The End of the Immortal Path

At the foot of Cloud Mist Peak.

The little shaobing shop was bustling with activity during the day.

They made shaobing every day.

Business had picked up again recently, and they didn’t want to waste the opportunity.

Naturally, they put all their effort into making them.

Every extra one they could sell mattered.

But before they had even opened for business, several people suddenly arrived.

They sealed off the area around the shop.

Then they took Song Qing and Tang Feng into custody.

Song Qing and Tang Feng were both stunned.

They were at a complete loss, and a sense of helpless terror filled their hearts.

Facing these people, they didn’t even dare to speak rashly.

They were completely at their mercy.

"I’ll ask the questions, and you’ll answer," a woman holding a long saber said, looking at the two of them.

Hearing this, Song Qing immediately nodded. "Senior, we haven’t done anything."

"Whose shop is this?" the woman asked.

"Sen-Senior Jiang Man’s," Song Qing replied.

"What are you doing here?"

"S-Selling shaobing. Just shaobing, really."

"Who are you selling them to?"

"Just a customer."

The woman looked at the pile of shaobing and fell silent for a moment before asking, "Who would buy so many shaobing?"

Song Qing and Tang Feng were silent.

In truth, they had wondered about this themselves.

But...

’As long as we can sell them, who cares about all that?’

If they couldn’t sell them, they wouldn’t be able to survive here anymore.

’That would be a terrifying prospect. Besides, what other people did with the shaobing was none of our business, was it?’

The woman looked at them and said coldly, "Someone reported that you’re colluding with an Evil God."

At these words, Song Qing and Tang Feng’s faces went pale.

Though they didn’t understand the full implications of the crime, seeing the kind of force it had brought out, they feared it was a capital offense.

Song Qing trembled all over. "We’re... we’re innocent!"

However, the people surrounding the shop were, at minimum, in the Late Stage of Golden Core.

Even their calm breathing carried a trace of Spiritual Qi pressure, making Song Qing’s and Tang Feng’s Heart Spirits tremble.

—

At that moment, Jiang Man was squatting in his courtyard, staring at a fluffy Spirit Pet on the ground.

His brow furrowed.

The Spirit Beast Egg had finally hatched today, but what emerged wasn’t a ferocious Demon Beast, but a fluffy Little Demon Beast.

It lay on the ground, its silver-gray fur flowing like ink wash and smoke. The most eye-catching feature was a tuft of white fur on top of its head.

Furthermore, its eyes, bright as glazed glass, held a dazed look, yet they made one want to take a second glance.

"Is this really a dog? It looks a bit like a cat," Jiang Man said, looking doubtfully at the Old Yellow Ox beside him.

"A Tengu is not a dog," the Old Yellow Ox replied.

"Does this dog have any intelligence?" Jiang Man asked.

Judging by its dazed look, it didn’t seem much like a Spirit Pet.

’Could there have been an accident during its birth? Did it come out an idiot?’

"Its intelligence is average. Its Tengu bloodline is quite diluted, but the intelligence issue can be resolved," the Old Yellow Ox said without looking up from its grass.

Jiang Man was surprised. "Old Huang, you can awaken their intelligence too?"

"Not really. Even if I could, I wouldn’t dare. But Zhao Tiankuo can. He needs more people to influence your senses so you’ll do his bidding, so he’ll awaken this Tengu’s intelligence," the Old Yellow Ox explained.

Jiang Man looked at the dazed Spirit Pet and sighed. ’Actually, it’s kind of interesting this way. If it were smart, it might just be a headache.’

Hearing this, the Old Yellow Ox looked up at Jiang Man and said with feeling, "I know exactly what you mean."

Jiang Man met the ox’s gaze and was silent for a long time.

’Only then did he remember that he used to be an idiot himself.’

Jiang Man decided not to bring it up. As for the Tengu, he didn’t much care.

If he could raise it, he would. If not, so be it.

Jiang Man was about to start his Cultivation, but then Ren Qian arrived.

The moment he arrived, he asked, "Were you using the shaobing shop to collect Spiritual Sources from the subordinates of other Evil Gods?"

Jiang Man froze.

’They were caught.’

’This is not good.’

"How were they caught?" he asked curiously.

"A man named Fang Yong reported it. It seems he often sells information about you," Ren Qian said.

Jiang Man had originally thought it was someone trying to curry favor with Peak Master Bai.

He never expected it to be Young Master Fang.

’Strange. Does he have some other way of making money? Otherwise, why report me?’

’And how did he even find out?’

’A lucky guess?’

’Unlikely.’

’He might have suspected something from Song Qing and Tang Feng’s behavior, but how could he be certain it was related to an Evil God?’

’Is everyone Old Meng now?’

Jiang Man didn’t dwell on it, instead asking about Song Qing and Tang Feng first.

If they were arrested, he had to find a way to get them out, even if it meant going in himself.

He’d brought Song Qing over from the Yunqian Bureau to suffer, not to enjoy a cushy life in the Law Enforcement Hall.

"At first, they denied it, saying they were framed. But then the person who bought the shaobing was caught, and he was indeed one of the Evil God’s men," Ren Qian continued, looking at Jiang Man. "With concrete evidence, that Song Qing confessed. He admitted to colluding with the Evil God."

"But they haven’t been arrested yet. They’re still at the shop."

"The shop’s been sealed. It can’t operate for now. The investigation will take at least three months."

Hearing this, Jiang Man’s brow furrowed. ’Song Qing confessed. Now he’s going to enjoy the good life in prison.’

After that, Jiang Man told him that Song Qing was just a Qi Refining Cultivator. How could he possibly collude with an Evil God?

They might not even know what an Evil God is.

Therefore, the problem must lie with him, the boss.

He also asked Ren Qian what the reward would be for Fang Yong’s successful report.

Ren Qian was silent for a moment, thinking that Jiang Man truly wasn’t afraid of going to jail.

He wasn’t afraid that colluding with an Evil God would be a one-way trip.

However, he still told him the truth: Song Qing was indeed too weak, so the responsibility for this incident would ultimately fall on Jiang Man, his boss.

As for Fang Yong, because his report was valid, he was rewarded with fifty thousand.

Fifty thousand was a lot, but for some reason, Jiang Man felt it was a bit low.

’After advancing to the Primordial Spirit realm, fifty thousand doesn’t even register. Even if he couldn’t even scrounge up five thousand himself.’

In the end, Jiang Man was to be taken to jail.

Ren Qian suggested they bring the Old Yellow Ox along.

Just in case anything unexpected happened.

Finally, Jiang Man looked at the newborn Tengu.