Chapter 4

When Xu Muyang woke up, the sky was already dotted with countless stars.

Not far from him, a bonfire was burning, and under the light of the flames, a young man was sitting beside him.

Just as he was about to sit up, the young man pressed him down, "Don't move, I just applied some medicine."

Medicine?

What medicine?

Xu Muyang was about to ask when he saw the medicine bottle in the young man's hand.

"White Jade Powder?" Xu Muyang exclaimed, recognizing the bottle as his own.

Only then did he realize that the young man had collected all the medicine from his body and placed it at his feet.

"Who are you, and how dare you touch my things?" Xu Muyang was furious.

For cultivators, the items they carry are often matters of life and death and should not be touched lightly.

His storage bag had been destroyed in the previous battle, so he had to carry his items with him. He never expected that a mere mortal would go through his belongings thoroughly.

At that moment, he sat up, grabbed with his right hand, and a bronze mirror that looked ancient and heavy flew into his palm. Due to the use of spiritual energy, his blood surged, and he spat out a large mouthful of blood. Despite this, Xu Muyang ignored the pain and first put away the bronze mirror, then picked up a jade slip beside him, but this time he did not use the remote object retrieval technique.

The young man replied, "I know it's not good to go through other people's things, but both of us were injured. Without the medicine, we would have died."

Only then did Xu Muyang notice that his wounds had been coated with a thick layer of White Jade Powder. It seemed that the young man had been the one to apply the medicine for him.

Not only him, but the young man's back was also coated with a layer of the powder. White Jade Powder was a rare item, and only a small amount was needed. The way the young man used it was a waste of a precious resource.

Xu Muyang's tone softened, "I see. But you were quite bold. Do you know that although immortals have spiritual medicines, if used improperly, they can do more harm than good. Not using the medicine can lead to death, but using it incorrectly can also be fatal!"

"Uh-huh." To his surprise, the young man nodded, "I know, so I checked your wound. I thought there should be medicine on it. I compared the White Jade Powder with the medicine on your wound, and it should be correct."

Xu Muyang was speechless.

It seemed the young man had tested the medicine on his wound before using it, which was why he had chosen the White Jade Powder from all the medicines.

If it weren't for the White Jade Powder, he might not have woken up so quickly.

Xu Muyang said, "My injury is superficial, but in reality, it's the result of a powerful aura entering my body and disrupting my meridians. The White Jade Powder can help stabilize my spiritual energy and repair my meridians. The wound was intentionally left open to allow the medicine to take effect faster. However, using it to treat your external injuries is a waste and not the right medicine. You should use the Continuity Ointment instead."

"I see, I was wondering why this immortal's medicine couldn't even treat a minor injury." The young man suddenly understood, picked up the Continuity Ointment, and applied some to his back. He immediately felt a cool sensation, and the pain lessened.

He took the items without asking, and Xu Muyang wanted to stop him, but considering the young man had saved him, it would be petty to do so. He decided to let it go.

The young man sat back down beside him and said, "My name is Tang Jie, Jie as in calamity. What about you?"

In fact, he had heard the golden-armored celestial call out the other's name during the previous battle, but he pretended not to know.

"…Xu Muyang." Xu Muyang answered somewhat unwillingly.

Hearing this, Tang Jie smiled.

This answer meant that during the previous battle, Xu Muyang had not noticed him.

Of course, it was also possible that Xu Muyang had noticed him but didn't care. To immortals, mortals like him were probably like ants.

Who would pay attention to ants?

Since that was the case, things would be much easier from now on.

"Tang Jie?" Xu Muyang pondered the name, frowning, "This name is too lethal and inauspicious!"

Tang Jie laughed, "When I was born, it was during the Central Plains' Youyun Incident, and there was a golden mist swallowing the moon. A fortune-teller said that the celestial anomaly was a sign of great misfortune. He said I was born to face calamity, and my life would be filled with disasters and hardships, bringing misfortune to all, including my parents, friends, and even the heavens and the earth. He suggested my parents name me Tang Jie to face the calamity first, which might turn it into good fortune."

"Ridiculous!" Xu Muyang exclaimed, "Under the Heavenly Dao, all things cycle. Even the holy immortals can only look up to it, unable to predict the future, let alone claim to overcome it. This fortune-teller is rebellious and should be beaten to death with sticks!"

