Chapter Twenty-One: The Malice of the World!

Many cultivators use fine jade to protect their spirit, though it cannot compare to the precious orb that Wang Ling possesses, it is nonetheless a useful artifact. Jade marrow, however, is the very essence of jade. Some claim that the saying, “On warm days in Lantian, jade gives rise to mist,” refers to jade marrow being the heart of a jade vein—each mine yields only a scant amount. Others argue that jade marrow is actually a kind of elixir crafted by practitioners, refined with jade as the primary ingredient, and thus named for its origin. Regardless of which tale is true, jade marrow is exceedingly rare and valuable; a single drop can strengthen the spirit and save Wang Ling years of cultivation. Within this jade vial, there are at least three drops.

“How convenient—could this be a trap?” Wang Ling chuckled at his own suspicion, wondering if he was becoming paranoid. Upon reflection, it was the unfortunate fate of Zhen Yunzi that left such a deep impression on him. No one could have predicted that Zhen Yunzi, a master and scion of the Jun Tian Temple, would be killed so soon after crossing over—slain by a mere official, no less! The memory made Wang Ling extremely cautious in all his dealings.

“No wonder Shi Quan wasn’t afraid of angering Zhen Yunzi and insisted on raising his price by two levels. He really got his hands on something worthwhile! And yet, it’s me who benefits…” Wang Ling sighed.

Following the code recorded by Zhen Yunzi, Wang Ling accessed the Jun Tian Temple's account. Though the computer was far more advanced than those of his previous life, its basic functions remained unchanged.

“Huh, this is the ledger… The account is actually tied to the computer… Kept right here, unafraid of hackers?” Wang Ling found it odd. Even as a novice in his past life, he knew computers weren’t secure and would never store anything important solely on them. What Wang Ling didn’t know was that in this era, network security had advanced tremendously, and concerns about unsafe networks were a thing of the past.

In any case, Wang Ling quickly found the transaction records within the account—each entry detailed and clear.

“Where did this guy get so much money?” The more Wang Ling read, the more bewildered he became.

He had always regarded Jun Tian Temple as a fallen institution and believed Zhen Yunzi had crossed over because he couldn’t survive in this world. Yet, seeing the stream of transactions—strings of zeroes—left him dizzy. The journal had mentioned that Jun Tian Temple was not as destitute as it seemed, boasting vast external operations. Now, seeing it firsthand, Wang Ling was astounded: each month, a dozen or more accounts sent money, from hundreds of thousands to millions each time. In other words, Zhen Yunzi’s monthly income was at least twenty or thirty million.

This man was undoubtedly wealthy!

The records listed these sums as incense offerings.

“My goodness, who says Jun Tian Temple is in decline? With so many generous patrons, so much wealth—what decline?” The ten-digit balance in Zhen Yunzi’s account left Wang Ling dizzy.

“He even owns multiple properties… That building I just visited is actually Jun Tian Temple’s asset. So why keep hiding away in a little alley? Is this the art of being hidden in plain sight?” Wang Ling muttered.

“Yet the expenditures are equally high—so much spent each month. The ledger mentions payroll but gives no details. I suppose these expenses are for maintaining their external network.”

Wang Ling could easily access the account and perform any operation. Though a financial and technical novice in his past life, he was at least more cautious than Zhen Yunzi. Still, he understood Zhen Yunzi’s indifference—such wealth meant little to a practitioner, as money couldn’t buy cultivation resources. Thus, his attitude toward money was casual.

Besides, if Zhen Yunzi were still around, who would dare sneak into his room to steal?

Having found the account records, Wang Ling soon realized Zhen Yunzi had indeed maintained a team tasked with searching for treasures all over the world. Whenever something valuable was delivered, Zhen Yunzi would transfer a sum to the sender. Now, Wang Ling followed suit, sending a payment—twice the usual amount.

Then, he put these discoveries out of his mind.

Zhen Yunzi had always regarded these things as worthless, and Wang Ling had little interest himself. No matter how much money this world offered, if it couldn’t be exchanged for cultivation resources, it was useless. Not that it was impossible—at least the jade marrow in the vial was an invaluable resource, able to greatly accelerate Wang Ling’s progress.

Calming his breath, Wang Ling began to visualize his heart-lake. The dark and ominous waters radiated a palpable sense of danger. A bright moon rippled at the bottom, warped and torn by unseen forces.

“No wonder the Jun Tian Temple’s notes insist on strengthening the spirit before attempting to leave the body…”

As this thought arose, the drop of jade marrow he had just consumed began to take effect. Silver-tinted light emanated within the heart-lake, as if draping it in a shimmering veil. The turbulence eased, the danger diminished. The moon’s reflection was no longer shattered into fragments; though still distorted, it remained whole.

“A perfect opportunity!”

Wang Ling wasted no more time. His spirit plunged into the heart-lake with a splash, sending ripples across the surface. The lake, moonlight, and jade radiance all enveloped his spirit.

The next moment, the world spun, and Wang Ling’s spirit left his body.

Then he felt the cold—bone-chilling, penetrating to the very core, as if his thoughts themselves might freeze. An acute sense of danger, as if he had been stripped naked and cast into a frozen wilderness, overwhelmed him.

This was not Wang Ling’s first time leaving his body. Yet this experience was uniquely hostile, as if the very heavens and earth harbored malice toward him, almost unbearable. Only a dim veil of light shielded his spirit; without it, he feared his soul would have been dissolved into nothingness.

“This world is indeed full of hostility toward cultivators!”

If he were in the world of the Great Cheng Dynasty, known to Jun Tian Temple as the Eastern Dawn Realm, leaving the body would never be so difficult or perilous.

Wang Ling sighed, unaware that the world’s hostility was only beginning to reveal itself.