The most sought-after and difficult books to borrow from Huawei Sect’s library were undoubtedly the various cultivation manuals and secret techniques. As for travel journals of the cultivation world, miscellaneous records, maps and other casual books, they remained untouched year after year.

The “Overseas Cultivator’s Anti-Fraud Handbook” was particularly dust-covered. Thus, with the charitable assistance of the outer disciples, Wang Tugen received the complete collection—ten volumes in total, covering twenty different ancient overseas text translations, stacked half a person high.

The four great continents of east, south, west, and north were vast and resource-rich, collectively known as the Mainland. At sea, aside from several powerful Yuan Ying realm cultivators who claimed islands as their kingdoms, most islands were poor in cultivation resources, with thin spiritual energy and sparse populations.

Some islands were affiliated with mainland sects and clans, some were self-sufficient, and others drifted with the tides, hidden in sea mist, difficult to locate even on maps.

It was said that hundreds of years ago, a cultivator from overseas traveled through the four continents and was shocked by the complexity and terror of the mainland. Cultivators schemed against each other for resources, and fraud techniques emerged endlessly. Overseas cultivators who grew up in simple environments, having only seen a hundred people in their lifetime, simply couldn’t cope.

After enduring countless hardships and achieving fame and success, he recalled the painful experiences and bloody lessons of his youth and put pen to paper.

The book exposed hundreds of types of group frauds, honey traps, and scam setups, intended to encourage later overseas cultivators to be like the book’s author—unafraid of hardships and ultimately achieving the great Dao.

As soon as the handbook was published, it immediately became an inspirational classic for countless overseas cultivators, a beacon for cultivation, and essential life reading.

Twilight deepened, and the evening breeze carried cool flower fragrances. At the entrance of Song Residence, the queue gradually shortened.

The outer disciples chatted and laughed, ignoring the shabby, awkward overseas man.

With nothing to do, Wang Tugen sat on the ground and casually flipped through the handbook, becoming engrossed without realizing it.

The thousands of words in this book can be summarized in four points:

First, don’t trust your fellow countrymen.

Second, don’t trust mainlanders.

Third, don’t trust anyone.

…

The final point: no matter how many times others cheat you, deceive you, bully you, defraud you, slander you, or harm you, you just keep your head down and focus on cultivation. Young people will eventually have their day, gold will eventually shine, and sooner or later you can prove to those who looked down on you:

They were right!

Wang Tugen almost spat blood in anger—this chicken soup was poisonous.

Suddenly feeling something wasn’t right, he flipped back to the title page and saw the author’s pen name, just three simple characters: Duo Qing Zi.

So it was true. He swallowed his blood back.

Few people in the current world knew this name, but he did.

Duo Qing Zi—wasn’t that the nickname of the Calligraphy Saint when he was young?

The beautiful fairyland-like overseas mountain described in the handbook—wasn’t that the Calligraphy Saint’s current pocket dimension, “The Spring Mountains in a Box”?

So the Saint had been scammed so badly when he first arrived on the mainland. Wang Tugen thought to himself, no wonder he became more suspicious in his old age, wanting to test the character of a potential disciple by asking us to probe Song Qian Ji.

He looked toward the narrow red door of Song Residence, only seeing the emerald vines climbing over the wall, suddenly feeling a bit sympathetic for the young man inside who knew nothing.

Who could withstand someone capable of writing this entire set of anti-fraud handbooks that penetrate human weaknesses, someone, who could dismantle ten thousand kinds of fraud schemes, now setting up a test for a fifteen or sixteen-year-old cultivator?

“It’s your turn, hurry up and go.” Zhou Xiaoyun’s voice startled him.

He closed the book and looked up. The crowd at Song Residence’s entrance had dispersed, with only a few bunches of garden balsam still fluttering as before.

Zhou Xiaoyun instructed: “The mainland has deep waters and treacherous shoals. Put these books in your storage pouch first, read them a few more times when you get back tonight, and remember them by heart!”

Wang Tugen put on an honest and simple smile: “Good fairy, I understand, thank you!”