"There was no beating to death, but there was a beating with sticks. Despite this, my parents still named me Tang Jie. Two years ago, I faced a great calamity, and my parents died, but I survived… perhaps it was because of this calamity," Tang Jie said casually.

Whether it was Tang Jie who survived the calamity or Tang Jie who was reborn in Tang Jie's body, to be honest, Tang Jie himself was a bit confused.

But no matter what, in this life, he was Tang Jie!

After a moment's thought, Xu Muyang asked, "Are you from Xiaohexiang Village?"

Tang Jie shook his head, "I was just passing by and happened to see you defeat the bandits and then pass out."

As he spoke, he patted the bag he had prepared and busied himself with the medicine, using the task to hide his nervousness.

He was nervous, not because he was lying, but because he was lying to an immortal!

This was his first time facing an immortal!

And he had lied to the immortal at their first meeting, which was incredibly bold.

However, he had no choice but to do so!

When Tang Jie saw the white-robed immortal appear, he knew that his life's opportunity had arrived.

The path to immortality was hard to find, and few mortals could achieve it. Even if they encountered an immortal, it was rare to receive guidance.

Although he had been pursuing this path, even if he found an immortal, it didn't mean the immortal would take him as a disciple.

But Tang Jie knew how important it was to embark on the path of cultivation in this world, so he was willing to take even the slightest chance.

Although he had saved Xu Muyang, Xu Muyang had also saved him by slaying the bandits. In a way, Xu Muyang didn't owe him anything, and it was even more likely that he owed Xu Muyang.

Therefore, he couldn't admit that he was from Xiaohexiang Village.

He needed the immortal to owe him a favor, and only then would there be a chance to gain a connection to immortality.

For this chance, he was willing to chase, beg, and even deceive.

Fortunately, when he came out, Xu Muyang was already unconscious and couldn't have seen him. From their conversation, Tang Jie deduced that Xu Muyang hadn't noticed him during the previous battle, so his claim of being a passerby was plausible.

The only thing he wasn't sure about was whether Xu Muyang, as an immortal, could detect his lie.

This was a gamble, betting on the unpredictability of human nature, even for immortals.

At least not everyone had the ability to read minds!

Tang Jie decided to take the risk!

If he won, he would make an immortal owe him a favor.

If he lost, it was just a small lie, not a capital offense.

An immortal who slayed demons and bandits wouldn't kill him just for a lie.

Besides, even if he were killed, so what?

If he couldn't become an immortal, he would become a martyr!

The fate of the people of Xiaohexiang Village had shown Tang Jie the tragic life of the lower class, and he was determined to change this fate at all costs.

Sure enough, when Xu Muyang heard that Tang Jie was not from Xiaohexiang Village, he was clearly taken aback, "You're not from Xiaohexiang Village? Then how did you get that wound on your back?"

"I was trying to dodge the person you chased away, but he slashed me with his sword," Tang Jie answered calmly.

Compared to his first answer, which was somewhat nervous, his second answer was much more composed.

The fact that his lie wasn't exposed at the beginning meant that Tang Jie had already won the two most critical points.

Xu Muyang was stunned, and after a moment, he said, "I see. Thank you, young brother, for your help."

"You, Immortal Master, acted bravely and slew the bandits. What I did was nothing much."

"I was still a step too late and couldn't save the people of Xiaohexiang Village."

"Revenge is the best way to honor their memory," Tang Jie answered calmly, as if the people of Xiaohexiang Village had nothing to do with him.

Seeing this, Xu Muyang had no more doubts and could only sigh, wondering why he had gotten involved in this karma.

In the world of immortals, karma was important. If karma was unresolved, it would leave a crack in one's heart.

This crack might seem insignificant at first, but in the five realms and fourteen stages of cultivation, one stage was the Heart Demon stage.

A crack in the heart would give rise to a heart demon. If there were countless cracks, the heart demons would be endless, and even the most powerful cultivator would be helpless.

Therefore, every cultivator had to be cautious.

It's important to note that the heart demon was not related to morality. It didn't mean that if you saved someone, they had to repay you, or that every cause must have an effect. It was related to one's character and beliefs.

