After making his decision, Ergouzi hoisted his heavy sword and began descending the mountain.
As he drew closer, using his Qi Observation Technique, he estimated the middle-aged man's cultivation at Qi Refinement fifth or sixth layer—definitely not seventh.
The Qi Observation Technique could only gauge strength through external energy fluctuations. Identifying weaker cultivators was easy, but assessing stronger ones required experience and exposure.
The middle-aged man ahead initially grew wary upon seeing Ergouzi approach, but relaxed upon sensing his mere Qi Refinement fourth layer cultivation.
The black-cloaked figure trailing behind the man moved like a puppet, utterly silent.
Facing two opponents stronger than himself, Ergouzi strategized. Direct confrontation would be foolish.
He recalled military tactics studied at Zhengwu Hall—feigning weakness to conceal strength, striking unpredictably. The texts made sense; worth trying.
Approaching humbly, Ergouzi bowed with clasped hands. "Greetings, Senior. You must be Iron Corpse Helmsman?"
Unsure if friend or foe but disarmed by the courtesy, the man nodded slightly. "Where's Li the Scarred?"
"He's at a critical juncture in cultivation and sent me to welcome you, Senior."
Impressed by the polite youth, the man nodded approvingly. "Let's proceed."
"After you, Senior." Ergouzi stepped aside, bowing.
"Good manners are rare in youngsters nowadays," the man remarked, striding past—
—Ergouzi exploded into motion.
In one fluid motion, he drew his massive sword and bisected the unsuspecting man mid-stride. Without pause, he pivoted to decapitate the cloaked figure.
BOOM!
The strike sent the figure crashing down, revealing a white-furred zombie face beneath the fallen hood.
Ergouzi's thousand-jin strength could split boulders, yet the zombie's skull only cracked slightly. With a roar, it lunged unnaturally fast, raking bloody gashes across Ergouzi's chest.
Their brutal clash resembled battling bulls—equally matched in raw power. But Ergouzi realized his disadvantage: while his flesh bled, the undead felt no pain.
Channeling True Qi through meridians into his sword, silver veins lit up across the blade like branching trees, culminating in a radiant edge. As the zombie charged again, Ergouzi thrust—
KABOOM!
The zombie detonated, showering Ergouzi with gore. Exhausted, he leaned on his sword, drained from unleashing that technique's full power.
Then came creaking wheels. A oxcart piled with fresh corpses approached, pushed by bloodstained men.
"Hey! What happened here?"
"Where's Boss He?"
Unfazed by the carnage, they eyed profit. One called out, "You kill these guys? That's a capital offense!"
Recognizing them as the beggar-murderers from days prior, Ergouzi stayed silent, recovering strength.
"Wait... isn't this that corpse we dumped?"
As one distracted him with false apologies, another swung a club at his skull—
SCHLICK!
Ergouzi sidestepped, impaling the attacker through the chest. He became a whirlwind of steel, butchering them all within breaths.
Panting, he looted Iron Corpse Helmsman's body—thirty-some taels, a jade vial holding three red pills, a wax-sealed black bottle, and an unsheathed sword. The black bottle pulsed with zombie-like energy, making him hastily reseal it.
Ever frugal, he stripped all corpses of clothing before burning them in a cave. Exhausted, he commandeered the oxcart—later seen barreling down roads pulled by two honking geese, a farm boy napping aboard.
Back in Shexi Village, he spotted A'hu watering his prized plot. "Why irrigate in winter?"
A'hu grinned. "Spring droughts come. Storing water now beats fighting later." Noticing the cart, he added, "Borrowing that would help!"
"Take these spare clothes too," Ergouzi offered, dumping his grisly acquisitions. A'hu teared up—his sister lacked decent pants.
Flying home on gooseback, Ergouzi reflected on nearly dying from scanning his jade pendant's secrets. His master's gift clearly held advanced cultivation knowledge, currently beyond his reach.
Days later, at Huichun Hall, Ergouzi recounted the Iron Corpse encounter (omitting his naked disgrace) and presented loot: jade vials, black bottle, and a "Black"-inscribed copper token.
Sima Yi examined a red pill grimly. "Blood Marrow Pills. Human-refined."
"Humans as... ingredients?"
"Ancient demonic practice," Sima Yi confirmed. "Entire villages sacrificed per pill. The Zhou Dynasty purged most, but remnants linger."
The black bottle likely contained drought demon essence, which Sima Yi proposed handing to authorities.
As for the drought plaguing the region? "Not a demon's work," Sima Yi dismissed. "True calamity-level entities wield far greater power."
Finally, the copper token: "Not cultist insignia. Black Market pass."