Steadily becoming a saint, the immortal officials hired me to tend the horses Chapter 4: Chapter 4: Demon of Greed

At high noon.

Gu An, Meng Lang, and Li Ya were gathered by a wooden fence in the garden. Meng Lang gazed with fascination at the white-furred old rodent Gu An held in his grasp.

Li Ya reflected for a moment before speaking, "That is likely a White Spirit Rat. Because they are drawn to areas dense with spiritual energy and resources, they are often called Treasure Hunting Rats. They are essentially the lowest tier of spirit beasts."

Curiosity piqued, Meng Lang asked, "What actually separates a spirit beast from a demon beast?"

"Demon beasts must cultivate themselves into being, whereas spirit beasts possess an innate connection to nature’s spiritual energy from birth. They can also undergo Cultivation, yet their aura lacks the gore and malice of demon energy. Simply put, spirit beasts aren't as lethal as demon beasts," Li Ya clarified.

Hearing those words, Gu An’s desire to kill the creature vanished instantly.

Meng Lang’s interest intensified, and he chuckled, "Gu An, why don’t you just hand that old mouse over to me?"

Gu An’s brow twitched as he cursed the boy in his mind, thinking him a shameless animal for even asking!

Li Ya spoke up with a frosty tone, "White Spirit Rats rarely live in isolation. If one is present, a colony is nearby. Go hunt your own. It’s beneath you to squabble over a single mouse."

Flushing with embarrassment and irritation, Meng Lang snapped, "Fine, I’ll go catch one then!"

With that, he stomped away.

Once he was out of earshot, Gu An turned to Li Ya and said, "I appreciate it."

Gu An realized that while Li Ya appeared distant, he was actually quite noble and easy to be around. He never barred Gu An from observing his sword practice, and just now, he had stepped in to speak up for him.

Without Li Ya’s intervention, Gu An would have been in a difficult spot.

If he had been forced to beat Meng Lang into tears, the boy’s loud wailing would have caused a massive scene!

Li Ya studied Gu An closely, his voice soft as he noted, "You seem to have transformed recently, though I can't quite identify what is different about you."

Suddenly, Li Ya’s right hand shot out to grab Gu An’s wrist. To Gu An’s enhanced perception, the movement was sluggish, but he chose not to evade, instead feigning a look of shock.

"Brother Li, what are you doing..."

"It is nothing."

Li Ya released him, pausing briefly before adding, "Your internal aura is steady and your physique is healthy, though you lack spiritual power. Even if your talent is nothing special, you must not neglect your Cultivation. With enough persistence, there is always a chance."

Gu An nodded and engaged him in polite conversation following the advice.

Li Ya was in a rare talkative mood today. Through their exchange, Gu An gained a much clearer perspective on the wider Immortal Cultivation World.

It was evident that those from the Imperial Family were cut from a different cloth, possessing vast knowledge even without having wandered the world themselves.

After the time it takes for half a stick of incense to burn, Meng Lang came rushing back.

"Something is wrong!" Meng Lang whispered urgently as he reached Gu An’s side, his expression fraught with worry.

Gu An glanced toward the mouth of Medicine Valley.

Li Ya inquired, "What has happened?"

With wide eyes, Meng Lang explained, "A cultivator is posted at the valley entrance. I approached him, and he claims to be an Inner Sect Disciple. Apparently, he accepted a mission from our master to guard us for the next month."

"The master likely requested help because of that demon we heard about. But what if even an Inner Sect Disciple can't stop it? We’d be finished, wouldn't we?"

Gu An had already spotted the figure in the distance; his current sight allowed him to see the man’s features clearly.

The newcomer was a young man in green robes, looking elegant and refined—certainly no commoner.

[Chu Jingfeng (Foundation Establishment Realm, Level One): 19/290/870]

Nineteen years old and already at the first level of the Foundation Establishment Realm?

A true prodigy!

It was no wonder he had attained the status of an Inner Sect Disciple.

Gu An looked at the system prompt before him, his mind swirling with various thoughts.

The Supreme Sect truly deserved its title as the premier power of the Taicang Dynasty, crawling with geniuses.

Li Ya and Meng Lang began debating the mystery of the demon. Meng Lang found it hard to believe that a demon could sneak into a place as powerful as the Supreme Sect and remain uncaught for two weeks.

Li Ya, however, found it plausible. He noted that the Supreme Sect was massive, and since Medicine Valley sat on the outskirts, it was only natural for disciples to face such risks.

"A century ago, a Demon Cultivator infiltrated the Supreme Sect, slaughtered hundreds of disciples, and escaped without a scratch. This demon might possess specific Secret Techniques that make it elusive," Li Ya said, his gaze distant.

"Forget the Supreme Sect; nowhere on earth is truly safe. Every year, the Dynasty pours a staggering amount of Spirit Resources into the Demon-Suppressing Mansion..."

As Li Ya spoke about the state of the world, Gu An and Meng Lang listened intently, absorbing every detail.

Having been raised in an Immortal Cultivation clan like the Ji Family, Gu An had seen little of the world. For the first time, he realized just how perilous the world outside really was.

Demons and malevolent spirits were everywhere; nearly forty percent of Cultivators met their end at the hands of such entities.

The stories left Gu An feeling even more apprehensive.

He resolved never to leave. He would stay within the safety of the Supreme Sect and focus on building his life span!

He would survive for thousands of years, outlasting even the Sect itself!

"But this valley holds so many vital medicinal herbs. Why would the Sect only send one Inner Sect Disciple?" Meng Lang grumbled.

