Rise to God with Life Skill Professions-Chapter 353 - 343: Isolated and Helpless

Zheng Qunshan sat across from Duan Yun, a smug expression flickering at the corner of his lips.

He raised his glass, lightly clinking it with Duan Yun’s and drained it in one go.

"If Elder Duan is willing to assist, it would be perfect. I will dutifully report this to my master, and when the time comes, Shuangjue Gate will surely catch his eye."

Duan Yun lifted his head and finished the wine in his glass, laughing heartily, "It would be our honor if your master takes notice of our Shuangjue Gate! Mr. Zheng must stay today, not leaving until drunk!"

Zheng Qunshan waved his hand to politely decline, "I appreciate Elder Duan’s hospitality, but I’m overwhelmed with official duties. The forces around Bamboo Water River are complexly intertwined. I must visit each one, lest I give Qin An any advantage."

Duan Yun nodded, "If that’s the case, I won’t keep Mr. Zheng any longer. Come!"

A disciple quickly stepped forward.

Duan Yun waved his sleeve and instructed, "Escort Mr. Zheng down the mountain well, do not neglect."

The disciple quickly responded, respectfully guiding Zheng Qunshan out of the hall.

Only Duan Yun remained inside the hall.

A moment later, another elder quietly approached, speaking softly, "Elder Duan, isn’t this move too hasty? Behind Qin An stands Jin Fengyu..."

Duan Yun glanced over coldly, speaking in an icy tone, "The situation in Xunyang Prefecture is treacherous, like a deep whirlpool. We must choose where to take refuge; we can’t keep wavering."

"But offending Jin Fengyu..." the elder hesitated, "could result in endless troubles."

Duan Yun shook his head, his eyes showing determination, "That’s just how the world is. If we don’t offend Jin Fengyu, we’ll offend the one behind Zheng Qunshan. Between two evils, at least we have a backer now."

The elder sighed, fully aware that Duan Yun was speaking the truth.

If Zheng Qunshan truly unites the various forces and cuts off all support for Qin An, that boy will find it impossible to move an inch here.

After all, the chaos at Bamboo Water River cannot be resolved by force alone; it requires strategizing and alliances.

Previously, the Mountain Patrol Generals on missions also conducted themselves in this manner.

Duan Yun waved his hand, "Follow Mr. Zheng’s instructions. Any forces allied with our Shuangjue Gate mustn’t facilitate Qin An, and as for an excuse—illness or seclusion, let them make it up."

The elder said no more, cupping his fists and leaving.

Meanwhile, Zheng Qunshan was weaving between various factions, persuading and recruiting.

...

Elsewhere.

A mountaintop enveloped by dark clouds, filled with blood and Evil Qi.

Atop the mountain, a simple wooden fortress was constructed.

In the middle of the crude fortress, a magnificent tiger morphed into human form, sipping the crimson liquid from a cup.

Beneath it, dozens of tiger demons stood in their own places.

Lu Wufeng stood among the demons, his expression indifferent.

The tiger demon drank wine, ignoring Lu Wufeng altogether.

Lu Wufeng broke the silence first, "Tiger Elder repeatedly neglects me; even if you are the Mountain Lord’s confidant, it won’t look good if word gets back, will it?"

The Tiger Elder suddenly smashed his cup, bared his fangs sinisterly, "I’ve heard you’re here to kill a brat named Qin An? Lu Mountain and Tiger Cave have never interacted, yet now we’re joining forces against him, isn’t that laughable?"

Lu Wufeng sneered, "Why be so circuitous, Tiger Elder? Just say what you want."

The Tiger Elder licked the bloodstains off his fangs, grinning evilly, "Deer blood and tiger blood are known for their yang energy; they’re very nourishing. How about...letting me taste your deer blood?"

Lu Wufeng’s expression turned cold, his gaze sharp as knives, "Tiger Elder, that’s going too far."

The Tiger Elder lazily reclined in his chair, playing with his claws, "If you don’t want to, then scram! Otherwise, I might get impulsive and devour you and these deer demons together!"

