Chapter 667

Chapter 667: Two Tigers Cannot Share One Mountain (Part 1)

This world has no chili peppers.

But there are Sichuan pepper and prickly ash, and the art of pickling cabbage has been practiced since ancient times.

As a lover of delicious food, Wang Chen naturally kept a variety of spices and ingredients in his Xumi Ring, enabling him to cook his desired meals even in the most challenging environments.

He split the black fish head in half, removed the blood and impurities, and marinated it with salt and cooking wine for about half an hour.

After marinating, he rinsed the fish head clean, placed it on a plate, and topped it with minced ginger and garlic, followed by a layer of chopped chili.

He then steamed the fish head in a pot for the time it takes an incense stick to burn.

Once cooked, he drizzled hot oil over it, releasing a tantalizing aroma!

This authentic chopped chili fish head, combining freshness, fragrance, and a tingling spiciness, featured tender fish meat that melted in the mouth and was infused with abundant spiritual energy.

With a plate of chopped chili fish head and a cold vegetable salad, Wang Chen devoured five bowls of spiritual rice!

Each bowl weighed a full pound.

His mastery in body cultivation was exceptional; he had no qualms about eating meat and relished hearty meals. If he truly let loose, five pounds of rice would be a mere trifle—he could easily consume ten times that amount!

For Wang Chen, finding fresh ingredients within the influence of the Evil Eye was a true comfort for both his stomach and soul.

In the following days, Wang Chen’s life as the guardian of the Northern Evil Eye became more structured.

He continued to explore the outer regions of the Evil Eye, clearing out the spawned magical spirits and evil spirits to gather Evil Energy Pearls for refining into Pure Yang Pearls.

He also set aside time to absorb spirit gas from the subterranean dark river.

With the Preheaven Five Element Technique, Heavenly Dragon Vajra True Method, and Supreme Mysterious Spirit Dragon Technique—three techniques he practiced simultaneously—Wang Chen made steady progress.

It seemed as though he had been completely forgotten; the talismans he sent for reports never received a response.

Wang Chen didn’t mind this; in fact, he began to relish his current life.

With no one to disturb him, he could focus entirely on hunting and cultivating, gradually building his strength.

But even when the tree seeks peace, the wind does not cease, and some things destined to happen will inevitably come.

One day, just after completing his routine patrol, Wang Chen returned to the Safe House and sensed something amiss before entering.

The Safe House was, in fact, a large magical artifact that provided comprehensive protection for the cultivators stationed at the Evil Eye. Although Wang Chen was its current occupant, he did not own it.

This meant that anyone with the appropriate talisman could freely enter the Safe House.

Wang Chen sensed that someone was inside!

His mind raced, but he calmly opened the formation’s barrier and stepped inside.

Upon entering, Wang Chen immediately noticed the gray-robed cultivator seated in the small living room.

This uninvited guest appeared to be in his forties or fifties, with a lean, gaunt frame and a stern expression that made him seem unapproachable.

The aura he radiated clearly indicated he had reached the pinnacle of the Purple Palace, just a step away from the Golden Core!

When Wang Chen entered the Safe House, this uninvited guest was seated in a chair, engrossed in reading a thick volume of Dao texts, as if completely unaware of Wang Chen’s presence.

Wang Chen’s eyes flickered, and he bowed with neither arrogance nor subservience, saying, "Lesser Steward Wang Chen, greetings to Chief Steward Sima."

He recognized the gray-robed cultivator as one of the chief stewards from the duty hall.

The surname is Sima.

"Mm."

Chief Steward Sima looked up at the sound, set down the Dao texts in his hands, and nodded, saying, "You’ve returned from your patrol? Take a seat."

He carried himself as though he were the true master of the Safe House, while Wang Chen seemed nothing more than an insignificant lodger.

His tone was casual, laced with a subtle air of regional prejudice.

"Yes."

Wang Chen calmly took a seat in a lower position.

Chief Steward Sima studied him with a scrutinizing gaze and asked pointedly, "Wang Chen, have you grown accustomed to living here?"

Wang Chen was slightly taken aback.

He had never interacted with this duty hall chief steward before, and there was no prior connection between them.

Wang Chen couldn’t fathom the man’s intentions, and the situation felt oddly unsettling.

"It’s tolerable," Wang Chen replied cautiously. "Though the cultivation environment is rather poor, and I can’t afford to expend many spirit stones."

"Ah, I see."

Chief Steward Sima chuckled lightly. "Are you eager to return?"

Wang Chen nodded. "Yes."

"That’s unfortunate."

Chief Steward Sima sighed. "Recently, the duty hall has been unable to assign suitable personnel, so you’ll have to endure staying here a while longer. But rest assured…"

He paused, as if giving Wang Chen time to absorb his words, "You will definitely return!"

The chief steward’s final statement was delivered with firm conviction, like a solemn promise.

As he spoke, his gaze remained fixed on Wang Chen, his eyes brimming with a hopeful glint.

It was as though he were waiting for something.

Wang Chen’s expression remained blank. "Thank you, Chief Steward…"

The other’s hints were unmistakable, but Wang Chen feigned complete ignorance.

Chief Steward Sima waited a moment, but the response he sought never came.

His demeanor swiftly turned cold as he gestured toward the storage bag on the table. "Inside is your salary and supplies for next month. Do your best."

With that, he rose and strode away, his departure as abrupt as his arrival.

After the chief steward left, Wang Chen did not immediately retrieve the storage bag. Instead, he first inspected the quiet room and the bedroom.

Though both rooms appeared undisturbed, his instincts told him that Chief Steward Sima had undoubtedly searched them.

Fortunately, Wang Chen had always known that the Safe House was not his home, so aside from some basic furniture, he had left no personal belongings behind.

Even if the chief steward had turned the place upside down, he would have found nothing of note.

The question remained: why had Chief Steward Sima, a man Wang Chen had never met, taken such an interest in him?

Did Wang Chen look like some wealthy fool?

As he pondered, Wang Chen sat back down and opened the storage bag.

What he found inside startled him.

It wasn’t an abundance of items—quite the opposite. The spirit stones, Dan symbols, spiritual rice, and beast meat were all about one-third less than usual.

For an ordinary cultivator, these supplies would barely suffice for a month.

A test? A warning? A threat?

Wang Chen tucked the storage bag away—no matter how meager, it was still his, and he had every right to claim it.

Originally, he had planned to return to the Evil Abyss on his day off to collect his salary and resources.

But now, stationed alone at the Northern Evil Eye, he hadn’t had a single day of rest, which was why the supplies had to be delivered to him.

However, such a task hardly required the involvement of a chief steward.

Unless the man had volunteered.

So the question lingered: why had Chief Steward Sima taken it upon himself to deliver these supplies?

To claim he was virtuous and eager to help, or simply bored out of his mind?

Wang Chen didn’t buy it for a second.

Most importantly, the chief steward’s words had been laced with thinly veiled hints, his intentions all too clear.

Wang Chen had no desire to comply, nor did he wish to fall into any trap.