“No need to thank me. If you want to thank anyone, thank Senior Brother Song for his magnanimity, benevolence, and teaching without discrimination. Hurry up with your question, don’t waste too much time. Go in.”

As soon as Wang Tugen entered, he was stunned.

The garden was filled with reds and greens, deep and light. Above and below, countless varieties of flowers, herbs, and vegetables were planted.

He was worldly and had seen many alchemists’ herb gardens and female cultivators’ flower gardens. In terms of the spiritual energy of the land and rare species, this small courtyard was quite ordinary.

But this place had something that other places didn’t have, something that no spiritual gathering formation could replace: vitality.

The most primitive, most natural, uncarved exuberant vitality.

He seemed to see the entire spring.

“Fellow Daoist from overseas, do you already know the rules here?”

He looked toward the voice. The speaking youth appeared to be fourteen or fifteen but already had Foundation Establishment cultivation. With refined features and a commanding presence, he stood under the flower trellis, his gaze bright and sharp, quite imposing.

Wang Tugen silently praised the promising youth.

But according to their secret investigation, this person wasn’t Song Qian Ji, but Song Qian Ji’s follower, Meng He Ze.

“These are tomato seeds unique to overseas, offered to Senior Brother Song!” He presented the storage pouch and looked past the commanding youth.

“Ask your question. Be quick.” Meng He Ze checked the seeds, then turned to go to the kitchen to cook noodles.

Only two people remained under the flower trellis, one standing and one sitting.

“I’ve come for an appraisal. Please examine this item closely, Senior Brother Song.” Wang Tugen moved closer, discreetly observing Song Qian Ji.

The setting sun shone diagonally, and that person leaned against the cushion on the chair, gazing at the sunset breeze, eyes slightly narrowed, posture relaxed and enjoying.

He seemed to have just walked through the fields, his clean shoes speckled with mud, but he didn’t care at all.

“Alright, let me see.” The person spoke, his voice very gentle.

Wang Tugen was surprised. He was very approachable, with a good temperament.

Why did those outer disciples respect him so much, and why was this tough Meng He Ze so convinced by him?

A half-inch-long stone sword was placed in Song Qian Ji’s palm.

As soon as Song Qian Ji touched the item, he suddenly sat up straight, his expression becoming solemn.

He gently rotated the stone sword in the orange glow of the sunset. The sword’s body was exquisite and small, its surface rough, like the texture of the stone itself. Only with the Dao Eye could one see the extremely precise runes on it.

He had seen this thing in his previous life. It was powerful, yet had no threshold. It activated with blood, yet couldn’t recognize a master.

Anyone who got it could use it, whoever had it owned it. These two characteristics caused it to change hands several times in his previous life, triggering bloody storms, before disappearing without a trace.

Song Qian Ji had once sought it but couldn’t obtain it. It eventually fell into the hands of Wei Zhen Yu, the world’s savior.

“Where did you get this?”

“It was passed down from my sect!”

Seeing his expression change, Wang Tugen knew he recognized the treasure, and secretly praised his good eye.

“Where is your sect located?” Song Qian Ji asked.

Wang Tugen reported a very long, tongue-twisting island name.

Song Qian Ji thought, I’ve never heard of it, it must be truly remote.

He asked: “Have you grown up on the island since childhood, and is this your first time on the mainland?”

“Yes!” Wang Tugen nodded eagerly.

Song Qian Ji thought for a moment, then asked: “Do your four seasons change distinctly? How long is the rainy season? What’s the soil like? What crops are most commonly grown in your fields, how many harvests per year? How many staple foods and main dishes do you have?”

“Ah? This, this…”

Wang Tugen was greatly alarmed, instantly sweating profusely.

If Song Qian Ji had asked about his sect’s heritage, what cultivation method they practiced, what magical tools they used, or if there were spirit stone mines on the island, he would have answered fluently, as he was well-prepared and unafraid of such questions.

But soil quality and rainy seasons? What kind of questions were these? By the Ancestral Dao, did any cultivator truly care about such things?