Lu Wufeng sneered again, "We’re both at Inner God Realm Perfection; you might suffer some injuries if you try to take me down. But I’m not here to compete with you today; if you want benefits, I’ll give you benefits."

Having said that, Lu Wufeng lifted his right palm, turning it over to reveal a blood bead filled with Evil Qi.

The Tiger Elder sat up abruptly, his muscles tensing, "Deer demon essence blood! They say this condenses in deer antlers, losing even a single drop weakens you for a year, and you’re willing to trade it?"

Lu Wufeng retrieved the blood bead, speaking coldly, "That’s right, once the matter is resolved, this essence blood will be yours."

The Tiger Elder squinted, full of doubt, "What grudge do you have with Qin An that’s worth all this trouble, even willing to suffer such heavy losses to take his life?"

Lu Wufeng sneered, his eyes erupting in murderous intent, "I have no offspring; he destroyed my sole descendant. This enmity is irreconcilable, do you think he deserves to die?"

The Tiger Elder fell silent.

Lu Wufeng said no more. In order to ensure absolute success in eliminating Qin An, he quickly sought out the local demon Pseudo-God power upon arriving.

And this was the first hurdle.

No cost was too great for him.

As long as he could take the opponent’s life.

Silence pervaded the scene.

After a moment, the Tiger Elder slapped the armrest.

"Fine, I’ll agree to this, but if you go back on your word afterward, I’ll have the Mountain Lord personally visit Lu Mountain for an explanation!"

Lu Wufeng nodded, "I always keep my word; you can rest assured."

With that, unwilling to linger further, Lu Wufeng turned to leave.

The Tiger Elder called out, "Where are you going?"

Without turning back, Lu Wufeng replied, "There’s another allied with the Pseudo-God power; I’m going to find them. Only this way can I be certain of taking Qin An’s head."

As Lu Wufeng’s form gradually disappeared, the simple fortress fell silent.

...

The winds of change blew from all directions, all for the arrival of one person.

Originally, the slightly peaceful Bamboo Water River now fell into an indescribable turmoil.

On the official road, a fast horse was approaching the chaotic Bamboo Water River.

Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, the sun set.

The evening glow filled the sky, turning the sky a slightly dull red.

Qin An walked among the mountain forests, gazing at the increasingly near Bamboo Water River, his expression calm and icy.

The mountain path here was indeed steep, even the fast horse of the Evil Extermination Bureau could not reach.

Therefore, Qin An had tied up his fast horse at the Bureau in the state city, choosing to walk himself.

Cross this mountain, and you’ll be close to the Bamboo Water River.

Still quite far from the Bamboo Water River, but now, lights appeared between mountain peaks, indicating the presence of forces.

Whether human forces or demon forces.

According to the map provided by the Evil Extermination Bureau, Qin An chose a path dominated by human forces to proceed.

This could bring him many conveniences.

"I must first find a human faction to understand the situation here," Qin An thought to himself, "Otherwise, I’m like a blind man feeling an elephant here, completely clueless."

The mountain ahead was faintly visible.

On the map, this place was marked as a mid-tier force known as the Cloud Mist Sect.

Thinking of this, Qin An followed the mountain path straight up.

Soon he encountered two guard disciples.

Seeing Qin An wearing a waist token, the guard disciples immediately stepped forward and asked, "May I know the master’s name and the purpose of your visit here?"

"Evil Extermination Bureau, Qin An." Qin An simply reported his name and stated his purpose directly: "I want to meet the person in charge of this mountain to learn about the various matters concerning the Bamboo Water River chaos."

In the past, mountain patrol generals accepted tasks in this manner.

Qin An thought he would be no exception.

But unexpectedly, as soon as these words were spoken, the two disciples immediately revealed difficult expressions.

The disciple on the right clasped his fists and said, "Reporting to the master, if it were any other time, the elder would surely meet you personally, but recently the elder was severely injured in battle against a demon and is recuperating, truly unable to see you."

Qin An frowned and said, "I just want to meet, besides, I know some healing skills, maybe I can treat your elder."

