groaning, as if she, the culprit, had done something outrageous and immoral to them. Obviously, she had done nothing of the sort. She had merely “friendly” sparred with them and, as the victor, taken their spoils. The way they carried on, it was as if she had stolen their innocence and forced honest young men.

One of them sniffled, lifted a trembling finger at Rong Shu, eyes brimming with accusation, and managed: “Y?you…” Rong Shu deliberately put on a harsh tone and snapped: “Hand over every treasure you’ve obtained in the secret realm, all of it, now. Hurry up. Don’t make me… hmph.”

At those words, the three did not dare delay and briskly handed over their gains. In half a month, Rong Shu’s bad name had spread within a small radius, and these three had heard it as well: she specialized in blocking roads to rob innocent young men of their treasures. If they refused, this devil of a woman would slice their clothes and trousers to tatters with wind blades and let them learn the meaning of meeting the breeze without cover. It was simply too brutal.

Rong Shu did not deliberately search their storage pouches. She believed in leaving people a line. If they had hidden a few treasures, she turned a blind eye. Leeks must not be cropped to the root in one go; development should be sustainable. The next time she met them, she could harvest again.

When the cutting was finished, Rong Shu finally smiled with polite warmth and said: “I very much look forward to our next meeting.” The three men’s mouths twitched. They cursed her in their hearts, but their faces were thoroughly honest. Seeing that she was letting them go, their arms stopped hurting, their legs stopped aching, and they ran like the wind. Rong Shu almost felt embarrassed to stop them for a second “spar.” Forget it. There were plenty more fat, tender leeks.

At that moment, by a riverside elsewhere, Yu Ruan Ruan lounged in a chair and stretched lazily. Not far away, a brother and sister were taking down a tent. Feng Lin and Qin Yuan had arranged for this pair to come in to protect Yu Ruan Ruan; the man was at Qi Refining ninth layer, the woman at Qi Refining eighth layer, both senior disciples of the Heaven’s Evolution Sect with rich experience.

Yu Ruan Ruan was snacking on treats kept in her storage pouch. Even with a Fasting Pill at hand, she valued the pleasures of the palate more. Then, the System that had long been silent suddenly spoke: [Go find Rong Shu.]

Yu Ruan Ruan blinked, then answered carelessly: “What’s the rush? I took Rong Shu’s secret?realm opportunity five years ago. If she goes now, she’ll only come up empty.” The System’s voice seemed to turn colder: [We had Jun Xiu Ran accept Rong Shu as a disciple so she would remain under your eye and be easy to watch. Count the last half year yourself. How many times have you actually met Rong Shu?] “I get it,” Yu Ruan Ruan said, shrinking at the change in tone, then corrected herself: “Let me get the thing I failed to obtain five years ago first, then I’ll go to Rong Shu. How about that?”

The System fell silent. Yu Ruan Ruan waited a long while, and when it did not reply, she thought it had tacitly agreed. Just as she relaxed, the System spoke again: [Better to act directly.] Yu Ruan Ruan froze: “What?” [Kill Rong Shu.] She stared, surprised by the decision: “Kill her? I thought we would plunder her fortune first and then…” [Something is off. Her aptitude may be ordinary now, but if we let her grow, who can guarantee what she will become. When that time comes, don’t say I didn’t warn you.] Yu Ruan Ruan naturally trusted the System’s words and did not press further, saying simply: “When do we act?” [This secret realm is the most suitable place to bury her bones.] “All right. There’s still a month and a half. That’s enough time for me to find the thing I missed, then go to Rong Shu.” [Mm.]