Li Ya shook his head. "The Supreme Sect has over fifty such Medicine Valleys. The plants we grow here aren't considered top-tier. Hidden within the Sect are far more precious valleys where the herbs are divine treasures capable of rewriting a mortal’s destiny."

Gu An’s interest was instantly piqued, and he began pressing for more information about those legendary gardens.

However, Li Ya only knew of their existence and lacked specific details.

After talking a while longer, the three eventually went their separate ways to perform their scheduled checks on the herb gardens.

With their duties finished, they retired to their respective quarters.

Gu An secured the White Spirit Rat with a small cord to ensure it didn't vanish.

Sitting cross-legged on his bed with the rat in his lap, he began his Cultivation session.

He focused on the Dragon Strength Divine Primordial Skill, which bolstered both his physical power and his life span. He didn't bother with other techniques, preferring to simply invest his life span once he had accumulated enough.

As night fell, an eerie silence blanketed Medicine Valley.

With his senses now incredibly sharp, Gu An could overhear Cheng Xuandan and the Inner Sect Disciple, Chu Jingfeng, conversing over a hundred zhang away. Cheng Xuandan’s tone was highly deferential, suggesting Chu Jingfeng held significant status.

From their talk, Gu An finally learned the demon's name.

The Demon of Greed!

Chu Jingfeng sounded dismissive of the creature. His arrogant confidence seemed to soothe Cheng Xuandan; Gu An could hear the old man’s racing heart begin to steady.

"The Demon of Greed..."

Gu An’s eyes glimmered with thought, wondering if his Dragon Strength Divine Primordial Skill was enough to slay such a creature.

According to the insights of the skill, the Dragon Strength he cultivated was specifically designed to suppress demons and purge evil.

He had to be ready for the worst, just in case Chu Jingfeng failed!

Even with a massive life span, he still only had one life!

He wasn't about to gamble with it.

That night, the breathing of everyone in the valley was erratic, fueled by anxiety. Sensing this, Gu An felt his own nerves fraying.

He only managed to drift off to sleep when the first light of dawn appeared.

Over the following five days, there was no sign of the Demon of Greed, and Gu An’s tension slowly started to fade.

On the sixth day.

As evening arrived, Gu An went back to his room. He had brought four travelogues from the library this time, hoping to learn more about the world's geography.

The White Spirit Rat crawled out from beneath the bed and hopped onto the table. Since being exposed to the aura of the Dragon Strength Divine Primordial Skill, it had become attached to Gu An and no longer tried to flee.

Gu An sat at his desk, played with the rat for a moment, and opened a book titled "Green Hero Travelogue."

He left the window cracked open. A cool night air drifted in, making the oil lamp flicker and causing the rat’s shadow to dance across the wood.

The travelogue proved to be quite an entertaining read.

It was filled with the Green Hero’s exploits—journeying across the land, admiring landscapes, hunting monsters, and engaging in various romantic flings.

As he read late into the night, something started to feel off.

Why did every woman the protagonist met fall for him instantly? The hero always acted reluctant, yet somehow ended up in their arms anyway...

Was this written by some frustrated scholar?

Gu An mocked the author in his head, yet he couldn't bring himself to stop reading.

Whoosh—

A sudden, icy gust of wind surged through the window. Even with the protection of his Dragon Strength, Gu An felt a chill. He set the book aside and stood up to shut the window.

Before he could reach it, a sound echoed from the distance. He froze, listening intently.

"Demon! Face your end!"

The sharp command from Chu Jingfeng made Gu An’s skin crawl.

Had the Demon of Greed finally shown itself?

Chu Jingfeng didn't sound afraid; he sounded eager and capable.

"Ah—"

Just as Gu An started to relax, a blood-curdling scream from Chu Jingfeng rang out. Terrified, Gu An slammed the window shut and blew out the lamp.

He scrambled into a corner of the room. The White Spirit Rat, sensing the danger, dove into his robes.

The tiny animal was shaking violently!

Its terror only fed Gu An’s own.

In all his years, Gu An had never encountered a real demon. The Ji Family had been a sanctuary. As a child, the most frightening things he knew were the hulking guards of the Ji estate.

"Chu Jingfeng, I hope you weren't all talk. And Li Ya... with your special destiny, you should be the hero who kills the demon and rises to fame..."

Gu An tried to steady his breathing, his hands clenched as he began to circulate the Dragon Strength within his Meridians.

Moments later, he heard the door to the next room fly open. It was Li Ya, drawing his sword and rushing out to help Chu Jingfeng.

Meanwhile, Meng Lang was even more terrified than Gu An, hiding under his bed—a move that made Gu An want to swear out loud.

That useless brat always acted like a big shot in front of him, yet he turned into a coward the moment real danger appeared.

As the seconds ticked by, every moment felt like an eternity of dread.

In his spiritual perception, Chu Jingfeng’s aura suddenly vanished. Gu An couldn't tell if he had been killed or simply silenced.

"Demon! Be silent!"

Li Ya’s voice reached Gu An’s ears, sending a fresh wave of shivers down his spine.

Was the demon intending to devour them all?

Then, a heavy thud echoed, and Li Ya’s voice was cut short.

Was it over? Was he really defeated that easily?

Gu An’s heart hammered against his ribs like a drum.

Cheng Xuandan and Zhang Chunqiu remained locked in their rooms, ignoring the chaos outside. Truly, the disciples were just like their master.

Outside, a heavy silence returned. Even with his heightened senses, Gu An could no longer detect any movement or the presence of the Demon of Greed.