Jiang Chen's gaze passed over the wooden table and settled on the half emptied wine cup.
Wen Shan sat across from him. At first he waited with a cheerful smile, but as time passed and Jiang Chen remained quiet, that smile gradually stiffened. His brows drew together inch by inch, doubt seeping into his eyes.
Shen Yu leaned slightly to the side, fingers tapping the armrest once before stopping. His posture remained composed, but his gaze never left Jiang Chen.
The atmosphere in the room was uncomfortably quiet.
Jiang Chen did not utter a word. His eyes scanned the ceiling for a fraction of a moment, then returned to Wen Shan.
Wen Shan finally ran out of patience. He said, "Such fortune does not wait for hesitation. Brother Jiang should understand what it means. If you miss it now, you may not see such an opportunity again."
Jiang Chen lifted his eyes.
"Before I accept or refuse, I need to understand more."
A trace of irritation flashed across Wen Shan's face. "Understand what exactly? This is a transparent task with obvious rewards. You are turning a simple affair into something troublesome."
Jiang Chen did not bother to argue. His eyes shifted to Shen Yu instead. "Senior Brother Shen, I am not refusing. I am only trying to understand the situation clearly. If I am to risk my life, I should at least know where I am stepping and who I am stepping with."
"Some things do not need so much thought," Wen Shan cut in, his voice edged with displeasure.
Jiang Chen laughed coldly and drank from the cup.
"Junior Brother Jiang is cautious," Shen Yu said evenly. "That is not a flaw. Many who advance far do so because they know when to ask questions."
'More timid than cautious,' Wen Shan scoffed internally, his eyes darkening.
Shen Yu began to speak without pause. "The plan is quite simple. Tonight we shall strike the Jade Heart Plantation. Two teams with ten people each will be led by a fifteenth layer Qi Condensation expert, enough to suppress any resistance they can muster. Our objective is to cause havoc. Kill as many of their spirit farmers as possible and ruin their spiritual fields. Their losses will not be small. And whatever you loot during the chaos is solely your gain. No one will interfere. It is that simple."
Jiang Chen's brow lifted slightly. "Only Qi Condensation cultivators? Isn't Jade Heart Plantation a key resource point? Such a place should be guarded heavily. A Foundation Establishment cultivator should be stationed there. Even if there are a hundred Qi Condensation disciples, what is the point?"
Shen Yu did not appear surprised by the question. "That concern has already been handled. The inner disciple overseeing Jade Heart Plantation left this morning to pay respects to his late parents. He will not be present tonight."
Wen Shan sipped his wine lazily, his movements growing looser as the wine took hold. Shen Yu continued calmly. "On his return, he will be intercepted by our seniors at the Foundation Establishment stage. He will not return before dawn, if he returns at all."
Jiang Chen nodded slowly, then asked, "An attack of this scale will not go unnoticed. The Enforcement Hall will chase this matter like dogs with fire under their butts. What happens when we get caught?"
Shen Yu's smile deepened. "You need not worry about that. We have our methods to erase traces and redirect the blame. Did you forget Senior Brother Sun Jian is behind us? Arrangements are already in place."
He looked directly at Jiang Chen.
"So," Shen Yu said. "Do you have any other questions, or have you decided?"
Jiang Chen lowered his gaze once more. The wine cup reflected faintly in his eyes, appearing like a dark mirror concealing unseen truths.
'My foundation is already very solid. With the Flesh Devouring God Scripture as my hidden ace, my ability to generate resources that accelerate my cultivation has finally reached a level most outer sect members would envy. If things continue like this, then in about four more years I can surely reach the fifteenth layer of Qi Condensation.'
Four years.
To bridge the gap from the sixth layer to the fifteenth in such a short window was a staggering thought.
With an aptitude so utterly poor, if Jiang Chen were to tell anyone he could advance from the sixth to the fifteenth layer of Qi Condensation in four years, they would laugh themselves into Qi deviation.
Even he himself, before obtaining the body refinement scripture, would have considered such progress a fantasy. It would already have been considered fortunate if he could reach that level in fifteen years.
That contrast alone revealed how thoroughly his fate had been overturned.
'So the real question is not whether I can advance, but whether taking risks is worth it.'
His gaze sank like a deep pool as his thoughts flowed.
'If I remain cautious and cling to stability, telling myself that patience is wisdom, I can continue accumulating resources step by step. I could avoid unnecessary entanglements, taking on missions with acceptable danger. No enemies beyond my means. I work hard, and my cultivation rises steadily. This path is safe.'
A faint trace of mockery surfaced on his lips.
'But safe paths are narrow. These honest and sluggish roads are worshipped by righteous cultivators who fear chaos. I despise them. Why be slow and steady when I can ride the wind and ascend.'
Jiang Chen's fingers tightened slightly around the wine cup.
