Promise!

Chapter 227, Concealing One's Abilities (Must Read)

Zhuang Jin had witnessed the check-out incident and returned in the afternoon to continue his cultivation. After dinner, Ji Tongxiu suddenly came over to inform him that an old friend of his was coming to visit.

He went out to meet him, and sure enough, it was an old friend. However, the person had changed so much that he almost didn't recognize him.

This man was none other than Ning Tongxuan, who had hunted the Yin-Yang Dragon with Zhuang Jin in Qinghe County back then. Thinking back to when he first met him, he was dressed in white with a jade fan, dashing and debonair. Now, however, he was weathered and his temples were white.

Zhuang Jin sensed that this person's cultivation level had regressed to the seventh level of the embryonic breathing stage, and his physical energy was severely depleted. Clearly, he had failed to break through to the innate realm and had undergone a secret method of meridian stimulation.

"It's been six or seven years since we last met, Brother Ning... how did things come to this?" He clasped his hands in a fist salute and stepped forward to ask.

Ning Tongxuan avoided Zhuang Jin's clasped hands, looking rather reserved. He took two steps back, returned a deep bow, and somewhat awkwardly greeted, "Venerable Zhuang!"

After Zhuang Jin sighed softly, tempering his enthusiasm for seeing an old friend again, Ning Tongxuan felt more at ease. After being invited to sit down, he only sat down on one side of his buttock.

Ning Tongxuan looked at Zhuang Jin, just as he had back then. Now, the two seemed to be twenty years apart in age. His expression was complicated as he said, "Three years ago, I failed to break through to the Innate Realm, and my blood and vital energy were depleted... In recent years, I have been frequently hunting exotic beasts, and this is the result of my overwork..."

He possessed exceptional martial arts talent and benefited from the concentrated resources of the Ning family, enabling him to break through to the Nascent Soul realm in his early twenties. Subsequently, he rose to fame on the Hidden Dragon List, traveling freely to seek opportunities to break through to the Innate Realm. Behind all this, the family silently bore the burden and carried on... After failing to break through to the Innate Realm, it was only natural that he should do something for the family.

Even the Golden Roc, which the family wanted to sell to the Mythical Beast Workshop of the Suspended Heaven Bureau, he refused and secretly released. This led to questioning from the family, for which he had to make more amends.

It was precisely because of the failure to break through to the innate realm and the regression in his cultivation that the attitude of the family, from top to bottom, changed from the old man who had placed high hopes on him to the brother and sister-in-law who were once very affectionate... His status and treatment in the family have now undergone a complete upheaval.

The failure to break through left him exhausted; the effort of earning contribution points to compensate his family; the contrast in the family's attitudes before and after, and the emotional gap... all these factors combined to make him age so much in just six or seven years.

"Wait a minute, when we hunted the Yin-Yang Flood Dragon and obtained the Flood Dragon Pearl, that was six or seven years ago. Back then, you were already at the Eighth Meridian of Fetal Breathing. How come you only tried to break through three years ago?" Zhuang Jin discovered the blind spot.

"Those who are listed on the Hidden Dragon List possess the Cloud Pattern Golden Carp Token and enjoy various privileges and conveniences... However, the age limit for those listed on the Hidden Dragon List is thirty years old."

Ning Tongxuan stopped short of revealing the truth, but Zhuang Jin already understood that the Ning family had allowed the other party to delay for three or four years in order to enjoy the benefits of the Hidden Dragon List for a few more years.

However, the third of the three innate barriers is the 'divine barrier'. If this is delayed, and one loses the courage and determination to forge ahead, the difficulty of the divine barrier will increase greatly!
Ning Tongxuan understood, and filled with regret, he sighed with a bitter smile, "This thirty-year age limit for the Hidden Dragon Ranking is really harmful... Alas!"

Zhuang Jin fell silent upon hearing this. At first glance, he didn't think much of it, but upon closer reflection, he realized that the age limit of thirty for the Hidden Dragon Ranking was no less insidious than the Ascending Immortal Pavilion's scheme to launch a 'star'!

Imagine being born into a first-, second-, or third-rate family, who devotes all their resources to nurturing you to the Nascent Soul stage, finally placing you on the Hidden Dragon List, obtaining the Cloud Pattern Golden Carp Token, and enjoying all sorts of benefits and privileges. Your family benefits from this, and you rise through the ranks to become a first-rate family.

