I run a casino in the immortal realm.

The Tyrannosaurus Rex led its remaining troops into the dense forest and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

All that remained on the official road were corpses scattered on the ground and the lingering aftershocks of spiritual energy.

The air was thick with the stench of blood, mixed with the burnt smell of the magic exploding.

All eyes were on Zheng Yifei.

He stood amidst the twelve corpses, still clutching the short knife he had snatched from Jie Xiu. Blood dripped from the blade, falling into the soil and creating small, dark red craters.

There was a lot of blood splattered on his coarse burlap, but not a single drop was his own.

The bodyguards looked at each other in bewilderment. During the chaotic battle, they were busy dealing with Tyrannosaurus Rex and the few low-level Qi Refining leaders, and hadn't paid much attention to what was happening behind them.

When the Tyrannosaurus Rex shouted for retreat, he looked back and saw, to his surprise, twelve corpses lying neatly at the feet of a boy.

The middle-aged female cultivator carrying the heavy sword sheathed it, her gaze fixed on Zheng Yifei, her brows furrowing slightly as if she were reassessing something.

The older brother of the siblings poked his head out from behind the truck, his mouth wide open enough to fit a peach.

The younger sister hid behind her brother, revealing half her face. Her round eyes were wide open, staring in shock and fear at the corpses scattered on the ground and Zheng Yifei, who was covered in blood.

After dealing with the mess on Tyrannosaurus Rex's side, Chief Escort Zhou strode over.

He stopped in front of Zheng Yifei and looked him up and down.

He was a seasoned veteran at the ninth level of Qi Refining, and he had seen all sorts of people, but this young man in front of him was indeed a bit hard to understand.

He could tell from the concealment talisman that the cultivation level was not at the second level of Qi Refining, but at least the fourth level.

However, the spiritual power of a fourth-level Qi Refining cultivator is not that strong, and he also has close combat skills. His moves are crisp and clean, each strike aimed at vital points without any hesitation. He is more ruthless and precise than most of the late-stage Qi Refining rogue cultivators he has ever seen.

"Young man."

Chief镖周 clasped his hands in a respectful gesture, saying, "Thanks to your intervention, otherwise the consequences today would have been unimaginable."

Zheng Yifei casually tossed the dagger to the ground, wiped the blood off his hands with his sleeve, and shook his head.

"You're too kind, Chief Escort Zhou. I'm also a镖师 (escort/escort) and we can't just stand there and take a beating when we encounter robbers."

Zhou, the镖头 (bodyguard), laughed heartily, but his expression turned serious afterward.

He took a cloth bag out of his pocket and handed it to Zheng Yifei.

"Here is your escort fee, twenty spirit stones, to be returned in full."

Zheng Yifei didn't answer, but glanced at him.

"You did a great job this time, so you should be rewarded according to your merits. Even according to the rules of the escort agency, those who have made contributions to the fight after the robbers are defeated should have their fees reduced or waived."

Chief镖周 shoved the cloth bag into Zheng Yifei's hand, his tone leaving no room for refusal, "You killed twelve Tribulation Cultivators, so these twenty spirit stones are rightfully yours. Take them."

Also, I've made you my friend. If you need anything in Heishanfang City, just let me know.

Zheng Yifei did not refuse again.

Twenty spirit stones isn't much, but Chief Escort Zhou's attitude is worth more than spirit stones.

He put the cloth bag into his inner pocket, thought for a moment, and then spoke.

"Chief镖师 Zhou, I do have a favor to ask."

"you say."

"My family lives in a shantytown east of Heishanfang City. My parents, younger brother and sister are all there. I'm going away for a long time this time, maybe for a year or two, and there will be no one to take care of me at home."

Zheng Yifei spoke calmly, but every word was clear: "If it's convenient, please keep an eye out for me when you get back. If anyone causes trouble for my family, just pass on a message."

Chief镖周 patted his shoulder, quite forcefully.

"It's a small matter. Zhenwei Escort Agency has been rooted in Heishanfang City for fifteen years, and the Zhao, Wang, and Liu families all give it some face."

I've taken note of what happened to your family. When I get back, I'll have my men patrol your neighborhood every few days, and I guarantee no one will dare lay a finger on your family.