'Reaching the fifteenth layer in four years, even with everything I now possess... is that caution, or is that plain incompetence?'
A cold snort followed.
'Wisdom is knowing when caution becomes a cage. Four years is enough time for the heavens to change faces. Enough time for sects to rise and fall. Enough for someone stronger to glance at me and decide I am an eyesore.'
'The world moves according to its own will. One might be able to influence it, but no man controls it. I dislike slow progress for many reasons, but the main one is that I know I am surviving on borrowed time. Who can guarantee that while I crawl along some slow and steady path, all the opportunities meant for me will not be caught by others?'
A faint chuckle rose in his thoughts.
'This world is teeming with those who harbor ambitions, willing to kill and die to achieve them, just as I have done to men who bore me no grudge. Alas, life is nothing but a web of uncertainties, and the only certainty lies in the constancy of uncertainty itself.'
'I am a lone traveler in this world, tasting the ups and downs of life while walking toward my goal. And that is not inherently bad. But the problem is that I am weak. And weakness is a great sin.'
'Four years to grow stronger is a long time...'
Resources were limited in this world. Those who seized them early soared like phoenixes riding the currents of heaven, their names sounding on the tongues of men, while those who hesitated were crushed beneath the relentless march of others, their potential trampled into dust.
Yet do not mistake Jiang Chen for a gambler who is reckless and blind to prudence. He took risks, yes, but only when the stakes demanded it. He simply did not wish to be a slave to hesitation while opportunities passed.
To live and die without advancing was intolerable to him.
'Before today, currying favor with Sun Jian held little meaning. Now its value is apparent to me. It is not about his protection, though if it comes my way I will not refuse it. What I truly seek are rare beast materials and a ranked fire essence to refine my flesh. These are not things I can simply obtain by grinding my bones in the outer sect.'
'Once my name is remembered by an inner disciple, doors will open on their own. Channels for business will widen. The benefits of being a valuable faction member will follow naturally.'
A flicker of malice passed through his eyes.
'And if trust deepens enough, who says loyalty must remain one sided? Information itself is a resource. Sold quietly to the right person at the right time, it can yield even greater profit.'
Jiang Chen felt no discomfort at the thought. After all, he held no reverence for morals or factions. His ambition ran deep, with loyalty buried in his bones only toward his goal.
If disregarding morals brought him closer to immortality, he would not hesitate.
If betraying the world bought him one more step, the world could burn.
He was a man of self alone, unscrupulous and selfish to the core. And if someone had a problem with that, they could come question him.
And he would answer in blood.
'But those matters belong to the future. What takes priority now is the Heavenly Star Treasure Pavilion auction. Two months is all I have. Rare treasures are being gathered from across the lands, items I might never see again in this lifetime. If by a stroke of luck I find what I seek, it would be unforgivable to miss the chance.'
'Spirit stones are the main problem. No matter how many missions I take, I cannot amass enough in such a short time to compete with established cultivators.'
His conclusion was simple.
'Then the only way forward is to take a risk.'
Opportunity did not wait for the timid, and Jiang Chen would not retreat simply because he lacked spirit stones.
'Only by exploiting this mission can I gather enough profit to enter that auction with confidence. Death and injury are possibilities. But possibilities cut both ways. If there exists a chance that I emerge stronger, then why should I not gamble?'
His eyes darkened slightly.
'The real danger is the situation I am in right now.'
This restaurant belonged to Sun Jian. Before him sat Wen Shan at the sixth layer and Shen Yu at the ninth. That alone constrained his freedom to a small degree. More troubling was the thirteenth layer Qi Condensation cultivator wearing a bamboo hat who had entered later. From the moment that man appeared, Jiang Chen sensed eyes on him, and his hand itched for his sword.
The golden ring on the man's finger gave it away.
'If I refuse now, they will not let me leave after hearing thier plan. At best, I will be bound by a spiritual contract. At worst, my memories will be erased, or I will be made to disappear.'
And even if he managed to escape now, could he truly flee forever? Against a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator like Sun Jian, what can he do?
Absolutely... nothing!
'This was already a one way path. From the moment Shen Yu opened his mouth, the road behind me was sealed.'
And yet.
Jiang Chen's heart did not waver.
'Even if I truly had a choice, I would still take the risk.'
His thoughts burned quietly.
'I know the path I walk. It leads toward immortality.'
'These grand ambitions of mine cannot be achieved by moving slowly and safely forever. Every person who reached the peak risked what they could not afford to lose. And I will not shy away from such wagers either. If my path demands that I leap beyond the gates of mediocrity and seize greatness with bloodied hands, then that is exactly what I will do.'
'Death does not frighten me. Dying without staying true to myself does.'
'If I am to die one day, I will die moving forward. And then, only then, will there be no regrets.'