As we all know, the success rate of breaking through to the Innate Realm is extremely low. Even if you have the opportunity to try breaking through to the Innate Realm, your family would like to ask you to postpone it for several years and wait until you are over thirty years old before attempting the breakthrough. Do you agree or disagree?
If I disagree, how can I face the family's nurturing? If I agree, losing this spirit will greatly increase the difficulty of the 'divine barrier' of the three innate barriers, making the already slim chance of success almost nonexistent.

"To know autumn is to see a single leaf fall; how many similar pitfalls are there in the rules of the state capital? Even if we don't say there are traps everywhere, every step a pitfall, there are probably quite a few."

Zhuang Jin sighed inwardly, looked at Ning Tongxuan, and asked, "Brother Ning... I'm afraid you're not here to reminisce. What brings you here?"

"This……"

After some hesitation, Ning Tongxuan finally revealed that it was for the spot at the White Deer Martial Academy.

After Zhuang Jin obtained the Xuan Snake Token, he announced it at the Xuantian Division and learned about this old friend... Back home, he learned that his sister-in-law was using both soft and hard tactics, being sarcastic and cynical, while his brother remained silent. His grandfather said he was trying to stop his sister-in-law, but his words were indifferent...

Therefore, how could he not understand the family's attitude and have no choice but to come?

"I only have one recommendation slot for this Xuan Snake Token, and I've already given it to the Ji family."

Zhuang Jin paused for a moment, then said, "However, I have agreed to this matter. We will find another spot some time later, before the start of the White Deer Martial Academy in September."

The simplest way to obtain another recommendation spot from Bailu Martial Academy is to upgrade your token. Upgrading from a one-patterned Xuan Snake Token to a two-patterned Xuan Snake Token grants various privileges, such as an additional recommendation spot for Bailu Martial Academy each year, an additional three-ring shop, an additional Xuan Snake-level secondary card, and so on.

To advance to the next level, one needs two things: a higher cultivation level and a higher level mission. Zhuang Jin's cultivation level has long been reached, and the higher level mission is not a problem for him either, as he already has a Windwing Thunder Tiger beast core in hand.

However, using this beast core for a mission would be enough to upgrade from level two to level three, so using it for this upgrade mission would be a waste. That's why he said he would wait a while and only do it if he really had no other choice.

—For Zhuang Jin, obtaining the promotion token was something he had to do sooner or later, because in order to obtain the subsequent Innate Qi Realm cultivation method, he had to get the Black Python Token, which was above the Xuan Snake Token.

"Back when we hunted the Yin-Yang Flood Dragon, Ning Tongxuan got the Flood Dragon Pearl, while I obtained the Flood Dragon's corpse, information on the Three Innate Gates, experience for breaking through to the Innate Gate, and the secret technique for achieving immortality after failure. If you really think about it, I took advantage of the information gap and exploited someone's vulnerability to gain some advantage. This karma should be settled using some inexpensive and beneficial items that come with the Ascension Token!"

Whether it's for peace of mind or for image building, Zhuang Jin is willing to grant her request this time out of consideration for their past relationship.

"Thank you, Venerable Zhuang!"

Ning Tongxuan stood up and bowed deeply, tears welling in his eyes. Compared to the coldness from his family after his failed breakthrough, how could he not be moved by the fact that Zhuang Jin, his old friend, had not changed his attitude and had shown such kindness?
He thought for a moment, then took out something: "I know that the contribution points my family has paid are not enough to secure a place at the White Deer Martial Academy. It's really shameless of me to offer such a precious resource. I don't have anything good to offer in return, but this map marks the distribution of some of the exotic beasts outside the first pass that I explored. It might be useful to you, Venerable One."

The Celestial Bureau has public maps, but these private maps are different and quite valuable.

"Then so be it!" Zhuang Jin accepted it without being polite, so as not to make the other party feel indebted and uneasy.

……

After seeing Ning Tongxuan off, Zhuang Jin was filled with complicated emotions. He thought about everything he had seen since arriving in the city: from the Five Righteous Men of Tongshan to the 'Carp' at the entrance of the black market, and then to the stronghold outside the city; from the Ji family and the Teng family, to Ning Tongxuan, and then to the Xuantian Division's Dengxian Pavilion... all of these things came to mind.

