Proving God begins with the principle that no effort is wasted.

The room was quiet and the light was cold; the four walls were bare.

Jiang Lan sat cross-legged alone, with the "True Explanation of Incantations - First Level" spread out on his lap.

A faint golden light appeared in my mind.

【True Explanation of Spells - Level 1: 12/1000】

Jiang Lan reached under her pillow and pulled out a small porcelain bottle, pouring out the crimson pill.

The pill is dark red with a faint fluorescent glow on its surface. Its medicinal fragrance is subtle and deep, not ostentatious, yet extremely penetrating.

This is a pill obtained from Xu Ling.

Jiang Lan put the pill under her tongue and closed her eyes to regulate her breathing.

The pill melted instantly upon entering the mouth.

A surge of scalding heat rushed down his throat and into his abdomen, like a bright flame falling into his empty abdominal cavity—hot, domineering, and utterly unkind. The heat rapidly washed over his limbs and bones, eventually converging entirely in his dantian.

Within the dantian, that faint seed of energy trembled slightly.

Like parched land receiving rain, it greedily seizes every bit of medicinal power, expanding, stabilizing, and condensing wildly.

Jiang Lan frowned slightly, enduring the burning pain, remaining motionless as the medicinal power cleansed her meridians.

The time it takes for an incense stick to burn passes in the blink of an eye.

The effects of the medicine dissipated, leaving a slight numbness in the meridians and a warm, full feeling in the lower abdomen.

A golden light refreshed my mind.

【True Explanation of Spells - Level 1: 23/1000】

One pill, eleven points of progress!

These kinds of Qi-condensing pills cost at least fifty taels each on the market.

If one takes one pill daily, the monthly cost will be 1,500 taels of silver, with a progress of just over 300 points. To reach the first level with 1,000 progress points, the cost of pills alone will be at least 5,000 taels.

This is just the cost of the medicine.

The monthly rent for the courtyard is fifty taels, one hour of enlightenment in the scripture pavilion is one hundred taels, a copy of the mental cultivation method is one thousand taels, and a copy of the basic spear technique is five thousand taels.

He worked as a monthly laborer in the alchemy workshop, earning a monthly salary of thirty taels.

It's a drop in the ocean, not even enough to make up the difference.

When money weighs you down, every step becomes difficult!

Jiang Lan closed the rubbing, carefully folded it, and tucked it under her pillow for safekeeping.

He got up, pushed open the door, and headed straight for the mission hall.

If you want to improve your cultivation, you must first earn money.

The mission hall was bustling with people, disciples coming and going in a hurry, all busy with the pursuit of resources.

The wooden sign at the entrance is changed every day, densely covered with job postings from near and far.

Jiang Lan's gaze swept over the Class C mission area.

The job at the peak of the Nine Acupoints stage paid between fifty and two hundred taels of silver. After a hard-working trip, the meager amount of silver was simply not enough to cover his cultivation expenses.

He continued looking down, his gaze suddenly freezing.

The Liu family of Anxi City is recruiting guards to escort rare medicinal herbs to Fenglin Ferry. The round trip will take two days, and the reward is five hundred taels of silver.

Requirements: All nine acupoints must be perfected; practical combat experience is required.

Five hundred taels!

This is far beyond the standard Class C task, almost double the amount.

High prices always come with high risks, and huge profits always hide dangers!

Ordinary escort missions do not require perfect acupoints, nor do they require practical combat experience.

The fact that the text specifically notes combat experience indicates that unexpected events may occur on the road.

Jiang Lan raised her hand and took down the notice.

I went to the counter and handed it to the attendant.

The deacon glanced at the wooden sign, verified the identity, and then registered the information.

"Curse magic lineage, Jiang Lan, nine acupoints perfected. Mission number C23. Meet at Liu Family Goods Store in the east of the city tomorrow at 5:00 AM. Failure to do so will result in disqualification."

Jiang Lan spoke, getting straight to the point.

"Steward, I have a question. The reward offered by the Liu family for escorting the goods is excessively high. What is the reason for this?"

Without looking up, the deacon continued writing, uttering a casual remark about the internal entanglements.

"The Liu family is embroiled in internal strife, with the eldest and second branches of the family completely at odds. This shipment is the lifeblood of the eldest branch, and the second branch is unwilling to let it reach the ferry crossing."

Speak seven parts, but leave three parts for danger.

Those who understand will naturally understand.

