Chen Yi's Wish

The Beetle Gu was barely half the size of a grain of rice, while the White Bone Bug's crystal was as large as a kernel of corn. Yet, the tiny creature devoured it in just a few bites.

Even after consuming the entire crystal, the Beetle Gu remained unsatisfied. It took flight from Song Wen's hand, circling around him like a child begging for sweets.

Song Wen took out another crystal and fed it to the insect.

In this manner, the Beetle Gu quickly gorged itself on over seventy crystals. Just as Song Wen began to worry that the creature might burst from overeating, it finally stopped.

Satiated, the Beetle Gu settled onto Song Wen's palm. From its abdomen, it began to spin fine threads of silk, which automatically coiled around its body, slowly encasing it.

Song Wen's eyes brightened. The Beetle Gu was spinning a cocoon.

The only time a Beetle Gu spun a cocoon in its life was during its transition from a larva to an adult. For this adult Beetle Gu to form another cocoon meant it was undergoing a second evolution.

Song Wen narrowed his eyes, staring unblinkingly at the forming cocoon, deeply concerned that any disruption might cause the evolution to fail.

Half an hour later, the Beetle Gu was completely sealed within a layer of insect silk.

Seeing that the process had gone smoothly, Song Wen felt a surge of joy. Once the Beetle Gu completed its second evolution, it would become an even more formidable weapon in his arsenal.

However, looking at the remaining forty White Bone Bug corpses in his Storage Bag, he found himself in a dilemma.

The remaining crystals were far from enough to induce a second evolution in another Beetle Gu. If he wanted to rapidly breed these twice-evolved insects, it would be ideal to have a breeding pair.

"Perhaps I can try to purchase more White Bone Bug crystals at the market."

Many disciples of the Corpse Demon Sect and nearby rogue cultivators frequented the Ancient Good and Evil Battlefield in search of fated chances. It was highly likely someone had brought back White Bone Bug corpses.

Deciding to act immediately, he considered his timeline. He had requested a month's leave from Yuan Cheng, and with ten days still remaining, he could use this period to tend to his own affairs.

Song Wen took a turn around the market. After confirming that none of the established shops or temporary stalls were selling White Bone Bug crystals, he resolved to find an empty spot, set up his own stall, and acquire them directly.

While scouting for a suitable location, he noticed that the spot Senior Brother Xu usually occupied was completely vacant. The man was nowhere to be found.

Instead, another familiar figure caught his eye-Chen Yi.

"Junior Sister Chen!" Song Wen walked over to her stall, a rare smile gracing his face.

Chen Yi was the only person Song Wen could call an acquaintance within the Corpse Demon Sect, or rather, in this entire world.

Although their bond was not exceptionally deep and their mutual trust was limited, they were among the few people in the sect who could speak a few words of truth to one another.

"Oh! Senior Brother Ji Yin, you've returned. Did you find the Empty Cicada Wood you were searching for?" Chen Yi asked.

Song Wen nodded, his expression earnest. "I found it. I must truly thank you for your help in that matter, Junior Sister."

"However, I hope you can keep this matter strictly confidential. Do not speak of it to anyone else."

Chen Yi nodded solemnly. "Rest assured, Senior Brother. I know what is at stake."

Song Wen did not explain how he had obtained the wood, and Chen Yi wisely refrained from asking. There was a tacit understanding between them to never pry into each other's secrets.

"Is Senior Brother looking to buy any spiritual herbs today? Why not patronize my humble stall?"

Displayed before Chen Yi were more than a dozen varieties of low-grade spiritual herbs.

Song Wen shook his head. "I am not buying herbs today. I merely happened to pass by, saw you here, and came over to greet you."

It was currently mid-afternoon, and the market was sparse. With very few cultivators visiting her deserted stall, Song Wen stood to the side and conversed with her.

Chen Yi possessed a fourth-grade spiritual root. While her monthly stipend as a spiritual farmer was meager, she occasionally earned extra spirit stones from the yield of Zhang Xiaofan's spiritual fields, which was just enough to sustain her basic cultivation.

She was currently only at the third layer of Qi Refining, effectively destroying any hope of entering the inner sect.

Without inner sect status, it was virtually impossible to receive a Foundation Establishment Pill from the sect. To attempt Foundation Establishment, she would have to find an alternative path on her own, much like Senior Brother Xu.

