Martial Saint with Passives

"Please wait a moment, everyone. Dean Ye instructed me to gather some herbs for her as a catalyst. I’ll be right back."

He looked so nonchalant that no one suspected a thing.

He then turned to Liu Qing. "Senior Sister Liu, please take good care of Junior Sister Tang."

Only after Liu Qing gave a solemn nod did he turn and nimbly scale the cliff face.

His figure soon vanished into the thick fog clinging to the cliff.

The shady side of the cliff was the perfect place for Withered Soul Grass to grow.

Jiang Che worked deftly, carefully pulling up each mature stalk of Withered Soul Grass by the root, taking care not to damage the fine rootlets.

He worked quickly. Before long, the large cloth bag he had brought was stuffed to bulging and weighed heavily on his back.

A quick count revealed over a hundred stalks!

He had purposely kept the entire root system intact for many of them—this was crucial for Ye Lianzhen’s attempts to cultivate the plant.

If she actually succeeded, it would be a tremendous help to him as well.

Meanwhile, with Xie Xingwen’s "help," Tang Qiaoqiao managed to pick a few stalks of the Blood Amber Flower she had been longing for. The vibrant blossoms were particularly striking in the morning mist.

Everyone else had also found something, and the mood of the group lightened considerably.

On the way back, they inevitably encountered other teams out on their own expeditions.

When those teams saw their group of eight—and especially when they sensed the powerful aura of Xie Xingwen’s Late-stage Bone Forging Realm and the formidable presence of the three guards beside him—they all gave them a wide berth.

Even if some cast greedy glances at the Blood Amber Flowers in Tang Qiaoqiao’s hands, a quick assessment of the disparity in strength was enough to make them give up in frustration.

Just as they were about to leave the fog-shrouded core area, Jiang Che suddenly glimpsed a familiar figure.

It was Yun Weiwei with a few people he didn’t recognize. It seemed she had found another team.

Jiang Che nodded from a distance in greeting. "Senior Sister Yun."

Yun Weiwei clearly recognized him as well. A flicker of obvious surprise crossed her cool, aloof face, but she still gave a polite nod in return. "Junior Brother Jiang."

Inside, however, her mind was reeling.

’Isn’t that Jiang Che? The one who lives nearby? I thought he had no background, no drive to get ahead.’

’What is he doing in Xie Xingwen and Tang Qiaoqiao’s party?’

As the son of the Vice Sect Leader and the daughter of the Yanluo Courtyard’s dean, Xie Xingwen and Tang Qiaoqiao were both prominent figures in the Sect whom Yun Weiwei naturally recognized.

’If it’s their party, then the others can’t be ordinary teammates.’

’They must be guards.’

’So it seems he finally took my advice to heart—that he needed to be ambitious and build connections.’

’And he actually managed to get in with Xie Xingwen and Tang Qiaoqiao?’

’Even if it’s just as a guard, a spot for Cloud Mist Ridge is incredibly precious. Just getting in is an accomplishment in itself!’

Her opinion of Jiang Che couldn’t help but shift. She felt he had finally wised up and learned to cast aside his useless pride to pursue tangible benefits.

Of course, Jiang Che was oblivious to Yun Weiwei’s internal monologue and misinterpretation.

He had offered a simple greeting and was already moving on with his party.

Liu Qing glanced at Yun Weiwei’s pretty but cold profile, then back at Jiang Che. A teasing glint appeared in her eyes. She nudged Jiang Che gently with her elbow and whispered with a laugh:

"Well now, Junior Brother Jiang, not bad. Who was that young lady? Quite a looker! Are you two... hmm?" She drew out the sound, her tone dripping with playful mockery.

Jiang Che’s expression remained neutral as he explained calmly,

"Don’t get the wrong idea, Senior Sister Liu. She’s just a neighbor, Senior Sister Yun Weiwei. We’re not close."

He didn’t want to dwell on the subject.

Seeing his candid expression, which didn’t seem feigned, Liu Qing simply smiled and dropped the subject.

At last, the group made it safely out of the impenetrably thick fog, leaving the treacherous Cloud Mist Ridge behind.

Once clear, the group traveled together back to the Sect.

Jiang Che remained on edge, certain that a punk like Xie Xingwen wouldn’t just let things lie. He was probably planning to pull another stunt.

He therefore remained on high alert throughout the journey, secretly keeping an eye on Xie Xingwen and his men.

However, whether it was because he couldn’t find an opportunity or simply hadn’t had time to contact his Demon Sect cronies, the return journey was unexpectedly calm and uneventful.

However, through his Omen ability, Jiang Che clearly perceived an intense killing intent radiating from Xie Xingwen toward him!

’Does he know I was the one who sabotaged his plan?’ A chill ran through Jiang Che.

He was confident his actions the night before had left no clues.

’So how could he possibly know?’

Suddenly, his eyes fell on Tang Qiaoqiao, who was sticking close to Xie Xingwen’s side.

He recalled how he had warned her, via Liu Qing, that there was something wrong with Xie Xingwen.

’Could it have been her...?’

A flare of anger ignited in Jiang Che.

’That foolish woman. I warned her out of the goodness of my heart, and did she turn right around and sell me out?!’

’If Tang Qiaoqiao wasn’t Ye Lianzhen’s daughter, and if I didn’t need the Withered Soul Grass...’

’...I would never have bothered saving such a brainless idiot!’

Upon returning to the Sect, Jiang Che immediately went to Yanluo Courtyard to find Ye Lianzhen.

First, he handed her the large bag of Withered Soul Grass, its root systems fully intact.

Then, he gave Ye Lianzhen a detailed, unabridged account of everything that had happened during the trip to Cloud Mist Ridge.

He made sure to highlight Xie Xingwen’s numerous suspicious actions, stating his belief that he was colluding with the Demon Sect.

Ye Lianzhen’s expression grew increasingly grave as she listened.

She fell silent for a moment before nodding. "I understand."

Her voice was low and heavy. "This involves the Vice Sect Leader’s son and could even implicate the Vice Sect Leader himself in a conspiracy with the Demon Sect. The stakes are too high. What’s more, we have no concrete evidence. You absolutely cannot spread this around. You must remain silent as the grave and mention this to no one."