This isn't about transporting medicinal herbs; it's about escorting bargaining chips of power.

Some people wanted their goods delivered, while others died en route.

Beside him, a young disciple dressed in the robes of the Spellcasting lineage approached, lowered his voice, and filled in the details.

"Senior brother, you're really bold to take on the Liu family's job!"

"The Liu family of Anxi is an old and prestigious family. On the surface, they are respectable and glamorous, but inside they are rotten to the core. The eldest son, Liu Yuanmao, controls the entire city's medicinal herb business and has a constant stream of wealth. The second son, Liu Yuansheng, has coveted power and wealth for many years. The two sides have been fighting openly and covertly for years and are now locked in a life-or-death struggle."

"Last year, a steward of the second branch of the family was beheaded in the street. The murder occurred in a busy area and was eventually dropped. It was clearly a family feud."

"This batch of medicinal herbs is a rare and precious medicine that the eldest branch of the family acquired at great expense, worth tens of thousands of taels of silver. It is crucial for the eldest branch to turn the tide and stabilize their power in the second half of the year. The second branch will definitely intercept them halfway, seize the goods, destroy them, and even kill people to establish their authority!"

Jiang Lan nodded slightly.

Thank you.

Fortune favors the bold, and with his peak Nine Acupoints strength, he was more than capable of protecting himself.

The next day, at the hour of Mao (5-7 AM).

Before dawn, the morning fog was thick, and the night was still deep.

The iron gates of the Liu family's warehouse in the east of the city were wide open, and the atmosphere was oppressive and deathly still.

Three carriages were parked neatly, their bodies covered with thick black tarpaulins, completely sealing them off so that the interior could not be seen at all.

Several guards arrived early, whispering among themselves, their expressions tense, each knowing the danger of this trip.

A middle-aged manager in a brocade robe stepped forward, his sharp eyes scrutinizing Jiang Lan from head to toe, first looking at the sect's wooden plaque, then at his aura and cultivation level.

"A disciple of the Daishan Sect?"

"Yes."

"Cultivation level".

"Nine acupoints complete."

A hint of satisfaction flashed across the steward's eyes, but he still retained the condescending and cautious demeanor typical of stewards from aristocratic families.

"You guard the second vehicle."

"No one is allowed to leave their post without permission during the journey, no one is allowed to inquire, and no one is allowed to meddle in other people's business. When you arrive at Fenglin Ferry, the Liu family will take over."

The instructions were brief, but the rules were strict.

Jiang Lan didn't waste any more words and moved to stand next to the second carriage.

With his fingertips slightly clenched, the hidden weapon pouch at his waist was relaxed and ready to be used. He appeared casual, but in reality, his whole body was tense and ready to strike at any moment.

He quickly scanned everyone in the room.

The four accompanying cultivators were: two at the early stage of the Eight Acupoints realm, one at the early stage of the Nine Acupoints realm, and one who was barely at the Perfection realm but whose aura was weak and unstable, like a decorative frame piled up with medicine.

The Liu family brought six bodyguards, whose cultivation levels were even lower. Half of them were stuck at the fifth acupoint, barely reaching the martial arts realm, and were not strong enough to withstand a fight.

The entire convoy looked large, but in reality, he was the only one capable of fighting.

The rest were just cannon fodder, destined to collapse the first to meet the enemy.

People's hearts cannot be trusted, and companions cannot be relied upon.

You can only rely on yourself.

The convoy set off, slowly driving out of the city gate and onto the official road in the countryside.

As we continued our journey, the population gradually thinned out.

An hour later, the dense forests on both sides closed in, with ancient trees reaching for the sky, their shade blocking out the light. In the distance, the mountains stretched endlessly, their slopes covered with wild grass—the perfect place to ambush and kill.

The guards ahead suddenly raised their hands and shouted sharply.

"Halt! There are people ahead!"

In the middle of the official road, seven or eight dark figures stood silently, all masked, dressed in black, with swords drawn, their blades gleaming coldly.

A menacing aura swept over them, not the savagery of mountain bandits, but the aura of well-trained assassins, whose every move was deadly.

The leading man was burly and had a hoarse, rough voice, devoid of any emotion.

"Leave the car, get out of here."

Those unrelated may live. The Liu family's goods, leave them here!

The steward of the Liu family hurriedly poked his head out from the first car, his face pale, trying his best to maintain his composure.

"Do you know this is the Liu family's caravan! How dare you rob the Liu family's supplies in Anxi? Aren't you afraid of being wiped out?!"