In the city, the lower-level martial artists toil day and night, yet they cannot accumulate even a little bit of wealth. They are implicitly exploited by the system. Such a harsh environment has led to self-destruction and mutual harm among the lower-level martial artists. Under the crisis of trust, individuals tend to become atomized, which makes it easier to exploit and oppress them.
Mid-level martial artists have no hope for themselves and pin their hopes on the next generation, but martial arts education resources are tied to household registration, or in other words, housing.

Want to attend a prestigious martial arts school?

Sure, buy a house first!

The further inland a house is, the higher the concentration of primordial energy, giving it inherent value. Linking this to resources such as education and social status further reinforces its appeal.

This forces middle management to engage in involution.

In the upper-middle ranks, warriors on the Hidden Dragon Ranking can obtain the Cloud Pattern Golden Carp Token, which is a simplified version of the Mysterious Serpent Token, enjoying great prestige. A warrior on the Hidden Dragon Ranking can elevate a family to a first-class family.

However, these individuals on the Hidden Dragon Ranking are merely targets or role models set up for those below them. Furthermore, the Cloud Pattern Golden Carp Token corresponding to the Hidden Dragon Ranking has an expiration date; it's a temporary trial card with a thirty-year age crisis—once they reach that age, they'll be kicked out. This fills them with anxiety, and it would be strange if they could pass the Three Trials of Innate Realm with this mindset!

The Innate Venerable One?

As mentioned before, a well-intentioned yet unexpected suicidal attack by a Xiantian martial artist can cause considerable damage to powerful clans. If possible, these clans would naturally want to block access to cultivation techniques and resources, ensuring that all Xiantian martial artists originate from within their own ranks—but that's impossible!
Because of the immortal ruins, it's impossible to seal off cultivation techniques; because of the nine wondrous lands, it's impossible to seal off resources. Wild innate martial artists will inevitably appear, so we can only try our best to bring them under control.

"Furthermore, based on my observations these past few days, this wondrous land stretches far and wide, where the primordial energy of heaven and earth converges, attracting beasts that transform into exotic creatures. This is a vast and sustainably renewable resource, but also a potential hidden danger. Without martial artists hunting and expending their energy to maintain a dynamic balance, it could very well lead to a terrifying beast tide."

From this perspective, even powerful clans need a certain number of mid- to high-level martial artists outside their own families.

The powerful clans also brought innate martial artists outside their own families under their control through the same structure as the Suspended Heaven Division. Because of the destructive power and strategic value of innate martial artists, they also shared real benefits: houses, shops, and large amounts of resources within the Third Ring Road were given as benefits; various privileges were given as honors; and the Ascension Pavilion, Heavenly Garment Shop, Delicacies Shop, Fruit Shop, Vegetable Shop, and Poultry Shop were given as luxuries.

As members of the same rent-seeking class, the powerful clans accepted these innate masters and jointly blocked and suppressed those below the innate level. However, in the eyes of outsiders, although they were all members of the rent-seeking class, the powerful clans were also wary of and targeted innate martial artists.

As mentioned before, the various benefits, glory, and enjoyment are intended to feed these innate martial artists, causing them to become corrupted and lose their aggressiveness.

Those with stable property have stable minds; those without stable property lack stable minds. With family and business, the more one possesses, the more one considers, and one loses the courage and determination to risk one's life.

Wealth and status are all alluring, and the intention is to use them to erode one's fighting spirit, make one complacent and satisfied with the status quo, and stop striving for higher levels of martial arts.

For example, the Ascending Immortal Pavilion introduced 'stars' to create flaws in the mental state of innate martial artists;
For example, more than three hundred years ago, a martial arts academy opened by several innate venerables near Taiyuan Lake was attacked;

……

"With the Suspended Heavenly Bureau at its core, a vast system was built over eight hundred years. The lower-level martial artists were atomized, driven to self-destruction and mutual harm, making them easy targets for exploitation; the middle-level martial artists were tied to housing and educational resources, creating internal competition, and were also subject to exploitation; the upper-middle-level martial artists were merely targets, also within the diet; only the Innate Venerables were considered to have escaped the exploited class, yet even they were surrounded by numerous traps… Encompassing everyone from top to bottom, what a meticulously crafted structure!"

At this moment, Zhuang Jin understood all of this and felt a deep chill.

In his view, there are three kinds of enemies in the world.

One is an external thief.

Foreign thieves are real, tangible, and can be slain with a single sword strike.

Of course, in his opinion, the most appropriate method is to bully the weak and use numbers to attack the few.

Second, there are internal traitors.

