After listening to Lei Jun’s words, Wang Guiyuan sighed, "Yes, nothing can be predicted, so we have to be cautious in everything we do. Less action, fewer mistakes. Senior Brother Gao and the others might have avoided such a calamity if they hadn't acted so recklessly."

He glanced at Lei Jun. "But you guys were pretty lucky to escape this disaster."

Lei Jun replied, "It was indeed just luck."

As they walked, Wang Guiyuan roughly recounted the events of the previous night to Lei Jun: "It wasn’t just two intruders last night but three..."

Upon hearing this, Lei Jun understood immediately.

The first was the young Daoist apprentice who stole the Alchemy Furnace.

The second set a fire in the First Academy of the Daoist Children’s Academy.

But these first two were likely just decoys, creating chaos to distract attention.

Last night, after that young Daoist surnamed Gao led people back down to the Daoist Children’s Academy, an even bigger disturbance erupted from the mountain. This was because a third person had made their move.

"Our sect’s Junior Uncle stole treasures from the mountain, and when he tried to escape, he ran right into Senior Brother Gao and several others."

Wang Guiyuan continued, "Though they managed to capture that Elder afterward, Senior Brother Gao and the others were killed. And it was this Elder who secretly orchestrated the two incidents at the Daoist Children’s Academy."

Lei Jun shook his head. "I never expected something like this to happen right on Mount Longhu."

Wang Guiyuan abruptly changed the topic, saying, "Some time ago, Elder Du brought back a certain artifact from outside, which ultimately led to an explosion at the Altar, causing casualties among the Daoist apprentices."

He stopped and looked back at Lei Jun. "Do you remember the Lingzhi Platform?"

Lei Jun nodded.

Wang Guiyuan explained, "Years ago, our sect experienced an internal conflict, during which someone damaged the Lingzhi Platform and fled. The artifact they carried off with them was only recently recovered by Elder Du."

He paused. "So, that recent explosion at Elder Du’s Altar, which caused the Lingzhi Platform to revive, was due to this artifact. It’s like the saying: ‘Only the one who tied the knot can untie it.’”

Lei Jun asked, "Was this the same artifact that Elder stole from the mountain this time?"

Wang Guiyuan nodded, confirming, "Yes."

Lei Jun understood.

After the sect quelled the internal conflict back then, those who lost either fled or were expelled from the mountain. However, they left behind insiders or gradually recruited new supporters over time.

This led to the recent theft and murder incident. Compared to the violent conflict of the past, this was just a minor skirmish. But for Daoist Gao and the others, their fate was an inevitable death foretold by their luck.

As for the root cause of that earlier conflict, though Wang Guiyuan didn’t say it explicitly, it wasn’t hard to deduce that it stemmed from the Li family's hold on the Tianshi position.

It was predictable that the tension between the Li family and outsiders would only intensify. Both sides would become increasingly wary and hostile toward each other.

I'm an outsider, too, thought Lei Jun as he shook his head. But as he had said to the thief, a Daoist apprentice at the First Realm of Qi Refining could only serve as cannon fodder in these matters.

Regardless of whether he wanted to get involved, his first priority was to increase his cultivation level.

Just as Lei Jun expected, the sect’s official announcement of the incident was somewhat vague. But the death of that young Daoist and the others still sent shockwaves through the Tianshi Mansion.

Unlike Elder Du’s Altar explosion, which was an accident, this time, true disciples had been killed within the sacred ancestral grounds of the Daoist Talismanic Branch on Mount Longhu. The matter would not settle easily.

Lei Jun calmed himself more quickly than the other young apprentices, focusing on his lectures during the day and his cultivation at night. Yet, there was a sense that the Daoist Children’s Academy was having a particularly turbulent year.

Just as the commotion over the intruder incident had barely subsided—at least on the surface—another issue soon followed.

One day, as Lei Jun finished his morning lecture in the Sixth Academy, he overheard other young apprentices chattering excitedly.

"Senior Brother Lei, did you hear? Now there’s trouble in the Eighth Academy!"

Lei Jun asked, "What happened?"

The thin Daoist apprentice, Senior Brother Zhang, whose full name was Zhang Yuan, replied mysteriously, "It’s about that Junior Brother Chen Yi in the Eighth Academy, the one who got the Pure-Gold Lingzhi from the Lingzhi Platform. While on an assignment outside the mountain, he ended up injuring three Senior Brothers from the Third Academy—one dead, two wounded!"