The masked leader didn't respond at all.

"Nonsense is useless," he said, waving his hand dismissively.

"Let's do it."

Several masked assassins charged out simultaneously, moving with incredible speed and displaying ruthless swordsmanship, each strike aimed at the guard's vitals.

The battle erupted in an instant.

Jiang Lan's figure flashed suddenly, escaping the shadow of the car's side, so fast that only a blur remained.

Two bone-piercing needles silently solidified between his fingers; with a flick of his wrist, the needles shot out like lightning.

call out!call out!

Two thin beams of light pierced the air, precisely penetrating the throats of the two foremost assassins.

Before the two could even scream, their throats were ripped open, blood spurted out, and their bodies fell straight down, dying instantly.

The third assassin, fearless and valiant, wielded his sword and slashed fiercely, the blade aimed directly at the head.

Jiang Lan barely dodged the blade, the wind whistling past her shoulder, leaving her unharmed.

With a flick of his wrist, a dart flew out, its cold light gleaming, precisely slicing into the bone of the opponent's wrist holding the knife.

"Click."

A cracking sound came from the wrist bone, and the long sword fell to the ground.

The assassin screamed in agony, but before his voice faded, Jiang Lan stepped closer, clenched his fist, and slammed it hard into the assassin's temple.

A muffled, low sound.

The man froze, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed unconscious.

Three breaths.

The three enemies were annihilated.

Clean, efficient, and ruthless.

The remaining guards, however, were in a terrible state of battle.

One of the rogue cultivators was unable to dodge in time and was slashed in the chest and abdomen by the long sword. Blood stained his clothes, and he fell to the ground screaming in agony, losing his ability to fight.

Another rogue cultivator, timid and cowardly, seeing the situation was dire, turned and fled, abandoning the group.

The Liu family guards were in an even worse state, two of them were severely injured, and one was kicked to the ground, clutching his wound and trembling, completely powerless to resist.

The battle is one-sided.

Jiang Lan alone suppressed the killing intent throughout the entire scene.

The masked leader's pupils contracted sharply, and he felt a tremendous shock.

He originally thought the Liu family was just an ordinary guard team, but he didn't expect them to have a tough cultivator hidden inside.

"Peak of the Nine Acupoints?!"

"Liu Yuanmao actually hired such a ruthless person!"

He instantly realized that further fighting would be pointless; he wouldn't be able to kill the guards, and would only increase casualties.

He gritted his teeth and shouted.

"withdraw!"

The remaining masked men quickly dragged away the wounded, abandoned the body without a trace, and retreated into the dense forest, disappearing into the shadows in an instant.

Jiang Lan stood still and did not pursue.

The dense forest is unknown; there may be hidden traps.

The fighting has temporarily subsided, and the noise is gradually calming down.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, except for Jiang Lan, whose eyes remained fixed on the second carriage.

In the midst of the chaotic battle, no one noticed the blind spots.

A surviving masked man, using the trees as cover, circled around to a blind spot at the back of the carriage, his body low and his movements extremely light.

He drew his short knife, the tip slightly raised, and lifted a gap in the carriage curtain, his gaze fixed on the interior with a sinister look.

The direct confrontation is just a pretext; the real target is the people inside the car.

With everyone's attention focused on the main battlefield, no one noticed this deadly sneak attack.

Jiang Lan took it all in, and a new bone-piercing needle had already formed at his fingertips, ready to intercept it.

next moment.

A flash of silver light appeared through the gap in the carriage curtain.

laugh--!

A thin, fine silver needle, silently cutting through the air, pierced precisely through the center of the assassin's brow at an extremely tricky angle.

The assassin's body stiffened abruptly, and his pupils dilated.

The short knife slipped from his hand and fell to the ground with a crisp sound, piercing the silence of the forest.

His body slumped to the ground, motionless, and he died on the spot.

The entire room fell silent.

Everyone turned around in astonishment.

A slender, delicate hand gently lifted a corner of the carriage curtain.

Her wrists were fair and slender, with well-proportioned bones. A jade bracelet of emerald green adorned her wrist, its warm luster radiating a gentle glow, untouched by any murderous or violent aura.

The woman behind the curtain slowly raised her eyes.

She was in her early twenties, dressed in a light blue, fitted outfit that was neat and tidy, showing no trace of the delicate air of a young lady. Her long hair was tied up high with a copper hairpin, giving her a clean and aloof appearance.