He quickly improvised, describing the climate and geography according to the Spring Mountains in a Box. Fearing Song Qian Ji might become suspicious, he remained anxious and hastily changed the subject:

“Senior Brother Song, what exactly is this thing? Even my master doesn’t know!”

Song Qian Ji sighed, hearing that there seemed to be no wasteland for cultivation over there, so he didn’t ask further, only answered:

“It’s a Rune Sword. If you want to use it, you can activate it with a drop of blood. After activation, when fighting others, it can forcibly increase your cultivation by one major realm, although the time is only half an incense stick. But if used well, it’s enough to turn defeat into victory or escape from danger!”

“Really? Is it valuable? Is it worth thirty spirit stones?” Wang Tugen inwardly marveled at his honesty and forthrightness but outwardly maintained a silly grin.

“It’s very valuable. Worth three hundred, even three thousand.” Song Qian Ji, for the sake of the tomato seeds, added one more sentence, “If you take it to the pawnshop in Huawei City and let them hold an auction, you can naturally exchange it for many benefits. But I suggest you keep it for self-protection.”

Wang Tugen put on a woeful face: “Senior Brother Song, my sect has been completely wiped out. What’s the point of me cultivating alone on the mainland? I just want to exchange it for fare to return to the island. I don’t dare go to the pawnshop. Why don’t you give me twenty spirit stones, and I’ll sell this treasure to you!”

This statement had many implied meanings.

First, his cultivation was low and his vision limited; he possessed a huge treasure without knowing it, making him easy to deceive. Second, he had no relatives or friends left, so even if someone killed him for the treasure and he died on the mainland, no one would seek revenge for him, allowing the treasure’s thief to rest easy. Third, spending twenty spirit stones to buy a battle treasure, who wouldn’t want that?

But Song Qian Ji said: “No.”

Wang Tugen was shocked: “Why not?”

Song Qian Ji shook his head: “You gave me seeds, I gave you an appraisal. This matter, as far as I’m concerned, is already concluded.”

He threw the Rune Sword back to Wang Tugen.

“Wait, Senior Brother Song!”

Wang Tugen hurriedly caught it, thinking to himself, you dare to throw this thing, do you think it’s a potato from the field?

“Little Meng.” Song Qian Ji called out directly, “See the guest out.”

Meng He Ze, wearing an apron, rushed out fiercely, shouting: “Let me see who’s not leaving at mealtime?!”

Wang Tugen was driven out.

Since becoming the shopkeeper of the black shop for the Calligraphy Saint, running the rouge shop, he hadn’t been driven out by anyone for many years.

And to be driven out with a large ladle and a strainer, like chasing away a stray dog. The string bean leaves at the entrance swayed lightly in the wind as if laughing at his wasted efforts.

His feelings were very complicated. If Song Qian Ji had been tempted, he would naturally feel pained and regretful, but since Song Qian Ji showed no interest at all, he felt like he had come for nothing, without a sense of accomplishment.

Wang Tugen walked forward with his head down, thinking about the second plan of the black shop crowd, and almost bumped into a female cultivator.

“My apologies.” He apologized.

“It’s alright.” The woman said softly.

She wore a veil over her head, with a gauze covering her face, dressed in simple, clean white clothes that accentuated her waist, which could barely be encircled by one’s hands.

This flower-lined path only led to Song Residence. Wang Tugen wondered why she covered her face and why she was looking for Song Qian Ji.

Suddenly he noticed the zither in the woman’s arms and his eyes lit up.

Green Ripple Platform.

The zither competition at the Dengwen Elegant Gathering was imminent. Huawei Sect had countless music cultivators and countless zithers. But the zithers made by the black shop pawnshop’s Xiaoshuo had very subtle differences from others.

This female cultivator bringing the Green Ripple Platform to visit Song Residence after nightfall must have a close relationship with Song Qian Ji.

Could it be that Song Qian Ji sold the sword to buy a zither, just to give to this person?

She must be an exceptionally beautiful woman!

Could it be that he wasn’t greedy for treasures, but was instead a womanizer?

Earlier when he said Miao Yan wasn’t beautiful, perhaps he simply didn’t like the noble and transcendent type.