The apprentices around him murmured in astonishment:

"One against three? Incredible!"

"Well, he does have the Pure-Gold Lingzhi!"

"But I heard Senior Brother Chen has been making rapid progress in cultivation this year. It looks like he’s a sure contender for the Initiation Ceremony next year."

"With a death on his hands, let’s see if he makes it through today first..."

Zhang Yuan nodded. "I heard he was detained in the Discipline Hall of the Eighth Academy as soon as he returned last night, with people from both the Third and Eighth Academies assigned to guard him."

Some apprentices seemed to take a bit of schadenfreude in Chen Yi’s misfortune, feeling that his luck had finally run out. Others admired his strength and rapid rise, noting that he had been almost unstoppable in the Daoist Children’s Academy this year.

After a few days, reliable news arrived: Chen Yi was not severely punished. In fact, the two Daoist apprentices he had injured faced harsher disciplinary action.

The apprentices in the Sixth Academy were surprised. "They attacked him first? And even ambushed him?"

The apprentice who had gathered the news nodded vigorously. "The evidence Chen Yi presented was ironclad, leaving no room for those three to deny it."

Lei Jun asked, "Did they attack him to curry favor with the Daoists at the Mansion?"

The apprentice replied, "So they say. Luckily, Senior Brother Chen’s recent progress in cultivation far exceeded their expectations. In the end, the three attackers only ran into a wall."

The apprentices marveled, each with their own thoughts, while Lei Jun continued his usual routine of studying and cultivating.

Summer gave way to autumn, and as time passed, Lei Jun’s cultivation advanced. He successfully opened his ninth Qi Sea, marking his entry into the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining.

One afternoon in September, after finishing lunch, Lei Jun, pondering a cultivation question, sought out Wang Guiyuan before heading to the Steward's Hall to accept a new assignment.

Since he arrived late, most of the preferred assignments had already been taken. Only two options remained.

One was producing Talisman Ink in the Ink-Making Workshop.

When crafting talismans, besides Talisman Brushes and Yellow Paper, Tianshi Mansion Daoists also required Talisman Ink. Apart from the usual cinnabar, there were various higher-quality inks, although some emitted peculiar auras. This task was rarely chosen by young apprentices, so it was often assigned directly.

The other option was a temporary assignment.

Mount Longhu, located in the Xingzhou area, was frequently affected by heavy summer rains, leading to annual flooding. Fortunately, the Tianshi Mansion dispatched skilled Daoists to assist, minimizing the disaster's impact. However, the fall season often brought epidemics among the displaced population, prompting Tianshi Mansion to organize disaster relief efforts.

The task would be managed mainly by the Daoists, while the mansion's local stewards or managers would handle the specific arrangements, often assisted by young apprentices from the Daoist Children's Academy. Unlike other assignments, this one involved an extended stay outside—typically three to five days, sometimes as long as a month.

Some saw this as an opportunity to help and actively volunteered. Others viewed it as a hardship to avoid if possible. Extended trips would inevitably disrupt cultivation, and the outside environment couldn’t compare to Mount Longhu’s spiritual richness.

Having arrived late today, Lei Jun only had the Ink-Making and Disaster Relief options left.

Of course, he could skip the assignments and return to his residence to cultivate independently. He had already completed many tasks recently, and his accumulated contributions were considerable, so skipping a day or two wouldn’t hurt.

Unexpectedly, at that moment, the Light Sphere in his mind suddenly glowed, displaying words:

[When disaster strikes the city gate, some soar like eagles, while others dive to hide in safety.]

Lei Jun, accustomed to these unexpected messages from the Light Sphere, immediately focused on reading the new three omens displayed:

[Supreme Good Omen: Go to Qingyun River Beach for disaster relief, gain a Third-Grade Opportunity, hidden dragon rising, soaring to the skies, very lucky!]

[Moderate Omen: Decline an assignment, return to your residence for quiet cultivation; no gains, no losses, average luck.]

[Lower-Bad Omen: Go to the Ink-Making Workshop, misfortune befalls, lose freedom temporarily, hidden dangers await, unlucky.]

A Supreme Good Omen... Lei Jun let out a long breath.

After drawing so many times, this was the first time he had seen a Supreme Good Omen.

A Third-Grade Opportunity ranked even higher than the Fifth-Grade Purple-Gold Lingzhi Essence and the Sixth-Grade Dragon Horse Scale—could this help him make up for his late start in cultivation?

However, the omen suggested that

his path to destiny lay in going down the mountain for disaster relief.