Chapter 34: Plans for the Future

After a brief moment of reflection, Zhao Zhen rolled out of bed.

He rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a few talismans.

"Only four left? It really feels like I’ve been set back to square one... No wonder they say the hardest debt to repay in this world is the debt of human favor."

After muttering to himself, Zhao Zhen carefully tucked away the remaining two Scripture-Sealing Talismans and two Earth-Splitting Golden Light Talismans.

The Scripture-Sealing Talismans were easy enough; they didn't require many conditions to craft, and the process was straightforward. The Earth-Splitting Golden Light Talismans, however, were an entirely different matter.

During his bouts with Lu Jin and Zhang Zhiwei earlier that day, his short-range golden light escape maneuvers had consumed three of them, and one more was spent to send Zhang Zhiwei "skyward" at the end.

In other words, Zhao Zhen had burned through four Earth-Splitting Golden Light Talismans in a single day.

His heart bled at the thought.

While the golden light escape was incredibly useful, the rarity of these talismans was evident from the fact that even someone as cautious as Zhao Zhen had only possessed six in total.

"Sigh, it looks like I’ll have to run around for a while to gather the raw materials for more."

Having only two left gave him no sense of security. After all, these were like money—no one ever thinks they have enough.

After briefly contemplating his plans following the conclusion of the Lu family banquet, a thought suddenly struck him.

"Right, Liu Wanshan!"

Before arriving at the Lu residence, Zhao Zhen had already asked the Xiaozhan intelligence network to spread the news of Liu Wanshan’s village massacre.

He had originally intended to use the banquet as an opportunity to "coax" one or two "righteous youths" into joining him to descend like divine soldiers, eliminate Liu Wanshan, and remove this hidden threat once and for all.

But after being interrupted by Lu Ci, followed by Zuo Ruotong and the Celestial Master stepping in to vouch for him, and then the matter of tempering Zhang Zhiwei, the overwhelmed Zhao Zhen had been forced to set the plan aside.

He had meant to find an opportune moment to invite a "fated soul" after today's sparring, but he had collapsed from exhaustion immediately after his fight with Zhang Zhiwei.

Now that it was late, the guests would be departing early tomorrow morning, and he no longer had a suitable opening to make his request.

Zhao Zhen let out a long, weary sigh.

"Forget it. If I have no help, so be it. I’ve been on my own for years; I’m used to it. Once I’ve replenished my supply of Golden Light Talismans, I’ll just have to find a way to kill him myself."

He wasn't obsessed with Liu Wanshan out of fear. It was simply that a grudge had been formed, and with a ruthless Quanzhen freak lurking in the shadows, Zhao Zhen knew his own nature—he wouldn't be able to eat or sleep in peace.

"I should have been more careful before acting. If I had realized sooner that it was just a corpse puppet crafted by Liu Wanshan, I wouldn't be in this predicament now."

Feeling a bit restless, Zhao Zhen stepped outside, hoping to clear his mind under the moonlight.

In the forest, the silvery moonlight poured down through the canopy, gilding the black pine needles with shimmering edges. As the wind blew, the mottled tree shadows transformed into a thousand flickering fish, rustling across the pine-needle-covered ground.

Zhao Zhen walked alone along the forest path, closing his eyes to savor the rare tranquility.

Once the news from the Lu family banquet spread, the orthodox sects would surely show respect to the Celestial Master and Zuo Ruotong and stop harping on his status as a Quanzhen disciple.

This was good news for Zhao Zhen; it meant fewer hot-headed fools would come looking for trouble under the banner of "upholding justice."

Dealing with such people was a dilemma: kill them, and you offend their sect and give others an excuse to intervene; spare them, and their constant pestering would drive you mad.

With the Celestial Master and Zuo Ruotong as his guarantors, that headache was finally resolved.

Yet, shedding the stigma of being a Quanzhen disciple did not mean he could rest easy.

Zhao Zhen knew all too well that the Sword of Damocles hanging over everyone’s head would soon fall.

It was 1929, and only two years remained before the "National Disaster."

Once the war broke out, the world would become far more difficult and dangerous than the current chaos of the warlords.

Even when the people of this land fought amongst themselves, there were unspoken bottom lines they all respected. Even if only for show, they maintained a sense of decorum, knowing that to win the hearts of the people is to win the world.

But for those beasts, the moment they started the war, there would be no such thing as a bottom line.

The rise and fall of the nation is the responsibility of every individual.

While he couldn't turn the tide of the war single-handedly, as someone who had been given a second chance at life and possessed extraordinary abilities, Zhao Zhen could not bring himself to act like a coward and hide in the rear.

To survive the coming storm, he had to seize these last two years of "peace" to tirelessly improve his strength.

Of course, beyond his sense of duty, Zhao Zhen had his own calculations.

His status was no longer a problem, but his background meant the orthodox sects would never truly accept him, and he had no desire to be part of the Quanzhen fold.

He was left with two paths: live as a loner, carefully navigating the gaps between the orthodox sects and Quanzhen, or—raise his awareness...

The future company, "Na Du Tong," was the most suitable destination he could imagine. Given their stance in the world of outcasts, an "intermediary" with his background would be a perfect fit.

But it was still too early. There was no point in overthinking it.

One must rely on oneself to forge iron. For now, focus and cultivation were the only true path.