The traitor within has no concrete form; seek it within your own heart. The body is like a Bodhi tree, the mind like a bright mirror; constantly wipe it clean, lest it be covered in dust.

This requires self-discipline, restraint, and resisting temptation. For example, Zhuang Jin abandoned the stability of Yunnan and resolutely left to pursue immortality; another example is not being misled by the various honors bestowed by the Xuan Snake Order and maintaining a clear mind...

The third type is the institutional framework, or rules!

This kind of enemy is invisible and intangible. Killing one, ten, or even a hundred or a thousand people, or destroying a powerful family, will not change anything. Even if you have power, you can only "draw your sword and look around in bewilderment".

It's not something that can be solved by looking inward. People can change themselves, but they can hardly change the larger environment. Individuals and systems are like mayflies and giant trees, difficult to shake. Even if they burn themselves out and burst forth with a little light, they can only illuminate a small area and cannot change anything.

Even setting aside changing the system itself, the phenomena arising from changing the system are extremely difficult and cannot be won quickly. We must be prepared for a long struggle and accumulate small advantages into a larger trend.

The greatest form is formless, the greatest sound is silent—this is the most terrifying enemy in the world!

'Qing'er, did you foresee this all along?'

Zhuang Jin thought of Mu Qing's plan for him. At this stage, the best approach was to follow an eight-character principle: blend in with the world and bide your time!
I am different from others, and I have three advantages.

The first version of the Black Fiend Immortal is the most widely circulated, but its combat strength is no less than that of others at the same level. However, it is seen by outsiders as squeezing out potential and is viewed with prejudice, with some believing that its future is limited. This is one of its advantages.

The Black Fiend Cultivator has difficulty producing offspring, especially after reaching the Innate Realm, where it is almost impossible to conceive. Thus, even if he rises to power, he will pose a relatively smaller threat to aristocratic families, which is the second advantage.
I have no bottlenecks, I don't need high-end resources, and I don't need to accumulate credentials or contribution points. This allows me to cultivate an image of living for the moment and lacking ambition—this is the third advantage!

"My three strengths, combined with the strategic guidance of 'harmony with the world and concealing one's abilities,' resulted in a concrete strategy."

Zhuang Jin made up her mind: 'Find a circle to join, hide myself, and reduce my presence.'

'I don't need high-end resources, so I won't accumulate credentials or contribution points. I'll spend what I need, enjoy myself to the fullest, reduce potential attention, and lessen the threat some people perceive me to. Over time, I can cultivate an image of being easygoing and unassuming!'

This plan actually started from Yunnan Prefecture. Did he really think that taking Ji Tongxiu was just a womanizing act?
Besides building up his image, this was also a deliberate attempt to create a 'weakness' in the eyes of outsiders. A large part of the benefits for Ji Tongxiu and the Ji family came from this compensation for the associated risks.

'My entry into the state capital will likely attract attention, and after obtaining the Xuan Snake Token, I'm even more likely to be under close surveillance.'

Thinking this, Zhuang Jin glanced at the Black Serpent Token: 'Is its function really limited to what it appears to be? Ha!'

That's why, on the night he received the Xuan Snake Token, he immediately overdrafted his contribution points and used them on Chu Jing. As mentioned before, without establishing a family and ensuring that one person is fed and the whole family is not hungry, even with just one Xuan Snake Token, there would be a huge surplus of resources. It could be easily replenished afterward without affecting cultivation resources. This was also a way of building his image.

The terrifying system architecture established over eight hundred years of the Great Qian Dynasty, against this blockade, Zhuang Jin never dared to be careless in the slightest, proceeding cautiously as if walking on thin ice.

Outsiders only see him embracing beauties, enjoying beauty, partying every night, traveling around, showing off and slapping his face, but who knows the bitterness in his heart?

'Alas, I've become the very thing I used to hate, wearing a pathetic, thick mask. This world has truly ruined me!'

Those who understand me say I am worried; those who do not understand me ask what I seek. For the sake of advancing in martial arts and attaining immortality, let me silently bear all of this!

Zhuang Jin sighed inwardly, put his right hand behind his back, walked to the window, looked up at the sky and saw a bright full moon. He felt a little melancholy. Listening to the sound of water as Ji Tongxiu washed up, his thoughts wandered. He secretly pondered which contribution point to use at Dengxian Pavilion next month after issuing vouchers and collecting various incomes, so as to further shape his image.

Such troubles are truly distressing!
……

(End of this chapter)