Yet, Chen Yi clearly lacked Senior Brother Xu's ruthless disposition and methods. It was nigh impossible for her to secure a Foundation Establishment Pill independently.

In essence, her path to Foundation Establishment was completely severed.

Fortunately, Chen Yi disliked conflict. She did not crave overwhelming might or immortality; she simply wished to live out her days in peace and stability.

It was for this very reason that she had chosen to become a spiritual farmer.

With Zhang Xiaofan-now a personal disciple of the Alchemy Hall-shielding her, no one dared to cause her trouble. In the two and a half years since entering the Corpse Demon Sect, her life had been relatively tranquil.

Yet, listening to her talk, Song Wen could discern a deep-seated weariness regarding the precarious life of a cultivator within the sect.

Furthermore, Zhang Xiaofan was no longer the simple, innocent village youth of the past. In exchange for his protection, Chen Yi had been forced to pay prices that went entirely against her conscience.

Her singular wish now was to one day break free from the shackles of the Corpse Demon Sect, regain her freedom, and return to the lands where she grew up to live out the rest of her days in quiet isolation.

......

Gradually, the foot traffic in the market began to swell.

Song Wen bid farewell to Chen Yi and walked toward the exit.

After making a wide circuit outside the market boundaries, he slipped back inside. By then, his aura and appearance had completely transformed, and he had changed into the coarse robes of an ordinary rogue cultivator.

Song Wen returned to the empty patch of ground right next to Chen Yi's stall. He set up a small mat and erected a wooden sign that read:

"Purchasing White Bone Bug crystals from the underground caverns of the Ancient Battlefield at high prices."

No sooner had the stall been established than a market steward approached to collect the fee. After Song Wen handed over five spirit stones, the steward issued him a temporary token and departed.

Chen Yi paid little heed to the middle-aged cultivator who had set up beside her, assuming him to be just another ordinary rogue cultivator trying to make a living.

She had absolutely no inkling that this stranger was the very same Song Wen who had been conversing with her moments ago.

As customers began approaching her stall to haggle over prices, Chen Yi grew busy.

In stark contrast to her bustling stall, Song Wen's spot remained entirely ignored.

He was in no hurry, however. He had specified that he was only purchasing White Bone Bug crystals; those who did not possess them would naturally not bother him.

It was not until late evening, when the sky had completely darkened, that a prospective customer finally halted before his sign.

"You are buying White Bone Bug crystals?"

Song Wen's expression flickered with joy. Someone had finally come.

The speaker wore the uniform of an outer sect disciple of the Corpse Demon Sect. He appeared to be in his early thirties, possessed a square-jawed countenance, and radiated the pressure of the sixth layer of Qi Refining.

Song Wen adopted a welcoming expression and replied, "Greetings, Senior Brother. Indeed, I am purchasing White Bone Bug crystals."

The square-faced cultivator remarked, "I happen to have a few intact White Bone Bug corpses on hand, and the crystals inside haven't been extracted yet. I can give them to you, but first, you must tell me-what exactly is the use of these crystals?"

Song Wen was momentarily taken aback. From the man's tone, it appeared that no one had discovered the utility of the White Bone Bug crystals yet-or at least, the man before him was entirely ignorant of it.

This meant that in the eyes of the vast majority of cultivators, these crystals were still considered worthless garbage.

Song Wen instantly realized that his blatant, open advertisement for the crystals had been incredibly rash.

Thoughts raced furiously through his mind before he calmly replied, "To be honest, I am completely unaware of their purpose either. I am merely acting on the orders of Sect Elder Shi Shou to acquire them here."

"Elder Shi Shou?" the square-faced cultivator muttered. His gaze swept intensely over Song Wen, trying to detect any hint of deceit or guilt on his face.

However, he failed to spot the slightest anomaly in Song Wen's composed demeanor, and a trace of disappointment flashed in his eyes.

"Since these crystals are required by Elder Shi Shou, then I have overstepped my bounds. Here are ten White Bone Bug corpses. Consider them a gesture of apology, Junior Brother."

Song Wen accepted the insect corpses without the slightest hesitation, replying, "Elder Shi Shou is pressing urgently for these, and I was just worrying over how to fulfill the quota. I must thank you, Senior Brother. With these ten crystals, I can finally report back to Elder Shi."

As the words left his mouth, Song Wen immediately began packing up his mat, perfectly mimicking the behavior of an agent who had gathered enough materials and was eager to leave the market to deliver his task.

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