If Tang Jie had helped a demon who believed in the survival of the fittest and repaying kindness with enmity, the demon could kill him without a heart demon, as that was the demon's path.

If the demon killed, it would be in line with his path. If he didn't, it might give rise to a heart demon.

Therefore, the heart demon was not about good or evil but about the backlash of actions that went against one's true self and beliefs.

Because of this, cultivators often had firm beliefs. Once they believed in a certain idea, behavior, or viewpoint, they wouldn't easily change.

If their beliefs changed, they might regret their past actions, which would be the time when the heart demon would arise.

The true self was hard to deceive. Even if you forgot something, the true self would still remember, and the heart demon would arise.

Xu Muyang came from a noble family and, although not a saint, had a strong sense of gratitude.

Now that he had been "helped," he felt he had to repay the favor.

He took out a bottle of pills and handed it to Tang Jie, "This bottle of Spirit Nourishing Pills can nourish the spirit organs and strengthen the body. Even for a mortal, it can improve health and cure diseases. You helped me, so I will give you this medicine. You can also take the Continuity Ointment."

Karma needed to be resolved, but how to resolve it was a science.

Cultivators had long lives and experienced countless events, with various karmic ties. If they took everything seriously, they wouldn't be able to do anything else.

Therefore, each cultivator had their own way of resolving issues. The simplest was to use a bottle of spiritual medicine to settle everything.

There was no need to worry about whether it was enough. The heart demon came from the true self. As long as you felt the repayment was enough and your conscience was clear, there was no problem.

Because of this, selective ignorance, self-deception, and self-comfort were essential skills for cultivators. However, if these methods were discovered and exposed, they could easily trigger the opponent's heart demons, leading to defeat.

In the battles of immortals, it was common for someone to defeat their opponent with words, and the key was this.

Similarly, cultivators often kept their past experiences secret to avoid giving others a handle.

Xu Muyang's self-deception was clearly not up to par, so he gave a bottle of high-quality Spirit Nourishing Pills. Some thick-skinned and black-hearted people might even count the White Jade Powder he used as part of the repayment.

Tang Jie was a standout. He hadn't started cultivation but had already mastered deception, feeling no guilt. He looked at the pills indifferently and said, "I don't want it."

He didn't understand the heart demon but knew about human relationships, which were, to some extent, the same thing.

Xu Muyang wanted to repay a favor with a bottle of pills, which was unacceptable.

Seeing that he didn't want it, Xu Muyang quickly said, "If you think it's not enough, I…"

Tang Jie stood up, "Helping was just a coincidence, Immortal Master, you don't need to worry about it. By the way, I saw you coming from the east, so you must be heading to Anyang Prefecture. I'm also going there, so why don't we travel together? You're injured, and it might be inconvenient on the way. Maybe I can help you."

Tang Jie didn't know where Xu Muyang was going, but from this place, the direction was definitely toward Anyang Prefecture, so saying he was going there was safe.

As long as he stayed with this person, he wasn't in a hurry about cultivation.

His long experience in the bureaucracy had taught him that to get someone's favor, he had to make them like him first.

Xu Muyang, on the other hand, was at a loss.

If Tang Jie had just said it was a coincidence and not to worry about it, Xu Muyang might have comforted himself by saying, "He doesn't want my repayment," and the karma could be resolved.

But the suggestion to travel together was a bit troublesome.

If he refused after the young man had just helped him, it would be inhuman and against his true self.

Cultivators could do many things, but they wouldn't do anything against their true self!

Actually, he could leave now, and the minor heart demon from this incident wouldn't affect him much.

The Heart Demon Tribulation was the result of a lifetime of actions.

But resolving karma and acting in line with one's true self was a habit formed by cultivators over a long time. It was like doing business, where every transaction, big or small, had to be handled seriously.

After some thought, Xu Muyang could only agree to travel together.

In his view, the young man was just a twelve-year-old boy who would need his help at some point, and then he could resolve the karma.

Hearing that Xu Muyang agreed to travel together, Tang Jie smiled happily.

The door of opportunity was now open, and the next step was to seize it.

Since heaven had brought him to this world without giving him a golden finger,

He would create his own!