Zheng Yifei nodded.

Thank you.

He spoke those two words very softly, but Zhou Biaotou could tell they carried weight.

When a sixteen-year-old boy goes on a long journey, his first thought is not how to make money, but the safety of his family.

Zhou, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), had worked in the镖局 (bodyguard/escort agency) for fifteen years and had seen too many ugly things like brothers turning against each other over a few spirit stones. This young man in front of him was capable and responsible, and was worth befriending.

Other bodyguards also came over, some clasping their hands in greeting, some patting their shoulders, and some handing over water pouches.

They had all witnessed the chaotic battle just now. This young man single-handedly carried nearly half of the Jie cultivators, which was equivalent to saving half a truckload of goods and several lives.

The independent cultivators who were escorting the goods gathered around.

A bearded rogue cultivator gave a thumbs-up: "Brother, that's tough!"

The other tall, thin man thanked him repeatedly, saying, "If you hadn't stopped those guys who rushed over, I would have been hit on the back of the head with that stick."

Zheng Yifei nodded in response to each one, without a hint of pride, but also without deliberately declining.

Just the right amount of sense.

After the crowd dispersed, the middle-aged female cultivator carrying the heavy sword walked over.

She was more than half a head taller than Zheng Yifei, with a sturdy build, a cold and stern expression, and eyes as sharp as a hawk's. Her aura at the sixth level of Qi Refining was calm and restrained, and her steps were light and even, a posture that only someone who had practiced martial arts for many years could possess.

"Your fighting skills."

The female cultivator cut to the chase without any pleasantries: "This is not the way of the cultivation world."

Zheng Yifei's heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained unchanged.

This female cultivator had a sharper eye than he had expected.

Close combat in the cultivation world, to put it bluntly, is just about brute force with spiritual energy. Punches are enhanced by spiritual energy, and defense relies on spiritual energy to protect the body. The moves are crude, and the power generation structure is simple.

Because everyone is focused on improving their cultivation, spells, and magical artifacts, no one is thinking about how to fight with their fists.

But Zheng Yifei's fighting style was completely different just now.

Wrist lock, chokehold, elbow strike, knee strike, shoulder throw, joint lock—each movement is supported by precise mechanical principles. The force application path is completely different from that of cultivators in the immortal cultivation world; it is more like... the top-level fighting technique among mortals.

"It's a family heirloom."

Zheng Yifei remained unfazed. "My father used to work as a bodyguard when he was young. He learned some martial arts and later taught them to me. They can't compare to proper cultivation techniques; they're just for close-quarters combat."

The female cultivator stared at him for three breaths, her gaze sweeping over him twice.

Zheng Yifei's heart didn't skip a beat as he was stared at by that scrutinizing gaze; he even looked back at the person staring back.

He had experienced this kind of eye contact countless times in his past life. The professional assassins across from him at the gambling table, the referees of the underground boxing ring, and the bosses of the underworld were all more difficult to deal with than this female cultivator in front of him.

"A family heirloom?"

The female cultivator repeated it, her tone somewhat amused.

She clearly didn't completely believe it, but she didn't press the matter further.

In the world of cultivation, everyone has secrets. Asking too many questions is impolite and can easily make enemies.

"What's your name?"

"Zheng Fei".

Zheng Yifei gave a fake name, omitting the character "Yi".

"My name is Feng Qingyi."

The female cultivator nodded, turned around and walked back into the group, her steps still light and even.

As Zheng Yifei watched her retreating figure, he mentally labeled her: Qi Refining Level 6, strong observation skills, practical combat experience, not easily fooled, keep your distance.

The bodyguards spent half an hour cleaning up the battlefield. Valuable items were stripped from the corpses of the robbers—spirit stones, magical artifacts, and pills—and piled up in a small heap.

Zheng Yifei received fifty low-grade spirit stones, the most among all the recipients.

After regrouping, the team continued its journey.

The atmosphere was much more relaxed than before. After the battle, the independent cultivators who were with the caravan felt much safer. It wasn't entirely because of the caravan master, but mainly because there was a young man in the team who could take down twelve cultivators by himself.