His eyebrows and eyes were extremely cold, his pupils were calm as water, and his jawline was sharp and strong.

Despite the near-death experience and life-or-death battle just moments before, her eyes remained calm and undisturbed.

It was as if the fighting, bloodshed, and death outside had nothing to do with her.

Her gaze lifted and landed precisely on Jiang Lan.

There was no gratitude, only a condescending and extremely detached scrutiny.

Judging people depends on their combat strength, their character, and whether they are worth using.

A brief glance is worth more than a thousand words.

After a moment, she gently lowered the curtain.

With a single word, the chaos in the room was brought under control.

"Walk."

The steward of the Liu family seemed to wake from a dream, his legs went weak, and he hurriedly roared.

"Let's set off! Hurry up and get going!"

The group cleaned up the mess.

Two dead and one seriously injured; the ground was a bloody mess.

Jiang Lan, however, was unharmed, her clothes were spotless, her body was unscathed, and her breathing was as steady as ever.

He bent down, picked up the bone-piercing needles he had shot, wiped away the blood from each one, and put them back into his pouch.

Every needle and every piece of iron is a resource, and we must never waste them.

The convoy set off again.

Jiang Lan stayed close to the second car, walking slowly alongside it.

I strained my ears to listen carefully to what was happening inside the car.

The person inside the car was breathing steadily and calmly, remaining unperturbed despite the deadly sneak attack.

That needle strike just now was condensed, precise, silent, and deadly.

This level of skill can only be achieved through three to five years of arduous training in concealed weapons!

The person inside the car was unfathomable in terms of cultivation, background, and methods.

Their origins are definitely not simple!

……

There were no more ambushes on the remaining journey, and as the sun rose higher, the Maple Forest Ferry Wharf came into view. Boats came and went on the river, and the bustling sounds of people and the lively atmosphere of the marketplace washed away the ominous atmosphere that had permeated the forest along the way.

The convoy came to a steady stop on the shore. The manager, who had been on edge the whole way, finally relaxed completely.

He dared not be negligent or disrespectful to Jiang Lan in the slightest, and settled the payment on the spot according to the agreement.

A thick 500-tael silver note, plus five high-quality Qi-condensing pills, were handed to Jiang Lan with both hands, completing the official transaction and settling the accounts.

Jiang Lan accepted it without hesitation.

The carriage curtain was then lifted, and Liu Ruyan, a woman in green, slowly stepped down from the carriage shaft. Her green robe was stained with dust, but she still stood tall and had a cool and extraordinary demeanor.

She dismissed the stewards and guards around her, walked alone to Jiang Lan, and calmly looked at the fierce sect disciple in front of her.

"Thanks to you for protecting the carriage and stopping the assassins from attacking us all day."

As soon as she finished speaking, she took out a stack of brand-new silver notes from her brocade pouch and handed them over directly. They were heavy and clearly worth a considerable amount.

"This is my personal extra payment, not included in my salary, just a small token of my appreciation."

Jiang Lan reached out and took it. He could tell the weight just by touching it with his fingertips. He roughly calculated that it was about a thousand taels of silver!

The reward for a single escort mission, combining official duties with personal bonuses, far exceeds that of a regular task by several times!

"Miss's gift is too kind; Jiang Lan is unworthy of it."

He clasped his hands in a respectful gesture, his posture composed.

Liu Ruyan shook her head slightly, a hint of recruitment in her eyes, her tone composed yet conveying the sincerity of a superior:

"You are skilled and calm, a rare and valuable person. I see that you are rooted in the lower levels of the sect, and your path of cultivation will be difficult."

"Three days from now, at dusk, I have prepared a small banquet at the Misty Rain Pavilion in Anxi City. There will be no outsiders present; I only wish to speak with you alone. If you are available, I hope you will honor me with your presence."

The overt courtship and sincere overtures made the intention to befriend them crystal clear, without any beating around the bush.

After saying that, she handed over the warm jade token engraved with the character "Liu": "With this token, you can freely enter and leave the Liu residence. From now on, the Liu family can protect you to some extent in Anxi."

Jiang Lan accepted the jade pendant and silver note with both hands, and her mind instantly became clear.

"Since Miss has invited me, Jiang Lan will certainly attend."

He doesn't mind being used, as long as the price is right.

Liu Ruyan's lips curved into a barely perceptible smile. Without saying another word, she turned and boarded the ship to leave.