Ruan Minghe’s move was truly that of a sect fledgling who knew nothing of the world’s affairs. "Whatever is requested shall be granted"—why don’t you just go die?

  Chen Gensheng suppressed a sneer full of irony deep within his heart. If someone ordered him to run naked in public, would he grant it? If someone demanded his sect’s secret techniques, would he grant it? Ordered to commit suicide? Or to eat excrement in front of a crowd? Would he grant those?

  Laughable.

  It was nothing more than a high-and-mighty sect disciple tossing a painted bone to a pack of starving wild dogs. It was a trick specifically designed to deceive those rogue cultivators who hadn't seen the world and were blinded by greed. This sort of person looked down on everyone, their nostrils pointing to the sky, every word thick with arrogance. Their promises were mostly "flowers in a mirror or the moon in the water"—mere illusions meant to satisfy a hunger that couldn't be filled.

  The moment you actually produced the item they desired, the initiative would instantly change hands. At that point, your life and death would also belong to them.

  Chen Gensheng’s eyelids drooped slightly, masking the clarity and coldness in his eyes. He could clearly hear the suppressed, heavy breathing coming from the people beside him.

  "A wood-attribute living spirit treasure... Heavens, does my one-year-old Azure Vine count?"

  "Are you brain-dead? The notice said it must be a heavenly material or earthly treasure of equivalent rank. Would a Golden Rainbow Valley genius look at your junk?"

  "That’s true... but this 'whatever is requested shall be granted,' if it’s real..."

  "I just want a Foundation Establishment Pill!"

  "Short-sighted! If it were me, I’d ask for his Dao-companion."

  The crowd remained boisterous, buzzing like a swarm of flies. Chen Gensheng, expressionless, shifted his body and walked toward the other end of the market.

  Inside the Land Supervisory Office, a scent of stale ink mixed with the mist of spiritual tea rushed at him. A goat-bearded old cultivator was slumped behind a desk napping, his head nodding periodically, saliva nearly dripping onto the official documents.

  Chen Gensheng lightly tapped on the desk. The old cultivator jerked awake, eyes bleary as he wiped the corner of his mouth.

  "What do you want?"

  "To lease land," Chen Gensheng said succinctly.

  "Lease land? Where? Have you picked a spot?" The old cultivator pulled out a thick ledger. "The land in the market is divided into four grades: Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, and Yellow. The rent varies. Tell me your budget first."

  "Budget is not an issue," Chen Gensheng said calmly. "I want the cheapest."

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  The old cultivator froze mid-sip of his tea.

  "?"

  Why did this young man sound so destitute the moment he opened his mouth?

  "Then there’s only the 'D' grade land left. The spiritual qi is the thinnest, the location is the most remote, and it costs five middle-grade spirit stones a year. In some spots, strange insects emerge at night. Are you sure?"

  "That’s the one." Chen Gensheng didn't hesitate.

  "I’m warning you, if anything happens on 'D' grade land, this office is not responsible. Every year, at least eight or ten unlucky fools die out there." The old cultivator offered a few extra words, considering it a final act of kindness.

  "What if there aren't any strange insects?" Chen Gensheng countered.

  At this, the old cultivator was completely stunned. In all his decades, he had seen people fight over spirit-vein treasure lands and bleed for a good location. This was the first time he’d seen someone specifically ask for a place infested with pests.

  "Are you... are you serious?"

  "Mhm."

  The old cultivator’s hand trembled slightly as he flipped through the ledger. He pointed to a black dot in the furthest corner of the map, his tone peculiar. "Plot D-10. It’s right next to the mass graves on the far west side of the market. Not a blade of grass grows for ten miles, and insects haunt the place. If you're looking for a place to end it all, this plot is quite suitable."

  Chen Gensheng made the decision immediately and produced two middle-grade spirit stones. "Deposit. I’ll pay the remainder after I’ve seen the land."

  "As you wish."

  Holding the land deed and following the map’s guidance, Chen Gensheng headed west. The further he walked, the more desolate the scenery became. The bustling pavilions gradually disappeared, replaced by dilapidated shacks and sparse, withered trees. The noisy human energy of the market faded, and a trace of phantom-like chill began to permeate the air.

  After the time it takes to burn an incense stick, a vast stretch of wasteland appeared before him. The surface of the earth was charred black and scorched, devoid of life. Only a few weathered boulders stood solitary, like silent tombstones. The spiritual qi in the air was so thin it was negligible, mixed instead with a faint, fishy stench.

  This was Plot D-10. Truly a supreme piece of land where "even birds wouldn't stop to defecate." Chen Gensheng was very satisfied.

  He lifted his foot and stepped onto the territory that now belonged to him. The moment his sole touched the ground, the Myriad Venom Mysterious Casket within his body vibrated slightly.

  Chen Gensheng narrowed his eyes. There were definitely insects here. Without the slightest hesitation, he turned and left, moving several times faster than when he arrived.

  Land Supervisory Office.

  The goat-bearded old cultivator had just drifted back to sleep when he was again startled awake by the tapping on his desk.

  "You again..." He looked up and saw it was the same freak. His temper flared instantly. "Finished looking? Regretting it? I told you, the deposit is non-refundable—"

  Chen Gensheng cut him off and paid the balance in full. The old cultivator’s complaints stuck in his throat.

  "You... you’re taking it? No more second thoughts? That’s Plot D-10!"

  "The land is excellent. I like it very much."

  This kid must be seriously ill, the old man thought. Chen Gensheng took the deed and left without any further delay.

  Night fell. A waning moon hung in the sky, emitting a cold, pale light. Plot D-10 felt even more sinister than it had during the day.

  Chen Gensheng stood alone in the center of the wasteland. He closed his eyes and sank his divine sense into his body. The vibration of the Mysterious Casket had settled down.

  He began to pace slowly. With every step, he carefully sensed the feedback from beneath the earth. He paced for an entire night.

  As the horizon began to turn the color of a fish's belly, he finally stopped in an area at the very center of the wasteland.

  It was here.

  He could clearly feel a strange pulsation coming steadily and powerfully from deep underground. On the surface, this spot looked no different from the rest of the wasteland—charred earth, weathered rocks.

  Anything that could trigger a reaction from the Mysterious Casket had to be, at the very least, a useful "strange insect."

  It was time to add a new member to the Mysterious Casket.