The disciple on the left responded, "Mr. Qin, this really isn’t possible, the elder’s injuries are quite severe, there absolutely can’t be any mishaps, we hope you understand."

Qin An’s eyebrows furrowed even deeper.

Are these two disciples speaking with reason?

If the person was truly severely injured, he couldn’t force his way in.

After all, even the Evil Extermination Bureau doesn’t have this rule.

Thinking of this, Qin An nodded and said, "If that’s the case, then I shall leave first."

There are still many forces here, not just this one.

He planned to ask again at the next faction.

The two disciples breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Qin An’s figure disappear down the mountain path.

"Is he the Qin An that the elder mentioned?"

"Yes, that’s him, exactly like the portrait."

"Will doing this offend people?"

"There’s no choice, it’s the elder’s instruction, we disciples dare not defy, we just follow orders."

After a brief conversation, the two disciples stopped thinking about it and continued to solemnly guard the mountain gate.

...

After leaving this peak, Qin An headed towards another mountain peak.

But after walking two mountain peaks in succession, Qin An’s brows furrowed tighter and tighter.

One claimed illness, while the other said they weren’t on the peak.

If it only happened once, Qin An thought it was a coincidence.

Twice, he would still think there’s no big deal, but three times, there’s something to talk about.

"Either there’s really something going on, or they’re deliberately avoiding me," Qin An pondered, "I lean towards the latter, I’ll try one more peak."

Understanding this, Qin An was about to lift his foot and head towards the fourth mountain peak.

Just before he took two steps, a sound rang out from the dense forest.

Qin An turned around, drawing Cold Star, transforming into a shadow, moving like a ghost towards the swaying thicket.

Cold Star pierced straight ahead.

A figure flashed through the thicket, a slender white jade finger lightly pinched the blade.

The Six-Colored True Essence touched the white finger and was bounced off by an invisible force.

Holding the knife, Qin An stood still, stopped advancing, and coldly spoke, "Who are you?"

In front of Qin An stood a charming young woman.

The woman was dressed in green, her black hair like a waterfall, her features delicate and lively.

Her eyes showed a hint of interest.

The style of the green outfit was familiar, Qin An had seen it before, similar to Green Vine.

However, the style worn by this woman was somewhat simpler.

Because of this, after drawing his blade, Qin An withdrew some of his force.

Otherwise, this strike would not have been so restrained.

The woman giggled, "I’m Liu Yi, granny’s last disciple, I’ve heard of Mr. Qin’s grace, and came to see for myself."

Qin An glanced at the token on her waist, sheathed his blade: "Since you are granny’s student, then you are one of us."

Green Vine and Jin Fengyu treated him well.

Qin An was a person of principle.

He reciprocates a hundredfold to those who treat him well, and he returns a hundredfold to those who treat him poorly. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Therefore, Qin An didn’t let the awkward atmosphere spread.

Liu Yi’s eyes softly turned: "You encountered difficulties."

Qin An nodded, "That’s correct."

This woman had been covertly following him, naturally seeing his situation.

He didn’t hide it at all.

Liu Yi covered her mouth, laughing softly, mimicking Green Vine’s playfulness perfectly, she approached Qin An and laughed softly: "The people in charge of those peaks weren’t injured, nor did they leave the peak."

Upon hearing this, Qin An’s brow furrowed slightly, his gaze darkened.

"Why are they avoiding me? I haven’t even met them or had any dealings with them, could someone be sabotaging things from behind?"

Liu Yi nodded slightly, then stepped back, raised her fair face, and locked eyes with Qin An: "They’ve pledged allegiance to someone you know, Zheng Qun Mountain."

A glimmer of coldness flashed in Qin An’s eyes, "I see."

At this point, he finally understood the cause.

These forces have pledged allegiance to Zheng Qun Mountain, bringing him no convenience at all.

"If Miss Liu came to find me, surely she could break this impasse," Qin An suddenly said.

Liu Yi tilted her head to size him up, intrigued: "You’re quite clever, just like granny said, but I’m also like granny, I can tell you the situation here, but what’s in it for me?"