Li Muyang walked with Xiao Yecao on the deserted mountain path, but he did not take the main path after entering the mountain road.

    Instead, he led Xiao Yecao into the rugged forest.

    Xiao Yecao was confused.

    “Elder Brother, where are we going? Aren’t we supposed to go to the blood room and find Steward Wu?”

    From Xiao Yecao’s perspective, the Elder Brother had just agreed to Granny Gu to kill Steward Wu, but he headed straight for the forest after leaving the village... Was he planning to run away?

    Li Muyang shook his head and said, “Just follow me for now. Let’s search this forest.”

    There might be some storyline clue in this forest.

    Steward Wu’s attitude today was so strange, he was incredibly irritable.

    Since no clues for the plot could be found in the cave or the village, Li Muyang had no choice but to try his luck in the wilderness.

    Without a game guide, one has to rely on the process of elimination, ruling out the wrong options one by one.

    The two of them navigated through the rugged and dense mountain forest, straying from the path that led to the cave.

    However, a faint smell of blood wafted through the air.

    Xiao Yecao blinked her eyes in surprise and said, “This scent is so familiar... Elder Brother, what’s ahead?”

    The girl’s face was full of curiosity.

    Elder Brother seemed to know something, for he had taken her straight into the woods after leaving the village. But after she asked her question, Li Muyang didn’t answer. Instead, he kept his head down and continued forward.

    A system option popped up in his field of vision.

    【I smell a strange, fishy scent that feels oddly familiar... Should I go deeper into the woods to check it out? I really want to know what this blood smell is.】

    【The peculiar fishy scent seems to be calling me... But I can’t go, I have to meet Steward Wu, any further delay and Steward Wu will definitely lose his temper.】

    Li Muyang was slightly excited by the system options that appeared before him.

    He had finally found it. This was the plot clue he was looking for!

    The blood scent was indeed a clue to the plot.

    Without hesitation, Li Muyang chose the first option and continued to search for the source of the blood scent.

    However, after wandering around the forest with Xiao Yecao for a long time, they still couldn’t find where it was coming from.

    The strange blood scent seemed to fill the entire forest. It was everywhere, yet the source was nowhere to be found.

    Li Muyang was getting a headache.

    The blood scent was clearly a plot clue, but he couldn’t trigger the subsequent events without finding its source.

    At that moment, the gloomy figure of Steward Wu appeared in the woods.

    The old tile house was enclosed on all sides with no glass windows, dark and cold inside.

    Li Muyang didn’t like staying in such an old house. He found them oppressive and stifling.

    So he preferred to be outdoors while playing games.

    But after hearing Li Muyang’s words, Li Yuechan shook her head.

    “You won’t be able to sleep anywhere tomorrow, brother. It seems you’ve forgotten that tomorrow is the day of the sect’s grand selection. All new Outer Sect disciples must participate in the selection to determine their qualifications.”

    “We have to go out tomorrow.”

    Li Yuechan reminded him of this event.

    It was a big deal for the entire Outer Sect, so perhaps only Li Muyang had forgotten it. With the sect’s grand selection approaching, countless new Outer Sect disciples couldn’t sleep at night, tossing and turning with anxiety.

    Even Li Yuechan, someone who already has guidance from a senior, still aspires to enter the Inner Sect.

    She wasn’t lacking in strong guidance, but entering the Inner Sect would mean a completely different status and identity, which would benefit uncle and aunt far away in Jiuyuan City.

    As the saying goes, “When one person gains the Tao, even the chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.”

    (TLN: When one member of a family achieves success/rises in status, it benefits not just themselves but also those around them.)

    Li Yuechan hoped that uncle and aunt could have a better life.

    However, Li Muyang didn’t care at all about the sect’s grand selection.

    Seeing the nervousness in his little sister’s eyes, Li Muyang hesitated for a moment but decided to remind her.

    “You don’t need to worry too much about the sect’s grand selection. I’ve already asked around, and the chances of us new disciples being promoted directly to the Inner Sect based on talent and aptitude are... very slim.”

    The majority of Outer Sect disciples have only one way to be promoted to the Inner Sect, which is to reach the Qi Refining Realm Ninth Layer within ten years.

    Only then are they qualified to become disciples of the Inner Sect.

    If this time limit is exceeded, the Demon Refining Sect’s Inner Sect will not accept them even if one’s cultivation level is sufficient.

    Because those who cannot reach the Ninth Layer of the Qi Refining Realm within ten years are generally considered to have poor aptitude.

    The fate of those disciples is either to find a way to stay in the Outer Sect as a steward or to return to their hometown to become a minor official.

    Tomorrow’s sect grand selection is essentially just a formality, a spectacle to watch.

    It’s mainly for the Inner Sect disciples of the Demon Refining Sect to show off their strength to these rural Outer Sect servants, giving them something to look forward to.

    They also want to take this opportunity to warn these newcomers to be careful and not to mess around on Demonic Sect’s turf.

    We are currently recruiting. CN/KR/JP Translators/MTLers are welcome!

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